hewalkswithme6.wordpress.com

Tag: church

  • Wait, What?

    Mark 1:23 states “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit…” that unclean spirit in the man recognized Christ! And today we think we should love everybody in the church and trust them to be walking our walk. Just a thought

  • Continue To Dig In

    Continue To Dig In

    I so hunger and thirst for God! I can so identify with the Psalmist who penned ” my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.” You have moments like that?

    Continuing about the spirit world that Paul says we need to be aware of as they are the real forces we need to battle with instead of those we physically see. They are the influencers of behaviors that sometimes we scratch our heads about; even in ourselves.

    Another group making up this “world” are the rulers of the darkness of this world. What is the darkness of this world? Darkness is where there is no light, thus where there is no God. We all have experienced in the natural that where there is no light, there is darkness and vise versa. As God is the light in us, we can then deduce that those without God are in darkness; they are children of the night, children of dark.

    Colossians lets us know that we were delivered from the power of darkness and were translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. This is what Paul is speaking about when he says we fight against rulers of darkness. Ephesians also points out that we once “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” These are the ones the gospel is hid from, they don’t walk according to its ways. Corinthians lets us know that if the gospel is hid from anyone, it is to those that are lost because the god of this world has blinded their minds so they don’t believe, “lest the light of the glorious gospel should shine unto them. They are in darkness and subjects of the rulers thereof. Demons (those with the ability to possess a person) and these rulers work hand in hand with the principalities and powers, working that which is evil.

    Problem: we easily play with this when it is presented in entertainment form. Many who present this in entertainment form have used the bible as a place to get great ideas. Unfortunately, they pervert the whole concept. Read the word for yourself and go to the Holy Ghost for proper teachings. Compare anyone else with the word and what the Spirit of the Lord lead you to.

    Solution: just read the bible for yourself with the aid of the Holy Ghost.

  • Recognizing real love

    Recognizing real love

    Whom in your life do you look at, profess to love, that you can honestly say this about — nothing can separate me from this love; not tribulations (problems of life, disagreements), or distress (extreme anxiety – sorrow- pain), or persecution (ill treatment) , or famine (denied food) , or nakedness (humiliation–left bare), or peril (life endangered) , or sword (weapons aimed at you)? Is this not the love shown by Christ and His chosen disciples (minus one but) plus Paul?

    This should be a measuring stick of those we join ourselves to, or let join themselves to us. Can you say that about those you claim to love? What about those who claim to love you? If not that person is just an acquaintance, or better yet your assignment, or one to witness to; not one to hang your life on— not your ride or die person.

    Problem: not being able to define and recognize real love

    Solution: use scripture to learn what real love is compared to all other feelings you encounter in your journey of life that people mistake for love.

  • U distinct?

    U distinct?

    For those in life who find themselves meandering, faltering, falling even in this life—the why must be constant. Forever changing your persona to try and fit so you could enjoy life or at least walk it in peace.

    Could the base line, or at least the foundation needed be identifying your identity? When it is just you, alone— who are you?

    For the one naming the name of Christ the answer should be simple –“I have been crucified with Christ…” Feelings produced by trying to mirror this world and fit in no longer drive, thus you enter into the realm of “nevertheless I live; yet not I”. Have you died to self? Are your ambitions, desires, thoughts and goals relinquished? Have you now donned a new life with a new perspective? Can you say Christ now lives in you? Is the life you now live in your flesh you live by the faith of the Son of God?

    Years ago, there was a saying “what would Jesus do?” Does that ever cross your mind when you are doing what you are doing? Does you get that nagging annoying feeling telling you not to engage in what you are about to do, or even doing?

    Today it seems as if we name the name of Christ, and it ends there. Our identity is tied to this present world. We chase after the material things, and pleasures of this world to solidify our identity based on this world, fully agreeing and supporting the standards of this world. Our leaders in the church that we aspire to be like and assimilate constantly attribute their worldly possessions as evidence of being in the center of God’s will (no wonder the “sheep” have gone astray).

    Well I’m rambling now. But each day you arise, and that spirit of meandering, wondering deep inside who you are; what you are on this earth for— let it know you are secure in your identity. Let it know Christ resides in you — spirit, soul and body. The person the antag onist knew no longer exists. Resist that feeling (devil)and it will flee.

    Problem: not knowing who you are or whose you are.

