It is God's desire that His love is suppose to be imparted into our children First off, it is supposed to be transferred from the parents into the children; this is the responsibility of the parents. The parents are supposed to transfer God's love that they have received from Him and transfer it into their children. Let me explain how this is done below.
Let us examine people in general before we go on with our children. All the people in the world can be split up into three groups. There are the few people that are totally made good by Christ's Holy Spirit residing and living in and through them. Then there are the multitudes of people that have a mix of good and evil, and then there are the few that are completely evil. The extent of how good or how evil a person is is determined by how much of God's love/truth they have accepted in their life.
To a certain extent, God has poured out his Spirit onto all people. This is why you won't find very many people that are totally evil. Even the ones that don't believe in God, they will almost always believe in some of God's truth. When anyone believes in any of God's truth, it will produce some good. Most of us know many people that aren't Christians, but we can also see some good in them while we can also see some evil in them as well. This mix of good and evil will only produce works that are tainted with evil (bad fruit). This is what God calls "dirty rags". But we have to admit, there is some good in almost everyone. So, we also have to admit that God's Spirit of goodness is also partially in these people, because God is the only one that is good and all good things can only come from Him. Most people reflect the world they live in, where there is good and evil. God has created an environment in this world where there is both good and evil. He did this so we could all have a choice between the good and evil. Most people pick both. But for the ones that choose only good, they search out God to receive a full filling of His love, which in turn produces only good fruit out of a pure love.
Now, getting back to how God's love is transferred to other people, including our children. God's love is transferred to others by sharing God's truth and living His truth. What a person believes will determine what love a person will live by. If a person is truly living by God's love, that love of God will be transferred to others that they have a relationship with.
When we believe God's truth, we will then live by that truth. When we live by God's truth, it will produce only pure love. Belief in God's truth will bring a person to a point of being totally free of their self love and empowered to live by God's love alone. Anyone that totally believes in God's truth will live by that truth and can only act in God's love.
God's love and God's truth are one and cannot be separated. When we share God's love with people, we are sharing God's truth. When we take the time to share God's truth with people, we are showing God's love to them. God's love is actually God's truth in action. This is why the first and second greatest commandment is:
Matt 22:37-40 - Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." NIV
God's commandments are to "LOVE" - To have and share God's love. All the Law (all of God's Truth) and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (to have and share God's love). If we go and share God's truth, but do not have the action of showing God's love, the truth we share is empty and possibly damaging. This is why God primarily calls us to have the action of His love, because then we are also showing others the real truth. We must show others the truth by the way we love. Then they will believe in God's truth, because they see it in action through His love flowing through us. In this way the lost can experience God's love and in turn believe God's truth and be found by God.
So, what comes first, God's love or God's truth? It is very important that we first believe in God's truth, otherwise we can't come to know the true love of God. Belief in God's truth will produce obedience to God, which will produce God's love in us. It is very important that we get "whole" ourselves in God's love before we try to help others. If we aren't fully believing in God's truth, then we will not be able to witness to others with the love of God. Anyone that is not believing in God's truth will not be obedient to God, and will not be able to have the full love of God to share with others. It is only through faith in God's truth that we are led into God's love. Once we have become obedient to His truth (commandments), God comes to live with us in the form of pure love and truth (the Holy Spirit). It is then that God empowers us to witness to others in His love.
As parents, if we are full of God's love, we will then transfer God's love into our children. The children will see and experience God's truth and love in action by the parents and then the children will believe in God's truth also, which will produce obedience in the children and result in receiving God's love for themselves.
Blessings,
Michael W Reid
Showing posts with label God's love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's love. Show all posts
Friday, June 3, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Keeping God First – Not Second
We are called to love others more than ourselves or as ourselves, but not to love them more than God or in place of God. Many people get caught up with trying to do the second greatest commandment before they have done the first greatest commandment. God's commandments don't go like this:
The first and greatest commandment is to 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' And the second is like it: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
This is not the correct priority of God's commandments, but most so called "Christians" end up trying to do them this way.
If we try to do the second greatest commandment before we do the first greatest commandment, everything gets messed up. Instead of getting positive results we get chaos and hatred from the ones we are trying to help or love. When we try to love them, we instead end up misdirecting them and causing them more harm. We usually end up directing them away from God instead of closer to Him.
No one can understand how to love as God until they first love the source of all pure love. Because most don't love God first, we end up trying to love others with our own self love and what we understand as love. This only causes more problems for them and us. If we're not loving God first and above everyone else, then we should take heed when we trying to help anyone else.
Matt 7:3-5 - Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. NIV
If we still have sin in our life, because we don't love God with all of ourselves, then we shouldn't try to help others with getting rid of their sin. We will usually only make the sins of everyone involved even greater. If we have a plank in our own eye and try to get the speck out of someone else's eye, isn't there a good chance we might stab or hurt their eye even worse? This is like the blind leading the blind. If we still have sin, then we should not lead others until we have gotten rid of all sin in our own life first. The only way to conquer all sin in our life is by loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. No one can sin in this kind of love.
God’s word says to leave the spiritually dead alone, at least until you have followed Jesus in His foot steps first.
Matt 8:21-23 - Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. NIV
It is not that Jesus didn't love these people that were spiritually dead, but Jesus knew the disciples were not ready to help these spiritually dead yet. First they must follow Christ and become like Him, and then they would be able to help in bringing these spiritually dead to life, life in Christ.
God always has to come first in our life. God always has to be our first and greatest love. If God is not the love of our life, then we will only be blind sinners leading other blind sinners astray.
God's Blessings to you,
Michael W Reid
The first and greatest commandment is to 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' And the second is like it: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
This is not the correct priority of God's commandments, but most so called "Christians" end up trying to do them this way.
If we try to do the second greatest commandment before we do the first greatest commandment, everything gets messed up. Instead of getting positive results we get chaos and hatred from the ones we are trying to help or love. When we try to love them, we instead end up misdirecting them and causing them more harm. We usually end up directing them away from God instead of closer to Him.
No one can understand how to love as God until they first love the source of all pure love. Because most don't love God first, we end up trying to love others with our own self love and what we understand as love. This only causes more problems for them and us. If we're not loving God first and above everyone else, then we should take heed when we trying to help anyone else.
Matt 7:3-5 - Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. NIV
If we still have sin in our life, because we don't love God with all of ourselves, then we shouldn't try to help others with getting rid of their sin. We will usually only make the sins of everyone involved even greater. If we have a plank in our own eye and try to get the speck out of someone else's eye, isn't there a good chance we might stab or hurt their eye even worse? This is like the blind leading the blind. If we still have sin, then we should not lead others until we have gotten rid of all sin in our own life first. The only way to conquer all sin in our life is by loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. No one can sin in this kind of love.
God’s word says to leave the spiritually dead alone, at least until you have followed Jesus in His foot steps first.
Matt 8:21-23 - Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. NIV
It is not that Jesus didn't love these people that were spiritually dead, but Jesus knew the disciples were not ready to help these spiritually dead yet. First they must follow Christ and become like Him, and then they would be able to help in bringing these spiritually dead to life, life in Christ.
God always has to come first in our life. God always has to be our first and greatest love. If God is not the love of our life, then we will only be blind sinners leading other blind sinners astray.
God's Blessings to you,
Michael W Reid
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Christ's Rod of Iron
We have all been fools. We have all believed lies, because we have desired lies more than the truth. That is why we keep falling into the same traps of the devil, over and over again. Man has not changed and God and the devil have not changed. So the devil’s lies that worked before, will keep on working as long as man keeps his sinful nature.
I am mainly talking about the reason Jesus was rejected upon His first coming. Men were expecting a different kind of savior and king, a physical earthly savior. For the very same reason, Jesus’ second return has also been rejected by man. The reasoning or lies of the devil that man wanted to believe ended up having the result of crucifying Jesus Christ on the cross the first time He came. For the very same reason, men have rejected Christ’s second coming. Men are still looking for a physical reigning king. Men have been fools for the devil, over and over again. As long as man clings onto his/her selfishness, we will be fools and take in the devil’s lies for our own truth.
What is this major lie that we have believed about Christ’s return? It is an assumption by man that Christ or God wants to setup His kingdom and reign on earth as an earthly or physical king. An earthly/physical kingdom is the last thing God wants His kingdom to be. God is Spirit and His kingdom must also be Spirit. Just because we are stuck in this physical earthly realm for a small amount of time, doesn’t mean that God wants to be stuck to a physical earthly kingdom. Just because we are in a physical body for now, doesn’t mean that God wants to be limited to an earthly physical body. With God you have to start thinking out of the box – by getting out of your box.
People have been waiting for God to rule over His kingdom with a “rod of iron.” Of course we automatically think of a physical rule of Christ where everyone is kept in line by God’s great power and will conquer all that is evil or bad. Please think again! There are only two great powers that control every person’s heart and actions. They are fear, which is out of loosing something of one’s own self, and love, which is all about giving of one’s own self. So, does the words “rod of iron” indicate that God wants to rule out of fear or love? Most have taken it to be out of fear. We have been fools, this is not God’s way, especially under His new covenant with us. The only one that wants to rule out of fear is the devil, his demons, and the people with the devil’s nature (selfishness). God on the other hand has always wanted to rule His people out of a pure love for Him and others.
