During High Water
After High Water
I have a drainage system on my property, and when the swail gets too high with water, well it simply will not drain.
I was perplexed this morning why my driveway was draining properly, but not the other drains, and this is what I found by the driveway drain outlet!
Call me crazy if you like, but I say praise the Lord “from whom all blessings flow”!
Filed under Disciples of Jesus Christ.
Exactly right, and “glitches in the flesh” (as I’ve heard it put) show that we are all still subject to carnality, even if not in willful disobedience to God, we still are all dependent upon Christ’s work on the cross which only comes by grace alone.
Hmm, it seems this post’s link is no longer available, I am saddened the author has taken down his sight…
I haven’t the ability to do justice to this post, which was a type of book review by a brother known as “A Country Boy” yet I am able to sort of recap some of the principles of what Repentance entails as we battle to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Christian life is a Spiritual War, when we are born again the Lord has “freely given” the righteousness of Christ to us, because of his (Son’s) atonement for our sins on the cross in our behalf. This is the love of God put into action, the prophesied “Savior to the world” from the stock of Israel.
When we initially are drawn by God to Christ’s completed work on the cross by the Holy Spirit, we come to initial repentance of our sins. The person who actually receives this gift of Salivation is sealed to the day they are with the Lord by the Holy Spirit. This redeeming work within those whom the Lord has chosen to do a work in is a gift from God by Grace, so that no man may boast!
When we come to Christ we are a “new creation” to God, and when he looks upon us, he no longer sees our sin, but instead the blood of his son shed on the cross, for the remission of our sin. I use the word sin in the singular rather than sins in the plural, as the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin, so it is redundant to look upon any particular sin to focus upon.
When we start to follow Christ by “faith” (which is a principle of the spiritual law, much like gravity is a principle of the physical law). So, that in Christ by faith, we have been equipped to be “overcomers” to sin, and the enemy, the liar and accuser of the brethren; Satan.
Repentance simply means to change one’s mind, so as we enter into deeper “sanctification” (separation from the world to God) by the continued grace of God by faith,which was freely given to us, and little by little “we change our minds” (repent) about the sins which have ensnared us.
This is a lifelong prospect, yet the more committed we are to “put on the full armor of God”, (which we now are equipped with) and do battle, so to be overcomers to sin, and the enemy, the more we move forward in the Lord from victory to victory within our lives!
The most important thing to remember, is that “Total Victory” has already been won for us by Christ, something the enemy doesn’t want us to grasp! Satan still, even though defeated at the cross, constantly accuses the believer in Christ, to God the Father, of being less than adequate to deserve such a gift. These are my own words used in trying to describe just what type of battle we are in, even though the forces of Satan have already been defeated at the cross.
One of the primary reasons Satan does this, is because of his prideful & rebellious nature he has, and he cannot help himself – so to speak. Once the “born again believer” starts to understand the nature of these battles, and who Christ truly is, he is able to defeat the enemy at every level, and will naturally be “repentant” (change their mind) to every sinful shortfall within the flesh; (as he becomes convicted of the Holy Spirit within) not of himself, but of the Lord. Yet this does take some time to grow in Christ, while coming to this spiritual understanding.
I always remember when Jesus warned Peter, that Satan “desired to sift him”, that is “catch out any clumps of dirt which he could discover”, I believe in order to accuse Peter to God : as not being worthy enough to receive the grace of God, and being redeemed in Christ.
It is important to remember that to “redeem something” for silver, you must possess the promissory note; and that note certifies to God, the work which Jesus did for us on the cross! So, fight the good fight, and run the good race, so that redemptory note hold great value for us when we finish!
As you know CB, I spoke with a man who preaches this type heresy for 7 years. One day I got seriously sick and reached out to him for comfort: I got comfort all right, Job’s comforters! He said I must have sinned against God, and was being chastened!
I never had been targeted before this, and was even considered as an elder in the group. I had never even imagined just how hard and lacking in compassion people like this could be!
It has taken me 6 months to recuperate from such a cold calculating man, who I once looked upon as my best friend! The guy even justifies tossing his own family aside, (for Christ’s sake) and I have to ask myself why it took me so long to see this hypocrisy!
I love the ability you have to target the heart of an issue, and put it in to simple words, which all can understand! So I’m reposting this to My Site, where it can get noticed by “those who need it the most”. May the Lord continue to bless and keep you!
Filed under A wicked world
Warning Against Idleness
2 Thessalonians 3: 6-15
6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you,
8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.
9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.[a]
13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.
15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Core Biblical Doctrines must exist, or you’re simply not one of the Lord’s people.
Yet the Lord’s people are to try to obtain to the example in Ephesians 4: v 2-3 which is speaking about having unity in the spirit, (when we are baptized into Christ) at Salvation, and then as we grow and move forward.
Anything which detracts from such a teaching is simply heretical and dangerous to the flock.
Brethren may be corrected and encouraged in love, but they should never be rejected by personal judgmental-ism because of personality conflicts. As unity (even for the spiritually mature) must be diligently preserved as: Ephesians 4 vs 13 instructs, (until we attain to the “fullness of Christ”).We are to strengthen each other, until the day we meet with the Lord – and not destroy: unless of course false doctrines are being taught as destructive to the faith – known as heretical doctrines which we are to reject.
It is important that one understands the very serious nature “of thinking they have gotten beyond sin”, as this is Pharisaic, proud and destructive to the grace of the Lord; not only within one’s own life, but in the life of others!
These type of “Lordship Salvation teachings” can be very deceptive, and helps to destroy the faith and unity of actual brethren. It may actually drive many away from the faith, if this heretical type of teachings persists within a fellowship. The Bible instructs us to remove that heretic (reject) from the faithful, after being warned by the other Elders; in the case they refuse to repent. This is also why accountability to other elders is extremely important, Biblically speaking.
Below is a podcast which I have found very useful, it speaks about personality conflicts and healthy relationships within the body of Christ. It is important to know the sound doctrines of the faith as not to be deceived by false teachings.
Lightship Ministries 