We all want to be included in God's promises of joy, prosperity and happiness to the point of thinking of God as our own personal Genie in a bottle. I am going to list a few here.
Psalm 5:12
New Living Translation (NLT)
12 For you bless the godly, O Lord;
you surround them with your shield of love.
you surround them with your shield of love.
Psalm 9:9
New Living Translation (NLT)
9 The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
Psalm 22:24
New Living Translation (NLT)
24 For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.
Matthew 6:31-33
New Living Translation (NLT)
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Matthew 7:7-8
New Living Translation (NLT)
And one of our favorites:
Romans 8:28
New Living Translation (NLT)
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
All of these and many more are very true promises from God and I believe we can have them all and should continue believing in them with all our hearts.
So, we have the inclusive part and want God to stick to His promise and give me everything he said he would... I mean I am a Christian and I deserve it right.... He did promise it to me right!
He did and He also asked us for a few things in the process... Hence the part we think of as the Intrusive God!
All of these and many more are very true promises from God and I believe we can have them all and should continue believing in them with all our hearts.
So, we have the inclusive part and want God to stick to His promise and give me everything he said he would... I mean I am a Christian and I deserve it right.... He did promise it to me right!
He did and He also asked us for a few things in the process... Hence the part we think of as the Intrusive God!
Romans 12:1-2
New Living Translation (NLT)
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Watch out now... You want me to give my body to God as a living and holy sacrifice... No No.... God you cannot intrude into this part of my life... I live for you and I tell people about you, but You cannot have my body in everything.
This is how many of us look at God in the parts of the Bible we do not want to live. We want to say, but God it is normal to wear revealing clothing... its normal to dress to fit in to the world... God, I know you accept me dressing like this to fit in.. or does He?
The truth is God says : Romans 12: 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
So, God you want me to not act like the world or do what they do... How am I going to reach them... I have to do something they like to attract them right?
God is telling us here that we do not need to be like the world and that we shouldn't. The second part of that verse is what strikes home the most for me... " let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." Do you see what he said, he wants to change the way we process what is OK and whats not. He wants us to get a mind that is inline with what God sees.
My pastor, Clay NeSmith says all the time for us to see what God sees we must talk to him and ask him to allow us to see the world the way he does. I think we see the world from colored glasses and we need God to clear our vision so we can align with Him.
Hebrews 12:14-17
14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.
Again here we are told to live a holy life so we can see the Lord. I suggest reading Hebrews chapters 10 to 13 to get the entire feel of what he is saying.
The writer of this book was telling them that they should not forget to live a holy life and to help their brother and sisters to do the same. He points out the grief that the saints before had to go through to receive the promises of God and that Jesus was and is the only sacrifice that could cover our sins. He concludes that to take full advantage of what Jesus did and to receive those promises we are commanded to live a holy life.
To most of us serving God is like being on a sports team. We want to play in the game and get our name in the papers, maybe get a trophy, but we don't want to put in the hard work it takes to play at that level. God is not making these requirements for salvation, He is just directing His children to do the things that will keep them following Him.
Being in the Inclusive God group is like Pastor Luke Board said this weekend," You are just in the Jesus Fan Club but you don't really know Jesus." God is looking for us to make that commitment to Him and to totally do that, we have to get the junk out of our lives and let God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think. I want to think like God.. I want to put off this flesh and let God rule my life... I ask you... Do you just want to be in the Club or do you want to be part of the Kingdom?
Jesus paid the price for our sins and by accepting Him into your heart you have Salvation, but life is full of obstacles, trials and temptations that can pull you away from serving Him. The Bible gives us a road map on how to deal with them by focusing on holy living. Live holy and when the trials come, you are prepared to deal with them and will be less likely to turn away form God.
One last bit of word for encouragement....
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Watch out now... You want me to give my body to God as a living and holy sacrifice... No No.... God you cannot intrude into this part of my life... I live for you and I tell people about you, but You cannot have my body in everything.
This is how many of us look at God in the parts of the Bible we do not want to live. We want to say, but God it is normal to wear revealing clothing... its normal to dress to fit in to the world... God, I know you accept me dressing like this to fit in.. or does He?
The truth is God says : Romans 12: 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
So, God you want me to not act like the world or do what they do... How am I going to reach them... I have to do something they like to attract them right?
God is telling us here that we do not need to be like the world and that we shouldn't. The second part of that verse is what strikes home the most for me... " let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." Do you see what he said, he wants to change the way we process what is OK and whats not. He wants us to get a mind that is inline with what God sees.
My pastor, Clay NeSmith says all the time for us to see what God sees we must talk to him and ask him to allow us to see the world the way he does. I think we see the world from colored glasses and we need God to clear our vision so we can align with Him.
Hebrews 12:14-17
14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.
Again here we are told to live a holy life so we can see the Lord. I suggest reading Hebrews chapters 10 to 13 to get the entire feel of what he is saying.
The writer of this book was telling them that they should not forget to live a holy life and to help their brother and sisters to do the same. He points out the grief that the saints before had to go through to receive the promises of God and that Jesus was and is the only sacrifice that could cover our sins. He concludes that to take full advantage of what Jesus did and to receive those promises we are commanded to live a holy life.
To most of us serving God is like being on a sports team. We want to play in the game and get our name in the papers, maybe get a trophy, but we don't want to put in the hard work it takes to play at that level. God is not making these requirements for salvation, He is just directing His children to do the things that will keep them following Him.
Being in the Inclusive God group is like Pastor Luke Board said this weekend," You are just in the Jesus Fan Club but you don't really know Jesus." God is looking for us to make that commitment to Him and to totally do that, we have to get the junk out of our lives and let God transform us into a new person by changing the way we think. I want to think like God.. I want to put off this flesh and let God rule my life... I ask you... Do you just want to be in the Club or do you want to be part of the Kingdom?
Jesus paid the price for our sins and by accepting Him into your heart you have Salvation, but life is full of obstacles, trials and temptations that can pull you away from serving Him. The Bible gives us a road map on how to deal with them by focusing on holy living. Live holy and when the trials come, you are prepared to deal with them and will be less likely to turn away form God.
One last bit of word for encouragement....
Hebrews 10:19-25
New Living Translation (NLT)
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
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