Posted on 05/01/2010 4:19:29 PM PDT by jackspyder
Thanks so much!
Thanks!
Maria
Thanks
Good article bump!
...
... being a Christian has always been my identity.
God wants to change us from our identity as Christians to our identity as His alone. (Ps. 91:1)
My feelings are based upon my ability to put myself first in my life. As much as I may sacrifice or do good things for my family or other people, or even follow the scripture, I still tend to put my selfish desires ahead of what I know is right based upon the pure truth of God's word.
These are symptoms of the crux of the problem: my right to myself. Am I willing to abandon all to God, abandoning all of my precious rights to Him? None of us will unless were first convinced that he loves us so much that we can absolutely trust Him no matter what. We must believe that He loves us unconditionally and only wants the best for us because God is good.
This I believe is the heart of the matter and is why God allows the things in our lives that He does - He is working to get each of us to that place of total surrender in love. If we surrender to Him guess what? Hell take care of the time, place, and method of our crucifixion. Like Jesus, we will have given up all our rights to the Father who we, like Jesus, know loves us and for the joy that is set before us, we endure our cross.
Have you ever tried or seen someone else try to crucify themselves? Doesnt work does it? Always got that danged last free hand to deal with. Kind of a picture of our futility of trying to live our lives, or die, without first surrendering to Him and trusting Him because we know He loves us.
"Christians" want to be like the people they see on TV. They want people to admire them. Not to look down upon them. They worry more about what their friends think, or their family thinks, or their co-workers think, than what God thinks of their behavior and their secret, or not so secret, thought lives. If we, as Christians, would keep in mind that not only is God watching, but God is waiting...
This is the flesh and doesnt take God by surprise. Galatians Chapt 4 is a revelation of the nature of our flesh and how God wants to work with us to uncompromisingly deal with the flesh. But if we try to do this without Him, were missing the point. God knows our condition, and in a sense, that isnt the problem. The real issue, same as that of Adam and Eve, is what are we going to do about our condition? God already has an answer for each of us individually. He wants to replace the useless fig leaves weve made for ourselves to cover our problems with custom-made clothing (it looks like animal skins, but actually they are white robes of His grace).
If we, as Christians, would keep in mind that not only is God watching, but God is waiting, waiting for us to...start on the difficult, yet rewarding road ahead to being like one of His disciples.
Gods desire is much more than watching and waiting. He wants to be intimately involved in every detail of our lives. His will is to make us like Him and only He can do it and He can only do it with our cooperation. Rom 8:29. Better than making us like his disciples (God forbid).
Meant to post #25 to you. Hope you’re doing well.
Yes, he would make a good guest for Jesse Lee Peterson’s radio show!
Prayers up for you Coldwater Creek. May the hand of the Lord be upon you during this time. So sorry to hear of your diagnosis.
Praying for your health and strength.
Matthew 19:26
God Bless,
~Flyer~
Psalm 46
Romans 8:38-39 (New King James Version)
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vaar6Ij55ig
May the LORD Bless you and Keep you,Coldwater Creek.
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