To Be Least

   Hello everyone, sorry I haven't posted as much recently. My family and I are going on vacation for a week starting tomorrow and so I will not be able to post. So to make everything clear, I will be gone from the June 26 - July 4. So come on back around at that time and I will be back in full force.

God bless.

      Yesterday, I talked about how was as Christians are to live a life of love. However, one can not do this without living in obedience to God. So, I decided to post today about how we are to live in obedience. Obviously, we are not to live in disobedience, or sin. To some "disobedience to God" would mean a lot, and to others it would mean nothing. So, I have compiled a list of sins that are often forgotten and ignored.

Greed (Mark 7:22, Romans 1:29, 1 Cor. 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:10, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5)

Fits of Rage (Galatians 5:20)

Discord [Tension or strife resulting from a lack of agreement] (2 Cor. 12:20, Galatians 5:20)

Hatred (Galation 5:20)

Jealousy (Romans 13:13, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Galatians 5:20)

Envy (Romans 1:29, Titus 3:3, 1 Peter 2:1, Mark 7:22)

Slander (Romans 1:30, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:10, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Ephesians 4:31, 1 Peter 2:1, Mark 7:22, Matthew 15:19)

Arrogance (Proverbs 8:13, Romans 1:30, 2 Corinthians 12:20, Mark 7:22)

      If we want to be obedience to God, we must not have greed, fits of rage, discord, hatred, jealousy, envy, slander, and arrogance. The list can go on, but I have not the time or energy to list more. To live a life of love means to walk in obedience. To be obedient means we must not live in sin, we must not have these sins in our life. It is something we all need to work on. God bless.

posted by Paul  # 8:19 pm 1 comments

      Galatians 5:6 says "the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." What is this love here referring to? There are two seemingly different verses that describe love that come to the same conclusion.
      First, one description of love is that "⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor. 13) Obviously, living a life of love and living a life of sin can not be done together. To love contradicts what the sinful nature desires. Love does not boast. "As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil." (James 4) I could go on, but I am sure you see my point. All the things love does not do are done by the sinful nature. However, it is summed up in these words, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." So you can not be living in sin and also in love. What is sin? Sin is disobedience against what God has commanded.
      Another description of what love is can be found in John 14:15. "If you love me, you will obey what I command." That is pretty straight forward. If you love God, you will obey his commands. If you love God, you will not be living in disobedience. You will not be living in sin. You must be living in obedience.
      When you look at these two verses, which seem to say different things, they have the same message. To love God is to be living a life of obedience and righteousness. You cannot be living in sin or disobedience. So, when you again take a look at Galatians 5:6 where it says "the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love," you can see that the only faith that counts if faith that expresses itself through obedience to God.
      "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." (James 2:26) That seems to be in agreement with what I just wrote. Faith needs to be expressed. How is it to be expressed? Through obedience.
      "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8) Here John the Baptist is addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees. He tells them to have changed behavior in keeping with repentance. They must act not with sinful behavior and actions, but with obedient behavior.
      "Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." (Romans 1:5) We as Christians, are to call people to obedience that comes from faith.
      All Christians have been saved by grace alone, through faith, which needs to be expressed by obedience to God's word.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16)

³⁶"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" ³⁷Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. (Matthew 22)

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:6)

      What is love? Here on earth people claim to be "falling in love" and think of love as a feeling. In these cases love is usually used to describe a feeling, an attraction. However, God's Word does not say that love is an attraction, it says that "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." (1 Cor. 13:4) Love is an action, it is something you learn to do.
      John addresses what love for God is. "This is love for God: to obey his commands." (1 John 5:3) Here love is obedience. Does God wants our faith expressing itself through love. He does not want faith expressing itself through feelings but through obedience. We are told that the greatest commandment is to love God. Does this mean to obey God? Is love for God something more than obedience?
      These are my thoughts on what love is in the Bible. Does anyone have any other explanations of what it means to love in the Bible? Your input is appreciated.

