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When is Sin not Sin?

November 8, 2009 by bonlou

When is sin not sin?   I’d like to read your comments on this question.  What do you think?

 

 

Posted in Bible Study, Christian, Faith, Scripture | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

Sin is a Choice!

November 6, 2009 by bonlou

1Jn 3:5 NASB  You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

So many times I’ve thought about how Christ died on the cross to forgive me of my sins.  What a wonderful thought it is to know that the God of all creation would actually forgive ME an unworthy, selfish, rebellious sinner.  It has always boggled my mind that he would do that for me.

But, the above verse tells us He actually not only came to bear our sins on the cross and forgive us of our sins, but to “take away sins.”  Did you get that?  He came to take them away!  That means we don’t have to sin any more!

Wow! What a revelation that was to me!  When we become a Christian we become a new creation in Christ.  Our old self is recreated.  We are brand new.  Yes, we still have our old bodies, but we are new inside, in our spirit.  

Sometimes, I’ve written a long email to someone.  I’ve spent an hour or more and looked up scripture and pasted in several quotes.  Finally, I’m almost finished and I either hit a wrong key, or my computer acts up, and in a blink of an eye that email that I’d spent so much time on completely disappears.  Something has taken it away, and it can never be found or recovered again.  I simply have to start all over again! 

I think when Christ takes away our sins it is something like that.  He actually takes them away never to come back to us.  Those sins are gone!

In the Old Testament there is a good example of the meaning “take away sins.” 

Lev 16:21 LITV  “then Aaron shall lay his two hands on the head of the living goat, and shall confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel, and all their transgressions, and all their sins, and shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send it by the hand of a chosen man into the wilderness.”

This sin offering was laid upon the head of the scapegoat.  The goat then was sent away forever with the sins upon him.  Get the picture?  That is what Christ did for us on the cross. He took our sins away forever.

But, you say, “Wait a minute, I still find myself sinning at times.  I thought you said our sins were taken away.”

Those sins were taken away when we became a born-again Christian.  We were sanctified, made righteous and holy in God’s sight.  But, we still have our old flesh that we live in as long as we are in this world, and our righteousness will not be complete until we get to Heaven.  In the meantime, we are striving to become more and more like Christ.  We do not have the disposition to sin anymore.  We really don’t want to sin, but sometimes in a weak moment we do.

Yes, we do fall and sin at times, but it is not our way of life now.  If you are a true Christian you will see that your life has been transformed.  You are not the same person as you were before.  When you do sin, you will feel it in your spirit and not be able to live with it.  You will confess it and repent of it and get right with God.  That is what a true Christian does.

On the other hand if you call yourself a Christian but you still live your life the same way as before you got saved then you need to question if you are truly a Christian.  It is impossible for a true believer to continue to live in sin.  Your conscience won’t let you do that.  You are a NEW creation. 

2Co 5:17 LITV  So that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!

Here again the scripture says, those old things have “passed away.”  They are gone, “taken away,” by Christ. 

The bottom line is this:  Once we are a true Christian we do not have to live in sin anymore!  Isn’t that great?  Sin does not have to control us anymore!  Now, we have a choice.  Before it wasn’t up to us as the devil controlled us, but now, God has given us a choice.  We can choose to reject sin in our lives! 

The way we do this is by living close to God.  We obey the scriptures.  We ask God to allow the Holy Spirit to give us the courage, and strength we need to overcome any sin that keeps us from living the way we should.

Posted in Bible Study, Christian, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, Scripture, devotional, inspirational | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments »

How Faith and Christianity help Depression

October 26, 2009 by bonlou

How Faith and Christianity help Depression
by Christine Howell

Depression can be a feeling of hopelessness that ranges from a minor inconvenience in the Christian life to life-threatening. Throughout the ages even mature Christian leaders have lived with and wrestled with the pain of depression.