People have greatly under-estimated the power of these two loves, the love of God and the love of self. These two kinds of love rule over every spirit on earth, in heaven, and in hell. It is the “love of God” that is the “rod of iron”, for nothing is stronger than pure love. The next ruling power under God’s love is the love of self (the devil’s nature). We currently live in a realm where there is both the love of God and the love of self. If a person is ruled by God’s love which has filled their heart, then they will have the nature of God and will always do God’s will. It is God’s love that will rule everyone in His kingdom. If a person is ruled by self love, then they will think and do as the devil has done from the beginning. It will be the self love that rules and destroys every soul in the devil’s kingdom.
Can anyone point to a time in history when God ruled His people by fear? It is true that everyone should reverently fear God for His greatness, but he has never ruled anyone by fear. God only punishes by fear. God has brought people to the point of fearing Him out of His wrath, usually for their past disobedience, but He always allows them to become disobedient before He sends His wrath. God has always wanted to rule His people by His people loving Him and the people being obedient to Him out of that love. It is only after people weren’t obedient, out of love, that He would send His wrath. God’s plan is not to whip us into shape and into obedience; He wants to love us into His perfect spiritual kingdom. The only ones that God has to discipline and show His wrath to are the ones that are still in the devil’s spiritual kingdom, the selfish and disobedient.
Somehow through our selfish assumptions, man has assumed that there will only be a peaceful or perfect kingdom during Christ’s millennial reign, that there will be no evil. Why did we and why do we still assume this, because we want to believe it. We don’t want to have to fight the evil ourselves; we want God to do it all. We want God to create an environment where everything is perfect, where there is no evil, and there are no temptations for our selfishness to take up on. Why do we keep fooling ourselves, where ever there is selfishness, there is evil. There can be no perfect environment where there is still any selfishness.
During Christ’s millennial reign, the scriptures don’t indicate there is no evil. The scriptures just say that the devil is locked up for those thousand years while Christ reigns. There was still evil during that time, because there were still a lot of people with their selfishness. Selfishness is evil; self love is the spirit or nature of the devil. No where does scriptures mention that Christ reigns over and controls every person during His millennial reign, again we assumed that. We have assumed wrong.
So, all of you that have been fooled by the devil’s tricks and are still waiting for Christ’s second coming, quit fooling yourself and realize that men have already rejected Christ’s second coming for the same reasons that they rejected Christ’s first coming. Christ has already returned and is waiting for more souls to enter His kingdom. If you keep rejecting His return, then you will probably miss out on Him reigning in your heart as well.
The Lamb and the Lion have already lain down together. The Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God have already laid down on the cross together. Don’t let the devil deceive you any longer. His kingdom is here and Christ wants you to fight for it.
As for our near future, we are all to see God’s wrath come upon us, because we have rejected Christ and His kingdom. It doesn’t matter that we were mistaken and deceived, because we let ourselves be deceived. It doesn’t matter if we believe God’s wrath is coming or not, God doesn’t need for you to believe in order for Him to do what He has already decided to do. Even though God’s wrath will not be stopped, any person that still wants to die to his own self love and be filled with God’s love will enter into His eternal kingdom.
Date: 4/20/2011
Michael W Reid
I am mainly talking about the reason Jesus was rejected upon His first coming. Men were expecting a different kind of savior and king, a physical earthly savior. For the very same reason, Jesus’ second return has also been rejected by man. The reasoning or lies of the devil that man wanted to believe ended up having the result of crucifying Jesus Christ on the cross the first time He came. For the very same reason, men have rejected Christ’s second coming. Men are still looking for a physical reigning king. Men have been fools for the devil, over and over again. As long as man clings onto his/her selfishness, we will be fools and take in the devil’s lies for our own truth.
What is this major lie that we have believed about Christ’s return? It is an assumption by man that Christ or God wants to setup His kingdom and reign on earth as an earthly or physical king. An earthly/physical kingdom is the last thing God wants His kingdom to be. God is Spirit and His kingdom must also be Spirit. Just because we are stuck in this physical earthly realm for a small amount of time, doesn’t mean that God wants to be stuck to a physical earthly kingdom. Just because we are in a physical body for now, doesn’t mean that God wants to be limited to an earthly physical body. With God you have to start thinking out of the box – by getting out of your box.
People have been waiting for God to rule over His kingdom with a “rod of iron.” Of course we automatically think of a physical rule of Christ where everyone is kept in line by God’s great power and will conquer all that is evil or bad. Please think again! There are only two great powers that control every person’s heart and actions. They are fear, which is out of loosing something of one’s own self, and love, which is all about giving of one’s own self. So, does the words “rod of iron” indicate that God wants to rule out of fear or love? Most have taken it to be out of fear. We have been fools, this is not God’s way, especially under His new covenant with us. The only one that wants to rule out of fear is the devil, his demons, and the people with the devil’s nature (selfishness). God on the other hand has always wanted to rule His people out of a pure love for Him and others.
People have greatly under-estimated the power of these two loves, the love of God and the love of self. These two kinds of love rule over every spirit on earth, in heaven, and in hell. It is the “love of God” that is the “rod of iron”, for nothing is stronger than pure love. The next ruling power under God’s love is the love of self (the devil’s nature). We currently live in a realm where there is both the love of God and the love of self. If a person is ruled by God’s love which has filled their heart, then they will have the nature of God and will always do God’s will. It is God’s love that will rule everyone in His kingdom. If a person is ruled by self love, then they will think and do as the devil has done from the beginning. It will be the self love that rules and destroys every soul in the devil’s kingdom.
Can anyone point to a time in history when God ruled His people by fear? It is true that everyone should reverently fear God for His greatness, but he has never ruled anyone by fear. God only punishes by fear. God has brought people to the point of fearing Him out of His wrath, usually for their past disobedience, but He always allows them to become disobedient before He sends His wrath. God has always wanted to rule His people by His people loving Him and the people being obedient to Him out of that love. It is only after people weren’t obedient, out of love, that He would send His wrath. God’s plan is not to whip us into shape and into obedience; He wants to love us into His perfect spiritual kingdom. The only ones that God has to discipline and show His wrath to are the ones that are still in the devil’s spiritual kingdom, the selfish and disobedient.
Somehow through our selfish assumptions, man has assumed that there will only be a peaceful or perfect kingdom during Christ’s millennial reign, that there will be no evil. Why did we and why do we still assume this, because we want to believe it. We don’t want to have to fight the evil ourselves; we want God to do it all. We want God to create an environment where everything is perfect, where there is no evil, and there are no temptations for our selfishness to take up on. Why do we keep fooling ourselves, where ever there is selfishness, there is evil. There can be no perfect environment where there is still any selfishness.
During Christ’s millennial reign, the scriptures don’t indicate there is no evil. The scriptures just say that the devil is locked up for those thousand years while Christ reigns. There was still evil during that time, because there were still a lot of people with their selfishness. Selfishness is evil; self love is the spirit or nature of the devil. No where does scriptures mention that Christ reigns over and controls every person during His millennial reign, again we assumed that. We have assumed wrong.
So, all of you that have been fooled by the devil’s tricks and are still waiting for Christ’s second coming, quit fooling yourself and realize that men have already rejected Christ’s second coming for the same reasons that they rejected Christ’s first coming. Christ has already returned and is waiting for more souls to enter His kingdom. If you keep rejecting His return, then you will probably miss out on Him reigning in your heart as well.
The Lamb and the Lion have already lain down together. The Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God have already laid down on the cross together. Don’t let the devil deceive you any longer. His kingdom is here and Christ wants you to fight for it.
As for our near future, we are all to see God’s wrath come upon us, because we have rejected Christ and His kingdom. It doesn’t matter that we were mistaken and deceived, because we let ourselves be deceived. It doesn’t matter if we believe God’s wrath is coming or not, God doesn’t need for you to believe in order for Him to do what He has already decided to do. Even though God’s wrath will not be stopped, any person that still wants to die to his own self love and be filled with God’s love will enter into His eternal kingdom.
Date: 4/20/2011
Michael W Reid
Monday, April 18, 2011
What Is Perfection
I have a good friend that asked me how a person can tell if someone is perfect or not. I thought it was a good question and maybe some others might wonder about this also. So I am sending on my response to my friend to all that might be interested.
“How can you identify when someone is perfect?” Good question. Most would not ask this question, because either they think of this as judging someone, or they don’t believe anyone can do this except God, or they are really fearful of knowing the answer.
To think and act perfect before God, a person must live totally by unselfish love. When a person lives by the love of God, they will automatically be holy and righteous. But the terms “unselfish love, holy, and righteous” can be defined in many ways other than by their true godly meanings. So how does perfection really look in a true born-again believer?
