Love not the world by Gary Carpenter

1 John 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

The reason we have trouble understanding what John meant by these words is because we have so little revelation of who we truly are. For the most part, we still see ourselves as creatures of this world, even though the bible says we are not of the world. Our day-by-day identification is still more with the world than with heaven.

As I continue meditating the Word of God and spending many hours praying in the Spirit, my comprehension of the fact that we are "born from above" is increasing. I find myself saying things like, "I am not on earth for the purpose of receiving from the world. I am on earth for the purpose that the world may receive from my heavenly Father." Progressively, I am identifying more with heaven than with earth.

All of those old sayings that used to just sound like religious jargon to me are starting to become "Who I am." Sayings like, "This world is not my home. Heaven is where my possessions lie." I find that my affections are truly becoming set on things above, not on things on the earth:

Col 3:2-3  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

We are simply "on assignment" from heaven to earth in order that the will of our Father may be done through the life of Christ in us while we live in these mortal bodies. We only need the "material things of the earth" as they are required to fulfill our assignment. We don't identify with the earth. We are from above. We have no covetous lust for the things of the earth. If we have lust at all, it is this intense desire to complete the work our Master has given us to do. We don't feel at home on the earth anymore. This environment of sin, sickness and poverty does not seem "natural" anymore. Neither does the all-pervading "deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things" seem "natural" to us anymore.

To spend our lives on a quest to satisfy the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life seems totally foreign to us now. These things are just simply no longer part of our nature. They are not "of the Father." They have nothing to do with our assignment from heaven. To give our affection to them is to abandon our assignment from heaven and divert us from the Father's will for our lives. To set our affection on them would be no less than treason. Are we, freeborn citizens of heaven, now to become citizens of this fallen world? I trow not! Our nature is to please the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the motivational, driving force that gives us pleasure now.

2 Tim 2:4  No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. NIV

We don't have too much trouble identifying the "lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes," but exactly what is this "pride of life?" The Greek word translated "life" in that verse is "bios."

From Strong's Dictionary: LIFE
979. bios, bee'-os; a prim. word; life, i.e. (lit.) the present state of existence; by impl. the means of livelihood:--good, life, living.

It is from the word "bios" that we get our modern word "biological." This is not referring to the "life of God" within us. The word "bios" refers to our physical, biological life, including the means of livelihood by which that life is sustained on earth. It is the same Greek word translated "living" when Jesus spoke of the Widow's Mite:

Mark 12:44  For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living [bios].

She had cast in the last of the resources to sustain her physical, biological life on earth. With that connotation of the word bios, then John's statement could be translated "the pride of how well you make a living" is not of the Father. Or, "the pride of your standard of living" is not of the Father. It is the cares of our "bios," the sustaining of our physical life on this earth and the pursuit of the "pleasures of this life" that choke the word and make us unfruitful for the Kingdom of God:

Luke 8:14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life [bios], and bring no fruit to perfection.

Concerning the pride of our physical life, the Greek word translated "pride" in 1 John 2:16 is "alazoneia." From Strong's Dictionary:

PRIDE - 212. alazoneia, al-ad-zon-i'-a; from G213; braggadocio, i.e. (by impl.) self-confidence:--boasting, pride.

From the New American Standard Dictionary:
Braggadocios:

1. A braggart.
2. Empty or pretentious bragging.
3. Swaggering manner; cockiness.
4. The personification of vainglory.

Sad to say, this phrase "the pride of life" seems to be the "norm" for the majority of Christian Americans who devote most of their life to "keeping up with the Jones's." This same attitude runs rampant among many Christian ministries. It is at the heart of competition and "one-upmanship." It comes from the deep-rooted desire to be thought "better" than others. This motivational, driving force is "not of the Father." Paul said,

2 Cor 10:12  For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Needless to say, it is now more clear why John said that this sort of "pride of life" is not of the Father. This is the motivational, driving force of the world system, not the Kingdom of God. The safeguard against spending our lives floundering in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is to LOVE NOT THE WORLD, NEITHER THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE WORLD! Rather than setting our love on the world and the things that are in the world, we are admonished to set our affection on the things which are above:

Col 3:2-3  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

The following verses also apply to this same principle. As stewards of the Kingdom of God, we must never bow the knee to the world, nor the things in the world. Our allegiance is to "Him who bought us" … our Lord Jesus Christ alone! We are not hirelings. We are not employees. We are "owned." We are bondslaves who are single minded. We know WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE ARE FROM, AND WHY WE ARE HERE!