      I came across this post on "The Grace Pages." Apparently this Anglican Christian believes that there is no hell. I decided to comment.

You explained why you stopped believing in Hell. "I did not do so on the basis of a study of Scripture. In fact, it was more a matter of intellectual integrity: I had already stopped believing in hell; I merely had to have the courage to admit it to myself."

Then, you gave to reasons why:

1. "It was a monstrous idea to me, a horrific notion unworthy of a religion that claims to talk about a loving, merciful God."
2. "Through tears I confessed that I simply could not believe that my friend’s continual relapses into sin and earnest inner war between faith and doubt would eventually condemn him to eternal suffering, nor that two teenagers, cruelly snatched away from friends and family less than a year after their graduation, were both destined for endless and unimaginable torment."

      I will begin by the issue of not using the scriptures to confirm your beliefs. 2 Timothy 3 states that "¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." The Bible is the "God-breathed" and can be used to correct. Logically, the fact that it is "God breathed" and that it can be used to correct shows that it is the truth.

      That said, I will begin to reply to your reasons for unbelief of hell.

      You said that Christianity is a "religion that claims to talk about a loving, merciful God." I agree with you, God is a God of love. However, he is also a just God. 2 Thessalonians 1:6 says that, "God is just." Further on in that chapter talks about God. That "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power ¹⁰on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you." Here, this is showing how God is a God of justice. He will punish those who " who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" with everlasting destruction (everlasting punishment in Hell). This is pretty serious. God loved this world so much that he sent His Son to die for our sins, but for those who do not believe and live accordingly he will punish eternally.
      Next you said that you could not believe that God would put the teenagers and your friend in eternal suffering. I do not know these people, but you know them. If they "do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus," they will go to Hell.

     God clearly states that there is such a place called Hell:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 5:28)

¹⁹"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
²²"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
²⁵"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' (Luke 16)

"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:15)

⁴For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; ⁵if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; ⁶if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; ⁷and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men ⁸(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- ⁹if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. (2 Peter 2)

      These verses show that there indeed is a place called Hell. It is a place of eternal suffering. those who do not believe that Jesus is the Savior and do not live according to the gospel of Jesus Christ will be there. For Jesus Christ himself said that, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

      After I wrote this I realized that if there was no Hell, the gospel of Jesus Christ would have no power. If there is no Hell, then there is no eternal consequence for everyone's sins. In this scenario, if there is not an eternal consequence for your sins, that means that we do not need to have anything to pay the penalty of our sins. If that is true, that means that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, down to this earth for no reason. Which obviously makes the gospel powerless and our faith futile. However, there is a place called Hell. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The result of our sin is both physical and eternal death. However, God provided a way to have eternal life. This way is through Jesus. Jesus payed for our sins. He took the penalty, so that we do not have to.

Later.

      I am sorry, but I don't have enough time to post anything important today. I will continue to talk about what if means to follow Christ tomorrow.
      Check out my "mobile" version of this blog. [http://winksite.com/othniel/bloggingteen] It contains my posts and links, but is designed for a cell phone or other mobile device.

Until tomorrow, God bless.

      Every Christian has picked up their cross and followed Christ. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus said "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." You may be asking yourself, what does it mean to pick up your cross, deny yourself and follow Christ? He tells us that we are to pick up our cross. During the time of Jesus, a cross was how people were put to death. So when it says pick up your cross, it means we are to die to ourselves. I am going to do a series of posts on what it means to do what deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Christ.

      We are to serve others and not our self. Jesus taught this very clearly by both his life and teachings. When his disciples came up to him and asked who would be the greatest in heaven Jesus replied, "For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." (Luke 9) Often times all we think is about our needs and wants. We only care for ourselves and no one else. This could be commonly described as selfishness.
      Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus began to wash his disciples feet. When he finished, he said this, "¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13) We are to follow Christ's example. The apostle John wrote, "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:6) If we are Christians, we are to serve others, rather than ourselves.

