Get Rid of The Sinner Mentality

GET RID OF THE "SINNER" MENTALITY!

I'M STARTING A LIST

of topics that I think should be addressed

before the Body of Christ

Some subjects that others seem "afraid" to deal with . . .

and there are a few, a "handful" really

that would say, "Just who gave you authorization to do this?"

Just like the Pharisees & Sadducees did to Jesus when

they asked Him "By what authority have you done this?"

... the apostles were quizzed similarly.

Religious folks have such a hang-up with "ordination"

and where/who you were ordained by and etc, etc,  
ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

I was ordained first by God, as many of you were

and I also have ordination papers from at least

two church orgs (somewhere) . . . but THAT is NOT the point!

THE POINT IS will any of us OBEY God and launch out and

do what He tells us to do, regardless??

All we need is a "word from God" to step out of our boxes

and out of the shadows to go forth and accomplish 
great things for God!

*Public Service Announcement,

brought to you by my sponsor,

The Holy Spirit!*

*************

I recently visited a Thanksgiving service @ a local  
Lutheran church.

It was an invitation by an old friend, so we all went, 
the whole Fam.

Food was superb, music & praise band also. Songs were

awesome, very uplifting, overcoming tunes, and 
scripturally accurate.

And the message was good, Jesus calming the storm.

BUT

The communion service was . . . shall we say, ummm,

"disappointing". Sorry, I love communion and all that,

have experienced some powerful communion services 
in the past,

but that one I just could not get into.

(My 8 year old was leaning on me anyway, I wasn't moving).

I don't feel condemned for not partaking. I'm ok. I'm free.

So why, what da prob?

Uh, their confession.

They all spoke in unison some profession of faith

"off the wall" that declared that 'we're all just a bunch

of crummy ol' sinners, and we humbly come to you

begging you God to forgive us for all our stupidity

and bumbling etc. etc. etc.'

I couldn't stomach it, and didn't want to throw up

my delicious pumpkin pie.

I do have some scriptures for you to meditate on.

We're not just a bunch of crummy sinners.

IF we have entered into the kingdom of God

through covenant with Jesus Christ, especially.

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,

so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 
(2 Cor. 5:21 NASB)

I KNOW we all want to be relatable to folks when we share 
the gospel,

especially when accused of "Holy Joe" or "holier than thou".

We say "No, we are ALL sinners" blah, blah, blah.

Well, that is NOT the truth.

You cannot be a 'sinner' AND 'the righteousness of God' 
at the same time.

That would make us have a "split personality" I'm sure!

Some folks argue, "well, I still sin, I still make mistakes, Paul

in Romans 7 said ..." Oboy, we can go there! We can preach 
on that brotha!

But just wait, we will go there!

"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in  
newness of life.

 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

 for he who has died is freed from sin." (Rom. 6:4-7)

Apostle Paul lines out in 2 Corinthians that we are  
new creations! New heart, new mind, new nature, 
 newness of life! Our old self, we ain't draggin' around on our horse, smellin' up the house and everybody! 
Our "body of sin" is done

away with, and we are FREED FROM SIN!!

Awww, ya'all don't believe me yet!

Let me drive this home from good ol' Apostle John 
"The Beloved":

First John 3:9

(Are you sure you're ready???)

"No one who is born of God practices sin,

because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because 
he is born of God."

Now, whoa. Wait a minute. What about the 1st chapter,

where John says, "If we say that we have no sin,

we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." 
(verse 8)

CONTEXT, FOLKS!!  Ya got to pay attention to the context!

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him and

yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (verse 6).

Everything, then, in that chapter, must be 
interpreted and understood

by that premise. I have studied 1st John for many years, 
and have come to the conclusion that it is the

Grand Lighthouse of the New Testament.

OKAY. It's like this.

We have a new nature. We don't want to sin.

We don't practice sin. We practice godlinesss, etc.

We are overcomers. We are more than conquerors.

If you don't believe this, you have been LIED TO,

and need deliverance. Plain and simple.