1 Tim 6:5-11  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. BUT GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN [Emphasis Added]. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. AND HAVING FOOD AND RAIMENT LET US BE THEREWITH CONTENT [Emphasis Added]. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Phil 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

1 John 5:21  Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

2 Tim 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, TRAITORS, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Tim 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Demas "loved this present world." The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life caused him to turn traitor to his assignment from the King. He chose to forsake his "mission from heaven" to spend his short life on earth pursuing the pleasures of the world instead.

From such … "TURN AWAY!"

Source : http://www.garycarpenter.org/SI4.html

I lift my hands - Chris Tomlin

Let Faith ARISE, OPEN my eyes Lord!

Christian Jokes

A 6-year-old was overheard reciting the Lord's Prayer at a church service, "And forgive us our trash passes, as we forgive those who passed trash against us."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon.

"How do you know what to say?" he asked.

"Why, God tells me."

"Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the dedication of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong.

Finally, the boy replied, "That pastor said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Terri asked her Sunday School class to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. She was puzzled by Kyle's picture, which showed four people on an airplane, so she asked him which story it was meant to represent.

"The Flight to Egypt," was his reply.

Pointing at each figure, Ms. Terri said, "That must be Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus.
But who's the fourth person?"

"Oh, that's Pontius - the pilot!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six-year old Angie , and her four-year old brother, Joel , were sitting together in church.
Joel giggled, sang and talked out loud.
Finally, his big sister had had enough.
"You're not supposed to talk out loud in church."
"Why? Who's going to stop me?" Joel asked.
Angie pointed to the back of the church and said,
"See those two men standing by the door?
They're hushers."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/fun/children1.htm

The Master's Hand

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took the small boy to a Paderewski concert.  After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.  Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE."


When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing.  Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.  In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit, keep playing." 


Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part.  Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligatio.  Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.  The audience was mesmerized.


That's the way it is with God.   What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy.  We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music.  But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.  Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully.  You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit, keep playing."  Feel His loving arms around you.  Know that His strong hands are playing the concerto of your life.  Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. 


- AUTHOR UNKNOWN -


Source : http://godslittleacre.net/inspirationalstories/

The Big Question: Why Does God Allow Evil to Exist? by Sy Rogers

All over the world people ponder this question. It's been called the 'Theologians Dilemma'that is, how can Christian people defend, let alone believe in and trust a God who allows such terrible evil and suffering on earth?

While touring around the world in 1998/99 as a singer with the euro rock band NoLongerMusic, this issue of God's character in a world of hardship was probably the number one challenge we had to address when interacting with patrons in the clubs and discos where we performed.
Whether in clubs or churches, I've heard this issue raised over and over again by Christians & non Christians alike: "how could God be good when He allowed this tragedy to happen to my child?" or "how could God really be loving if He didn't intervene to prevent such a terrible accident? Or plane crash?, or earthquake?" or "Why would God allow Satan, or Hitler, for that matter?"

The list of questions like this is almost endless. People have an expectation of God that IF He's so good and loving and involved, THEN He shouldn't allow evil or bad things to happen.
Ultimately the real issue being addressed isn't 'why does God allow evil'. Here's the real question: "Is God as good as He says He is?"
The evidence around us in a troubled world makes us wonder -- even the people of faith must wrestle through doubts and fears, which if we don't face up to them, can hinder our experience with God and life. After all, you don't build a relationship with someone you don't fully trust. While I don't know all, and I'm not going to try to defend God whose ways are above and beyond my limited view & experience, I can offer at least 3 understandable reasons explaining WHY the Good Creator, Loving Father, Powerful Lord allows such awfulness on earth: … Earth is under a curse and separated from God.

