Sin

Sin does not and can never prevent the revelation of God.  God manifested Himself in the flesh through His only Beloved Son as Jesus the Man from Nazareth.  He made Himself so real.  And it happened when we were in the thick of our sins.  If sins could have prevented God from revealing Himself, Jesus would never have become a reality.

The Son of God [God Himself] came to us as Jesus the Man from Nazareth to free us from the clutches of satan. First, He was punished for all the mistakes we made under the influence of the evil one.  Then, He showed us how the evil one works and leads us away from the devil by empowering us to do that.

Miseries follow sin.  The following is my pictorial perception of sin:

The Son of God as the Jesus the Man from Nazareth was beaten to a pulp before He was crucified!

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. [2 Corinthians 5:21].

The Bible says in Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

And as I read and think over this passage repeatedly, it dawned on me that God also did not spare Himself from the excruciating pain and agony of having to watch His darling Son suffered like that!  The sight was just too much for our tender-hearted Father God to bear.  He had to look away!

I understand sin to mean not taking God's opinions.  The entire Bible is peppered with God's opinions on how one can lead the life as His beloved child after accepting what His only Beloved Son has done as Jesus the Man from Nazareth.

The way to get out or away from sins is not trying to do that.  It is to learn from Jesus how to do that and let Him empower us.  Jesus guides us not to make the same mistakes by showing us where and how we could make those mistakes.

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge [Hosea 4:6]

Satan has a plan for us: Destruction!

God has much better plans: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [Jeremiah 29:11]

God knows what the devil is up to and how we can defeat him. God's guarantee success over satan is found in the Bible.

But let it be known to you that once Jesus has saved you, you are always saved no matter what you do.  

It alludes to Acts 13:38-39: “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

This is the unadulterated Gospel [Good News].  Some call the glory of this amazing Gospel antinomianism.

If you feel prompted to find out more, you may want to read "Once Saved, Always Saved" by Dr R. T. Kendall.

Money

Everyone has been given different amounts of money or various degrees of financial blessings at their disposal [although not necessary to their name].  God has purposed the money to be used to  win souls or spread the Word as a seed to generate interest in the Gospel.

If money is used according to the ordained purpose, more will be given. And when Jesus returns, the bema reward is rulership over cities [Luke 19:12-26].

Money is a tool.  God is not against us having money; He is against money having us. And when a tool is being abused, it becomes a weapon of destruction.  The greatest weapon of mass destruction in the world is money abused.

In furtherance of this understanding, whatever has been given at our disposal; talents or gifts, time, effort etc, are to be used for the same purposes.  It doesn't have to start with a big bang. It begins small.

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.[Luke 16:10].

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. [Matthew 6:3].

The Book of James

James, the writer of the Book of James, has been accused of saying that justification by faith must be proved by good works.  It was not until I read the book "Once Saved, Always Saved" by R T Kendall that I understand the Book of James better.

James believed in the doctrine of faith alone saves. He made it explicit in James 2:23, "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness".

James was concerned for the poor and he wanted to come to their defence.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? [James 2:14]. What James meant here was with reference to what faith will do for other people. Can our faith save the poor?

If we just say to the poor and needy, "God bless you" and then walk away, what good does that do to the poor?

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  [James 2:15-16].

This book contains so many nuggets of truth that it knocked my socks off!

If you feel prompted to find out more, you may want to get a copy of the book HERE.

Total Forgiveness

The mother of all blessings is forgiveness. 

Conversely, the mother of all curses is........(drum roll....) - unforgiveness.  

It was through reading the book "Total Forgiveness" by R T Kendall that gave me a fresh perspective on Isaiah 58:6-11:

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice ..[Isaiah 58:6].

I used to think loosing the chains of injustice means to stand up for those who are suffering from injustice.  Now, I understand it to mean forgiving those who have caused me to suffer injustice so as to free myself from the chains of bitterness and hurt.

Then I saw the benefits of forgiveness:

1. Then your light will break forth like the dawn,  and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you,  and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;  you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. [Isaiah 58:8-9]
2. The Lord will guide you always;  he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,  like a spring whose waters never fail. [Isaiah 58:11].

I really don't mind having those benefits.

If you like to read more of the insights provided by R T Kendall, you may want to get a copy of the book HERE.

Grieving the Blessed Holy Spirit

The blessed Holy Spirit wants to express Himself through me in order to magnify Jesus and to glorify God.  And the Bible tells me how He wants to do just that. But He can only do it when I allow Him to.  Either I give Him the right of way to fully express Himself or I insist on expressing my own emotions and thoughts.

The blessed Holy Spirit is very much a Person with feelings and thoughts.  Just as I would feel aggrieved when I am not allowed to express myself, so will He.  Hence, when I do not allow the blessed Holy Spirit to express Himself, He is grieved.

All believers are given a measure of anointing. When the blessed Holy Spirit is allowed to express Himself, that anointing is manifested and it will grows stronger.

Dr R T Kendall provides great insights on how to be sensitive to the flow of the blessed Holy Spirit in his book "Sensitivity of the Holy Spirit". If you feel led to know more of the Person of the blessed Holy Spirit, you may like to get a copy of the book HERE.