Chew on this

I read this and had to share it with you

David Wilkerson Today

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2010

THE FOUNDATION OF TRUE FAITH

The only time God’s patience runs out with us is when we refuse again and
again to accept how much he loves us.

Many Christians today have been turned back into a wilderness of their own
making. They have no joy, no victory. To look at them, you’d think God had
forsaken them years ago. No—he has simply turned them over to their own
complaining and murmuring.

Thank God, Joshua and Caleb entered into the Promised Land. And they stood as
green trees in God’ house until their dying days. They were men of power and
vision because they know they were precious to God.

You also are precious to the Lord, in spite of your problems and failures. You
can be a green tree in God’s house just as Joshua and Caleb were.

Simply stand on what God’s Word promises: “He brought me forth also into a
large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19).

That is the foundation of true faith!

Who's bugging you

“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”- 1 Peter 2:15-16a

It's interesting that I would stumble upon this today...recently I have been pondering these exact thoughts. Not necessarily this particular verse, however this is what I was thinking about on my way to work a couple of weeks ago. There has been a lot of talk in the media recently about bullying gays, is it wrong YES!, however nobody ever talks about the harassment that we as Christians receive. Which is nothing in comparison to what Christians in the middle east receive.

Working in the trades your going to be harassed regardless of who you are or what you do. It just happens, its part of the initiation with working in construction. How do you as a christian handle the harassment, whether you work in construction, computer programing, or just everyday life. I think the bible is pretty clear on how we're supposed to handle harassment...Jesus said "love your enemy's, pray for those who persecute you." I think that Paul is echoing what is written in Proverbs if you love your enemy's you will heap burning coals upon their heads. HUH??? Look its easy others are going to look more closely at you not just because your a christian, but especially because your a christian. They are going to make fun of you, they will hate you, they will be mean to you, and your response is everything.

I have often said that when someone harasses you or is annoying you, pray for them, is it easy no, will you see change in them, not always. But you will see change in yourself and others will to, sometimes the one who is doing the evil, will get called out because of your response. Others will see that you've been the righteous one and acted like Christ, they just look stupid for the way that they are acting.

Church for the poor

This is something that I have been talking about for some time...I really hope that the church will step up and get involved and not let the government continue to run one of the greatest things we can do as a church...serve the poor. I admonish you get your church involved, call your local congressman and tell them what your doing, tell them you don't want the government to have to take care of the poor any more.

Entering into Your Priesthood

In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther formulated the concept of the priesthood of all believers. Contrary to widespread misconceptions of this doctrine, Luther did not mean to reduce the supernatural concern of personal redemption to a core or essence of social concern.

In reaction to the modernist-fundamentalist controversy, many evangelicals, zealous to retain the biblical concern for personal redemption, began to minimize or even reject the social agenda of the New Testament. Social concern and relief ministry became identified with liberalism. Ministry to the poor, the homeless, the hungry, and the imprisoned was often all-too-willingly surrendered to the state or the liberal church.

This reaction was utterly foreign to and in violation of the clear mandate of Scripture. James wrote concerning the essence of pure religion: "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27, NIV).

Coram Deo: Living in the Presence of God

What are you doing to help those around you who are in distress? Are you keeping yourself clean from the world's pollution,, as James admonishes?

For Further Study

Matthew 5:16: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

James 1:27: "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

Micah 6:8: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries and Dr. R.C. Sproul is to help people grow in their knowledge of God and His holiness. For more information, please visit www.ligonier.org or call them at 800-435-4343.
© R.C. Sproul. All rights reserved.