Repentance

Living in the Light of Jesus

“You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28 NIV).

When God lights up your life, He lights up your spirit with His glory. When you were outside of Christ you lived in spiritual darkness. God was a person you did not know, He had a voice you did not hear, and He worked in ways you could not see. Your spirit was like a candle in need of the flame of God’s love.

But when God places His light within you everything changes. The voice of God becomes discernible, the ways of God become understandable, the presence of God becomes enjoyable, the will of God becomes desirable, and the fellowship of God becomes delightful.

The beauty of being in the light and living in the light of God is that you can live in unhindered communion with Him.

In the darkest of the night,
when it’s most difficult to see,
I follow the light of Jesus . . .
It’s the only path for me.

He shines His light of goodness,
upon the narrow way.
He gives me Hope eternal,
at the break of each new day.

Whenever I’m lost and stumble,
without direction, and in despair.
I follow the light of Jesus,
knowing He’s the One Who truly cares.

Whenever afflictions strike me,
and I’m sick and feeling defeated;
I call upon His strength,
when mine is depleted.

Whenever trials and tribulations
seem to oppress and blind, so that I can’t see,
I follow the light of Jesus,
the only light which sets us free.

—-Sandra Lewis Pringle

Let The Kingdom Manifest Through You

Christ and The Pharisees

Image via Wikipedia

“Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23).

The gospel of the kingdom moves Jesus Christ into the center most part of your personality, your spirit, and your heart. He cannot be on the fringes of your life and be the king of your life.

When the King and His kingdom enter your life, they come with great power and authority. His government rules you, His words direct you: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all the other things which you want shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33),

His love motivates you: “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13),

His wisdom guides you: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group, and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”  They were using this question as a trap, to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

 at this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and sin no more.”

His grace frees you: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10),

And His heart draws you close to His: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

His kingdom has not come to hide within you, but that it may manifest through you. You can proclaim His kingdom to others by the way you live, by the choices you make, by the attitudes you express, and by the love you demonstrate.

Now is the time to recommit yourself to Jesus Christ

Every believer goes through a period when you feel the need to recommit yourself to Jesus Christ– not because you have drifted away from the faith, but because you have recognized the need to reach higher heights and deeper depths in the Spirit.

Almost everybody in today’s world owns a navigation system. And we all know when that thing is getting ready to change direction–it prompts you with the words, “re-calculating, re-calculating”. That is similar to what your spiritual navigator does. He prompts you when you have lost your sense of purpose, and are no longer walking in the Spirit of God.

You see folks, it is the Spirit who directs your footsteps, your thoughts and ultimately your entire being. Romans 8:9 states: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. Now if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. Paul is clearly telling you that the Spirit of God does not dwelleth in you at all times. Therefore, if the spirit of God is not dwelling in you, it is time to recommit and renew your covenant with God.

Will you join me in oneness of Spirit and recommit your life to God today?

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

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The purpose and process of “Repentance”

Baptism of Christ by Pietro Perugino, circa 1498

Image via Wikipedia

My earlier post talked about being born again and the process everyone has to go through. Today we will talk about repentance, another process in the born again experience.

Repentance:

The new birth cannot begin until repentance is sought by the person an event brought about by willing obedience to the call of the gospel. In response to Adam’s sin God has made provision through the gospel of Christ‘s birth, death and resurrection to resolve humanity;s problem of spiritual isolation from God and restore the lost communion and fellowship they once shared. This hope is made possible through two effects of the gospel, when presented to the lost by the work of the Holy Ghost. First, there is an awakening in the heart of the person upon hearing the gospel  that contrasts with an intellectual response. For example, on Paul’s mission trip through Thyatira, Luke recalls that a religious businesswoman, named Lydia, “heard us; whose heart the lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul” (Acts 16:14).

There may have been others present at the hearing, but the Holy Ghost was instrumental in awakening, or opening the heart of this particular woman in such a way that the gospel paul shared resonated as truth within her spirit. As a result, her entire family was saved and baptized. A second result of hearing the gospel is conviction, a certain sense of guilt and remorse over the sin condition awakened in one’s life by the spirit of God (John 16:8). This awareness heightens the consciousness of sin that is under God’s judgement, yet it enables a hope for deliverance from its power through redemption in Christ. These intrinsic properties of the gospel, pave the way for a personal response by the hearer.

Once conviction has brought to awareness the reality of personal sin and accountability, the message is either rejected or accepted. To reject the offer of salvation is to continue in spiritual isolation from God and risk the fate of  being eternally lost. On the other hand, to accept the hope of reconciliation with God demands repentance (Acts 2:38; 3:19) a requirement of salvation that includes two particular aspects: (1) An emotional condition of feeling deep sorrow and regret for personal sin (2 Corinthians 7:19), and (2) a willing act of confessing  and turning from a life of sin to one that pleases God..

Although the meaning of repentance denotes a reconsideration and changing of ways, one Old Testament scripture clearly brings this aim toward salvation into better understanding: “He that covereth sins shall not prosper; but whoso confessed and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Clearly, this concern for finding the mercy of salvation begins with sincere remorse from the awakened knowledge of a sinful heart. Its remedy requires, first, a confessing for personal responsibility for this condition and, second, a changing of direction from a life of sin to one of godliness. these aspects of a truly repentant heart make possible the opportunity for the Holy Ghost to do his necessary part in the new birth process.