The perfected (sanctified/saint/born-again) believer:
Being perfect is when a person loves God with all their heart, soul, mind, body, and strength: Mark 12:30 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. NIV Some might say “I do the second greatest commandment, which is: Mark 12:31 - The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ NIV If I do this second commandment, doesn’t that prove I love God by loving others?” The answer is NO. There are probably many people that think they love God by trying to please and love others the way they would want to be loved, but the way a selfish person wants to be loved is not the way God loves us or the way we need to love God. If anyone switches these two commandments around to be like: Love your neighbor with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love the Lord God as yourself. This is how some people might see how to love God, or what they might end up doing sub-conscientiously. People can easily have some form of a relationship with a real physical person, but how do they have a relationship with a God they can’t see or touch. So people resort to trying to love people instead of God. What does all this have to do with being perfect? Unless we FIRST love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; we cannot truly love others as God loves. If we try to love people without having God as our first love, then we will try to please others instead of giving them what they need. When we love others perfectly, we will help them with what they need and not necessarily with what they want. God’s perfect love doesn’t give people what they want, but instead gives them what they need. A perfect person will be willing to give the other person what they need, even when it might cost their relationship; whether the relationship be a spouse, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, or friend.
A perfect person loves God above everyone and anything else. He/she will please their Father in heaven first, even if that love for God causes problems with others being displeased with them. If anyone is more concerned about pleasing someone else more than God, then their love is not perfect. Anytime anyone loves anything of this world, including people, more than God, then that worldly love will make them desire to please what they love instead of God. God’s perfect love is not about pleasing people, but doing what is best for His glory and their eternity. So a perfect person will have God first in their life, then people second, and then things and money after that.
Jesus tells us how to be perfect:
Matt 19:21 - Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." NIV
To understand God’s priorities of how to be perfect, we must read the sections of the verse above in reverse order. Our first priority is to follow Jesus Christ – “come, follow me.” Our second priority is to take care of people – “give to the poor.” Our last priority in life is to acquire wealth – “sell your possessions.” For most of us, having wealth will get in the way of following Christ. Also for most of us, getting to attached to un-perfected people will get in the way of following Christ – when we end up loving other people more than God.
A perfect person will not sin against God’s will. If any person is knowingly sinning against the good and right will of God, then they are not perfect. For they love someone or something else more than God. Their love for themselves, others, or things are really their God. God commands: Ex 20:3 - You shall have no other gods before me. NIV
A perfect person will not worship anything or anyone else other than God. A lot of people put other people up on a pedestal and worship them as higher than other men. One man is no better than any other man or women. The only one good is God. Any man/women can only be considered good if God is perfectly controlling their life. It is not the man/women that has any good value of their own, but only the good of God living in them. To be perfect, a person must consider themselves worth nothing and God worth everything.
A perfect person will always love what God loves and hate what God hates. They will hate evil (selfishness) and always love what is good and perfect. They will hate the sin of a person, but love the sinful person.
A perfect person will have no damming anger for another, but will always return good for evil.
A perfect person will always value the person and not the sex of the other person. Their sexual tendencies will always be overridden by the value they place on the other person. The pure love that a perfect person has, will always value the other person over their own sexual desires.
A perfect person will value other people and the other person’s possessions and not envy what the other person has. If anyone envies other peoples possessions, then they still are selfish and not perfect. The only thing a perfect person needs or wants is God Himself.
A perfect person never steals. Anyone that steals, even for food to eat, is not depending on God for all their needs. God is all we need and He will supply all our needs.
A perfect person never lies. Not even a little white lie. Perfection has nothing to hide. Anyone that lies is still of the devil’s spirit.
A perfect person fears nothing, for he/she knows God is in control of all things. If anyone fears anything, then they have not been made perfect yet. 1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. NIV We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but after fully being made perfect by the fullness of God’s love, there is no longer any need to fear. A perfect person no longer has to fear God, because they have been made perfectly in Christ’s image (love) and have become one in Spirit with God. If a person is one in Spirit with God, then fear is gone. A person that is one with God cannot fear the perfect love that now fills every part of his/her heart and soul. There is no selfish left and Satan cannot touch him/her any longer because there is no selfishness left for the devil to tempt.
A perfect person always has the choice to return to sin, but since all selfishness has been defeated by God’s love, sin has no power over a perfected person.
A perfect person is a brother of Jesus Christ and is no longer under the priesthood of Christ. The priesthood of Christ is only for the sanctification process to enable a person to become perfect. During the perfection process, Christ is our High Priest, but after perfection Christ becomes our brother instead. A perfect person has the same Spirit of Christ and the spirit of the devil (selfishness) is gone.
Michael W Reid
“How can you identify when someone is perfect?” Good question. Most would not ask this question, because either they think of this as judging someone, or they don’t believe anyone can do this except God, or they are really fearful of knowing the answer.
To think and act perfect before God, a person must live totally by unselfish love. When a person lives by the love of God, they will automatically be holy and righteous. But the terms “unselfish love, holy, and righteous” can be defined in many ways other than by their true godly meanings. So how does perfection really look in a true born-again believer?
The perfected (sanctified/saint/born-again) believer:
Being perfect is when a person loves God with all their heart, soul, mind, body, and strength: Mark 12:30 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. NIV Some might say “I do the second greatest commandment, which is: Mark 12:31 - The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ NIV If I do this second commandment, doesn’t that prove I love God by loving others?” The answer is NO. There are probably many people that think they love God by trying to please and love others the way they would want to be loved, but the way a selfish person wants to be loved is not the way God loves us or the way we need to love God. If anyone switches these two commandments around to be like: Love your neighbor with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love the Lord God as yourself. This is how some people might see how to love God, or what they might end up doing sub-conscientiously. People can easily have some form of a relationship with a real physical person, but how do they have a relationship with a God they can’t see or touch. So people resort to trying to love people instead of God. What does all this have to do with being perfect? Unless we FIRST love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; we cannot truly love others as God loves. If we try to love people without having God as our first love, then we will try to please others instead of giving them what they need. When we love others perfectly, we will help them with what they need and not necessarily with what they want. God’s perfect love doesn’t give people what they want, but instead gives them what they need. A perfect person will be willing to give the other person what they need, even when it might cost their relationship; whether the relationship be a spouse, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, or friend.
A perfect person loves God above everyone and anything else. He/she will please their Father in heaven first, even if that love for God causes problems with others being displeased with them. If anyone is more concerned about pleasing someone else more than God, then their love is not perfect. Anytime anyone loves anything of this world, including people, more than God, then that worldly love will make them desire to please what they love instead of God. God’s perfect love is not about pleasing people, but doing what is best for His glory and their eternity. So a perfect person will have God first in their life, then people second, and then things and money after that.
Jesus tells us how to be perfect:
Matt 19:21 - Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." NIV
To understand God’s priorities of how to be perfect, we must read the sections of the verse above in reverse order. Our first priority is to follow Jesus Christ – “come, follow me.” Our second priority is to take care of people – “give to the poor.” Our last priority in life is to acquire wealth – “sell your possessions.” For most of us, having wealth will get in the way of following Christ. Also for most of us, getting to attached to un-perfected people will get in the way of following Christ – when we end up loving other people more than God.
A perfect person will not sin against God’s will. If any person is knowingly sinning against the good and right will of God, then they are not perfect. For they love someone or something else more than God. Their love for themselves, others, or things are really their God. God commands: Ex 20:3 - You shall have no other gods before me. NIV
A perfect person will not worship anything or anyone else other than God. A lot of people put other people up on a pedestal and worship them as higher than other men. One man is no better than any other man or women. The only one good is God. Any man/women can only be considered good if God is perfectly controlling their life. It is not the man/women that has any good value of their own, but only the good of God living in them. To be perfect, a person must consider themselves worth nothing and God worth everything.
A perfect person will always love what God loves and hate what God hates. They will hate evil (selfishness) and always love what is good and perfect. They will hate the sin of a person, but love the sinful person.
A perfect person will have no damming anger for another, but will always return good for evil.
A perfect person will always value the person and not the sex of the other person. Their sexual tendencies will always be overridden by the value they place on the other person. The pure love that a perfect person has, will always value the other person over their own sexual desires.
A perfect person will value other people and the other person’s possessions and not envy what the other person has. If anyone envies other peoples possessions, then they still are selfish and not perfect. The only thing a perfect person needs or wants is God Himself.
A perfect person never steals. Anyone that steals, even for food to eat, is not depending on God for all their needs. God is all we need and He will supply all our needs.
A perfect person never lies. Not even a little white lie. Perfection has nothing to hide. Anyone that lies is still of the devil’s spirit.
A perfect person fears nothing, for he/she knows God is in control of all things. If anyone fears anything, then they have not been made perfect yet. 1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. NIV We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but after fully being made perfect by the fullness of God’s love, there is no longer any need to fear. A perfect person no longer has to fear God, because they have been made perfectly in Christ’s image (love) and have become one in Spirit with God. If a person is one in Spirit with God, then fear is gone. A person that is one with God cannot fear the perfect love that now fills every part of his/her heart and soul. There is no selfish left and Satan cannot touch him/her any longer because there is no selfishness left for the devil to tempt.
