Posts Tagged ‘inner man’

THE DANGER OF THE LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS

Posted: January 8, 2015 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” 

– Proverbs 30:7-9 NIV

Since faith in Christ involves an intimate, personal relationship with God, this post is more about what I understand about what’s written in the Scriptures and I invite any who desire to share their thoughts about what’s written in this post, or their perspective of what they understand about faith & money.

Inspired from my recollection of the show hosted by Robin Leach, along with my recent success in publishing my first book and launching my business, this post is a continuation of talks and reflections I have had on the subject of faith and money.

What was seen as entertainment growing up, much like Entertainment Tonight, the television show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and contemporary shows like MTV Cribs help me to see as an adult the danger, deception, and temptations associated with allowing the love of money, pursuit of wealth, and the ambition for excess to permeate my thinking as a follower of Christ.

Today’s post is inspired from reflections from Psalm 1:1, ‘Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.’

According to Psalm 1 I am blessed if my lifestyle distinguishes me apart from the wicked, sinners, and mockers. When you read Jesus’ sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:1-12, being blessed, according to Christ, involves exemplifying the person of Jesus Christ, or personifying Christ’s actions, attributes, character, and conduct. God blesses both the righteous and unrighteous with material wealth and possessions and the Apostle John admonished the importance of soul prosperity along with external prosperity in 3 John 1:2. Yes I am blessed if I receive financial prosperity from God, but am I not blessed without it?

To be continued

May the LORD bless us and help us to align our hearts and minds consistently and continually with the perspective of the Scripture regarding money so we can live victoriously and unencumbered from the world’s view and inspire others by the light of His counsel!

 

Purchase your copy of Out of the Darkness: A Journey into the Marvelous Light today! Use the link on my blogroll to access the Tate on-line bookstore, or Amazon. You can contact me directly authorcjones@yahoo.com for an autographed copy with free shipping!

OutOfTheDarkness

Excerpt Chapter 4 Out of the Darkness

Posted: January 4, 2015 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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Chapter 4

My Father as a Rolling Stone: God’s Purpose in Salvation

 

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
– Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

 

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you
to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
– Ezekiel 36:26–27

 

 

In chapter 3, we talked about God’s plan of salvation. Redemption is a divine act by God to deliver the soul of man from sin, death, and Satan. Salvation is God’s divine plan of love, expressed through His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from remaining eternally separated from God, condemned to spend eternity in hell. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God’s command and ate the fruit from the tree in the garden of Eden, sin entered into the world, for Satan had deceived man to disobey God.

            According to 1 John 3:4–5, sin is lawlessness, and it was for this reason that Jesus came into the world. “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.”

In Romans 5:12–19, the scriptures explain the origin of sin, sin’s effects from the beginning of time to today, and the relevance of Adam’s life in comparison and contrast to the life of Jesus.

‘Therefore just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: the judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.’ (Romans 5:12–19 NIV)

            As an educator, I often use the illustration of a boulder, a steep hill, and a little village in a valley to explain to my students what can be the result of their poor choices and actions in the course of a school day and how they relate to life in general. “Imagine being at the top of a steep hill,” I say to them. “Standing before you is a huge boulder, and off to the side is a sign that says, ‘Danger! Please do not push!’ Intrigued by the sign and curious about the unknown danger surrounding this rock, you want to investigate. What possible danger could there be in pushing the boulder? you wonder, and the idea of pushing the boulder becomes even more enticing. You choose to push it. It is only after you have set the stone in motion and watched it disappear from view that you look beyond the steep hill where you stand. You notice a little village in the valley below, directly in the path of the boulder you just pushed over.

          “Immediately you are gripped with horror, anxiety, and guilt for the actions that you now recognize as foolish. You ignored the sign, not realizing the significance of your action until it was too late. As your heart pounds and races, the boulder momentarily appears to be moving in slow motion. You think about what you could do to change the outcome of your actions. I could run ahead of the boulder and try to stop it! Before you can even finish this thought, you realize how impossible it would be, and how foolish it sounds. You then think to yourself, I could outrun the boulder to warn everyone in the village below about the devastation that is fast approaching! You inevitably realize that nothing can be done to stop the boulder from rolling until it comes to a place of rest. The village in the valley is now destined to experience and suffer the consequences of your decision to push the boulder. You watch in agony, guilt, and shame, as you see the devastation and destruction left behind by your actions.”

