Let it flow

“…but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14 NIV)

Picture a large meadow of yellow flowers bowing to a gentle breeze. This golden pond of beauty is densely populated on the outer edges by trees that stand stoic throughout the course of time. The summer sun hangs lazily alone in the afternoon sky against a canvass of aqua blue. The air is punctuated periodically by God’s curious creatures that fly about on cue — assuring the casual observer that life is more than worrying about the next event.

But that’s not all.

The sound of a rushing river nearby captures the essence of energy as it follows its familiar path toward the open sea. All marvel at its ability to remain constant. Nothing stops its flow. Its strength is undeniable. Its will, undeterred. The river beckons those who are thirsty to partake of its power to quench. For the filthy, it calls them to bathe in its capacity to cleanse. For everyone who seeks healing, it invites them to take a leap of faith and jump in.

Similarly, Father thank you for being the ever-present river of life in our lives. May the richness of your presence flow from us to others so that they may see your mercy and grace. May those who feel discouraged or depressed find supernatural strength in your heavenly reservoir of love.

Conspiracy Theories, what does the bible have to say about it?

Who killed JFK? What is the Illuminati? Was there equipment on the space shuttle that caused earthquakes? If God reveals the answer to any of these speculations, we should be thankful He has brought light to our mysteries. If not, we should leave well enough alone—especially if dwelling on those mysteries brings fear.

On one level, conspiracy theories are entertaining. Trying to connect the dots through disparate historical events brings a sense of order to chaos. Speculating about mysteries incites a titillating anxiety of the future that relieves boredom and distracts from more pressing dilemmas.

Speaking up and uncovering the truth is certainly biblical. The prophet Nathan uncovered David’s conspiracy to cover up his sin of murder (2 Samuel 12). Paul’s nephew uncovered a plot to assassinate Paul, and his knowledge foiled the attempt (Acts 23). Wickedness likes to hide.John 3:20says, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” We should always seek the truth. “Love truth and peace” (Zechariah 8:19).

Two warnings concerning conspiracy theories: first, we should never get ahead of what God wishes to reveal to us.Godreveals the truth in mystery (Daniel 2:30;Genesis 40:8). He will tell us what we need to know in His time, and there are things we do not need to know (Mark 13:32;Revelation 10:4). We should not indulge in useless speculation that takes time and effort away from our work for Christ (1 Timothy 1:4).

Second, we should not fear. “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Many conspiracy theories feed fear and prey on ignorance and gullibility. God has called us to something better.

One problem with conspiracy theories is that they place too much emphasis on worldly matters. It’s good for political intrigue to come to light, but that is not a necessary condition for the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:12). It is right for corruption to be brought to justice (Isaiah 1:17), but it is still possible to live a godly life, even if justice never happens. In our search for truth,Romans 8:31should always be in mind: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

Exposing the truth is good. Obsessing over rumor and hearsay and half-proven theories is harmful.Ephesians 5:11-14is an excellent guideline. Verse 11 says to expose “the fruitless deeds of darkness.” But verse 12 says not to mention them. How do we expose them? Not by conjecture or worry or fear or never-ending deliberation, but by waiting on the words of verses 13 and 14: “Everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.” Speak the truth and wait for God’s timing.

Endless speculation about conspiracy theories is, at best, a waste of time. At worst, the obsession induces paralyzing fear as our attention is drawn away from Christ. Avoid the mysteries God hasn’t chosen to reveal yet. Let Him work according to His timing. Rest in His plan, which can never be thwarted (Job 42:2).

Above all, do not fear. “The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed.” But “He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them” (Psalm 2:2,4).

Why we NEED to become involved with others when they face trials.

The troubles of this world are cold and relentless. It’s not easy to stay so focused on heaven that we are being bombarded with the problems of earthly life. We’re commanded, of course, to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Col. 3:2), but even the most committed believer will testify that earthly trials sometimes obscure the heavenly perspective.

