Monthly Archives: May 2016

Daring Not to Conform to the World

28 Saturday May 2016

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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“Truth or Dare?” is a game that many adolescents have played for centuries and continue to play today. Historically, this game is said to have its roots as early as the 1700’s during the era of ancient Greece. Since then, many children and even teens have participated in this game as a way to have fun with their peers.

The object of the game is for one person to ask another to tell an embarrassing truth, or to perform an embarrassing or dangerous dare. More so than not, when a dare is performed it can alter a person’s reputation due to embarrassment or it can prove to be risky in terms of doing something that could have consequences towards one’s health. (e.g. Jumping across a steep canyon)

To dare is to take a chance at ridicule from others because it is out of the norm. However, to conform to the consensus of the majority is to essentially lay down what one believes to be accepted by those going in the same direction. Just as in the game of Truth or Dare, a person is chided into doing something risky. However, the person who is asked, they understand that once they perform the act they are no longer operating in the status quo. Not to do the dare only suggests that they would rather remain in the crowd and settle for taking the easier pathway to avoid public scrutiny should the dare be performed.

The Apostle Paul encourages Christians against the very act of conforming to this world system. In Romans 12 verses 1-2 he says the following:

(NKJV) “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

First, Paul broaches the subject of holiness in terms of being a living sacrifice unto God. What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? To be a living sacrifice, it means that a person has yielded their life and their lifestyle over to God through Jesus Christ. It is the crucifixion or death of one’s flesh or an end to the ways of sin. Paul makes it clear that a Christian should live in an acceptable way unto God.

We are living in a time that does not regard holiness or being a living sacrifice as a high priority. Rather, the way of the world is to live according to fleshly desires. As a result, anyone who attempts to deviate from what the world culture embraces is daring to be different but is also taking a risk for public ridicule.

The life of a Christian is one that is separated from the desires of this world and cleaves to the truth and holiness of God. Paul further encourages Christians not to be conformed to the world. This means, we who profess to be Christ-followers are not to agree with what the world dictates. The time that we are living in has made it so that there must be a clear stance for God’s truth. There is a clear line between God’s truth and Satan’s deception.

The question is, will you stand firm and be willing to go against the world culture? The destruction of the family unit through “gay marriage” and even the proposal of “gender identity” have become a part of the forefront of the assault on all that God calls Holy. This among other sins in our world have become commonplace, but yet Paul says in Romans 12 not to conform to the world.

The reason is because by conforming to the world you perpetuate the process of sowing to the flesh which reaps corruption according to Galatians 6:8. However, the gift of God is eternal life which means that you and I no longer have to reap corruption and spiritual death. Instead, Paul admonishes us to be renewed in our mind. This means we must have the mind of Jesus Christ and we must accept Him as Lord of our lives.

All around us, the world is continuing to erode both spiritually and socially. The culture has changed so drastically that sinfulness has created an unstable atmosphere that threatens the lives of all who want to live in peace. However, it is the peace of Jesus Christ that will provide safety for all who believe. Following the ways of the world is akin to jumping off of a cliff just because others are doing so.

Many are living in spiritual blindness because they are living without Christ. This is why Jesus said in John 18:12 that He is the light of the world. The world is already a dark place, but with Christ the illumination of one’s spiritual condition becomes apparent. It is at that moment that the recognition of a need for a savior is made evident. At the end of verse 2 in Romans 12, Paul finishes by stating that if you and I live with a renewed mind and do not conform to this world, that we will then prove the perfect and acceptable will of God.

It is not God’s will that you and I perish, but it is His will that we have everlasting life through Christ. The way that we do that is in a relationship with Jesus. We also accomplish this by being a living sacrifice on a daily basis. Holiness is a concept that is not addressed as much as it were in the past. The reason is because the attempt to merge Christianity and worldliness has taken root in the world around us.

However, God used the Apostle Paul and others in scripture to give us instructions for Holy living and obedience unto Jesus Christ. Without a standard then we as humans no longer have a measuring tool to discern what is right and wrong. It is dangerous when we as humans create our own standards that are outside of the will of God. In doing so, the erosion of the truth becomes an everyday occurrence which leads to deception. If one becomes deceived then Satan has a stronghold over the very life that God has given to us.

Will you dare to go against the world culture? Or will you follow the crowd toward destruction? Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again so that you and I would not have to pay the penalty for sin. If you don’t know Jesus, you have an opportunity to know Him today. Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and avoid conformity to this world system. The world is growing increasingly wicked day by day. You can avoid spiritual death by accepting the gift of God which is eternal life through Christ.

The Battle for Your Mind

20 Friday May 2016

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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ID-10034140The mind is a major part of the human body. While other body parts such as the legs, arms, eyes, and even ears serve an important purpose to our well-being, it is the mind that controls the body as a whole. Our movements are tied to the signals that are sent directly from the brain. Essentially, the brain sends messages throughout the body through what are called “neurons.”