This is a simple story with a simple message. We must accept the responsibility and the consequences that come with making poor choices. We should learn from our mistakes and recognize when our actions or behavior injure others, ready to be accountable and to make amends for the harm caused to others. Oh, and it may not hurt to heed the warning signs around us. This may be a simple story, but how many of us have ignored obvious warning signs, choosing destructive behavior and actions that have devastated the lives of others, including our own?

            My father made a choice to abandon his family and divorce my mother, leaving in his wake a family that was fractured, displaced, and devastated by the rolling stone that bowled us over. Poppa was truly a rolling stone! To this day, I would not be able to identify my father if he stood right in front of me. His actions and his absence, however, left an impression that our family felt for years after his departure.

            In the same way, Adam made a choice to disobey God, and the effects of his action have been felt for centuries down through the generations until today. Like Adam’s choice, my father’s actions became a curse that affected my mother and his children. Thank God for Jesus Christ! We do not have to languish forever and live our lives under the curse of Adam and the sins of our fathers. God’s purpose for salvation was to destroy the curse of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and to restore our lives from the devastation and destruction caused by the effects of sin that bowl us over like a rolling stone.

            Jesus Christ is God’s divine act of love to redeem man’s fallen nature and to save his soul from death and destruction. This redemption restores man to a right relationship that allows him to enjoy fellowship with God. After Adam committed the sin of eating the fruit from the tree, God began to demonstrate His love, concern, compassion, and justice for man’s fallen state.

              Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Genesis 3:7–11, 21 NIV)

            Do you see how God responded to Adam and Eve? Notice how He came to them in the garden after Adam expressed his fears to God and acknowledged his attempt to try to hide from God because of his nakedness. Do you see that God did not condemn them for what they had done? Did you notice that God did not chastise them for the obvious wrong they had committed? Instead, God responded with mercy, kindness, and grace. God made garments of skin, and He himself clothed them. God initiated an act of redemption by providing them with a covering to cover their nakedness, their shame, and their guilt. God provided Adam and Eve comfort, reassurance of His love, and care for them. He dealt with their immediate need, even though they had committed a sin. Although there were immediate and eternal consequences for their actions (Genesis 3:16–19), God provided an immediate and eternal solution to overcome Satan’s destructive influence and power.

            “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NIV).

            The plan of salvation is God’s promise to redeem the fallen nature of man. God’s purpose in salvation is to restore man to God’s original likeness and image. He does this through the power of His love, His Son, and His Spirit at work in the hearts and minds of everyone who sincerely believes in what Christ accomplished on the cross.

            “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.’ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26a–27 NIV). Every man in existence is created in the likeness of the Creator of heaven and earth. Every man has a spirit and a soul, which is housed in his physical body.

            “The Lord God formed the man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7 KJV). “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4 NIV).

God is a Spirit, and He has a soul as well. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38a, emphasis added). “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38 NIV, emphasis added).

The soul of God and man is made up of the mind (intellect), the heart (emotions), and the will (ability to choose). Collectively, these make up our human nature. With the freedom she had been given, Eve was influenced by Satan and chose to disobey God. At first, Adam chose to obey God by ignoring the tree, but he was later influenced and chose to disobey God by taking the fruit from Eve. Since Eve came from Adam, and every man has come from them, we are all born with the capacity to choose the opposite of what God desires for us. Sin distorts the image and likeness of God in man. This is what is referred to as the sinful nature. What we call human nature, the ability and freedom to choose, is also condemned and regarded as the sinful nature. When man’s choices are in rebellion against God’s intentions for man, or they contradict His word, God regards these choices as sinful.

“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5 NIV).

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV).

            “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19–21).

