Michael writes this week that in the game of life, who sets
the rules of the game? Who determines the “play book”? Are you in
the game? Most importantly, is your name written in the Book of
Life? Jesus Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the
Life. No man comes to the Father but by me" – John 14:6 The World's way, truth and life is
to turn against the true God. The prevailing thought is that the law of
the Land, the United States Constitution is "open to interpretation." According
to current popular opinion, the Constitution does not mean what the Founding
Fathers originally intended it to mean, rather it means what the current
unelected Supreme Court justices interprets it to mean. This is a problem
when the World's system calls evil good and good evil. There is a fundamental
change within the culture of the United
States .
What used to be the 60's counter-culture is now the prevailing culture of
political correctness. However, there is nothing new under the sun...
vanity of vanities, all is vanity. That which is of the world will come
to naught, but the Word of The Lord liveth and abideth forever.
Ephesians 6:12 “ For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The adversary perverts the world into focusing on “self” ... this has been his relentless pitch since his original confrontation with Eve in the Garden of Eden. The original lie was "You shall be as God knowing good and evil." The focus on self is the downfall of man. I have found the enemy, and he is me. Jesus said come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light” – Matthew 11:28. Salvation begins with changing lordship. Lordship means ownership. Am I my own owner or am I a person of God? A person of God is God's child. Whom do we serve, whom do we honor, and for whom do we live? Jesus said, "He who finds his life shall loose it for my sake" – Matthew 10:39. In
1 Corinthians 7:22-23 “ For he who is called in the
Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free
is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”
Would you be free from the burden of sin? Sin means to
miss the mark. The emphasis of the word "sin" is the mark, not
the missing of the mark. The mark of is the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. Turning away from self and unto fellowship with God and His Son Jesus
Christ is to turn from sin. This is the meaning of the word
“repentance”. Repentance means to "change your mind" - to
turn from serving self to serving God. Prayer is not aligning God's will with
my will. Rather it is aligning my will with His will. “Trusting God”
means to surrender my will to His will. Lord, I believe, help thou mine
unbelief - Mark 9:24. God has set us
within the church, meaning the body of Christ, so that we could help each
others' unbelief ... to serve the body. Jesus said, "in that
ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me"
– Matthew 25:40.
The American dream of the "pursuit of happiness" has been perverted to mean the pursuit of hedonism, selfishness, and self-righteousness. Originally the pursuit of happiness meant the pursuit of "virtue." Virtue is a Biblical term meaning "that which exceeds worldly excellence." The pursuit of virtue is the pursuit of spiritual things that result in the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control... against such there is no law – Galatians 5:22-23.
The American dream of the "pursuit of happiness" has been perverted to mean the pursuit of hedonism, selfishness, and self-righteousness. Originally the pursuit of happiness meant the pursuit of "virtue." Virtue is a Biblical term meaning "that which exceeds worldly excellence." The pursuit of virtue is the pursuit of spiritual things that result in the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control... against such there is no law – Galatians 5:22-23.
John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, “You
are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you
will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
A disciple is one who is disciplined to follow in the
footsteps of his master. Jesus Christ is the Word in the flesh. If you
continue in the path that He blazed, in His footsteps, in the "dust of the
Rabbi," then ye shall be my disciplined followers, not in word but in
deed. To know Jesus, we must follow Him. He said to "walk with
me" along the journey of life. A journey is a day's walk. We do
not know the destination for the day's journey, but He does. God reveals
His will for us one step at a time. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet,
revealing the next step, one step at a time. Our calling is to walk with Him.
Jesus said that the "Comforter" will come, the Spirit of God that
will lead you into the all truth – John
16:13. The Comforter is the paraklete (Gr.), i.e., one who is called
alongside to minister.
Did we in our own strength confide, our battle would be loosing,
Were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing.
Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he, And he must win the battle.
In the game of life, Jesus Christ is the game changer.
Did we in our own strength confide, our battle would be loosing,
Were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing.
Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he, And he must win the battle.
In the game of life, Jesus Christ is the game changer.
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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