Q: DON’T YOU DARE GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM! BELIEVE YOU’RE “DREAM” EVEN IF NOBODY ELSE CAN SEE IT!
A: On your way to trying to fulfill your dreams take a moment to realize that in Christ you're the fulfillment of God's dream. Jesus said, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Lk 15:10)." When you repented of your unbelief in the Gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, God's dream was fulfilled in you. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Ptr 3:9)." As you do whatever it is to make your dreams come true, stop along the way and take note that God wants all to come to faith in Christ. Be available to Him to use you as an instrument of fulfilling His dream not so much trying to use Him as an instrument to fulfill your dreams.
And remember, regardless of whether your dream comes true or not, God has already met the desires of your heart in Him. It was this realization that comforted Paul as His life and missionary work drew to a close. "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Phil 4:13)." Paul recognized that God hadn't promised to fulfill his dreams, but because of what God had given him through faith in Christ, he was content to allow God to fulfill His dream through him. My prayer is that all the saints of God will align their own dreams with that of the Lord. May God continue to reveal to you the blessings you already have in Christ Jesus. Amen!
Q: Romans 12 says therefore I urge you brothers in view of Gods mercy offer your bodies as a "living" sacrifices holy pleasing to God..What does it mean to be a "living" sacrifice?
A: A living sacrifice (Rom 12:1) is when we totally submit ourselves to the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We do this, as the passage says, "in view of God's mercy." As Romans 11 says about his mercy, "salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious (Rom 11:11)." The Gentiles, of which I am one, were grafted into the olive branch of salvation because of the Jews rejecting their Messiah. Subsequently, out of a thankful heart towards all the Lord has done for me, and given me, in Christ I allow Him to live His life through me. He is able to do that because He has given met the deepest desires of my heart for unconditional love and total acceptance in Him. When these needs are met there is no alternative than to rest from my own self-righteous acts of disobedience and allow Him to serve the world in love through me.
Another point that can't be missed in all of this is that submitting ourselves as living sacrifices is said to be holy and pleasing to God and "our spiritual act of worship." We are already holy and pleasing to God because of faith in Christ and our resting from our own works. This is a far cry from what is taught in most Christian circles. Many saints are told to wear themselves out with constant and endless "acts of obedience" designed to either receive blessings or avoid punishment. Furthermore, our spiritual act of worship is not sitting in church on Sunday morning singing and raising our hands, it is being available to God on a daily basis to be a witness for Him to the lost and hurting world. When you realize that you are unconditionally loved, totally accepted, holy and pleasing to God what is your response going to be? It is going to be living a life of thankfulness and looking for every opportunity to be used by Him as a living sacrifice. That is the Christian life, God living through us to fulfill His will that all men should be saved. Be blessed.
Q: The bible says have the "mind" of Christ..What does that mean?
A: The mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) is a description of how the Holy Spirit instructs Christians on how to discern between the truth and the lie. The passage in 1 Cor 2 talks about our faith not resting on the the wisdom of men (v5). What is the wisdom of men? It is the wisdom that goes against the clear teaching of Scripture. Teachings like all faiths to heaven, that sexual sin should be encouraged and legalized, that godliness is a means to gain, that abortion is not murder, that science disproves the Bible and so on. Ultimately, relying on the Holy Spirit helps us discern the truths of Scripture (v14). Apart from relying on the Holy Spirit it is easy to fall prey to the wisdom of this age and the rulers of this age who promote it. Is it any wonder so many Christians are tossed by every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14)?"
A key to this passage of Scripture is how Paul says he speaks "a message of wisdom among the mature (v6)." It is immature Christians, and unbelievers, who fall prey to false teachings, false doctrines and are manipulated by the godlessness of the world. Apart from the mind of Christ, how will you be able to rightly divide scripture, test the Spirits and function in a fallen world? You won't! Satan is the god of this age."The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor 4:4)." We know that Satan has blinded unbelievers. Therefore, Christians should not be blind to his schemes. We who have the mind of Christ have a faith that does "not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power (1 Cor 2:5)." Let us use our minds to battle the enemy because he is already defeated. Be blessed.
Q: What is the "one" thing the enemy(devil) want Christians to do?
A: The one thing the devil wants Christians to do is to continue to "eat" from the "wrong tree." Satan said to Eve, "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Gen 3:5)." Christians, although they will never admit to it, live a life of trying to be like God through the knowledge of good and evil. They will say we must be more Christlike, that we must learn to stop sinning, or that we must become better Christians. Well Jesus Christ was the only one who ever lived a sinless life and He was God. Therefore, in order to try and be like God we go about trying to define what is good and what is evil and then dedicate ourselves to a life of obedience and repentance to whatever it is we have defined. The result is a trying to live a life we can never live, focused on what we are doing, not on what Christ has done, and we end up in total frustration not knowing God or experiencing His love and promised rest.
Normally, we try to live this life through subjecting ourselves to the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount or the various laws of our particular denominations and churches. All we end up discovering is that we can't be like God because we only reveal more sin in our lives. Thankfully, that is what God wants us to discover. He wants us to realize we can't live the Christian life, nor does expect us to live it, so that we will put total trust and dependence on Him and the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is the grace of God that "teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12)." Christians live by faith not by obedience and repentance to rules designed to modify our behavior. Stop eating from the wrong tree and start resting in Christ's finished work on your behalf and resurrected life in you! Remember, God gave His life for you, so He could give His life to you, so He could live His life through you. Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment