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JimfromOhio

I am happlily married with 5 kids. I am an accoutant and worked in an accounting field for over 25 years. I like to make a habit of writing down whenever I have deep thoughts about God (so I won't forget). I really into Reformed Theology that is connected to Presbyterian Church in America.

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Location: Columbus, Ohio, United States

I enjoy having deep thoughts about God and put down what I actually think about (so I won't forget).

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Sabbath or Heart?

In Proverbs 21:2, "People may think they are doing what is right, but the Lord examines the heart." (NLT). When Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, He said: "They do all their deeds to be noticed by men" (Mt. 23:5). . . . Theirs was a problem of priorities: Their first priority was social status, to which end God was but a means. What greater affront to God could there be? Better to ignore Him altogether than to exploit Him as a means to something else you value more highly. Would we be rejoicing to live in a Pharisaic-dominated society? Jesus said to the Pharisees one day as they picked up stones to stone an adulterous woman: Whoever is "without sin... throw the first stone." Our Christian practice (life) starts in our hearts. Our thoughts are the product of our thinking and it is not our thinking that shapes our character, but the Holy Spirit that leads our thoughts and shapes our character. Regarding Sabbath day or The Day of the Lord or First Day of the Week, God meets us in our hearts. God is looking for Christians who will worship and obey Him from their hearts, minds and bodies. Without Christ, we are nothing. Along with love and under the control of the Holy Spirit, the power of love and Holy Spirit flows through us. The only way the spiritual gifts are going to operate is love. Love is the key. God is love. He gave us two commandments. We are to love God and others. With the Holy Spirit and love, I will walk in the Spirit, Christ produces the fruit. And out of that fruit comes whatever the ministry of the gifts Christ wanted us to use. Focus on "CHRIST" rather than "CHURCH". Church is offering prayers, giving to the poor, celebrating religious holy days, singing in the choir, helping the poor, making amends for past wrongs, something that was practiced by the Pharisees, those legalism-loving, conservative, separatistic, spiritual leaders. They hated Christ not only because He broke their traditions in order to help people (Matthew 15:1-9) but because He saw through their religion to their hearts. I am a Christian simply because I have accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. As a disciple, my Christian faith should be inward, not outward because the Bible teaches that faith is of the spirit and not of the flesh. Christ dwells in my heart, and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is the burning core of the Christian faith. I am a member of a local Church and get deeply involved in the participation of a local assembly (Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians. 12:25-31; 14:12, 26; Hebrews 10:24-25; I Tim. 3:14-15) for Worship, Fellowship, Edification and Great Commission. I am following in the Sabbath Day in my heart. Whether I am going to be legalistic about it, is NOT the issue. The issue is this: People are confused about Lordship being legalism and it is not legalism. Legalism is: "It's pretending to be holy without really being holy" My problem with legalism is that it can't produce a pure heart. Legalism is from the Law while Grace is from the Heart. I am following the greatest commandment spoken by Jesus Christ: Lordship of Jesus Christ is about LOVE with discernment. Get to know what is out there. Matthew 22:36-38 (New International Version) "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment. Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Who shall cast the first stone?