Sin No More & Love One Another

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:16-18

John states that if we are in Christ we should sin no more. I am called to live in love and truth.

⁷ Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. ⁸ The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. ⁹ No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

When I accepted Christ as my savior, he called me to be Born Again. To shed my hate-fill, sinful life and replace it with one of love. If God is truly in me, then I am to no longer sin again. Granted I can't be perfect on my own will or strength, but perfection is achieved through Christ. Christ is the one who came to destroy the devil's work and to free all of us from the bondage of sin.

I have to ask myself.. Am I living like Christ did his work, or am I still clinging onto life as the devil is still it's ruler. My sins need to be addressed. More importantly, rather than my words, I am called to love in action. Jesus reminds that those who love him, will love onto others as well. I need to make more of an effort to listen to the spurring of the spirit rather than suppressing the ankling of the heart.

Jesus I can do all things when you give me strength. Help me to overcome my addictions mainly the sin of lust. Help me to speak truth and not slander. Help me to obey the spirit rather than suppress it.

In Jesus Name
Amen.

Walking in the Light

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.

1 John 1:5-7


God is pure without sin. God is absolute without any flaw. I as man, I tend to forget who God really is, an omnipotent, omnipresent being. I treat Him lightly, always putting him in the back of my mind. I bring him down to my level to justify my actions of being impure and committing sins without hesitation. And I get caught up in the whole cycle of committing the sin through the week, then coming to God in repentance on Sunday after hearing Pastor Bob speak. The conviction only lasts for the day then I go back to walking in darkness. Essentially I forget GOD IS LIGHT. 

John states that we must quit lying to ourselves and live out the truth, as light and dark cannot mix. If we do not live in light, we cannot be forgiven and purified, in order to fellowship with God and the saints. During the counts that Jesus walked the earth, he forgives people and tells them, "sin no more". If I am to be forgiven through Christ's blood, I MUST SIN NO MORE. Yet I'm still repeating the same sin, struggling to let go because sinning. Granting there is guilt afterwards, but I have such a short memory, it slips my mind. Whether it's lust, deceit, slander or even murder [in my heart],  I need to change and surrender. 

I recently watched a youtube video during my research on calisthenics and it this guy talks about his testimony. Rather inspiring... He says even though he was so consumed in sin, he broke down and surrendered himself to Jesus. That's when even temptations of lust had a hold in his life, he no longer desired it. Supernatural indeed. He even recounts a person with homosexual tendencies, as he fell away from that lifestyle after meeting Jesus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lm47zVvYhA

Rather than accepting the fact that I'm a sinner and I cannot change, I need surrender myself to Christ and let go. I know I can't do it myself through my own willpower, but it really needs to be through the redeeming power of Christ to conquer even the deepest of sins that I'm addicted to.

Jesus I don't know if I can surrender myself wholely to you. Give me the desire to do so. That I can let go of everything and live without reserve. In my mind and spirit, I want to surrender to you, but my flesh resists. Drives these demons out of me and help me to live in reckless abandon for you. Help me to overcome my flesh and to live more in the spirit.

In Jesus Name Amen. 

Troubled Heart

They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

The wicked will see and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Psalms 112:7-8,10



When I examine my heart, can I say that I fully trust that it's 100% secure in the Lord? Do I still have unresolved sin?

All I can say is yes. Over the last few months alone and even sooner, I have cheated a system, lied, slandered, and stolen... All without a blink of the eye. I certain do feel vexed knowing that my life is coming closer to an end. 

God help me reconciled, recommit and come to a repentance. Though it's a daily struggle, I know when I ask for forgiveness, I am to sin no more, but I can't help but keep sinning. It's hard for me to change my ways and God I just ask that you help me turn 180deg. Help me to be like Zacchaeus the tax collector and pay back those I owe 110%, to give everything up and run after you. Help me to be obedient.

In Jesus Name
Amen. 

Stubbornness of the Heart

11 “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ 12 But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.’”

Jeremiah 18:11-12

Jeremiah is trying to convince the Israelites to turn back from their wicked ways and recommit to God. To no avail they make an excuse saying "it's no use" and continue to follow their evil hearts.

Lately I've been struggling with the quality of people's heart. Church, small group or any form of activities that we do, to me seems fake and such a waste of time. Whats the purpose of doing church when we're not genuine..?

I had a spiritual conversation with a brother today regarding why I don't attend CG as often, as I should. Granted I do have so much on my table regarding my test as well as serving at church and at my brothers, but there's apart of me that feels bitter at the apathy that is place in church. I get frustrated because I don't see change. I feel like there's so much fakeness.. People saying the right things or doing the right thing, but missing the point of why we come to church. I feel like these meetings are a waste because the deeper issues aren't being addressed. We have the same program or spiritual cycle that goes on and goes year after year. People coming for the wrong reasons (ie meeting sig. others, fellowship etc) and not enough of surrendering to God. At times.. I feel like what I rather would have is an organic cell group... rather than meeting up as members of the body once a week, be more like friends. Don't meet because we need to but because we want to...

Well enough of me ranting on about this... the deeper issue is myself.

Indeed I am the biggest culprit as well. Before I start talking bad about church and how their not surrendering... I need to examine myself.. I am the one with the bigger plank... I know this feeling of hopelessness comes from the evil one instilling stubbornness in my heart. I wish, I pray for change.

God forgive me for being complacent in your work. Forgive me for judging those around me rather than examining my own heart. Help me to be more proactive about my faith to instill a change within the hearts of fellow brothers and sisters around me. Thank you for bring this up into light. Protect me from the evil one.

In Jesus Name
Amen

Knowing God

16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 

John 16:1

• Jesus explains to the disciples the difference between someone who knows God and doesn't.
• We tend to do what we thing is right rather than what God intended it. Though we're not murdering Christians, our own agendas causes me to miss the mark.
• Therefore I am sinning since I am disobeying.
• The bigger importance is to know God/Jesus/Holy Spirit rather than acting on our own.

Rather than understand what God wants in my life, I often times try to accomplish things in His name. I go and do charity or service work thinking that God will be honored without the right understanding of who God is and his characters. There is an importance of knowing who Christ is. When I'm just out there serving thinking that God will be please without having the fellowship of knowing who God is.. My actions are meaningless. I am doing a disservice to God. My priority should be to know God while doing his work, rather than doing work empty based on what I feel is the right thing to do. 

Help me God to come back to you. Help me to know you again. I pray that you would allow a greater understanding and a deeper desire for Jina and I to know you more.

In Jesus Name 

Amen