Mere Christianity: Quote 3 of 5

3. Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years." pg 56-57.

Man, oh man!"No fun" is a huge, giganormousgantic (pronounced gee-GAH-nor-mass-GAN-tic) understatement! My previous post talked about a recognition of sin being needed in order for repentance and salvation to become a possibility for someone. And what does that come with? A guilty conscience!! To know better is to do better but when you don't, do better that is, that nagging kicks in. You know what I'm talking about, right? 

                                                        ******************         

I found myself focusing on that first sentence of the quote and wrote out so much about it and then it hit me; the weight of the quote lies in the last sentence. I can't take all the credit for this a-ha moment as it took prayer to open my eyes to this. Thanks be unto You oh God

Scroll back up and read it again. Meditate on it real quick before you read on. Please. 

                                                       *******************

Unlearn, as per Google, is defined as to "discard (something learned, especially a bad habit or false or outdated information) from one's memory." This definition is so on point as it embodies the work involved in this journey towards holiness and righteousness; a conscious turning away from one thing in order to attain another (discard). Salvation is immediate but this thing we call deliverance is a daily, progressive journey.

Let's go back to the quote again. That part that states "training... for thousands of years" is so loaded. Romans 5:12-14 states: 

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—  (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come."

So from Adam's time, the fleshly nature, rooted in pride and self-will has enforced and reinforced sinful habits as our normal desire. Therefore, when the Gospel is introduced it often feels almost foreign and difficult to integrate it into our lifestyle. But with time and consistency, we take on a new normal, anchored in love for and obedience towards God.

Going back to repentance...  The word "sorry" was foreign to me in high school. I would rather tell you "my bad" which itself was a stretch than acknowledge my wrong and sincerely apologize. Why was it so hard to do the right thing which would've taken less a minute to just confess to one another and/or to God when we've been in the wrong?? "Training.... for thousands of years." 

I get it now and not just from a practical standpoint but spiritually too where the opposite is just as true; "God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant (Romans 5:20)." 

So for thousands of years a new way - THE WAY, was being enforced and reinforced, shared and spreading like wildfire across the earth. "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:20)"

No more excuses, can you vow that? 

Reinforcing sin or righteousness comes with it's struggles, one towards death and the other towards life (Romans 6:23).

Pick your struggle; choose wisely. 

1 Peter 5:6 - "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you..."

Grace and peace. Amen.

Mere Christianity: Quote 2 of 5

2. "Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness. It therefore has nothing (as far as I know) to say to people who do not know they have done anything to repent of and who do not feel that they need forgiveness." pg 31. 

Self-explanatory right? One cannot seek a savior if they don't think they need to be rescued! Christ is the perfect lamb who was sacrificed as payment for our sins. We believe in that finished work of Christ understanding that judgement is our just due unless we abide in Him. 

This made me think back to the position of my heart when I determined to have a relationship with Him. Notice I say relationship, versus just believing and going through the rituals and motions of what it means to be a "christian." I was at a place where I knew either I had to be all in or all out. I was doing myself and those around me a disservice as both they and I saw contradictions in my walk with Christ. 

Off course this doesn't mean that now I actively pursue Christ through His word and through serving His people that I don't fall short. Far from that. But it means that my life is a constant cycle of pointing myself and others back to oneness with the Lord after stumbling.

Going back to the quote: So now does this mean that we are to ignore those who do not believe they need to confess, repent and ask for forgiveness from a perfect savior? Not at all, quite the opposite! John 13:35, one of my favorite verses states "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Do you know one of my callers told me this? even in the midst of their psychosis they had a blessed assurance that Jesus is Lord and that all we need is love! But I digress...

1 John 3:10, Mark 12:31, 1 John 4:7-21 and a bazillion other scriptures remind us constantly in the Word that to be ambassadors of Christ is to love others into the Kingdom. Before trying to force people to church, ask how they're doing, offer a hug, money if they're homeless, a coat in this cold weather, a ride home, an invitation for coffee... do something! Anything that will show your care about them unconditionally; yes, even if they don't go to church! 

Ask God to show you where there is a need you can help meet. Ask Him to help you see the world like He does. Pray for help loving the "undesirables" of this world as you would like to be loved. Just ask God, He'll do it! And soon, you'll see the opportunities to win people to Christ too.

Grace and Peace!

