Thursday, September 25, 2014

How do I know if it is sin?

On Wednesday evenings, we're studying "Living Holiness." Holiness is not just for the people attending this class. It is the goal of every person who calls himself a follower of Christ. You are either striving to be holy because God is holy (Leviticus 11:44; 19:2; 20:7 and 1 Peter 1:16) or you have determined to live in the self-life - or sin.

But how do you know if something is sin in your life? Well, for one thing what does the Bible say about it? To know this, you have to be reading the Bible. When someone has chosen to live in sin, I can almost guarantee that they've quit reading their Bible. They know, deep down they already know, that their behavior is against God's law. (See Romans 1:18-20)

Susana Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, said this:
"Would you judge the lawfulness of a pleasure, take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away the relish of spiritual things; whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin."
Well said Susana!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Master

"The pursuit of life is not to find freedom but to find the right master." Pastor Joe Focht
I have begun reading Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray. The book begins with a passage from
1 Kings 20:1-4:
"And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have." (emphasis mine)
Ahab gave all that was asked of him. He absolutely surrendered. Murray points out the condition of God's blessing for every child of God is absolute surrender of all into His hands. Everything must be given up to the right Master. What holds us back from absolute surrender? That is different for each of us. Let us start by saying "My God, I am willing that You should make me willing."

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Burdened beyond measure

Sometimes you have to be forced into taking action. A few weeks ago, my smartphone started letting me know when I received an Email in my AOL account. This might appeal to some people, but for me it totally stressed me out! All day long I'd hear the cute "ding" letting me know I received ANOTHER Email. It was out of control. That was it! I got into my Email account and started unsubscribing to every superfluous Email I could find. I should have done that months ago. I'm glad I was forced to do it now.

I am coming to understand that God allows us to be pushed to the breaking point to force us to make a change, step up to the plate or crucify a bad habit. This morning I read 2 Corinthians 1: 8-10:
"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,"
 When I am burdened it is because I am in charge. I am trusting in my own ability, not God's. May God grant that we would take action and decide to trust in Him, the One who has the power over death itself!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Am I prepared to die?

The most recent beheading of a second American journalist makes me recall the slaying of 5 American Missionaries at the hands of the Huaorani warriors back on January 8, 1956.

There is, however, a key difference in their stories. Jim Elliot and his 4 friends were prepared to die to see the Quechua Indians in Ecuador brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Jim's journal entry for October 28, 1949, expresses his belief that work dedicated to Jesus was more important than his life (see Luke 9:24 in the Bible). "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." 

One of the most amazing facts of the account of their slaying was that the missionaries had guns with them when they were attacked and speared to death. They had decided beforehand that they would not use them on the people they were trying to reach. Why? They stated that they knew they were going to heaven, but these Indians would not, unless they were saved.

I cannot help but ask myself "Am I prepared to die?"