Saved In Order To Do Good

I wonder if you enjoy any of the Marvel movies? Each one identifies a superhero that citizens alert when they are in need. They illuminated the darkness with a bright symbol of their hope as a sign for their hero to help.

Like the world, these superheroes inhabit this planet is a mess. The need is scary, relationships are messy, and kindness seems to be on our endangered species list. But we can have great hope, As believers, we believe it is possible to carry ourselves with grace and dignity, even in a culture aiming to celebrate anger and division.

These are the kinds of everyday heroes our world needs more of. We don’t need a cape to become this kind of hero. The one requirement to be a kind hero, Is to be willing. All before you enlist, let me give this disclaimer: We cannot do this on our own. We need to be indwelling of the Holy Spirit to keep us on track, protect us from falling away from the right path.

Here’s what we’re trying to avoid: ‘At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hated by one another. (Titus 3-4)

Kindness is learned. It doesn’t come naturally. Because of sins damage, we can’t love others well in our own strength. But that’s only part of the story. The good part comes next: “But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the ‘Holy Spirit.” Titus 3 4-5)

Though we didn’t deserve it, Jesus responded with goodness and kindness. We need God’s help to see the people around us as the image-bearers they are. We need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to see everyone through the eyes of love. No exceptions. God’s love is fierce and passionate for everyone. When we submit our lives to God’s plan, passionate about everyone. When we submit our lives to God’s plan passionately pursuing our mission to bring Him glory. He’ll take our small acts of kindness and multiply then in says we cannot imagine.

Titus 3: 3-7

God’s Plan For Us

Have you ever wondered, “What is God’s plan for me?”

As a believers of course you want to make decisions according to God’s will. But what happens when you just don’t know which way God want you to go?

Sooner or later in life everybody has to make decisions. Which college should you go to? Who should I marry? Should I more here or there? The list goes on and on and as the questions grow bigger and more life-changing, shouldn’t God’s answers and plan for our lives become clearer and clearer as well? If I want to do His will, shouldn’t it be easier to see God’s plans for us?

It can be difficult to see God’s plan and know which road to take. You pray to God and ask Him for help but there are often no prophetic Dreams, visions or strong feelings leading you one way or another. It can seem like God isn’t answering you at all.

God’s Plan For Me: Do Everything Before His face

Many believers struggle with this because we almost expect a loud voice from heaven when we talk to God, complete with trumpets and a burst of sunlight. But God doesn’t necessarily work that way. Often He works in whispers instead of shouts. And the way we practice listening is to go in faith and do everything before His face.

Why doesn’t God just speak from the clouds or something?

It says in Colossians 3:23: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” This is a key point. It isn’t always so important what we do, but why and how we do it. Are you doing it wholeheartedly because you want to please the Lord! Or are there a few selfish reasons behind your decision?

It also says in Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you.” God is more than willing to show us His will and plan for our lives, but He also wants us to show that we want to know it and follow it. He wants us to make an effort – to seek His will. Then He has promised that we will find it. So if you are asking and seeking and knocking and doing everything as to the Lord then you can rest assured that He will show you His will for your life. He may not always be what we expect, and it can be released to us in unexpected ways, but if we are truly interested, we will find it.

God’s Will – Good, Acceptable, And Perfect

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and the perfect with the will of God.” (Romans 12:2) Put simply, this is the entirety of God’s will right here, as well as His plan with our lives. That we be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we prove God’s will. That is something we can do regardless of whether we decide to be transformed and renewed wherever you are

So how do you make your decision! Ask yourself, “Is it good! Is it acceptable? Is it perfect?” if the answer seems to be yes, then do it! Prove what is God’s will. Test it. He who seeks will find.

This is why transformation is the most glorious of God’s promises.

The Renewing Of Your Mind

Whatever the outcome, when looking back, you may find that what you did was tainted with a bit of self-sealing, some demands on the others, and so on. This was not according to God’s will, and yet you made your decision in faith and with a desire to serve God. That’s why God can show you how you could have done it better, where you should have given up your own will. Go back and fix things, ask for forgiveness, set things right. It is this that is God’s will for us and His plan for our lives: that we will learn humility, that we learn how to live as a disciple. The revelation comes in an unexpected way – by showing you your mistakes, but because you are seeking to do God’s will, you use it to be transformed. This is the renewing of your mind.

