Q: “STOP”…I want you to “STOP” and think about how God has brought you through some tough times..If it wasn’t for God, we would have never made it through..Check out the video by Marvin Sapp (without you) it will encourage you this day. Also thank God, “That if it wasn’t for Him (Jesus) we would have never made it through…
A: Marvin Sapp sings that he "never would have made it" and he "almost lost it all." He is thankful for God seeing him through his trials and he should be. We are told to be thankful in all circumstances (1 Thes 5:18)." However, will he, you or I be thankful when we don't make it and if we lose it all? What if you were a Haitian after the earthquake? How about an Indonesia after the Tsunami? Or a resident of the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina? Many in these situations lost it all after not having much to start with. Saints, Jesus told us we would have tribulation (John 16:33) and that the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous (Mth 5:45). We even may suffer for our faith. Peter said for us not to be surprised to suffer for our faith (1 Ptr 4:12). Paul talked of being content whatever his circumstances (Phil 4:11). Like all of you I would love to be immune to suffering, but it is just not going to happen in this life. We must remember that we are not of this world, but ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20).
God has us here so He can work through us to gather saints for the Kingdom. We are not here to reap the benefits of this world. Unfortunately, we are subject to the trials and tribulations of this world as we are witnesses for Him. However, we should "also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us (Rom 5:3-5)." Our sufferings build us up so we can then comfort others with the comfort we have received from God (2 Cor 1:3-4). Therefore, whether you make it through or not, be mindful that your circumstances are not a reflection of God's love for you or His faithfulness to you. This life is the worst it gets for believers and we have been told it would be. Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20) so let us be about God's business as He does His work through us despite what the world throws at us. We have already made it through in Christ! Have a blessed weekend in the Lord.
Q: The bible says he who is not "born again" will not "SEE" the kingdom of God.. What does that mean?
A: What is birth? It is life. Being "born again" means that the life of God, lost when Adam sinned, is restored to you the moment you accept Christ by faith. All mankind is born physically alive to the world, but spiritually dead to God in their sins. Therefore, our biggest problem is not that we are sinners in need of forgiveness. Our biggest problem is that we are dead to God and in need of His life. John 3:3-6 is a perfect description of this truth. "In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.""How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."" We see Jesus equating "born of water" with flesh giving "birth to flesh." This is the natural birth we all experience. Then He equates being "born of [the] Spirit" with the Spirit giving "birth to spirit." This is being born again of the Spirit of God through faith in Christ. We are born once, physically, and then we are born again, spiritually, at salvation.
Jesus said that "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" because a spiritually dead person isn't "alive" to God because they haven't accepted God's offer of life made available to them through His resurrection. Salvation is the restoration of the life of God. That is why Paul says, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins (1 Cor 15:17)." The Gospel is sin, death, forgiveness and life. When Adam sinned (Gen 3), God removed His life from Adam and he died spiritually. All mankind is, therefore, born into the world spiritually dead to God in sin. Before God could restore His life to us, He had to deal with the sin that caused His life to leave. Jesus, being God in the flesh, was the only man born with a life to give that would completely satisfy God for our sins. Thus, he was able to offer His life, as a free gift to all who receive Him by faith, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, because of the eternal consequences of the cross, there is no sin that can cause that life to leave. That is why it is an eternal life. A life that carries us through our physical life, through death, and on through eternity. Be blessed.
Q: In a marriage what does a wife "need" from her husband and what does the husband "want" from his wife?
A: Ultimately, what a wife "needs" and a husband "wants" from each other is something neither can provide. We must be careful not to look at passages of scripture like Ephesians 5, Colossians 3 and 1 Peter 3 and see them as opportunities for the flesh. It is easy for a spouse to see "submit," "love," and "respect" and then go about trying to find ways in which to do to things in the energy of our own flesh. Thus, it can become about having sex, cooking, cleaning, holding the door open, letting one watch the game uninterrupted and so on. While all those things may be a part of a relationship and considered a form of loving each other like Christ loved the church, it is the motivation behind the actions that is the key to a marriage. If you notice, the actions that we describe as evidence of meeting a spouses needs and wants look very similar to the fruits of the Spirit.
Every human being is created with a desire to receive unconditional love and total acceptance. These were desires our God created us with. They were also desires that could only be fulfilled through a relationship with Him. And this relationship is only available through faith in Jesus Christ. When we accept Christ by faith, we have come alive to God because His Spirit, His very life, now indwells us. It is through this indwelling life that the deepest needs of our heart are met. Therefore, in a marriage, each spouse isn't trying to get from the other what they don't have to offer. Rather, they are serving one another in love with what they have received from God. It is the "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23)" that the Spirit produces through us which results in each spouse being able to submit, love and respect one another. When the love of Christ is our motivation all we desires our marriages to be will become to manifest itself. May God continue to reveal to you the blessings you already have in Christ. YBIC
Q: The bible says we(Christians) are dead to sin..Does that mean that Christians don't sin anymore?
A: We will sin until the day we go home to meet the Lord. "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins (Col 2:13)." When were you dead in your sins? It was before you were saved. You were spiritually dead to God in your sins. When did you become alive to Christ? It was the moment you were born again of the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Now, you are free to be led by the Spirit of God. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:11-12)." It is God's grace that motivates us. God has forgiven all our sins. He is no longer judging us for our sins. We don't need to keep asking Him to forgive us for sins He no longer holds against us. To be dead to sin means that we no longer look to sin for something it cannot provide.l
The human heart has a desire to be unconditionally loved and totally accepted. Prior to salvation, we were cursed to try and get these desires fulfilled through the world and the sin it offers. Thankfully, because we couldn't meet those needs in sin it brought us to the end of ourselves and to faith in Christ. Now, that God has met those needs of our heart in Him we can now engage the world with what we have been given rather than what we hope to receive from it. Our lives are now a response to the guiding of the Holy Spirit who is loving the world through us with the love He has given to us. And when we are serving each other in love we are not going to be led into sin. The goal of the Christian life is not to stop sinning, but to start trusting the indwelling Holy Spirit who constantly reminds us who we are in Christ so we can focus on being available to Him to walk in love. "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died (2 Cor 5:14)." We are compelled by Christ's love because we want to share what He has given us with those we encounter. Be blessed.
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