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Lend Me a Hand

Rita Poynor

March 5, 2023

As a disciple of Christ, you are continually at war with the enemy of your soul— satan. One of his military tactics in this war is to destroy your Christian testimony. To negate or make it a mere whimper by polluting your heart with sin or apathy.

You must keep Papa’s precepts before you. Meditate on them. Set them safely in your heart. For those who discover them, they are life. They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies.

Above all else, watch over your heart. Diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.

Do away with any talk that twists and distorts the truth. Have nothing to do with any verbal trickery.

Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead and your focus fixed on what is in front of you. Take care you don’t stray from the straight path— the way of truth, and you will safely reach the end of your road. Do not veer off course to the right or the left. Step away from evil and leave it behind. Proverbs 4:21-27

Unfortunately, many Christian hearts are more like black holes than well guarded fortresses. Whatever tickles their fancy, whether righteous or unrighteous, is allowed entrance.

So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind. When we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace— a new life in a new land!

That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus. When we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our new grace-sovereign country.

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life— no longer captive to sin’s demands! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way. Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you. God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.

That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time— remember, you’ve been raised from the dead— into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God. Romans 6:3-13

Being conformed to the image of Christ isn’t automatic. It requires time, commitment, study and sacrifice. Something not accomplished by simply sitting in a chair on Sunday morning.

Want to do more than keep a seat warm? Then there must be a metamorphic change of your character.

HUMILITY

What hardens a heart?

Pride!

The refusal to acknowledge you don’t have all the answers ultimately will lead to catastrophe because pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly of spirit with the humble than to divide plunder with the proud. Proverbs 16:18-19

The proud have an elitist attitude. Since they have all the answers, anyone who disagrees with them is misinformed or uneducated. This condescending attitude makes it impossible for them to learn from others, even Papa Himself.

It’s humility that allows Papa’s wisdom to penetrate deeply into your spirit, encouraging you to place your trust in the Eternal. Rely on Him completely. Never depend upon your own ideas and inventions. Give Him the credit for everything you accomplish, and He will smooth out and straighten the road that lies ahead.

Don’t think you can decide on your own what is right and what is wrong. Respect the Eternal. Turn and run from evil.

If you depend on Him, your body and mind will be free from the strain of a sinful life, will experience healing and health and will be strengthened at their core. Proverbs 3:5-8

CONTENTMENT

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7

Only by looking at the big picture— eternity, can you objectively assess your current circumstances. It’s this objectivity in the midst of chaos that permits Papa’s peace to saturate your soul.

But for many peace is elusive because their daily companion is stress— the brain’s response to unpleasant or uncontrollable events. The human body can’t cope with stress for extended periods of time without negative consequences.

But if you relinquish control and trust Papa and His wisdom, you’ll learn to live in the moment, not the past or the future. Disruptions are simply opportunities to display your confidence in Papa’s faithfulness.

Papa’s omnipotency and covenant promises assures His chosen that everything, good or bad, has His approval. This truth will guard your heart as it did the apostle Paul who claimed with confidence.

I have learned to be content and self-sufficient through Christ. Satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy regardless of my circumstances. I know how to get along and live humbly in difficult times, and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing life. Whether well-fed or going hungry. Whether having an abundance or being in need.

I can do all things which He has called me to do, through Him who strengthens and empowers me to fulfill His purpose. I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace. Philippians 4:10-13

MERCY

All are benefactors of Papa’s mercy. Through Christ, Papa compassionately extends forgiveness of sin. Affording all the opportunity to escape His judgment of eternal damnation— even though we deserve it.

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace and always be thankful. Colossians 3:12-15

If the evils of starvation, human trafficking and wars are rampant, it’s because of the absence of mercy. As a disciple of Christ you are to extend mercy even when it…

Disrupts your personal agenda.

May adversely affect your reputation.

Is anonymous.

Includes those outside your circle of influence, regardless of ethnic, cultural or religious backgrounds.

The result?

A Church non-believers can trust because they can say.

I was hungry, and you fed me.

I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.

I was homeless, and you gave me a room.

I was shivering, and you gave me clothes.

I was sick, and you stopped to visit.

I was in prison, and you came to me.

Failproof Relationship Plan

Rita Poynor

no comments

February 25, 2023

At one time, all disciples of Christ were outsiders. Stranded in the wilderness of unforgiveness and doomed to eternal damnation.

But thankfully, like the apostle Paul, they had a Damascus experience. A close encounter with Jesus that forever changed the trajectory of their lives.

Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.

So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:4-8

Papa alone is the architect of this covenant relationship. He alone defines its perimeters.

A blood sacrifice is required.

Atonement by means of animal sacrifice dominated Papa’s covenant with mankind in the Old Testament. Annually on the Day of Atonement, the most solemn and holy day of the Jewish calendar, the High Priest offered an atoning sacrifice for the ritual impurity of the tabernacle, the temple sanctuary, its priesthood and the Israelite people.

