Delight Yourself In The Lord

Harmony Anemone

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

Psalm 37:4-6

A close up photograph of a Harmony Anemone flower with a grass lawn in the background with a little bit of texture added.

Do Righteousness

To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3

Beautiful Morning Light

How wonderful it is to enjoy such color in the early morning. Photographed on the Gila River outside of Phoenix, Az.

 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9

Whats Wrong With This Picture?

Something Is Missing

Did you notice the error in the above picture? If not, go back and read the verse written on the image. Do you see what is missing? There is one important word which should be there, but it is not. That word is "God." You might be asking "why in the world would you post such an image as this." Well, I did it to make a point.

Recently I had a coupon to make a framed canvas print at a very nice price. I had a very short time to get the order off or the coupon would expire. Not only this, my computer was a nightmare to work with because it was giving me a ton of trouble. However, I decided to go ahead and use the above picture and insert this bible verse on it and then send it off. I copied and pasted the Bible verse so that I would have no typos. After getting the image laid out as I wanted, I sent it off for processing. Upon receiving my print in the mail, I opened it excited with how it turned out. As I was enjoying the image and admiring how nice it would look on the wall that I noticed the error. Now I was so disappointed because in no way would I would want to hang this on our wall. It just would not be right.

So what is my point of posting such an image? When we remove God, things are just not right. We live in a society today where many are trying to do just that. For example the phrase "separation of church and state" is heard over and over again. They have removed prayer from our schools and wonder why our teens are so troubled. In society today, things which God calls evil, many call good, like sexual immorality. If someone wants to save themselves for marriage, people see them as being weird. We live on a world full of hate and nations seeking war. Many in their quest for more power are destroying the lives of many. We must remember the words of Jesus in John 10:10, "the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." If we as a society remove God, all we have left is the devil. Many will think that life will be better without God, but that is a lie that leads to destruction. I would like to encourage all believers in Christ to call out to God that He sends forth a revival across our land so that the works of the devil are destroyed and many find eternal life in Christ. The choice is simple, " Jesus and life or the devil and death."

There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14:12 NKJV)

Below is the image as it should be.

Isaiah 40:8

Time…Where Did It Go?

Last week my wife and I took my step granddaughter and two nephews on a vacation to San Diego, California. We had a wonderful time; we visited Sea World and let the kids swim in the Pacific Ocean. Over the last few months we anxiously awaited for this vacation to arrive. We choose our destination and booked our room back in January.  We looked forward to taking the kids and spending this time with each other. Not to mention a vacation from work. Then the time arrived and then passed just like that. I am sure you have heard many people say, “The time just flew by.” Perhaps you have said it yourself. This statement I certainly do echo. Now with every moment our vacation is slipping away further into the past, never to be experienced again. We just have a few pictures and our memories. It is like watching a sail boat drift away into the sunset, soon to be out of sight. This vacation is now in the history books of our lives.

Looking back at my life I remember a trip some twenty years ago to the Glacier National Park in Montana. This too was a most enjoyable trip. Likewise, time just flew by.  I remember we hated to see our vacation come to an end so much that we dubbed the road home, “The Trail of Tears.” Even though we had an awesome time, this vacation is now a distant memory. I can only recall very few of the conversations we had plus some of the highlights of the trip. So it is with time. People who lived two hundred years, or two thousand years ago journeyed through life and then their time passed away. Now they are long gone. Except for a few, most of these people are not even known of this day. They had their dreams and their plans, their victories and defeats. They had things which they looked forward too, then these things also came to pass.

