66. Having the Courage of Your Convictions. 1 Cor 4:4.

What are your convictions? And why should you live by them? Convictions are the mental attitudes that we believe, understand, agree with and choose to live by. These should be closely connected and directed by a well informed conscience. I believe to lead a peaceful life we need to have both, a well informed conscience, and live by our subsequent convictions. If we are Christians, with a consistent prayer life, God’s Holy Spirit will lead, guide and protect us as we build our convictions. The very first of which should be-:Will what I am about to do or say Glorify God or gratify me and my fleshly attitudes, instincts and lusts ? Answering that question truthfully may not always keep us out of trouble, but, it will always keep us under the protection of God. And “If God is for us who can be against us.” So our moto ought to be TRUTH. We have a God-given duty and responsibility to seek out truth, get convicted and live by it In Daniel (1:8) we read, Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank” This particular wine and food was offered to pagan gods as an act of worship, and for Daniel that was incompatible with his convictions. He was being asked to compromise his character and for Daniel that was unacceptable. Seeing he was so far away from home, and he could do as he pleased; nobody at home needed to know whether he followed God’s Word or not. But he still wouldn’t do it, Daniel could have complied and done as the king wanted, so, if he had chosen to say yes to the king’s order and could do as he pleased. Nobody back home would ever have to know it. Plus, if he didn’t eat it, he would be insulting the king – not a good career move! But, Daniel knew God’s word was clear when it came to idol worship, and God blessed Him for it. He ended up being protected, preserved and promoted in unthinkable ways. His philosophy was--; When God says Yes, I say Yes. And when God says No, I say No. and he had this convictions long before he came to Babylon. Here’s a question, Have you established what your core convictions are? Have you spent the good times determining what you will and wont do in the hard times? If not, you need to. Daniel’s friends probably told him, No body will know. But his thinking was, God will know, and so will I. ‘I don’t have to live with you, but I do have to live with me’. Your thoughts and ideas must always be open to change and improvement, but your core convictions must be non-negotiable So live by your convictions. They will form your character. Daniel was forced to decide whether he was going to be a conformer or a transformer. What’s the difference? You ask, Pressure! Pressure controls a conformer.’ If you place enough pressure on them they will cave in’ . If you put enough pressure on them they will smoke the first joint, they will take the first drink, they will do, think and say what everybody else is doing thinking and saying. But a transformer is governed by principals. You may say “Living that way is very demanding.” Yes, it is, and it’s very protective as well, God knows better than we do, how to avoid pain, frustration and destruction in our lives. Because He sees the cliffs edge clearer than we do, He places guardrails next to the drop-off point, and when we follow His commands we avoid heartaches, pitfalls and loss of reputation. Daniels refusal to eat the kings food was not a matter of his diet, but of his dedication to God. Now, I am not advocating the idea of “let your conscience be your guide,” No! Your conscience is not always a good and perfect guide. Just because you don’t think something is wrong, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think it could be wrong. (Perhaps further guidance is required) Your conscience can be damaged or burned. The Bible in (1 Timothy 4:2) speaks of “ (your) conscience being seared with a hot iron” and Paul writes in (1Corinthians 4:4) “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is The Lord who judges me” Nevertheless, the conscience should be your first port of call when faced with a difficult decision. Rarely will you make a good choice to do something if you know doing so will take your conscience on a dreaded guilt-trip . So set your convictions on The Bible and live by them. That’s the safe way to go. Jesus said:”He who is not against Me is for Me”. And in anther place He said:- “Whoever stands up for Me before man, I will stand up for him before my Father in Heaven”. So let’s get of that fence, and have the courage of our convictions, because being neither Hot nor Cold will make Jesus sick and cause Him to vomit us out of His mouth. Some questions to ask yourself. What are my convictions on:- Alcohol, Drugs, Sex before marriage, Divorce Abortion, Euthanasia, Tax evasion, Tithing, Gambling, LGBTQ. Trans Genderism, kidnapping, Child trafficking etc. Think very seriously about these things and get convicted. These are very real issues and problems in our world today and God expects His people to stand-up and defend His laws at every opportunity instead of keeping quiet which is taken to mean we are condoning what is taking place. Think about it!!! Thank you for reading my thoughts on “Having the Courage of our Convictions, living and standing up for them.” That’s what Jesus said, did and lived by. If they are ‘Bible Based’ and “God Trusted ‘ you will, “By the Power of The Holy Spirit” lead a Godly life of honesty and integrity like Daniel did. Then you will be trusted and honoured by both God and your fellow human beings And that’s what will matter in the end. God bless us all as we try to live the life of Integrity to which we were called. Phaline