A perfect person always has the choice to return to sin, but since all selfishness has been defeated by God’s love, sin has no power over a perfected person.
A perfect person is a brother of Jesus Christ and is no longer under the priesthood of Christ. The priesthood of Christ is only for the sanctification process to enable a person to become perfect. During the perfection process, Christ is our High Priest, but after perfection Christ becomes our brother instead. A perfect person has the same Spirit of Christ and the spirit of the devil (selfishness) is gone.
Michael W Reid
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The Promise
Most people calling themselves Christians today have a belief that the hope we have in Christ is the hope of getting to heaven some day. Even though heaven is a place we look forward to, that should not be our hope as Christians. So what is our hope and what is the promise of God?
Today MOST churched people's hopes are to get to heaven. This is not what our main hope should be or what we should strive for. If our main hopes and striving are to get to heaven then we are only trying to save ourselves from hell.
The scriptures say the deposit of the "Holy Spirit" into us is the GUARANTEE of our heavenly inheritance. This is true.
Eph 1:13-14 - In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. NKJV
2 Cor 1:21-22 - Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. NKJV
So once we are totally filled with the Holy Spirit (the promise), then we are guaranteed heaven as long as we don't willfully sin after that point. So the hope we need to go for is the promise that God will fill us with His Holy Spirit AFTER we have come to a point of total obedience (out of love for Him). Once we have the fullness of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth) in us, we no longer have a hope of being in His eternal kingdom, because we are already in His eternal kingdom. There is not a hope of heaven anymore, it is a for sure thing as long as we don't reject His Holy Spirit by willfully sinning against Him. If we willfully sin after being totally filled with the Holy Spirit (the promise), then we have committed the unforgivable sin. Let me explain this with scriptures.
After we have done the will of God we receive the promise (the Holy Spirit).
Heb 10:36 - For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the PROMISE NKJV
Abraham's offspring are the people that have received the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Rom 9:8 - In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. NIV
God pours out the Holy Spirit into all that have been obedient to the will of God. Then they are the sons of God and exalted to the right hand of God. A son of God is exalted to His right hand when that person has shown himself worthy of the Holy Spirit's filling. This needs to happen in our physical lifetime.
Acts 2:33 - Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the PROMISE of the Holy Spirit , He poured out this which you now see and hear. NKJV
God saves us from the power of our sinful nature to enable us to become the sons of God by eventually receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit after we have done His will.
Gal 3:14 - He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. NIV
Only if we are totally devoted to Christ are we considered Abraham's seed and enjoy in the promised Holy Spirit.
Gal 3:29 - If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NIV
Life in Christ is the Holy Spirit in a person. Holy Spirit = Life in Christ.
2 Tim 1:1 - ...according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, ... NIV
Once anyone has been fully filled with the Holy Spirit and has become a son of God, then they have been enlightened and have experienced God's eternal kingdom and the powers of that eternal kingdom. If they ever decide to fall away by willfully sinning against the Holy Spirit that is within them, then they are judged unworthy of the Holy Spirit and God's Holy Spirit is taken away from them forever.
Heb 6:4-6 - For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the HEAVENLY gift, and have become partakers of the HOLY SPIRIT, and have tasted the good word of God and the POWERS of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. NKJV
Now one important thing to remember when understanding these scriptures, when a person comes to the saving grace of God and says that first sinners prayer, they don’t receive the Holy Spirit at that time unless they were able to die to all their selfishness at that time. They receive Jesus as their High Priest, but for most people today, they don’t receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit until they die to all their selfishness and be obedient and do the will of God. It is through the power of God’s grace working through Jesus Christ being their High Priest that they have the power to overcome all sin, but they have to make the choice to die to every sinful thing in them. God will not make anyone die to their own selfish nature, but He gives you the power to do so if that is a person’s earnest desire.
When a person receives the Holy Spirit, they receive the knowledge of the truth. The truth is written on their hearts. God's very Word is written on and in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. So, after this happening, if they ever willfully go against that truth that has filled their heart, they will be doomed to an eternal fiery judgment.
Heb 10:26-29 - For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? NKJV
If we keep and stay within God's promise (the Holy Spirit) we are assured a new heaven and a new earth full of righteousness.
2 Peter 3:13 - But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. NIV
For the people, the true sons of God, the ones that have been filled with the Holy Spirit, that have partaken in the heavenly gifts and powers of the heavens (the powers to come), they are already in His eternal kingdom. The only difference that happens after physical death for a true son of God is that they don't have to live in both a righteous and un-righteous world any longer. They will live only in a pure, holy, and righteous world for eternity. Before a true son of God physically dies, they are already living a pure, holy, and righteous life already, but having to endure an un-righteous world until they physically die.
So I say all this to indicate that our salvation has to happen in our physical lifetime (before physical death). When someone says "Completed salvation is not until we reached the other side into heaven", this is an incorrect statement. This is what people want to believe and backs up MOST people's beliefs that we can never be perfect, pure, holy, and/or righteous this side of heaven, which a lie of the devil.
A true son of God has already been judged and found worthy to receive God’s promise of the Holy Spirit, because they have sacrificed all to Him. Once having received the Holy Spirit, we are then worthy to enter and be in God's eternal kingdom. It is the Holy Spirit of Christ that is the key to God’s eternal kingdom. All true sons of God have been judged in this life already and will never be judged again unless they commit the un-forgivable sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit that had totally filled their heart.
If anyone is judged by God after their physical death - it is too late for them. They are destined for the eternal fire.
May God’s truth encourage you to finish the race,
Michael W Reid
Today MOST churched people's hopes are to get to heaven. This is not what our main hope should be or what we should strive for. If our main hopes and striving are to get to heaven then we are only trying to save ourselves from hell.
The scriptures say the deposit of the "Holy Spirit" into us is the GUARANTEE of our heavenly inheritance. This is true.
Eph 1:13-14 - In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. NKJV
2 Cor 1:21-22 - Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. NKJV
So once we are totally filled with the Holy Spirit (the promise), then we are guaranteed heaven as long as we don't willfully sin after that point. So the hope we need to go for is the promise that God will fill us with His Holy Spirit AFTER we have come to a point of total obedience (out of love for Him). Once we have the fullness of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth) in us, we no longer have a hope of being in His eternal kingdom, because we are already in His eternal kingdom. There is not a hope of heaven anymore, it is a for sure thing as long as we don't reject His Holy Spirit by willfully sinning against Him. If we willfully sin after being totally filled with the Holy Spirit (the promise), then we have committed the unforgivable sin. Let me explain this with scriptures.
After we have done the will of God we receive the promise (the Holy Spirit).
Heb 10:36 - For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the PROMISE NKJV
Abraham's offspring are the people that have received the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Rom 9:8 - In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. NIV
God pours out the Holy Spirit into all that have been obedient to the will of God. Then they are the sons of God and exalted to the right hand of God. A son of God is exalted to His right hand when that person has shown himself worthy of the Holy Spirit's filling. This needs to happen in our physical lifetime.
Acts 2:33 - Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the PROMISE of the Holy Spirit , He poured out this which you now see and hear. NKJV
God saves us from the power of our sinful nature to enable us to become the sons of God by eventually receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit after we have done His will.
Gal 3:14 - He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. NIV
Only if we are totally devoted to Christ are we considered Abraham's seed and enjoy in the promised Holy Spirit.
Gal 3:29 - If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NIV
Life in Christ is the Holy Spirit in a person. Holy Spirit = Life in Christ.
2 Tim 1:1 - ...according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, ... NIV
Once anyone has been fully filled with the Holy Spirit and has become a son of God, then they have been enlightened and have experienced God's eternal kingdom and the powers of that eternal kingdom. If they ever decide to fall away by willfully sinning against the Holy Spirit that is within them, then they are judged unworthy of the Holy Spirit and God's Holy Spirit is taken away from them forever.
Heb 6:4-6 - For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the HEAVENLY gift, and have become partakers of the HOLY SPIRIT, and have tasted the good word of God and the POWERS of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. NKJV
Now one important thing to remember when understanding these scriptures, when a person comes to the saving grace of God and says that first sinners prayer, they don’t receive the Holy Spirit at that time unless they were able to die to all their selfishness at that time. They receive Jesus as their High Priest, but for most people today, they don’t receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit until they die to all their selfishness and be obedient and do the will of God. It is through the power of God’s grace working through Jesus Christ being their High Priest that they have the power to overcome all sin, but they have to make the choice to die to every sinful thing in them. God will not make anyone die to their own selfish nature, but He gives you the power to do so if that is a person’s earnest desire.
When a person receives the Holy Spirit, they receive the knowledge of the truth. The truth is written on their hearts. God's very Word is written on and in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. So, after this happening, if they ever willfully go against that truth that has filled their heart, they will be doomed to an eternal fiery judgment.
Heb 10:26-29 - For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? NKJV
If we keep and stay within God's promise (the Holy Spirit) we are assured a new heaven and a new earth full of righteousness.
