Some worship thoughts for followers of Jesus Christ!

Tag: righteousness

Jesus Commandments

Beware of Evil Influences
“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
(Matthew 16:6, NIV)

We have so many influences competing for our attention and submission. Some are good for us and some are bad. Nonetheless, the more time we spend fascinated by the things of this world, the more we become saturated in their messages and themes. In this commandment Jesus warns us to “be on guard” concerning the spiritual teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

A Pharisee is defined by the dictionary as “a member of an ancient Jewish sect, distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law, and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity.” Subsequently, a Sadducee is defined as “a member of a Jewish sect or party of the time of Jesus Christ that denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of spirits, and the obligation of oral tradition, emphasizing acceptance of the written Law alone.”

We all deal with self-righteousness. We all need more grace and humility. Outward complaining can show the heart of a person struggling with self-righteousness. You may not like the unexpected “pickle left in your sandwich,” but have you considered that there may be more to the “pickle” story? There usually is! I believe the opposite of self-righteousness is displayed through humility. Real compassion needs the testimony of sacrificial service. The deeper valleys we tread during our service will be the proof of God’s love, grace, and mercy working in our lives.

Father, Protect us from the evil influences to our soul in this world. Especially, our own minds! Help us to guard our eyes, ears, hands and heart from the things of this world that would obscure or obstruct our pursuit of You. O Lord! Break our will! May the Holy Spirit reign over all our decisions, guide our steps, and lead us in Your Way everlasting! In Christ’s Name, Amen.

It Is Better to Obey

Hebrews 4:14-16Many times I feel upset and frustrated because I do not get my way. I go off and pout for a while, then eventually, with the passage of time, the ill-feelings go away and I seem to get back in my normal mood. This way of handling my difficulties is all wrong. God’s truth teaches us to confront our frustrations, reason with Him, and come to an agreement that is open to the Light and brings closure to the concern. Anything that disobeys the truth and is not done in love — is “sin.” Sin takes you out of alignment with our Holy Father and places us at the mercy seat of Christ. Amazingly, if we quickly “repent” we can get back within the grace of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

When we feel we have been wronged our innate defensive mechanisms kick in and the “fight or flight” mentality begins to deal with our alleged offense. We either go off and pout (maybe even drag a few reluctant friends along with us) or we put up our fists and begin to bang away.

God’s Word says that our righteousness is like filthy rags. The more I think I’m right, the more I realize how much I’m not. It’s about “grace.” It’s all about our Heavenly Father’s amazing grace! I don’t have to be “right” anymore! Jesus did it all. He was God’s righteousness veiled in flesh. He was the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God. Jesus didn’t run away and pout when He was wronged and difficulties came, He faced them head on. Not with fists clenched, but with open hands filled with salvation, mercy, and love. He was obedient to His Father’s will all the way to His death on the cross, not for His sake, but for ours. I believe He told us the reason for His grace on the cross. “Father! Forgive them! For they do not know what they are doing.”

Forgive me, my Lord Jesus! I have failed You so many times. In my selfishness I have brought darkness in this world. Yet, Your grace remains. You have created me from the beginning to be salt and light. Help me to be obedient to Your commandments. My desire is to love Your commandments even more than I love this life. I will always sing of Your mercy and grace. Amen.

How Holy Is Your Sanctuary? (Part 1)

Holiness has many meanings. Sanctity, purity, Godliness, undefiled, separate from sin(ners). To be holy — one must be “set apart.” How can Christ’s church be set apart (Holy) when it insists upon using the world’s way to reach the lost? No Man or Church brings the lost to Christ!

“They will have their own ruler again, and he will come from their own people. I will invite him to approach me,” says the LORD, “for who would dare to come unless invited?” (Jeremiah 30:21 NLT)

The lost can only be drawn to Christ by His Holy Spirit. Jesus said “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:32 NIV) Jesus said, “All men!”

An important scripture to agree with in aspiring holiness is:
“So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship.” Romans 12:1 (New Century Translation)

Is your body a sanctuary for the Holy Spirit? Does Jesus’ word’s, “My Father’s house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den a thieves (Matt 21:13)” bring conviction to your heart. Tattoos, body piercing and gluttony are not optional! “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:28 NIV) Is not the whole world “dead in its transgressions?” Does not the person desiring a tattoo and/or piercing want to bring outward attention to themselves, thereby partnering with the world, the dead? Where is humility in this deed? How do they believe they are set apart? “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) These are questions for people claiming to be Christians, but their actions do not agree with scripture. They will use scripture and “grace” in their defense, but I fear these words from Christ, “Away from me… I knew you not!” Jesus is understood to be Savior by many who claim Christianity, but is He Lord of your life? Do not let your deeds or actions become stumbling blocks to your Christian witness. Jesus said, “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:20 NIV)

Remember always, Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. (Ezekiel 16:49 NLT)

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