A Balanced Life of Faith - situation awareness

The New Covenant exudes from the Old, by the Blood of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary.

First blog published 2004

As I am reminded of our current transformations of life, now living in Alabama, from our travels and residences over the past forty years reviewing notes, sermons, and treatises of faith in Jesus Christ; I stumbled across past publications, this is one of those that bears repeating as one may read and study the Holy Writ.

While reading and studying through my copy of the "Liberty Bible Commentary" that my friend, brother in Christ and former neighbor Fred Higgins gave me, I've found this word interesting - "Parousia." The Parousia of the Lord is very near. This statement is iterated in James 5:8 as the gest is referenced in I Pet 4:7.

If you've read any of my other posts, you'll recognize I John 2:18, "Children, it is the last hour"; and there are many antichrists' in the world today, and most likely you can find one that is near to you in your community, church, or perhaps in your own family. What does antichrist mean? It is someone who does not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. In verse 22; "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son, does not have the Father, and the one who confesses the Son has the Father also."

My heart trembles to think of the worldly condition many "Christians'" are living today. If Faith was alive in Christian's lives, the church buildings would be full not only on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week and our communities would be avid believer's talking about Jesus and His miraculous works. But, this is not new, Christian's have taken on the mentality of worldly ways and have forsaken Christ work through oneself unto others, for the most part. There are some who strive to teach and preach the Word of God in their daily lives, but this way is dwindling. We must do better with our fellowship with other Christians across the Faith, not just in one's own denomination. I believe denominations is a work of the devil, by causing divisions, and arguments that succums within the church body as a whole. A loss of Faith that God can heal, human reasoning over tort the relationships with the church body.

and now:

A Balanced Life of Faith

faith, patience, love, endurance

II Timothy 2:22; I Timothy 4:12, 6:11; I Peter 4:11-12; Acts 13:50-52

The primary message of the Apostle is "LIVING BY FAITH."

Some questions we may ask ourselves.

(1) What challenges do we face daily in this same way of life?

(2) What are we to accomplish in our daily life?

(3) Have I suffered for the cause of Christ?

(4) What does God call us to do today?

(5) Am I Living by Faith?

Communicating with God throughout ones day can have variations with the circumstances we encounter. There is one prayer I often contend more than once in a 24 hour period and that is to Thank You Lord for giving me the Thoughts to Think, the Words to Say, and the Actions to Do! If we can commune with GOD in our daily activities, believing that He is in control of all things and knowing He has our best at hand, and have learned to Trust Him in all things, being obedient whether we understand the reasons or not that He instructs us to do, then our lives will turn out for the best each time. While some indications have encountered future activities as well with the foundation of the action beginning in the here and now, we must trust God, accept Him and His will and think how He has accomplished our traits to align with His guidance in the past and the glory that He's received. We should be thrilled with God's blessings and knowing that He's bestowed to us His best in all situations simply by obeying Him and giving Him the Glory He deserves!

In First Peter chapter Four and verse eleven: "Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever." vs 12 "Beloved, don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal among your, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory your may rejoice with exultation."

The Intervarsity Press NT Commentary, makes reference that the letter does not expound on the reasons for the sufferings, but Timothy is to learn that this is a part of being a Christian. Also, a note that the false teachers triumphalist outlook made no room for suffering, but Paul indicatively emphasized this to Timothy, that indeed this was a normal part of being a Christian.

Timothy witnessed sufferings and persecutions in Antioch that's referenced in Acts 13:50-52.

Do you think many would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior if they knew beforehand that suffering would be involved in their walk with God?

Persecution today is primarily a result of one sort or denominational Christian doctrine beliefs and their own ideologies of their self proclaimed group as the righteous and others are heresies.

How are doctrinal beliefs conscribed unto the masses of sectarians? Read a biblical account in Ephesians 4:2-3; denominations convolutes the true body of Christ, The Bride of Christ.

I can sense a tear coming off the cheek of Jesus as He delivers Himself on the cross for the bickering between His future church people. By his death, burial, and resurrection for the children of God, to whom He himself makes restitution for the souls of man to whom one lies to another of their true love to each other and This is His Church, His Bride! Why can't brothers and sisters in Christ get along with each other? Each seemingly has to have their own way, denominational doctrines over the blood of Jesus. The cause of Christ stands aside to allow the free will of man to overcome the Holy Writ.

Where much is given, much is required, this is biblical law. Justice in the sight of God favors no one, yet everyone is equal in God's eyes, and to those that avail themselves to biblical teachings and are obedient to Him in all things find grace and mercy in times of self examination.

Many Christians have faced death for their beliefs. When the shadow of life fades, one hopes and prays to God for their eternal life blessings. Many erosions may flood the mind, but stand firm in your hope of Jesus' resurrection, for as He is, so shall His children be, ALIVE in Christ Jesus!