65 MADE RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH. 2 Corinthians 5:21

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Read that verse again and understand it. Righteous means “Right with God” It is an amazing and life changing truth. The God who made His sinless Son to ‘be sin’ takes unrighteous people ie. people like us who are not right with God, and makes them ‘righteous’ or right with Him. How does it happen? By what we say or do? NO, By Faith. ie. by believing! That’s how people are counted as Righteous or right in God’s eyes. Not by their speech or anything they say, think, do or don’t do, but because of their belief (Faith) in God who forgave us all our sins when His Son Jesus suffered and died on that cross and paid the debt our sins incurred This Righteousness is not about behaving the - right way; it’s about believing the right way. Actually, It is impossible to become righteous in God’s eyes through human effort or by keeping the law. You become righteous ONLY by believing in Jesus Christ, and trusting in His finished work on the Cross. There is no other way. Why? Because in our inadequacy, we could never make up to God or compensate Him in any way for the damage our sins have done. To a Holy and perfect God. This could only be done by God Himself, and He did it, by sending His perfect, sinless Son The second person of the Holy Trinity, who paid the full price (every drop of His blood) required to bring us back to Himself. That is called our redemption or (buying back) So that we could enter in to His Glory with Him. You say,”I feel so guilty when I sin.” And so you should, it’s a good deterrent! But, Christ took away all your sins; therefore He took away all your guilt as well.. So what are you feeling? Inner conflict! Your regenerated spirit lives, and it reacts the same way your natural body reacts to something harmful, sin feels foreign to the new you, and when you indulge in it, the pleasure it brings is brief and the aftermath is bad. In essence your spiritual boundaries have been violated, and your regenerated spirit is telling you that you can’t indulge in sin any more. The old you could have indulged in sin and enjoyed it, but the new you can’t, because you are ‘a new creation in Christ’ see (1.Corinthians 5:17).”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come, the old has gone the new is here:.” So rejoice! Today God sees you as ‘righteous’ Therefore you can approach Him with complete confidence. See (Ephesians 3:12) “In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence”. In Romans (4:5) we read “Their faith was credited to them as righteous” ie. accepted by God, There are two ways people think they can become “righteous” The first is through trying, and the second is through trusting. Now, when you try to gain God’s approval by your performance, regardless of how great it may be, how long it takes you , or how many times you do it, you will never rest, because you will never be sure if you have done enough to please Him. But, when you place your trust in Christ’s Finished and completed work on the cross. (Which is called Redemption or buying back) The Bible says you enter into God’s rest. See Hebrews (4:3) “Now we who have believed, entered God’s rest, just as God said.” Paul writes, If anyone is in Christ, the new creation (something that didn’t exist before) has come; the old (appetites and actions) have gone. The new appetites and actions is here (2 Corinthians 5:17) . You don”t have to struggle to be seen as righteous in God’s eyes. The moment you place your trust in Jesus God makes you the righteousness of God (In Christ) (2 Corinthians 5:21) Why did He do it that way? Because any righteousness we could achieve through good works and keeping rules falls so far short of what He requires that He sees them as “Filthy rags” see (Isaiah 64:6) So God credited His righteousness to you and me.(2 Corinthians 5:18). Paul writes “David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who were declared righteous without working for it: ‘O what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight… whose record the Lord has cleared of sin. (Romans 4:6-8)” Hymnist Edward Mote wrote these words:-- Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne. On Christ, the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” Now rejoice, That’s how God sees you and me, -today, made righteous by faith. Thank you for reading my thoughts on “Being made righteous by faith. Sometimes Theological and Religious terminology are confusing and misunderstood by new Christians, please don’t let that stop you from asking questions. Your Pastor and church leaders are only too happy to help. Keep up your prayer for God’s mercy which leads us all to His glorious throne of Grace. God bless Phaline.