            It was never God’s intention for man to choose the opposite of what He desired for man. Rather, he desires that men choose Him over the influence of evil and Satan. We can only be tempted and influenced by the devil through the desires that are within us, so when we are tempted, God wants us to turn to Him instead of giving in to our temptation. God knew beforehand that man’s fallen nature would make it impossible for us to follow through with the choice to live for Him. This is why He provided Jesus Christ. Even in the beginning, in the garden, God saw our need for His divine help and provided us with an eternal solution for an eternal problem. Since the beginning of time, it has been God’s plan and desire to restore man to His own image and likeness.

By the power of God, Jesus Christ died and rose again so that we may experience God’s love in redemption. Through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Spirit takes residence and lives within us to restore our souls and transform us back into the original image and likeness of our Creator. God’s word is the source of power that provides the knowledge and inspiration that moves us to respond to God and allows Him to work in and through us to accomplish this great work.

Out of the Darkness: A Journey into the Marvelous Light is available now on-line to purchase today! Use the link on my blogroll to Tate Publishing on-line bookstore, or amazon.com! You can purchase an autographed copy by contacting me directly authorcjones@yahoo.com

OutOfTheDarkness

FAITH SAYS, ‘GOD CAN DO IT!’

Posted: February 23, 2013 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

– John 11:22 NIV

It’s one thing to believe that God is able. It’s another thing altogether to believe God is able after time has passed, He has yet to respond and things have gotten worse! This is the predicament Martha and Mary found themselves in and countless others have encountered in their personal faith walk with God that challenges all of us who believe in Jesus Christ to remain faithful, hopeful and prayerful despite the reality of the current condition of our circumstances. Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus that their brother, whom they acknowledged that Jesus loved, was sick and they wanted Him to come and respond to their request (prayer) for help.

How difficult it is to hear, understand and believe that the One who loves me would allow time to pass and permit my circumstances to worsen without responding to my plea for help and assistance. When life opposes faith, it becomes even more difficult to endure and persevere when I have to wrestle with my thoughts and feelings about God’s love and His concern for me. I believe this is exactly what happened to Mary when Jesus arrived on the scene after delaying His response to her request to come and see about her, her sister and their brother. Mary knew Lazarus was someone Jesus loved. Surely, Jesus would respond. I am certain Martha and Mary heard the testimony about the Roman centurion who acknowledged that Jesus did not even need to come to his home, but just speak healing and because of His authority and power, Jesus would make his servant whole and well. Yet, after 3 days, Lazarus died and Jesus never came to see about him in response to Mary and Martha’s request. When Jesus did arrive, 4 days later, Mary didn’t come to meet Jesus as Martha did initially.

When she did go out to meet Jesus, after Jesus called for her, you can hear and feel the disappointment, discouragement, grief and pain in Mary’s words when she spoke to Jesus. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” – John 11:32b NIV The bible describes this scene by adding that Mary fell at Jesus’ feet. I interpret that as Mary being overcome with grief over Lazarus’ death and the great feeling of disappointment that Jesus did not respond when she called for Him to come. The irony of this dialogue between Mary and Jesus is that Martha started her conversation with Jesus the same way, but she added what she believed in spite of the condition of the reality of her current plight! “‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.'” – 11:21-22 NIV Faith challenges us to believe God is able in every and all circumstances to bring life from death and make things better and new!

May God bless you and help you to believe beyond how you feel despite the reality of your current plight so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

WHEN LIFE OPPOSES FAITH

Posted: February 13, 2013 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?'”

– John 11:40 NIV

 

How many times have the circumstances of life tried to convince you that you should just give up hope and quit believing in God, trusting Him to work everything together for good? How many times have you been tempted to or questioned whether God really cares, is He concerned, is His word really true, will He answer my prayers? In that same time frame, how often has your soul refused to believe anything other than what God promises in His word irregardless of what the circumstances of life may say? Despite the harsh condemning proclamations of misfortune, grief and injustice, how often did you hear the still, small voice of God whisper to you to keep believing?

