Don't Let Your Past Hold You Back, Focus On Your Future And Rejoice!

My Utmost For His Highest

 

You shall not go out with haste,…for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. —Isaiah 52:12

 

“…God requires an account of what is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:15). At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God’s grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday’s sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present.[…] Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ. Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.”  CHAMBERS

 

The remembering our past failures (sins) has two edges.  On the one hand, they remind us that we have a sin nature and that nature has been a powerful influence in our lives.  We have proven the truth of the Word … all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and there is none righteous (Romans 3:10).  Our past failures remind us that we do not deserve God’s favor.  But on the other hand, we also know that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”  (Romans 5:8).  We know that we have been redeemed.  (Galatians 3:13) “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (from the judgement of God) by becoming a curse for us”.  That does not mean ours sins are somehow, “OK”, but it does mean that we are forgiven.  It does mean that we have hope.  It does mean that we have help.  It does mean that we have a certain future.  Don’t let your past hold you back.  You are a child of the King.  Focus on your future and rejoice!  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Finding The Power To Live Your New Life In Christ

My Utmost For His Highest

 

…unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 18:3

 

“These words of our Lord refer to our initial conversion, but we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted every day of our lives. […] When God through His sovereignty brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our natural life submits to the spiritual, obeying the orders of the Spirit of God. Just because we have responded properly in the past is no guarantee that we will do so again. The response of the natural to the spiritual should be continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient. No matter what our situation is, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered. But we must “put on the new man…” (Ephesians 4:24). […]  Our natural life must not rule— God must rule in us.[…] There are areas of self-will in our lives where our pride pours contempt on the throne of God and says, “I won’t submit.” We deify our independence and self-will […]  What God sees as stubborn weakness, we call strength. There are whole areas of our lives that have not yet been brought into submission, and this can only be done by this continuous conversion.” CHAMBERS

 

Living the Christian life in the power of the flesh is impossible.  It is what our old nature wants to do, and tries to convince us that we can do.  We must be constantly be on our guard … We must submit every aspect of our lives to God.  No qualifications … no equivocations … no reservations … but total submission to the Spirit of God and to the will of God.  The Christian life is an impossibility without it.  So many verses are read as if they are optional.  Do this or that or don’t do this or that …  if your choice.  Like it is nice to do, not need to do.  God’s revealed will in His Word is not nice to do.  (Micah 6:8) “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”  What the Lord requires is total devotion. Not halfhearted devotion.  Many Christians live in a silent struggle with their old nature.  They would like others to not know about it, but everyone struggles.  The difference is what each person chooses to submit to.  Listen, you cannot defeat the flesh with the flesh .. only with the Spirit.  Peter thought he could be loyal to Jesus by his own will power .. he discovered that he could not.  (John 18:15-40) When he was empowered by the Holy Spirit, he stood boldly before those who crucified Jesus and preached the Gospel to them.  (Acts 4:5-17) What was the difference?  The source of his strength.  In the first case Peter trusted himself.  In the second, he trusted God. (Zechariah 4:6) “It’s not by [your] might nor by [your] power, but by My Spirit says the Lord God of Hosts”  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Walking In The Light When Your Surrounded By Darkness

My Utmost For His Highest

 

If we walk in the light as He is in the light…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. —1 John 1:7

 

“No one fully knows what sin is until he is born again. […] I must “walk in the light as He is in the light…”— not in the light of my own conscience, but in God’s light. If I will walk there, with nothing held back or hidden, then this amazing truth is revealed to me: “…the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses [me] from all sin” so that God Almighty can see nothing to rebuke in me. On the conscious level it produces a keen, sorrowful knowledge of what sin really is. The love of God working in me causes me to hate, with the Holy Spirit’s hatred for sin, anything that is not in keeping with God’s holiness. To “walk in the light” means that everything that is of the darkness actually drives me closer to the center of the light.”  CHAMBERS

 

We face temptation, sin and the consequence of sin every day.  We live in a world that is groaning under the weight of sin.  It might be good to contrast the manifestations of sin and the Spirit.