Jesus is uniquely able to help us with depression. The gift of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit provides strength and healing to a degree not available to those who are not His. Even so, belonging to Jesus’ doesn’t mean we will automatically be free from the clutches of depression, much to the surprise of many who call on His name with the expectation of smooth sailing ahead.

How can faith in Christ help us in overcoming depression? There are several ways.The cause of depression can be due to a sinful lifestyle or other disobedience to the will of God. Jesus has an easy solution to this one. Submit and obey. When we line up with the understood will of God and do what He says, this depression will lift.

When depression is caused by stressful life situations such as marital strife, financial ruin or the loss of a job, Jesus is available. He will help us to understand that the eternal transcends the temporal and that problems, as difficult as they may be, are not a sign that he’s abandoned us. In the midst of severe stress He offers a spiritual peace that is deeper than the peace the “good times” offer.

Some depression results from the lack of accepting the circumstances we find ourselves in. The key to finding help is in developing the willingness to say yes to Him when the time comes for us to share in His sufferings or tolerate life’s unpleasantness.

Another form of depression originates with a physical problem.   Some Christians believe that medical intervention in depression is wrong and that it illustrates a lack of faith or trust that God can and will heal. Other Christians believe that medicine is a gift from the Father and should be enjoyed to the fullest.   If the problem is a physical one which can be diagnosed by testing then medication might very well be the solution.  If you are suffering with depression make sure you go to a physician and have a good physical to rule out any physical cause before you beat yourself up with not having enough faith.

Jesus Christ helps us cope with depression. He is qualified to identify the origin and perfect treatment in every case. Just as Jesus physically healed people in a variety of ways that are uniquely personal and unwaveringly accurate, so He treats depression in His people today.

Christine Howell is a writer who regularly writes about Online Degrees and college related topics for Online College Guru, an online college directory and comparison web site.

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Perfect Love Casts Out Fear!

October 24, 2009 by bonlou

I came across this scripture one day and was delighted to be reminded of it’s meaning.

This can be an encouragement to those who battle fear in their lives on a daily basis.

God’s Word is Truth and when we find these gems we must hang onto them.  We must meditate on them and allow them to nourish us.  The Word is food to our soul.

1Jn 4:18 NASB There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

“There is no fear in love” That would indicate that fear and love cannot occupy the same place.  They cannot co-exist.

“but perfect love casts out fear,” What is perfect love?  Or should I say, who is perfect love?

1Jn 4:16 NASB We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

“God is love” The Bible is clear that God is love.  He is the very essence of love. 

So, from this we can conclude that God casts out fear.  It is interesting if you look at some of the commentaries on this.  One said this means “drives out fear, or to turn it out-of-doors.”  We can say God will take our fear and throw it right out the door!  How about that?  I like that idea!

You see fear and love cannot exist together.  When we are Christians, we have God in the form of the Holy Spirit actually living in us.  God is love so they cannot occupy the same space.  Now, which is stronger?  Do you think worldly fear is stronger than God’s love? Who will be the victor in this battle?

Here are two versions of 2 Timothy 1:7. 

2Ti 1:7 LITV For God did not give a spirit of cowardice to us, but of power and of love and of self-control.

2Ti 1:7 KJV For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

You would think that the opposite of fear would be peace.  I thought that for years.  I was full of fear and I wanted peace.  So, in my mind they were opposites.  But, let’s look at this verse.  God did not give us the spirit of fear or cowardice, but of power and of love.  There it is; not fear but love.  The opposite of fear is love.  The power comes with this love in the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Here is what Dr. Jay Adams says: “The enemy of fear is love; the way to put off fear then is to put on love…Love is self-giving, fear is self-protecting.  Love moves toward others; fear shrinks away from them.  But…we must remember that love is the stronger since it is able to ‘cast out’ fear.  In dealing with fear nothing else possesses the same explusive power.”  (Wayne and Joshua Mack, The Fear Factor, Hensley Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2002, Pg. 23)

God’s love is mighty.  I’m so fortunate to have Him fighting on my side.

