Archive for the ‘Religion’ Category

Like a River Glorious

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Faith, Hymns, inspirational, Religion, Worship, tagged , on May 18, 2009| Leave a Comment »

 We sang this hymn in church yesterday and it truly blessed my soul.

If we could only grasp how much God loves us and wants us to live in perfect peace with Him, how wonderful it would be! 

“I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream.” Isaiah 66:12

Words: Fran­ces R. Ha­ver­gal, 1876; first ap­peared in Hymns of Con­se­cra­tion and Faith. Music: Wye Val­ley, James Mount­ain, 1876 (MI­DI, score).   Click on MIDI to hear the music.

 If you have ac­cess to a pho­to of James Mount­ain that we could put on­line, please click here.

Like a river glorious, is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way.

Refrain

Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Refrain

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do.
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Refrain

 Taken from Cyber Hymnal.org   They have many more wonderful hymns for your enjoyment.

Read Full Post »

Economy/Health=Anxiety!

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Health, inspirational, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on May 5, 2009| 6 Comments »

A Beautiful Picture of God’s Creation! New River Gorge, W.VA.

vacation 115

 

Are you more anxious than usual?  Has the bad economy and job insecurity dragged you down?   Are you concerned you won’t have enough money to pay the bills, and you might lose your home?  Are you anxious about your children and their future? Are you worried about catching the swine flu? The list could go on and on.

If you are a Christian I want to remind you that we do not have to live with worry.  In fact, God has told us not to worry, “be anxious for nothing.”  God knows all about each of our individual lives and needs and He is still in control, even though it doesn’t look like it at times. 

Have you ever really grasped the truth that God is Sovereign?  It is so important and especially during these hard times to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God knows what you face, and that He does not allow anything into your life that He does not permit for His own purpose.  You may not fully understand but you can be sure He does. 

I’ve struggled with this truth myself and wondered why certain things happened, but I’ve come to the point where I know that God’s purpose for me is my eternal happiness.  No matter what happens I have a home in Heaven where everything will be wonderful beyond anything I can imagine. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.  Pro 3:5-6 NASB

Also, the Bible tells us that He will not permit us to go through more than we can endure.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1Co 10:13 NASB

When I talk about God being Sovereign I mean that God is absolutely free to do whatever He wants.  He is GOD! He is in complete control!  We are not.  He is in charge and rules over us and the world. We must depend on Him for the outcome.  He is Lord and He owns us, therefore, we can be sure He wants only the best for us.  And, He is the only one who knows what is best!  When we realize that God is the one who calls the shots then we can rest in the security of His wisdom.  That knowledge gives us peace!

The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.    Psa 103:19 NASB

Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Psa 135:6 NASB

God is in control of the seasons and day and night.

“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.” Gen 8:22 NASB

God controls the weather.

For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea. Psa 107:25 NASB

God knows the number of our days, as individuals and as nations.

“Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass. Job 14:5 NASB

and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,  Act 17:26 NASB

God does whatever He wants, even over-ruling plans of people and nations.

Psa 33:9-11  For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.   The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples.  The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

It is God who gives us success in anything we do.  We can do nothing apart from Him.

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  Joh 15:5 NASB

God has adopted us into His family and given us an inheritance.  We were predestined to this for His purpose, and for His glory.

also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,  Eph 1:11 NASB

God is even Sovereign over our rebellion and sin.

So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Rom 9:18 NASB

After pondering all of these scriptures, don’t you agree that God is in control?  He will take care of us and His will will be done in our lives.

Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 tells us that we are not to worry.  Read this section. He says that He will take care of us.  Instead of wringing our hands and worrying we are to do the following:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Mat 6:33 NASB

Then He concludes by saying this:

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Mat 6:34 NASB

Here is a great promise from God telling us what to do with our anxiety.  We can let God handle it. We don’t need to carry it.

casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  1Pe 5:7 NASB

Another promise we can count on.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Php 4:19 NASB

So, we can conclude with this wonderful uplifting scripture.  We do not have to be anxious over our circumstances.  We do not have to be anxious over perceived fears of things that might or might not come about. 