 

(Galatians 5:16-25) “… walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

 

We were born into the world that makes it necessary to have armies, police, and prisons.  That was not God’s design but the consequence of sin.  So God sent Jesus and His Spirit to save us from that and the ultimate consequence .. hell.  We continue to live in this world and endure its corruption brought on by sin.  We must contend with the acts of the flesh … and many times they bring great loss, grief, emotional pain to us.  Every family experiences the tragedy brought on by sin.  That is reality.   But in the midst of that, we show the world the fruit of the Spirit.  Our flesh will be drawn to the world.  We will be tempted to respond in the flesh, but that is not who we are.  We are children of the most high God.  Our citizenship is in heaven.  We have the Spirit of God in us.  By keeping in step with the Spirit, we become lights that point people to Jesus.  I read a comment on Facebook that contrasted the world’s praise for someone who wanted to change their gender (you can change physical characteristics, but you can't change DNA.  God is the creator all man can do is change the form of what has been created and use creation for purposes God did not intend) … and the condemnation of a professional athlete who professed his faith in Jesus.  Don’t think this strange.  Jesus told us that the world hates Him and will hate Christians.  (John 15:18)  Darkness wants no part of light. The world wants no part of Jesus. (John 14:6)

 

Friend, when you encounter difficult times, look to Jesus. (James 4:12) “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”  Don’t let the trials of life and what the sinful world brings pull you down, but turn to Jesus and He will lift you up.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

We Are Called To Be Players, Not Spectators

My Utmost For His Highest

 

…your life is hidden with Christ in God. —Colossians 3:3

 

“The Spirit of God testifies to and confirms the simple, but almighty, security of the life that “is hidden with Christ in God.” Paul continually brought this out in his New Testament letters. We talk as if living a sanctified life were the most uncertain and insecure thing we could do. Yet it is the most secure thing possible, because it has Almighty God in and behind it. The most dangerous and unsure thing is to try to live without God. For one who is born again, it is easier to live in a right-standing relationship with God than it is to go wrong, provided we heed God’s warnings and “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7).[…] If you see Him [Jesus] when He says, “Let not your heart be troubled…” (John 14:27), I defy you to worry. It is virtually impossible to doubt when He is there. Every time you are in personal contact with Jesus, His words are real to you. “My peace I give to you…” (John 14:27)— a peace which brings an unconstrained confidence and covers you completely, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. “…your life is hidden with Christ in God,” and the peace of Jesus Christ that cannot be disturbed has been imparted to you.”  CHAMBERS

 

So, my encouragement to you is this.  Don’t be satisfied with being a spectator Christian.  A spectator Christian knows the Truth, but doesn’t apply the Truth.  They are content with watching God at work in other people, being told about the new life in Christ.  I know many people in Alabama who are football fans.  They know the talk, they know about the players, the coaches … and the opponents.  But they are content to sit in the stands or on their sofas.  What God wants us to do is to suit up and go on the field.  To experience the reality of walking in the light.  The joy of trusting Jesus and living in obedience to His Word.  It’s a lot safer to watch, but God did not intend for us to watch, but to play.  I have quoted this before but it bears repeating.  In the book, The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis, Lucy is talking to Mr. Beaver about Aslan, a type of Jesus.  She asks, “Is He safe?”  Mr. Beaver’s replies, “Oh no, He is not safe, but He is good.”  We serve the creator God.  He is powerful and righteous.  We have been saved by the sacrifice of His Son.  To live in the manner that He intends, to play in the game of life if you will, requires Faith and Action.  Not merely believing, but acting on that belief.  Dr. Henry Blackaby said “You only believe that part of the Bible that you obey.”  Here is wishing that you have a wonderful Christmas holiday.  Don’t lose sight of why we celebrate.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

We Celebrate Christmas Because Of Easter

My Utmost For His Highest

 

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ… —Galatians 6:14

 

“The gospel of Jesus Christ always forces a decision of our will. Have I accepted God’s verdict on sin as judged on the Cross of Christ? […]  When you act in confident faith in what our Lord did on the cross, a supernatural identification with His death takes place immediately. And you will come to know through a higher knowledge that your old life was “crucified with Him” (Romans 6:6). The proof that your old life is dead, having been “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), is the amazing ease with which the life of God in you now enables you to obey the voice of Jesus Christ. Every once in a while our Lord gives us a glimpse of what we would be like if it were not for Him. This is a confirmation of what He said— “…without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That is why the underlying foundation of Christianity is personal, passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus.”  CHAMBERS

 