You can begin today to take fear in hand and with God’s help throw it out the door. 

Look for someway to turn your thoughts from yourself and toward others. 

  • Make a phone call to check up on someone who has been ill. 
  • Visit someone who needs encouragement from another Christian. 
  • Send someone a card. 
  • Take time to pray for others not just yourself.

There are many things you can do that involves giving of yourself.  Pray about it and allow the Lord to put something on your heart that you can do, then do it. 

Just one reminder, what ever you do, don’t do it in a selfish manner.  Don’t do it just so you can get rid of fear.  Do it out of God’s love for one another.  Do it with a servant heart and attitude.

If you take this challenge, I’d love for you to write in and let us  know what you did to begin to cast out fear and put on love.

I must make this one disclaimer:  If your fear and anxiety are caused from a true physical problem such as low blood sugar, thyroid disease, or something else physical, then those problems need to be addressed also.

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Health, Panic Disorder Support, Scripture, inspirational | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

New Free Ebook

September 30, 2009 by bonlou

Fear of Fear” by Bonnie Lord is my latest ebook available online. If you’d like to get a free copy, click on the icon in the box toward the bottom of this blog site. Read more about it on the  Ebooks page

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Panic Attacks | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Citizens of Heaven

September 16, 2009 by bonlou

Friends, we are different when we become Christians.  God in His mercy and love has given us such great benefits that we need to learn what they are so we can appreciate what we got.  Sometimes, it is as if we’ve been given a gift that we’ve never opened to see what is inside.

When a person becomes a believer they also become a citizen of heaven.  What a privilege this is!

Php 3:20(a) NASB “For our citizenship is in heaven,…”

The Greek word, “politeuma”, means citizenship; “is” in the Greek means, “has it’s existence.” So, we can see that our citizenship is right now in heaven.  We are God’s children!

Isn’t it a huge thought to ponder the fact that our true (spiritual) citizenship is in heaven?  Here we are on this little earth.  We did not ask to be born.  Have you ever wondered why you were born? Or why you were born in a certain country and to a certain family?  I have.  I’ve never figured out the answer to that except that I know God is sovereign and it was in His sovereignty that I was born who I am and where I am.  I was born a citizen of the United States of America.  And, I’m happy with that. But, I’m also a citizen of heaven! That is amazing!

My life could have gone on, and I could have died and only been a citizen of the USA. Then, I would have been buried in the grave and that would have been the end of anything good that had happened up to that point.  Then, in the future I’d go before the Lord and be judged for my unbelief and would have been sentenced to live eternity apart from God in a place called Hell.  That would have been a horrible existence.  I’m so grateful that the Lord allowed me another way, even though I am a sinner, saved by grace, and don’t deserve it.

But, now that I’ve been born again by the Holy Spirit of God and am adopted into His family, God has made me a citizen of heaven.  Praise the Lord!  This is wonderful news!  My future is glorious.  I will be living in the New Jerusalem and serving along with Jesus Christ for eternity.  That boggles my mind!  You can read about the New Jerusalem in Revelation Chapter 21.  I love that section.  It shows us what our new home will be like. It’s very exciting and gives us something else to look forward to.

Php 3:20(b) NASB “… from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”

Heb 9:28 LITV so Christ having been once offered “to bear the sins of many,” Christ shall appear a second time without sin to those expecting Him for salvation. Isa. 53:12

It gets even better. Christ is coming again for us.

Php 3:21 NASB  who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Mat 17:2 NASB And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

When Christ comes for His own at the Rapture, we will be caught up to meet Him in the air and our bodies will be transformed into a glorious body like His. (If we are still alive at that time, otherwise, we will rise out of the graves and meet Him in the air.)

As for me, I’m really looking forward to that day when I get rid of this old worn out body that has given me so much trouble through the years, and I’ll put on a body of glory, perfect in every sense, without sin, and beautiful beyond belief.  No more sin, dieting, exercise groups, aches, pains, surgeries, diseases, blindness, panic attacks, anxiety, agoraphobia, or any of the other things that haunt us today.