Concerning time, a few years ago I heard an analogy which went something like this: Here in the USA we have a measurement know as an inch which is roughly about 2.5 centimeters in length.  Suppose there is a tape measure which starts here and stretches to the moon, the sun, then to the stars and keeps on going…forever. Now on this tape measure the first inch represents 100 years of time. Our life begins here on earth at the beginning of the tape measure. Most of our lives will not fill up that one inch of time. Now suppose what we do with that short amount of time will affect the rest of the time represented on the tape measure. Would it not be wise to invest this time wisely? Obviously coming to faith in Jesus and receiving His free gift of salvation is of most importance. What a wasted life it will be for all who end up spending eternity in hell. Yes, there are many other important things in life, such as helping others and being a blessing to those who we know. These are all good things which we must do. But the one thing which is weighing heavy on my heart is this: Most of us live our lives looking out for number 1, which is ourselves. The thing is God did not place us here on earth for ourselves. Think about it like this, when we live our life looking out for number 1, then we actually short change ourselves. The truth is that God has something much bigger than ourselves for each of us. We are here for God's purposes. That is, through each of us, He wants to be glorified and to make Him known. In Christ, we become servants of the Most High God. We must remember, not only what I do with my life will affect the rest of that tape measure I mentioned above, but also may have a positive or negative impact someone else’s rest of their tape measure. So the question we must all ask of ourselves, “are we going to shortchange ourselves and others in living for ourselves? Or are we going impact others for good and live life bringing glory to our God so that others may come to know Him?”

Below are a few scriptures to meditate on:

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13 NKJV)

While Jesus is addressing the scribes and Pharisees, I believe us believers may also stand in the way of people from entering into the Kingdom.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, (1 Timothy 2:1-6 NKJV)

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. (Matthew 9:37 NKJV)

Peace In A Crazy World

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:4-8 NKJV)

The above passage from Philippians is one of my favorite in all of Scripture. My wife tells me that I am very patient in the things which matter most, but the things which do not matter, I am very impatient. I hate getting stuck behind a slow driver!!! Then there is worry, which is also something I must always constantly do battle with. All of us believers face many things in our lives which may drive us crazy, such as arguments with those close to us. Then there is the issue of divisions in the church for various reasons. If you read the above passage in context with Philippians chapter four, it gives us a biblical procedure for attaining unity in the church. Beyond this, one may also draw application into many areas of our lives if we would only apply it more deeply. If things have you down, for what ever reason, count your blessings. If you are fighting with a loved one, write out a list of the things you love about that person. While we do not neglect things which are troubling, our focus must always be on the Lord and the things which are good. We should also always rejoice, be gentle, be patient, and pray always; then we receive His promise. What is His promise? It is the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.

I will not be writing a post next week as I am blessed to spend some precious time with loved ones. Take care and God bless.

Tempted, Now What?

Photo Credit: Flickr, Eduardo Amorin

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV)

I am sure all us have battled, and still battling sin in our lives. In my journey with the Lord, I have experienced times in which sin kept knocking on my door saying, “Just go do it…it will be pleasing…” I resist, yet it keeps knocking. I am sure many of you, if not all have experienced the same thing. Often times when we come to Christ and get saved, there is a sin (or sins) in our life which does not want to go away. Maybe we are tempted to party and get drunk or stoned. Maybe it is a sexual sin. Maybe it is something else, like anger or worry. We believe we are starting to have victory, only to find ourselves doing the very thing we do not want to do. Fortunately, God has given us a way of escape, but the question is, do we want to take it? And if we do, then what is the way of escape? In simple terms, the answer is that Jesus is the way of escape. Below I am going to share with you three things from Romans chapter 6 which will help one overcome their temptation. Before I share with you these with you, I first want to make a quick statement. Be persistent, do not give up in your battle!

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV)

3 Things You Need To Know:

1. Know The Truth.

⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:5-6 NKJV)

The first essential is to know the truth. As believers, our old man was crucified with Christ. We no longer need to be slaves to sin. How would you know this fact if you have never taken the time to learn what God says in His Word? Many of us, we are only fed on Sunday morning. Commit to spending time daily in the Word learning all you can about what God has to say. It is also wise to commit to memorizing Bible verses that way you have truth hid in your heart to draw upon in the time of need. Remember Jesus used Scripture to defeat the devil when He was tempted in the wilderness. (See Matthew 4:1-11) Just as a side note, here are a couple free tools you may use to help memorize scripture.

 http://scripturetyper.com/

http://www.memverse.com/

2. Reckon Yourselves To Be Dead To Sin.

¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:10-11 NKJV)

Other translations say to count or consider yourselves dead to sin. In order to consider yourself dead to sin, you must believe God’s Word to be true. It is then when one may behave as though he is a child of God, instead of a child of the devil. As believers, Jesus set us free from the penalty of sin and we are able to walk in His strength. We will never stop sinning in this life, but we are no longer salves to it. Instead, we become salves of righteousness.