64. To Whom Do You Turn. Ecclesiastes 4:10

God never meant for us to “fly solo”. We all need help and encouragement from time to time, but be careful who you turn to. 1. Don’t go to someone who can’t handle your problem. By sharing your situation with them you may experience temporary relief, but what if they are not mature enough to handle it? Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones ...to sin...better...a millstone be tied around his neck and he be thrown into the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6). 2. It’s Okay to turn to a proven friend as long as they are spiritually mature. The Bible says “A true friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity”. (Proverbs17:17) But you must know they are a true friend. Peter writes, “Love covers over a multitude of sins” (1Peter 4:8). Someone who truly loves you will pray for you and walk with you until you have the victory. And when you are on the wrong path, they wont cover up or make excuses for you – but will hold you accountable. 3. When possible turn to a “Spiritual father or mother, I think we should all have someone who is older, wiser and has more experience of life than we have, because not all problems are spiritual, but, all problems can be dealt with spiritually. And when we know we have God dealing with our problems,we can be sure of success. Paul writes “You might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many Fathers.”(1 Corinthians 4:15). 4. Think of a good parent’s attributes. They correct, but never condemns you. They wont give up on you. Their evaluation of you is based on your best qualities rather than on your worst. Instead of reacting negatively to your failures, they recognise your potential and keep on working with you. So ask God to-day for a spiritual father or mother, and stay in regular communication with them. We all have times in our past which we are ashamed or embarrassed about, some were sinful, and some were not, yet they keep popping up and confronting us, “Beware and say a prayer” this is one of Satans tools to keep us from getting too close to God. We regret those times. And wish we could press the delete button. Don’t keep brushing it under the carpet, “Deal With It”. In Psalm (32:5) we read “I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to The Lord’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” When you are struggling with a stubborn habit or addiction you will find strength in the right support group. And when you need help don’t be ashamed or too embarrassed to reach out and ask for It. But be careful to whom you confess your sins! The Lord is the only one who can forgive and take away the guilt of your sins. One Bible teacher put it like this: “Never discuss anything that you want someone else to forget.’ Your words make thoughts permanent; They give life and longevity to everything discussed. Arguments would die and conflicts would cease, except your words sustained them. Words breath life into everything ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its’ fruit’(Proverbs 18:21). And words can wound .. “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; and they go down to the inmost parts’(Proverbs 18:8). You can’t stop others from talking about you, but don’t give them information you may want them to forget. And never give unnecessary information that requires, demands or inspires the pursuit of further questions. Be cautious about confessing your mistakes. Your attempt to be open may be very sincere, But your mistakes may loom larger in their memory than the lesson you’ve learned and are trying to share with them. Certainly there are times when additional information and clarification are advisable, beneficial and even necessary, but you must be wise. Focus on your future, not on your past. And never say anything you don’t want repeated for the rest of your life. Prayer is your ultimate refuge, If you are truly sincere God’s Holy Spirit will come to your help, He is our Advocate, and Advisor, trust in Him. He will lead you along the path of true healing. Thank you for reading my thoughts on “knowing whom to trust. I hope and pray you get something out of them. May The Holy Spirit of God lead you to the ever loving arms of Jesus where you will find peace and rest for your souls. God Bless Phaline.

63. Let Them Go. Jonah 1:12.

Most of us have people in our lives who shouldn’t be there. It’s a mistake to cling to someone when God is telling you to let them go. Until you obey God, the storm you are in will keep getting worse, as in the case of Jonah. The Bible says; “The sea was getting more tempestuous. And Jonah said to them ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know...This great tempest is because of me’ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous...Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, Oh Lord, please don’t let us perish for this man’s life and do not charge us with innocent blood, for You, Oh Lord, have done as it pleases You.” So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Just as He had a plan for Jonah,God has a plan for the Jonah’s you’re dealing with, and it just may require them to hit rock bottom before they are raised up again. And as long as you keep trying to rescue them, God’s plan is being thwarted and or delayed Jonah’s problem wasn’t that he didn’t love God, but, that he didn’t trust God enough and therefore didn’t want to carry out His will. Sometimes God’s will for us is hard to understand, and even harder to do, but, God stretches our commitment, love and trust; to test our true reliance on Him, Didn’t He do the same with Abraham and his son Isaac?. We have to learn, God’s will takes priority over our plans and wishes, even if He has to resort to extreme measures to get man’s attention and push him towards his destiny as in the case of Jonah, so that the city of Nineveh could be saved. You have no idea what God has in mind for the person God is asking you to let go of. If they are one of His redeemed children, He wants to prosper them, (see Jeremiah 29:11) “For I know the plans I have for you declares The Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future...” That’s why He wants to save them – so let them go. There are people in life we get along with well, and other people we don’t. And in some cases we are not supposed to! Now, let’s be clear; we are not talking about being unloving, insensitive or divisive. Paul says “Do all that you can to live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18) We are talking about people who God specifically tells us to brake away from. When it comes to those who don’t belong in your life, here are two things to consider. (First), there’s the revelation. The Bible says,”They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us...If they had...they would have remained...but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John, 2;19) Just like you can’t fit a square peg in a round hole, or mix oil and water, there are people who simply don’t belong in your life. (Second). There’s the separation: Paul said, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers... What fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the Temple of The Living God. As God has said “I will live with them...walk among them..I will be their God and they will be my people.” Therefore, come out from them and be separate...And I will receive you”… “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). So spend time with God and use some of that time to sit quietly in His presence and listen. He will speak, through His Word, or another Christian or something you happen to read and sometimes just a small voice in your head, or perhaps a dream or a vision. And when He tells you a relationship is not right for you whether Business, social, financial or romantic listen and obey. He knows what’s best for all concerned and in every circumstance. Thank you for reading my thoughts on letting go and trusting God. He really does take care of things when we let Him. God Bless Phaline