The most significant thing that has happened in the history of mankind is the Cross.  It is because of Jesus and the Cross that we have an eternal hope.  It is because of the power of God through the Spirit of God that we have this spiritual nature of ours.  I was telling someone yesterday that the only thing that I can take credit for is saying “yes” to God.  Virtually everything that people see and praise is because of God.  I have this new life, why?  It is because of God.  We celebrate Christmas and Easter.  But if Jesus was just born and that was it, then there would really be no point in celebrating.  We celebrate Christmas because of Easter.  But more than that is Pentecost.  Jesus was born a man. (Luke 2:8-11)  He died on the cross and was raised from the dead. (Romans 10:9) And God sent the Spirit to live in each of us. (John 14:26) (Ephesians 1:13-14)  That is why, we have no room to boast except in the Cross .. in what God has done.  But boasting about it is not enough.  All of that was done so that we can live, not only eternally in heaven, but holy lives here on terra firma.  Witnesses to the Grace of God.  Don’t be content with mediocrity in your spiritual life.  Take hold of the reality of your new life.  Don’t be conformed to this world, but live a  transformed life to the glory of God. (Romans 12:2)  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Salvation, We Are Participants But Not The Power

My Utmost For His Highest

 

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” —John 6:44

 

“When God begins to draw me to Himself, the problem of my will comes in immediately. […]  Belief is not the result of an intellectual act, but the result of an act of my will whereby I deliberately commit myself. But will I commit, placing myself completely and absolutely on God, and be willing to act solely on what He says? If I will, I will find that I am grounded on reality as certain as God’s throne.[…]  Belief must come from the will to believe. There must be a surrender of the will, not a surrender to a persuasive or powerful argument. […] Everyone has been created with the ability to reach out beyond his own grasp. But it is God who draws me, and my relationship to Him in the first place is an inner, personal one, not an intellectual one. I come into the relationship through the miracle of God and through my own will to believe”  CHAMBERS

 

Do you know someone that refuses to place their faith in  Jesus, even though it is evident that they desperately need to do just that?  Our part in someone’s salvation is a mystery.  First, it is a mystery why God would include us in the process.  He certainly does not need us but He wants to include us.  Second, it is a mystery as to how speaking the Gospel does anything at all.  Persuasive words will not save someone.  It is the Gospel  (Romans 1:16-17) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”  A person must believe that Jesus is, well, Jesus.  Peter said “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus respond by saying that men had not revealed that to Peter, but God had.  (Matthew 16:16-18) What happens is supernatural.  We can be participants in the process, but we are not the power in the process.  God is.  So what to do about those who are far off from God?  Pray for them, show them Jesus by how you live, and if the Spirit gives you the opportunity, share the Gospel with them, but leave the result up to them and God.  (Ephesians 2:8,9)  We have been saved by grace, through faith.  That is the way to Jesus and it is not going to change.  Elgin

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Keeping Our Faith Real By Loving God First

My Utmost For His Highest

 

We have received…the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. —1 Corinthians 2:12

 

“My experience is not what makes redemption real— redemption is reality. Redemption has no real meaning for me until it is worked out through my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me beyond myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. […] My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source of truth— Jesus Christ. […]  Never support an experience which does not have God as its Source and faith in God as its result. […]  Faith based on experience is not faith; faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.”  CHAMBERS

 

Keeping your faith real.  When we are born again, there is a tendency to relegate our new life to the background and make the old life primary.  Being a Christian can become an aspect of who we are, like being an American. When in fact, we have been born again … we have been given a do-over.  Not so that that we can try to live a better life in the flesh … a better natural life, but so we can live a new life in the Spirit, in spite of the flesh.  Redemption becomes our new reality.  The verse that comes to mind is Matthew 22:37 … “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength” … all the time.  Working on my relationship with the Father should be primary …  my heart must be devoted to God the Father, just like it was with Jesus.  (John 17:20-21) “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”  When that happens, the rest of my life flows from that relationship.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Why People Don't Want To Hear About Jesus

My Utmost For His Highest

 

I did not come to bring peace but a sword. —Matthew 10:34

 

“If a person cannot go to God, it is because he has something secret which he does not intend to give up— he may admit his sin, but would no more give up that thing than he could fly under his own power. It is impossible to deal sympathetically with people like that. We must reach down deep in their lives to the root of the problem, which will cause hostility and resentment toward the message. People want the blessing of God, but they can’t stand something that pierces right through to the heart of the matter.[…]  Deal with people where they are, until they begin to realize their true need. Then hold high the standard of Jesus for their lives. Their response may be, “We can never be that.” Then drive it home with, “Jesus Christ says you must.” “But how can we be?” “You can’t, unless you have a new Spirit” (see Luke 11:13). There must be a sense of need created before your message is of any use. Thousands of people in this world profess to be happy without God. But if we could be truly happy and moral without Jesus, then why did He come? He came because that kind of happiness and peace is only superficial. Jesus Christ came to “bring…a sword” through every kind of peace that is not based on a personal relationship with Himself.” CHAMBERS

 

