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Uncommon wisdom from Christ, the heart of God. Highlights of individual studies. To read the entire, just click on the link.
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On Grace, Gifts and Thankfulness
GRACE, GIFT, and THANKFULNESS are all related words in the Greek.
Grace (charis – intentional generosity),
Gift (charisma – an expression of charis), Thankfulness (eucharisma – the response desired by the expression of charis).
The giver of the gift gets blessed to give.
The receiver of the gift can thus facilitate that blessing in the life of the giver…….by receiving the gift!
Thankfulness is the visceral response (it affects you) to the receipt of the gift. Enjoy being graced by the gift!!!
That is what blesses the giver of the gift.
In the western world, there is a prevailing attitude of “I’m owed” or “I worked for it” or “I have a right to it.”
These are some of the attitudes that make it so difficult to receive gifts.
These are some of the attitudes that make it so difficult to receive anything from God.
Today is called “the age of grace” by the Apostle Paul. (Ephesians 3:2) Now it remains for us to become good gift receivers!!!! Practice thankfulness and open the door to more of God’s grace in your lives.
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As there are 3 aspects to a person’s being, there are 3 aspects to a person’s salvation.
1) SPIRIT – A making whole, by supplying that which is lacking. A person
becomes saved at the moment the Holy Spirit of God is birthed within. Where
before there existed only corrupt life, destined for death, there is now added
eternal, incorruptible life.
2) SOUL – The working out into reality of that wholeness in the heart and in the living
of a person; who becomes saved as and to the degree he/she walks in the truth of
that new birth. The mind, psyche, emotions, attitudes are thus made whole.
3) BODY – A physical salvation, rescue from the “wrath of God” to come (if he’s still
alive) by the return of Jesus Christ and that person’s removal from the earth,
where the wrath takes place.
God did the work of saving us through His son, Jesus. God raised him from the dead. When any person believes into the heart of this very truth, he/she receives the spirit of eternal life, which is the spirit of the resurrection. This is wholeness of the spirit ….salvation.
Toothpaste in a tube isn’t useful until it’s “worked out.”
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
“Works” is the Greek word energeo (related to ergazomai) meaning to be in work, operative, energized and energizing. Putting these 2 verses together, we see that the energy which God is supplying within us is our responsibility to work down or out into practice, or simply to allow that to happen!
Thus does our salvation manifest itself in our souls.
And lastly, the salvation of our bodies.
I Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead; Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.
This is the salvation of our bodies, should we still be alive at the return of Jesus to gather together all his saints.
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I Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His son Jesus Christ our Lord.
The word “called” is eklaleo, the verb form of the word translated “church.” (ekklesia) So, we were “churched”, by God, into the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord. And that is what church is, by God’s definition. Church is the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord. And who has churched us? GOD!
God did not call us to the fringe, or edge, of fellowship in Christ. He called us into the center, into the heart, of the full sharing of His son. We are surrounded by that lovingly spiritual give and take.
In our fellowship, I am not the head. Christ is the head. I am not the leader. Christ is the leader. I am not the “go-to guy.” Christ is the “go-to guy.” I am not the answer man. Christ is the answer man. I am not the heart. Christ is the heart.
You have a relationship with Jesus Christ. You fellowship with him, and then you add what Christ has supplied to you into the fellowship of the saints (not just in a meeting, but one on one, face to face, in small groups, on the street, at home, at work, etc.), and the body of Christ grows! It is a gorgeous thing to be a part of. Actually, in all of the Word of God, there is absolutely nothing greater….I mean in all of creation, there is nothing greater than the body of Christ and how it operates.
The greatest of all of God’s creation….the absolute pinnacle of the ability of God in all of His creation, is the body of Christ and how it operates and will operate for all eternity.
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What Christian Group Should I Belong To?
Catholic? Lutheran? Methodist? Some sect/synod/offshoot of them? Charismatic, Pentecostal, Evangelical, Evangelical Free. YWAM (Youth with a Mission), Campus Crusade for Christ, Fellowship of Student Athletes. Which one?
The answer is any one, as long as your true spiritual identity does not spring out of your involvement with that group. These groups/sects are temporary….but the true church is everlasting.
If you identify yourself as belonging to any group, other than the one God Himself has put you into….that is, the body of Christ, the one true church……you will be hindered from walking in the fullness of the spiritual gifting which the spirit of Christ genders within and through you toward others.
And if the leader of your group is not leading you to the “feeding trough” of the grace of God, where the spirit of Christ is in abundant supply, where your sonship of God is continually being confirmed and established, where your spiritual abilities are continually being pointed out (by God), cultivated, strengthened and bearing fruit…….then that leader is not a servant of Jesus Christ.
That which gives us our uniqueness is shared into the “reservoir” of the body of Christ, in order to be a benefit for the whole. First it happens between each individual member and God (via their relationship with Jesus Christ), and then that ensuing enrichment is fully shared with the body of Christ as a whole, as individual relationships with one another develop.
Our blamelessness is Christ in us. So let Christ have his way in your life!
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I have had many, many people through the years ask me what church I go to. They have urged me, with the best of intentions, “Well, you should really go to Church.” In response I usually ask them, “Where does it say that in the Bible?”
Now usually, after I ask that question, I either get a blank stare, or the well-meaning person just repeats himself, as in, “Well, you just know that you’re supposed to go to Church.” Like, we should do it just because that’s the way it’s done!
The only verse anyone has ever gone to in answer to my question (fairly paltry, seeing as so many people are so adamant about going to church on Sunday as being a requirement of God)……has been:
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some;
First of all…. this is it? This one single verse is the basis for the existence of all the buildings referring to themselves as Christian which exist all over the world?
Those words “assembling of ourselves together” is one single Greek word….episunagogen (you may see the word “synagogue” in there), and means literally “an intimate or thorough bringing together.” This is a good description of what our fellowships can be… in Christ.
And this “being a loner” has nothing to do with attending or not attending a group. I’ve seen thousands of people attend church regularly, but giving nothing into the body of Christ. They dress up, they show up, they smile, and they leave, but they don’t connect. They aren’t engaged. They….are spiritual loners.
Now seek out those with whom you can get together on a regular basis to explore the reality of this fantastic body (group) you are now a part of. It’s a spiritual group….everyone in whom the spirit of God is born. Not every member is seeking to grow in an understanding of the Christ within…..find those who are.
Amazing! Every Sunday, millions of people religiously adhere to a practice that is not commanded anywhere in the Bible. In the Old Testament, (after the Exile anyway) the Jews had to “keep the Sabbath holy.” Over time, the Christian church, of the New Testament, has adopted practices from the Old Testament.
Today the encouragement of God’s Word found in Hebrews 10:25 is not that we should attend an organized church on Sunday, but rather that we not allow ourselves to drift away from actively seeking out close, intimate fellowship with other believers. Where, and how often we are to do this is just not spelled out in God’s Word.
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