Crucified With Christ, Benjamen Leahey

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” I would like to share with you about the nature of regeneration, and the life that follows as described by the Apostle Paul here in his letter to the Galatians. He speaks of an experience that one must truly enter into, this is not something God forces us to do, but we willingly enter into. The KJV renders the beginning of this verse “I am”, which more directly points to something we must daily enter into. I am daily crucified with Jesus, daily I die to myself, daily I live by faith. I cannot say enough that Christianity does not consist in church attendance, nor in bible reading, not in evangelism or good deeds, not even in the sacraments, for without a true work of grace within the heart, all of those things mean nothing. I must be crucified with Him, I must enter in to His death. I must repent of my sin, I must be born again.

Submitting To God’s Righteousness, Part 7of10, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”

God forgave David and he truly appreciated it as demonstrated by his sacrifice to the Lord. He refused to offer God what cost him nothing. It cost God a lot to bring him out of his sin, he also understood that it will cost him a lot to live for Him. Isaiah’s lips were touched with alive coal of fire and his sins departed, he then heard the Lord say, “who shall go for us”, Isaiah was quick to say, “Here I am Oh Lord send me”. In other words, if you could do this for me by giving the very best, I will do anything for You. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” and because of that, I will serve You for the rest of my life. I will be a living witness of Your saving grace. I will stand like Isaiah and say, “Here I am Oh Lord send me”. I will offer sacrifices that will cost me. I will not give you what cost me nothing. I will delight to do thy will. The gratitude I may not express in words, I will express in works. I will give you what is RIGHT not what is LEFT. I HAVE SEEN THE COST TO APPRECIATE THE SACRIFICE.

Submitting To God’s Righteousness, Part 6of10, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”

The bible says James 4:6. “God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble”. The humble will submit to the righteousness of God. Watch this, 2Samuel 24:17, “Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel striking the people, and said, “SURELY I HAVE SINNED, AND I HAVE DONE WICKEDLY; BUT THESE SHEEP, WHAT HAVE THEY DONE? LET YOUR HAND, I PRAY, BE AGAINST ME…” David was not justifying himself neither was he seeing that he was being rubbed the wrong way, he saw God serving justice over what he did and he understood that he deserved justice and that humbled him.

Submitting To God’s Righteousness, Part 5of10, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”

If you continue to ready 2Samuel 24, youdiscover how God plagued David by killing 70 thousand people, while God sent His Son to this world to die for over 6 billion people. If 70 thousand people had to die for someone to be redeemed, we can conclude the sin was not petty. If a judge is to pass a sentence that requires the offender to pay 70 thousand dollars as his fines, we can conclude it wasn’t a petty crime. Romans 5:8 “God demonstrated his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us”. Christ was the ultimate sacrifice to pay for the fine for law breakers. If the sacrifice was this great, the law broken must be big. D.L. Moody said, “FOR GOD TO CREATE, HE ONLY HAD TO SPEAK; TO REDEEM, CHRIST HAD TO SUFFER (PLAGUED)”. Quick death is less painful compared to suffering before dying. Christ suffered greatly, crushed before dying and that was His demonstration of His love to us. Isaiah 53:5, “He was wounded for my transgression, He was bruised for my iniquities”. His sacrifice was not a painless death but a painful death and once again, that was the demonstration of His love.

Come to Christ, Part 1of2, by Pastor Phil Sessa

1 Peter 2:4-7, vs. 7 “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,…The stone that the builders rejected…”

How does a moth end up getting burned by a flame. If you ever heard the expression, “like a moth to a flame,” you will know that the moth is drawn to the flame, but “The phrase is a simple allusion to the well-known attraction that moths have to bright lights. The word moth was used in the 17th century to mean someone who was apt to be tempted by something that would lead to their downfall”. Some are, “Irresistibly and dangerously attracted to something or someone.” (The phrase finder). God’s children are drawn to Him (while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8), He did the irresistible drawing of us to Himself.

Can Anything Good Come Out Of Nazareth? Evans Olang

John 1:45-51, “45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

I am constantly battling to see good things come out of me and my surrounding. The bible already says, “There is nothing good in us (that is in ourselves)…”, you may find yourself in this dilemma too sometimes. When you have waited for so long, labored hard, did all you could but still wonder if anything good can come out of you?

Romans Chapter 8 Study, Part 8of9, Evans Olang

Romans 8:31-32, “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

Apostle Paul in vs. 31-38 climaxes his message with God’s everlasting love displayed in His working in us through Christ by the working of the Holy Spirit.

Our Resources In Christ, Part 3of5, Evans Olang

Ephesians 1:18,” the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling…”

Paul prayed 2. “for understanding that believers would know the hope of His calling”. It is with these alone that we discern the things of God. Being first opened, and then enlightened – by His Spirit. How easy it is to lose hope when you forget who is on board and who called you. I would align assurance, confidence, faith side by side with hope. Hope is the expectation of good.