One day I was strolling,
when I came upon a rose.
It's red petals still unfolding,
while attracting my nose.
As I drew near,
and began to touch.
I startled in fear,
it hurt very much.
Cutting my skin,
it dawned on me.
I knew it was sin,
and I began to flee.

      Recently I commented on this post on Keith's blog "Among the Ruins."

We, as follows of Jesus Christ, are called to make "disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19)

How do we make disciples of all nations as Christ commanded us? How exactly do we become true witnesses for Christ? Some who have commented have stated that this is done by our partaking in deeds without the use of scriptures. However, our deeds are not the Word of God, but the fruit of the Word of God in our lives.

James 2 states that faith without deeds is dead. Obviously, deeds are essential, but so is our faith. How do we come by this faith? Romans 10:17 says that, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Notice that faith comes from the hearing of the message, not the seeing of the fruit of the message.

In further support of this truth, look at 2 Timothy 3:15. "How from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

These verses are clear. The scriptures play an important role in someone's decision to put their faith in Jesus Christ to receive salvation. The idea that our deeds are alone the true witness for Christ is misguided, but together the deeds with the scriptures are an effective way to witness to the lost.

      I gave this a lot of thought and searched scriptures for wisdom on this. If you feel other wise, please feel free to comment and state your position.

      God gave us eternal life. How much more then should we give God? The least we can give back to him is our life. I think we as Christians often forget that. We forget all that God has done for us. We owe him everything. God bless.

      I have decided to spend more time off of the computer and use it to develop some old talents. Sketching is one of these talents. I used to sketch a lot, but I have not done so for about a year. Anyway, I just think I will just post something on this blog once a day, and not do anything more. I also think this will free up time to study God's word and grow in my walk. So this is not one of my biblical posts, but I thought I would tell you all and encourage those of you who stay at the computer for a large portion of your day to spend it doing something else.
      So God bless you all and I'll be getting off this machine for today.

      If you have not read my "From Belief to Action" post, please do before you read the following verse. So I wrote that post yesterday, okay. Then a couple of minutes ago I was reading in Romans when I came across this verse. I was in shock, these verses summed up what I was trying to say. So read these verse. This the Word of God. It is the Truth, not my writings.

¹⁷Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; ¹⁸if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; ¹⁹if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, ²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth-- ²¹you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? ²²You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." (Romans 2)

      Although I was drawn to these verses because of my recent post on the same subject, I was not ready for verse 24. "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." I stated in my post that, "I am sure you have realized that Christians are often categorized as hypocrites by the world." Perhaps I sound a bit over excited, that is because I am. I am excited in the fact that what I have been thinking about was written in the Bible. These verses have confirmed what I believed to be true.

Here in Illinois it is nearing 10:20, so I have to go to bed. So good night.

      I was surprise by the comments on my statement that we as Christians should not swear, curse, and cuss. My point was that we should not use profanity in our speech. (Some apparently misunderstood what I was trying to say when I said that we should not curse. I meant as a profanity, not like when Jesus cursed the fig tree).
      ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5) When we become born again, the Holy Spirit dwells in us. The fruit, or what you produce, is love, joy,peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
      If a man who says he is a Christians goes around swearing obscenities and cursing. I would question that man's salvation. He is not exemplifying patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness.

⁷Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4)

      Now that you have read those verses, read this verse.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Cor. 13)

      We as Christians must live a life of love. We are to follow Christ's example, and He loved us so much that He died for the forgiveness of our sins. God is love.
      This applies to our actions, and it applies to what we say. So basically, we are to live a life of patience and kindness.
      Just some thoughts before I go eat my dinner. So think about what I have said. If you disagree with something I have said please feel free to say it. I am still learning, and will be doing so until the day I die. Talk to you later.

⁴Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4)

      This is something so simple, yet ignored. We as Christians should not swear, curse, and cuss. I feel that the Holy Spirit convicts you of talking such a way.
      In this "category" would be misusing God's name. "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Deut. 5:11) When someone uses His name as a curse or expression, this is misusing God's name.
      "For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45) This also applies here. I would doubt that any of the words used for swearing are godly words. In fact, in most cases the are the exact opposite.

