Two Wars, Flesh & Spirit, Without Excuse!

Two Wars, Flesh & Spirit

   

Galatians 5:17

“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want”. 

The Apostle Paul is the writer of this Epistle (Letter) to a group of churches in Galatia. Why? The Galatia churches were facing a double threat. One had involved purity of doctrine and the other purity of conduct, the latter is what I am addressing. Certain individuals (False teachers etc.) had entered Galatia and would pervert the Gospel of Christ (1:7; 5:10). The Galatians were already yielding to this Judaizing (legalist error, read (1:6; 3:1; 4:10).

Apostle Paul overwhelmingly crushed all arguments and answers the errors that a believer is made spiritually mature by keeping the law – by setting forth the truth of the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, and the richness of life available to every believer when the Holy Spirit rules the Christian whom HE indwells.

I find myself in a conflicting struggle with a few of my fellow Christians/ Believers of Jesus Christ who I respect and do love. It has become so clear to me that apparently some believe they can live a private life of secret immoral behaviors and stand behind the sacred desk of God and preach His word with no convictions of choices and more importantly no payday is coming after while (No consequences) for them. The Holy Scriptures tells us “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). For so long we have accepted one of many thin line phases like:  “you’re judging” which I believe is a lie to cause some to back away and avoid speaking and standing in faith for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  When Apostle Paul confronted the many churches throughout the New Testament, he was not judging, he was correcting with truth in love. I’m learning that some Christians don’t want to be corrected; due to driven by pride, the lust of the flesh and eye (1 John 2:16). Some consciously rely not on the grace of God but, greasy grace (a false grace) to keep them out of hell, which is a ploy, a lie from the hater (Satan) of our very souls to deceive us into his kingdom of hell.

Galatians 5:16-17 along with the entire Word of God, the Holy Bible, the Kingdom Constitution, all these titles are one, and is the Holy Scriptures of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We must wake up from out stupor/sleep and confess that we are without excuse. Romans 3:11 says; “This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed”.  Jesus said; “We (you and I) are His workmanship, created in Him….” (Ephesians 2:10). No longer can we afford to justify our immoral behaviors with popular excuses such as “we live in this fallen world”, “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).

 Jesus Christ set us free by His shed blood on the cross at Calvary some 2000 years ago (We are without excuse). We must make the only decision there is to be made in our walk with God in this fallen world and that is to stand. Stand for the truth, the Gospel that Jesus came and left for us to live by. He ascended to heaven so the Holy Spirit could descend on earth and live in us (the Kingdom of God is within you).  Stand, when you have done all to stand, continue to STAND!!!  It is not the most popular choice, but for those of us who stand behind God’s sacred desk and declare HIS WORD, it is the only choice. We know the Holy Spirit within us will lead and guide us into all truth according to (John 16:13) when we invite Him to dwell within us by surrendering to His Lordship and leadership.

 We are accountable to the Lord for preaching and teaching His WORD, then, by choice are not living what we preach. Jesus said “…the Kingdom is already in you” (Luke 17: 20-21). I know all of us are subject to falling into sin, but, we must come to a conscience place in ourselves realizing that God has made a way of escape. 1Corinthians 10:13 declares; “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it”. Yes, we will be challenged and tempted by choices that may result into sin, yet, with the aid of the Spirit of God living in us, HE will keep, guide, hold and lead us if we submit to obedience to Him.

A letter for us all who carry the Gospel in us…

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, ³ remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶ And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸ For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. ⁹ For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Yours’ in Christ,

Apostle Paul

1 Thessalonians 1: 2-10

 

 

 

ADAM & NOAH

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
       
2 Corinthians 3:18

 



In recent years, I’ve noticed a big increase in people’s interest in their ancestral roots. I’m about half afraid to do that myself, because I’m not sure about what I’d find! But there’s one thing I do know about my family history: I’m descended from a crooked farmer and a drunken sailor.

The crooked farmer I’m talking about is Adam and the drunken sailor is Noah. And every single person in history has descended from these two men. This is the root cause of our problems in our homes, our communities, and our cities across the globe… the problem of sin.

But God has provided us with a solution to this problem – a way to eradicate sin at its root and experience regeneration by His power. That solution is Jesus Christ. By faith in His death and resurrection, we’re saved from the penalty of sin as well as set free from the power of sin.

The answer to the problem of sin is Jesus. Through Him, God can bring healing to our broken world. But in order for that to happen, we must have faith in Him. Trust Jesus and let Him transform the world… beginning with you!

Jack Graham

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF JACOB HAVE I LOVED, BUT ESAU HAVE I HATED?

This is a hard saying. It is especially hard because it is what God said (Malachi 1: 1-3a). Just hearing the word “hate” conjures up thoughts of someone being despised, disdained, or rejected. By hating someone we cause them to know and feel the wrath of our ill-feeling toward them. We see the contrast between love and hate, in that the one who is loved is favored and the one who is hated is refused.

In the case of Jacob and his brother Esau, neither of them had much to do with the reason for being loved and hated (Romans 9:10-13). What led to the saying “Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated” is the acts of their mother. She tricked her husband Isaac into thinking that the meal he was eating came from the hunt and cooking of Jacob, while Esau was still preparing his father’s meal (Genesis 27: 5-29).  We must ask: what wrong did Esau do to be told he was hated?

