Ken7

Thank you, Pastor Ralph to remind me of my place in society, forgetting is a

My first sense is "How awesome is this? Part of a family in which acceptance is unconditional and admittance is free! My life went from an unworthy state to one, through justification, of being a child of God. My first action is ...wow I have a bunch of friends and family I need to go and talk to. The Passion of the Christ is about to open. How sad for those who believe they must continually atone, their confusion over the true "Passion". Moses tried to substitute his life for Israel and God rejected his offer. God didn't reject his hearts attitude however. Christ

Prayer & Praise in public can bring Glory to God or feed the unbeliever. First we need to Know God, best we can so our tongue does bring praise to God, that witness might be the only one a person sitting near might receive that day. While our praise is mainly for God's benefit the unbeliever might receive encouragement from the Lord from what passes out of our mouth. We are to praise Him every P/O our being, from our wallet to our hands with every minute of the day. Sounds like a tall order but we all know saints that do this quite well. Why should be any different or any less. Pastor Ralph took a computer and phone line; using it for God's Glory. It brings praise to God as believers are encouraged, enlightened, edified and nonbelievers might see our words and hopefully 'be jealous' as Paul said of what our words say about how we offer praise to God.

We are also His disciples. We are to be committed learners, obeying His Very Word. When I think of what a priests attitude should be (we don't need priests any longer due to Jesus Christs death and resurrection) his attitude or mindset would be similar to a disciples mindset. Trust and obey, committed to learning everything possible about God with a goal of the closest relationship possible. My 'priestly job' is to be an imitator of Christ not be a consumer of Christ. To know Him is to Love Him might just apply here. I know for a fact (learned the hard way) that my personal purity before a Holy God is another of my 'priestly duties' which is a joy when done right ...it doesn't seem like a duty but a pleasure. Which answers why I am inspired to do these duties. The indescribable joy of my salvation is a great motivation to walk in Gods Spirit and not walk in my flesh. When I walk in the Lords Spirit and He answers a petition or supplication my faith is grown in "knowing Him" and my heart leaps with joy as I experience Him.

Recently cancer entered into my life, for the 2nd time. The first time I rejoiced in Gods Mercy and retired, began mission work in a field my wife and I had done some work in. This 2nd time was different. My sweet wife had gone to be with our Lord at an early age after a difficult illness. Part of me would have been happy to go home to the Lord, yet children, Grandchildren, the ministry 'unfinished' work tugged at my heart. My innermost was also saying this bout with the same aggressive cancer might be a difficult go-round. I came to a point, after a faith struggle that if God said come-home I was ready, yet if He kept me here ...then use the miracle for His Glory. My mission ministry work involves those desiring recovery from drugs. My family still has dear ones not knowing Christ. I truly wanted more than remission, I wanted submission ...for those, including me, who's Faith was needing to be "refined by fire" for God's Glory. Our country, our churches, our families needed this ...I was so sure this was Gods Will. The good news is the cancer is completely gone I'm back on the road in ministry for the Lord. My family and I are so much closer. My daughter and my Grand kids just relish our time together. The Pastor and his wife who run the ministry I'm involved in are near the center of this prayer-miracle. Troy says God still had work for me to be done, there were several wonderful things that happened the morning at church they announced my outcome from the surgery. This occurred at Pastor Troy's church and one of the churches I had worked with. God is So Good!

Gods Love has made our inheritance both here and hereafter eternally secure, He said so - not me. The familiar hymn Trust and Obey states our part. Trusting does mean we are Persuaded by His Truth, through our faith.

Your question "Why ...are they a package?" 1) Describes a relationship between God and us. Christs death & resurrection allows us to have Gods forgiveness, a free gift. Christ died because God wanted a relationship with us so much... He was willing to let His Son die. 2)God does not allow sin (into Heaven or into His relationship with us) therefore sin must be done away with ...expiated! My daily obedience is my part of our relationship, it is s love response, the same response we find in a healthy marriage. The deception of thinking one can exist w/o the other is to lie to God and ourself that a relationship with God exists at all. The "Love Response" of obedience comes from within an effective relationship with the living God. extra points: I wasn't saved by my "Love Response" this response (Obedience) is a result OF the relationship God initiated through Jesus Christ.

Effective Christian living begins with a right attitude towards the Lord. Worldly behavior or identifying with the world shows us we are spiritually immature at the very least. Behavior would include actions inconsistent with Jesus Christ's actions. Emotional responses would reveal indicators also. It should break our heart when we meet a repentant person like this and be prepared with the response Gods Word/Spirit directs us to give. I still behave in worldly ways when my thinking (my heart) responds that way, daily study and prayer is hopefully cleansing my mind (a right attitude) and growing me closer to God. Gods Word Cleanses!