Yes, it is true right now we still live in this fallen world.  But, God has told us we should set our affections on things above.  We should be consumed with thoughts about God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Word.  We want to think about what it’s going to be like there and how we will praise God and worship Him. We want to live our lives in a way that is honoring to Him.

Col 3:1-4 NASB Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (3) For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

What a marvelous promise this is!

Can you see what a difference there is in us from unbelievers?  Can you see why it is sometimes hard for us as we travel this world?  Can you see how others do not understand us?  We ARE different!  We have been born from above by God’s grace and mercy, and we are very different then we were. 

In light of that fact, ask yourself this question:  How have I changed in my own life since I became a Christian?  There must be a transformation because when we are truly saved we are changed on the inside.  We will still be tempted to do things that are not honoring to God, but He has given us the strength and courage to resist and turn from those things.  We may stumble once in a while, but we are not seeking perfection, but the right direction toward being more like Christ. 

Sometimes even for true believers the pressure from the world around us draws us to it.  There are times when we are in the certain company and we are uncomfortable because the Holy Spirit who lives in us pricks our conscience.  We don’t always recognize that as the reason for being uncomfortable.  There are places we shouldn’t go anymore.  There are friends that are not good for us anymore.  Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Because we are different, and because we have been chosen by God, we need to stand up for God as a citizen of heaven and be a witness of the goodness He has bestowed on us.

Psa 73:24-26 NASB With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. (25) Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. (26) My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Posted in Bible Study, Christian, Religion, Scripture, Worship, devotional, inspirational | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Are You Growing?

August 28, 2009 by bonlou

Factors That Contribute to Your Growth as a Christian
By Adrienne Carlson

If you are a Christian, I’m sure you feel blessed to be one. The oneness you enjoy with God is compounded when you grow as a Christian through the years. And the factors that contribute to your growth as a true Christian are:

1.  Faith: To be close to Jesus, you must have absolute faith in his teachings and the way of life that he has advocated through the Bible. You must believe that he is the one and only true God, the one who is responsible for all that we are and all that we are blessed with.

2.  Obedience: Once we accept that Jesus is our Christ and savior, we must obey his word without question. Only then can we prove that we are growing spiritually as Christians. The Bible teaches us certain values, all of which are reinforced when we go to church regularly and listen to the word of God.

3.  Acceptance: Being a true Christian means accepting who we are and all that has been given to us in life. While we can try to do all we can to uplift our status, we grow as Christians when we accept our lot without complaining or blaming other people for our troubles and miseries.

4.  Forgiveness: This is probably one of the hardest acts to perform, but as a Christian who wants to grow, you must be able to forgive even those who have wronged you grievously, because only when you are able to forgive are you able to let go of the past and grow as a Christian. Conduct: The way you behave in your interactions with other people and in various situations defines how you grow as a Christian. A good Christian abides by the values that the Bible has taught us in every little part of their lives.

5.  Evangelism: When you grow as a Christian, you want to spread the word to the whole world. You must teach the word of Christ to people who are not aware of his goodness and mercy. And to do this, you must know how to approach people and talk to them without hurting their sentiments. Evangelism does not imply force; rather, you grow as a Christian when you are able to spread the word of God and tell people of his greatness through your actions.

This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of online Bible Colleges.    Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions.

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Our Father Takes Care of us!

August 1, 2009 by bonlou

God, our Father, has given us a new relationship with Himself.  He has actually adopted us into His family. 

“If you want to judge how well a person understand Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father.  If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.”  (Knowing God, by J.I. Packer, pg. 201)

We need to grasp what kind of new relationship God has given us.  We need to take time and meditate on what this actually means to us.

Here is a definition of adoption taken from the Westminster Confession (Chapter 12).

