Being Approved by God - A Passionate Relationship Through Love, Surrender, Obedience and Intimacy!

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We are told in 2 Timothy 2:15 to "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Other versions read study to show yourself approved unto God."

We all want approval from one another to reinforce our self-worth, it's part of being human. I know people who are paralyzed in their mind, unable to move forward in life and almost all of them Christians, seeking pathetically for all kinds of approval every moment of their lives to enable them to temporarily feel better. When we start looking for approval at every corner to quantify who we are and our self -worth, we leave behind the Christian life and walk in the flesh with an obsession that takes control over our lives and before we know it the Holy Spirit is nowhere to be found within, because we have allowed this beast to take over our lives. What's deplorable is that it doesn't have to be this way and when we study the word of God we find that He has not forgotten anything; everything we need for this life has been included in Scriptures for our benefits.

I suspect one of the reasons we fail as Christians to observe what we are told in 2 Timothy 2:15, is because we have been duped and bought into that diluted Christianity we have come to know in the twenty-first century, while we are advised in Colossians 2:8 not to get caught up and to beware not to be taken captive by anyone through their philosophy as well as empty deceit. Approved unto God, when we look into the meaning deeper we realize there's a component of the word approved that calls for us to be tried by God so we can become acceptable by His standards holy and righteous people finding favor in His sight. It is of the utmost importance that we understand, being approved unto God has nothing to do with how good or bad we are, or how awesome is our career or our status nor our material possession. What matters is how well we receive His words within as they become part of who we are through the transformation process as God weaves them inwardly into our daily lives. It's about living a sacrificial steadfast life of intimacy with Him through the joy, the learning process, the real experience of being filled with Him, the loneliness of the soul as you go through the narrow gate.

It's also about the destruction that is taking place inwardly as He rebuilds us anew. We experience the joy of the Holy Spirit in our heart, the agony of the dark night of the soul, the pain of being humiliated inwardly and outwardly by Him before the gift of humility is wrought in; the learning process taking place at His feet that makes you feel your mind is exploding as you focus and try very hard to spiritually keep up with the Holy Spirit; the soul that cannot be quenched, the passion that if God does not slow it down for you it will cause your heart to explode, the realness of the Spirit and soul within, and so forth. All of these things that are part of the process of being transformed as little Christ, at least those who truly pledge allegiance to the King, we go through them right here and now to prepare us for life in Heaven. The Christian life that is pleasing to Him is a life of intimacy based on living His word with complete obedience and total abandonment to Him.Then He speaks to our soul and gives us the seal of approval. This approval of His, you carry it with you and it permeates your soul, day in day out and nothing in this world can be compared to it, then you become conscious of how pathetic you were when you were seeking for puny beings approval for your self-worth when you have a God bigger than the universe can contain telling you well done my child I have found delight in you. Who cares about man's approval after such experience?

Aspiring writer who has learned true Christianity at the feet of God through brokenness and seven years of unending and excruciating wilderness process that left the soul undone!
Copyright 2012
Jesse Andre
brokenness70@gmail.com
http://www.apprehended.ca/

Ephesians 4:20-21 "But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus"

I LIVE TO KNOW YOU LORD!

Rediscover yourself with spiritual clothes

Spirituality focuses on the field of the personnel. It is a very private space which is a link to the manufacturer. For many, the essence of spirituality being deprived, this is a case of rarely discussed. Others wear their hearts on their sleeves and openly show their inclinations to the world. Spiritual clothing is great for these sections of people who show their love for the creator with momentum. Many among these believe by presenting their own beliefs moral and social casually, although with a spiritual bent to them.

The concept of these garments is working on a different plan, where these clothes become those metaphorical, meaning some traits of improved character you put on. Spiritual clothing has attained great popularity over the years and there is widespread varieties to choose from all corners of the globe. Religious symbols in the philosophical or moral statements to images of God and words celebrating the creator, there are countless options for your account. The popularity of these garments can be attributed not only to their new concept, but for them as a form of expression. Clothing we are one of the key devices that define his individuality as well as indicators of the taste sense and fashion. Clothing are two impregnated of spirituality that they highlight your own personal ideologies and create eye-catching style statements.

Many clothes have slogans written on them often advocating values such as love, peace and kindness. Another advantage may be attracted to the port that you can inspire or influence others through your personal alignment with the values of the universal world. Wearing spiritual clothing could do its bit for the company in this regard as well. With hostilities and violence increases around the world, establish harmony can be considered a primary objective for companies everywhere in the world and this is where the clothes play an essential role.

If you are a person with an eclectic bent of mind, there are options galore for your needs. There is a Sanskrit slogans, spiritual quotes, representations of the Buddha, Yin and Yang and the lines of the famous poets and philosophers like Rumi poetry.

However, this type of clothing can also be interpreted metaphorically as the clothes that are not available in stores or traps still symbols for the virtues. It is peace, forgiveness, strength, courage, dignity, the charity, simplicity, and purity among others. By putting, we remove the negative elements like anger, pride, jealousy, greed and malice of our souls.

Keeping a dog today values solid core eat dog scenario is difficult, and so, by channelizing body and mind, one can reach the State above by donning his spiritual clothes and throw all the defects and barriers through a thorough review of the car. Thus, as seen, spiritual clothing go further than simply help stand out you from the crowd. They symbolize the agreement with the manufacturer and the materialist philosophy, with being apt social platforms to highlight the spiritual beliefs of the wearer.