We must keep our focus on Jesus and know that He loves us and will meet our needs. 

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Rom 8:31 KJV

I pray this reminder will bless and help you keep your focus on things above and not on your circumstances.

My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. Psa 121:2 NASB

“Deny that God is governing matter, deny that He is ‘upholding all things by the word of His power’, and all sense of security is gone!” Arthur W. Pink

Read Full Post »

Audio Sermons

Posted in Audio Sermons, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Gospel, inspirational, Religion, Scripture, Worship, tagged , , , , , on April 1, 2009| 1 Comment »

 

bible2s

Pastor Bob O’Leary has given us many wonderful sermons over the past few years and I would like to share many of them with you.

The first ones I’ve put up are on the Book of Colossians.  This book was written by Paul the Apostle to correct the false teaching that was infiltrating  the church. 

The theme of Colossians is the complete adequacy of Christ as contrasted with the emptiness of mere human philosophy.

Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

As you listen to these sermons I guarantee that if you take them to heart and put them to work in your own life you will see growth in Christ.

Click here to listen to our Audio Sermons

Read Full Post »

How Fear Has Been Dealt With

Posted in Agoraphobia, American culture, Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Faith, Health, Panic Attacks, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , on February 12, 2009| 2 Comments »

Pic029

God takes care of the birds and will take care of us too.  Matt: 6:26

We live in tough times.  We hear it every day on the news.  Our future looks bleak, at least that is what they’d like us to think. 

As Christians how should we respond?  Should we be fearful and full of anxiety? 

“Fear is a more dangerous enemy than those your fear.”  Thomas Watson – Puritan author and pastor.

Isn’t that an interesting quote?  Do you realize many people in the Bible struggled with fear and doubt?  Fear is nothing new!

Just to name a few:

Adam and Eve; they disobeyed God and became fearful and hid from Him.

Abraham; he had a fear of danger, so he lied two times about Sarah being his wife in order to escape danger. 

Sarah had the fear of doubt.  She didn’t believe God that she would have a child so she got Abraham to take her handmaid to provide the child.  Ishmael was the result, and these two tribes still fight today.

Moses had the fear of not being good enough.  God called Him, but he made excuses and tried to get out of it. 

Peter had the fear of man.  Because of that he denied that he knew Jesus three times.

Sometimes our fear can cause sin.  Such was the case of Abraham.  He feared danger so he lied which was a sin.

Sometimes our sin can cause fear.  Such was the case of Adam and Eve.  They sinned first when they disobeyed God and that sin resulted in fear.

In our day it is still the same.  There are sins that can result in fear, such as adultery, lying, thief,  breaking the law, anxiety and worry.

Then there are fears that can cause sin such as fear of public speaking, which is a fear of people, (you back out of doing something God wanted you to do,) fear of what people might think can cause you to lie or cover up something.  

Have you ever wondered how the people from the time of creation until now, when we have psychology and special medications, coped with their fears and anxieties?  I have. 

Fear itself is nothing new we’ve seen that.  What is new is the way we approach it today.

Psychology came along and hijacked God.  The early fathers of psychology were not Christians and they had a secular, humanistic world view.  They believed that all of man’s fears and anxiety came from how a person was raised, their environment, circumstances, and negative thinking.  They came up with a new kind of “medicine,” called psychology. 

When you had emotional problems you would be sent to a psychiatrist, who is a physician but a specialist in “mental illness.”  He would diagnose you by using the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (DSM) and come up with an “disorder” listed in there by number.  This was a great idea because then the psychiatrists could charge your insurance company for the sessions they would set up for you.  It truly benefited their wallets.  Also, the drug companies played an important role as they came up with drugs specifically for these “mental illnesses and disorders.”  These are called psychotropic drugs.

In 1966 there were 44 of these kinds of drugs, today there are 174.  We spend 27 billion a year on these drugs.  Did all of that fix the problems of fear, anxiety, and stress that people have? 