In John 11, we encounter such a scenario in a conversation with Martha and Jesus. We are told in the 11th chapter of John that Martha and her sister Mary had sent a messenger (prayer) to Jesus to inform Him that their brother Lazarus was sick. “So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick.'” – John 11:3 NIV Jesus delayed in responding to their request (when God is silent) and Lazarus died. 4 days later Jesus comes to Martha and Mary. What transpired in Martha’s conversation with Jesus regarding Lazarus’ death reinforces to us the value of remaining hopeful, faithful to trust God, even when life opposes faith. When Martha heard Jesus had arrived, she went to Jesus and a dynamic conversation ensued. How I feel in my circumstances isn’t the issue as much as what I believe despite how I feel. Although Lazarus died and Jesus did not respond to her request for His intervention at the time she needed Him to, Martha still believed Jesus could do something about her circumstances! “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” – John 11:22 NIV Martha refused to believe that the condition of her current circumstances were beyond God’s ability to affect change!

I wonder what Jesus’ thought was when He heard Martha declare what she believed about Him and the power of faith. When life opposes faith, the believer in Christ is challenged to declare what they believe despite how they may feel because of the condition of their current circumstances. No matter how many times I read this passage in the 11th chapter of John it inspires me and resonates within me, because it speaks to the heart of how I should be as a follower of Christ in the face of life’s opposition. Even now, God is looking to see who is willing to acknowledge Him as the One who can affect change, even when it appears your situation is beyond working out! God raises the dead, makes all things new and calls those things that are not as they ought to be!

May God bless you and help you to grow in faith to stand firm against life’s opposition so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

BELIEVE ANYHOW

Posted: January 30, 2013 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.”

– Job 42:2 NIV

Since the beginning of 2013 I have encountered this verse in a variety ways. Whether it was through the process of my private devotion time, through the devotional Our Daily Bread, or through a sermon, Job 42:2 has been a consistent source of encouragement and inspiration as 2012 transitioned into 2013. When I initially read it, what resonated within me was the reminder that what God has proclaimed in His word and whispered to me in my heart about what His plans are for me will not be deterred from becoming a reality!

When I take a moment to consider the source from which this passage was declared, I am reminded that Job was staring misfortune, injustice and grief in the face having lost all he possessed and was currently riddled with sores from head to toe. Somehow, despite the reality of his circumstances demanding of him to give up hope and give up on believing in God for something better; somewhere within him, deep within his soul, Job had the audacity to express his belief in God to do something on his behalf!

God has a plan of restoration, healing, renewal and deliverance for those who still hold out believing in His promise to do what He proclaims in His word. God’s plans are to make things new, better, whole and well! Despite what the reality of my circumstances may say, what the current condition of the challenges I face may declare, I must believe anyhow! Faith begins when things look bleak, when times are difficult and I am in the deepest darkness of my midnight hour! I was also reminded in the time I reflected on this verse from the book of Job that Job had no idea God had determined to give him double for all that he had endured and persevered through! God wants to reward those who are willing to remain confident in Him and continue to do His will!

May God bless you and help you to continue to do His will and remain confident He will keep His promise so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

EMBRACE GOD’S PROMISES

Posted: December 28, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.'”

– Genesis 12:1-3 NIV

At the beginning of the 2012 calendar year, I listened to a sermon preached on TBN with the title Excel in 2012. It resonated with me and I encouraged my sister and mother to embrace it as the new theme for our ongoing bible study (5 years running). Our theme became Excel in 2012 and Beyond! As the 2012 year comes to a close, I rejoice in knowing God has exceeded our expectations and extended us beyond ourselves to experience change in real, relevant ways that confirm for us God’s person, presence and power at work in us and through us for His glory! Though it was not always easy, the journey has been well worth the encounter!

Before Abram could experience the fulfillment of the promise God spoke to him in Genesis 12, Abram had to embrace and accept the commandment for change God required. Abram had to be willing to leave a place of familiarity and comfort in order to experience the fullness of blessing God had in store for him. Faith requires change and a transition from something old into something new. Change requires a transition, or paradigm shift, from the way things were to the way things God intends in order to encounter fulfillment, success and prosperity.

