"What's the Least I Can Believe & Still Be a Christian"- A Respose

I saw a blog post by Ken Ham yesterday, in a response to this book above. The title really bothers me. And it's written by a Methodist pastor from Tennessee! Scary.

Are we truly CALLED to believe the LEAST bit possible? To me, that's like asking the question, "How close can I get to the fire & not be burned?" (Proverbs 6:27) Or "How far is too far?" or "What's the LEAST I can believe & still get into Heaven?" (the real thing at stake here- a relationship with Christ is not even a question!)

WE'RE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTIONS. How about asking "What ELSE can I POSSIBLY do to deepen my relationship with the Father?" instead? Or "How may I please Him MORE today?"
 

COME ON, PEOPLE! *Wake up!!!!*

“All things are permissible,” you say- but not everything is beneficial." - 1 Corinthians 10:23

Death

On Monday, I saw this Christian t-shirt. It reads "Statistics Prove 5 Out of 5 People Die" &"Death Is Certain, Life Is Not." I haven't been able to get the words out of my mind.

And then Tuesday, I heard the news that the father of one of my mentors has passed away. This saddened & grieved me immensely, especially since I am not sure of his being truly saved or not.

This (& other things) made me start thinking...

 "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'" - James 4:13-15



Therefore, if our lives ARE as short as this verse says (in the grand scheme of things), we should be doing everything that we can to ensure that all of our family & friends know Jesus as Lord. Do you feel urgency of the situation?

We do not know the day nor the hour, both of our Lord's return (Matthew 24:36-44) nor of our own deaths (James 4:13-15). The times are uncertain. Apart from Christ there is no hope. But we, the believers, are unafraid & unshaken. Our hope is sure. We walk by faith (Hebrews 11:1, 2 Corinthians 5:7).

Make the most of the time that has been given to you (Luke 12:48b, Matthew 25:14-46, Matthew 28:19-20). Be a faithful witness to the Truth. Work hard to preserve what the Lord has entrusted to you. Reach out to your family & friends with the Gospel Truth. Invest in what really matters. Remember: Only what's done for Christ will last. And our time is short.

Temptation

I was reading in 1 Corinthians 10 this morning- "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (verses 12-13)

Some food for thought...

When you come under temptation, are you actively looking for a way out?
Would you know a door out if you saw it?

What do you struggle with?
What are your weaknesses?
Where are you most tempted?
What is hard for you to do?
Where are you tempted to cut corners?
Where are you still in slavery?
Where are you subjected to idols or addictions?
What do you try to cover up instead of bringing it into the light?

Will you trust Him?

If you don’t feed your spirit with Truth, you won’t be able to stand up to the tests of the Enemy. Our vision and perception of God are all the more clear in times of trial. Draw close to Him. "Look to the Word for your Deliverance."  And lastly, hold fast to your confession of hope. Stand firm- unwavering, bold and victorious. For He is Faithful. 

"And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:6

The Woodcarver DVD giveaway

 Miss Sarah over at Joyful Service recently did a review on The Woodcarver DVD and is giving away a copy of the DVD. Feel free to enter the giveaway!

God first

 “My heart’s desire is to be so overwhelmed with our incomparable, awesome God that my life cannot help but bring Him glory.”- author unknown

Do you value the praise of men over that of God?

Do you truly understand the depth, weight, responsibility etc of Christ’s sacrifice?

Are you trying to save face amongst other Christians?

Are you placing things above Him (idols)?

 Is Jesus most glorious to you?

How can I become more aware of choosing to honor God in all I do?

Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Christ

Am I more devoted to ________________ than to Christ?

We are Called to be Undistracted, to focus on Christ, because ALL else is secondary. Oftentimes the greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him, being so busy doing things "for" God that we truly lose sight of Him. We are Called to offer God our very best, not to “serving God the leftovers”.

How can you show Jesus how much you love Him?

What things are trying to replace your “first love”? (job, wealth, relationships etc)
Is Jesus first in your life right now?

How can my love (obedience) for God be more genuine (consistent etc)?
How can my love for others be more ____________ (genuine etc)?

Are you obedient to the pull of the Holy Spirit on your heart? Are you trusting Him fully? 