I think not!  Instead we became a nation of medicated people, going to psychologists regularly and not making any real progress. 

Do you realize  the answer lies in the Word of God?  Yes, God made us and he knows all about us.  Luke was a physician, so God does believe in doctors.  When we are ill in our body we need to go to a physician.  If we have a physical illness then it needs to be treated with medications.  That is true.

But, when we have a problem in our heart, minds, soul, (our spiritual side) then we need to go to the Great Physician and get our help from Him.  It seems the psychiatrist have come between the pastor and the hurting Christian.  Today even pastors send their emotionally upset members to the psychologist for worldly therapy.  Why, because they believe the lie that they themselves are not competent to help the people. 

So, when we have problems with stress, anxiety, fear, and worry, we should run to the Bible and look for our help there. 

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

One important note:  If you are presently taking medication for anxiety and panic attacks, please, do not stop them without first consulting with your physician who prescribed them and ask him or her how to get off them.  It could be dangerous to try to quit them cold turkey.

Elyse Fitzpatrick, in her book, “Overcoming, Fear, Worry, and Anxiety,” has said the following:

“God loves to call the fearful heart to himself…Why does God delight in helping us to become trusting children, filled with peace and confidence, children who lean on His strength?  Because when He changes hearts like ours into hearts like His, He receives praise and glory.  When we discover that we’re able to walk peacefully through conditions that formerly terrified us, our hearts will overflow with gratitude and thanksgiving–and that brings joy to God.  Only He can change hearts that are frequently overwhelmed by fear into hearts that are overshadowed by His power and bravery, and it’s His delight to do so.”

Do you need a heart change?  If so, God is ready to help you.  He wants to work in your life.

Do you fear God working in your life?  Do you fear the possibility of getting better?  Or, do you look forward to that day wholeheartedly?  In other words, are you ready for change now?

My prayer for you is that you will turn to God for your healing.  That you will trust that He is able to make you the person He created you to be.  He loves you and has a purpose for your existence. 

Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.    Psa 62:8 NASB

What a wonderful Heavenly Father we have.  He knows us through and through and can work with us to make us whole.  You can be an overcomer!

Read Full Post »

The Most Important Thing!

Posted in Christian, devotional, Faith, Gospel, Holidays, inspirational, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , on December 10, 2008| Leave a Comment »

 merry-christmas-bar41

Greetings!

The most important thing I can leave you with this season is that you get right with God. If you don’t you will spend eternity in Hell. It’s that serious. So, how do you get right with God?

First admit you are a sinner. We all are. The Bible even says so in, Romans 6:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Everyone ever born has sinned, and has a sin nature.

Most people think that when someone dies they automatically go to Heaven. Growing up whenever any of our relatives died the family talked about them as being in a “better place.“ But, that is not always the case. If that person didn’t get right with God first they would not be in Heaven.

Others, don’t believe there is a Heaven or Hell and figure this life is all there is. We live, we die, are buried, and that’s it. But, that is not true either. There is an afterlife. Our bodies die, but our spirits (which are our true selves) live on forever.

Another myth people believe in is if they live a decent life, go to church, contribute to charity, or do good deeds, then they will go to Heaven when they die. Good works will not get you to Heaven.

We only get one chance to get right with God and that is in the here and now. It is crucial that you understand that. Life is fragile and none of us know what tomorrow will bring.

The Bible tells us there is a Heaven for those who believe. John 14: 2 “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; …I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

To get right with God you need to acknowledge you are a sinner, and repent, (which means turn from your sins.) Acts 3:19 “Repent then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out….” God is holy and can’t look upon sin, so He provided us a solution.

I Corinthians 15:3-4 tells us what we need to believe. “…Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”

Many times a person’s pride will stand in the way. But, please don’t let that happen to you. Admit the truth, and ask God to accept you and adopt you into His family. Make Jesus Christ Lord or your life. Let Him lead you and control you. You will not be sorry you did, and you will be welcomed Home when your time comes.