      Now that I have stated that I will continue on to talk about drinking.

¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and 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)

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:8)

      God obviously tells us that we are not to become drunk. One reason for this is perhaps because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit within us, and therefore are not to abuse our bodies. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
      However, a in some cases drinking is promoted. "Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses." (1 Timothy 5:23)

      The Bible is clear on these issues. We are not to use "coarse joking" and we are not to be drunk. Later.

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1)

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 1)

      If you have been around for a couple of years, I am sure you have realized that Christians are often categorized as hypocrites by the world.
      Why does this happen? Simply because far to many people who call themselves Christians do not act like Christians. To many people go around preaching to stop living a life of sin, when the next day they are living a life of sin. I know that in my life, I have said things and did not live according to what I have said. I have been a hypocrite and I am sure I am not the only one.
      We are to be a witness to the world by example. If someone came up to you and said that they have a friend who was a hundred feet tall. Would you believe him? Of course not, but if you saw this tall friend you would believe him. The same goes for being a witness to others. If you say that you know the Truth, but do not live by it, they are not going to believe you.

      My brothers and sisters in Christ, is this how we are a light to this world? How can they see the light in us, if we do not walk in the light.

⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1)

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. (James 1)

      We as Christians need to move on from the belief to action. Unless we put our knowledge of the Truth to practice, no one will see the Truth. Unless we start living in the light, no one will see the light. It is time we start living by example.

      I have started to read through the Bible again, so I must likely will be talking more from the Old Testament. Several times God refers to "us."

   Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." (Gen. 1:26)

   And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." (Gen. 3:22)

      I had not caught this in previous readings of these chapters and I came to the logical conclusion that it was a reference to the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I looked at my "study notes" assuming that they would be in agreement with my simple
conclusion.
      I was surprised when I realized that the notes thought that it (us) was referring
to this "heavenly court."
      However, after looking at the passage again I decided that this was impossible. I came to this reasoning because of this simple fact. The first verse of the Bible states that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. With that said, I look at Genesis 1:26 where you can read "Let us make man in our image." This verse is not using "us" as the heavenly court. Obviously, God does the creating. So when it says "let us" it is referring to God. Thus, it can only mean the Trinity.
      This is not an "important" issue, but it is a topic that supports the Trinity and I found it interesting. I have two more days of finals left. May God bless you all. Later.

One word. Finals. Got to study.

God bless.

      The school year is wrapping up for me. So I have no time to post, but I did make this blog the other day. It is not meant to be a theological blog, but just a blog that I can be a witness for Christ on. I have a feeling that if a non-believer came on to this site he would be a bit confused by what I write.
      Anyhow, this blog is my "fun" blog. It is going to made up of a combination of audio posts and writing.
      Don't get the wrong impression, I am not abandoning this blog. In fact I intend to continue to write and plan to do so for a long while.

---

I have to study for finals. Be in full swing by the end of this week. God bless.

      This is new to me, but I decided to try out the AudioBlogger feature available to blogger users today. I wrote out the text for this post also, but if you can listen to my voice saying it if you want. Anyhow, here it is.


      I often here talk about what sin is. Some define it as some type of force and other nonsense. Sin is simply this, it is disobedience against what God has commanded. Disobedience against His Word.
      In Genesis, Adam and Eve were told not to eat from the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They were tempted by Satan, who was in the form of a snake. The listened to Satan and ate some fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. When God saw their disobedience He forced them to leave Eden. This was how sin entered the world. It the first time man had committed a sin.

Romans 5:12-13 says this:

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 when there is no law.

      We gain our knowledge of what is sin through God's Word, through his law. It entered because of they did not obey God. Every time you disobey God you sin. Period.

God bless.

      TallSkinnyKiwi had a post addressing the "Churchless Christians." I felt I had to put in my input and I did so.

First, the church is a body (as I will show later). This body must be made of Christians.

²³For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. (Eph. 5:23)

Christians need to congregate in some form.

