MARCH 2023 NEWSLETTER

                                                            MARCH 2023 NEWSLETTER

  ROBERT LINDENBERGER

 

                        GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME; ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!  AMEN?

Galatians 5:16 – 26 (Message Bible)

      My counsel is this: Live freely, animated, and motivated by God’s Spirit.  Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness.  We have a root of sinful self-interest that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free Spirit is incomparable with selfishness.  These two ways of life are antithetical, so you cannot live at times one way and at times and other the way, according to how you feel.  On any given day.  Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and escape the erratic compulsions of the law-dominated existence? 

      It is obvious what kind of life develops at trying to get your way all the time; repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness God’s; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet never have-satisfied once; a brutal temper; and implements to love he and joyless grabs for happiness; trinkets God’s; magic show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied once; a brutal temper; impotence to love and to be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; of the paradise of community.  I could go on”.

     This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know.  If you use your freedom this way, you do not inherit God’s kingdom.

      But what happens when we live God’s way?  First, he brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that the fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, and serenity.  Second, we develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people.  Third, we find ourselves involved in a steadfast commitment, not needing to force our way in life, and able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

      Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.  Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good – crucified.

      Since this kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.  That means we will not compare ourselves as if one of us were better than another; in other words, we have far more interesting things to do with our lives.  Each of us is an original.

 Have You Ever Felt Like Quitting the Christian Life?  Perhaps you tried to be the kind of person you think God wants you to be: you’ve established a consistent quiet time with the Lord, during which you read the Bible and pray.  But still, you seem to have one problem after another.  So you think you might be missing something – or that this life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  That is a comfort: many believers, myself included, have toiled through periods of defeat.

      The key to living a life of joy, peace, and victory is found in Galatians 5.  I did not say life without conflict or one free of temptation, trial, or hardly.  Those are part of the human condition.  But we can try out through the power of the Holy Spirit.

      Today’s passage clarifies how vital it is for believers to live a Spirit-filled life.  When people trust Jesus Christ as Savior, they are saved and move from darkness into light.  But believers do not then just stand around.  Instead, as followers of Christ, we fall into step with the Holy Spirit, who helps us to stay on our feet when we overwhelmingly move uphill without tiring and to stand again after we have fallen.  We rely upon Him as our Guide, Comforter, and Source of Strength.

      This getting through a deep trial is more like crawling than walking?  However, the Holy Spirit is right within you, and He has all the encouragement and power necessary to get you on your feet again.  Our journey with Christ isn’t to be lived alone – rely upon God’s Spirit to escort you each step of the way.

      If you know Jesus as Savior.  You know that at salvation, our sins are forgiven.  And God gives us eternal life.  But much more accompanies our redemption: We received a new nature, power over sin, and a renewed mind.  However, these qualities require development, which happens to the knowledge of Scripture, submission to the Spirit, and diligent effort on our part.

      It’s a good idea to periodically evaluate whether our thinking, attitudes, and behavior are in line with God’s character and the truths of Scripture.  Also, we should take note of what absorbs our attention.  For example, it is not healthy to overload our minds with media reports or entertainment that doesn’t reflect God’s values.  Regular exposure to such material can easily produce anxiety, discontent, and ingratitude.

      The apostle Paul gives us a measuring stick to help us determine what is worthy of our attention.  He said to dwell on, whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, exited, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).  With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can filter our thoughts through this list.

      So ask yourself, what fills my mind?  And give priority to things in these categories.  Then, as your thoughts align with Christ’s, you’ll begin to recognize what is right, good, and wise – and your life will more closely reflect his.

      One of my favorite hymns, “the Old Rugged Cross,” has this line in its chorus: “I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies, at last, I lay down.”  It is about the Christian hope of heaven, where we will lay aside our earthly trophies and receive a heavenly crown.

      I told you in my last newsletter (a mistake).  I said it was 88 and looking for the Golden gate.  No, I meant The Pearly Gate, to see the face of Jesus!  And I find myself grieving the “trophies” of life, and I have given up on getting old.   The first trophy I miss is not being able to preach anymore.  And the second is not being able to work with OLD People.  I tell everyone, “I used it work with old people, now I are one.”(my smeller’s bloke)

      As I have meditated on the meaning of “clinging to the old rugged cross,” I have realized more clearly that I do not need to give up God’s great redeeming love that comes to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  My bodily aches and limitations do not hinder my participation in a life of faith.  I give thanks for all that the cross of Christ means, and I commend that story of God’s grace and goodness to all as a real transforming crown of this life and the life to come

                                                                       Knowing Jesus is my joy and reason for living.

                                                                      He is….

                                                                  The Wind beneath my wings,

                                                                  the Treasure that I seek,

                   the Foundation on which I build,

                                                                  the Song in my heart,

                                                                  the Object of my desire,

                                                                  the Breath of my life –

                                                                  He is my All in all!

                                                                     – – Anne Graham Lotz in My JESUS is Everything P. 16