Matthew 13:23
But he that received the seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Beloved, do not be discouraged if you are not bearing fruit a hundredfold yet. Jesus said some bring forth their fruit of a hundredfold, or sixty, or thirty. Not everyone will bring the same amount. That's okay. It's a growing process.
The question isn't "how much?" but "ARE YOU?" Are you bringing forth fruit? Have you received His seed? Hearing His word and understanding it? Allow His word to saturate you. Like a sponge, it takes time to absorb it all inside. Let His living water gently rain down on you, drenching you, saturating you. Then you can bring forth the fruit thereof. Like all things, it takes time to grow faith. Little faith grows little fruit. Grow your faith and your fruit grows accordingly. Now, how do you grow your faith? By trust! Not just trust in anything or anyone. Your trust must be placed in God and ONLY God.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
If you don't know someone you're not going to trust them. Makes sense right? Why would trusting God be any different? We need to get to know Him before we can trust Him. Do you know Him? How well? Your faith is a direct result, a fruit, from trusting, from knowing God.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
All things are made new in Him. Including the path we walk. If we are new creatures in Him then we will certainly be on the right path. Now all we need to do is MOVE our feet!
Isaiah 42:16
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
God's word is where we will find Him. It is where we can get to know Him. Read His word and get to know Jesus a little more every day. He is there - wanting, willing, and waiting to reveal more and more of Himself to you all the time. Just need to take the time to spend with Him, talking (prayer) to Him, and listening (reading the Bible) to Him. Do not expect to know all of Him, nor all at once. God is pretty big! ;-) Just take in what He gives to you. He knows how much and of exactly what you need at the exact time you need and can take it in. His methods may seem beyond our understanding, but remember that all things are possible with God.
Mark 10:27
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
Come my beloved - let us grow our faith!
26 November 2011
06 November 2011
A New Perspective: It's STILL Not About You!
Many people see Christianity and think that Christians think they're so much better than they are. Or they think being a Christian is about their walk with Jesus or bettering their own life. Even Christians themselves this this way. How very self-centered these thought are!
Your walk with Christ, the life changes in you and how your perception of things change are all just side effects, symptoms, of what really matters.
What really happened the day you accepted Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior?
You realized you cannot truly live without Christ. You realized HE was what you were searching for. HE was what was missing in your life. When you allowed Jesus to come into your heart HE SAVED you from eternal damnation. Without Jesus you will burn in Hell for eternity.
It was all about Jesus when you first got saved, and it's STILL all about Him now.
What makes you think Jesus saving you turns everything into being about you? The world does not revolve around you and neither does God.
People get so wrapped up in themselves so easily. It is the same for a Christian as anyone else. It is the flesh, human nature to turn things to an inward focus rather than an outward one THROUGH God's perspective.
He wants no one left behind.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God is patient with us so to give as much time possible for as many men that will repent to do so. It is during the wait for God's perfect timing that we tend to think it's about us. We think if we just do or say the right things for long enough, or if we get close to perfect as possible then that will cause Christ's return to happen faster. God already has an appointed time for Christ's return. And only HE knows when that will be. Nothing you can do or say will change His set time.
Acts 17:24-31
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in reighteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
It just is not about us. It's about Christ and saving souls. Your walk with Christ is only supposed to encourage others and point the way to Christ. It's not supposed to be the main attraction - only a sign pointing the way to go. Just a lighthouse. You are not the stopping point, just a guide.
Our lives here on earth, as Christians, are to be used to help further His kingdom. After all, He is what matters! The closer our walk with Christ, the more He can use us. Opening yourself up to the Holy Spirit's guidance and shining light grows you and strengthens you to do more work for Him. The strength you gain is not for your benefit alone. It is to be stronger to do more of HIS work. To God be the glory! The greater His glory shining through you, the greater the light is for the lost so they can find the only Salvation from eternity in Hell due to failure to repent of their sins against God.
Stop clouding His light inside you Christian! Let His light SHINE!!
Your walk with Christ, the life changes in you and how your perception of things change are all just side effects, symptoms, of what really matters.
What really happened the day you accepted Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior?
You realized you cannot truly live without Christ. You realized HE was what you were searching for. HE was what was missing in your life. When you allowed Jesus to come into your heart HE SAVED you from eternal damnation. Without Jesus you will burn in Hell for eternity.
It was all about Jesus when you first got saved, and it's STILL all about Him now.
What makes you think Jesus saving you turns everything into being about you? The world does not revolve around you and neither does God.
People get so wrapped up in themselves so easily. It is the same for a Christian as anyone else. It is the flesh, human nature to turn things to an inward focus rather than an outward one THROUGH God's perspective.
He wants no one left behind.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God is patient with us so to give as much time possible for as many men that will repent to do so. It is during the wait for God's perfect timing that we tend to think it's about us. We think if we just do or say the right things for long enough, or if we get close to perfect as possible then that will cause Christ's return to happen faster. God already has an appointed time for Christ's return. And only HE knows when that will be. Nothing you can do or say will change His set time.
Acts 17:24-31
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in reighteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
It just is not about us. It's about Christ and saving souls. Your walk with Christ is only supposed to encourage others and point the way to Christ. It's not supposed to be the main attraction - only a sign pointing the way to go. Just a lighthouse. You are not the stopping point, just a guide.
Our lives here on earth, as Christians, are to be used to help further His kingdom. After all, He is what matters! The closer our walk with Christ, the more He can use us. Opening yourself up to the Holy Spirit's guidance and shining light grows you and strengthens you to do more work for Him. The strength you gain is not for your benefit alone. It is to be stronger to do more of HIS work. To God be the glory! The greater His glory shining through you, the greater the light is for the lost so they can find the only Salvation from eternity in Hell due to failure to repent of their sins against God.
Stop clouding His light inside you Christian! Let His light SHINE!!
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