an escalator?!?

God's Escalator Ride Posted: 21 Aug 2018 01:45 PM PDT Philippians 2:12-13 appears to be a dichotomy: “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Who does the work – me or God? We often call our relationship with Jesus a “walk,” but, in some ways, it’s a ride on God’s escalator because He’s the one changing us, moving us onward and upward. So, what’s our “work” and why is it described so seriously (“with fear and trembling”)? Paul explains in Romans 7:7-25 that our flesh is always in battle with our spirit. Both sin and God’s Spirit live in us. Sometimes we mistakenly think that we can relax because God is doing the work. But we must actively cooperate, putting our hearts, souls, minds, and strength into our “ride” (Mark 12:30; Romans 8:12-13). We must plant our feet firmly on the steps, grasp the handrail, look forward, and refuse to get off at exits of temptation (Proverbs 4:25-26).  https://biblelovenotes.blogspot.com/2018/08/gods-escalator-ride.html

embarking on a new study

We are embarking on a new study: https://livingontheedge.org/series/true-spirituality/daily-radio 

Please feel free to stop by and join us.

God's Dream for Your Life, Part 1

SCRIPTURE: Romans 12

Scripture says that the Creator of the universe knows you and longs to have a relationship with you. He has a dream for your life! Would you like to know what God’s dream for your life is? Chip explores Romans chapter 12 to find the answer to that question.

God's Dream for Your Life, Part 2

SCRIPTURE: Romans 12

"What does living like a Christian really mean? How do the day-to-day, rubber meets the road, ""what am I supposed to do now?"" questions get answered when circumstances leave an honest person really struggling? Chip shares that God has a dream for you - yes, you - and as incredible as that idea sounds, Chip explains what that means."

How to Give God What He Wants the Most, Part 1

SCRIPTURE: Romans 12:1

What causes God’s blessings to flow to you and me? Is it following a list of rules or religious practices? Or maybe just a random choice made by Him alone? Chip looks at how God chooses on whom He will pour out His blessings …and how you can begin receiving those blessings starting today.

How to Give God What He Wants the Most, Part 2

SCRIPTURE: Romans 12:1

What does God want from you the most? If you knew the answer to that question would you live differently? In this message, Chip shares, from scripture, what God is looking for from you and me. Join Chip and discover how to give God what He wants the most.

MESSAGE NOTES

a population not often thought of

I'm back in school. I just love learning through the lens of God. What I mean by that statement is that every subject is put through the filter of scripture. Right now one of my classes is Human Sexuality. It is a psychology class. 

We do what they call discussion boards. We post our assignments there and other students have to choose two to reply to as a way of expanding our assignment. I'm sharing an assignment here but I am not giving credit to the person who wrote this because I don't think she would want me to. 

This assignment was to be our opinion on how the church is handling human sexuality.  

Here is my post:

Our discussion board forum this week is to be written considering the last two weeks’ worth of lessons regarding how the church is succeeding or failing when it comes to guiding singles on matters of sexuality and cohabitation. I am going to flat out say what I know regarding this issue. The church is failing entirely regarding singles of all ages. Our churches are not instructing children on what the Bible says about our bodies and relationships. The church is not talking to our teenagers about their bodies and relationships. The church is not talking to divorced people or widows and widowers. The church is silent.

Now when I see someone make such a statement, my thoughts are that this person needs to go to other churches. Just because this is their experience does not mean that this experience holds true everywhere. The problem is that our textbook agrees with my summation, as did our lecturers, as does our behavior here in the United States (and probably other developed countries). No one can tell the difference between a Christian single and a pagan single. Christians cohabitate together, have sex together, at nearly the same rate as non-Christians. What’s really crazy is that the Bible is clear on what we are to do with our sexuality: 

“1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:3

But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

Matthew 5:28

but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Hebrews 13:4

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge

Galatians 5:19

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

Romans 13:12-14

The night is almost gone, and the day is near Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

So many scriptures tell us clearly to abstain from sexual impurity. Yet for the most part, our churches are entirely silent. Singleness is not a disease that needs to be feared. I love what Pastor Chris Adams, from a lecture from week 4, Single Sexuality, said when he quoted something Stanley Hauerwas stated about how “singles are radical in their love for the church. Singles show that relationships and not just reproduction propagate the gospel.”

