Giving and Motive

Give (sow) and you shall reap as God's will according to His plan. Christian's submission to God is to be accepted by God, and must be sincere from the heart. Whatever is done out of habit is not approved. "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." (Colossians 3:17). God wants us to declare ourselves alive in the Spirit, confession that there is a new life within us. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:25. Any selfish motives toward the blessings of God can destroy God's blessings' purposes and usefulness. In regards to offering, Jesus spoke the issues of a person's heart and a Christian's motive. God is not impressed by our works such as tithing. In 1. Samuel 16:7, The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord don't make decisions the way you do. People judge by outward appearance (i.e. works), but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions (heart)." (NLT) "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. Reading the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah was saying to the people of Israel, "God grows weary of your sacrifices and offerings when your hearts and minds are not in tune with Him!". This statement also similar to Jesus' complains to the Pharisee. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” This trap is so easy for us to fall into due to unawareness of human pride and arrogant. If your gifts are acceptable in the eyes of God, you will reap the blessings from God.

Judge others based on income?

There is a difference between 1. judging a person based on their income 2. judging their attitude towards their income towards how they are boasting pride and serve with humility. One example is excessive longing for wealth and gaining money to live in luxury. We are not to covet with Faith. A Christian and Money Get to know two things about a man- How he earns his money and how he spends it- and you have the clue to his character, for you have a search light that shows up the inmost recesses of his soul. You know all you need to know about his standards, his motives, his driving desires, and his real religion. Robert J. McCracken God do not judge those who are wealthy either but rather 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." Such as love of money. Reading the words of a person boasting their wealth tells me alot about a person more than their money.

Contentment

Contentment is a problem for many people because it is flesh lead rather than spiritual. 1 Timothy 6:6 says "Godliness with contentment is great gain", that Hebrews 13:5 says "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have". The problem is this, we do not know what Spirit-filled really means nor we know how to practice Spirit-filled virtues. In Ephesians 5:18 where the present tense of the verb in Greek means: "Keep on being filled with the Spirit." We are to look carefully how we walk because if we are unwise, the days are evil and evil will confuse us. We are spiritual with spiritual attitudes of our hearts. If the people are submitting to the Holy Spirit, who will give them fruit. Let the Holy Spirit do what He will through you. Spirit-lead is outlined in Galatians 5:22-23 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Spiritually Matured versus Education

I am not very smart. In fact, I was born deaf and my education is not as great as other Christians. However, spiritually, I have been told that I am very educated because its not about education but rather spiritually matured. Spiritual maturity requires great care and a true knowledge of ourselves to distinguish a spiritual burden from irritation around us but at the same time, we cannot close our minds to everything that is happening around us. Reading the Scriptures and reading about Christianity requires more than your mind. I have learned that the Holy Spirit is my true mind that only God can give. A wise Christian should be committed into action of reading, putting faith in the Word, and surrender to the Holy Spirit so that I can learn from the heart. When Jesus said that the Comforter is coming, He was saying: "The Comforter will not come to stand on His own, to speak on His own authority. He will guide you into all truth-He will speak and act on the authority of the divine Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If you do not yield and honor the Holy Spirit, your lives will not show forth the blessed fruits of the Spirit!" God is spirit and faith is required to know Christ and then, the Holy Spirit will reveal who God really is. The Holy Spirit manifests Christ into our human spirit, not to our physical eyes. Without the Holy Spirit, human pride often create the confusions and seeing contradictions that are plainly outside the field of human understanding. There are people who keep saying that the Bible contradicts because there are many doubters in this world requiring proof, if by knowledge means facts. These doubters often do not trust the Holy Spirit. Therefore, those who believe that the Bible contradicts should blame themselves for unbelief when their trouble is nothing more than inability to visualize. The Bible cannot be comprehended by the human mind alone. We are to rely on the Holy Spirit which will give us divine revelation that will assures us that certain things are true which our human imagination cannot grasp. With the help from the Holy Spirit, we believe but we cannot see in the human mind's eyes. Christian faith is inward, not outward. It is of the spirit and not of the flesh. The kingdom of God is within you, Christ dwells in your heart, and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is the burning core of the Christian faith. So Christianity, the true Christian faith, is inward in nature--we are to be inwardly Christians. Therefore the my personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit gave me GREAT assurance of my faith.

My main source of transportation

My main source of transportation is public transit (city bus) to work, school, libraries and etc, even though I have a nice Mercury Sable station wagon sitting in the garage. I only use the car for out of the way errands, church related activities, and kids related activies. Reading my Bible (or Christians reading materials) on the bus gave other passengers ask questions about my faith. Now.. that's great Glory to God. Think of the money I saved and how much I helped the environment by not using my car as much. Its not what you have that makes you a Christian. Its who YOU ARE as Christian.

