Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Why #iamblessed?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

You ever wonder what is God's will in your life? The Bible says that God's will is that you give thanks in every thing. Recently, the twitter trend of #iamblessed reminds us to take a moment and think about what God has done in your life. If you think about it, if you have said to Jesus Christ, thank you for dying on the cross for my sin and I want you to rule in my heart, then no matter what situation you find yourself in - you are very blessed!!

1. Cos you're not going to hell
You have eternal life in Jesus Christ and there is nothing that will change that!

John 10:28-29 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

Even if you lost your house, your family has turned against you and your children despise you, you are still saved.

2. Cos you have a God that loves you, and doesn't change
It's nice to know that the God of the universe seeks you out in love.

Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

3. And even if you don't have 1 & 2, you still can
There is a good chance that you reading this was because God knew you have been thinking about life, sin and enternity. You are looking for answers. God said in the Bible that he wants you to have eternal life. He wants you to be in the right relationship with him. His death on the cross has taken away your sins.. u just need to receive him now.. this is what he says:

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Talk to him now.. and make a decision to be blessed :)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Do you have the Essentials of Christian Character?

2 Peter 1:5-8 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How do you add to Faith --> Virtue --> Knowledge --> Temperance --> Patience etc? It is one of those passages that many of us read through, shrug our shoulders and continue reading. Jim Berg's two free messages on Essentials of Christian Character show that we cannot ignore this passage as it is essential to new believers to know how to grow in Christ and live for Christ in the right order.

You can get a PDF summary of each word defined and how they build on each other here.

You can listen to these messages here under Cultivating Christian Character and I should recommend the book as well here. Post up what you learn in the comment section.