God wants to make us new and experience a new life that includes an intimate personal relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. Careful inspection of the promise God speaks to Abram reveals that what God intends to do for us is not intended to be solely beneficial exclusively to the recipient of the promise, but also to everyone who comes into contact with the recipient. The world becomes a better place for the one who embraces and accepts what God requires in association with the promise of being a follower of Christ.

May God bless you and help you to embrace and accept His promises so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

THE COST OF LOSING FOCUS

Posted: September 29, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?'”

Genesis 4:9 NIV

Just as there is a cost associated with following the path of righteousness in being a living sacrifice for Jesus, there is also a cost in choosing to go our own way living from the desires of the sinful mind. From the beginning of time, mankind has wrestled with its own humanity and has been the direct beneficiary of its own shortcomings with tragic results time and again. From the Ancient of Days, in the book of Proverbs, Solomon explains it like this, There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” – Proverbs 16:25 NIV

According to her desires, it seemed right to Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but in the end it resulted in death. Her innocent act of eating one measly fruit from a tree resulted in being spiritually severed from her intimate relationship with her Creator and ostracized from the abundant life God had created for her and Adam to live in with Him in the garden of Eden. Both Adam and Eve had equal access to eat from the tree of life freely, but they chose to intake from what they were forbidden to have. They were deceived into thinking and believing that what was forbidden was more rewarding and fulfilling than what they already had access to. Isn’t it interesting that we usually don’t give much, if any, consideration to the consequences of doing wrong, but we will think of the many reasons why we should not do the right thing. This is the hostile mind at work, even in the life of a sincere believer.

Cain’s disappointment of not having his sacrifice received by God brought a stern warning from God to do what was right in order to be accepted, but if he did not do what was right; sin was crouching, waiting for the opportunity to strike and take siege of Cain’s heart and mind. Cain desired to encounter God’s favor (acceptance) without doing what God required. God challenged Cain to master (manage thought life and resulting actions) his sin, but Cain ignored God’s warning and this is the result of not delighting in God’s law in Cain’s life: (see Genesis 4:1-17)

  • Cain ignores God and His word after God corrected Cain
  • Cain becomes jealous of Abel
  • Cain becomes consumed with anger (hatred)
  • Cain kills his brother
  • Cain lies to God about the whereabouts of his brother
  • Cain becomes indignant with God (am I my brother’s keeper)
  • Cain never admits to killing Abel
  • Cain complains about the consequences of his sin, but shows no remorse for it (my punishment is more than I can bear) Genesis 4:13 NIV

May God bless you and help you to remain focused, stand firm in your faith, continuing to do what is right so you may receive His favor and experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

TRANSITIONING FROM HOSTILITY TO PEACE

Posted: September 29, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“So I find this law at work. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”

– Romans 8:21-23 NIV

In Psalm 1 we read that the blessed man delights in God’s law and meditates on it day and night (Psalm 1:3). The Apostle Paul noted that the mind of sinful man is death (Romans 8:6) and the sinful mind is hostile towards God’s law (His word), does not submit to it, and it cannot submit. So the sinful man has no ability within him to meditate, delight, or adhere to the word of God in sincere submission and obedience, because he is unable to. Not so for the Christian. For the person who has been transformed by God’s amazing grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, there is now the ability to submit to God’s word.

What we see illustrated in Romans 8:21-23 is the real oppositional challenge every sincere believer faces in their faith walk with God that the life of Jesus Christ illustrated for us when He was in the garden of Gethsemane pleading with the Father about an alternative plan to His role in the fulfillment of salvation for all mankind. Though He wrestled momentarily (as the Apostle Paul illustrates in Romans 8:21-23), Jesus prevailed through persistent prayer, remaining focused, deliberate and intentional about doing the will of His Father even it cost Him his life.

