TRANSFORMING YOUR WORLD

Has anyone ever paid you a compliment and you, perhaps unconsciously, rejected the compliment? For example: someone says "wow, you look like you're losing weight" and your response is something like, "well I feel fat. I need to lose a whole lot more weight." Or, someone tells you that your hair looks great but you tell them what's wrong with it. They say you sing well and you tell them how you felt like you were off. I have often been guilty of receiving a compliment badly. That was the general theme of a recent message I preached. When we reject a compliment we in essence are calling the person a liar or ill-informed. It may have taken someone a while to get the courage to compliment you and then we find some fault with the compliment. Perhaps it's because we feel uncomfortable with compliments or perhaps we don't want to appear proud or arrogant. Perhaps we know the flaws we have and just feel that if the one giving the compliment knew our flaws then they might have a different opinion. What happens then when God speaks a truth about us and that truth is a great compliment? 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that one of the great benefits of the death and resurrection of our Lord is that upon receiving Him we become the righteousness of God. Wow! We are declared by God as righteous! But when we look at our lives we don't often feel very righteous. We are all too aware of our flaws, challenges, past sins and current short-comings. Yet the Lord says we are righteous. Christ paid the price for our failings and does not hold them against us nor does He dwell on them as we do. John 16:5-11 teaches us that the Holy Spirit comes to convict the world of sin but also to convict (convince) believers of their righteous standing in Christ. We need not turn away God's truthful compliment, but rather receive it well. Why? For one, we don't want to be found guilty of calling God a liar when He declares us righteous and secondly, there are great benefits to becoming the righteousness of God. One wonderful benefit can be found in Psalm 37. "I once was young but now I'm old and I've never seen the Righteous forsaken nor their seed begging for bread." In rejecting your righteous standing with God you risk rejecting the supernatural provision of God. You and I realize that we are not yet perfect, but it is not our works or our self-righteousness that brings us in right standing with God. He has declared all our (self) righteousness is like filthy rags. But it is the blood of Jesus that makes us righteous in the sight of God. Receive human compliments with a hearty thank you. Receive God's compliment by living your new life as unto the Lord.
Pray for the people of Liberia and Sierra Leone. God is doing great things!
Blessings to you all. Hit me back with your comments.

TRANSFORMING YOUR WORLD

Greetings All;
Have you ever wondered what Jesus thinks about our religions, including Christianity? Are you certain that Christianity is the only proper way to receive salvation and to live out our faith? Make no mistake, I certainly don't believe that there are many ways to God and that Christianity is but one. But what is Christianity anyway? Well, I guess it might be defined by the brand of Christianity to which you may belong. Which one is right? Which one is the Lord most pleased with and influenced by? On what basis is He most pleased with yours, since I'm sure most think their brand is the best. Where does the Bible record Jesus as being Christian? Why do we make it so complicated? Lots of questions but few answers that would satisfy most. Maybe we're trying too hard in our own efforts. Is it really that important to be in the right denomination, in the right church, with the right pastor, with the right leadership team, with the right Bible translation, located in the right place? Or could it be that the answer lies in learning to simply love God back who gave {His} all to show {His} love for us? Absolutely, it is good to be in a good Bible teaching, believing church led by mature, Spirit-filled believers. However, at the end of it all, God's desire is that we be one in and with the Godhead (John 17:20-26). Seeking {Him} should be our highest goal. There we find the answers we seek. There we find our true selves. There we find completeness. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness and.......

I am grateful to God for the outpouring of the Spirit of God at Bright Hope Baptist Church in Louisa, Virgina and for those who received what they were trusting God for. I am grateful to have been invited and to share those days with the people there. It was also wonderful to see a number of people from First Baptist Main Street in Charlottesville, Virginia who came to share. You are sorely missed. I pray God's peace and power upon Pastor Alonzo Minor of Bright Hope and his family. Thank you for the invitation, great accommodations and hospitality.
May God richly bless you all.