100% Assurance of Christian Doctrines

Actually I don't know in a flesh point of view whether the doctrines I follow are 100% true unless I allow the Holy Spirit to convict my heart to follow certain doctrines. I am 47 years old, I have learned so much about doctrines because I have been going to churches since I was an infant. I didn't actually become a Christian until I accept Christ as my lord and savior as a teen. Like David's experiences, God meets us in our heart rather than our mind therefore we need to focus on the "heart of the matter". Every wrong act or practice begins with a "thought". Even though, our actions may "appear to be right" but we need to understand that Christians are always engaged in a spiritual warfare. Proverbs 4:23, it says "Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do." Spiritual maturity requires great care and a true knowledge of ourselves to distinguish a spiritual burden from irritation around us but at the same time, we cannot close our minds to everything that is happening around us. "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16). We are to worship God from our hearts because we are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16), that God will search us and try us, and know our thoughts.(Psalm 139:23). 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. A person who have the Holy Spirit in the heart will understand God's standards of "sin" because a Christian will understand God's holiness. A person without having the Holy Spirit in the heart will not understand God's holiness therefore a person will define God's definition of sin in a human point of view (rather than spirit). Salvation is free through Grace (undeserve kindness) of God and His unconditional love. Is God's grace cheap? Becoming a disciple, following Jesus Christ requires personal cost, giving up your selfish "me" and become like Christ. Love is NOT conditional however discipleship is conditional. Jesus might have grieved over His Cost of Discipleship requirements, but He never ran after them to try to win them with rosy promises. Christians all around us are trying every shortcut they can think of, to get "something for nothing" in the kingdom of God. Although God's grace has been given freely to humans who do not deserve it, the grace of God and point out that Jesus commanded us to take up our cross and follow Him. Our minds are so much set on things earthly and so little on things above. To grow in Christ as God desires demands on our submission to Him. The Holy Spirit gave me assurance of my faith and doctrines I follow. No Church, No Denomination, No pastors or anyone can do this for me. Holy Spirit is the ONLY person who can do this.

Thoughts about Movements and Teachings

I have been reading, thinking and wondering about my spiritual relationship with God and my Church. I have been embracing my own spiritual reality. Every Christians who are spiritually well educated know where they stand on such matters as the inspiration of the Scriptures, the deity of Jesus Christ, salvation through the blood of atonement, death and judgment, heaven and hell. The true battle line is elsewhere outside Jesus Christ, the Church and the Bible. There are spiritual leaders and followers who are depending on doctrines rather than God to guide them in their Christian living practices without obvious agendas such as certain movements. When prosperity, healing and feeling good doctrines are the primary agendas, then it is NOT my good conscience to agree with them nor even follow them. I will speak up what I disagree and at the same time, I have started to learn this: In Romans 14:5 "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." 1 Corinthians 10:28-29 "both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake, the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?" As long as my own conscience is clear and my heart is pure before God, don't be concerned with issues what others believe as long as I speak up and state why I disagree. After 400 threads, Christian history revealed that many movements will continue to survive no matter what. Movements have grown as this world is getting older. We are living in the times of confusion and it is sometimes hard to distinguish the false from the true. God have provided us the Word of God to save us from the consequences of our own blindness by repeated warnings and many careful instructions.

Excessive lifestyle

Excessive is "You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter." James 5:5 Excessive is "Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:23 Excessive is "Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor." James 5:5-6 I will be very wealthy the day I enter eternal life. 2 Peter 1:11 "You will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." How much more should an average Christian have a clear understanding about the doctrine of prosperity? God is asking Christians to surrender their own selfish little kingdom and interests of their excessive lifestyle. People are so used to seeing everyone serving their own interests that no other kind of spiritual conduct is expected. "And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whosoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:38-39). Throughout the Bible, God have warned people to be careful of idolatry because we could slip into it almost without noticing it. Idolatry is an excessive devotion or reverence to an object or objects (i.e. prosperity, self-motivation). Idolatry is being used as an instrument of worship which is a false notion that causes spiritual errors in thinking or reasoning. Idolatry is what God is saying something like this for today's Christians, "You have committed adultery by worshiping idols instead of worshiping Me. Your hearts have been unfaithful to me because you are loving yourselves more than you love Me. Your hearts longs for something from Me and that is idolatry. Excessive longing for wealth, gaining money to live in luxury rather using the gifts that God gave you for His Glory is considered excessive. We all need to understand that when a Christian (especially a TV preacher), wealth is no longer ours but God. God's Word gives us the balance called "contentment". Jesus told some soldiers to "be content with your wages." Paul told Timothy, "having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." He also said that, "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." And the writer of Hebrews lets us know that God will supply our needs, not our greeds: "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" Poor people who makes less money than I do won't view my live as excessive living because I am among those who are considered "middle class" citizen. Poor people and even middle class people would consider preachers who makes more money than the "average" preacher who typically live in a "middle class" are very excessive. I know people who are very very wealthy, but they live like middle class people. They may be very wealthy but they are not living in a excessive lifestyle. Excessive is the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. James 1:9-10 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. We all can prosper greatly with a great attitude and I know some wealthy Christian people who are very prospered that don't boast but rather, SERVE. Pride meets covetousness, and compliments it as wise, thrifty, and prudent. Unknown We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God. (D.L. Moody)