Witnessing

Many have accepted Christ by watching Christians more than talking. In 1 Corinthians 13:5 says "Love does not act unbecomingly"; which means a Christian should demonstrate godly love and have real credibility. Your credibility is evangelism. I know Christianity is Right and Real because Jesus gave a wonderful example that HE is the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through HIM. (See John 14:6). During Jesus' ministry, Jesus spoke of His coming death. "Destroy this temple," Jesus said, referring to His body, "and I will raise it again in three days." Jesus also declared that the Father would raise Him up on the third day. In Romans 1 we read that the Spirit of God declared Jesus to be the Son of God with power "by his resurrection from the dead." Hebrews 9:14 tells us that Father, Son and Holy Spirit all had a part. The Father received the offering of the Son through the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, who is God, the blameless and sinless Son, offered as the Lamb of God, without spot and without blemish. The redemptive price was paid by the Son to the Father through the Spirit. Christ is more than a system, tradition, or belief. He is a Person who knows our needs, feels our pain, and sympathizes with our weakness. In exchange for our trust, He offers to forgive our sins, to intercede for us, and to bring us to His Father. He cried for us, died for us, and rose from the dead to show that He was all He claimed to be. Conquering death, He showed us that He can save us from our sins, live His life through us on earth, and then bring us safely to heaven. He offers Himself as a gift to anyone who will trust Him (John 20:24-31).

Practicing our Faith

Christians speaking, even quoting Scriptures, may not be practicing their faith (in their spiritual walk). Faith will express itself in faith deeds not just words alone. Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Is our Christian practice consistent with Jesus Christ? We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. The question becomes when a person say: "I am a believer in Christ" and practice what God calls it sin is where God will meet this person in the core, in the heart. This is where God determines a person's salvation. The key is: Does Christ rule your heart or does sin rule your heart? A person with Christ in the heart will still sin but we are reminded by the Word of God that God looks into our hearts for our spiritual obedience rather than perfection. We will never be perfect as long as we live in our bodies. Our source is in the core which is the heart. Do we really obey God from our hearts? Do we make every efforts to obey God from our hearts? Or, do we really obey our sin without even trying to obey God? I am sure all of us do not have a sinful heart but we are still sinning. 1 John 1:8 says "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

Live in Spirit but NOT in flesh

Jesus Christ cleaned our sins and all God wants us to do is be Christ-like. Jesus said in Matthew 5:8 "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God." God wants our hearts more than He want us to follow rules. If we give our hearts to God, then we will know what is sinful and what is not sinful. During our struggles with the flesh and facing temptations, we have to learn that we should not be looking at our inadequacies because obviously, they will always be there. We just need to be looking at our adequacy in the Holy Spirit, which will always be in us. This is God's design, and it pleases Him to do so that we can rely on the Holy Spirit. "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."--Matt. 26:41. Biblically, Christians are no longer "in the flesh": "You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him" (Rom 8:9). The Greek word for "dwells" is okv (oike), which means "I inhabit." "If Christ is in us, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness" (Romans 8:10). In other words, our human body is subject to death (and is already dying) because of sin, however our spirit is alive in Christ. We have eternal life in our possession, even though our body is dying because of sin. However, as Christians, our spirits are fully alive and thriving "because of righteousness"--because HE is justified and therefore already has "passed out of death into life" (John 5:24). "My temorary body is decaying at the same time, my inner being is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor 4:16). "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:25. Remember, the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts with all the power and gifts of God, necessary to enable us to walk the noble, spiritual, Son-like life with God.

Words: Empty or Not?

Ecclesiastes 6:11 The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? 2 Kings 18:20 You say you have strategy and military strength—but you speak only empty words. 2 Corinthians 2:17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. When we speak from our hearts, 1 Corinthians 2:13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Proverbs 2:2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding. Psalm 39:3 My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue.

Heart or Mouth?

I looked in the Bible (NIV) and counted: Heart: mentioned 743 times Mouth: mentioned 308 times Words out of mouth are usually from the heart: Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Where does God meet us at? Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 1 Timothy 1:5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Acts 15:9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

Knowledge

Titus 1:1-2 The knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God. 2 Peter 1:5-9 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Oh yes.. my favorite: Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Christians today are so entangled with "reasonings". Our hearts (core) are seated deep within our minds where they pollutes our emotions (desires), the intellect (imaginations) and the will (purposes). Wisdom sees everything in focus, each in proper relation to all, and is able to work toward God's perspective rather than ours. We are to know God and His Word from our hearts. Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - 1 Corinthians 12:8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit. Proverbs 2:10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. Proverbs 23:12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.