There is an excellent book written by John MacArthur called, The Gospel According to Jesus.

If you would like to know more about how to get right with God, click on this link where you can order the book.

http://www.gty.org/Products/Books/G

Read Full Post »

Beautiful Snow

Posted in Christian, Faith, Holidays, inspirational, Religion, tagged , , , , , on December 9, 2008| 1 Comment »

Beautiful Snow 

In the early part of the Civil War, one dark Saturday morning in the dead of winter, a young woman, twenty-two years old, died at the Commercial Hospital, Cincinnati.  She had once been beautiful and the pride of respectable parents.  Highly educated and accomplished, she might have shone in the best society.  But she was stubborn and willful and would not listen to warning.  She played with fire and called it “fun”.  One day she awoke to find herself ruined by a fatal mistake which she could not erase.  She was fallen.

She spent the rest of her young life in disgrace and shame, and died poor and friendless, a broken-hearted outcast.  Among her personal effects was found in manuscript, the poem, “Beautiful Snow” which was immediately carried to Enos B. Reed, editor the the National Union.  In the columns of that paper, on the morning following the girl’s death, the poem appeared in print for the first time.  When the paper containing the poem came out on Sunday morning, the body of the victim had not yet received burial.  The attention of Thomas Buchanan Read, one of the first American poets, was soon directed to the newly published lines, and was so taken with their stirring pathos, that he immediately followed the corpse to its final resting place. 

Such are the plain facts concerning her whose “Beautiful Snow” will be long regarded as one of the brightest gems in American literature.

Beautiful Snow

Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow,
Filling the sky and earth below,
Over the housetops, over the street,
Over the heads of the people you meet.
Dancing–Flirting–Skimming along,
Beautiful snow, it can do no wrong.
Clinging to lips in frolicsome freak,
Trying to kiss a fair lady’s cheek,
Beautiful snow from heaven above,
Pure as an angel, gentle as love.

Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow,
How the flakes gather and laugh as they go,
Whirling about in maddening fun,
Cheering the heart and dispelling the gloom.
Chasing–Laughing–Hurrying by,
It lightens the face and sparkles the eye.
Rollicking dogs with a bark and a bound,
Snap at the crystals which eddy around.
The town is alive and its heart in a glow,
To welcome the coming of beautiful snow!

How wildly the crowd goes swaying along,
Hailing each other with humor and song,
How gay are the sleighs, like the stars flashing by,
Are bright for a moment, then lost to the eye.
Ringing–Swinging–Dashing they go,
Over the crest of the beautiful snow,
Snow that’s so pure when it fall from the sky,
That it makes one regret that it’s fated to lie
And be trampled and muddied by thousands of feet,
‘Til it blends with the horrible filth of the street.

Once I was pure as the snow, but I fell,
Fell like the snowflakes from heaven to hell;
Fell to be trampled as filth of the street,
Fell to be scoffed at, to be spit on and beat,
Pleading–Cursing–Dreading to die,
Selling my soul to whoever would buy,
Dealing in shame for a morsel of bread,
Hating the living and fearing the dead.
Merciful God! have I fallen so low?
And yet I was once like the beautiful snow.

Once I was fair as the beautiful snow,
With an eye like a crystal, and heart like its glow,
Once I was loved for my innocent grace,
Flattered and sought for the charms of my face.
Father–Mother–Sisters–All,
God and myself I have lost by my fall.
The vilest wretch that goes shivering by,
Will make a wide sweep lest I wander to nigh;
for all that is on or above me, I know
There is nothing so pure as the beautiful snow.

How strange it should be that this beautiful snow,
Should fall on a sinner with nowhere to go!
How strange it should be when the night comes again;
If the snow and the ice struck my desperate brain.
Fainting–Freezing–Dying alone,
Too wicked for prayer, too weak for a moan,
To be heard in the streets of the crazy town,
Gone mad in the joy of the snow coming down!
To be and to die in my terrible woe,
With a bed and a shroud of the beautiful snow.

