Thursday, Jul 24, 2008

TWG - July 24, 2008

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TWG - July 24, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Leviticus 10; Psalm 61; Acts 16:16-40

Today is July 24, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. We are doing something of eternal significance. We are redeeming the time. That is one of the basic premises of TWG. We believe that what we do every day is so important that we must do the important things each day. That is why we read the word every Day

Yes I did make it to engineer Ed’s house yesterday. After a few hours I took our boundary line adjustment to the Surveyors’ office! Today I will call for a final inspection on our new building! Evie and Marcia were at Church when I got there working on VBS stuff. We tried to decide where to put our opening and closing ceremonies. Bill & Helen stopped in with Helen’s sister Peggy to show her the Amphitheater and new building. I did some more work on Don’s memorial service video. I also did some calling about our Discovery Class BBQ and I talked to several people about music practice. I put a picture of Allan & Alyssa on the Blog at http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com. They are a couple I’m doing pre-marital counseling with. Check it out.

This week’s theme verse is 2 Peter 1:5-10 giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble

Let’s talk about the wayward Christian. In fact let’s say that “Wayward Wayne” exhibits the negative side of each of these eight godly characteristics in these verses. Instead of faith, Wayne doubts that God is really in control of all things. Instead of virtue, he has become immoral. He has stopped reading the word and shows little interest in Spiritual things. He flies off at the handle in anger and makes no attempt to control his emotions or passions. When difficulty comes he doubts that a Good God could allow them. He rarely prays and is distracted when he does come to church. He seemingly cares less about the needs of others and is always out for number one. I know a few “Wayward Waynes” and they are not happy people! They react bitterly to God and look miserable to me. I am amazed at the way God treats the wayward Christian. I know there are some who believe that if you don’t live right, God will “unchristianize” you. But that clearly contradicts this passage and a mountain of other texts. Rather than recharacterize Wayward Wayne as a wolf, the Bible pictures him as a straying sheep. Listen to what this says to the “lacking” Christian; he is “barren” and “unfruitful.” He is “shortsighted, even to blindness and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” He isn’t “sure” about his “call and election.” He has “stumbled.” That can’t be good! Being a son who is being disciplined by the Father in the woodshed of life has got to be one of the most wretched places on the planet! Without the 8 virtues of 2 Peter 1 Wayward Wayne is “shortsighted.” This is a really interesting word in the Greek. It pictures a proud blind man who puts up the smokescreen that he can see! It has to do with spiritual blindness. The second word “blind” is one which means that Wayne is nearsighted and has cataracts! He can’t see anything far away and what he does see is very dim, murky and blurred. He is doubly blind. Since he can’t see any further than the nose on his own face, he can’t remember that he was cleansed from his old sins. It seems so long ago that he experienced the joy of cleansing and rebirth. It is such a faint memory and so otherworldly that it seems like it relates to someone else. This is a sad and sorry state! There is nothing more pitiful and pathetic than a Christian who has strayed into sin. Wayward Wayne is the must unhappy of men in the entire universe. The Holy Spirit who lives inside him has filled his entire body with the anti-toxins of conviction. His whole being is reacting to this powerful convicting ministry. Don’t let waywardness happen to you! Remember the heights from which you have fallen and do the 8 virtues from 2 Peter 1. Snap out of it buddy!

Dear Spirit of God. I know that you are convicting me of my sin. I want to turn from my waywardness and walk with you in sweet fellowship once again! Please open my eyes so that I may see wonderful things from your word. I want to have the freshness of my conversion experience wash over me like forgiveness on a beautiful spring day. I want to get right and stay right with you!

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain

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