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Author
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Topic: Approval!
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Michael Harrison
Advanced Member
Member # 6801
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posted
What you believe in your heart is your surrender (or lack of it). God in Christ Jesus is interested in what is in your heart. "What' do you believe about HIM? How personal is it? When you believe what you should, it becomes as personal as it can get. That is what is called relationship. But God is interested in what you believe in your heart about Him.
It is about giving HIM your heart and not holding out. I know that when people are saved, they "Gave HIM their heart." But it is ever 'now'. The real question is, are you giving HIM your heart? He can do so much with you if you do.
But there is the sacrifice of Cain. That is when we are giving Him what we want to give. It is when we are giving what we think will please Him. When we are doing this, we are not giving Him our heart. It is the same as 'lip service'. "Ye honor me with your lips, but your heart is far from me."
When we give Him our heart, temptation does not run us over. Life doesn't get us down.
"All things work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose."
When we give HIm our heart, comfort and solace are ours. We know He has a design. We know we are part of it.
1 John 2:5 "But whoso keepeth His word {they giveth Him their heart] in Him verily is the love of God perfected."
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
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posted
When a parent is teaching a young child to not run out into the street, the parent will start by telling the child about it. If necessary, the discipline will become firmer and firmer. Is the parent being mean? No, he is trying to save the child's life!
Our Father loves us. He hates sin because it is harmful. It will run over us and lead to death.
Satan drives a big truck. Don't play on his street.
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
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posted
Michael ![[thumbsup2]](graemlins/thumbsup2.gif)
Ephesians 6:10-12
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we* are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
FIERY DARTS
The apostle Paul wrote that we who are in Christ are going to face “all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Eph. 6:16). God’s desire is that we be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows that the devil sends our way.
What are these flaming missiles or flaming arrows?
In the natural, the flaming arrows to which Paul referred were arrows common to Roman battles. They were arrows that had been dipped in pitch and lighted. When these arrows were launched into a group of enemy soldiers, they were a double threat. Not only did the arrow penetrate what it hit, but it could cause fire to spread in the midst of the soldiers. At times in ancient battles, hundreds and even thousands of these arrows might be lighted and launched at the same time. The result was often massive casualties, including fires that could wipe out the soldiers’ camps. In such a “rain” of flaming arrows, it was very difficult for a soldier to keep from being hit. And even if he did avoid a direct hit, he had to deal with fire all around him. A barrage of flaming arrows was very effective and very deadly.
In the spiritual, flaming arrows refer to the bombardment of the mind with thoughts, impressions, and impulses that are contrary to God’s purposes. These thoughts might be thoughts to do evil. They might be angry thoughts, sinful thoughts, or temptations to sin.
When the enemy unleashes a rain of such thoughts against a person, or against a group of godly people, the results can be devastating unless a person is able to intercept the arrows and quench their fire.
Here are just some of the arrows that the devil may unleash at you:
• Fear—“You have good reason to be afraid right now and always.”
• Doubt—“You can’t trust God or trust that God will work in this situation for your good.”
• Lust—“You need to have your needs met, and this is a fine way to get your needs met.”
• Loneliness—“You are alone, you will always be alone, and you, therefore, will always be miserable.”
• Jealousy—“You aren’t being shown the devotion you deserve, and at the same time, somebody else is getting the devotion that should be yours.”
• Rejection—“You are worthy to be rejected and cast aside.”
• Guilt—“You should feel guilty about that sin—shame, shame, shame on you.”
• Greed or covetousness—“You should have that. You deserve it. You need it.”
• Unforgiveness—“You can never forgive that sin, and even if you could, why would you?”
• Anger—“You’ve been hurt and you have a right to be angry.”
• Discouragement—“You’ll never have what you desire or be who you desire to be in this life. Don’t even get your hopes up.”
• Pride—“You’re above all that; you shouldn’t have to stoop to accommodate the weakness or poverty of another person.”
