OVER THE YEARS
GREETINGS IN JESUS:
Over the years we change from one phase of life to another without hardly recognizing it. This change is a process of God's grace toward us from the times we have lied to Him and to ourselves about our real intent of heart in life. We are being carried in life through a process of development that only the Spirit of God can understand because many times it is we who are on a journey to becoming what God has intended us to be...this means that we have a purpose from the start that we may not be aware of. This means that we have a design and a job that God wants for us to accomplish in this life, and it means to me that I have not just randomly been going in circles without purpose in my life.
Each of us has a connection to another person which has a purpose within the body of Christ. At first we may not see it very clearly, but we can usually feel it at work in us. There are always certain people when they are around us that we automatically respond to...that stir our blood toward certain things. I believe that we are intended to learn over a period of time of making mistakes and learning from circumstances what God's way is for our lives. Not one of us will ever take the exact same pathway as another person when we begin to walk a pathway with God. The Holy Spirit many times will choose to lead us away from what is familiar to us, and what we consider to be a safe way to travel.
There is usually a good reason for that; for we tend to do no work toward learning something new when we follow a tradition someone else has set out for us. The generations that have gone before us have done much of the same things we have done in that they have never questioned the agendas behind strong leaders of the past by comparing what they say to the true word of God. It's not that these things are all wrong, but it is that they are not all right either, and that makes traditional doctrine from denominations dangerous. Our loyalties are in people most of the time instead of in the truth, and that is why we are so easily lead into dangerous territory spiritually. Many times it is not the original teaching from a man or woman of God that becomes the problem but the things like doctrines and creeds that others build up off of that teaching that causes the problem. There are over 350 strains of Baptist churches; none of which will take communion with the other because of their need for individual church autonomy.
In most cases when someone starts really seeking after God they will move in and out of the denominational guidelines until they settle on something they can live with. I say settle because most people will not continue to search because they cannot find someone who is usually all centered in Christ without other guidelines that also must be adhered to. This ties the hands of many pastors who would teach the truth they already know about God's word through their own study and prayer because of their need to be involved in an organization that will provide some kind of retirement for them down the road. It becomes a very difficult call to make for those who wake up in a denominational conflict because the church they serve is making political correct changes to the very word of God they preach. We are all called at a certain point to proclaim the truth that is within us, but we do have to develop the courage to take that stand and speak forth the truth.
God takes His time in developing us as a child who can be mature enough to recognize the need to allow His Spirit to lead us individually. I think that many of us ; no matter what our age is physically are still being prepared in some way to do that. This is just another reason why we need one another to be in a state of unity in the Spirit of Christ Jesus. In the rest of this year along with a continued look at parables of Christ I would like to concentrate on that kind of unity with you my brothers and sisters in Christ from all over this world. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
Over the years we change from one phase of life to another without hardly recognizing it. This change is a process of God's grace toward us from the times we have lied to Him and to ourselves about our real intent of heart in life. We are being carried in life through a process of development that only the Spirit of God can understand because many times it is we who are on a journey to becoming what God has intended us to be...this means that we have a purpose from the start that we may not be aware of. This means that we have a design and a job that God wants for us to accomplish in this life, and it means to me that I have not just randomly been going in circles without purpose in my life.
Each of us has a connection to another person which has a purpose within the body of Christ. At first we may not see it very clearly, but we can usually feel it at work in us. There are always certain people when they are around us that we automatically respond to...that stir our blood toward certain things. I believe that we are intended to learn over a period of time of making mistakes and learning from circumstances what God's way is for our lives. Not one of us will ever take the exact same pathway as another person when we begin to walk a pathway with God. The Holy Spirit many times will choose to lead us away from what is familiar to us, and what we consider to be a safe way to travel.
There is usually a good reason for that; for we tend to do no work toward learning something new when we follow a tradition someone else has set out for us. The generations that have gone before us have done much of the same things we have done in that they have never questioned the agendas behind strong leaders of the past by comparing what they say to the true word of God. It's not that these things are all wrong, but it is that they are not all right either, and that makes traditional doctrine from denominations dangerous. Our loyalties are in people most of the time instead of in the truth, and that is why we are so easily lead into dangerous territory spiritually. Many times it is not the original teaching from a man or woman of God that becomes the problem but the things like doctrines and creeds that others build up off of that teaching that causes the problem. There are over 350 strains of Baptist churches; none of which will take communion with the other because of their need for individual church autonomy.
In most cases when someone starts really seeking after God they will move in and out of the denominational guidelines until they settle on something they can live with. I say settle because most people will not continue to search because they cannot find someone who is usually all centered in Christ without other guidelines that also must be adhered to. This ties the hands of many pastors who would teach the truth they already know about God's word through their own study and prayer because of their need to be involved in an organization that will provide some kind of retirement for them down the road. It becomes a very difficult call to make for those who wake up in a denominational conflict because the church they serve is making political correct changes to the very word of God they preach. We are all called at a certain point to proclaim the truth that is within us, but we do have to develop the courage to take that stand and speak forth the truth.
God takes His time in developing us as a child who can be mature enough to recognize the need to allow His Spirit to lead us individually. I think that many of us ; no matter what our age is physically are still being prepared in some way to do that. This is just another reason why we need one another to be in a state of unity in the Spirit of Christ Jesus. In the rest of this year along with a continued look at parables of Christ I would like to concentrate on that kind of unity with you my brothers and sisters in Christ from all over this world. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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