Pastor Dan Stevenson is Mission Pastor of New Heights fellowship in East Toledo, Ohio. This blog will be packed with thoughts and experience arising out of his life for Christ, his experiences as a father, his efforts to grow a family and a church.
Showing posts with label Salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salvation. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Alignment and Making a Difference
Clarity
Consider that sometimes, indeed often, it is hard to move forward with clarity. We move forward whether we like it or not. We do what we have to to get through another day. We eat and bathe and whatever is called for. That's cool. It's necessary and there's really not much of an alternative. However, we do what we do simply because we do.
Alignment
God wants to align our do with our be. We are, as they say, Human beings, not human doings. The basic thought is this. If we are driven by the events that compose a given day we become reactionary. God promises something considerably more potent and real. He asks us to become worshippers in Spirit and Truth. When we do we become something more than driven by time and passage of events. Eternal and an heir to all the universe, the Lord makes us able to proactively walk. To change the world toward God's will. To MAKE a difference rather than to be made by a difference.
Making A Difference
You were made to be something more. Jesus new this. He new it and wanted us to know it. It's part of the mystery that men needed to know and were restrained from seeing clearly until Jesus paid the ultimate price with His life. Now it's done and we are enabled to see and act accordingly. Now, those who ignore this are without excuse. Accept Christ, begin to live for the Lord and never look back because the Kingdom of God has come on earth for those who believe and receive.
Salvation is This.
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Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Trading your birthright
Many think being Holy (different from the world's standards and more Godly in your actions) is a task to be done or a "real challenge" but no, that's not what God says.
Indeed, according to Isaiah 35, the Highway of holiness is a birthright of Children of God. If you are a Christian, a follower of God, a member of God's family through Jesus Christ, God's Son then you have this birth right. You were born again (John 3:3) and were started on the Highway of Holiness. You were given this path as a birthright and it comes with a blessing at the end and protection/provision along the way.
But first, wy don't some who claim to have Christ seem to have the birthright of the Highway of Holiness? I'm not just making htis stuff up-read Isaiah 35 adn then read Genesis 25 where Esau trade his birthright for a bowl of soup. The bottom line is many trade their birthright for a moment's gratification or a bit of comfort. Easu wasn't really going to die right that instant and he could have eaten something else, perhaps something somewhat less to his liking and been fine. But, he said, in all the drama akin to mankind in general, If I don't get me some of that soup I'll surely die and then what good will the birthright be.
You can go without whatever the enemy tells you or even pursuades by life circumstance that you think you simply MUST have to survive. Even the essentials are often not as essential as we make them out to be. That being said, the man did what men are prone to do. He traded his birthright for a bowl of soup, some instant gratification and a bit of comfort-so he could FEEL alright.
People are still doing it today. That's why, even though Isaiah says we are safe on the Highway of holiness-Lions and dragons can not tread thereupon, we tend to stray off of the Highway of holiness and tary with those cute little distractions that suddenly become so important to us that we convince ourselves we can always "get back on" or that we simply MUST have that thing, or that situation in our lives, or that moment of FEELing okay.
I don't need that. You don't need that. God has given us what we need, our birthright and it ends in a great blessing. However, afterward when Esau went in to his father seeking the blessing there was no blessing even though he sought the blessing with tears and repentance (Read Hebrews 12.)
So, as Isaiah would say-Strengthen your weak hands (get busy serving God, stay busy serving God) and steady your feeble knees (Don't be afraid of or misdirected by or attracted to what lies off the path. This Highway of Holiness is your birthright if you are a child of God. You can do it!
The enemy can not touch you if you stay on the highway. But if you reach out to him or step off the brim he may get hold of you and repentance which is easy on the highway becomes difficult when you are off of it.
One last thing, God allows this to be so because in time there will be a great destruction of all that lies off of the highway. He does this so that the difference may be clearly seen between that which is of God and for God and that which is not.
Get where you belong, get on the highway of holiness and serve God without fear. You can. You were made for this.
Pastor Dan Stevenson Pastor New Heights Fellowship www.newheightsfellowshipchurch.org afamilyofgod@bex.net Director Life Station NWOBA overcomingevil@bex.net New heights urban church planting initiative in Toledo Ohio
Indeed, according to Isaiah 35, the Highway of holiness is a birthright of Children of God. If you are a Christian, a follower of God, a member of God's family through Jesus Christ, God's Son then you have this birth right. You were born again (John 3:3) and were started on the Highway of Holiness. You were given this path as a birthright and it comes with a blessing at the end and protection/provision along the way.
But first, wy don't some who claim to have Christ seem to have the birthright of the Highway of Holiness? I'm not just making htis stuff up-read Isaiah 35 adn then read Genesis 25 where Esau trade his birthright for a bowl of soup. The bottom line is many trade their birthright for a moment's gratification or a bit of comfort. Easu wasn't really going to die right that instant and he could have eaten something else, perhaps something somewhat less to his liking and been fine. But, he said, in all the drama akin to mankind in general, If I don't get me some of that soup I'll surely die and then what good will the birthright be.
You can go without whatever the enemy tells you or even pursuades by life circumstance that you think you simply MUST have to survive. Even the essentials are often not as essential as we make them out to be. That being said, the man did what men are prone to do. He traded his birthright for a bowl of soup, some instant gratification and a bit of comfort-so he could FEEL alright.
People are still doing it today. That's why, even though Isaiah says we are safe on the Highway of holiness-Lions and dragons can not tread thereupon, we tend to stray off of the Highway of holiness and tary with those cute little distractions that suddenly become so important to us that we convince ourselves we can always "get back on" or that we simply MUST have that thing, or that situation in our lives, or that moment of FEELing okay.
I don't need that. You don't need that. God has given us what we need, our birthright and it ends in a great blessing. However, afterward when Esau went in to his father seeking the blessing there was no blessing even though he sought the blessing with tears and repentance (Read Hebrews 12.)
So, as Isaiah would say-Strengthen your weak hands (get busy serving God, stay busy serving God) and steady your feeble knees (Don't be afraid of or misdirected by or attracted to what lies off the path. This Highway of Holiness is your birthright if you are a child of God. You can do it!
The enemy can not touch you if you stay on the highway. But if you reach out to him or step off the brim he may get hold of you and repentance which is easy on the highway becomes difficult when you are off of it.
One last thing, God allows this to be so because in time there will be a great destruction of all that lies off of the highway. He does this so that the difference may be clearly seen between that which is of God and for God and that which is not.
Get where you belong, get on the highway of holiness and serve God without fear. You can. You were made for this.
Pastor Dan Stevenson Pastor New Heights Fellowship www.newheightsfellowshipchurch.org afamilyofgod@bex.net Director Life Station NWOBA overcomingevil@bex.net New heights urban church planting initiative in Toledo Ohio
Labels:
Birthright,
evil spirits,
God's provision,
Highway,
Holiness,
Holy,
safety,
Salvation,
temptation,
trade off,
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