Any thought or impulse that entices a person to fall victim to the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” is a fiery dart! (See 1 John 2:16)
(Charles Stanley - When The Enemy Strikes)
Ephesians 6:13-18 (NLT)
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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Michael Harrison
Advanced Member
Member # 6801
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posted
There are things that we think we want. There are things that temptation tells us that we have to have. How do we look past these things (which are very commanding), to the “Author and finisher of our faith?” How do we face Him with a good conscience and ignore that which beckons us away from Him, that which is so close to us that it seems completely impossible to ignore? Here it is:
Rom 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
But what is this goodness of God which leadeth to repentance? After all, we think of God as having a big stick; and we think of His patience as being to wait until we have done something wrong, then He is in the ‘ready’ to come and get us with that stick. How, otherwise, would someone discipline a son? This is what fits our understanding.
But in reality it is not Him. We do it to ourselves when we follow our desire to it’s conclusion. When we have thusly done, we come out from under His cover. We invite the whip, but it is not in God’s hand. It is something called consequence, which we invite by our actions, which invalidate the protection of God because we violate the laws of God, which are our cover! And the disciplinarian takes pleasure in proving us evil, and worthy of raw recompense. He does it - the devil!
But that is the work of the condemner. Our God however is not our condemner. Hence Rom 2:4 “Or despises thou the riches of His goodness and the forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
So to bring it back around, how do we look past that which saddles us like hundred pound sacks of sand mounted on each shoulder at the inevitable moment of weakness, pushing us down into the moment? In reality, part of what causes our weakness to sinful activity is the idea that HE (God) is out to get us: And we are rebellious by nature. We resent the idea of recompense.
It doesn’t make sense, but that is how it happens. Partly, it leads to it. We feel helpless anyway, and we give in thinking we are just that - helpless, and born to it. So why are we to blame? Why would we invite discipline though? Why would we indulge, knowing that we will not feel good about it? The condemner tells us we are worthless and takes delight in disciplining us to prove that we cannot ignore that which we ‘feel‘ we must have. It just doesn’t matter, at some point, what God says. And by so doing, satan makes us to ‘feel’ that God is insufficient, or we wouldn’t suffer such intrinsically compelling desires anyway. We give in. Faith in the moment, is nonexistent.
Right there is the problem. Because if we believe that - we compromise God, and we fail, ‘thereby‘ inviting the condemner to work. Here is where the goodness of God comes in. It starts with longsuffering, because HE knows our predicament. He knows of our addiction. Moreover, He is not out to get us. He knows that we will come to our senses and reach out to Him, because we want HIS approval. We need His approval (Blessed are we who do!). That is intrinsic. At the very basic bottom of our created being, we need His approval. We don’t want to be condemned to rating His disapproval.
So how do we know His approval, especially if we don‘t seem to be able to hold our head above water, often times for even seventy seconds? Breathe deep and ponder this. He went all out! We ‘have’ His approval. That is why He died. So why would we want to despise His approval by compromising with evil, which we seem to do with unconsidered disregard? That is a mystery. One thing is for sure, when we do, we know it. Lack of fellowship with Him is not a very secure feeling. If we do not miss the fellowship, something else akin to thorns and briars grows up around us and makes living in the moment rather scratchy. Then we start to miss Him.
But here is the goodness of God. We have His approval! We can’t earn it. We can however disregard it. I don’t know why. Yet, to have it leads one not to want to disregard it. That is the goodness of God. We don’t want to disregard it, for there are consequences, but we do. So, part of what sets us up to ’receive’ His approval is to know (that is to say faith, belief) that we have it. That is where it starts. Next, we avoid the unbelief of feeling condemned to perform that which is evil by believing that He, in His approval, empowers us to receive His approval. In fact, we have all that He is to us at any and every moment. This delivers us from the unbelief, which plunges us into the darkness of desire, which isolates us from Him through our unbelief. For in that He is sufficient unto us is recorded in this scripture:
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. “ (Php 4:19 )
All of your needs includes fellowship, which includes fulfilling to us all that which sustains, rewards, and also endears us to Him, which thereby enables us to know His approval, because He is our provision. We don’t balk at that.
So when you are thinking you just cannot ignore it (the dirty stuff) it just isn’t as easy to consume it knowing you have HiS big hearted approval: not to do it! But to have His provision, to have Him. This leads thee to repentance. Don’t blame God for satan’s condemnation, which we assign to God, which makes us rebel because it annoys us not to get our way. The devil does the disaproval.
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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