Neurons are nerve cells that transmit nerve pulses in response to the brain’s directions. This is done through the nervous system. The brain’s responsibility is to send signals through each neuron which carries out the instructions to a specific body part. The end result is that of a body part that moves based on the brain’s original signal. Without brain functionality, the body itself would cease to exist because the body cannot receive proper instruction unless signals from the brain are transmitted without interference.

Spiritually speaking, all of us are engaged in a battle over our mind. On one hand, the Almighty God desires to reign and have spiritual control over our mind. On the other hand, Satan desires to corrupt our mind so that we follow him in rebellion and in sin. There is no in between as it relates to God or Satan. However, it is better for every human being to have the mind of Christ just as the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 16.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 2, in verses 6-16, the Apostle Paul talks about spiritual wisdom and the revelation that comes from knowing God through the Holy Spirit. Paul says in verses 6-8:

(NKJV) “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

The Apostle Paul is speaking to the Corinthians at the church of Corinth in this chapter. In this part of chapter 2, Paul says that he and those who were working with him in the ministry (e.g. Apollos) were speaking wisdom to those who were mature. In this case, Paul was talking about those who were spiritually mature in Christ. The wisdom that Paul says he was speaking with was that of God’s wisdom and not of the world’s wisdom.

Verse 9:

(NKJV) “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Paul continues in verse 10 by saying that God has revealed those things to us through His Spirit. “Those things” that Paul mentions are the deep things of God, which are only the spiritual aspects that can be found when you have a relationship with God. Basically, it is through the Holy Spirit and the presence of God that we as humans are able to discern and understand the things of the Spirit. Paul goes on in verse 12 to make a distinction between the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world:

(NKJV) “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

Going back to the analogy of the brain, our body operates based on the instructions sent from the brain. It is what we know within our brain that enables our body to function. The same works in a spiritual sense. By knowing God through Jesus Christ, and operating in the Holy Spirit, our lives begin to be transformed into the image of God.

However, conversely, if we are operating in sin and following Satan then our lives take on the very attributes that come with evil intentions and wickedness. Paul said in verse 12 to those who were in Christ that they did not receive the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God. In doing so, Paul said that they would know the things freely given by God.

Verse 14:

(NKJV) “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

If you look at the world around you today, much of our world has shown signs of chaos, confusion, and wicked behavior. The reason is because there are many who are living their lives outside of the will of God, which means that they are unable to accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. If you are in sin, then your are not readily able to see your wicked ways because, in order to be convicted of sinfulness, you must be influenced by the Holy Spirit.

Upon receiving Jesus Christ as your savior, the Holy Spirit then comes into your life and begins to manifest Himself by changing old habits and old mindsets. This is why Paul asks the question in verse 16, “For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?”

In other words, when you are following Jesus, and you are living under the influence of the Holy Spirit you will receive instructions from the Lord. In doing so, you are then enabled to be obedient unto God because then you have as Paul says in the latter part of verse 16, “the mind of Christ.”

What does it mean to have the mind of Christ? If you look at the life of Jesus, His life was one of submission unto God. In John 6:38, Jesus said that He came down from Heaven not to do His own will but the will of His Father who is God. The reason why that is important is because Jesus was obedient to the will of God. He gave up His own will at the instruction of God the Father.

Paul encourages Christians in Philippians 2:5 to let the mind of Christ be in us. Basically, to have the mind of Christ is to walk in obedience to God by being influenced and led by the Holy Spirit. It is a constant battle over our mind because God wants control so that He can instruct us in His ways so that we can fulfill the purpose He has given to us. As mentioned before, Satan also wants control. However, his goal is to corrupt our mind so that we may sow to the flesh which then leads to eternal destruction.

Having a life that is postured in surrender unto God through Christ is what leads to a transformed and renewed mind according to Romans 12:2. The reason why having a renewed mind through Christ is so important is because daily you and I are bombarded by this world system. Since Satan is the ruler of this world, he wants to impose his deception upon us.

Many have become deceived into thinking that sin does not exist, but rather it is something to be embraced. The reason why this deception occurs is because many do not have the mind of Christ that comes through the Holy Spirit. The remedy for sin and a corrupted mind is Jesus Christ. When you have a relationship with Christ, you begin to shed the mindset that Satan gives to you, and you take on a renewed disposition.

Do you know Jesus in the pardon of your sins? If not, then you are operating out of a spirit that comes from Satan himself. He wants to destroy your soul and make your life one that lacks abundance. However, Jesus came, died on the cross and rose again so that you and I could know God through Jesus Christ. Allow Jesus to come into your heart, make Him Lord, and let Him change your mind through daily renewal.