It was necessary for the earthly copies of the heavenly things to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves required far better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one. He entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the very presence of God on our behalf. Nor did He enter into the heavenly sanctuary to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer over and over since the foundation of the world. But now, once for all at the consummation of the ages, He has appeared and been publicly manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

Just as it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this comes certain judgment. So Christ, having been offered once and once for all to bear as a burden the sins of many, will appear a second time when He returns to earth. Not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly and confidently waiting for Him. Hebrews 9:23-29

Jesus is now the atoning sacrifice of Papa’s covenant with mankind. Only Christ’s blood fulfills Papa’s temporal and eternal holiness requirements. It alone has been offered in the Holy of Holies, Papa’s heavenly sanctuary.

Forgiveness of sin is the cornerstone of Papa’s relationship with mankind.

Forgiveness of sin highlights Papa’s mercy. It is He who devised a fail proof plan to establish and maintain relationship with His children.

So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:4-12

Papa’s forgiveness of sin absolves the sinner from the guilt and thus the penalty of sin. For God has not destined us, His chosen, to face His wrath but to be the heirs of salvation through our Lord Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King who died for us. So regardless of whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

Therefore, since we have been justified— acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God by faith. Let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God and the joy of reconciliation with Him through our Lord Jesus Christ— the Messiah— the Anointed.

Through Him we also have access by faith into this remarkable state of grace in which we firmly and safely and securely stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of experiencing and enjoying the glory of our great God, the manifestation of His excellence and power. Romans 5:1-2

Repent! Repent! Repent!

Papa’s forgiveness is not indiscriminate. He will not and cannot acquit the guilty. Unless you repent, that is, change your inner self— your old way of thinking, live changed lives and become like children— trusting, humble and forgiving, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3

Repentance isn’t a popular message today because it requires you to acknowledge sin. Something many prefer to ignore or conceal. Not realizing that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey. You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Romans 6:16

Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you. Wash your hands. You have dirtied them in sin. Cleanse your heart because your mind is split down the middle, your love for God on one side and selfish pursuits on the other.

Since the beginning, our loving Creator has been pursuing us, drawing us closer to Him. He invites us to move closer to Him so we can be fully His.

Now is the time to lament, to grieve and to cry. Dissolve your laughter into sobbing and exchange your joy for depression. Lay yourself bare, facedown to the ground in humility before the Lord. And He will lift your head so you can stand tall. James 4:8-10

When repentance is an integral part of your spiritual DNA. A lifestyle dependent on Papa’s truth and wisdom thrives.The removal of unrighteous paradigms and behaviors becomes an ongoing process. Obedience and faithfulness replace self-reliance and pride as you become increasingly more dependent upon the Holy Spirit and His guidance.

Convinced that without Papa’s grace and mercy you would be consumed by the fires of hell here on earth and in eternity. Your pursuit of an intimate and authentic relationship with Papa becomes an unquenchable thirst. One the powers of darkness can’t extinguish.

I + You = We

Rita Poynor

no comments

February 11, 2023

If you were to ask the average Sunday attendee to define biblical covenant. They might respond Jesus or name one of the covenants from the old testament. But define it, probably not.

The teaching of divine covenant is sporadic at best. Papa’s blessings, not His judgments is the spiritual diet many crave. A diet that does not and cannot nourish spiritual maturity.

After the catastrophic events in the Garden, Papa’s first step in restoring His union with mankind is a divine covenant that He initiates. Whoever accepts Papa’s invitation MUST repent and be faithful or FACE the consequences.

It’s this covenant between Papa and mankind that births and sustains moral order. When divine covenant reigns…

Justice prevails.

Vows are honored.

Mercy is extended.

Wrongs are rectified.

Anger, hostility and violence eradicated, and peace rules.

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.

The Sovereign Lord will show His justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise Him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere. Isaiah 61:10-11

Beloved, don’t be foolish and assume what befell the rebellious Hebrews doesn’t apply to you today. Yes, Papa honors those who honor Him with their faithfulness.

But

He is bound by His covenantal promises to judge those who walk in disobedience. Take heed of this warning from Moses.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live. Love the Lord your God. Obey Him. Remain faithful to Him. For He is your life. Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Papa’s divine covenant today is predicated on Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. When the Anointed One arrived as High Priest of the good things that are to come. He entered through a greater and more perfect sanctuary that was not part of the earthly creation or made by human hands. He entered once for all time into the most holy place. Entering, not with the blood of goats or calves or some other prescribed animal, but offering His own blood and thus obtaining redemption for us for all time.

Think about it. If the blood of bulls or of goats or the sprinkling of ashes from a heifer, restores the defiled to bodily cleanliness and wholeness. Then how much more powerful is the blood of the Anointed One who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself as a spotless sacrifice to God? Purifying your conscience from the dead things of the world to the service of the living God.

This is why Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant. Through His death He delivered us from the sins that we had built up under the first covenant. His death has made it possible for all who are called to receive God’s promised inheritance. Hebrews 8:11-15

Forgiveness of sin, spiritual transformation, a resurrected body and the fulfillment of Papa’s promises to Israel are components of this new covenant. A covenant that ultimately leads to eternity’s promise land.

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