2 Peter 3:13 - But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. NIV
For the people, the true sons of God, the ones that have been filled with the Holy Spirit, that have partaken in the heavenly gifts and powers of the heavens (the powers to come), they are already in His eternal kingdom. The only difference that happens after physical death for a true son of God is that they don't have to live in both a righteous and un-righteous world any longer. They will live only in a pure, holy, and righteous world for eternity. Before a true son of God physically dies, they are already living a pure, holy, and righteous life already, but having to endure an un-righteous world until they physically die.
So I say all this to indicate that our salvation has to happen in our physical lifetime (before physical death). When someone says "Completed salvation is not until we reached the other side into heaven", this is an incorrect statement. This is what people want to believe and backs up MOST people's beliefs that we can never be perfect, pure, holy, and/or righteous this side of heaven, which a lie of the devil.
A true son of God has already been judged and found worthy to receive God’s promise of the Holy Spirit, because they have sacrificed all to Him. Once having received the Holy Spirit, we are then worthy to enter and be in God's eternal kingdom. It is the Holy Spirit of Christ that is the key to God’s eternal kingdom. All true sons of God have been judged in this life already and will never be judged again unless they commit the un-forgivable sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit that had totally filled their heart.
If anyone is judged by God after their physical death - it is too late for them. They are destined for the eternal fire.
May God’s truth encourage you to finish the race,
Michael W Reid
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Hidden Story Behind The Prodigal Son Story
Most people know about the prodigal son story in the bible (It is located in Luke 15:11-32). Some people already understand that this is a parable told by Jesus in physical earthly terms to help us understand the spiritual ways of God’s Kingdom.
The hidden story in this parable is that the Father didn’t really give all the inheritance a true son is due when the prodigal son asked for it. This is because the prodigal son was not really a spiritual son of the Father, but only represented a physical creation of His (a son of man). If the prodigal son was truly a son of the Father, then the son would have never left the Father. The prodigal son wasn’t asking for the spiritual inheritance that a true son of God could receive, but the son only asked for the inheritance that would feed his selfish desires (the riches of this world - not the riches of heaven).
Even though the Father loved this wayward son, the Father could not bless him with His eternal love. The Father considered this wayward son as dead (spiritually dead) to Him and could not consider this prodigal son as His son because he did not do His will and did not act like the Father, but acted instead like his real father – the devil. The loving Father could not give this wayward son the rest of his inheritance until that son came back to Him repenting of all his sins and willing to be His servant. It was upon the son’s returning that now the Father could call him His son. It was not until the son submitted totally to the Father as a willing servant that the Father could call him His son and in turn give His son the rest of His inheritance, which is His eternal love and His eternal life. This was symbolized by the Father when He ordered the best robe and the ring of son ship to be put on the son’s hand. As long as the son was wayward and being a son of the devil, the Father could not give him all that the Father had in store for him.
Many people that call themselves the sons of God are like this prodigal son, where they want to receive all the blessings of God to feed their selfish desires, but are not willing to submit to Him as Lord. Many people are willing and wanting to receive the blessings of being saved from their sins, but are unwilling to leave their sinful lifestyle. Many people are willing to have Jesus Christ be their savior, but are not willing to submit to Him as the Lord of their lives. Jesus must be our Lord and Savior, not just Savior. Sadly, most people don’t come to their senses, like the prodigal son did, and return to the Father in heaven, but instead they stay under their devilish father’s rule and never receive their full inheritance through a submitted life in Christ. God wants to give us His eternal life, but He can’t give it to the sons of the devil.
You will know when you are the heavenly Father’s son, because you will act like the heavenly Father. If you are in fact a son of the living God, then you will inherit all that the Father has.
With God’s love,
Michael Reid
The hidden story in this parable is that the Father didn’t really give all the inheritance a true son is due when the prodigal son asked for it. This is because the prodigal son was not really a spiritual son of the Father, but only represented a physical creation of His (a son of man). If the prodigal son was truly a son of the Father, then the son would have never left the Father. The prodigal son wasn’t asking for the spiritual inheritance that a true son of God could receive, but the son only asked for the inheritance that would feed his selfish desires (the riches of this world - not the riches of heaven).
Even though the Father loved this wayward son, the Father could not bless him with His eternal love. The Father considered this wayward son as dead (spiritually dead) to Him and could not consider this prodigal son as His son because he did not do His will and did not act like the Father, but acted instead like his real father – the devil. The loving Father could not give this wayward son the rest of his inheritance until that son came back to Him repenting of all his sins and willing to be His servant. It was upon the son’s returning that now the Father could call him His son. It was not until the son submitted totally to the Father as a willing servant that the Father could call him His son and in turn give His son the rest of His inheritance, which is His eternal love and His eternal life. This was symbolized by the Father when He ordered the best robe and the ring of son ship to be put on the son’s hand. As long as the son was wayward and being a son of the devil, the Father could not give him all that the Father had in store for him.
Many people that call themselves the sons of God are like this prodigal son, where they want to receive all the blessings of God to feed their selfish desires, but are not willing to submit to Him as Lord. Many people are willing and wanting to receive the blessings of being saved from their sins, but are unwilling to leave their sinful lifestyle. Many people are willing to have Jesus Christ be their savior, but are not willing to submit to Him as the Lord of their lives. Jesus must be our Lord and Savior, not just Savior. Sadly, most people don’t come to their senses, like the prodigal son did, and return to the Father in heaven, but instead they stay under their devilish father’s rule and never receive their full inheritance through a submitted life in Christ. God wants to give us His eternal life, but He can’t give it to the sons of the devil.
You will know when you are the heavenly Father’s son, because you will act like the heavenly Father. If you are in fact a son of the living God, then you will inherit all that the Father has.
With God’s love,
Michael Reid
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Fighting This War
As we see almost everything going in the wrong direction – the way of evil. As we see our country being taken over by socialist ideals. As we see millions of babies aborted each year. As we see a lot of our churches go the way of the world. As we see God, His Word and His morals being stripped from our nation. As we see everything being viewed as relative with no truth as a base. As they teach us that there are no consequences for sin – because they teach there is no sin. How do we fight this war?
The first thing we must understand is that this is a SPIRITUAL war. This is not republicans against democrats. This is not a political war. This is a spiritual war against Christianity (against Christ). This is a spiritual war against God. The big question is what part are we playing in this war? What side are we on? If everyone that called themselves a “Christian” was actually acting out true Christian beliefs, we would not be in this mess. The fact is “Christians” have stopped being Christians.
The best way to fight this war is realize that the church is very sick, “Christians” must repent and turn back to God’s ways. This is a war on what we believe. Are we going to go along with the lies that have infiltrated our lives or are we going to start believing again in God’s scriptures as the infallible truth that holds and preserves everything that is good. Without God’s truth and love in action nothing will get better, it will only get a lot worse.
Every person acts on what they believe. The ones spreading evil (selfishness and pride) are only acting on what they believe. The evil person really believes they are acting out what is right, for they are reasoning it out as good in their own mind. We cannot try to make an evil person do good when what they are currently doing what is right in their own mind. On the other side of the coin, a true Christian also acts on what they believe. An evil person cannot make a true Christian do evil when what they are currently doing is good and right in their own mind. A Christian knows what is good and protects that goodness for the sake of God and others.
So what do you believe? What part are you going to play in these war games? Are you going to be a person that is led by God’s Spirit and rely on God’s Word alone or are you walking the fence of good and evil? We are getting to a point in time when no one will be able to straddle the fence. Either you will want and choose evil or you will want only God’s goodness and love. This is what God’s intentions are. If you are a Christian, then you will need to live a Christ like life and be a bright shinning star to the world. If you want to hold on to your selfish ways then accept that you are not a Christian until you want to live by God’s love.
We have to stop being so politically correct. We cannot call a person a Christian if he/she is not striving to follow in Christ’s foot steps. We cannot call a person a Christian just to make them feel good or not hurt their feelings. If we do this we are only keeping the lies of the devil going and allowing that spiritual sick person to think they are not sick. A person has to realize they are sick before they want to get better.
One of the most damaging symptoms hurting the growth of the church is people that say they are Christians, but act like the world. No one wants to join a religion that is filled with hypocrites. People are looking for the real thing and we must be true Christians and show them that true light. This is how we fight this war. This is a spiritual war and it is time we fight in the Spirit (God’s Spirit). Are you ready to die to your spiritual selfishness and put on God’s Spirit? If yes, then you must repent and kill your selfishness so that God can fill you with His Spirit. There is no other way to become a true Christian. It is through our acting out our faith through our obedience that will bring God into our life. If we say we have faith, but are unwilling to act it out through our obedience, then we have no faith. If we cannot act on what we say we believe, then we really don’t believe what we say we believe. Let’s stop fooling ourselves and stop trying to fool everyone around us. Let us take a good look at our selves. Are we living and fighting this spiritual war for God’s glory or are we wimpy in our beliefs and still living for ourselves?
There is only one way to fight this war against evil, and that is showing and proclaiming God’s love and light to this sick world. It is not by making more laws to try to make evil people do good. It is by evil people turning good. This war is not fought with guns, ships, and planes, but by spiritual good overcoming spiritual evil. Our tools for war are prayer, faith, obedience, love, and then more love. We cannot afford to be hypocrites, for it is too costly to God, us, and the world.
