Col 2:23 disturbs me. Are we promoting self-made religion? Ascetism? Disciplined bodies? Or are we stopping the indulgence of our flesh?
~ "These have indeed an appearance of wisdom
in promoting self-made religion
and asceticism
and severity to the body,
but they are of no value
in stopping the indulgence of the flesh" ~
How do we stop the indulgence of our flesh
without it simply being a change in our behavior
without a change of our heart?
Deeper Repentance.
Drawn by His Beauty.
Overcome by His Power.
Overwhelmed by His Love.
And we will Stop The Indulgence.
Two places in today's readings cause me pause for thought:
ReplyDelete"...knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
Each of us is bound together with all love's healing and meshing power to take us to complete confidence and grasping of Jesus Himself, the Divine Mystery of completed Grace!
And from Jeremiah:
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me, and I shall be saved,
for you are my praise.
Amen.
Bev, I, too, am concerned about our self made religion, our false ways in the church, our doctrine of "Jesus my buddy" and prosperity gospel, and happiness through self promotion.
ReplyDeleteThe church looks different than it did in the early days of Acts where they were one with each other, and all were living for the Lord. We have all but abandoned sacrificial giving, fasting, devotion to the Body, length prayer and self examination, (myself included.)
Our country is no longer one nation under God, if the left has its way. And with the apathy that seems to be the PC state of today, we'll turn our heads away and let it happen, that is, lose our favor with God as a nation and as a people.
We need revival but not before authentic repentance. Let it be so, Lord.
I am doing a study on Acts put out by Navpress. It is very convicting and very enlightening of the differences between the early church and what it has become in our country. Our pastor's wife has put the label of Authentic Christianity for the tile of the study for this semester and next. I recommend it highly. It will open your eyes and make you think. May God help our country, He has more than blessed it. We believers need to fall on our faces and repent and turn back to Him.
ReplyDelete