A disciple is not one that knows everything and can do everything perfectly the first time. The life of a disciple means following Jesus, the Master, and learning from Him. It means listening to God’s voice everyone and striving to be well-pleasing to Him. In this way, we will daily find more and more of this. “I should have done things better, God give me strength and wisdom to humble myself and do better next time.’ So next time I put to practice what God’s voice told me,and do it better – I’m becoming more like my Master day by day. That’s what it means to be disciple.

What is a disciple called to do?

No matter where we will find opportunities to hear God’s voice and do His will. We will find our own life, our anger, our pride, our stubbornness and self- seeking, and putting these things to death we are transformed more and more into Jesus’s image and in this way we are doing God’s will!

Ultimately, this is God’s perfect plan for both you and me: that we become free from the way that we are and be transformed into Jesus’s own image.

I have learned when I’m listening for God’s voice, when there’s a ache in the pit of my stomach, that’s God leading away from the direction I want to take. (The wrong choice) Also, if you are not at peace with the decision you are making it’s usually the wrong choice. That’s when I know that’s God telling me to turn to a different path. (The right Path)

God speaks to everyone in different ways. Start noticing the difference in what your feeling. It might just be God speaking to you.

Reasons Jesus Hated Religion

Every thought religion was just after your money? Close-minded, full of hypocrites, tribal and sexist. Well you might find you have more in common with the man who started the largest religion than you’d expect.

Jesus began the largest religion on the planet. Yet, the four historical accounts of Jesus’s life show a man surprisingly hostile attitude towards religion.

Modern hostility casts religion as a toxic person that causes wars. It’s the opium of the masses, or it’s pointless and outdated.

However, Jesus’s unrepentant criticism of religion bring alternative attack that are more relevant today that you might have realized:

Tribalism

A modern retelling of Jesus’s most famous parable would have animal Farage stopping to help an injured remainer, as an ethical vegan and Barack Obama walk by – too busy doing the right thing to stop and help.

But that’s the shock factor Jesus’s parable would have had on its 1st – century listeners. Jesus used the illustration to argue that in order for love and mercy to be genuine, it had to transcend tribal boundaries. How pertinent Jesus’s message is for our polarized and divided nation.

Virtue–Signaling

Jesus called certain religious leaders whitewashed tombs: pretty on the outside, but dead inside. A scathing critique when you consider it for a second. They did the right thing, to be seen to do the right thing.

What percentage of social media is just that? Posting the right pose, plate of food, Or parroting whatever #campaign is popular at the moment. All to be seen to be saying the right thing and portraying you’re living your best life, when you’re not.

If your social media is a hollow airbrushed and edited persona, Jesus’s critique also applies to you. The good news is that Jesus didn’t stop at pointing out our flaws, he claimed to be able to fix them and enable people to live an abundant life.

Money-Grabbing

I bet this didn’t make most RE lessons, because Jesus got so angry about greed and abuse he made a whip to drive the money changers and their goods out of the temple.

Jesus saw people using religion to get money out of people. Essentially, it was manipulative greed.

Would we love to be able to do something similar to the 1%? Something to shock them out of their greed. Or perhaps the developing world would like to do the same to us?

Hypocrisy

Whether today or 2000 years ago, no one likes a hypocrite. Politicians are an easy target. But isn’t our flaky we-must-catch- up- but-never -do, click-attending but don’t go culture rooted is accepted and unchallenged hypocrisy?

But the most ironic hypocrisy is calling out hypocrisy others, but not seeing it in yourself. On a number of occasions Jesus went to town on that. If you don’t recognize your own hypocrisy, either you have impervious integrity or have succumbed to self- deception.

Close-Mindedness

As the time, it was completely help that there we hundreds of prophecies from many sources, written over hundreds of years, predicting the arrival of a Messiah. Despite ticking all the boxes, Jesus didn’t tick them in a way they were expecting. So the authorities had Him killed. Close-minded is a rather lenient description of the response to Jesus.

