Forever...with Him

Why am I alive? Does my life matter? Does my life have purpose?

Have you ever asked these questions or questions like them? I have. Others have too. These questions have been asked for thousands of years prior to you and me asking them. Here is the answer. The truth - you and I are important and we do matter.

Here's why? God did not have to create you, He chose to. In essence, God said something like this about each of us, "I strongly desire to create _(your name)_, because it is my will for him/her to experience my love and know me personally." Now, if you and I were just a little important, God could have created us to just live for a short period of time. God could have created us in such a way so that when this life on earth was over that was it for us. But He went so far as to "plant eternity in our hearts". He created us to live forever. Think about it. God doesn't just want to spend 80 or 90 years with us; He wants to spend the rest of forever with us! God wants us to live forever...forever with Him!

Yes - you and I, and all of us - every single person is very important. We really matter. We are alive because there is a God who loves us and desperately wants us to know Him! Do you know Him? Are you experiencing His incredible love? Just know, He desires for you to. Trust Him.

Listen - grace is....God accepts us because of Christ. Faith is....us accepting that God accepts us because of Christ. And yes, we have a purpose for being alive. I like to say it like this, Gods purpose is not just to save us, but He also saves us for a purpose. Your purpose in this life is to prepare for the next life. Think of it....forever with Him!

Live well.

"CHARACTERISTICS OF A WARRIOR"

Have a pure heart! Have mercy! Be a peacemaker! Expect persecution! Hunger and thirst for righteousness! Wow - this is warrior talk in case your wondering. Christ is detailing the characteristics of someone filled with the Holy Spirit and engaged in warfare. Let's look at them briefly to get a feel. This is good stuff!

Characteristics of a WARRIOR:

1. SENSES real needs - Matt. 5:3

The real Warrior senses their deepest needs and has them met by the one person who can - God! This is that perfectly balanced Warrior who recognizes "without Christ I can do nothing" BUT "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". Theirs is the kingdom of God!

2. SHARES emotionally - Matt. 5:4

Warriors share emotions that channel change in themselves and ignite change in others! Don't be mistaken - this is not shallow emotionalism. This is the real deal - the genuine response to God intervention on mans helpless state. Real Warriors are open with their emotions and this is something that confounds the wise and strong of this world. This is good warfare!

3. SHOWS inner strength - Matt. 5:5

To conquer poisonous passions and tame wild thoughts is the Warriors "inner strength". Not only this, as wonderful as it is - it goes further and gets better. Their inner strength guides them in clear thinking and visionary movements to help create a future of good. He inherits the earth! Their mighty influence on others is anointed by the mighty influence the Holy Spirit continually has on them.

4. SEEKS God's righteousness - Matt. 5:6

They are bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1)! Those who stand in the righteousness of Christ always are. They don't trust their own goodness or morality. They are good and moral, but that is not the source of their confidence - but the result of being filled Gods righteousness - who is the ultimate, undefeated, unending WARRIOR! They LIVE righteously because they ARE righteous! Don't be mistaken however, its not their own righteousness, but its the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ that they wear! They live with the conscience reality of being accepted and pleasing to God through their child-like faith in Christ! This is strong Warrior language! Those Warriors on the front line always wear well the breastplate of Christ-righteousness! They defeat the enemy every time - when he points to their imperfections and deep flaws - they point him to the blood of Jesus Christ and His finished work alone! The tactics of the enemy test their faith and strengthen it at the same time! What their enemy mean for evil against them God uses it for their good!

5. SOOTHES others wounds - Matt. 5:7

Warriors are not afraid of being tainted by the wrongs and weaknesses of others around them. They restore those overtaken in sin with Christ. They forgive those who have wronged them. They have special abilities to bring healing in seemingly impossible situations. There goal is reconciliation and restoration. They understand the process of healing. The understand that "hurting people hurt people" and freely pardon when attacked. They also understand that "merciful people heal people". Mercy is not giving people what they deserve when it would wound them or condemn them. Warriors give others in their time of need what God gave them in their time of need! Warriors give guilty people what they need most by not giving them what they deserve most - mercy! Mercy soothes wounds - and myriads of people are carrying wounds everyday all around us and need what they don't deserve - MERCY! Fight the good fight - Warriors show mercy!

Live well.

"Mighty In God"

I can remember a time in my life when I struggled greatly with thoughts about whether or not I was saved. I can still recall the confusion and feelings of anguish of simply not knowing and believing my forgiveness hinged on every detail of my life - there was such condemnation and guilt.

Do you struggle from time to time with feelings of unworthiness? Do you ever doubt whether your life is really pleasing to God and feel that it's not? For example, what about your prayer life - do you ever feel guilty or condemned about not praying enough? The truth is, if you're like me, you too struggle from time to time in some area of your life with feelings of unworthiness or doubt in relation to God and His acceptance of you.

Gods Word has a lot to say about this subject. As a matter of fact, other than the message of salvation itself, this particular topic is the subject of conversation as much or more than any other. Paul and other writers call it "the Law". Paul says that living under the Law is when we try to measure our acceptance with God by what we do or don't do. It's me doing certain things and enough of them which draws me closer to God and then measuring myself by how well and how much I did or did not do those things.

In fact, the whole letter to the church at Galatia is centered around this theme and it is heavily sprinkled in all the other letters as well. In summarizing Paul's words to the Galatian church, he is teaching them that when you live your life that it will cause you to live under the dominion of sin but when you live under grace you will experience the power and freedom of the Holy Spirit.

Recognize a couple of things...

1. The Law is when you think and live like what you do and how much good you do determines whether or not God accepts you and blesses you.

2. The Word of God teaches that "the Law" is the strength of sin. In other words, as long as you live your life that way, you will consistently experience the defeat of sin dominating you.

3. Grace is Gods answer to the power of sin in our lives. Paul writes in Romans 6, "Sin shall not have power over you, for you are not under the law but under grace."

We will pick up here next time. You are probably wondering how you begin to live under grace and not under the law so you can experience the freedom and power of the Holy Spirit in your life. We will get there soon.