Before I was born again, the last thing I wanted to do is have someone preach to me or at me about Jesus.  If it was a family member I tolerated it, but if it was someone else, I avoided it.  Why? Because there was no sense of spiritual need in my life.  I wanted nothing to do with Jesus.  In fact it stirred something up inside of me .. not anger but maybe distaste.  It was the reaction of my sinful nature to the Creator God.  Do you know people like that?  I am certain you do.  Most of the world is like that.  Jesus divides … His message separates … (Matthew 10:35-38) “For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.  Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”  Does that sound harsh?  Well, think about this.  What does it mean to obey Matthew 22:37-38 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”

 

Can anyone come between you and God?  I didn't say "should" because I am certain you would say "Of course not!" Are you willing to stand between God and someone you love, just so they won’t feel bad?  What is your responsibility?  Are you willing to be rejected because you follow Jesus?  Where is your true devotion?  Why did Jesus say that?  Because He knows the heart of man and the struggles that we face.  The temptation is to soften the message to accommodate someone we care about or to avoid rejection.  You must not.  Instead you must speak the truth in love.  You are a messenger of the truth … how you live must match what you say … as a Christian, what you say must be Truth which will divide.  How others respond is not your fault … but it is your responsibility to be a faithful witness.  And that not by your own power and intellect but by the power of the Spirit.

 

Zechariah 4:6 “This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”  ELGIN

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

God Doesn't Do Things To You, He Does Things Through You

My Utmost For His Highest

 

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God… —Romans 8:28

 

“It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God sovereignly controls his circumstances. We take our circumstances for granted, saying God is in control, but not really believing it. We act as if the things that happen were completely controlled by people. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, or object of our faith— the Lord Jesus Christ. […] Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don’t ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. […]  We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers. […] God wants to use us as He used His own Son.” CHAMBERS

 

Last summer, Martie was in the U.S. and I was in Jeremie, Haiti.  I suddenly had a problem with my leg.  It was very painful to walk on.  It reminded me of the Deep Vein Thrombosis that I had in 2004 which was nearly fatal.   I was in trouble.  When it looked like there was no way I could get help there and there was no way I could go to where the help was available, The Lord provided an American doctor who is a Christian. (Dr. Katie Wolf, who has an extraordinary work in Haiti)  She properly diagnosed the problem, cellulitis, and treated it.  During one of our conversations, Katie thought I said that God had caused the trouble, but I said “No, but I do believe He allowed it.”  So to the point.  God causes all things to work together for good .. whose good?  Our good … not necessarily our physical or circumstantial good … but our spiritual good and for His glory.  It is in difficult times that our light shines the brightest.  If we are to be witnesses to God’s faithfulness and love … it is best sin in the midst of difficulty.  So my advice, stop trying to place the blame for something bad happening to you and instead, look to God and praise Him for what He will accomplish in you through that circumstance.  I am not denying that what happens to you may bring loss, heartache, or even physical pain.  But no matter what happens to you, know that He causes all things to work together for your good and His glory.  That is why the Word says to “Live by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Lifting Jesus Up By How You Live And How You Love

My Utmost For His Highest

 

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him… —1 Corinthians 2:14

 

“The gospel of God creates the sense of need for the gospel. Is the gospel hidden to those who are servants already? No, Paul said, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe…” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The majority of people think of themselves as being completely moral, and have no sense of need for the gospel. It is God who creates this sense of need in a human being, but that person remains totally unaware of his need until God makes Himself evident. […]

Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32). When we preach our own experiences, people may be interested, but it awakens no real sense of need. But once Jesus Christ is “lifted up,” the Spirit of God creates an awareness of the need for Him. The creative power of the redemption of God works in the souls of men only through the preaching of the gospel. It is never the sharing of personal experiences that saves people, but the truth of redemption. “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).”  CHAMBERS

 

Someone once asked me, “How can I explain the Bible to someone who is not a Christian?” My answer, “you” can’t.  The Bible, physically is nothing more than leather, wood pulp, and ink.  The words themselves are words that can be found in a dictionary of whatever language the Bible is translated to from Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek.  But unless the Spirit of God is at work, there will be no understanding of the Spiritual truth contained in it.  A lost person does not have the capacity to understand spiritual truth.  The power of the Word is unleashed by the Spirit of God. And how does that happen?  That is a great question. (I am glad I asked it!)  Is it God who chooses me, or did I choose God?  The chicken or the egg.  That question has been the seed for new denominations rising up, great debates and the subject of thousands of books.  I am not going to attempt to address it, especially in 200 words or less.  Let me say … there was a time when I was not interested in spiritual matters.  And then, there was a time when I was.  There was a time when I suddenly became aware of who Jesus is, what He did, and why I needed a savior.  Like nuclear fusion, I can’t explain it, but I suddenly knew that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus and that is where I desperately needed and wanted to be.