We live in the most open-minded society going. But have you used that opportunity! It would only take a couple of hours to read the four accounts of the man with more followers than any other in world history. Or have you also made a devil about Jesus before even engaging with historically reliable, first- hand accounts about Him?

Sexism

What would you say to a crowd of people holding weapons, react to kill a woman! Jesus exposed the hypocritical and judgmental thinking behind their sexism (the man guilt of the same crime was nowhere to be seen). And He did so in a way no one in the blood thirsty crowd argued with. The woman left free and unharmed, thanks to Jesus’s offer of unmerited grace.

The religious view Jesus hates is one that denies this grace and makes it about what you have to do for God to get in His good book. Yet, the religion Jesus hates continues today. It’s often heard when people say it’s okay, I’ve been a good person. In other words, on balance, I’ve done enough good to be slightly above average, so God has to accept me.

Jesus says absolutely, fundamentally and unequivocally we are not good enough for God. No-one is good, except God. That’s Jesus’s View.

That’s where religion can go wrong. And it’s why we’ve got Jesus wrong if we thought we are above His six criticisms.

Perhaps you’re shocked because you thought Jesus was a nice moral teacher. He wasn’t.

He’s much better. Yes, Jesus says you can’t be good enough. But at the very same time He says you are more loved and accepted by Him than you ever dared hope – despite not being good enough. That’s grace. And that’s a belief He is willing to do for.

It was never about if you go to church on Sunday, pray, or ( heaven forbid) are on balance, “a good person.” You can’t earn grace, because it’s free, unlimited and eternal. All you have to do is accept God’s free give and stop trying you earn it.

While Jesus is not about church, it’s always nice to go hook up with Jesus on a Sunday morning. Feeling closer to Him is an amazing feeling that I do not take lightly.

The Empty Soul

We all have a hunger in our hearts for God – an empty place in our souls that only He can fill. But sometimes we try to feel the emptiness with everything but Him. I’ve tried to feel that void with alcohol, drugs. sex, food you name it I’ve tried it.

The Psalmist in the Bible put it this way: “My would thirst for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalms 42:2)

The problem is that instead of turning to God and letting Him feel our souls, we turn to other things – pleasure, fame, money sex, drugs, or alcohol. Some people even turn to false philosophies or religions, hoping these will lead them to the truth and fill the empty place in their lives. For a time, they think they’ve found what we’re looking for, but in the end, they’re just as empty as they ever were. Tragically, some will even discover that they’ve almost destroyed their lives.

Only God can satisfy our inner hunger, and He will, as we turn to Him and by faith open our hearts and lives to Christ’s transforming power. God doesn’t want us to wander through life constantly wondering who we are or what we’re here, Instead, Christ came into the world to bring us back to God, and He will, as we commit our lives to Him.

Don’t be deceived by those who urge you to take the wrong road, no matter how glamorous or famous they seem to be. Instead, make Christ the center of our life. God’s Word is true. “Why spend money on what is not bread, yours labor on what does not satisfy? Give ear and come listen, that you may live,” (Isaiah 55:2-3)

Today a friend and I went on a road trip into the city to do some shopping. As we pulled up to the department store parking lot, we saw two middle-aged men step out of a $100,000 Porche 911. I was telling her “who would spend that much money on a car.” all that money is gone and you can’t take it with you. I was curious about the emptiness they had in their soul. The car was a reflection of the driver’s ego. It says “I am better than you” or I am privileged.” What hole was he trying to fill in his soul.

The God Price

When we buy something in a store we pay at least what we think it’s worth or we wouldn’t buy it. Right? Nobody pays more than the think something’s worth or they wouldn’t buy it. Whatever we pay, we’re valuing the object we’re paying for it. It’s profound.

Look at Calvary. When you see those pieced hands, it means He paid for us with the life of His only begotten Son. He gave His own life. He loves us as much as He loves His own life! Not because we were worth it but because He loved us with the love that makes us worth it.

In view of that price, we must love Him as much or even more than our own life. How could we do any less? Love others as much or more than our own life. Because God so loved us that the price for you was Himself. Live your life in a way that was worthy of the price that Be paid.

A Life Worthy Of The Life Of God

I sometimes like to share songs that keep me uplifted or humble. This song is so different it’s by Jeremy Camp called This Man.

What Is Gratitude?