Helpless and foul as the trampled snow,
Sinner, despair not, Christ stoopeth low,
To rescue the soul that is lost in sin,
And raise it to life and enjoyment again.
Groaning–Bleeding–Dying for thee,
The Crucified hung on the cursed tree,
His accents of mercy fall soft on thine ear.
“Is there mercy for me?  Will He heed my weak prayer?”
O God! in the stream that for sinners did flow,
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Where Should We Go For Help?

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, Faith, inspirational, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 20, 2008| 1 Comment »

Pic003

Where should we go for help when we have problems?  That is a good question which everyone must answer.  We do have choices.

When you fall down and break your arm, it’s easy to decide to go to the doctor to get it set and a cast put on so that it will heal properly. God does the healing.

When you feel out of sorts and don’t know why, you know to get to a doctor and have a check up.  You might have some disease like diabetes, or thyroid problems, or the flu.  The doctor can help. 

So, where should we go when things get so bad that we are anxious all the time and even become afraid of doing things?  Or when we start having spells where we get out of breath, perspire, get weak, shaky, and our heart pounds? 

First, I believe you should go to your family doctor and find out if there is anything physical going wrong in your body.  They will run a few tests and tell you if you are physically alright. 

Second, if your tests all come out okay, but you are still having these kinds of issues, then you should consider them to be of a spiritual nature. 

“Struggles of the soul and problems of living must be dealt with as spiritual problems with spiritual solutions.”  Competent to Minister, The Biblical Care of Souls, by Martin & Deidre Bobgan. (Pg. 15)

Psa 1:1-3 NASB  How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  3  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

This Psalm tells us that we should not seek out worldly people for advice. That includes psychiatrists as well as Christian counselors who add psychology to their teaching.  We should not even hang out with worldly people.  Instead, we should go to the Word of God, delight in it, and meditate on it.  There we will find the answers to problems of the soul.  And God will bless us for going to Him for our counsel.

We can also go to mature spiritual Christians, or pastors who know the Bible and are living according to it.  They can pray with us and for us.  Along with the power of the Holy Spirit, God will reveal how to handle these problems.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “(Most) blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out it roots by the river and shall not see and fear when heat comes, but his leaf shall be green; he shall not be anxious and careful in the year of drought, not shall he cease from yielding fruit.” (Amplified Version)

God wants us to be blessed and not full of fear and dread.

Because God loves us and created us He knows how we tick.  He has given us His Word as a guide.

2Ti 3:16-17 LITV  All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  17  so that the man of God may be perfected, being fully furnished for every good work.

Scripture is sufficient to guide us in all things that have to do with the heart, soul, and mind. 

2Pe 1:2-4 NASB  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  3  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  4  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

The Bible is full of promises. There are hundreds of them.  God does not lie but He does keep His promises.  He can do that because He is God.  We fail miserably in that area don’t we?  How many times has someone broken a promise to you and you were heartbroken?  How many times have we also failed to live up to a promise?  We all do it because we are human.  But, not so, with God.  If you find a promise in scripture you can be sure God will not let you down.

We don’t need psychiatrists telling us how to live our lives.  We don’t need secular counselors giving us advise.  We don’t need all those psychotropic drugs that put us in la-la land.  We have the Wonderful Counselor! He is the Prince of Peace, and He can give us the peace that passes understanding.

Isa 9:6 NASB  For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (NASB)

When Jesus left this earth He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell every believer to be our teacher, our comforter, and counselor.

Joh 14:26 LITV  but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and shall remind you of all things that I said to you. (LITV)

The Word of God is precious.  Immerse yourself in it.  Read and study the Word and you will find the answer to all your problems pertaining to life and godliness.  We want to live in a way that glorifies our precious Savior. 

As we grow in grace we become more and more like Christ.  Our old habits, fears, and worries pass away.  We don’t have to carry them anymore.  Our Lord handles them for us. We begin to change as we put on new godly habits, and give our troubles to the one who loves us most.  And, to think someday we will be like HIM!  Oh, Glory to God!

