Being Content

What does it mean to be content? Websters dictionary says content is being satisfied. When I think of being content I think of being happy and satisfied as well as at peace with where I am. That is how we can feel when we are in God's will for our lives. It is not having many things or necessarily even having your health it is doing what God asks of us as well as living daily in his will for our lives. Paul tells us in Phil. 4 that he has learned to be content. Phil 4:11-13 "11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength."(NIV) We can learn to be content too in our lives by relying on God and holding on to the knowledge that no matter what comes our way that God is there to see us through and to hold on to us. So I have learned to be content where I am here in God's will. I know that I am where God wants me to be for the moment and that he is using me for his glory and that brings peace and contentment. Remember to look and ask God to show you what his will for you is and then be content when you know that you are living in Gods will.

No Condemnation

At the purpose series this week we talked about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It means turning away from your old way of life and turning to the new in Christ. It isn't a religion but a relationship with Christ. We should strive to live with Christ as the center of our lives and to have a real relationship with Him.

We also talked about how when we walk in Christ we are not condemned any more. That also means self condemnation. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.(KJV) That means that we need to stop putting ourselves down because there is no condemnation when you have Christ in your life and are living the way Christs says to. Sometimes we are our own worse critics for the smallest things. We need to stop this because we are not condemned anymore because Christ came and took our sins away and we are now new creatures and followers of Christ. There is nothing that we can do to make God love us and there is nothing we can do to make God not love us. He loves us period so we need to hold our heads up high. When we make a mistake we should not say how stupid we are but ask God to forgive us and move on. We don't have to miss out on life with God in the center of it because of things that we have in our past we just have to ask for forgiveness and God wipes the slate clean and we put on a new self and start from that moment on. God made each of us and he loves us so we need to live a life full of Jesus and walk in our new life loving others and ourselves.

Mission and Commitment

At Church Sunday we had the privilege to hear Arthur Blessitt speak about his 40 year mission of walking around the world carrying a cross and telling people everywhere about Jesus. He was very interesting but mostly the message I got from it was that we need to commit to God and be willing to that unconditionally. He also said every Christian has a mission to do and though circumstances change the mission God gives us doesn't. I also got from listening to Arthur that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will. If we are doing what God asks of us then he will provide and take care of us.

We went again last night to hear Arthur and he talked about the last week of Jesus life leading up to the Crucifixion. Again he was very interesting and he also talked about John being a prisoner on Patmos and how he never wavered from his faith in God and Christ. Arthur reminded us that to be a follower of Christ is to not to worry about what others think of you because people will persecute you for your belief and you have to not worry what they say or do as long as you stay in the center of God's will doing what God has for you to do. He reminded us that we should be like John was on Patmos when he said he was in the Spirit everyday all day.

Arthur's film The Cross is at theaters now and I would encourage everyone to go and see it. Arthur said he walked over 38,000 miles and went across the world carrying the cross and praying and telling people about Jesus and this film is about the 40 year mission.

Last I want to say we should all strive to live more Christ-like and to live in the center of God's will. We should listen to the call that God has for all of us and make a commitment to God to do that mission. I feel like Arthur said that God uses everyone in some way or another so don't think you don't have a calling just seek God and ask him to show you what he has for you to do then commit to that calling and follow through with it. You don't go through the mission alone Jesus goes with you.

Go See the movie "THE CROSS"