Many people somehow seem to think that life is supposed to be wonderful and convenient -- especially first world developed countries where we are able to exert some control over our environment for our comfort and convenience. When suffering in it's various forms happens, people act as if this is something strange and undeserved. Frankly, God talks pretty straight to us in the Bible: Everything is cursed and out of balance: Even the very planet -- so there are violent storms and earthquakes and floods and plagues and predators, all of which induce suffering.
Humanity is cursed: We suffer Psychological imbalances such as fear, hatred, greed, lust -- all of which produce forms of suffering. Biology is cursed too: you will suffer the indignity of aging and then you dieoften not very nicely either, because we are fragile and subject to a host of terrifying diseases and system breakdownsthere will be suffering, and why would you think that you would be spared?

Add to this Satan is lord over earth for the time being.

The Biblical Worldview states quite factually that Evil exists and has it's origins in disobedience to God, demonstrated first by that fallen angel Lucifer, renamed Satan (Hebrew for 'the one who slanders & accuses'--who does Satan accuse? God & His character).
Christians sing in church that 'Jesus is Lord'---and yes, He is indeed, but not on earth yet! God is purposely unfolding His zillion year cosmic plan according to His timing and strategy therefore, the inferior but still destructive devil has his season of influence for a time.
Meanwhile, Jesus is only Lord on earth right now thru the lives of those choosing Him -- and even then for believers it's a battle over just who will be Lord in your life today! In our raping, warring, molesting, greedy world, it's pretty obvious just who owns the system for now and man, do we humans suffer as a result!
The New Testament writings give evidence that one day Jesus WILL come back and rule the earth as the rightful prince. But for now, even Jesus called the devil the Prince of this World. Why? Satan has temporarily seized Lordship over earth thanks to Adam and Eve's disloyalty to God -- thus forfeiting their 'right to rule' over the earth. So not only are we fallen creatures on a fallen, cursed world--we also suffer even more thanks to the evil influences of Satanic lordship.

But wait--there's more: Humans have the freedom of choice for good or bad.
As if the first two reasons weren't enough, another major source of suffering inspite of God's goodness, is our own personal choices which affect us and others. Choice is sacred territory -- and God will let you and I hurt ourselves and others based on our freedom to make our own choices. In fact, God will let us choose to go to Hell before He'll force us into Heaven.
My biological mom died in a car wreck due to drink driving. She was only 28.
Not only did she end her own life due to her tragic choice to drive while intoxicated she also seriously injured someone else in another vehicle.
A sad illustration that God will allow us to make our choices, even though the outcome is so painful. God is willing to forgive, but the consequences are not so forgiving. It's no wonder that God asks us to choose to obey him--even if we don't want to. Obeying God may not solve all our problems, but it doesn't create the kind of suffering that disobedient choices eventually will. At the end of the day, the real issue for those who follow Christ, is will we trust God even if we don't understand or appreciate the decisions He makes and the things He allows? Is He good only when things are going well for you, or is He good all the time, even if your blessings are stolen, or destroyed by some disaster? That famous survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, Corrie Ten Boom once said that 'faith is simply trusting God's character, even when life gives you reasons not to'. Considering that all of Corrie's Christian family perished in the concentration camps, she would have an understanding of suffering and the reality of evil. At times, Corrie & her sister Betsy, who died in the camps, were mocked for their faith by the other prisoners--who would say 'how can there be a God who allows such a nightmare! Betsy replied: 'This camp is not God's doing. I don't know why He allows this place, but if you knew Him you would know that He is love.' She went on to say, 'Perhaps He brought us here to show you that there is no pit so deep, that He is not deeper still'. In my opinion, our purpose on earth is not to have a happy life untouched by evil and the suffering it imposes. Our purpose is to know God and then, having experienced His love, to make Him known in loving service to others. The reality of evil on earth can fill one with dread over the possibilities but if that dread drives you to God, and if from Him you obtain comfort and peace then even evil has been exploited by God. Evil and the pain that it imposes matters very much to God, and He has sent a massive remedy in the form of Christ.

The creator Himself has been victimized by evil and He has shared our suffering -- He knows evil and it's price firsthand. He sees, and He knows and He cares about your suffering.
One day the issue of evil will be permanently and absolutely resolved. And we who have suffered because of it, will be compensated forever, if we are reconciled to God. Until then, let us follow Him faithfully, not because we know or understand everything, but because we know Him and believe He is good!

http://www.syrogers.com/media/bigquestion.php