Post by Les Brewer on Mar 18, 2012 9:45:07 GMT
Calvary's Cross Ministries
Preaching Christ Crucified...I Cor.1:18-25
From the pastor's desk and heart...
Good Sunday morning and God bless you all!
The Whole Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-20
"And take the helmet of salvation,...."
What does it mean to take the helmet of salvation?
Well,what do helmets do?They protect the head from injury.It doesn't take much injury to the head for it to be fatal.Our head holds our brains,and this is the place where our thought processes begin.The helmet of salvation is to protect our thinking and what we do with the thoughts we have and how we get them.
There are times when the Lord will give us a thought,there are times when we have our own thoughts,and then there are times when the enemy puts thoughts in our mind.
Paul the Apostle gave us a good formula to follow in Romans 12:2,"And do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." We,as christians,are to think differently,we are to change our way of thinking about how we are to live our lives in this world.We are not to be conformed to the way the world thinks or acts.
Here in America,every March,people celebrate St.Patrick's Day by partying and carousing.They look forward to the event with the anticipation of drinking themselves into unconsciousness.There are many,who call themselves christians,that will be caught in the fray,never taking one thought as to whether or not they should be involved in drinking parties.They haven't changed their thought processes concerning the right or wrong of drinking.They have,in effect,taken off the helmet of salvation,and have lost the protection they need for their mind.
Drinking and drunkeness are condemned in the New Testement in many places.We are told that no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God (Gal.5:21).
My point to this is this:
If we are to claim salvation through Jesus Christ and name His name as a description of who we are,"christian",then we must do as the Scripture instructs us to do,and renew our mind according to the Scriptures.Paul told the Phillipian church in Phil.4:8-9,"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 a good report,if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate (think) on these things.The things which you have learned and received and heard and saw in me,these do,and the God of peace will be with you." If we do as the Scriptures instruct us to do,which is renew our minds with the word of God,the Bible,then we have the promise that the God of peace will be with us.If we have lost our peace or have never had peace with God,it can most likely be attributed to not renewing our mind according to the Bible.We must seperate from the world and it's faulty way of thinking and loose living.As christians,we cannot have it both ways.We cannot have salvation and the ways of the world too.We must make a choice.
Renewing our mind comes from a diligent study of God's word and a wilingness to conform our lives to what it teaches,by walking in faith and obedience to Christ.If a person is not willing to change the direction of their life from sin and turn to righteousness (right living),then they most likely are not in right relationship with God.Repentance,true repentance,is the turning from one direction to another.Jesus said that if we do not repent we will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).
Children of God,let us renew our minds after righteousness and not after the ways of the world,for the world and the things in the world are at enmity with God and can never be reconciled to God,the world is passing away and the lusts thereof,but the word of the Lord will stand forever.....Tomorrow,the sword of the Spirit........Until then,God bless you abundantly...In Christ...JW
Preaching Christ Crucified...I Cor.1:18-25
From the pastor's desk and heart...
Good Sunday morning and God bless you all!
The Whole Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-20
"And take the helmet of salvation,...."
What does it mean to take the helmet of salvation?
Well,what do helmets do?They protect the head from injury.It doesn't take much injury to the head for it to be fatal.Our head holds our brains,and this is the place where our thought processes begin.The helmet of salvation is to protect our thinking and what we do with the thoughts we have and how we get them.
There are times when the Lord will give us a thought,there are times when we have our own thoughts,and then there are times when the enemy puts thoughts in our mind.
Paul the Apostle gave us a good formula to follow in Romans 12:2,"And do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." We,as christians,are to think differently,we are to change our way of thinking about how we are to live our lives in this world.We are not to be conformed to the way the world thinks or acts.
Here in America,every March,people celebrate St.Patrick's Day by partying and carousing.They look forward to the event with the anticipation of drinking themselves into unconsciousness.There are many,who call themselves christians,that will be caught in the fray,never taking one thought as to whether or not they should be involved in drinking parties.They haven't changed their thought processes concerning the right or wrong of drinking.They have,in effect,taken off the helmet of salvation,and have lost the protection they need for their mind.
Drinking and drunkeness are condemned in the New Testement in many places.We are told that no drunkard will inherit the kingdom of God (Gal.5:21).
My point to this is this:
If we are to claim salvation through Jesus Christ and name His name as a description of who we are,"christian",then we must do as the Scripture instructs us to do,and renew our mind according to the Scriptures.Paul told the Phillipian church in Phil.4:8-9,"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 a good report,if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate (think) on these things.The things which you have learned and received and heard and saw in me,these do,and the God of peace will be with you." If we do as the Scriptures instruct us to do,which is renew our minds with the word of God,the Bible,then we have the promise that the God of peace will be with us.If we have lost our peace or have never had peace with God,it can most likely be attributed to not renewing our mind according to the Bible.We must seperate from the world and it's faulty way of thinking and loose living.As christians,we cannot have it both ways.We cannot have salvation and the ways of the world too.We must make a choice.
Renewing our mind comes from a diligent study of God's word and a wilingness to conform our lives to what it teaches,by walking in faith and obedience to Christ.If a person is not willing to change the direction of their life from sin and turn to righteousness (right living),then they most likely are not in right relationship with God.Repentance,true repentance,is the turning from one direction to another.Jesus said that if we do not repent we will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).
Children of God,let us renew our minds after righteousness and not after the ways of the world,for the world and the things in the world are at enmity with God and can never be reconciled to God,the world is passing away and the lusts thereof,but the word of the Lord will stand forever.....Tomorrow,the sword of the Spirit........Until then,God bless you abundantly...In Christ...JW