“All those that are justified, God vouchsafeth, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption: by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God; have His name put upon them, receive the Spirit of adoption; have access to the throne of grace with boldness; are enabled to cry, Abba, Father; are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him, as by a father; yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption, and inherit the promises, as heirs of everlasting salvation.”  (Taken from Knowing God, by J.I Packer, pg. 205-206.)

That is awesome! When we’ve been given and promised all of that, what can we complain about?  It is a certainty that our Father will take care of us no matter what is going on in our lives.  Try to get that ingrained into your mind.  God will take care of you no matter what!

Where do we run for help and direction when things are going bad in our lives?  We’d better run to Abba, (daddy).  This shows me that when things go wrong I’d better get in prayer with my heavenly Father and talk to him.  It won’t do me a bit of good to call  friends and hash something over, or complain to them about whatever it is. It might make me feel better temporarily, but it won’t last and it could be sinful if I’m talking about another person. God has all the power and the provision we need.  Not only that, He loves us and wants to help us.

I’m writing this today as much for me as for you.  I had to have a special time of prayer with my Father this morning.  You see I got caught in the trap of worry.  My husband pointed it out to me last night and I really didn’t want to hear that and tried to rationalize it.  But, this morning when I woke up I realized that he was correct. 

We are contemplating moving to a different location and it is not nearby.  It will be a big undertaking from my point of view.  One part of me wants to go forward with it and the other part of me wants to stay put.  So, I struggle and worry about all the many details this move would involve.  And, there are many. 

Finally, I see that these thoughts really boil down to “fear of the future.”  I did not leave the future in God’s hands, I have tried to figure it all out myself.  Actually, when I think about it now, I realize that God already has it all figured out. :-)   It’s a waste of my time and energy to stew about it in my mind.  Today I prayed and talked it over with God.  I confessed my sin of worry, and repented of it.  I will go forward now, and think of this as an adventure and watch how God is going to work things out.  It may be that we won’t move in the end. We will take the next step and take a trip to look the area over and see if we think we would like it. I pray God will guide and direct our decisions.

Psalm 23-28 NASB. (23) Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. (24) With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. (25) Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. (26) My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (27) For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. (28) But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.

Isn’t that a wonderful Psalm?  God is our refuge and strength, and over our present and future.  We are nothing without Him.  We need Him!

Here is another powerful Psalm that tell us where to look for our help and counsel.  It also tells us of some more of the wonderful benefits our Father has given us. 

Psa 121:1-8 A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? (2) My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. (3) He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. (4) Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. (5) The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. (6) The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. (7) The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. (8) The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.

In this next scripture we see that once we’ve been adopted into the family of God that we have eternal, everlasting life, and we will never, ever perish.  Also, that no one can ever snatch us out of His hand.  God is greater than he who is in the world.

Joh 10:28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

Here is another important portion of scripture that gives us the confidence we need to know that we know, that our heavenly Father is all that we need.  He will take care of us in every situation.  Again nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Rom 8:31-39 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (32) He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (33) Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; (34) who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. (35) Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” (37) But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. (38) For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In summery, after reading and meditating on all of these marvelous holy scriptures we can rest assured that our Father in heaven will truly take care of us in every way.  There is no reason for us to worry, fear, or be anxious about the past, present, or future.  He loves us and will make sure we are cared for.  No other love is greater than His.  So, as the scripture says we are too cast (throw) all our anxiety (worry, stress, fretting) on Him, (our heavenly Father. Why should we do that?  It is simple really, because He honestly cares for us and has told us to do that.  He knows that it is not healthy for us to carry all the burdens in life so He has made a way that is better.

I Peter 5:7 Amplified Bible “Casting the whole of your care–all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all–on Him: for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully.

Psalm 55:22 Amplified Bible “Cast your burden on the Lord (releasing the weight of it) and He will sustain you; He will never allow the (consistently) righteous to be moved — made to slip, fall or fail.”

I pray this article will truly bless you as you realize what an awesome Father we have!

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, Faith, Praise, Religion, Scripture, devotional, inspirational | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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