 

I can remember the first time I heard John 12:32.  I had read it many times, but the truth of the text, the spiritual truth, had never sunk in.  I was at an early Promise Keepers conference in Boulder Colorado in 1993.  Coach Bill McCartney, the founder of the ministry, was speaking and he shared that verse.  There were 56,000 Christian men in the stadium.  We were singing hymns that were ringing out from the stadium into the city.  It was at that point that I realized that my faith was not just a ticket to heaven, but it was an obligation to lift Jesus up to the world.  And so I did and do.  God does things His way.  That is really OK because He is the creator … Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith … (Hebrews 12:2) “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  I am sure you know many people who have no interest in spiritual matters .. who don’t really care that they are on the fast track to an eternity in hell.  Your job is to lift Jesus up.  Not just by what you say(although if the Spirit gives you opportunity you should speak up), but how you live (don’t be conformed to this world) and how you love (love God first and others second).  God will do the rest.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Effective Prayer Starts In The Heart

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Take up the whole armor of God…praying always… —Ephesians 6:13,18

 

“You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God, and wrestle in prayer for other people; but to wrestle with God in prayer is unscriptural. […] If you ask me to pray for you, and I am not complete in Christ, my prayer accomplishes nothing. But if I am complete in Christ, my prayer brings victory all the time. Prayer is effective only when there is completeness— “take up the whole armor of God….” […]  “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28)— to those who remain true to God’s perfect will— His calling in Christ Jesus. God’s permissive will is the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters. We should not be spineless and automatically say, “Yes, it is the Lord’s will.” We don’t have to fight or wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.” CHAMBERS

 

When you get up in the morning do you prepare yourself for the day?  You decide what clothes you will wear.  You eat breakfast.  Maybe take a shower.  In the same way, we must prepare ourselves spiritually.  When you pray do you do a heart check first?  “The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective.”  (James 5:16) We cannot approach God if we try to do so with unconfessed sin in our hearts.   “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psalm 24:1-5)  When Jesus died, the curtain at the Holy of Holies was torn in two.  (Matthew 27:51)  We are given access to His holy place through Jesus, but we cannot approach God in any manner we wish.  Standing in the presence of a holy God will always bring conviction of sin.  His Spirit brings that conviction.  Don’t be cavalier in how you exercise your responsibility as intercessor for others and even on your own behalf.  When you put on the full armor of God, that includes getting your heart right.  Prepare yourself for the spiritual struggle and the inevitabilities of this life on earth.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Don't Be Afraid To Share Your Faith - It's God Who Saves

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. —2 Timothy 2:15

 

“If you cannot express yourself well on each of your beliefs, work and study until you can. If you don’t, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth. Strive to re-express a truth of God to yourself clearly and understandably, and God will use that same explanation when you share it with someone else. But you must be willing to go through God’s winepress where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle, experiment, and rehearse your words to express God’s truth clearly. Then the time will come when that very expression will become God’s wine of strength to someone else. But if you are not diligent and say, “I’m not going to study and struggle to express this truth in my own words; I’ll just borrow my words from someone else,” then the words will be of no value to you or to others. Try to state to yourself what you believe to be the absolute truth of God, and you will be allowing God the opportunity to pass it on through you to someone else. “  CHAMBERS

 

(1 Peter 3:15) “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”   It is important that you know the Gospel.  It is important that the Word of Truth is rooted in your heart.  If you are a disciple of Jesus, then you should understand His purpose and you should be ready to promote that purpose, at a moment’s notice.  You probably will not be found sanding on a street corner, proclaiming the Gospel to passers-by.  But you will every likely find yourself talking to someone when the Spirit prompts you to share the reason for the hope that you have.  (Acts 1:8) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Jesus was telling the disciples that they were to tell others about Him, sharing the Gospel.