P.S Merry Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours <3

Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis: 1 of 5 simple-yet-amazing Quotes

This book right here... So powerful I have no words to explain it. I mean C.S Lewis uses simple, tangible, digestible scenarios and words to explain such profound truths it left me puzzled. Puzzled in a really good way. I usually go through books in a matter of days but I really had to take my time with this and I savored every moment of it. I had to pause often and really think deep on each page's truths and how I can apply them in my life. I highly recommend this to everyone; believer and unbeliever alike, READ IT PLEASE!

With this book being so amazing, it was difficult to narrow it down to just 5 quotes (one at a time) over the next few weeks but I'll do my best to be concise.

1. "If a good God made the world, why has it gone wrong? And for many years I simply refused to listen to the Christian answers to this question, because I kept on feeling "Whatever you have to say, and however clever your arguments are, isn't it much simpler and easier to say that the world was not made by any intelligent power? ...  My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?" pg 38 

Naturally, we have certain standards we live by that we can't really explain them past "they're just human nature." Like the value for life; we get that murder and suicide are tragic even if we can empathize with some of the accused (even if we disagree), say if it's self-defense or trying to avoid torture from others, respectively. We have this tendency to compare this world's level of evil to "goodness" that we never dig deeper to search out and identify the source of "good." Like it or not, God is that source and regardless of whether or not we acknowledge it or Him, that truth remains unchangeable.

I had an opportunity to share some of my thoughts on this as I dropped a coworker home after celebrating another coworker's farewell. God's plan for goodness to be reflected on this earth was through us! Can we stop right here and take in what an honor that is? As in, the God who can crush us like ants, who spoke the mountains, seas, oceans, sky, stars, sun, moon... etc. to existence, whose glory is so awesome we cannot see it with human eyes, chose you and I to be his representatives on this earth He also created?? That's ... DOPE! *Selah* 



Think about it....

I say it again, whether we like this plan or not, we have no choice. God is supreme and what He says goes even if we don't understand. Therefore, when we are not doing our part in showing kindness, mercy, forgiveness, patience and most especially love to others, how can we expect the world to look any different? How can we expect those without the knowledge of God to produce righteous living without us showing or telling them how?

We must play our part! And it starts with prayer and bible study. We can only pour out that which we've allowed God to pour into and to work out within us; let love in to pour love out. Spend time with God in order to know Him so that you can share His true self with others; not assumptions or who others say He is. No, not that. But who He has revealed Himself to be personally to you. Let's do our part in being a light to this dark world; in bringing the Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven (Luke 10:27; Matt. 6:10; Matt. 5:14-15; John 13:35; 1 Cor. 13:13). Amen.

Grace and Peace.

Power of Prayer

Yet another nug'... God is so awesome for the words He gives others to share with me! 

"Every breakthrough has a Genesis and a revelation... There is a first breakthrough and a second breakthrough. 'The moment you began praying, a command was given.' See Daniel 9:23 NLT. The answer is given long before it is revealed. Do you realize that the victory has already been won? We're still waiting for it's future revelation, but the victory had already been won by means of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. "It is finished." This isn't just when God made good on GRACE; it is when God made good on EVERY PROMISE. Every single one is yes in Christ. Past tense. Present tense. Future tense. The full revelation won't happen till his return, but the victory has already been won, once and for all, for all time." ~Mark Batterson

Wonder Working Power

God has blessed me greatly with powerful spiritual mentors who send me encouraging texts and messages that I just can't keep to myself...

"God's Spirit, was given to you in His entirety at the moment of your salvation. Not some of the Holy Spirit, not the preliminary taste in anticipation of getting more of the Holy Spirit. ~Priscilla Shirer

2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has granted to us EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness."

Start moving like you have all His Spirit, all His power, all His wisdom, all His counsel, all His encouragement, available to you ALL THE TIME. Walk in your God given authority like the beautiful Queen or King you are!

Spiritual Nugget - Purpose

"For individual professed Christians, if we fail the purpose for which God created us, then we had better never have been born.

          How utterly and unspeakably tragic to be forever a broken vase. How utterly tragic that God should make me to be a vase in which He would place the flowers of paradise, the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon, and out from that simple earthly vessel there would go forth a fragrance that would fill the universe of God. Then I allow that vase to be shattered on the floor, and it cannot be used for the purpose God had intended.

          How utterly tragic to be a stringless harp and to have all the shape, outline and form of a Christian but have no strings that the Holy Ghost could play over.

          How utterly terrible to be a barren fig tree, with nothing but leaves and no fruit!"

The Purpose of Man: Designed to Worship by A. W. Tozer.