    Solution: read a piece of freedom (Bible), familiarize yourself with it (bible content) , assimilate (copy) and walk in its ways. Your identity is firm. Are you perfect? No, just changed. New perspectives and goals.

  • Master change

    Master change

    We all know that in order to change anything, especially self, it starts with your thinking. A famous quote says “And be not conformed (behave according to socially, acceptable conventions or standards or to be similar in form, type; to agree to men’s standards) to this world: but be ye transformed (make a thorough or dramatic change) by the renewing of your mind...”

    I think of reactions to situations that we think are beyond our control. Those times we think “I can’t make it”! What does one do? In the Christian Walk one starts begging God to do something, usually not believing He will do something to stop the crazy. Panic sets in and it is downhill from there. How does this happen to a bible stomping, faith filled believer? Yet it happens more than we want to admit.

    Problem: the thought process, thus reacting instead of being pro-active.

    Solution: Fighting the good fight of faith. Meaning- remind yourself of who you are and whose you are. Find your word (sword) and find the scriptures dealing with that issue. You have changed your victim mantality to that of a fighter! Now affirmations begin. Speak the scriptures out loud— you want you and the situation, demonic spirits, and anyone else listening to hear these words. After all life and death are in the power of what you say. Flip the script on the situation. After all the example that inanimant objects listen and obey is when Christ spoke to the fig tree that it die starting with its roots. Later on when He and His disciples passed it again it was dead. Also remember that you were told as a believer if you spoke to the mountain and told it to be removed unto the sea that mountain would obey you without even a struggle.

    The point is change your mind on how you see things, and you can overcome your situation. It will take fighting because most times situations believe they are in charge. You have to take the power from your situation! Fight instead of thinking you are defeated just because the situation dares to chalenge you trusting that you will throw up your hands and let things happen.

  • 3 days and 3 nights

    3 days and 3 nights

    Just a nagging thought–Every year we celebrate Good Friday, the day that Jesus died on the cross, and Resurrection Sunday. Let’s take a look as to how this compares to scripture.

    Matthew states 12:40 states “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly: so, shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Luke 9:22 “For I tell you that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes (church leadership), and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Luke 24:7 “…The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

    I can see that Friday, Saturday and Sunday seem like three days, but no one counts days that way or do they? If I would say to you on Friday, call me in three days, you would not call me on Sunday, or would you? You would count Saturday, Sunday then call on Monday. True? Some have said the Friday to Sunday celebration stems from counting in the Jewish tradition. “The Jewish day starts at nightfall, and continues throughout the night and following day, until the next night. This is based on the first verses in the story of creation (in the book of Genesis), where it says “it was night, and it was day–day one (of creation)” states Rabbi David Sperling. In this case, Jesus’ body was taken by Joseph of Arimathaea that evening of the crucifixion as the centurion had confirmed his death. The counting of the day then would start here. Friday into Saturday evening is one day; Saturday evening to Sunday evening is the second day, Sunday evening to Monday evening would then be the third day.

    Now let us look to see what would agree with scripture. If we use the Jewish method of counting the days, we could count Wednesday evening into Thursday is the first day; Thursday evening to Friday evening is the second day; Friday evening to Saturday evening is the third day spent in the tomb with resurrection then occurring on Sunday morning. So really Christ died on a Wednesday to resurrect on a Sunday is more likely.

    What is the point or problem here? Tradition. We all follow it, as I am sure I am not the only one wondering how Friday to Sunday constitutes 3 days and 3 nights as the Bible reads. My observation of the 3-day count may seem minor; the important thing here is the changes made to the word of God and the church following without question or reason. Traditions generally come from interpretation of scripture but tend to contradict scripture when looked at closely. One could say the celebration of Friday to Sunday is no big deal and it harms no one. Sound the alarm! This is how one slowly moves from adhering to scripture to traditions of men that make the word of God of none effect; opening that door – listen to wrong teachings and accepting it because one thinks the deviation heard is no big deal. The enemy does not come with anything alarmingly or noticeably different; he just makes little tweaks that seem like no big deal.

    Solution: refuse to take in and follow what is not in scripture, no matter how small. Read your word with understanding, memorize verses to enable you to see error in what you hear or read from even your favorite pastor, the Holy Ghost will bring up that word in you to your remembrance. Be as the Bereans (Acts 17:11) who went from church meetings to their homes only to read their word for themselves to see if what they heard was really the word of God. When you do as they did, you will ensure health to your mind and a strong healthy relationship with your God.