 

You must keep in mind the you cannot save anyone.  The power of salvation is spiritual.  (Romans 1:16) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it [the Gospel] is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”  But, God uses us to communicate the Gospel to other people.  I don’t know why God chose to do things the way He has, but we have a part in the world knowing about Jesus and salvation through Him.  I realize that many of you reading this, already know and practice what I am sharing.  But take a moment to marvel with me, this great truth.  And then ….. (Matthew 28:19) “….. go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Amen   ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

How to Find Peace In The Midst Of Crisis

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled… —John 14:27

 

“[…] As long as we try to serve two masters, ourselves and God, there will be difficulties combined with doubt and confusion. Our attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. Once we get to that point, there is nothing easier than living the life of a saint. […] God’s mark of approval, whenever you obey Him, is peace. He sends an immeasurable, deep peace; not a natural peace, “as the world gives,” but the peace of Jesus. […]  If you are acting on your own impulse, or out of a sense of the heroic, to be seen by others, the peace of Jesus will not exhibit itself. This shows no unity with God or confidence in Him. The spirit of simplicity, clarity, and unity is born through the Holy Spirit, not through your decisions. [..] My questions arise whenever I cease to obey. When I do obey God, problems come, not between me and God, but as a means to keep my mind examining with amazement the revealed truth of God. But any problem that comes between God and myself is the result of disobedience. Any problem that comes while I obey God (and there will be many), increases my overjoyed delight, because I know that my Father knows and cares, and I can watch and anticipate how He will unravel my problems.”  CHAMBERS

 

I saw a bumper sticker once that said “No Jesus – No Peace – Know Jesus – Know Peace.  It is really a simple formula … when we walk in obedience to the Lord, we can experience supernatural peace .. the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) … the fruit of the Spirit …. love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  You can’t experience the peace of God if you are not living in obedience to God.  The peace you find in Jesus defies human understanding.  The world around you can be in turmoil, yet you are at peace in your heart.  All too often we are like Peter .. one minute we are walking on the water and the next minute we are in the water up to our necks. (Matthew 14:29-31)  What happened?  It’s simple really.  We have stopped looking to Jesus and started trusting in ourselves.  The peace of God is a result of our relationship with God, not a reflection of your ability to deal with problems.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Stop Making Excuses For Your Sin, Confess It To God And Seek Forgiveness From Others

My Utmost For His Highest

 

that they may be one just as We are one… —John 17:22

 

“Personality is the unique, limitless part of our life that makes us distinct from everyone else. It is too vast for us even to comprehend. An island in the sea may be just the top of a large mountain, and our personality is like that island. We don’t know the great depths of our being, therefore we cannot measure ourselves. […] Personality is the characteristic mark of the inner, spiritual man, just as individuality is the characteristic of the outer, natural man. Our Lord can never be described in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of His total Person— “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Personality merges, and you only reach your true identity once you are merged with another person. When love or the Spirit of God come upon a person, he is transformed. […] Our Lord never referred to a person’s individuality or his isolated position, but spoke in terms of the total person— “…that they may be one just as We are one….” Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your total person, and even your individuality is transformed. The transformation is brought about by love— personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another.” CHAMBERS

 

Have you ever heard someone say “That is just the way that I am.”?  Or how about, that is how everyone in his family is.  Essentially making an excuse for some behavior that is clearly not consistent with who we are in Christ, but totally consistent with our old nature.  It is a constant struggle between the Spirit and the flesh.  Don’t give in to the idea that you can never change, or worse, that whatever the matter is that resists change is excusable because it was inherited or it’s just your nature.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says you have a “new” nature … God has given you that capacity to become one with Jesus and the Father through salvation and the Spirit.  You need more of Jesus and less of you.  That is the problem.  Be careful that you don’t make allowances for sin in this way.  Don’t think for a minute that you can yield to your flesh and then just move on as if nothing had happened.  If you sin, it affects others and it affects you spiritually.  You cannot come before God with sin on your heart.  Oh you may “do” the same Christian things, but you have interrupted the spiritual power the connects you to the Father.  Listen, salvation is not based upon what you do, but what Christ did for you.  You can’t be a better person to gain salvation.  As a Christian, when you sin, you will not lose your salvation.  But sin can disrupt your relationship and making excuses for the imperfections of your flesh does not please God and you know it’s not right.  So confess it to God and ask for forgiveness if you have offended anyone, just don't pretend like it didn't happen … ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Are You Following Jesus On Your Own Terms?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…" —Matthew 16:24

 

“The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “…let him deny himself…”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.” CHAMBERS

 

Making your own way.  Defining your own form of righteousness.  Refusing to change when the Spirit has convicted you of the need to change.  Failing to change because you have tried many times through determination and self-effort and although there was some limited change, it didn’t last.  If you want to follow Jesus, you can’t do it on your own, in your own way.  Following Jesus requires you to put all of your trust in Him and none in yourself.  That takes faith.  So what are your waiting for?  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

The Great Pretence, Pretending That You Are Spiritually Well.