If you are difficult to find a clothing store perfect for clothing spiritual, you can approach God Bless Our Hands. They are spiritual and religious clothing. For more information, you can visit online them at: http://www.godblessourhands.com/.

Christianity - What's In It for Me?

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Jesus and the Apostles always had one purpose in mind - to advance the kingdom of God by establishing His rule in the lives of believers and drawing others into His family. None of the Apostles ever made reference to the "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" that is so common in the modern Christian vernacular. Individual faith was given birth and nurtured in the context of a caring community. It was a "one another" proposition for them, each one helping the other to grow in his or her faith. A common Christian culture was passed from one generation to the next as older, more mature Christians passed the Apostles' teaching along to younger believers.

Go It Alone Proposition

Today, Christianity is more of a "go it alone" proposition. Sermons focus on the relationship of individual believers to their Lord and rarely on their relationships with one another. They deal with attitudes more than actions. Messages on the wrath of God against sin have gone the way of preaching about hell. Christians are loath to pick up their cross when they sign up for service to Christ. Consequently, they have become more cavalier in their attitudes towards God's Word. They pick and choose what parts to obey. Love of God has cooled, prayer has become pass?, and expectation for the return of Christ has waned. Worship has morphed into performance as music and drama have become more professional in order to appeal to a clientele immersed in entertainment. Sinners are allowed to go free while their victims are urged to absolve them of their misdeeds. Pastors tell us how to get the most from our spiritual experience, but to what end? Just to serve ourselves?

How does our faith benefit anyone else or advance the kingdom of Christ today? Only one in twenty believers has ever led another person to Christ. Just six percent tithe. The modern church has become the Laodicean church - wealthy, self-satisfied, and complacent, but unable to recognize that it is blind, naked, poor and pitiful in God's eyes. Christians deny the church is in desperate need of repair.

Pious Pedagogy

Christian leaders have not helped matters. They have replaced holistic ministry with pure pedagogy that stresses learning but places little emphasis on practical faith. They have turned churches into lecture halls and classrooms. Rather than addressing real needs on the ground as they develop, they package ministry into formal programs that are targeted to niche audiences. Like the Pharisees of old, they consider themselves the final authority on the Bible. They give lip service to the concept of the priesthood of the believer but do not respect the spiritual authority of the saints, especially those with no formal religious training.

Academic degrees, professional publications and recognition for scholarly achievement have replaced tassels and phylacteries. Storing up and showcasing Bible knowledge have taken the place of a radical obedience to the will of God. Ministry has become almost entirely didactic - a matter of applying the spiritually correct solution to the dilemma du jour. If you doubt it, just go to any Christian forum and look at the responses to the fears and insecurities of troubled inquirers. Everyone has a good word. No one ever offers a helping hand.

Once hallmarks of the faith, willingness to suffer shame for the name of Christ, to take a public stand against His enemies, to address social evils and to sacrifice temporal wealth for eternal riches are all but absent from church leadership today. Instead they remain content to stay within the friendly confines of their churches where they can teach and preach without fear of reprisal. Larger buildings, bigger audiences, better preaching and more professional performances have become the metrics of achievement. Reliance upon the word of religious experts has replaced reliance on the Holy Spirit and the infallible Word of God. But commitment to a caring community, accountability, self-sacrificing service and the advance of Christ's kingdom in anticipation of His return are sorely wanting.

The Casual Christian pp. 213-214

Find more articles like this one in my book, The Casual Christian, on Amazon.com.

Book Review of "The Short List"-Where Only Four Choices Really Matter by Bill Butterworth

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The Short List: In a Life Full of Choices, There Are Only Four That Matter. [Soft cover]

by Bill Butterworth

240 pages, $14.99

ISBN-10: 1434700046

Nonfiction

Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd

Losing a parent is a tragic reality that many have to face. Certainly, such a loss can cause even the busiest souls to stop and re-evaluate their priorities. Quality and quantity of time spent with family suddenly takes on new meaning. Imagine being asked to officiate your parent's funeral. What emotions might that invoke?

Bill Butterworth, notable author and popular speaker, had this very experience. Bill's life had run amok-too much time on the road building his distinguished speaking career. One night, after returning from a long stretch of speaking engagements, his child spoke his first words: "Hey Mom," was aimed at his mother to their delight.

"Hey Bob," was aimed at Bill - not "Hey Dad." The pit that welled up in his stomach was soon minimized by a nagging thought: What type of heritage was Bill leaving for his kids? If his toddler knew him as Bob instead of dad, what type of legacy was he actually leaving for his progeny?

In preparation of the eulogy for his father's funeral, Bill developed The Short List. Reminiscing about the life he shared with his dad, Bill knew his father epitomized the values he wanted to live out before his own family. After quite a bit of soul searching, Bill narrowed his list down to four words: love, honesty, faith, and courage. Perhaps better than developing a "bucket list" of things to do before dying - this list accentuates things to be while living.

Through personal anecdotes interwoven with a seminarian's understanding of Scripture, Butterworth provides a masterpiece of encouragement. Since a multitude of choices bombard us every day-are some more important than others? Absolutely! Living a life of love, honesty, faith, and courage could change our families at every level.

This amazing book reminds the reader of what is important in this life. Stories are the fabric that truly knit us together and Butterworth is a master storyteller. As you share Bill's journey of discovery you will be faced with the same dilemma: Do your daily choices produce a legacy of which your family will be proud?

Easily read, this tome should be digested by all parents to underscore the importance of daily choices. Just ask Bill - there are only four that really matter.