Messages From Heaven: Soaking in the World!!

Messages From Heaven: Soaking in the World!!: In recent years, the frequency of hearing accounts of people, cars, or even houses suddenly falling into a large hole as the earth collap...

Soaking in the World!!

In recent years, the frequency of hearing accounts of people, cars, or even houses suddenly falling into a large hole as the earth collapsed beneath them has risen. These events are caused by giant sinkholes.
            Sinkholes are caused by water saturation. In some cases, underground water pipes burst or leak, causing unseen erosion. In other cases, the culprit is rainwater or underground springs. What’s shocking is the suddenness of the collapse. On the surface, everything looks fine. But beneath the surface, the integrity of the earth has been compromised. When least expected, a sinkhole suddenly forms and the ground collapses.

There’s a Lesson in Those Sinkholes
            When the influences of the world seep into the Christian’s habits or heart, they too can create unseen spiritual erosion. On the outside, everything seems fine—a Christian husband, a faithful pastor, a godly mother, a long-term marriage, a vibrant church. But worldly influences have a way of silently eroding the foundations. The collapse may seem sudden, but the destructive seepage has been gradual.
            Today’s Christians may be at an all-time “world saturation” level. Without intentional effort, we soak in many activities that can erode our faith, our habits, or our character. It’s a good time to check our saturation levels by asking these eight questions:

1. 1.      How much television do you watch every week? Some programs can provide needed diversion in small doses. But unchecked, television can douse our hearts and homes with worldliness.
2. 2.      How much time do you spend surfing the Internet? While the worldwide web is helpful for research and study and keeping up with friends, it can also be a huge sinkhole swallowing up vast amounts of time and sanctity.
3. 3.      What are you reading right now? It’s alright to enjoy leisure reading. But remember that your reading material is your mental diet, and whatever you feed your mind will influence who you are.
4. 4.      How much time do you spend soaking up the endless flow of news and commentary offered by political or media outlets? We all have our political viewpoints, and the media has learned how to stoke our boilers. Some people almost become addicted to the continual cycles of news and commentary.
5. 5.      Do you find yourself reaching for video games during moments of ease? Experts warn that video addictions are damaging to marriage, ministry, and mental well-being. Even a mild case of game-addition can seep away at the integrity of our spiritual foundations.
6. 6.      Are your friends the kind who draw you closer to the Lord or do they weaken your Christian zeal? Choose your friends wisely.
7. 7.      How many movies have you watched this month? I don’t object to an occasional movie carefully chosen. But as Christians, we mustn’t underestimate the impact of soaking our minds in movie land.
8. 8.      Is there anything on your computer screen or portable electronic device you’d be ashamed to show to Jesus?

Think on These Things
            How much time do we spend on the above activities compared to studying the Bible and engaging in prayer? Philippians 4:8, tells us to saturate our minds with what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. “If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things,” He said.
            It’s my belief that we need to turn off the constant streams of noise and distraction so we’ll have time to meditate on the things of God and allow His Word to seep into our conscious, subconscious, and unconscious thoughts. We’ve got to fix our minds on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
            Now is a good time to make some adjustments in your life. Forget resolutions. Just change some things, starting today. January is a perfect time for new beginnings. Determine from the first month of 2016 to studiously avoid sinkholes. Don’t soak in the world. Instead immerse yourself in the Word, remembering what the Lord promises in Jeremiah 31:25: “I have saturated every thirsting soul, and filled every hungry soul.”^[1]
            Let Him saturate and fill yours.

Messages From Heaven: From Head to Heart!

Messages From Heaven: From Head to Heart!:   Let’s start with a riddle: What two partners live less than two feet apart but never meet? They’re both CEOs of vast organizations with...

From Head to Heart!