 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:18 NKJV)

3. Quit Presenting Yourself To Sin, But To God.

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Romans 6:13 NKJV)

We must all remember that “we have been bought at a price in, therefore we are to glorify God.” (See 1 Corinthians 6:20) Make it our hearts desire to live life to bring glory to God, not ourselves.  Rejoice in all things of God and be a man or woman after His own heart. As we do this, we will love the things God loves, and hate the things God hates.

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 

(Psalm 37:4 NKJV)

We Are Filled With Something

Photo Credit: Pixabay

"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18 NKJV)

While comparing the above verse with other translations, I found a couple interesting observations. First, the Holman Christian Standard Bible translates the phrase, "in which is dissipation" this way: "which leads to reckless actions." The New Living Translation reads, "Because it will ruin your life." Sunday in church, our pastor spoke concerning this verse, "You will be filled with something." As I meditate on this passage, I realize one may draw application even further than getting drunk, but anything which we pursue more than God. I think of people who spend their life pursuing wealth or career. They have no time for family or God. Their children grow up not knowing who they are. Their spouse may feel like their partner is married to their career, not him/her. For other people, it might be the pursuit of pleasure, which could include the party life among other things. Often times us believers may get caught up in the things of this world, and God gets choked out. The devil will use the things of this world to entice us, thus leading us away from the will of God. Scripture teaches us that the devil cannot snatch us out of God's hand, but he sure may wreak havoc in our lives or make us unproductive. This person also will not be growing in their faith as they ought.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

²² Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (Matthew 13:7,22 NKJV)

Take this to the extreme, this person may fall away. I am sure we all know of someone who was faithful in the church for a long time, and then they are gone. Some may even reject God, saying they "no longer believe like they once did." I am not talking about someone who started attending elsewhere, but they have left the Lord. They got caught up in the cares of this world, and drifted away. There has been a debate in Christendom for hundreds of years as to "once saved, always saved" and those who believe one can "lose their salvation." Others say, "you cannot lose your salvation, but you may choose to walk away from it." Some may call them backslidden Christians. Some will say this person "was never saved, thus there is no salvation to lose." Others will argue to the contrary. I am not going to get all caught up in this debate here. Unfortunately, people who love the Lord and are way smarter than I have argued their views for centuries. This being said, I am sure we all can agree that this is not a good place to be. How is it that this person can have assurance of their salvation? Of course we also have many in the church who have saved souls, but wasted lives. They are unfruitful in what they do for the Lord. Be it unfruitful or unsaved, this is not a wise path to take.

"For to be carnally minded is death, 

but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." 

(Romans 8:6 NKJV)

Our salvation is based upon Jesus and what He did, not on us and what we do. No amount of good works, religious rituals, or anything else can cause one to be saved. Nor will any of these things cause us to keep our salvation. Jesus went to the cross and died a brutal death so that you and I might spend eternity with Him. All you or I may do is turn from our evil ways seeking to follow Him and get down on our knees and cry out to God, "Have mercy on me, a sinner." He will then save us, not because of what we do, but because He is good. Jesus came to save sinners. Then God will give us a new heart, we are a new creation in Christ Jesus. I heard one pastor say, "We are a new species." We should be so thankful and appreciative of what Jesus did for us, we should want nothing more that to get to know Him and love Him more each and every day. Jesus said, He who loves me, Him and the Father will make their home with them. We know that we are His forever because we continue abiding in Him. What I do not understand is, why anyone would would even want to leave, those who are truly His.

²¹ He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

²³ Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. (John 14:21,23-24 NKJV)

Let me say it again, "God makes His home with those who love Him." How cool is that? Let that one sink in.

The question we must ask of ourselves, are we going to be filled with the Spirit, that is to be lead by Him or something else?

Honor Thy Parents

Photo Credit

I am not sure about the rest of the world, but last Sunday here in the USA we celebrated Mothers Day. I hope and pray all you Mom's had a wonderful and blessed Mothers Day. Also, here in the USA, next in June we celebrate Fathers Day. I am thankful to God everyday that God has allowed my mother to live as long as He has. She is a woman in her 90's. I am also thankful to God that she loves the Lord and raised me to know God. Unfortunately, I went the way of the world for many years. But the Godly upbringing she gave me had a great influence on my life. I might not have ever came to the Lord if it were not for her. As for my Father, he passed away 20 years ago. While he did not follow the Lord for most of his life, he did get saved before he passed away. This too, I am thankful for.

