Our Riches in Christ

READ | Romans 8:28-30

Yesterday we began looking at the riches of grace that are ours in Christ. As we did, we began to see how truly wealthy we are. We have been chosen, redeemed, justified, united with God, and made citizens of heaven. But there is even more to include on our list.

Jesus told the disciples that His departure would actually benefit His followers—then He could send the third member of the Trinity to indwell each believer (John 16:7). Upon salvation, we are given the Holy Spirit, who seals us as God’s child, comforts us in our pain, and teaches us how to live righteous lives.

Through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, we are becoming increasingly like Jesus, which is another blessing from the Lord. His Spirit transforms us from the inside out and produces godly fruit in our life (Gal. 5:22-23). He also empowers us to choose righteous living and break unholy habits.

Another amazing blessing for Christians is access to the throne of grace. At any time, we can enter into God’s presence through prayer and worship. Resurrection and glorification are two other treasures for the child of God. Just as the Savior’s body was resurrected, our bodies will likewise be raised; in heaven, they will be made perfect, and we will be free from sin’s presence forever.

Our wealth in Christ far surpasses anything this world offers. Don’t let yourself be seduced by earthly thinking which values comfort and pleasure above all else. Instead, treasure who you are in Christ and what you have been given. When you do, peace and contentment will become yours.

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God Bless and have a great weekend!!!

Times of Worhsip 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM Eastern Every Sunday.

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God Bless,

Jason

Loneliness: Part of the Game Plan

By Tim Alan Gardner

Lonely.

What comes to mind when you hear that word? It doesn’t usually conjure up a picture of a stadium with several thousand cheering fans. However, as a counselor, I find that the vast array of emotional responses to the idea of loneliness are as varied as responses to “How do you feel about the Chicago Cubs?” There are, of course, people who couldn’t care less about the Cubs, others who are closet-fans (these admit their preference only if the team is winning), and then there are fans. It doesn’t matter that it’s been almost 100 years since the Cubs won the World Series; they believe that next year will be theiryear.

Regardless of your feelings about the Cubs (or even baseball for that matter), every person falls somewhere on that spectrum. In a far more serious vein, everyone falls somewhere on the continuum of loneliness as well.

Perhaps the idea of being lonely sounds absurd to you. You’re surrounded by people everywhere you go. You’re married, have kids, and are meaningfully involved your church or small group. Not only do you never see yourself as lonely; you’re more likely to be longing for time alone! My friend Blake jokingly put it this way: “I have all the friends I can manage. If I added you, I’d have to get rid of someone else.”

Then there are those of you who know well the pain of loneliness, but would never admit it. Telling someone that you feel lonely would make you look like a loser or a weakling. The path you choose to escape the pain of relationship emptiness could range from workaholism to a variety of escapes and even addictions. It could be overindulgence in TV, web-surfing, Internet chat rooms, sports, alcohol, etc. If others express that they are lonely, you may admit to it also—say, in a Bible study, when it feels more like rooting for the winning team with everyone else. But for the most part, you suffer in shame and silence, with that vague, dull hope that maybe “this year” will be a good season.

And then there are those of you who are lonely, know it, and don’t care who else finds out. You’ve “been there, done that, and got the T-shirt.” You’re desperately seeking a remedy for the ache and will tenaciously track any path that promises an end to your loneliness: changing jobs, churches, or friends; attending any workshop, class, or retreat; joining any group, dating service, or club. In the end, however, your hopes for a cure to the pain seem about as likely as, well, this finally being the Cubs’ year.

Those of you who fall into the first or second category may be thinking this article is really just for that third group of individuals. But here’s the news: loneliness is a universal dilemma. Whether you’re attuned to it or not, it’s everyone’s problem. Barbara Streisand was wrong—people who need people are not “the luckiest people in the world”; they’re the only people in the world.

In the Beginning

You may recall from the Creation story the first “not good” that God uttered: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him” (Genesis 2:18 NLT). Up to this point, everything God had fashioned was “good,” but now, as Adam stood by himself in the Garden, the Creator pointed out that something was missing. Loneliness was present. Before we move on to the answer that He provided, there’s an important question here that often gets overlooked: Who created loneliness?

God did.

Think about it: Adam was in the perfect Garden of Eden. Sin still hadn’t entered the human race; the first human being had perfect fellowship with God—he could walk and talk with his Creator in paradise. Yet he was lonely. It was at this point that Eve, the Woman, was created to complement Adam, the Man. God’s response to the problem of loneliness wasn’t that Adam needed to pray more, have more frequent devotions, or give more money to the local church—all important things, but not the answer here. By His own design, God’s solution was, amazingly, outside Himself in the form of another person.