We are Called to fear God, not man and to serve Him alone- undistracted and full of devotion. We may not be "persecuted," so to speak, but we must die daily to self & everything except the Word of God in our

lives. 

Focus on the things of God- Having a singular purpose/ passion/ focus/ motive; single-minded, fully-devoted, undistracted (by world etc), completely committed. Not putting self (or anyone else) above/before God. What does this mean? What does this look like? (planning, scheduling etc) Making time to sit and rest in the Word.

If your purpose is to reflect the glory of God, then all of your decisions are based on the question “Will God receive the glory?”

Do Not Give Up!

You might think that your life doesn't matter, but perhaps you’re building a foundation for generations to come (catching the Vision & seeing things from His perspective). “His ways are higher than our ways” (Isaiah 55:9).

The impact & influence of your life might be felt for years to come after your death, living on through the lives of your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. Nothing is mundane or pointless. All is important in God's eyes.

There might not always be an immediate blessing experience or witness because of your efforts. Sometimes you must wait for the long-term impact (leaving a godly legacy, having a multi-generational vision etc). Remember Galatians 6:9- "Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up..." And rememeber- "Only what's done for Christ will last."

Several months ago, in my Bible study class, we studied 2 Samuel 7, which speaks of God's covenant with David. It speaks of the Promised Savior dwelling on David's throne. Although this Promise wasn't fulfilled in David's lifetime, yet David still trusted and believed. 

He completes what He has begun and His Power is Sufficient to execute all that He desires. "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

 I am also reminded of the "Hall of Fame" in Hebrews 11, especially verse 13: "These all died in faith, not having received the things Promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth..."


Hold on to the Promise, even when it's hard to believe at that moment, even when the Vision hasn't been fulfilled yet. Have unwavering Faith that He will bring His Promise to pass as He said. "So shall My Word be that goes out from My Mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I Purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)


Continue to trust in His Salvation. Our hope is assured! It is all Worth it! Press on!


"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith. " (Hebrews 12:1-3a) 

Persevero!

Our Identity in Christ

 
A couple of years ago I heard a pastor give a sermon on identity (who you are & how people view you) . He said that there are 3 types of identity- your perceived identity (how you view yourself), your portrayed identity (how you allow others to view you) & your real/true identity (who you REALLY are).

His point was that the only "value" we have stems from who we are in Christ. And your identity should be intrinsically tied to the Church, the Body of Christ.

If we truly are the Church, His Redeemed etc, then we should do something to act like it! What does the World see when  they look at us? Why aren't we any different from them???

We are Called to "come into stride with God." We need to see ourselves & the Church as God sees & look for our identity in Christ alone. We are NOT defined by this World, thus we don't have to live by its standards. Are you trying to "save face" among other Christians? Are you trying to prove yourself to others? Are your priorities mixed up?

None of this is done in our own strength. It is God working through us. This is not dependent on anything we did. Are you trying to earn or deserve His Grace? Stop. For we will never be "good enough" to deserve His mercy. Christ alone was perfect. His Sacrifice is sufficient. Our lives should echo "I am nothing apart from God, only God" over & over & over again.

We are no longer dead to sin. We are new creations. We are the adopted children of God. We are overcomers- justified, redeemed & saved! This puts a whole new perspective on life. We are not our own. Our lives were bought at a price. We are now "slaves to righteousness."

Are you confident in His Love? He completes what He has begun & His Power is sufficient to execute all that He desires. We have unwavering faith that He will bring His Promise to pass as He said. We still trust in His Salvation. Our hope is assured. Amen! 

All that matter is a right relationship with Christ. All else fades. Spend so much time on the fake, temporal & the unimportant. Only to realize too late they wasted their life. A life full of regret. What choice will you make today?

We are who God has declared us to be. Now live it out! Trust and believe!

1,000 Gifts Giveaway

 

I just found out that I just won the giveaway over at Altogether Separate! I can't believe it! I'm SO excited!!! God is GOOD!

The prize is a copy of Ann Vosskamp's book One Thousand Gifts. It talks about looking for "small" blessings in everyday life, all around you ("1,000 gifts"), or so I've heard. I haven't personally read this book yet, but I've heard a lot of good things about it! I can't wait to read it!

I'd encourage you to check out the Altogether Separate blog. It's a good work that they're doing. Keep up the good work! :)