Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Do Not Love The World

"Do Not Love The World" This is what the name of my Sunday school lesson was on Sunday. God has been speaking to me about this stuff so that's why I thought I would share it with my Sunday school class.

I have been reading 1 John. It is amazing, it was written to Christians and I have found out that it is a possibility that John wrote it originaly to the Jewish Christians. I read 1 John 2:15-16 and just sat there in awe of what it said. "15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world." It came clear to me about one thing. It said that if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. This is clearly saying that if you love the world then you are not saved. The Greek word "agapao" is the word love used for loving the world which is a strong love. When you really love something you will give everything that you have for this and you center your life around that thing giving your all for it. The word love, when it talks about the Fathers love is the Greek word "agape" which is the love that God has for his children. This is saying that it is not possible for the love of the world and God's love to reside in the same person.

I freaked out when I read this because I thought of all the times I desired Worldly things. The difference here is that I just "desired" them for a short time until the Holy Spirit convicted me of what I was doing. I was not in love with these things, I was not centering my whole life around them. As time goes by I desire worldly things less and less. I Thank God in heaven that this is happening and I pray everyday that He grows my desires and passions for Him.

Rom. 12:1-2 say this "1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And 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" The word acceptable here to many people could mean just enough, just enough to pass the standards that God has for him to say your acceptable, but this is not what it is saying. The Greek word for acceptable is the word "euarestos" meaning-acceptable, pleasing, well-pleased, well-pleasing, which it comes from the word "eu" meaning- done, well, well-done. These verses are saying that God wants use to act in ways that are pleasing to him. Not just doing enough to get by, but literialy pleasing God himself and giving him glory.

That is a long enough blog for today, I will post the rest of it at a later time. I am already leaving out some stuff trying to make it short enough for a blog. Trust me it only gets better from here.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

A Great Post

I taught Sunday school Sunday morning to the 11th and 12th grade guys from Millington. I loved it so much cause God showed me somethings that I would have never seen if I was just reading instead of studying my Bible. I am going to post what it was in the next few days. I think some of you will enjoy it. The only reason I am not posting now is because I don't have my notes with me and there are some Greek words that I used that I can't remember how to spell them cause they are long. I have learned in the past few months that we need to study our Bibles not just read them, find out what words mean in the Greek dictionary or Hebrew dictionary. I have learned so much more doing this and have learned that not everything that I have been taught in church is true, but that's a different story. God has taught me a lot.