We worry. We grieve. We stumble. We strain under the toil of our daily labors. We feel the guilt of our fallen condition. Meanwhile, we are assaulted with troubles of all kinds. Those are just a few of the many worldly burdens that  keep our thoughts from rising to heaven.

And yet we are commanded repeatedly to “seek the things that are above” (Col. 3:1). We are instructed to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen” (2 Cor. 4:18). We can’t allow the burdens of this life to divert our hearts from heaven.

How is that possible? When the load weighs us down and the troubles become too much for one person to bear, pie-in-the-sky sentiments can sound very far away.

But that is precisely why the church is so important. It is our duty as believers to help bear each others burdens (Gal. 6:2). When someone staggers, we help steady the load. If he is straining, we help bear the burden. And if he stumbles, we lift him up. Helping fellow believers carry the weight of their worldly troubles is one of the chief practical duties that should be something every Christian WANTS to do.

Of course, that concept is contrary to the thoughts of our culture, with secular society’s tendency to focus on ourselves. Our generation has developed an unhealthy obsession with entertainment; we are daily bombarded with a bunch of trivial diversions; and we tend to interact with one another in sound-bites or through faceless media. We live in crowded cities and over-populated neighborhoods; yet most individuals are more isolated than ever.

And let’s be honest — Most churches nowadays often imitate the culture exactly where we most need to confront and contradict its influence. As churches seek to become bigger, flashier, and more technologically savvy, they usually tend to become more cold and impersonal. Contemporary churches sometimes even seem to encourage the “me first” agenda of self-love rather than the “one another” commands of Scripture. As a result, we don’t bear one another’s burdens like we should.

Paul made this duty a high priority. It was the centerpiece of his sermons to the Galatian churches. The first half (or more) of Galatians is a defense of  faith and a series of arguments against the false teaching that threatened to place those churches in bondage to the Law. In Galatians 5:14 he reminded them: “The whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

How is that love best shown? “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (6:2).

Do you want to fulfill the moral requirements of the Law? Love your neighbor. How do you love him? By bearing his burdens.

It’s interesting that Paul would emphasize this theme in an epistle written to confront people who were falling into legalism. It’s as if he were saying, “You want to observe a law? Let it be the law of Christ. If you have to impose burdens on yourselves, let it be through acts of love toward your neighbor.”

If you will do that faithfully, your own burden won’t seem so heavy. Best of all, you will find it easier to keep your focus heavenward, regardless of the trials you suffer in this life.

Where is your home?

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17:16 )

We live here, we walk here, we eat and drink here, but may we never call it home. The ground beneath our feet and sky above our heads are the scenery we enjoy momentarily, but they will pass away (Matthew 24:35). Our family is more than people with the same last name (Mark 3:35), as believers we are united by blood, literally the shed blood of Jesus the risen Savior. We, the family, walk as sojourners (1 Peter 2:11), as travelers, loving and serving the people around us, all the while remembering we will one day be home. A home that has been prepared for us (John 14:3), where we will live in ever increasing joy.

Our lips will never again say, “It was fun while it lasted”, as the smile fades from our face. In our home there is no sorrow, there is no disease, there is no end to joy (Revelation 21:4). In our home our treasure does not fail, there is no thief to steal, no moneybag to grow old (Luke 12:33). In your heart, and in your head, where is your treasure and your home? For “there will your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34).

Where is your home?

Should Christians celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. — 1 John 5:4, 5

No doubt you associate March 17^th each year as St. Patrick’s Day, as I do. For as long as I can remember, the date set aside to celebrate St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, has been a day dedicated to the wearing of green, to decorating with leprechauns and shamrocks, and to holding parades in locations where many Irish have settled.