There will be consequences for the evil the human race has already done, but through the ashes there will arise the faithful ones and the ones they bring along with them.
The first thing we must understand is that this is a SPIRITUAL war. This is not republicans against democrats. This is not a political war. This is a spiritual war against Christianity (against Christ). This is a spiritual war against God. The big question is what part are we playing in this war? What side are we on? If everyone that called themselves a “Christian” was actually acting out true Christian beliefs, we would not be in this mess. The fact is “Christians” have stopped being Christians.
The best way to fight this war is realize that the church is very sick, “Christians” must repent and turn back to God’s ways. This is a war on what we believe. Are we going to go along with the lies that have infiltrated our lives or are we going to start believing again in God’s scriptures as the infallible truth that holds and preserves everything that is good. Without God’s truth and love in action nothing will get better, it will only get a lot worse.
Every person acts on what they believe. The ones spreading evil (selfishness and pride) are only acting on what they believe. The evil person really believes they are acting out what is right, for they are reasoning it out as good in their own mind. We cannot try to make an evil person do good when what they are currently doing what is right in their own mind. On the other side of the coin, a true Christian also acts on what they believe. An evil person cannot make a true Christian do evil when what they are currently doing is good and right in their own mind. A Christian knows what is good and protects that goodness for the sake of God and others.
So what do you believe? What part are you going to play in these war games? Are you going to be a person that is led by God’s Spirit and rely on God’s Word alone or are you walking the fence of good and evil? We are getting to a point in time when no one will be able to straddle the fence. Either you will want and choose evil or you will want only God’s goodness and love. This is what God’s intentions are. If you are a Christian, then you will need to live a Christ like life and be a bright shinning star to the world. If you want to hold on to your selfish ways then accept that you are not a Christian until you want to live by God’s love.
We have to stop being so politically correct. We cannot call a person a Christian if he/she is not striving to follow in Christ’s foot steps. We cannot call a person a Christian just to make them feel good or not hurt their feelings. If we do this we are only keeping the lies of the devil going and allowing that spiritual sick person to think they are not sick. A person has to realize they are sick before they want to get better.
One of the most damaging symptoms hurting the growth of the church is people that say they are Christians, but act like the world. No one wants to join a religion that is filled with hypocrites. People are looking for the real thing and we must be true Christians and show them that true light. This is how we fight this war. This is a spiritual war and it is time we fight in the Spirit (God’s Spirit). Are you ready to die to your spiritual selfishness and put on God’s Spirit? If yes, then you must repent and kill your selfishness so that God can fill you with His Spirit. There is no other way to become a true Christian. It is through our acting out our faith through our obedience that will bring God into our life. If we say we have faith, but are unwilling to act it out through our obedience, then we have no faith. If we cannot act on what we say we believe, then we really don’t believe what we say we believe. Let’s stop fooling ourselves and stop trying to fool everyone around us. Let us take a good look at our selves. Are we living and fighting this spiritual war for God’s glory or are we wimpy in our beliefs and still living for ourselves?
There is only one way to fight this war against evil, and that is showing and proclaiming God’s love and light to this sick world. It is not by making more laws to try to make evil people do good. It is by evil people turning good. This war is not fought with guns, ships, and planes, but by spiritual good overcoming spiritual evil. Our tools for war are prayer, faith, obedience, love, and then more love. We cannot afford to be hypocrites, for it is too costly to God, us, and the world.
There will be consequences for the evil the human race has already done, but through the ashes there will arise the faithful ones and the ones they bring along with them.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Greater Blessings
God offers many blessings, but what are the greatest blessings?
When we have just had a car accident with another car, is the blessing that we weren’t hurt or is it more of a blessing that the people in the other car were not hurt or killed? For the probability of the people in the other car being ready to meet the Lord at that time is not very good.
Is the greater blessing knowing and feeling God working in your life, or is it knowing and seeing other people being blessed by God working through you?
Is the greater blessing knowing your eternity is safe in the Lord, or is it more of a blessing knowing that others have that same assurance?
Is it enough knowing God loves us, or are you not satisfied until others know God’s love also?
Are we considered spiritually alive when God enters our life, or are we really alive when we are living for others?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Having God’s Heart – What Is It Like? - Part 1
When we become a true believer, we get a new heart from God. But what does that feel like – to be given a new heart – a heart that you weren’t physically born with, but given to you by God Himself. Well, I can’t answer all the thoughts that might come up with this topic - since a Godly heart is as diversified as God’s love itself, but I will cover some important aspects that are always weighing on my heart (God’s heart).
We need to first realize that when God replaces your fleshly heart with a Godly heart, all your desires are turned upside down and inside out. The Godly heart He gives you is His heart and will replace all your selfish desires with righteous and holy desires. The replacement of our heart is what changes everything. This new heart sets us apart as His children from the rest of the world. This new and everlasting heart is what changes us completely by changing our every desire to love God and others. This new heart drives out all selfishness - because true love conquers all selfishness and evil.
Since our desires of our heart is what drives every aspect of our soul – then with this new heart from God, every action that comes forth out of us will be holy and righteous. This is where the Bible comes true when it says that anyone born of God will not sin and cannot sin. Most professing Christians indicate very strongly that living a holy and righteous life is not possible, but what I want to tell everybody from experience - that living a holy and righteous life is the easier part of being a born again believer. I agree that getting to the point of receiving this pure Godly heart might be a very tough road, but after receiving this new heart from God, your main desires are to live a holy and righteous life for God. At the same time when you receive God’s new heart – you are actually receiving the Holy Spirit to live with you. God sending His Holy Spirit to live in me and giving me a new heart has made me be reborn and alive in Him. His Spirit and mine have become one. The reason I won’t sin is because I am actually offending myself now when I sin. All sin now offends me also, because I am one in Spirit with God. What offends God also offends me.
So if living a righteous and holy life is the easier part of being a born again believer, what is the harder part? The harder part is the love I now have for all my fellow man. You see when you receive God’s heart you don’t only receive the love you need to fill you up, but also an overflowing love for others. Because my selfishness is gone, I now love others as God loves His creation. So how is loving others the harder part you might ask? It is out of this love for others and knowing that most are headed for an eternity in hell. Because God’s heart breaks for all the souls rejecting Him, I also have a breaking heart. His love for others and my love for others are the same since we have become one. This love for others actually becomes the driving force behind spreading the full Gospel. At the time I became truly born again – I had to also become a disciple. I no longer have the choice to believe in the lies that most of the world believes - because the Word of God has been written on and into my heart. Knowing the truth of God’s Word is truly a freeing experience but also a captivating hurt for the rest of humanity.
God’s servant and yours,
Mike Reid
We need to first realize that when God replaces your fleshly heart with a Godly heart, all your desires are turned upside down and inside out. The Godly heart He gives you is His heart and will replace all your selfish desires with righteous and holy desires. The replacement of our heart is what changes everything. This new heart sets us apart as His children from the rest of the world. This new and everlasting heart is what changes us completely by changing our every desire to love God and others. This new heart drives out all selfishness - because true love conquers all selfishness and evil.
Since our desires of our heart is what drives every aspect of our soul – then with this new heart from God, every action that comes forth out of us will be holy and righteous. This is where the Bible comes true when it says that anyone born of God will not sin and cannot sin. Most professing Christians indicate very strongly that living a holy and righteous life is not possible, but what I want to tell everybody from experience - that living a holy and righteous life is the easier part of being a born again believer. I agree that getting to the point of receiving this pure Godly heart might be a very tough road, but after receiving this new heart from God, your main desires are to live a holy and righteous life for God. At the same time when you receive God’s new heart – you are actually receiving the Holy Spirit to live with you. God sending His Holy Spirit to live in me and giving me a new heart has made me be reborn and alive in Him. His Spirit and mine have become one. The reason I won’t sin is because I am actually offending myself now when I sin. All sin now offends me also, because I am one in Spirit with God. What offends God also offends me.
So if living a righteous and holy life is the easier part of being a born again believer, what is the harder part? The harder part is the love I now have for all my fellow man. You see when you receive God’s heart you don’t only receive the love you need to fill you up, but also an overflowing love for others. Because my selfishness is gone, I now love others as God loves His creation. So how is loving others the harder part you might ask? It is out of this love for others and knowing that most are headed for an eternity in hell. Because God’s heart breaks for all the souls rejecting Him, I also have a breaking heart. His love for others and my love for others are the same since we have become one. This love for others actually becomes the driving force behind spreading the full Gospel. At the time I became truly born again – I had to also become a disciple. I no longer have the choice to believe in the lies that most of the world believes - because the Word of God has been written on and into my heart. Knowing the truth of God’s Word is truly a freeing experience but also a captivating hurt for the rest of humanity.
