Let\u2019s do the maths and take inventory.\u00a0 Let\u2019s do this prayerfully.\u00a0 Are you ready?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n What do 1 Co 13\u00a0 Hos 6:6\u00a0 and\u00a0 Phil 4\u00a0 have in common?\u00a0 Let us see today!\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n So often I have found through the years that a Christian will act one way with Him and a different way with others or someone they don\u2019t like much or\u00a0 disagree with. Have you encountered such behavior? I have been a recipient of such and have known family members or Christians who have also.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I suggest these offending \u2018Christians\u2019 need to take their rose tainted glasses off when they read their bibles because the Scriptures have much to say about behavior. If we act \u2018holy\u2019 with The Lord and poorly towards others – be it family members, Christians or unbelievers – it is Not a good thing! As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit brought a verse to my attention today and unveiled it\u2019s meaning along the lines of what I have believed a long time concerning unacceptable behavior of Christians and it\u2019s found in the very love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. I was reading DLNT (Disciples Literal New Testament) and a verse stood out that proves my point and sheds light on something many of us have missed when hearing or reading this chapter.<\/p>\n It goes like this: Many Christians can relate to \u201cI am not proud or envious…I do not brag\u2026…I\u2019m not easily provoked or take pleasure in unrighteousness (around them)\u201d but they do behave poorly towards someone or others. When something or someone is not suited to their liking, they reflect that in their words and manner.<\/p>\n The best of us tend to pick or choose what Scriptures we like to read often, don\u2019t we? We like to read chapters or verses that make us feel good – that\u2019s ok, it\u2019s in keeping with human nature to do so but we need to venture a little and explore the extras we\u2019re not covering, what they say to us, hey? Did you know that certain behaviors hinder our prayers? Yes, that\u2019s right. I believe for a long time now that the apostle Paul\u2019s words to couples concerning their spouse applies to our behavior towards each-other as Christians too because our relationship in Christ is also a sacred bond. That may not agree with you, however Paul gave us much counsel on how we are to relate together – that which is appropriate, as Children of God, and that which is not.<\/p>\n I suggest we need to look for these verses when we desire to \u201cplease The Lord\u201d because it\u2019s amazing how many of us leave those things out of our Christian walk or have not even noticed them. Other things it says in 1 Corinthians 13 are: Love does not behave itself unseemly (it is not rude or impolite) it behaves becomingly as is befitting to a child of the Most High and confers honor on others like He would\/does. But some of us are even prepared to make comments or remarks of disrepute, are we not? The DLNT version says \u201cdoes not behave-dishonorably\u201d that applies, I believe, to the way we behave AND casting a shadow on someone\u2019s honor, acting disfavorably towards them, defaming or upsetting them. Such words or actions show us up for how acceptable our godly character really is. In other words, if our words or actions with others does not match our behavior towards Him, we dishonor Him as well as that person we offended and in doing so, we actually sow dishonor to ourselves.<\/p>\n Yes, this is maybe hard to accept but it\u2019s true. In fact, Philippians 4:8 even goes so far as to address even our thoughts towards others \u201cwhatever is of a good report\u2026.think of these things\u201d That and accompanying words in two other\u00a0 verses give us a perfect recipe for \u201cthe God of Peace to be with us\u201d (to sense and experience His Presence) and position ourselves for His blessings. Yes, as a matter of fact, verse 6 \u201cNot to be anxious\u201d but \u201cAlways Rejoice\u201d verse 4, rather than getting upset and voicing discontents AND \u201cBeing Gracious and Gentle\u201d in our manner (not just when we wish to) verse 5, together with verse 8 is Paul\u2019s Recipe for Living in Victory, we can practice daily.<\/p>\n In verse 3 of 1 Corinthians Love Chapter, Paul says we can \u201cgive up our possessions\u201d (for God) and even \u201cour body\u201d (be a\u00a0martyr\u00a0for Him) and if we do not practice Love (without favoritism) towards others \u201cI am nothing\u201d (I am not acting as the child of God I deem myself to be) my \u201choly walk\u201d counts for nothing – it is not acceptable in His Sight. Paul is saying here \u201cwe are kidding ourselves\u201d……..we are told \u201cnot to think of ourselves more highly than we ought and to practice sober judgement\u201d (in the light we see ourselves in) are we not? Romans 12:3<\/p>\n May I suggest to you that \u201choliness\u201d is something many of us have misconceptions about? We\u2019re just as religious as religious folks, when it comes to the reality of our \u201cWalk with Jesus\u201d failing to express it in Practical Ways when it comes to how we conduct ourselves in communications with this one and that one. Much as to say this one is a favorite and I\u2019ll treat them well, that one is not, so I\u2019ll treat them anyhow\u2026\u2026..forgetting our God is hearing and watching the entire time.