Most deliverance that comes to us "after Christ"

is due to LIES in our mind, our soul, our being.

That's why I said that.

I know I've gone Loooooooooong again

but I have to leave you with this to chew on:

" . . . and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins;

and not for ours only, but also for those of  the whole world."

(I John 2:2)

JESUS CHRIST completed the JOB.

IT IS FINISHED!

He fully dealt with SIN.

Sin is dead.

DEATH=SIN

SIN=DEATH

in New Testament=speak.

He came to take away "The Sins of the World"

THE WHOLE WORLD.

The whole wad, the whole kit'n'kaboodle!!

So . . .

That means God Almighty ain't pissed off

and is reserving judgment for some future time

in some undisclosed place . . .

(Jesus stated that 'judgment has come' before his crucifixion)

IF SIN IS FINISHED, THEN IT IS DEALT WITH, IT'S OVER, IT'S DONE!

Kinda like Frodo when he finally got rid of the "one ring"

in the Fires of Mordor.

Paul was enslaved to the LAW in Romans 7 ...

in Romans 8 The Spirit has come, and he is FREE.

We have to be freed from our "sin mentality"

and see ourselves as God sees us.

BE FREE THEN!!!

PEACE TO YOU ALL

TONY ;)

A Thanksgiving Blog

CAN'T REIGN IF YOU COMPLAIN
(All The Time!)
The local classic rock station has been
running a "campaign" of sorts, to preserve
Thanksgiving as a very cool holiday, to
push it up front, to the forefront that is . . .
and 'please hold off' all the "Christmas Music"
until at least the day after
(meaning Friday and beyond).
Why? Because "Christmas" junk --
the commercialness -- seems to
eclipse a very pure concept: Gratitude! That
just doesn't fit the madness of the season.
To tell you the truth, I found
all that quite refreshing, to the extent
that I started to wonder if this dude=announcer
was a believer! Anyway, refreshing to hear
it on any rock station, especially my fave
(I'm usually tuned to it 100%).

{Kinda got burned out on the 'christian music station'
and I like to hear "good music" ok? Cool. LOL}

Of course, I want to bounce off that as
a "meditation" for this Thanksgiving.
This is a very way cool Holiday!
People of all walks, creeds, religions,
nationalities seem to be celebrating it.
Even folks who "don't know WHO to Thank"
are celebrating it. Perhaps it's all the great food!
Anyways ...

It has been my custom for years,
since Jesus first "saved" me
to write down a LIST of things
that I was thankful for.
Usually the list was 4 pages long.

Unfortunately, we have a host
of complainers walking around
always finding something to gripe about
and if you're not careful
you'll find yourself captivated
by their negativity, maybe even
fall into it yourself and talk like them.
Makes it kinda hard to "be thankful"
after you spent most of the week bitchin'
about stuff.
"You have made them to be a kingdom and priests
 to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
(Revelation 5:10)

A picture of God's people "ruling and reigning"
in and thru life, here on earth
in such a way that we overcome.
Ahhh. The number one thing we "rule" over
should be our tongue!
That is something to be mastered, isn't it?
James said, "And if anyone does not offend in speech
[never says the wrong things],
he is a fully developed character and a perfect man,
able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature."(James 3:2 AMP)
OK.Try this one on for size!
"But the human tongue can be tamed by no man.
It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison.

    With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it

we curse men who were made in God's likeness!

    Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing.

These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.

    Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously]

from the same opening fresh water and bitter?

    Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs?

Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water."

(James 3:8-12 AMP)

Speaking of "AMP", that was really amplified

was it not? Yes. And yet, that's how many

of us have been trained to act.

"Blessing & cursing" coming out of the same mouth!

Time to give it a rest, eh?

Let God tame the tongue! ~

Let's be people of thanksgiving and praise,

alright?

I mean you can't REIGN if you COMPLAIN

{not that there's never something legit

to complain about, like the TSA or something}

but we can choose to make thanksgiving

a lifestyle.

Believe you me

It looks a whole lot better on ya.

---

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

  TONY