²⁵Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10)

The church is meant to be a body.

¹²The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. (1 Cor. 12)

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. (1 Cor. 12)

These verse are clear, we as Christians, are to form a body. This body can be a huge church, and it can also be a small group in a living room. However, we can not be seperated, scattered and churchless. Why?

Because you can not function as a body with your members scattered across the country.

God bless.

      I was very simply and straight forward, but I think I made some sense. Anyhow I have to go.

      My mother recently wrote this post on "Studying the Bible." Check it out.

      If you haven't noticed, I added a new link to my blog list. This blog is entitles Fantabulous Life and it is written by a male college student that is currently majoring in Biblical Studies. Recently found his blog and I have been encouraged by his writing. In one of his more recent posts he wrote this:

"So many times, especially during worship, we hype ourselves up. We use worship to make ourselves feel better about things, rather than using it to focus on God. Somewhere along the way, we got the idea that worship is about getting that "warm, tingly" feeling when in all reality worship is not about a feeling at all. It should be ALL about God."

      This is most definitely true. In the church I attend there is a sign telling people to sit in a certain children's section so that others "worship experience" wouldn't be interrupted. Since when has church been about us and our good experiences in worship time? Is not the purpose of worship to give glory and honor to God?
      Is worship about the songs, or is it about worshiping God?

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Knowledge

      Nelly also talked about knowledge in that same post. However, even before I read this I was thinking about this concept. I am sure their are many theologians who know the scriptures very well, yet do not know God personally. I know that this was true in my life. I knew God, I knew his scriptures, but I never applied them. I never got around to not only listening to the Word, but also doing what it says.
      Knowledge is a dangerous thing. One can feel superior then other Christians simply because of your greater amount of knowledge of the Bible. You can become easily proud and arrogant, rather then humbling yourselves before God.
      When it gets down to the basics, you can know everything (even that is impossible) and your knowledge is completely useless. Knowledge itself does not save you, however knowledge applied in your life is very benificial to your walk with Christ.

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.

²⁶If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. (James 1)

      Do not get me wrong, knowledge of the Truth should be sought after by every Christian. Why you ask? Read this:

¹²For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-?edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4)

¹⁶All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3)

      Once, when I went over to our local school's playground, I encountered two young girls. They seemed to be around seven years old and came up to me with this
abrupt comment, "My favorite place to be is heaven."
      I found this strange behavior by seven year olds, but I also saw this as an
opportunity to tell them about the Truth. Provided they did not know the Truth of course. So I followed their comment on favorite locations by asking them, "How do you get to heaven?"
      Without the slightest hesitation, one of the young girls replied, "By being good." Like many others on this planet, this young girl had made a common mistake. I decided to tell her how one really gets in to heaven.
      I explained to her how we all have done "bad things" in our life and because we did these "bad things" we deserve death in the hell (a place that feels a billion times worse then fire on your skin). Then I proceeded to tell her about Jesus, who is God. How he came to this earth and died so that we can go to heaven. We must accept Jesus as our Savior and that he is God. When I finished my simple sermon, they decided to change the subject to something of less importance. At this, I decided my part was done and I told them I had to go.
      This little girl held the same belief that most of the world holds. That in order to get to heaven you just have to be good and do a lot of good deeds.
      This is obviously not biblical. Would we need a savior if we could get to heaven by being good boys and girls? We would not need a savior, but we do not get to heaven by being "good." We all are sinners, and because of our sin we deserve death. Therefore we do need Jesus. He is our Savior and God.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

      In Acts, we are told about the early church. The Roman emperor at that time, Nero, persecuted the church often. When a catastrophic fire occurred in Rome, Nero blamed the Christians for starting it. After many Christians were convicted, Nero concocted cruel forms of death as punishment. I found this article that described what happened to the accused.