But little did I know that March 17^th is also a holiday because of a military victory. We’ll get back to St. Patrick—because that’s a very important story—but so is Evacuation Day. If I’ve done my homework right, Evacuation Day was the day in the Boston area when British General Sir William Howe led his troops onto their ships and left the city for Nova Scotia. The Continental Army, under the new command of General George Washington, strategically occupied Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston Harbor. Fortifications were built with artillery equipment captured at Fort Ticonderoga, and the British realized that their position within Boston was indefensible. Fearing a defeat similar to Bunker Hill, General Howe decided to evacuate, ending an 11 month siege of the city. Boston was never attacked again by the British, and this can be considered Washington’s first victory of the Revolutionary War. The password for the day in General Washington’s Continental Army encampment was “Saint Patrick,” and March 17^th was declared an official holiday for Suffolk County, Massachusetts in the early 1900s.

With the story of St. Patrick we find another victory, but of a different sort. His is the story of victory over bitterness, victory over the lies of a pagan culture, and, asThomas Cahill in How the Irish Saved Civilization would even say, the victory over illiteracy and ignorance which would preserve writings so important to us today, including the Bible.

Patrick was a young man of sixteen years when kidnapped from his home in England around 400 A.D. and taken to Ireland. There he was sold to a chieftain who forced Patrick to tend his sheep. It was during this captivity that Patrick remembered his Christian upbringing, which he had formerly rejected. As he wrote in his Confessions, “I would pray constantly during the daylight hours” and “the love of God . . . surrounded me more and more.” His understanding and love for God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit grew during these lonely years of survival in the cold, rain, and snow. His writings do not show bitterness, however, because he used his time to grow in new love and faith. After six years as a slave-shepherd Patrick escaped and returned to his home in England, a changed man.

Feeling called to return to Ireland and proclaim the Gospel to the pagan and barbaric culture which he had left, Patrick began to study and prepare. Eventually he was ordained as a priest, and then a bishop. When he did return, he brought new hope to the land where he had been held captive, all because of his bold and faithful proclamation of Jesus Christ as Savior of the world. He even used the shamrock to explain the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He served in Ireland for 29 years, baptizing thousands and planting hundreds of churches. Besides individual lives redeemed, their new Christian faith gave the Irish people a revived love of learning—which then fostered literacy. The Irish monks were instrumental in copying books, including the Bible, which were in danger of being looted and destroyed during the final days of the Roman Empire as it crumbled.

This is a quick summary, no doubt, and there is much to appreciate in the legacy of St. Patrick. Although accounts of his biography differ in details, there seems to be little disagreement as to his passion to evangelize the people of Ireland because of his love for them and his love for our Lord. I am particularly inspired by his deep prayer life, and am touched by this writing called “The Breastplate,” attributed to St. Patrick:

“Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”

March 17^th is a day to celebrate victory, whether Evacuation Day or St. Patrick’s Day. The ultimate victory is through Jesus Christ, and as Christians we celebrate His life in us every day of the year. Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:56-58)

Time to thaw out

John 7:37-38 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

An estimated 500,000 tons of water go over Niagara Falls every minute. On March 29, 1948, the falls suddenly stopped. Those who lived near enough heard the overwhelming silence, and immediately they thought it was a sign – the end of the world had come! However, after thirty hours had passed – the flow of water resumed.

What happened? Heavy winds had set the ice fields of Lake Erie in motion and tons of ice had jammed the Niagara River entrance near Buffalo. The ice blocked the flow of water until finally, there was a shift in the blockage and the river began flowing again.

The river had stopped flowing because of ice.

If we really want the flow of God’s love, peace, joy, and anointing in our lives – we cannot allow our hearts to become like ice. If we do, His life-giving current will stop.

Let the Lord search your heart for those areas where the ice has built up and needs to thaw out. He will show you where they are if you ask. Our hearts should be burning for Him, so let the river flow…. once again.