  Let’s start with a riddle: What two partners live less than two feet apart but never meet? They’re both CEOs of vast organizations with overlapping jurisdictions; they communicate instantly, and work in perfect coordination. One would perish without the other. One specializes in intellectual pursuits all day while the other pumps iron. These two allies work tirelessly for a lifetime without ever taking a vacation or a day off. Even the slightest interruption of their labors would be catastrophic, so they never sleep. They’re both exactly the same age, inhabit the same territory, and never rest. Their combined efforts keep us alive and well.
I’m talking, of course, about your brain and your heart. They both oversee complex systems that are necessary for life—the nervous system and the circulatory system. From before our birth until the moment we go to be with the Lord, they’re on the job.
            But the relationship between head and heart isn’t just physiological. The Bible speaks of the brain as the center of our thinking and has much to say about the condition of our minds. The heart represents our affection, emotion, and personality. Sometimes it is hard to get the message from our heads to our hearts. It’s possible to have “head knowledge” of God and His Word without its filtering down into “heart knowledge.” We are reminded in Proverbs 4:23 to “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
We read about joy in the Bible, but we meander throughout the day with low spirits. We hear a sermon about patience; but before the day is out, we’ve lost our temper. We become engrossed with the study of biblical prophecy about the End Times, but somehow we don’t share the Gospel with those in our neighborhood should He come today. We read a book on Christian parenting, but we can’t find time to read the Scriptures to our children or pray with them at bedtime. We teach a Sunday school lesson about stewardship and tithing, and then overspend on our credit card for something that we’ve been wanting.
In Matthew 23, Jesus censured the scribes and Pharisees for studying the Law without applying it to their lives. In verses 27-28, He said graphically, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones . . . you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Three Connections
            To avoid the trap of the Pharisees, we’ve got to guard the interconnection between our thoughts and our attitudes.
            That takes full-fledged Bible study. Whenever you read a passage in the Bible for your own nourishment or to teach others, your study must include observation, interpretation, and application. In other words, always approach every passage in Scripture with three questions: (1) What does it say? (2) What does it mean? (3) What does it mean to me? Application requires meditation. We have to contemplate specific verses, pondering them and ruminating over them until they inform our thinking and affect our perspectives and personalities.
            It also takes prayer. Suppose you’re reading through Proverbs and come to chapter 15: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” One of the most effective ways of getting that verse circulating through your system is by turning it into a prayer: “Lord, teach me the secret of the soft answer. Keep me from overreacting today, from speaking with irritation. Remind me in advance that harsh words increase the anger in the one with whom I’m speaking.”
            It also takes commitment. We have to use our mind to put the Bible into practice and to commit ourselves to trust its promises and obey its commands.
            Salvation must be experienced. The Bible has to saturate our personalities. The Holy Spirit wants to convert the words of Scripture into transformed personalities. Head knowledge without heart knowledge is worse than useless; but when head and heart join forces, it changes our lives forever.

Messages From Heaven: Are You a Christian?

Messages From Heaven: Are You a Christian?: I read recently that 50 percent of all born-again Christians don't have the assurance of salvation. Maybe some just need to memori...

Are You a Christian?

I read recently that 50 percent of all born-again Christians don't have the assurance of salvation. Maybe some just need to memorize some pertinent passages on the assurance of salvation, like 1 John 5:13, and realize that God's Word does indeed promise that salvation is the present possession of every true follower of Christ.
On the other hand, perhaps a lot of so-called Christians do not have the assurance of salvation because they are not really saved. Just because you attend church or engage in certain religious activities does not necessarily mean you are a Christian. The Apostle Paul instructed those in the early church to examine themselves to see if their faith was genuine (2 Corinthians 13:5).
So, how do I know if you are a Christian? How do you know if I'm one? There must be evidence. Jesus said, "By their fruits you shall know them" (Matthew 7:20). If someone examined your life, would they find any spiritual fruit — hard evidence to prove that you are a true follower of Jesus Christ?
Or, let me put it another way: If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? By "evidence," I don't mean how many Bibles you own, or how many bumper stickers you might have on your car with Christian sayings on them. I mean hard evidence. If your family members, neighbors, and coworkers were interviewed and asked the question, "Is (your name here), in your opinion, a real Christian?" we might not be happy with the response.
The only way others can tell whether you are a Christian is by your works. While all the good works in the world won't save a person (Titus 3:5), they are reasonable evidence that someone is saved.
In a nutshell, all the great religions of the world, apart from Christianity, say, "Do." "Do this and you might go to heaven," "Do that and you might find nirvana," and so on. Christianity, in contrast, says, "Done."
In other words, God has taken care of your salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. He cried out, "It is finished!" He purchased your ticket to heaven at the cross. But having received that ticket, your life should reflect your commitment to Christ. Works won't save you, but if you really are saved, then works will follow (2 Corinthians 5:17). Has that happened to you? Has there been a change in your life?
In Acts 26, the Bible outlines three steps you must take to be sure you are a Christian. This is important to understand, because you may be living under false hope, and ultimately, have a false assurance of salvation. When Paul spoke to King Agrippa and described how God had called him to preach the gospel message, he essentially broke that message down and in so many words, defined it.
Paul said that God told him to preach the gospel, which was comprised of a person hearing it, realizing it was given " 'to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness of sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in [Christ]' " (Acts 26:18).
So first, you must have your eyes opened. A spiritual blindness afflicts those who have not yet turned their lives over to Jesus Christ, because "Satan...has blinded the minds of those who don't believe..." (2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT).
Second, you must turn from darkness to light. Satan loves darkness. Hell is referred to as outer darkness. If you want to really believe, then you need to come out of the darkness and into the light (Acts 26:18).
Third, you must turn from the power of Satan to God. A lot of people today want to live in two worlds. If you want to be a Christian on Sunday, but want to live the other way the rest of the week, it won't work (2 Corinthians 6:14). You must turn from Satan to God.
Have your spiritual eyes been opened? Have you turned from darkness to light? Have you turned from the power of Satan to God? If you've taken these steps, then God has forgiven your sins and has a place for you among God's people in heaven. This is the hope of those who truly belong to Christ.