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Today’s Scripture Reading [November 14, 2010]
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. [Hebrews 11:6-8. KJV]
As children of God, we must live by faith whether in good time or in bad time. We must learn to grow in our faith, learn to trust Him because God’s plan for us in never a second best, it’s the best! It is simply through this learned response for trusting God that we can remain strong in our Christian faith so as to continue with our struggle and our pursuit for what lies ahead. Most of us have wrongly believed that if we have faith in God everything will turn out wonderful. That is not faith. That is just human idea. God will allow all His faithful servants to experience both wonderful and not-so-wonderful aspects of our faith. The experience that we learned, especially from those not-so-wonderful aspects is God’s plan to prepare us for eternity after all life has just one purpose - to prepare us for the rich eternity.
In Mark 1:9:13 we are told that as soon as Jesus was baptized He was ‘thrust out’ to battle with Satan. This is a plain reminder to us that our faith in the cross of Jesus is not going to be an easy one. We must accept that every now and then we face unwelcomed surprises. For example, in a simple routine medical checkup we may end up with a rude awakening when the doctor told us that we have a cancerous growth in one of our vital organs, or when we were just about to go for a well-deserved lunch with our colleagues we suddenly got a phone call informing us that one of our kids had been involved in a serious road accident. When the world experiences those not so-wonderful aspects, they only understand it as punishment from God. But when we see the suffering servants like Noah who spent over one hundred years building the ark, Abraham who left the comfort of his homeland to wander and live as nomad in tents for forty years, Job, the man with health, wealth and family lost it all in just few days, we can really realize that even the most faithful and loyal servants of God are not spared from unpleasant surprises which nobody desires to have.
As Christians, the very first thing we need to know is one of the world’s greatest lies – the lie of what a good life is. Good life, as thought by this fallen world as having secured, respected, comfortable and prosperous lives. Yes, they are good but for how long can anyone continue to enjoy them. Over and over in the Scriptures we see that God calls us as His people to deny themselves of worldly pleasure, worldly recognition, worldly pride, worldly honour. Jesus never guarantees comfort or prosperity but He promises us peace and joy in all circumstances and we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness Matthew 6:33). We are to use our life here on earth just for one purpose - to prepare for the rich eternity.
As with anyone else, relationship needs to be cultivated in order to fully understand one another such as the need to spend time together, have frequent two-way conversation, care sincerely for the interests of each other, and a willingness to sacrifice for each other. So is with God. God is faithful. He has done all that are needed to be done. Before Jesus gave up His Spirit, He cried out “It is finished - My job is complete!” It is now our turn to reciprocate, to cultivate our relationship with Him to become more and more Christ-like. This touches on several important questions that can impact our daily walk with Lord Jesus : (a) How to be in the world yet be separated from it; (b) How do we live as Christian in this ‘unchristian' world; (c) What behaviour should be avoided in expressing and standing for what we believe; (d) How do we keep hatred for people separated from hatred of sin; (e) How to keep from becoming sinfully prejudiced in self-righteousness.
Following is an article listed down 15 ways which, prayerfully, will provide some answers to the above questions, help us to cultivate our relationship with Jesus, and more importantly our growth in Him. May God bless you all the reading of this article.
-------------------------15 Ways to Behave More Christian-------------------------
by Eddie Lawrence
1. Recognize Your Own Sinfulness.
There may be sin you have not personally experienced but that does not mean you don’t have the capacity to commit that sin. It is our sinful nature that leads us to acts of sin. Apart from the grace of God, we are all equally lost and separated from God. It is “only by His Grace” that we can live above the strong downward pull of sin’s gravity.
2. Deal with People as Individual Persons, Not as Groups.
It is both unfair and ungodly to view each individual as if they were personally responsible for all the rhetoric, behavior, and choices of an entire group. When we dismiss someone because they are “white” or “African American” or “Hispanic” we are refusing to see them as having personal value. This is prejudice in its very ugly form. Attitudes like, “They can’t be saved because they are ‘pentecostal” or “Methodist” or “Episcopalian” is very bigoted thinking. Each of us as individuals will stand before God.
3. Be Aware of Self-Righteousness.
Thinking you are above being self-righteous may be evidence you are. Jesus dealt more severely with this attitude than any in Scripture. Our righteousness is God’s gift through Christ, to claim it as a result of our own efforts or abilities is to bring the greatest reproach upon Christ.
4. Be Sensitive to How the Holy Spirit Wants to Bear His Fruit Through You in Regard to Those Trapped in Sin.
The Lord knows how to open the hearts of people and will give you the grace to demonstrate Christ’s love and grace to them.
5. Be Committed to Love (Galatians 5:6).
If it violates love, it violates God. God is love. Faith is to be expressed and operated through love.
6. Be Ready to Give An Answer of the Hope Within You.
Instead of preparing an argument, prepare to present hope. Pride can pull you into a verbal barrage. Allow the Holy Spirit to use the powerful weapons of wisdom, faith, hope, and love to lead others to God’s throne of grace. A battle won by intellect may sound good to the natural ear, but a battle diffused by love and leaving an opponent with that nagging feeling that he has been somehow loved into silence will do more good.
7. Stand Righteously Against Tactics That Betray the Heart of Christ in Dealing with Others.
The weapons of warfare are not carnal. Too often, especially in the fray of battle, we resort to tactics that are rooted in manipulation, m&d-slinging, and corrupt communication. This means we attempt to win a cause for Christ in a spirit opposite Christ.
8. Intercede for Those Who Stand Against You.
Praying for others has multiple benefits that are powerful. It softens your heart to pray for them. It softens their hearts when you pray for them. It brings Heaven to bear upon their lives. It creates an atmosphere that causes the Devil problems in doing what he wants to do.
9. Seek Wisdom and Understanding from the Scripture to Learn the Ways of God. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Our ways and God’s are different. Don’t assume. Seek God’s way in every situation (Proverbs 3:5-6)
10. Handle People with Grace.
This is how God has chosen to deal with us. Pass it on!
11. Speak with Grace.
This means the seed you sow through your words will have the opportunity to bring forth the fruits of grace. This is much better than the seed sown when we speak from the flesh. One is life and the other is death.
12. Learn to Discern Hatred in Your Own Heart.
Does the Holy Spirit work through hatred? No! His fruit is spelled out clearly in Galatians 5:22. Don’t confuse your hatred from someone with righteous anger. Righteous anger rejoices in the prospect of someone drawing near to God. Hatred rejoices in seeing judgment fall upon someone. Remember what Jesus told his disciples when they wanted to call fire down from Heaven upon the Samaritans? “You know not what spirit you are of.”
13. Remember that Religion Has An Ugly Deathly Side to It.
More ungodly acts against people have been done in the name of religion than any other factor. History bears this out. It is easy to tag something about “God” onto whatever crusade is firing up.
14. Rely on the Holy Spirit to Guide You.
Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. He promised the Holy Spirit would give you what you needed when you needed it. When in doubt, pray it out!
15. Avoid Being Labeled and Being a Label Maker.
Be a love maker not a label maker. Don’t allow people to identify you with a certain tag. This makes it easier for them to pass a quick judgment on you. Avoid the temptation to label others. This will blind you to what you need to know about them and see in them. Ask God to help you see people the way He does. It will always be redemptive in its view.
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