Let's examine the walk with God that is depicted through the Apostles, Prophets, Seers, Kings, Rabbi's and Disciples of yesteryear and how we might see some in the present day in comparison.

Have you ever led anyone to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior?

The Power of God reigns in His called people, those who believe in Him and the work He's set forth in their lives. The scriptures teach Christians' about serving the Kingdom with various gifts which God grants for the chosen ones as He wills. Once a person receives the gift and begins to walk in the administration of that gift, further doors may open to expand His power through the Believer. Faith is the mechanism used to further the power of God in ones life, and accepting the work that God places one in-service. Other gifts and administrations may enhance the original gift to magnify God and His Kingdom within the realm of activity in that person's life. One thing is absolute and that is one must believe that the gift is more than possible, but is available and God can and will apply that to ones life, with reassurances as time continues. Miracles may become a part of ones ministry, such as that has been accomplished by others both written in the bible and possibly administered and appropriated today!

Most have heard that God is the same today as He was yesterday. Meaning that whatever He has done in the past, He can do today. Since God is not a respecter of persons, if He applied certain constructs then in a particular way, He could do the same today. Though, this does not mean He will do something exactly the same way as previously, for through out the scriptures we read where God is ready to do something new in ones life. A different season of life could bring about the same task in a different way. But, He could give something the exact way to you as He did to Isaiah, Elijah or Timothy for instance. The word tells us that Elijah had the same nature as you or I, with the same physical, mental, and spiritual capacities as we do and he prayed and believed with his whole heart. Do you pray with your whole heart or haphazardly? (James 5:17)

Let us understand that all scripture is God breathed. Meaning, God instilled into human beings His words, such as when we start writing after reading some scripture or as a result of God's guidance some of the words may be inscribed from God's heart to ours.

Training in righteousness expressed the positive goal of teaching and disciplining. The IVP says that the word righteousness describes the observable Christian Life. (I Tim 6:11; II Tim 2:22)

Rebuking and correcting are also to be accomplished from the scriptures. Together these terms describe the task of discipling and adjusting the conduct and doctrine of erring believers. Scripture properly understood is the standard of both holy living and teaching. False teachers and erroneous doctrine are of course uppermost in Paul's mind, but it is to scripture that we should turn in all cases of sin in the fellowship. (I Timothy 5:19-20)

Do you think a member that has an obvious sin, has been observed should be reprimanded by a fellow Believer? Yes, with love and compassion. If observed a second time, one should take a fellow believer that has observed as well or heard from the sinning patron themselves of an obvious sin, two or more believer's should approach the sinner. Perhaps offer some sort of accountability with them to overcome the sinful act or word, if it's a thought then the sinner should pray to God for help in overcoming that sort of thought first, and the Christian brother or sister for accountability. Sin attracts sin, and no sin is too small to recover from.

Do you think that if you see a Christian brother or sister sinning more than once of the same type of sin, is it proper to just shun the person without approaching them to acknowledge the act? What if you see someone you think they're a Christian and they're doing something that the bible doesn't speak on as a sin, but your church doctrine calls it a sinful act. Should you approach the person to discuss your thoughts on the act? Perhaps, approaching one to discuss the issue would be appropriate, but it should fall in line with scripture, if the scripture doesn't call it a sin, then it would be best not to say anything because ones church doctrine is not necessarily the gospel.

Just as the Jewish leaders prior to Jesus, developed laws that superseded the actual sin, human intermediaries that placed a pre-law to block a law. Another way to think is a blockade prior to the breaking of the actual law. Some churches today do the same thing. They say it's a sin to drink for instance, and yet the bible never says drinking alcohol is a sinful act, but overindulgence of alcohol can lead to a sinful act. People know that drinking to much, getting drunk leads to many character flaws. Jesus and the Apostles drank wine, but they didn't get drunk. The Patriarch Noah drank.

There are differences in other acts where the bible teaches directly is wrong and is a sin, whereas drinking can lead to sin, but drink without getting inebriated. The bible also teaches that a little wine is good for the stomach. One isn't supposed to disfigure the human body or deliberately mark of the temple of GOD, our body is the Temple of GOD. So, by marking ones body with Tattoo's is a willful sin that angers God. Now, piercing of one's body is not a sin spoken of in the bible, but an over abundance of tattoo's could lead to harming the body by the increased amount of coloring formulas that could be toxic.

The gest of conversions, conversations, writings, readings, understandings and doxologies of Jesus Christ and His Church, Our Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven with our fellow Believer's, Brothers and Sisters in Christ. We gather together to witness for our Lord and Savior during this last hour on earth as spoken throughout the scriptures, One must be saved by the blood of Jesus and believe wholly in ones heart that Jesus walked on earth, was slain, and resurrected to heaven with the Father who is our hope that we too will live eternally in heaven with our Triune God.

I hope you believe the truth as it is written without manipulations and human reasoning away the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Truly and Eternally