My beloved Lakers just got a new coach. Magic Johnson is not happy that they hired Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson. I really didn't like Phil Jackson before they hired him the first time. I have be fond of calling Mike, D'anPhony. But, now that the Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak hired him I say, "Welcome to the family!" Before we gave our lives to Christ we were alienated enemies of God. Now, we are reconciled blameless and free from accusation. Welcome to the family!
"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of you evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from the hope held out in the gospel." Colossians 1:21-23a
Now that your a family member, here's the family way of doing things. You continue in your faith, in Christ and his reconciliation. Establish yourself in Christ. I am an educator. I have an established routine at the core of my teaching process that allows my students to learn in a lot of different ways. As Christians we establish within ourselves to live in Christ. Some things are simply disciplines and others are beliefs that govern how we act and react to life.
Listen to God. Read the Bible. Very simple. If you want to hear from God you have to read the Bible. The Bible is the one place I can go and ALWAYS hear from God. I believe that as you read the Bible daily God permeates your inner being with his truth. It's kind of like taking vitamins. You may not notice their effect the day you first started taking them, but after awhile you notice you feel better. If you don't read the Bible, you can't have it in your heart. Listening to someone else tell you about the Bible is never a replacement for reading it yourself. Establish the daily discipline of reading the Bible.
Every day we have to choose how we will act and react to the world around us. The Bible tells us how to act and treat others. We are in this world but, we are not of this world. That means we have a completely different belief system of values than the world around us. For example, I don't care what the world says, God says that marriage is between one man and one woman. I don't care if "science" says I am just a higher animal, God says I am created in his image. God's word tells me that all men are created in his image, even those who deny him and claim he does not exist. So, I treat them, all men and women as valuable humans, created in the image of God, praying that they will all come to know Christ as Lord and Savior.
Welcome to the family. Be established in Christ and be firm in you hope in the gospel.
Father, thank you that though I was alienated from you I am now holy in your sight, blameless and free from accusation because Christ in his physical body died for me!!! Praise be to you in us today.
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