God’s servant and yours,
Mike Reid
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Why Did God Have To Send His Spirit
As I start writing this message, I am really looking forward to sharing about this part of God’s plan. The Holy Spirit is the final puzzle piece needed to activate God’s plan. The Holy Spirit’s power in our lives is the only way to Jesus and the only way to stay in Jesus. Ever since the fall of man, God wanted to be reunited with His beloved creation, but He had to wait for His perfect timing to enable this reunion. With Adam and Eve, God was in close fellowship with man before the fall, but after the fall, sin entered man and sin had put a barrier between God and man. God refuses to be near sin; so in essence, the sin is the barrier, not His creation. Now with the work that Christ has done on the cross, we have the ability to become even closer to God than Adam and Eve were. We have the ability to have God live inside us and become part of us. Even Adam and Eve didn’t enjoy this close of a relationship with God. The Lord not only reunited us to Himself, but He also now becomes part of us. But again, this is our choice. God does not force this loving relationship with anyone that wants to stay separated from Him. Looking over this whole process, it makes me wonder if all this was God’s plan all along. We can only look back with amazement and see these wonderful happenings of God. People say hindsight is always 20/20. But God has the ability to see to the end of time with His whole plan worked out from the beginning of time.
We need the Holy Spirit! When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the heavy curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the outer portions of the temple was torn from top to bottom. This represented that God’s old covenant with man was done and the new covenant had started. This represented that now His Spirit was no longer restricted from His creation by any walls or boundaries. His Spirit was now open and available to all people. He would no longer have intercession be made through one human person – the Jewish high priest. He now intercedes for and communicates directly to each believer’s heart through Jesus’ Spirit which is in us and part of us. This is why we call Jesus our high priest forever. Jesus, through the Spirit now intercedes for us to the Father. Under the old covenant, the high priest was trying to commune and intercede with God through physical fleshly means. Now in the new covenant, it is not our sinful fleshly body trying to communicate with God; it is Jesus’ Spirit in us communicating with the Fathers’ Spirit.
Under the new covenant, the cross would have had no value without the sending of the Holy Spirit. The only way the cross works is with the Holy Spirit as part of the plan. We know through God’s word, that He requires full payment for sins, but He also requires for us to be made holy as He is holy. When we are made holy, we become right with Him, we are set apart for God, His work, and His Glory. It is only through God’s Holy Spirit’s power that He glorifies Himself by making us holy and right with Himself. Ever since the creation of the heavens and this world, it has been God’s Spirit that does all the work when anything good happens. When God spoke something into existence, it was through the Spirit that the work was done. Everything good in God’s eyes can only be done through His Spirit. If anything is done through the works of man or any other spirit, it is not considered good, but self serving to the one doing that work. Adam and Eve received the knowledge of good and evil. Even though they had the knowledge of good, Adam and Eve and all their descendants could not do the good without the power of God’s Holy Spirit in them. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel understood that God’s commandments were good, but they had no power to do the good. The self serving spirit inside them only had the power to do the knowledge of evil. To remedy this, God had to send His Spirit into man’s heart before any good could come out of man. So, God sent His Son to the cross to enable the Spirit to come and replace the self serving spirit in each true believer’s heart with His Spirit. God’s word commands all believers to live by the Spirit. Then shouldn’t we concentrate a lot of our energy on understanding the Spirit? Some churches might be unwilling or afraid to try to understand God’s Spirit. Since God’s ways are not man’s ways, some people might think it impossible to understand His Spirit. Other churches might be afraid of getting the understanding of the Holy Spirit wrong, and in turn, commit the one and only unforgivable sin, which is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. This hesitation or the limiting of the teaching of the Holy Spirit can be very dangerous to all of the flock of those churches doing this. By limiting the understanding and teaching on the Holy Spirit, this might be doing the very thing these churches are afraid of, and that is rejecting or blaspheming of the Holy Spirit.
What is blaspheming the Holy Spirit? What it mainly comes down to is the putting down of the Holy Spirit by putting yourself or anything else above the Holy Spirit. When we put ourselves above the Holy Spirit and reject His truth and leading, we are rejecting the Holy Spirit and the Spirit being able to work in us, which is really rejecting God. So, in essence, if we reject the Spirit being able to work in us, there is no way we can have eternal life with God, because if we reject being sanctified and made holy by the Spirit, we cannot enter the eternal kingdom of God. In the Bible there are many examples of blasphemy. In most or all of these examples, the person being accused of blasphemy is putting and promoting their own ways, rules, or values above the understood ways, rules, and values of God. This was looked upon as the accused putting themselves above or equal with God. Jesus was accused many times of blasphemy, and if he really wouldn’t have been God, the accusers would have been right about Jesus.
We must strive to know and understand God’s Spirit on an intimate basis. We can understand the Spirit by understanding Jesus and understanding how the Spirit worked in people throughout the New Testament that had faith and trusted in Jesus. Jesus said “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father”. Jesus also said that He could only do the Father’s will. This is because they are of one Spirit. So if we want to understand the Spirit and what God wants the Spirit to do through us, we must try to understand God’s character by looking and understanding the life of Jesus. The best way to do this is by reading God’s word. We must let God speak to us through His word. God’s word says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God”. When we are a believer and read God’s word, we are communicating directly with God through His Spirit inside us. The only way we can understand God’s word is through His Spirit interpreting it for us. God’s word says “Seek and you shall find”. If we are to be a true believer, this is not an option, but a commandment. We seek, by looking for God’s character and will by praying and searching His word. We find, by His Spirit giving us all the answers by the way of a changed heart and a deeper understanding of Him by the renewing of our minds. God talks to His loved ones by the gentle whispers and thoughts He implants in our minds. As I finished writing this message, I realized it was way too long of a letter. So I had to remove about half of what I wanted to tell you about this glorious gift from God – the Holy Spirit. But the one main thought I want to emphasize is: God is using Jesus’ kingdom on earth to build His eternal kingdom. The people willing to let the Holy Spirit take total control of their lives and be made holy and righteous will inherit eternal life.
With God's love and Spirit, I bring you this message. - Michael Reid
Some scripture verses concerning this message: Matt 25:31-46, John 12:25, Rom 2:7 & 13, Rom 6:22, Gal 6:8, 2 Pet 1:5-11, 1 John 2:24-25, 1 Pet 4:17-19, Gen 3:22, 1 Sam 10:5-6, Neh 9:20, Ps 104:30, Ezek 11:19-21, Ezek 36:27, Joel 2:28:30, Acts 2:14-19, Mic 3:8, Matt 1:18, Matt 4:1, Matt 12:18 & 28, Matt 12:31-32, Matt 26:62-65, Matt 27:51-53, Luke 5:21, Mark 1:8 & 12, Mark 3:28-29, Luke 1:15-17, Luke 2:27, Luke 4:1 & 14, Luke 11:13, Luke 12:12, John 3:5-8 & 34, John 4:23-24, John 6:63-65, John 14:17-21 & 25-26, John 20:22-23, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:4 & 38-39, Acts 7:51, Acts 8:29, Acts 9:17-18 & 31, Acts 10:38, Acts 13:4, Acts 16:6-8, Acts 19:1-7, Acts 20:22-23 & 28-30, Heb 4:14-15, Heb 6:20, Rom 5:5, Rom 7:6, Rom 8:4-17, Rom 8:26-27, Rom 14:17-18, Rom 15:13-16, 1 Cor 1:2, Eph 1:4, Eph 5:3, Col 1:21-23, 1 Thes 4:7-8, Gal 3:14
We need the Holy Spirit! When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the heavy curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the outer portions of the temple was torn from top to bottom. This represented that God’s old covenant with man was done and the new covenant had started. This represented that now His Spirit was no longer restricted from His creation by any walls or boundaries. His Spirit was now open and available to all people. He would no longer have intercession be made through one human person – the Jewish high priest. He now intercedes for and communicates directly to each believer’s heart through Jesus’ Spirit which is in us and part of us. This is why we call Jesus our high priest forever. Jesus, through the Spirit now intercedes for us to the Father. Under the old covenant, the high priest was trying to commune and intercede with God through physical fleshly means. Now in the new covenant, it is not our sinful fleshly body trying to communicate with God; it is Jesus’ Spirit in us communicating with the Fathers’ Spirit.
Under the new covenant, the cross would have had no value without the sending of the Holy Spirit. The only way the cross works is with the Holy Spirit as part of the plan. We know through God’s word, that He requires full payment for sins, but He also requires for us to be made holy as He is holy. When we are made holy, we become right with Him, we are set apart for God, His work, and His Glory. It is only through God’s Holy Spirit’s power that He glorifies Himself by making us holy and right with Himself. Ever since the creation of the heavens and this world, it has been God’s Spirit that does all the work when anything good happens. When God spoke something into existence, it was through the Spirit that the work was done. Everything good in God’s eyes can only be done through His Spirit. If anything is done through the works of man or any other spirit, it is not considered good, but self serving to the one doing that work. Adam and Eve received the knowledge of good and evil. Even though they had the knowledge of good, Adam and Eve and all their descendants could not do the good without the power of God’s Holy Spirit in them. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel understood that God’s commandments were good, but they had no power to do the good. The self serving spirit inside them only had the power to do the knowledge of evil. To remedy this, God had to send His Spirit into man’s heart before any good could come out of man. So, God sent His Son to the cross to enable the Spirit to come and replace the self serving spirit in each true believer’s heart with His Spirit. God’s word commands all believers to live by the Spirit. Then shouldn’t we concentrate a lot of our energy on understanding the Spirit? Some churches might be unwilling or afraid to try to understand God’s Spirit. Since God’s ways are not man’s ways, some people might think it impossible to understand His Spirit. Other churches might be afraid of getting the understanding of the Holy Spirit wrong, and in turn, commit the one and only unforgivable sin, which is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. This hesitation or the limiting of the teaching of the Holy Spirit can be very dangerous to all of the flock of those churches doing this. By limiting the understanding and teaching on the Holy Spirit, this might be doing the very thing these churches are afraid of, and that is rejecting or blaspheming of the Holy Spirit.
