Hot and Cold and the End of All Things...

Well today an Arctic blast is moving across our area of WNC. Snow and temperatures have fallen in some regions. This winter so far has been a roller coaster. Warm one day Cold the next.

I notice that my life with Christ is very similar. Hot or Cold. Some days I am on fire, and others I am not. It is not that my desire to live Holy leaves or my want to live for God fades.Many times I would like to attribute these fluctuations to outside circumstances, but I cant blame it on anything but my on depravity.

It turns out I have a problem with a humanist. This person believes that the end of all things is man's happiness. This person wants himself lifted up. All others seem to come second or even third in his priorities. This person is me.........in fact we are all this way. God, let us be as Paul and desire to know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. What wretched, weak, life wasting people we are.

Suffering is foreign concept to most Christians. We think we suffered if we came to church on a cold wet night. We love pride. We even worship it. We do not want to cause a scene or a disturbance even if it means furthering the Gospel. We are our own problems. WE ARE WASTING OUR LIVES!!!!!!! What is your life goiong to mean at the end. What will you and I have to offer at Jesus' feet? Will it be our pride, popularity, our money and riches, our education, our Jobs? Will we lay our boats, campers, 401(K)s, cd's, bonds, houses, time share? Will these matter in the end??? NO!!!

May we lay down the sufferings we went through on Earth at Christ's feet. May we lay down changed lives, fixed homes, souls of saints,, songs of praise, shouts of victory all for HIS GLORY!!! MAY WE LIVE FOR HIS GLORY!!!

Submission, subjection

Glorifying God is our purpose in life. It should be displayed in all avenues and area of life. Our reactions and relationships with authorities are direct views of how we feel about glorifying God.

here is a picture of my little girl Emma and her older cousin K.C. just before they Glorified God with their obedience to Baptism...Praise God for this picture...may all our little ones live for HIM.

I Peter 2.13-25
13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 2:14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

We are to Glorify God in our public life.

I. Submission vs13-15

As said above we are be in submission to the authorities because it is the will of God. The American Christian says no to this...he even links with those who may help him obtain rights that the Christian "needs". We are to submit. When we rebel it is a reflection of our poor relationship with God. This trickles down to every level of authority, from presidents, police, preachers, and parents. Submission is also a witness to a lost world. Submission is also our calling. Verses 13-15 display the principle of submission profoundly.

II. Freedom vs 16-17

Now freedom is something we can talk about right? We all want to be free. As Christ followers do we live in freedom? Or freedom can and should Glorify God. Many of us live in the world of legalism. Living by a set of rules that govern our every move. Yet many also live in a state of liberalism. These folks use the grace of God as a "go ahead" to do and live as you want. Holiness is not important in liberalism. So many of us live in one of these two. We must live as FREE people. This means that our freedom is from God and his grace not form OUR rules. Yet free people are not bound to proving their freedom by lascivious living. We are free to Glorify HIS Name. We are not bound to sin, death, darkness. But we have been awakened by this marvelous light. FLEE the chains Christian...Glorify God with your freedom.

III. Suffering vs18-25

Suffering is done through service to others. This verse makes concrete that our rights are a blessing not a need. Even in hard times SERVE. Suffering happens through sorrows. When we face sorrows for Christ this suffering Glorifies HIM. As Paul said may we know the fellowship of his sufferings. Oh how we dodge suffering to be comfortable.....notice the account of Christ suffering in this text...did HE dodge it...did he look for revenge..did take the sword...no he was like a LAMB Lead to the slaughter. Through his sufferings Christ Glorified God like no other ever has or ever will. Now may we accept our sufferings so that we may Glorify our father.

Don't waste your life on the rotten corrupted world. Do not let the system of corruption infiltrate your life and drown your life. Oh dear brothers and sisters may we engage our life and bring him Glory!!!!!!! HE is Worthy HE is worthy he is worthy...THE SINGS MY SOUL, MY SAVIOR GOD TO THEE...HOW GREAT THOU ART, HOW GREAT THOU ART.

revival

what is revival? Is it a set of religious meetings, or is it a movement, maybe a feeling.....who knows?

Many times we can get bogged down with the ins and outs, daily pressures, emergencies, and general chaos that happens in life. These things can easily stress us and damage our relationships, or even add to our the stress of our daily grind. When it comes to our relationship with God, this can be just one more pressure added to our plate.....

Our purpose in life is to Glorify God with our entire being. We are to bloom where we are planted.

How can we when we live in a time such as this. There are wars, famine, financial crisis, and many uncertainties the we MUST deal with. How can revival be had, how can we bloom for God?

The answer is found in the Word of God. II Timothy 3.16-17

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
2Ti 3:17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

The answer is the Word of God.

The word of God is provided so that we may know how to live and function in this world. If we want to be taught, corrected, trained, competent, joyful, and equipped in this life we must immerse ourselves in the WORD of GOD.

REVIVAL will be experienced when the Christian takes the time to be in the WORD of GOD.

Then and only then will revival be experienced once again.