Are You Still Broken?
As I have picked up different books that are designed to help people with spiritual matters, I am amazed that so many of them encourage folks to spend time laying out their faults and inadequacies. Yes, when we start down the noble road of our Christian walk, we may want to unload the baggage that held us in fear, but let’s not go back and pick them up again after we are on the glory road with Christ.
Are you still broken? Remember the old man is dead and our life is all about the new man. Sure, we are limited in ourselves, but we are not limited with Christ within and having the gift of holy spirit resident in us. With the new birth, we are on a trajectory to the more abundant life in Christ! We are seated in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6). We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
There are a number of worldly successful programs that appeal to people, but their emphasis is on how broken you are, not who you are so much as a redeemed person. Two programs come to mind: Alcoholic Anonymous and the US Marine Corps.
AA while helping many has its limitations compared to the solutions the Heavenly Father has. The members are always confessing that they are still alcoholics, even being dry for years. How about declaring, “I was an alcoholic, but now I am free in Christ!”
The US Marine Corps, of which I am a member (Once a Marine always a Marine), take new recruits and tear them down in the beginning and then mold them into dedicated fighting machines.
Thankfully God does not have to beat us down or ask for us to confess our shortcomings. We confess the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in His resurrection to become filled with all the spectacular spiritual realities of holy spirit. He wants us to put off the old man inherited by Adam, and put on this new man in Christ, so that we can walk in victory. Philippians nails the reality of this:
Philippians 3:13&14: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let’s remember, we are not still broken. Yes, maybe we were, but God has rescued us and put us in His family forever. “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God” (1 John 3:20,21).
Let’s stay excited about what God has called us to be and to do in the One Body of Christ. You are His awesome child now and forever!
Agape, Bob
If there is one thing committed Christian believers have is an insatiable hunger for the truth.
For me, it took searching for eight years before an impactful Bible class satisfied my starvation for truth.
Just yesterday I was talking with the husband of a friend of my daughter who were staying with us attending her high school reunion. He has a five year daughter that he was very concerned about. He admitted he did not have the answers to life but wanted to know if there was a definitive truth. I smiled as he bare his heart before me. Years ago I was at a point that he was. I shared some Biblical truths with him and encouraged him to stay hungry and keep searching.
It was a Bible class that opened my eyes, as well as a fellowship of committed believers that were an example of what I could expect from living God’s Word. I am sure grateful for the privilege our ministry has had to put together a simplified Bible class that can feed any hunger a person would have in wanting to learn the truth.
God promises if someone hungers after the truth, he shall be filled:
Matthew 5:6: Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
I am thankful we (Acts Now Fellowship) have been able to put together a foundational Bible class that can touch hungry hearts with God’s Word. We shared it live in March and now have it available on YouTube via Acts Now Fellowship, playlist: Our New Life in Christ. It is some 7 hours of teaching over 14 segments. A syllabus for $10 is available as well. We feel it can reach a hungry heart with the truth in a wonderful and dynamic way. Please check it out and share with a hungry soul!
Agape,
Bob
I am in the middle of an extensive book on the subject of Heaven. Since I am a born again Christian, this is a profound reality that I will be participating in the future. One of the precious realities I have is the hope of Christ return to be ever with the Lord and someday be a part of the 3rd heaven and earth.
I enjoy studying about places that I will be traveling to in the future. This particular trip with Christ is the ultimate journey we all will be taking. What will it be like to be “ever with the Lord” once we are Gathered Together according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Will we be hanging on His coat strings? What about this final 3rd heaven and earth? Will we be just hanging around playing the harp? Will we be able to travel around this new world as well as the universe? What activities do we have to look forward to? A lot of questions for sure.
As I study this field, I want to put together a series of teachings that will answer these questions and more.
Hebrews talks about the hope being our anchor.
Hebrews 6:18, 19:
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
How fascinating it is to learn about the place we will be spending eternity together. Until we realize this spectacular reality may we have the comfort of the Scriptures to bless our life.
2 Thessalonians 2:16 and 17: Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
Agape,
Bob
Recently, we celebrated Pentecost. How thankful we are for God to make available the new birth via His gift of holy spirit. How incredible it is to have Christ within and fully identify with Him. With such unparalleled riches abiding in our new life in Christ, what are we to do?
Be a visionary! What is a visionary? Someone who does not see things as they appear to be, but sees things as they can or should be. A Godly spiritual visionary is one who acts on their Godly qualities to become a life-changer for others. It is someone that someone else would greatly benefit from.
Having recently read Jesus Christ Our Passover, I was encouraged by what Dr. Wierwille declared in the concluding paragraph on page 405: “We need to walk each day with a greater vision (my emphasis) of what God has given us.”
God had vision for our lives, way before the foundation of the world:
Ephesians 1:4: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:
Wow, God chose us before even creating the Heavens and earth. You have to know He has some noble calling for our life. We now live for Him:
Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Remember, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…” (Ephesians 2:10). What kind of vision is the Father putting in your heart to do these good works? Also remember that “It is God which worketh in you both to will and do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Let us be fully persuaded of the vision that God has set in our heart to do and to be.
Agape,
Bob
PS: I welcome you to watch on YouTube my recent teaching on this subject. Search Acts Now Fellowship on YouTube and find teaching titled: “Pentecost – Be a Visionary.” Note: There will be a blank section at the start. It will start after a minute or so.
Agape,
Bob
Yes, I still do dumb things. You would think after many years of living in God’s Word, I would be spiritually squared away.
Yes, I know I am perfect in Christ and it was His work not mine that obtained such a remarkable and precious salvation.
Yes, I get foolish thoughts challenging my belief in the integrity of God’s Word. But, they are soon dismissed with a sigh of relief remembering God’s grace and mercy prevailing in my heart.
Yes, I do not want to be like the Galatians in Chapter 3 verse one and verse three:
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Yes, I am not going to succumb to devilish influences to trade in eternal realities for fleshly maybes.
Yes, I am thankful I speak in tongues. What an exceptional reminder of being filled with holy spirit and in God’s family forever.
Yes, Pentecost is this Sunday, June 8th and I am going to celebrate with my spiritual family and speak in tongues much. I will be rejoicing in the truth that I am not so foolish to forget God’s exceptional love manifested in my life.
Agape,
Bob