Blessings,
Bonnie

Read Full Post »

Slave to Christ

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Faith, Gospel, inspirational, Praise, Religion, Scripture, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 27, 2008| 1 Comment »

 Oct2007 011

October’s beauty!

Have you ever thought of yourself as a slave to Christ?  I hadn’t until recently.  I thought more of myself as a servant of Christ.  Like a helper at times.  But a slave, no.

As I began to think about this I realized that we can be slaves to many things.  Who or what are you a slave to?  Anyone or anything that controls us owns us, and we are slaves to them. 

Some could be slaves to alcohol, money, lust, sex, pornography, smoking, sports, illegal drugs, pot, television, work, or fear, worry, and anxiety.  Those are just some of things we can be controlled by.  We can also be a slave to people; our husbands, our children, our friends. 

On the other hand we should be a slave to Christ.  However, the Bible tells us we cannot serve two masters.

Matthew 6:24 NASB  “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

So there is the problem.  Who or what do we serve? 

When we become a Christian we do not any longer have to be a slave to fear.  God adopts us into His family.  He takes care of us from then on.

Romans 8:15 LITV  “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba! Father!”

It is the same with the other bondage’s that we find ourselves in.  When we turn our lives over to the Lord as our Lord and Master, then we no longer have to be a slave to anyone or anything. 

Rom 6:6 NASB  knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

The Greek work “Doulos” in the Bible is often translated as servant.  It should be slave.  It does make a difference.

A servant is one who has a choice.  They worked for wages and could quit at any time.  A servant can do what he wants and is free to make his own decisions. 

But a slave is bought and owned.  He is to do the will of his master.  He has no rights and cannot do as he pleases.

1Co 7:22-23 LITV  For the one called while a slave in the Lord is a freed man of the Lord. And likewise, the one called while a free man is a slave of Christ.  23  You were redeemed with a price; do not become slaves of men.

You see when Jesus died on the cross for the payment of our sins he bought us with his own precious blood.  He now owns us and the Word says we are to become a slave of Christ.  That is an awesome thought!

In the Bible, Paul saw himself as a slave of Christ. 

Rom 1:1 LITV  Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated to the gospel of God,

Gal 1:10 LITV  For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I would not be a slave of Christ.

Paul is talking to Timothy here.  He refers to Timothy as a slave of the Lord.

2Ti 2:24 LITV  But a slave of the Lord ought not to quarrel, but to be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,

When we see ourselves as a slave of Christ our whole attitude changes.

  • We realize we have been bought and are not our own.  We can then die to “self.” And, let that part of us go.
  • We need to be always available and ready to serve our Master.
  • We need to make sure we don’t get caught up with trying to serve two masters.
  • We need to pray and keep close to our dear Lord.
  • We need to be dependent on Him for all things.  He will supply all our needs according to His riches in Glory.  (Philippians 4:19.)
  • We need to realize that God may allow trials and troubles to come into our lives, but they are to discipline us and grow us to be more like Him.  They are for our good.
  • And, we need to know that everything good that comes our way is from God Himself. 

We’ve truly been blessed when we come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. 

  • He has made us a child and heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ.  (Romans 8:14-17) 
  • We are an ambassador for Christ, (II Corinthians 5:20),
  • a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a citizen of a holy nation, a possession of God (I Peter 2:9),
  • and a holy temple of the living God. (II Corinthians 10:5)

We will actually rule and rein with the Lord in Heaven some day.  Isn’t that truly amazing!  What a Savior!  What a Master!

That is only a few of the blessings God bestows upon us.  And to be honest none of us deserve any of it.  I’m truly happy to learn that I am a slave to Christ! 

Scripture taken from NASB  New American Standard Bible and LITV Literal Translation of the Holy Bible

Note: For more teaching on the subject of slaves for Christ you can go here to John MacArthur’s web site. 

http://www.gty.org/Products/DVDs/8280-321

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »