Blogstream   -   Create a Blog!   -   Login Chat   -   Options   -   Clean   -   Flag   -   Family Filter: Off   -   Recent   -   Rndm >>    

 
My Guide to Loving Relationships

Archive for 200612     ( return to current blog )


 What God Cannot Do
 

Sex is pleasurable regardless whether it is illegitimate or legitimate. Just because something is pleasurable does not mean it is morally correct to do. God has borders, boundaries, and limitations. He cannot and will not condone that which is morally repulsive. And, he has spoken clearly concerning what is moral and immoral.

Murder, lying, cheating, and stealing will always be wrong in God’s eyes. Regardless what society says about them. Societies do not determine which acts are morally legitimate! God has already made his mind up on such matters and revealed his will. Societies, like individuals, must decide whether they will follow God’s rules or make up their own. Everyone will answer to God later. Individuals know these moral rules whether we want to admit that we know them are not. God set such moral codes deep inside our souls and consciences. Yet, when violated, our consciences can be seared over. Disregard these moral rules and your conscience may no longer offend you even though your actions are offensive to God.

God will hold everyone responsible for their individual actions. No one answers to me or to my conscience. All persons ultimately answer to God.

All sexual activity outside of God-ordained marriage is immoral. God-ordained marriage is only between one woman and one man who mutually agree to live legitimately as husband and wife. If formerly married, they must be legitimately divorced before they marry another or otherwise they will be living in sin and committing fornication.

Marriage is for life. Divorce is not in God’s plan for marriage. However, he does allow divorce for one cause: the case of a spouse committing fornication (sexual impurity) against the other spouse, allowing the innocent spouse to remarry.

Sexual sin is not like any other sin. Sexual sin is a sin against the body. Theft or lying is not. And, God will judge these matters strictly as he judges all sin.

God has spoken plainly on what is moral and ethical. Man gets to decide if he will live up to God’s will on such matters or make up his own rules to follow his lusts.

Sinners who are covered by the blood of Jesus will be forgiven (if they likewise have abandoned their willful sin). Those uncovered by the blood of Jesus will pay the full price for sin and rebellion. cannot continue an immoral lifestyle and expect God’s grace to forgive my willful disobedience.

God cannot forgive willful rebellion. He cannot. For that would violate his very nature. Something he cannot do.
Posted by Theophileous at 5:31 PM - 18 Comments   Add a Comment  
 

 Denominational Party Spirits
 

There is no more relevant topic today in relationships than the topic of Christian unity. As long as our Christian family stays divided, we send the wrong message to the world!

Is Christ divided? Never! It is we who are divided. Christ's original body, his universal church, is intact but we who believe in Jesus, we who trust entirely in Jesus for our salvation, and are obedient to him as Lord, continue to divide along party lines. As long as schisms exist among us, true Christian unity and fellowship on earth is impossible. We WILL be together over there! Why can we not get together here?

Regardless with which denomination you individually choose to affiliate, we are family, if you are a true believer in Jesus as God. However, we cannot properly demonstrate the unity of love and peace in Jesus and God as long as we exclude one another from fellowship and holy communion based upon, and along, denominational party lines.

Christ's prayer for unity, and the prayers for unity of all saints, cannot go unanswered! It must be addressed. This issue can no longer be ignored in the Christian world! We MUST unite in truth and love! Or else, truth and love do not appear to actually exist among us! I say this to our mutual shame.

Let me hear your ideas about how all denominations can once more unite along the lines of "the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace."

I have my own ideas. I'll share them with you later. For now, I want to hear from each of you.
Posted by Theophileous at 5:18 PM - 14 Comments   Add a Comment  
 

 Got Blood?
 

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is called, “making amends”. Read Matt 5: 23-34.

Here Jesus makes it clear that to be His disciple one is expected to live in truth. And, as we come closer to him, laying down our gifts (our lives) at his feet, we hear what he has says concerning our relationships.

As we offer our gifts, he brings to remembrance someone who has something against us. To continue in fellowship with Him, we must repair that relationship. To do so, we must take action.

“GO make amends. Be reconciled, then come back and offer your gifts to me. Make peace. First restore the relationship where you formerly did harm. Then, come back to me with your gift.” The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit live in perfect harmony. So must God’s people.

It is the same with our (sin) offenses against God. A just God demands a just sacrifice for atonement of sin. With God, blood is required for us to make our amends.

Jewish people wail at the wall of the temple. For without the temple they have no way to make amends to God. Little do they realize that the blood of bulls and goats is far insufficient for removing the sins of Man.

There is one perfect sacrifice for sins. It has already been made. All one must do, to make things right with God, is to accept that Jesus is God’s Son, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. His blood covers our sin when we believe in him.

If one does not believe, one is not covered by the blood. Without the blood, one will face the Holy God without proper atonement. They will be met with the full force of his wrath.

The blood of Jesus completely satisfies God’s just requirements for sin. There are no perfect people. But, there is a perfect sacrifice for those who wish to be perfect before a Holy God. The perfect sacrifice is the blood and body of Jesus hung on the cross.

At his death, Jesus proclaims, “It is finished.” The price was paid in blood!
Posted by Theophileous at 2:33 PM - 11 Comments   Add a Comment  
 

 We Be Brethren
 

People come in all different stripes. There are even different stripes for church people. As my generation used to say, “Different strokes for different folks.” But, is that really how it should be?

I didn’t choose the family into which I was born. Neither did I choose the church family into which I was born. I was born into Christ. HE chose me. He added me to HIS church. No one voted on whether I should be included. Who has that authority? What man or group of men decides who is “in” and “out” of relationship with God? God alone decides. He adds to his family. He rejects those who reject him. He chose us. We chose him. Chosen of him, we constitute his family. As they say in the coastal plains of Texas, "We be kin."

Those who truly repent, are immersed in water, and receive God’s Holy Spirit, belong to God. He adds each to his family. They are his church. It’s that simple.

The term church, as we use it today, is found NOWHERE in Scripture. The term “church” today refers to buildings and denominational titles and creeds! There were no church buildings and man-made creeds in the New Testament. Early Christians were united in doctrine. They worshipped together. They met in living rooms (or caves). They did not divide into denominational factions. (That came centuries later!) They had one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. They belonged to Christ. They WERE the church!

If you belong to God, you are family regardless whether you ever set another foot into a denominational church building! You are the church of Christ. Divided, you are just another Christian sect!

God’s family will dwell together in eternity. Why can we not unite here?

Let's stop dividing under popes, pastors, priests, and preachers! Division is not good for the family of God! Let's drop all the divisive creeds, religious titles, and denominational names and unite once more under Christ. Let's call ourselves by one name, the name given to followers of Christ in Scripture, the name “Christian.”

We belong to him. Our allegiance is first and foremost to the One who died for us. And, we are brothers and sisters.

So, let's love like it.
Posted by Theophileous at 1:03 PM - 7 Comments   Add a Comment  
 
Pages:   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
   
  About Me
Author: Theophileous
From Texas, USA
 
My: Profile  Gallery  Interests  Bio  Guestbook 
 
Bookmark   History

  Blogstream Sponsors
Have you checked out the new Blogstream site,

Question Stream.com?

Many Blogstream members are there already! Quotes from members: "It's like blog lite!" -- "I like the instant gratification!" -- "Stop spectating, get in the game!"

If you have not joined in, you are really missing out!

Send Free
Just Saying Hi
Greeting Cards
at

Greeting Cards.com


Good Morning


  Recent Posts

  Blogs I Like

  Archives

26372 Visitors