My Utmost For His Highest

 

It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. —Galatians 4:22

 

“God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed. […] If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.” CHAMBERS

 

It is one thing to “know” and another to “do”.  We can fill ourselves with knowledge about God and living the Christian life, and yet, if we do not actually apply it to our lives … it has no practical value.  Jesus asked “Why do call me Lord, but don’t obey me?”  (Luke 6:46)  In John 14:15, Jesus said “If you love Me, you will obey my commandments.”  What do you think the problem was?  The disciples liked what He said and did, but were not willing to change what they did.  They apparently were saying the right things .. but they were not doing the right things.  If we really love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength … why would we not obey Him?  Or perhaps it is that we “want” to love Him that way but struggle with giving up certain things in our lives that bring us comfort .. might be habits – what we do – or it might be relationships – who we do those things with, that we don’t want to give up.  Don’t deceive yourself .. if you are living a life like that .. you are not pleasing God by pretending … There is an old song that says "Yes, I'm the great pretender.  Pretending that I'm doing well.  Too real is this feeling of make-believe.  Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal."  Time to stop pretending.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

The First Step Toward Sin .. Asking "Did God Really Say?"

My Utmost For His Highest

 

Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. —Galatians 5:24

 

“The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. […]  Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. […] The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence. […] If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.” CHAMBERS

 

Be careful that you don’t fall victim to the sin of Adam and Eve … “Did God really say?”  You look at something or consider some action and instead of filtering it through the Word of God, you question God’s Word.  The Spirit prompts you with the Truth, but your flesh wants what it wants, and you rationalize the justification.  It’s not that bad.  I know lots of Christians who do the same thing or worse.  It is as if we create a scale of sin acceptability.  There are some things we would never do, but there are some things that are in the grey area .. that are really OK.  When Paul wrote about Christians have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires, he is referring to the passions and desires that will draw you to sin against God.  So let me ask this … does the fact that you choose to sin matter to you?  Do you see it as a problem?  On one hand do you acknowledge how things ought to be and then on the other choose to make destructive choices and live in a way that is contrary the Truth.  Christian, you must be careful.  Living in that manner may seem distant to you, but it is only one choice away.  You know what is right and wrong … what brings glory to God and what does not.  Be alert! You must prepare yourself every day … guarding your heart and your mind …  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

What Can Wash Away My Sins - Nothing But ...

My Utmost For His Highest

 

By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. —Hebrews 10:14

 

“We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “…Christ Jesus…became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:30) […] No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless […] We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “… there is no other name…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). […] “In Him we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.[…]  The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.” CHAMBERS

 

Jesus’s blood, his sacrifice on the cross, covers us .. forever.  Oh, but you say, we are going to have new bodies one day .. but it is the Cross that makes that possible.  We are never going to be independent .. there will never be anything eternal that we can claim as ours alone … it is by grace, because of the love of God.  The word “propitiation” actually is a reference to the Mercy Seat that sat on the top of the Ark of the Covenant (Yes the Indiana Jones – Ark) .  It was on the Mercy Seat that the blood offering was poured to atone for the sins of Israel.  That satisfied God’s wrath for their sins.  Conviction leads us to confession which leads us to realization … realization that Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6) The only way to the Father is Jesus. Understanding the significance of that … having that be our motivation for living the new life … has spiritual roots.  It is not a truth our flesh will be drawn to.  It is a truth that our hearts must yield to.  It’s a life-long struggle … you may lose a battle now and again .. but good news .. Jesus has won the war.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Making Sense Of Sinning, Forgiveness, and Repentance ..

My Utmost For His Highest

 

“[W]hen the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.  The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.” CHAMBERS

 

When the Holy Spirit convicts you of some sin, be careful that you don’t misdirect your sorrow.  What I mean is that we sin against God, but often times, we turn that sin inward and feel bad about ourselves for ourselves and not God.  Still confused?  Forgiveness and repentance is not about feeling better about you and the hope of being a “good” person.  Forgiveness and repentance is the process of restoration to the Father and not merely re-affirming yourself as being a good person.  You see, that is the way the flesh is … something spiritual happens, and the flesh rises it up to snatch it and use it for it’s own benefit.  When David was confronted by the prophet Nathan, David looked up to God knowing that he, David, having sinned needed to be restored in relationship to the Father.  He didn’t think, “Oh what a terrible person I am, how can I ever feel better about myself.”  His desire to be one with the Father was primary in his motivation to repent.  And so it should be with us.