This same lecture, Single Sexuality, had some great ideas about how the church can begin to help by introducing the “theology of being single, the theology of being married, the theology of personhood” – why we are here on this earth. The way I see it Christians are here to be in a relationship with others so that we can tell them about Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. Churches, which is us, we need to spend more time using the scriptures so that we can tell people how God wants us to live fully in relationships with Him and with others. We need to talk about what it means to be a Christian. What it means to be a single in a relationship with Jesus, or to be in a marriage in a relationship with Jesus. None of this should be scary. I wish I would have known more about this 'theology of being a person' from the beginning of my life, upon my marriage and now upon my singleness.

https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Sexuality  

HS 303 Single Sexuality lecture

Here is her reply to me:

I think you touched on a population in the church that is often not thought about in regards to teaching abstinence and cohabitation. That population would be those who have been married before and now are single. It seems that there is a majority of that group that believe the "rules" which are actually the Word of God do not apply to them anymore. I have a personal interest in this because my mother is in this category. She is in her late 50's. She has been single for over 20 years. She is now in a relationship and is sleeping with this man. It has been 4 years. There is no commitment. Her good friend has decided that she does not want to be married to her boyfriend but wants to continue having sex and possibly live together. I know both of these ladies were very involved in their churches. No one is touching the subject. No one is rebuking them. Your scripture references were more than enough proof of what God has to say on the matter. You are correct, the world should be able to differentiate between a Christian single and a non-Christian single. Unfortunately, sometimes there is no difference. 

Here is what I replied to her:

Amanda, I'm sorry. I'm in the same age group as your Mother and I have done what she is doing. Two people gently awoke me from my blindness regarding my sin. One was my own daughter who simply asked me if what I was doing was considered Christian. She is not a Christian. She thinks that it is all white noise but she knew that I had considered myself a Christian. What she asked kept coming into my mind. 

The other person was a co-worker who didn't know about my boyfriend. She just ran me through the 10 commandments like Ray, oh what is his name . . . Ray Comfort does when he is evangelizing. "Have you ever stolen something? I said NO. She said, "not even a pen?" Yes.  "Have you ever lied?" Yes. Anyway, she opened my eyes to just how much I let slide. I started looking into Ray Comfort and his ministry and this sermon helped me see just how far away from Christ I was: https://www.livingwaters.com/hells-best-kept-secret/ 

Keep praying for your Mother. If you haven't asked her like my daughter did then maybe you could just ask her nicely and maybe have a discussion about it but don't let her sway you from your path. She'll probably defend it at first. Then just don't bring it up again. Sometimes the smallest, most innocent comment, speaks the loudest. And pray. Always pray. :) I'm praying for my daughter. She helped save me so I am pretty sure that the Holy Spirit is working within her. I just love God and all the ways He surrounds us with Himself. 










end

Harry Ironside

Harry Ironside‏ @HenryAIronside May 19

The Christians of the first century continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teachings and in fellowship. That is important. We need one another; and because we do, the Spirit of God has come down to knit us together into one body. –Ironside

Amen

it was good to be back together

June 7^th 2017 – Wednesday

 

A few of us got together and we read the first chapter of I John and discussed what was contained therein. We want to read this chapter again and come back next week so that we can discuss even further. There is so much in this little chapter.

John the Apostle wrote John the Gospel, 1,2 & 3 John and Revelation. In the books we are reading for this upcoming season it is sobering to realize that John actually walked and talked with Jesus. John speaks of how we can have fellowship with Jesus so that our joy can be complete.

 We want to re-read this chapter and talk about it again next Wednesday. I've scheduled a smaller room. We are hoping that this one will be a little warmer than the big one we've used in the past.

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

I have been away from work for a while as I recuperate from a knee replacement. I just stumbled across this video and I felt that I had to share.

https://youtu.be/JNThGs8YXPw.

A message to my Charasmatic friends

Warning (We are to be Bereans)

Defrauding millions Bethel church and Benny Hinn together

http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/01/18/defrauding-millions-bethel-church-and-benny-hinn-together/