I was so blessed this year that my wife and I were able to go spend some precious time with my mom. It was a time to be cherished. She lives about a half days journey away from where we live. We try to get up to see her every couple or three months, as it is such a blessing to her, and us.

When we look at the 10 commandments, it is interesting to note that the first four relate to our relationship with God. Then, the next six concern our relationship with other people. I have always found it interesting that God choose to list "Honor your Father and Mother" above "Thou shall not kill." If I were to write it, I would think "thou shall not kill" would come first. After all, is not murder the worst thing a person might do to another human being? But, I believe God had a good reason. First of all, how is it that we can honor God, if we do not honor our parents? Also, how is it that we may honor our neighbor if we will not honor our parents?

The first commandment with promise:

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 NKJV)

Salt of the Earth

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“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." (Matthew 5:13 NKJV)

What does it mean to be "the salt of the earth?" Lately I have done some research in this area and I have found most will point to one or two different ways in which we are "the salt of the earth." One of them being, "salt is a flavor enhancer or seasoning." That is, we make life better for others. Another way being; "salt is a preservative." That is, we hold back the moral decay of society. The second is the way is the way I have usually viewed the meaning of the phrase; "you are the salt of the earth." I would agree fully with either of these interpretations, however, I have discovered that there are more ways than just these two to be the "salt of the earth." What I have found is that there is a treasure of truth to be mined here in just these few words. Jesus said, "we ARE, the salt of the earth," not may be the salt of the earth. Therefore, I believe it is worthy to spend some time digging into this and find out how it is that we are the salt of the earth so that we may become "more salty." I plan to, Lord willing, do a series of posts on different ways we are "the salt of the earth." I will make a couple points this week and give one way we are "salt of the earth." In the near future, I will write about a couple other ways, and so on. A lot of this series will be based an a message given by Pastor Joe Schimmel of Blessed Hope Chapel in Simi Valley California. 

Point number 1:

You are treasured by God.

In the first century salt was a valued mineral. In fact, Roman soldiers were paid in salt, which is where we get the word, "salary" from. To demonstrate God's love for us, look to John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." We were made in the image of God, and He loved us so much, that He gave His only Begotten Son so that we could spend eternity with Him. How is it that me, a sinner, could be loved by a Holy, just and all powerful God? If you ever doubt if you are loved by God, just look to the cross. He gave His best for me, why in the world would I want to reject it?

Point number 2:

Salt is essential for life:

One of the ways salt is essential for life is that it regulates water balance. According to the Salt Institute, "salt is also important to hydrate our bodies." The world needs us Christians to bring them the living water so that they may live. If we do not take the Gospel of Christ to the lost, how will they hear and be saved? 

¹³ Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14 NKJV)


¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15 NKJV)

The first way that we are the "Salt of the Earth":

Realize that we are made in the image of God, not evolved apes on a mission to share the message of Jesus with a lost and dying world.

Is Christ Divided?

Photo Credit: WikiCommons / www.forestwander.com

Sectarianism Is Sin

 

¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.¹² Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” ¹³  Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13 NKJV) 

One certain church had a pastor who was getting up there in years. A Godly man he was who stood firmly upon the Word of God. We will call him Steve. He was a man who rightly divided the word of truth and preached the full counsel of God. Steve pastored this particular church for some 30 years. The church also had a youth minister whom Steve saw great potential in. The youth pastor's name is Brian, who likewise stood firmly upon the Word of God and rightly divided the word of truth. Pastor Steve decides to start sharing the pulpit with Pastor Brian in order to give him experience. All is well at first, but soon the church was dividing. All the younger members started demanding Brian take over as head pastor and the older members were demanding Pastor Brian to be gone saying, "we want our older pastor preaching."  