5 Biblical principles to help us keep out foot out of our mouths.

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16)

Even in the middle of our Christian lives, arguments, disagreements, and tension-filled conflict will come, but when it does, here are five Biblical principles to consider before we ever open our lips:

1. Listen. Be silent in your mind as well as your mouth. “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent” (Proverbs 17:27-28).
2. Be teachable. Are you in the wrong? If so, how can you respond in humility, grace, and repentance? If you genuinely desire to grow in Christ-likeness, then remember that God uses iron to sharpen iron, and frequently, there will be sparks (Proverbs 27:17).
3. Think. Take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We are in a spiritual struggle against an enemy who seeks to divide us. Don’t let your thoughts grow vengeful, spiteful, or believe lies about others. Be disciplined in your thought life.
4. Seek unity. We are one body with many parts. If this is true (which today’s text says it is), that means each believer’s mission is the same. Think about it, is the eye’s mission different than the heart’s? In its function—what it does—yes. In its mission—why it does it—no. Remember, we are one, a unified whole. Seek unity between yourself and your brothers and sisters because we’re playing for the same team.
5. Model love over winning an argument. Always speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), because love seeks unity over division, and peace over strife (See especially 1 Corinthians 13:1-7). Sometimes, though, people are simply wrong, misled, or in sin. When this is the case, don’t shrink from the truth, but don’t use it as a weapon to wound, either. Love reconciles, pride dominates.

Our lives will not be free of controversy until Jesus returns. Until then, let’s remember his words, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

A Christian approach to dealing with anger

When a person becomes a Christian, his conduct and personality should undergo certain changes. One of these changes has to do with temper. A Christian should react in a Christian way. He should not lose his temper.

This post will deal with the problem of anger and temper. We will see the root cause of temper and learn how we can be delivered from the sin of temper.

The Destructiveness of Anger

The first man to discover the destructive power of anger was Cain. Cain and his brother, Abel, were the first two sons of Adam. When these sons grew up, Cain became a farmer and Abel became a shepherd.

 

Cain and Abel had been taught the right way to worship God. They knew that God required an offering of innocent animals as a sacrifice for their sins. But, when they came to worship God, only one brother was obedient to God.

 

Abel brought a lamb as his offering, but Cain brought fruit from his crops as his offering.

God accepted Abel and his offering, but He rejected Cain and his offering. As a result of this, Cain became very angry. He was angry at God and jealous of his brother.

God warned Cain of the consequences of his anger. God’s message to Cain was this: “Look out! Your anger is like a lion lying in wait outside your door. You must master your anger or it will master you.” But Cain did not respond to God’s warning. His jealousy of Abel turned into hatred.

One day, as Cain and Abel were in the field together, Cain rose up against his brother and murdered him. Thus the first man born into this world became a murderer because he did not control his anger.

Dealing with Anger

Like Cain, we have the “lion” of anger within us. We must master it or it will master us. God has not said that we are never to be angry, but He has warned us of the danger of uncontrolled anger. The Bible says,

“‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” Ephesians 4:26

Anger is the most violent of human emotions. Because it involves such strong feelings, anger borders closely on sin. The Bible does not say, “Be kind, but sin not,” or “Love, but do not sin,” because kindness and love are far removed from sin. But when we are angry, we are in danger of sinning. Someone has said, “If we are to be angry and sin not, we must be angry at nothing but sin.”

There are three things we can do with our anger:

We can express it.

When anger is out of control, it does great damage. When we become so angry that we want to lash out at someone and hurt them, we are sinning deeply. We call this “losing our temper.” Sometimes we think that we show how strong we are when we lose our temper, but losing our temper is a sign of weakness, not strength. The Bible says,

“Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9

We can suppress it.

To suppress anger is to keep it inside. Some people lose their temper and express their anger openly. Others have the same angry feelings but manage to keep them bottled up inside.

Anger that is bottled up or kept inside of us hurts and keeps on hurting. It turns to resentment and bitterness, and it can bring on depression as well as many kinds of physical illnesses.

We can confess it.

The best way to handle angry feelings is to tell God about them. This is a way to “let off steam” without sinning. God knows us better than we know ourselves, and we will always find Him to be understanding.

