Apostle Paul makes a point in 1Cor. 15:31 that he dies daily. Dies daily you question? What does that mean to die daily? Rest assured he is not talking suicide. Apostle Paul was referring to that part of us that wants our way, when we want it, how we want it and NOW, our will. That flesh part of us, the old man wants his way but we need to be conformed to God's way and that requires some death of a sort. We have in the recent past seen WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) and death to self is choosing the WWJD way over your own fleshly desires.To get here we must first acknowledge we need a savior, if we haven't already accepted Jesus as Lord. Sometimes a religious background can hinder us from a personal salvation experience with the Lord. Being raised in church can gives a head knowledge, and intellectual knowing of God without us ever experiencing Him in our hearts. Some people even serve in the ministry without being born again. A friend of mine named Connie told me of a youth minister that she knew who led many people to the Lord. She had all the right words, was charismatic, a real soul winner. They went on many mission trips together and they knew each other well, or so Connie thought. A time came when Connie was unable to go due to time constraints and the missionaries had to go without her. She awaited eagerly for a phone call to tell her how things were going. The phone call finally came and she was astounded by what she heard. It seems that when the alter call came her friend and fellow soul winner had went forward to receive salvation. She later said, ' I was raised in church so I thought that made me a christian. I just realized tonight that I didn't know the Lord...'She had recognized that she had a need for a personal savior. You cannot see the kingdom unless you are born again. Not one of us is without sin. We all have fallen short and failed to live up to to God's requirements of holiness. Without Jesus we are sentenced to death, but because of Jesus sacrifice, God's free gift and the Holy Spirits work in us we can receive eternal life in place of the death we all deserve.
You must act on your conviction. This awakening I am talking about can not be just a mental acknowledgement or assent. You must repent, recognize that without a personal relationship with Jesus you are undone. You must acknowledge him as Savior. He is the way, the truth and the life, no man can come to GOD but through Him. Now that you have acknowledged your sin and Christ's standing as the only way you have to act on it, Receive it as it were. Remember, it is not just head knowledge. James 2:19 tells us the demons believe and tremble and we know where they are. SO if we know we are lost and Jesus is our only hope and fail to act on it we are like a patient who went to the doctor, got a prescription and failed to have it filled. The prescription for sin sickness is Repentance. Repentance is ongoing and involves change. Change includes turning away from those things that stands between you and the Father. Its is through repentance and the renewing of the mind from being washed in the blood of the Lamb that we become new creatures. God planned it, Jesus paid for it, and the Holy Spirit calls..and we must respond. You are born into the family of God through faith. By faith you believe God to honor His word, that if we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord we Shall be saved.Then again maybe you are one who accepted the gift of Salvation years ago and to you I ask firecracker or dud? I title this blogg this because it is coming up to the 4th of July and as most Americans our minds stray toward fire works.. Nothing is more thrilling that lighting a fuse of a firework component and seeing the bright colors and the loud bang and nothing is more pitiful than the phizzt of a dud. What has it got to do with is blogg you ask.. well Let me ask you, have you drifted, grown cold or plain ole backslid or have your grown weary? God as provided for you also. GO back to your first works...repent,confess to you the Lord, spend time in His presence and ask Him to renew your zeal. Open up your heart and walk daily with the Lord.Are you content with a lukewarm, sameo,sameo walk with God? Or are you ready to be a front line, on fire, Spirit walking, Spirit talking, firecracker for God? Firecracker or phizzt(dud)? Let freedom ring!
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