One must always remember the cross of Christ divides the saved and the unsaved, but not the body of Christ. Some mistakenly accept all forms of doctrine for the sake of unity. But this is not what the above passage is saying. "If someone comes preaching a different gospel, let him be accursed." (See Galatians 1:8) The foundation for a unified church is found on the centrality of the gospel of Christ. Can we meet in agreement here? If so, then we are able to come together and to be one in Christ. If the church above hired a pastor who did not believe in the resurrection, then we have a problem. On the other hand, if one church believes in a pre-trib rapture, for example, they would want a pastor who believes like wise. This is understandable. While two may disagree in the timing of the rapture, they still may be accepting of each as brothers in the Lord and serve Him in many ways together. Also, it is OK to have our favorite teachers, but we must remember we may only be a few steps away form having a sectarian spirit. If our boast is in any teacher, then we are in danger of fractions and divisions. Paul finished the first chapter of Corinthians with a key to remember; "that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:31) This is key to avoiding a sectarian spirit; keep our boast on the Lord, and not on ourselves, anyone or anything else.

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14 NKJV)

The Perfect and Sufficient Word of God

Photo Credit: Flickr/jalbertganier

פ Pe

¹²⁹ Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
¹³⁰ The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
¹³¹ I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
¹³² Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
¹³³ Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
¹³⁴ Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
¹³⁵ Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
¹³⁶ Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law.

(Psalm 119:129-136 NKJV)

This morning I woke up with my mind totally upon what I had planned for the day. As part of my normal daily routine, I come before the Lord in prayer and Bible reading. However, this morning my mind was too engulfed with the things I had on my agenda. I started praying, but could not concentrate. I opened the Word, it was far from my mind. So I decide to lay down my Bible and go ahead trying to accomplish what I had planned. Everything was just amiss. Frustration was sitting in. Do you ever feel like that when you do not put God's Word first? Then I said to myself, "I must go before the Lord in prayer, then spend some precious time in His Word. That was like night and day in the difference it made.

Recently I committed to memorizing the wonderful verses from Psalm 119, which I started this post off with. I want so much to have the attitude and love for God's Word as this Psalmist had. Such wonderful words here to let sink deep down into our souls; then let this truth be lived out in our lives. Today, I would just like to encourage you to spend some time meditating on these verses above and then answer these two questions below.

1. Are there any areas in my life which are off limits to God's Word?

2. Am I heartbroken over the sin I see everyday in the world? (See verse 136)

Decisions, Decisions!

     

There are many decisions to make in life. I often wonder which choice is the best and right one for my life. I suppose I should seek God's wisdom and direction more earnestly than I do. Often times I tend to rely upon my own wisdom and intelligence in decision making. This does not always lead to the best outcome. It is easy to let my mind be most focused on the decisions which would affect my life here on earth, while not giving consideration to that which is eternal. For example, should I replace my older car with a new one? Should I learn skills which could result in new career opportunities? What should I do to secure my financial future, especially if the economy goes into a depression?

These are all worthy and important decisions to make. Yes, it is wise to seek God's wisdom and direction in these and other areas in life. However, this brings me to another question, "What is God's will for my life? Can I find the answer in the Bible?"

While God leads some people do certain things, for example, to be a pastor or a missionary. However, this is not God’s call on everyone. We each have our own unique set of skills, likes and dislikes leading each in different directions. However, there is one thing which applies to every believer in Christ. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. Out of this everything else in life should flow. Through Adam's disobedience, mankind became disobedient, ungodly and self centered leaving us dead in our trespasses and sins. Through one man's obedience many will be made righteous. (See Romans 5:19) We were originally created in the image of God, but sin corrupted us and the offspring of Adam was born into the image of man. However, when one is saved, God begins to transform them into the image of Christ.  (1 Corinthians 15:49), “We have borne the image of the earthly Adam, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Christ." We are born again, the new birth, through "repentance toward God and faith toward Christ. (See Acts 20:21) We were born into Him, He became our life. (see Col. 3:3-4) We are a new creation in Christ Jesus. (see 2 Corinthians 5:17)

When we fill our lives with earthly things, we will become more like the world. When we fill our lives with Godly things, we will become more Christ like. We must allow Christ to work in and through us molding us into His image. Through letting Christ work in us and through us, everything else in life should flow. Remember Jesus' words "See ye first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you." What is the primary purpose God has for each our lives? That is, to seek the kingdom of God first. When we seek the kingdom of God first, I believe our decision making will be easier and we will make wiser choices. The beautiful thing is, we will glorify God in the way we live our lives.