What is blaspheming the Holy Spirit? What it mainly comes down to is the putting down of the Holy Spirit by putting yourself or anything else above the Holy Spirit. When we put ourselves above the Holy Spirit and reject His truth and leading, we are rejecting the Holy Spirit and the Spirit being able to work in us, which is really rejecting God. So, in essence, if we reject the Spirit being able to work in us, there is no way we can have eternal life with God, because if we reject being sanctified and made holy by the Spirit, we cannot enter the eternal kingdom of God. In the Bible there are many examples of blasphemy. In most or all of these examples, the person being accused of blasphemy is putting and promoting their own ways, rules, or values above the understood ways, rules, and values of God. This was looked upon as the accused putting themselves above or equal with God. Jesus was accused many times of blasphemy, and if he really wouldn’t have been God, the accusers would have been right about Jesus.
We must strive to know and understand God’s Spirit on an intimate basis. We can understand the Spirit by understanding Jesus and understanding how the Spirit worked in people throughout the New Testament that had faith and trusted in Jesus. Jesus said “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father”. Jesus also said that He could only do the Father’s will. This is because they are of one Spirit. So if we want to understand the Spirit and what God wants the Spirit to do through us, we must try to understand God’s character by looking and understanding the life of Jesus. The best way to do this is by reading God’s word. We must let God speak to us through His word. God’s word says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God”. When we are a believer and read God’s word, we are communicating directly with God through His Spirit inside us. The only way we can understand God’s word is through His Spirit interpreting it for us. God’s word says “Seek and you shall find”. If we are to be a true believer, this is not an option, but a commandment. We seek, by looking for God’s character and will by praying and searching His word. We find, by His Spirit giving us all the answers by the way of a changed heart and a deeper understanding of Him by the renewing of our minds. God talks to His loved ones by the gentle whispers and thoughts He implants in our minds. As I finished writing this message, I realized it was way too long of a letter. So I had to remove about half of what I wanted to tell you about this glorious gift from God – the Holy Spirit. But the one main thought I want to emphasize is: God is using Jesus’ kingdom on earth to build His eternal kingdom. The people willing to let the Holy Spirit take total control of their lives and be made holy and righteous will inherit eternal life.
With God's love and Spirit, I bring you this message. - Michael Reid
Some scripture verses concerning this message: Matt 25:31-46, John 12:25, Rom 2:7 & 13, Rom 6:22, Gal 6:8, 2 Pet 1:5-11, 1 John 2:24-25, 1 Pet 4:17-19, Gen 3:22, 1 Sam 10:5-6, Neh 9:20, Ps 104:30, Ezek 11:19-21, Ezek 36:27, Joel 2:28:30, Acts 2:14-19, Mic 3:8, Matt 1:18, Matt 4:1, Matt 12:18 & 28, Matt 12:31-32, Matt 26:62-65, Matt 27:51-53, Luke 5:21, Mark 1:8 & 12, Mark 3:28-29, Luke 1:15-17, Luke 2:27, Luke 4:1 & 14, Luke 11:13, Luke 12:12, John 3:5-8 & 34, John 4:23-24, John 6:63-65, John 14:17-21 & 25-26, John 20:22-23, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:4 & 38-39, Acts 7:51, Acts 8:29, Acts 9:17-18 & 31, Acts 10:38, Acts 13:4, Acts 16:6-8, Acts 19:1-7, Acts 20:22-23 & 28-30, Heb 4:14-15, Heb 6:20, Rom 5:5, Rom 7:6, Rom 8:4-17, Rom 8:26-27, Rom 14:17-18, Rom 15:13-16, 1 Cor 1:2, Eph 1:4, Eph 5:3, Col 1:21-23, 1 Thes 4:7-8, Gal 3:14
Do We Have A Reason To Be Angry With A Sinner
When someone sins and it causes you pain or loss, do you think you have a reason to be angry with that sinner?
Do you expect anybody not to sin if they have not been born again?
How can a born again believer still love and show love to a sinner when that sinner’s sins are causing hurt and loss? It is through Jesus’ love only which is flowing through you.
When we love others the way God loves us, we can love the person (soul) and hate the sinful act of the sinner. Most of the time we try to stop the sinful acts that a person does by condemning the person. We need to remember the root of the sins, which are of a spiritual nature and not so much a physical problem. We must except that a sinner is going to sin. So do we love the sinner anyway and overlook the sin so in the process of loving them we might bring them to Jesus Christ. What did Jesus do?
Rom 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Then are we not called to die for the sinners too? Yes we are, we die to our own selfish needs and desires for the welfare of others. When we forgive other people for their sins against us, we are also accepting the consequences of their sinful acts upon ourselves. We must be willing to take on and accept the hurt and/or loss to ourselves for the wrongful sinful acts of others. If we are going to truly love people, we must be involved with people. If we are involved with other people we will be hurt and suffer loss by those people.
We must be willing to suffer from the sinful acts of other people in order for us to truly show Jesus’ love to others. Looking past a sinner’s sin and truly loving them with God’s love is how we show God’s light to others. We must be willing to suffer physically and emotionally in order for others to see God’s love in the hopes that they can stop being sinners and be born again. We need to help heal the root of the problem of sin and not attack the sinner. It is a spiritual problem.
In living with the sins of this world we end up suffering and dying to self, this is God's refiner's fire, we are refined like gold. Once the gold is refined it has no impurities left, it is pure gold. Just like pure gold is totally refined, so are we refined in this life into God's pure love, which is when we are totally refined of our inequities. We all need to look forward to this for ourselves. When you are purified as gold, that is the point where you count everything joy, even if it seems everybody in this world is against you. God’s Word says we will be persecuted. Count it joy when others persecute you because of Jesus Name, because they are not really persecuting you but Jesus that is in you.
A sinner will sin, but a born again believer will not sin (at least any sin that the born again believer has knowledge of). So we need to look forward to the sinner no longer being a sinner, but a born again believer. In the mean time if we aren’t pure yet, let us count it joy when we suffer for others.
Your Brother In Christ,
Mike
Do you expect anybody not to sin if they have not been born again?
How can a born again believer still love and show love to a sinner when that sinner’s sins are causing hurt and loss? It is through Jesus’ love only which is flowing through you.
When we love others the way God loves us, we can love the person (soul) and hate the sinful act of the sinner. Most of the time we try to stop the sinful acts that a person does by condemning the person. We need to remember the root of the sins, which are of a spiritual nature and not so much a physical problem. We must except that a sinner is going to sin. So do we love the sinner anyway and overlook the sin so in the process of loving them we might bring them to Jesus Christ. What did Jesus do?
Rom 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Then are we not called to die for the sinners too? Yes we are, we die to our own selfish needs and desires for the welfare of others. When we forgive other people for their sins against us, we are also accepting the consequences of their sinful acts upon ourselves. We must be willing to take on and accept the hurt and/or loss to ourselves for the wrongful sinful acts of others. If we are going to truly love people, we must be involved with people. If we are involved with other people we will be hurt and suffer loss by those people.
We must be willing to suffer from the sinful acts of other people in order for us to truly show Jesus’ love to others. Looking past a sinner’s sin and truly loving them with God’s love is how we show God’s light to others. We must be willing to suffer physically and emotionally in order for others to see God’s love in the hopes that they can stop being sinners and be born again. We need to help heal the root of the problem of sin and not attack the sinner. It is a spiritual problem.
In living with the sins of this world we end up suffering and dying to self, this is God's refiner's fire, we are refined like gold. Once the gold is refined it has no impurities left, it is pure gold. Just like pure gold is totally refined, so are we refined in this life into God's pure love, which is when we are totally refined of our inequities. We all need to look forward to this for ourselves. When you are purified as gold, that is the point where you count everything joy, even if it seems everybody in this world is against you. God’s Word says we will be persecuted. Count it joy when others persecute you because of Jesus Name, because they are not really persecuting you but Jesus that is in you.
A sinner will sin, but a born again believer will not sin (at least any sin that the born again believer has knowledge of). So we need to look forward to the sinner no longer being a sinner, but a born again believer. In the mean time if we aren’t pure yet, let us count it joy when we suffer for others.
Your Brother In Christ,
Mike
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