Bitter or Better –it’s a matter of “I”

Bitter or Better –it’s a matter of “I”

1 John 5:4, 5. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

James 1: 21, 22“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Do not be just hearers of the Word but doers of the Word.

We face difficult situations. Life hits you hard. Life gets tough. How do you respond? When you go through tough times in life, do should not allow the tough times to go through you. When you go through the storm, do not allow the storm to go through you. To allow the storm to go through you or keep it out is your choice.

No matter who says what, or what happens, it’s your choice to be bitter or better. To be bitter or better is a matter of a difference of a letter, the letter I. It all depends on you. You cannot change everybody around you to make you feel better. Whoever is born of God has overcome the world. If you are born of God, you have the possibility of having undisturbed peace.

It makes us think that it probably was impossible for the disciples, not to be troubled when Jesus began to tell them of His death and the Cross. The disciples had left all to follow Jesus hoping that soon a day would come when Jesus would do away with the Roman empire and he’d become King. The disciples were hoping to reign with Him and here was Jesus talking about Laying down His life, doing the will of the one who sent Him, the Cross and going to a place where the disciples will not be able to come. Jesus knew everything that His disciples would go through. But at this juncture, Jesus says in John 14: 1,” Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God. Believe also in me.” God is a just and fair God. Whatever He asks of us is possible otherwise He wouldn’t ask us. When Jesus asked His disciples not be troubled, He meant it. To let your heart not to be troubled is a possibility. If you are born of God, you can overcome the world. It’s all about how much you value the Word of God.

Emotions are not the result of your circumstances. It is the result of your thought process. If you choose to have right thoughts, you will have right emotions. We need to make a conscious choice not to catch every thought the evil one throws at us when we are pressed. We need to tell ourselves that, “I have the mind of Christ and I am called to live above and crumble underneath the pressures of life.”. Let us not forget to remember once again that whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.

Knowing God

Knowing God

We believe God loves us and we are saved by His grace. We believe in the finished act of Jesus. Salvation is of the Lord. What is the ultimate goal of salvation?

A relationship with Him is the ultimate goal of salvation. God saved us because He wanted a relationship with us. Salvation is not all about do’s and don’ts. We can never earn God’s acceptance by our performance. He accepts you because of Christ’s work on the Cross! God longs for a relationship with us.

Psalm 103: 7 says,” He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel” .Believers in the Church fall into two categories:

1.        People who want to know God’s ways.

2.        People who want to know his acts.

Israel lived in a miracle culture. They got manna (angel’s food) from heaven, their sandals didn’t wear out. They drank water from the rock. They walked on dry land on the bed of the sea. But they never had a consistent walk with God. How is your walk with God?

Your God is a gentleman. He never forces His way in. He doesn’t want forced worship. He wants your  love by choice.

We see in Exo 33:12-23, Moses talking to God. He was on the mountain 40 days, received the Ten Commandments, now He goes up the mountain and says “Show me Your Glory Lord!” He longs to know God and His ways. The problem with today’s Church is that we think we know God. But Moses said, “I want to know you more, I want to see your face.” And that’s why when the People of Israel saw the acts of God, God revealed His ways to Moses.

David was king of all Israel. Even though he was a great king, He consulted with God in every matter. David had fought the Philistines many a time. But in 1 Chorn 14: 10, we see that when the Philistines came to war against David again, He inquired of God and God asked him to go ahead to war against them. David won the battle and once again the Philistines came to war against him. So again David inquired of God and this time God asked him to deal with them in a different way. The Problem with us is that we think we know everything and don’t have to enquire of the Lord. Each time we have to inquire of God to know His ways. Our heart must long to know His ways.

Abraham also was a person who wanted to know the ways of God. In Gen 18: 17, “And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing”. That was the intimacy that Abraham had with God. David also was a man who wanted to know the ways of God. It calls for consecration (to set apart).

Are we willing to tarry in the Presence of the Lord or are we giving Him hurried visits? God said “Here is a place by Me….I will put you in the cleft of the rock…”There is a cleft in the rock. That rock is Jesus. 1 Cor 10: 4 says,” That Rock was Christ”.

He was broken and therefore there is a cleft in the Rock where you and I may come and Know God. On the Cross He was split open so that there can be a cleft where you can be. There is a place beside Him. We should be in that place. You can be there and see the glory of God. Unless we are in that place, we can’t hear from God. We need to pay a price for that. Moses was not perfect. But Moses was in a perfect place. Every Believer is called to a life of consecration. Absolute consecration happens when you come to the end of yourself.

Phil 3: 12 says, “Not that I have already attained or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Phil 3: 7, 8 says,” But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Absolute consecration is when you count all things loss to gain Christ.

Paul was a person who wanted to know Him more. (See Phil 3: 10).  Eph 3: 19 says,” To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” The point of consecration starts with the revelation of God’s love for you. The question is do you really know that God loves you? Do you know it deep down in your heart? Do you know about the Love of God or do you know the Love of God? Do you know about God or do you know your God? Are you a person who is longing to know the ways of God?

Knowing God is eternal life. John 17: 3 says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent”. Everything starts with knowing your God.