 

I have been thinking about this dynamic of sin, forgiveness and repentance a good deal of late.  Why doesn’t God just take our ability to sin, our desire to sin, away from us on the day of our salvation?  Wouldn’t life be so much easier?  And then I wonder what this world would be like without the testimony of the saints of God.  Imperfect people, loved by a perfect God, saved by the perfect sacrifice of the Son, inhabited by a perfect Spirit, shown the way to live by His perfect Word, demonstrating the love and power of God by living out our new lives in Christ in an imperfect world that is desperately in need of hope.  (2 Corinthians 4:7-12)  “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

Our New LIfe - Living By The Spirit - Walking By Faith

My Utmost For His Highest

 

“God has given us the responsibility to rule over all “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” including our thoughts and desires (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to improper ones. But most of us are much more severe in our judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them. Paul said, “I beseech you…that you present your bodies a living sacrifice…” (Romans 12:1). What I must decide is whether or not I will agree with my Lord and Master that my body will indeed be His temple. Once I agree, all the rules, regulations, and requirements of the law concerning the body are summed up for me in this revealed truth-my body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit.”” CHAMBERS

 

If you had surgery and the doctors has to put something in your body, you would feel it.  Depending upon what “it” was, every time you touched the area where the device was implanted, you would be reminded that something  was put in you.  At the point of conversion, God seals us with His Spirit.  (Ephesians 1:13-14)  When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

 

Like a pace-maker, His Spirit enables us to live .. in the case of a pace-maker, it keeps our hearts functioning properly.  In the case of the Spirit, He enables our spiritual lives.  We don’t actually feel the Spirit in us, but we do “feel” the result of His presence.  When we are convicted of sin.  When we have sudden insight into the Word of God.  The natural man cannot understand spiritual things.  We can … by the presence of the Spirit.  The thing is, we should not forget that the Spirit is in us.  We should always be aware of the fact that we have a new nature, a spiritual nature.  Our spiritual nature that can be neglected … even ignored.  (1 Thessalonians 5:19) “Do not quench the Spirit.” 

 

Perhaps you know others who have drifted away from the faith.  One of the last things they want to do is be around Christians who are walking in the Spirit, living by faith.  But that is exactly what they need.  If you are reading this, you have an interest in Spiritual things … but there is a danger that we can be like the man in the mirror .. seeing spiritual truth  .. knowing that it applies to us, and then turning away, immediately forgetting what we were thinking or understanding.  (James 1:22-24) “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”  I want to encourage you to encourage others to keep the faith.  Submitting to the Spirit and not forgetting  about the great gift that we have been given.  ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin

How To Stay Off The Path To Spiritual Downfall

My Utmost For His Highest

 

To him who overcomes… —Revelation 2:7

 

“Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired. And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, “…but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition. Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.” CHAMBERS

 

(Philippians 4:5-9)   “Let your gentleness be evident to all. … Do not be anxious about anything… And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. …. whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned … put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

 

What leads to our spiritual downfall … it starts and ends with us.  Be careful that you don’t accept the idea that you can live in the world, enjoy what it has to offer, and there not be a negative effect on you spiritually.  You are in a battle.  The things of this world will neutralize your spiritual life and will drive a wedge in your relationship with the Lord.  This country struggles with abortion, which for the most part is a function of the acceptance and even promotion of an immoral lifestyle.  Sexuality is promoted everywhere … in schools, in entertainment, on the internet … the culture’s answer is “more of the same”.  The message is, immorality is OK, you decide for yourself what is right and what is wrong. In Romans 7, Paul wrote about the futility of trying to resist in his own strength and finally he cries out “Who will save me from this body of death!”  We see terrible acts of violence and wonder why .. is it the guns? Then we fill the hours on television with violence … the most popular television is about violence and death, we fill our children’s heads with violence in computer games .. numbing them to the  reality of what violence really is …. we flock to movies that promote violence ….

 

Our culture is filled with that which is counter to the Gospel.  And you face that every day.  Friend, resistance is not futile, if you are using the right weapons … when it gets down to it here it what you need to do .. .every day … (Ephesians 6:12-13)  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

 

Since returning from Haiti, I have been shocked at how spiritually dark the United States has become.  I knew that belief in Biblical values was eroding, but I did not know that it has accelerated.  So I find myself in a different culture and very aware that I am an alien in this land.  That my culture .. my beliefs .. are based upon a set of principles that were once embraced but now are rejected by most .. at minimum be the ones who make the rules … and at most by the majority of the people in this country.  The problem is that we don’t mind embracing the culture so long as it does not affect us negatively … sin without consequence.  There is always a consequence .. but there is also forgiveness and restoration if we will only confess and repent. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” ELGIN

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

 

Charley Elgin