If you aren’t married and want to be, you might be reading this and immediately jump to the conclusion that marriage is the answer to your struggle with loneliness. But the truth is that if you’re married and are looking to your spouse to fulfill all your emotional needs, you’ll still be lonely. There’s a deeper truth in this opening chapter of the human race’s story: Adam and Eve show us our God-formed need to have other human beings with whom we can experience deep, soul-touching, authentic relationship.

Ever since the Garden of Eden, the cry of the human heart has always been this: to know and be known and to love and be loved. We want people to truly know us and love us for who we are. And we long to have someone we can know deeply (warts and all)—someone to whom we can offer the divine gift of choosing to love.

The Quest for Intimacy

Do you have genuine relationships with others who really know you? Or have you settled for pseudo-authenticity, finding safety in relationships where you spend lots of time together but know only surface details of each other’s lives?

One sad reality of our current cultural landscape is that many people know more life details about the characters on their favorite TV show than about their neighbors or possibly even the individuals they live with. The illusion is subtle yet powerful: we think that if we know personal details about someone else’s life, he or she must know us as well. So, wanting to know more about others—whether talented athletes or fascinating actors—we devour talk shows, magazines, and other media, and think we’re experiencing intimacy. One of the great lies of pornography is the illusion that the person posing or performing is doing so just for the spectator viewing the photo or film. Even though this immoral pastime is such an extreme violation of God’s desire for our lives, many people pulled into this trap think they’re experiencing a sense of intimacy—however false it may be—which is what their heart is longing for.

Don’t miss that word: false intimacy. Our Creator designed our hearts and souls to long for true intimacy, not just with Him, but with other people. But genuine intimacy is a two-way street—to know and be known; to love and be loved. Distractions and superficial interaction only temporarily give us the illusion of a meaningful life or even an escape from pain. But our deepest desires can never be nourished by things that lack the power to satisfy fully.

A Complete Plan

Contrary to the “you complete me” mantra of romance novels and movies, before you can truly forge a strong, intimate relationship with another person, you must find your wholeness in God. The apostle Paul writes, “For in Him (Jesus) all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete” (Colossians 2:9-10). God didn’t design us to need other people in order to be whole. Our wholeness, purpose in life, and salvation—as well as our deepest questions of Who am I? and Why am I here?—are answered in Christ and Christ alone. Then, out of our completeness in Him, we can experience intimacy with others because, from a position of strength in Christ, we are able to give love and acceptance. As God makes us whole, we become capable of offering to others what the world so desperately desires: true, authentic love.

In knowing and being known and in loving and being loved, you and I can literally change the world. We are surrounded by lonely people who are dying to be known, even if they realize that God already knows everything about them and loves them. By giving the gift of authentic relationship, we can, as God’s messengers, provide healing and life to others as well as to ourselves.

Consider this: it’s hardly by accident that the strongest longings of our heart find fulfillment in living out what Jesus called the greatest of God’s laws: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV).

Now that’s something to stand up and cheer about.
The Naked Soul by Tim Alan Gardner

Here are a couple of Scriptures that I found while surfing.  God bless everyone.

“Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”
Psalms 119:11

“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”
Proverbs 28:13

“For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Romans 6:14

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:12, 13

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
Ephesians 6:10-11, 16

“For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”
Hebrews 2:18

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:14-16

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
James 1:2-3, 12

“Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”
James 1:13, 14

“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:6-7

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”
1 Peter 5:8-9

“Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation.”
2 Peter 2:9a

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
1 John 4:4

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty.”
Jude 24-25a

We at times may fall but remember Jesus is always there to help us get-up!  Remember to put the whole Armor on!  Recognize who you are in Christ  Matthew 5:14-16

“Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.”
Psalm 37:8

“A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated.”
Proverbs 14:16-17

“He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.”Proverbs 14:29

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Proverbs 15:1

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.”
Proverbs 16:32

“Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.”
Ecclesiastes 7:9

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”
Matthew 5:22-24

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Matthew 6:14

“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord. ‘BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:19-21

“BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger.”
Ephesians 4:26

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:31-32

“But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.”
Colossians 3:8

“For we know Him who said, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.’ And again, ‘THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.’”
Hebrews 10:30

“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does notachieve the righteousness of God.”
James 1:19-20

God Bless,

Your B.I.C (Brother In Christ)