"And perishing they were additionally made into sports: they were killed by dogs by having the hides of beasts attached to them, or they were nailed to crosses or set aflame, and, when the daylight passed away, they were used as nighttime lamps. Nero gave his own gardens for this spectacle and performed a Circus game, in the habit of a charioteer mixing with the plebs or driving about the race-course. Even though they were clearly guilty and merited being made the most recent example of the consequences of crime, people began to pity these sufferers, because they were consumed not for the public good but on account of the fierceness of one man."

      Despite this persecution, the church grew! It did not scatter and fall apart, contrary to Nero's aims. God is obvious about the fact that persecution develops the maturity of the Christian. Still today, many Christians are tortured and killed for their faith. This occurs often in countries like China, Vietnam, Cuba, Libya, Pakistan, Nigeria, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and the list goes on.

      However, in the United States and other developed countries there is little persecution for being a Christian. While the fact that we are free to practice religion is great, it has taken a toll of the condition of the church. Many have fallen into the habit of going to church, and of attending the different "Christian" events. They do all the right motions and say all the right things, but the miss the essence of what it is to be a Christian. Many believe the truth, but will that save them? Perhaps once they were "on fire" for the Lord, but now they have fallen asleep.

      One may ask, why is this? The answer is simple. We cease to see the need for God, for Jesus. We are secure in our future (if that is possible). Unlike many others, we have a house, good clothes and plenty of food. Even our expensive Bible we forget to read. Do we not realize that many Christians out there have one Bible per church? God has blessed us with prosperity and we take it for granted.

      All this luxury creates a sense among Christians that we don't need God, and that we don't need Jesus. Sure, we pull him out when facing some difficulty in our life, and when we want something for ourselves. We have become proud in our wealth, thinking that we are completely self sufficient. (Do we not remember the story of Job? How God took away his family, possessions and health in the same day. Let that story be an example to us.)

      The difference between the persecuted church and the church that is not persecuted is this. The persecuted church needs him, God is their only source of strength and hope. They have nothing apart from Jesus. They are broken, they are humble, they are exactly what God wants of a follower.

      We have everything. We have freedom, food, shelter, clothes, and our family. The reason why many have fallen asleep is that they do not see need of God. The church needs to realize that with our wealth and security, we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked in God's eyes.

      I realized I talked on a bit, but it is an important subject. I will close with these verses from Revelations 3.

¹⁴"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. ¹⁵I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. ¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. ²⁰Here 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. ²¹To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrew 10)

      I don't have a lot of time now, but these verses really shows the importance of Christian's meeting together. This old idea of meeting together is obviously important. It is a time of encouraging each other and spur one another on towards love and good deeds.
      Another thought that has been floating around in my small head is this. In American culture (and most likely others as well) the pastor is the man who studies and gives his sermon on what he learned or already knew. There seems to be a huge reliance on this one man to supply most of the information about their faith that many of the congregation will ever learn. If the pastor should make a mistake, would his "church" be able to discern if it was true or not? How can the body of Christ discern between false teachers and ones who teach the truth. It is impossible if they don't ever pick up the Bible and learn it for themselves.

Anyhow, I will have a more complete post tomarrow. Until then, good night and God bless.

¹⁵I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

²¹So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²²For in my inner being I delight in God's law; ²³but 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. ²⁴What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7)

      I am guilty of sinning against my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have fallen short of the glory of God again. Thanks be to Jesus who washes my sins away by his blood. He was the sacrifice for my sins, and your sins. It is only through the forgiveness I find in Jesus Christ that I can pick up my cross and begin to walk forward. It is only because of his blood that I can clean my slate and start fresh. I thank God that, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)
      The Bible clearly tells Christians to live apart from the world, to walk in the light. If we claim to be in the light, yet walk in the darkness we deceive ourselves. However, if we do sin we can come before Christ with a repentant heart and ask for forgiveness. He will forgive us.

      Lord I thank you for coming down to this earth to take on the humble position of a carpenter's son and eventually pay the ultimate price for my sin. Although you were without sin, you took the consequences of my sin. I deserve death, yet it is only because you, Jesus, laid down your life for me that I can live. May I walk in obedience from this day forward and continue to follow you. In Jesus' name, amen.