<\/p>\n Hebrews 4:13 “Everything is uncovered and laid\u00a0bare before the eyes of Him to\u00a0whom\u00a0we must\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>give account. Yes all things\u00a0are bare and open to the eyes of Him with\u00a0whom we have\u00a0to\u00a0do and<\/p>\n we will\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>give account.” Yes it’s so true, we may not care now but we most surely will then.<\/p>\n So what the Holy Spirit showed me today to share is: You can \u201cLove God\u201d as much as you like – even go without things for Him and even give yourself as a\u00a0martyr,\u00a0but if your Love for Others is not there (only with the ones you like) that\u2019s favoritism – that means nothing, you have not pleased Him at all<\/strong><\/em>. He would say to some of you when Jesus Comes \u201cI did not ask you to do those things but to love and respect each-other and bestow honor. You did not do that.\u201d You find this clearly in the Scripture<\/strong><\/em> \u201cI desire Mercy, not sacrifice\u201d (Hosea 6:6) Mind you, there\u2019s a message in the secular song \u201cThere\u2019s no sacrifice at all\u201d…….that speaks of apathetic or lethargic commitment.<\/p>\n As I wrote in a prophetic post last year “most Christians don’t know the difference between\u00a0liking<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0love<\/em><\/strong>” (that’s the way they act). We must come against careless behavior<\/strong><\/em> in Christianity – our own first would be good.<\/p>\n So God is not saying He wants a\u00a0Walk with Him<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0without any sacrifice, but to place a priority on\u00a0Practicing Mercy<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0because in Hosea\u2019s time, they were actually practising half-hearted sacrifices. And do you remember David once saying \u201cI will not give to The Lord that which costs me nothing? (1 Chronicles 21:24)\u201d Yes, it should cost us something to Follow The Lord – especially the way we treat others if we are not treating someone well. That\u2019s right, Salvation is a \u201cContract\u201d you could say, when you made Jesus Lord of your life – He did say to \u201cLove Him with all your heart and mind and strength and treat others\u00a0as you wish to be treated<\/em><\/strong>\u201d( Mark 12:30) not poorly, not nasty, not anyhow<\/em>, hey? But rendering Mercy when there should be mercy, love and respect at all times, bestowing honor, having honorable intentions. Showing gentleness of heart like Paul instructed us. Yes Jesus gave His All – sadly most Christians are giving what “costs them nothing<\/em>“<\/p>\n A True Believer\u2019s Life is not paying your dues (figure of speech) by attending weekly services\u2026…maybe daily bible reading and doing whatever you \u2018prefer\u2019 and being nice to who you prefer, the rest of the time. That takes no commitment at all – little really or limited.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s go back to prayer again and see what we can best do about this on a continual basis. We need to pray continually (start each day in prayer, setting expectations for our conduct and lean on Him for His Strength to live in practical holiness<\/strong>, rather than religious) Well wishes to all, I\u2019m included in this.<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Being True Believers In Practice Let\u2019s do the maths and take inventory.\u00a0 Let\u2019s do this prayerfully.\u00a0 Are you ready? What do 1 Co 13\u00a0 Hos 6:6\u00a0 and\u00a0 Phil 4\u00a0 have in common?\u00a0 Let us see today!\u00a0 So often I have found through the years that a Christian will act one way with Him and a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-251","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiansaware.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiansaware.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiansaware.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiansaware.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiansaware.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/christiansaware.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/251\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":384,"href":"https:\/\/christiansaware.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/251\/revisions\/384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiansaware.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}