Just being in God’s presence helps to calm us. It also helps us to see things in their proper perspective. Many times we discover that the thing we were disturbed about was not really so important after all.

We must deal with the Sin of Temper

Temper is uncontrolled anger. It is always wrong. When we lose our temper, there is but one thing to do. We must confess it to God as sin and claim the cleansing blood of Christ. If we have offended or hurt others, we must, of course, apologize to them.

Regardless of how many times you lose your temper, you must make things right with others each time. This will humble you and help you to see the damage done by your temper.

It is best not to go to the other person while you are still upset, but after you have calmed down, go and make things right.

We must deal with the Cause of Temper

Even though we faithfully confess our sin to God every time we lose our temper, we still have a problem. The problem is that we keep doing the same thing over and over again. We lose our temper, and we confess it. Then we lose our temper again and confess it again. We do the same thing over and over. No matter how hard we try, we continue to lose our temper.

Is there a remedy for this problem? Yes, there is! The first thing we must do is to discover what causes us to lose our temper.

The Bible does not say much about temper. The reason is that the Bible is concerned with the root cause of temper, not just with the temper itself.

What is the root cause of temper? It is SELF! Temper is produced by SELF. Whenever temper is expressed on the outside, we may be sure that there is an angry SELF on the inside. We may try hard to control our temper, but unless SELF is dealt with, we will continue to get angry and lose our temper.

Let us look at a few temper-producing situations so that we may see more clearly that SELF is the cause of temper.

• Someone puts us down.

Being “put down” or belittled by others is one of the most common causes of losing our temper. Someone says something unkind or hurtful about us, and we become angry on the inside. Our self-pride is injured. This is but one of the many forms of SELF.

• We cannot have our own way.

We are self-willed and determined to have our own way. When someone crosses us and we cannot have our way, we may sulk or pout, or flare up with anger. What is the root cause of this? It is SELF.

• Someone is honored above us.

We like to be looked up to and admired by others. For this reason we are jealous of others when they succeed. Jealousy often turns into anger when someone gets the job or honor that we wanted. Again, the root cause of these wrong feelings is SELF.

These are but a few temper producing situations, but they show us that the root cause of temper is SELF. We may not realize it, but the main reason for all our discontent is that we love ourselves and want to please ourselves. So long as we make ourselves the center of everything, we will react with anger when anyone crosses us.

To sum it up, temper comes from within us. It comes from SELF. Until the problem of SELF is dealt with, the problem of temper will not be solved.

NOTE: There is a self which I am to accept and a SELF which I am to deny. I am to accept myself as the special, unique person which God created me to be. But I am to deny SELF—that sinful self-life which is a form of the flesh.

God’s Remedy for SELF

Because SELF is so hateful to God and so destructive to us, God did something about it.

What did God do about SELF? God dealt with SELF by putting us in Christ on the cross. When Christ was crucified, we were crucified with Him.

Why did God crucify us with Christ? He crucified us with Christ so that we might no longer be ruled by SELF. The Bible says,

“Knowing this, that our old man [our former self] was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer serve sin.” Romans 6:6 NKJB

Two great facts which are true of every Christian are:

1) Christ died for us, and

2) we died with Christ.

The great truths concerning our union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection are fully covered in Course 3. An understanding of these truths is absolutely essential to a life of victory.

God wants us to see that in Christ we died to our old life. We are not the same person we were before. We are “a new creation” IN CHRIST. We do not have to give in to our old sins. We died to all our sins, including the sin of temper. The Bible says,

“How shall we who died to sin [including sinful temper] live any longer in it?”
Romans 6:2 NKJB

Practical Steps We Must Take

We have seen that the root cause of temper is SELF, and we have seen how God has dealt with it. Now let us see some practical steps that we must take.

We must see our need.

Many people, when angry, simply will not admit their anger. They say, “I am NOT angry!” Others admit that they have a temper but do not see it as a serious sin.