In an attempt to understand it, I believe we must consider that the word “hate “ does not have the same ugly meaning with God as it is meant when spoken by humans. The Webster’s Dictionary defines hate as intense hostility and extreme dislike. But in the Hebrew sense, (the language spoken by God on Earth to a specific people), there are several ways to look at the word “Yarah-hate.” It can mean “to point out as if by aiming the finger.” It can also mean “to teach and inform.” As such, if someone is told they are hated in the Hebrew sense, it can be viewed as positive because it is an expression which caused the person to whom the word hate is addressed to learn something.  In the saying “…Esau have I hated,” Esau was being taught something about himself, and perhaps, something about God. Esau was being directed by the aiming of the finger of God to discover fact or truth.

On the other hand, “Yarah or hate” can also carry the idea of “cast out or throw.”  The Bible does not say that Esau was cast out. God did cast others out from His presence. We find a mention of this is Revelation 12:9: “And the great dragon was thrown down…, and his angels were thrown down with him.”  If there is any indication that God disliked anyone, it will be Satan and his angels. But Esau was not disliked. The reason then, why Esau was hated is still unclear. Did he take too long preparing the meal for his father (Genesis 27:30-31). Did Esau have some dislike for his brother Jacob, since he was the oldest son and was next in line to inherit his father’s best possessions? (Genesis 27:41a). Esau hated Jacob. This hatred fueled Esau’s desire to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41b). Esau’s hatred had consumed him. As James chapter 1:15 points out “Then, desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin….” Esau did not mince his words. Esau said something which only his mother heard regarding what Esau intended to do with his brother after Isaac’s death (Genesis 27:41b-42). Whatever the reason for Esau being hated, the father did so, but he still loved Esau. Therefore, Esau was not hated in the western understanding of “hate.” He was hated as a way of correcting his rugged ways and character. Esau’s character was dominated by wrongful thoughts and desires (Genesis 4: 7a; James 1:14-15).

Now we can conclude, that Esau was not hated, that is, looked at with malice. God is always love. God cannot hate to hurt, to kill, and to destroy. What a lesson: God uses a word, hate, an idea seen by others as unpleasant, but God uses it to give life improvement. Even when God says “Esau have I hated,” God is aiming Esau’s heart and mind in the direction of self understanding. By saying Esau have I hated, God was teaching Esau that He hated the smearing of Esau’s heart, but God still loved Esau. God hated Esau’s malicious intentions, but God still loved him. Esau had to learn that his hatred for Jacob provoked him to want to kill Jacob. But he also learned that God’s hatred for Esau moved God to secure his life.  

In the end, or along life’s journey, Esau would say: “… I have enough (blessings), my brother…” (Genesis 33:9). The lesson was clear for Esau. As one saying goes, “the life you live is the lesson you teach.”  Hate is conquered only by God’s love!

Why Teens Should Get Angry With Parents

March 17, 2014 by   The Boundaries Books Team

Adolescents get angry a lot. They live in protest mode, so it is second nature for them to get mad at everything in the world, especially their parents. But some parents are conflict-phobic — they are uncomfortable and afraid of being the object of their teen’s wrath, and so they avoid setting boundaries with their teen.

However, this teaches adolescents that if they throw a tantrum, they can get out of a limit. Teens who learn this will also have difficulty experiencing healthy adult relationships. To help your child avoid this relational future, you’ll want to teach him to accept responsibilities in relationships without having outbursts.

Many parents who fear their teen’s anger have either had little experience in dealing with anger or had some very negative experiences. Whichever the case, these parents have few tools to deal with angry people, so they avoid confronting them because it’s too uncomfortable.

If this is your struggle, in addition to fearing your teen’s anger, you may also fear the strength of your own anger. To resolve this fear, learn to experience and normalize anger — your own and others’ — as a part of life. Make this an intentional item of growth for yourself.

You can get used to angry feelings by dealing with them in your own supportive relationships. Tell others about your discomfort with anger, and practice expressing your anger in safe relationships. Also learn how to listen while others express their anger. Instead of panicking or fearing the worst, focus on what the person has to say and then have a conversation about it. The book, How to Have That Difficult Conversation You’ve Been Avoiding, may be a good resource for helping you learn how to have healthy, confrontational conversations so that you can work through your fear of anger.

If your teen is never angry with you, you’re probably doing something wrong! So let your teen get mad at you, and stay present with her, as long as she is in some sort of control of herself. Remind yourself that when parents hold to the established limits, adolescents respond in anger. This is normal. If you can stay with your teen’s anger and still love her while holding the line, she can more readily learn to give in and let go of her anger, which is a major step toward maturity. The task is to stay connected to your teen even while she is angry, and yet still hold the line. With this approach, she can more readily accept your limit and give up her angry protest of your rules.

This article should really hit home for some parents, I hope it blesses you !.

Grace

 

ONE THANKFUL SOMEBODY!

 

Henry is my son, he is married to a wonderful young women who I call “daughter love” , the Lord blessed her to be a blessings to me. I have been blessed with Mr. Jasiah, and you see the one on the left she is Lady Gabriela.

 

Henry has been overseas for little over a year and is returning from Bahrain. God did it and it is marvelous in my eyes, God kept him and his family while he served his country. I am among the many proud and honored mothers & fathers who await the day to see their son or daughters return home safe.

 

Father God, I humbly thank YOU for watching over, caring for and covering with the blood of Jesus, Henry and the many others arm force personnel’s who serve with pride the USA. All honor, all power, all glory belongs to YOU and YOU alone! Amen!

 

Grace