Choosing to walk by faith and emulate the posture of a sincere believer (humility) will result in a cost associated with the principle of sacrifice. As we seek sincerely to adhere to God’s word and apply His wisdom in being a living sacrifice for Jesus, we begin to encounter the opposition within us due to the ongoing conflict with the sinful mind of our flesh (sinful nature) and the mind of Christ (Holy Spirit). In order to transition from hostility to peace consistently, being a willful participant in the life God has called me to in Christ, I must emulate the actions Jesus displayed in the garden of Gethsemane:

  • Persistent prayer
  • Accepting the will of God
  • Being willing to do what God desires over what I desire
  • Demonstrating a resolute determination despite external/internal opposition
  • Focus (like the blessed man who delights in God’s law and mediates on it)

May God bless you and help you to demonstrate the necessary focus in your faith walk that will enable and empower you to experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

THE PERSPECTIVE OF SCRIPTURE- PART 2

Posted: September 17, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

– Romans 15:4 NIV

In the process of my recent posts on the subject of prosperity, the scripture reference for today’s post (from Romans 15) has quietly reverberated in the back of my mind. It is a definitive reminder to me of the purpose of the word of God for my life as a source of instruction and inspiration to aid me in my faith walk with God. The blessed man described in Psalm 1, who prospered at whatever he put his hands to do, did so because his delight was in the law of the LORD and he meditated on it day and night.

Prosperity, from the perspective of Scripture, is the expected outcome of one’s faith relationship with God. According to Romans 15:4, the bible was written to instruct us and inspire us to live with hope, or the expectancy of fulfillment. In the beginning, everything God created had the capacity to produce of its own kind (read Genesis 1). God created man (male & female), in His own image and likeness, with the expectation that we be fruitful, multiply, rule over and subdue the earth. In the gospel of John, Jesus teaches His disciples this very same principle of being frutiful (John 15). Later, in the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul teaches his readers about the fruit of the Spirit and our responsibility, as Christians, to bear the fruit (or character), of the Spirit of Christ (Galatians 5).

According to Psalm 1, it was noted that the blessed man who walked in the way God had chosen for him to take, stood firm upon God’s word as the authority by which he governed his life and sat at His feet to learn from Him, that man would be like a tree planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in season (Psalm 1:3). In the same manner, God planted the seeds of the earth, watered them and waited for the process of growth to produce what He planted in Creation. As His creation, God has planted the seed of faith within me, as I confess Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior, and waits patiently for the harvest of righteousness and prosperity to be produced within and through me as it occured in the beginning.

May God bless you and help you to gain insight, knowledge and understanding from His word and apply His wisdom revealed from the Scripture, so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES FOR PROSPERITY- PART 2

Posted: September 15, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
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“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

– Philippians 4:8-9 NIV

In verses 4 and 6-7 of Philippians 4, the Apostle Paul admonished his readers to rejoice always, not be anxious (be content), and pray (with thanksgiving). Paul declared that the outcome of applying these practical principles would result in peace that would guard one’s heart and mind in Christ Jesus. These practical principles are the actions of a sincere believer who seeks to be a living sacrifice for Jesus.

In verses 8 and 9, the Apostle Paul adds 2 more principles to his suggestion to rejoice, be content and pray, with thanksgiving, that results in peace. Be positive minded and apply wisdom. Paul said think on things that are true, right, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. In theory it sounds easy, but in the face of the daily distractions, interruptions and challenges we face, remaining positive minded requires a deliberate discipline of faith in action. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” – 1 Peter 1:13 NIV “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” – 2 Timothy 4:5 NIV Both, the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul expressed the importance of being deliberate about maintaining a deliberate mindset of being focused mentally, at peace, that can only come out remaining positive minded in all circumstances.

Finally, Paul uses himself to describe the final principle of applying wisdom by encouraging his readers to put into practice anything they have learned from his example of living a spiritual life. Paul mentions peace twice from the application of prayer, with thanksgiving, in Philippians 4:7 and applying wisdom in Philippians 4:9. Peace was the result of deliberate initiative by the sincere believer to pray and apply the wisdom of God’s word. The second time Paul mentioned peace, he stated specifically that the God of peace (not the peace of God) will be with you. Soul prosperity is the internal peace of God (rest) that allows the believer to be at rest in the face of challenging circumstances and helps him, or her, to have a greater sense of His presence, because He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. The bible’s version of prosperity allows us to experience things money and material possessions would not accomplish.

May God bless you and help you to put into practice practical principles of spiritual living that will allow you to experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

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