Actually, temper is one of the worst sins. The Bible lists uncontrolled anger along with such sins as drunkenness, witchcraft, adultery, and murder. (See Galatians 5:19-21.) Temper is simply not acceptable in the life of a Christian. The Bible says,

“Let ALL bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor [loud quarreling], and evil speaking be put away from you, with ALL malice.” Ephesians 4:31

Unless we see the seriousness of our temper and determine to be delivered from it, we will not overcome it. If we are satisfied to go on as we have been going, we will know nothing of God’s victory over the sin of temper.

We must accept responsibility for our temper.

It is very easy to excuse ourselves by blaming someone else for our temper. We say, “If so-and-so had not spoken to me like that, I would not have lost my temper.” In other words, we think that our temper is an external problem—that it is caused by something from without.

The fact is that temper is an internal problem. Temper comes from within us, not from without. Others may say or do things that irritate me, but no one can make me lose my temper except me.

We must count on our death with Christ.

God has told us plainly that He has delivered us from the power of sin and SELF by our death with Christ. God tells us to count on these great facts. The Bible says,

“Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin [including the sin of temper], but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:11

We must put God’s truth into practice. When we find ourselves getting angry, we can say, “Hold it! I am not acting like the person I really am. I am not the person I used to be. My old angry self was crucified with Christ. I don’t have to give in to my temper any more. I am a new creature in Christ. Christ lives in me. He is my life.”

We must deny SELF.

Whether or not we lose our temper is not determined by what happens on the outside. It is determined by the one in control on the inside.

Christ alone has the right to rule in our life, but SELF will still try to rule. Every Christian must choose whether he will be ruled by Christ or by SELF.

It is God’s purpose that Christ reign on the throne of our heart. In order for Him to reign, SELF must be kept in the place of death on the cross.

It is one thing to understand the teaching that we were crucified with Christ. It is another thing to put it into practice and actually deny SELF. But this is what we must do. Jesus said,

“If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself [deny SELF], and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

To overcome temper, we must deny SELF. What does it mean to “deny SELF”? To deny SELF means to choose God’s will instead of our own will. Denying SELF is saying, “I don’t have to have my own way. I accept God’s way.”

The world says, “Look out for yourself,” but Jesus says, “Deny yourself.” We will never control our temper until we give up our way and choose God’s way.

We will find that the Lord will allow us to be in many situations where we are slighted, mistreated, or inconvenienced. This is God’s way of dealing with our self-life and our temper. God’s purpose in all these situations is that we learn to be patient and self-denying, gladly letting God have His own way in our life.

When someone keeps you waiting a long time, you do not have to lose your temper. You can say, “Lord, You know that I need to learn patience. You are in control of my circumstances, and You have allowed this to teach me to be more patient.”

When someone says or does something that hurts your pride, you don’t have to get angry. You can say, “Lord, You know how proud I am. I thank You for dealing with me about my sinful pride.”

When others do not do what you want them to do and you cannot have your own way, this is your chance to die to SELF. You can say, “Lord, I always want to have my own way, but You know what is best for me. I accept Your way.”

In whatever situation the Lord arranges for us, we can say, “Lord, this is what You have arranged for me. This is Your way of dealing with my self-life and my temper. I accept this from You and thank You for it.”

 

 

How to become, and maintain, a Christian life.

How does someone become a Christian? By entering into a personal relationship with God. It’s in the Bible, John 17:3, TLB. “And this is the way to have eternal life—by knowing You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one You sent to earth!”

Becoming a Christian is changing in response to the gospel message. It’s in the Bible, Acts 2:37-38, TLB. “These words of Peter’s moved them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ And Peter replied, ‘Each one of you must turn from sin, return to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; then you also shall receive this gift, the Holy Spirit.’ ”

Becoming a Christian is personal and public. It’s in the Bible, Romans 10:8-10, TLB. “For salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is what we preach—is already within easy reach of each of us; in fact, it is as near as our own hearts and mouths. For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and believe in your own heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation.”

It is important that one understand that “believing” in Christ is more than an opinion, You need the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life. It’s in the Bible, Romans 8:9, NIV. “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”

Christianity encourages honest investigation. It’s in the Bible, Luke 1:3-4, NIV. “Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

6 Reasons to Be a Faithful Member of a Local BIBLE TEACHING Church!

It is my conviction that every Christian should be an active member of a Bible-teaching local church. As believers in Christ, we are members of His body and must discipline ourselves to be actively involved in ministry as a way of life. Here are some specific reasons why you should be a committed member of a solid, Bible-teaching local church.

1. You follow the pattern set forth in the New Testament. Although the word “membership” itself is not used the principle is present in the New Testament. For example, most of our NT books are letters that were written to specific groups of people who had chosen to identify themselves with Christ and each other. The word “church” is almost always used to refer to a specific group of people who in some way had committed themselves to serving the Lord and one another in the same ministry location. Numbers were known (Acts 1:15, 2:41, 4:4), rolls were kept (1 Tim. 5:9), servants were selected (Acts 6:2-5), discipline was practiced (1 Cor. 5:12-13), worship was corporate (1 Cor 14:23), and shepherds knew for whom they were responsible (Heb. 13:17). If you are a part of the body of Christ by virtue of repentant faith in Jesus Christ then you should want to make that association visibly known through church membership.

2. You have a greater opportunity to use your spiritual gifts. At the moment of your conversion the Holy Spirit came to live inside of your body (1 Cor 6:19). When He did this, He brought along the spiritual gift(s) that He sovereignly chose for you to possess for the blessing of the church (1 Cor 12:7, 11). As we use our gifts, we are being good stewards of the manifold grace of God(1 Peter 4:10). Can you use your spiritual gift without joining a church? Yes, but in most churches many ministry opportunities are limited to church members only. This is as it should be. Unity in doctrine, purity of life, and submissive accountability to one another and leaders are necessary for a healthy Christian life. The process of becoming a member also gives the existing leadership the opportunity to discern one’s agreement in doctrine, ministry purpose, and goals; thus enabling them to know where best you may serve.

3. You become a more committed part of a spiritual family. Joining a local church demonstrates a certain level of commitment. It shows that you want to be more than a bystander, that you want to be involved in ministry in a more significant way. Joining a local church is like entering into a covenant relationship with other believers in order to love them as an active part of a spiritual family (1 Jn 4:7). We also need the spiritual oversight and soul care of faithful shepherds (Heb 13:17).

4. You ensure a balanced Christian life. By nature we all have the tendency to gravitate toward extremes. God’s design for the church—as a multi-faceted body whose members are interrelated and interdependent—provides the ideal atmosphere for balanced Christian growth. As we sharpen each other, our continual contact with other believers promotes balance. In his book, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church: Participating fully in the body of Christ, Donald Whitney writes, “No one develops the proper spiritual symmetry just by listening to Christian radio, watching Christian television, or reading Christian books.  You can’t get this kind of maturity merely by participating in a group Bible study. Unless you’re an active part of a local church, your Christian life and ministry will be imbalanced.”

5. You avail yourself of the wisdom of a multitude of counselors. God never intended for us to live our lives independent of others, or “above” them. He desires for us to develop relationships of accountability with other Christians. According to Proverbs 11:14, in the abundance of counselors there is victory. The local church is a great place to find wise counsel and direction from spiritual leadership and older, more mature believers (Titus 2:1-8). These relationships will help guide you in the many decisions that you face in life so that you may discern God’s good and perfect will.

6. You experience the joy of serving others. God has re-created us in Christ Jesus for the purpose of bringing glory to Him by bearing fruit (Eph 2:10; John 15:2).  The fruit of the Spirit is primarily manifested in our relationships with others (Gal 5:22-23). Believers are to follow the example of Christ the Master Servant (Jn 13:15). By joining a local church, you are agreeing with God that one of the ways to bear fruit in the Christian life is by serving others.