Tag Archives: Repentance

Christian Soapbox

FROM MY CORE – ESSAY 2

Leave a comment

Granted there is a psychological element to this, an element that describes why I’m so concerned about the collective gathering we call Church, but it’s not the Church, rather, those with authority in the Church…

After reading back over my ESSAY 1 feel convicted to clarify ‘…collective gathering we call Church,…’ not to mean the negative connotation it can have; I guess the emotion I was experiencing when writing that was an annoyance at the idea of us—the Christian Church—as a “collective gathering” when we’re obviously a ‘divided gathering’ in the worst sense of division; so to call us ‘Church’ while divided in such a way makes zero sense to me. I don’t think it’s impossible to find us reconciled as a kingdom unit here on earth. Anyway…

MY CONCERN

The psychological element to my concern for the Church as a fellow member of the Body in the Bride of Christ partly stems from the scars of my past: series of divorces, there was physical and sexual abuse from a pastor and family members, the list feels like it gets darker and darker. I could make the case I was brought up by the devil’s schemes, and [ashamedly] have the arrogance to prove it. Does that pastor think himself justified; there is still no sign of sorrow or remorse that comes with conviction for repentance when guilty as sin. Will there be?

However, my experience to faith in God, although cultivated in a field of weeds…

“24 Jesus gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed [c]weeds [resembling wheat] among the wheat, and went away. 26 So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the weeds appeared also. 27 The servants of the owner came to him and said, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have weeds in it?’ 28 He replied to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; because as you pull out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Matthew 13 (AMP)

…is not governed by evil, because someone had come into our field during the day to sow the good seed of wheat!

Oh if I didn’t know any better, how easy it is to paint the victim. Let my sin be obvious and exposed. Where is my sorrow and remorse? Am I repenting from sin or do I embrace the chains? My war is not against flesh and blood, “…but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.” (Eph. 6:12). My aim will not miss the mark as long as my faith is in Jesus Christ; He is the authority and power! He is the Psychologist to my Psyche, the Foundation to my Structure, and Guide to my Compass!

What can sin do if it’s power be death when death was defeated at the cross of Christ? My concern for the members of the Christian Church is this idea that we’re not free from the chains the apostle Paul was chained in:

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time [and with so little effort] you [almost] persuade me to become a Christian.” 29 And Paul replied, “Whether in a short time or long, I wish to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”

Acts 26 (AMP)

WE ARE FREE

I keep hearing pastors preach this idea that we can’t do anything about the sin we’ve been set free from, which is false. We’ve been set free by the salvation we have in Christ, and equipped upon belief with conversion to transformation—a gift given within Who convicts us of sin (the Holy Spirit of God). I am free to repent of my sin or not to, to respond to the Holy Spirit or not to; there is consequence and reward to right and wrong behavior, but it’s my faith, words and actions that reveal the nature about me. Do I have fruit that bears unbelief, or belief? My fruits will tell you everything about the condition of my body, psyche, and spirit. There are two distinct spirits…

DISCLAIMER:
Nathan Psychology: The study of oneself for righteous behavior, and my written perspective on the experiential process of edification to sanctification. What does it mean to be born of God, overcome the world, and be made new through faith in believing Jesus Christ is the way of my salvation? I’m discovering the path through spiritual discipline—

Christian Soapbox

7 – 31 – 21

Leave a comment

When bitter coffee tastes’ sweet.

It might have been a 6th generation blue mustang parked with the lights on at 0200 not far from the site I was guarding. The distance between my golf cart and location of the mustang was about 200 yards. It was reported that a truck was stolen not many days ago from this site, and although that incident was in the middle of the day I wasn’t about to be passive. I was not able to make out the person or people inside the mustang, but they for damn sure could see me flexing, and now we wait…

These past few days have been heavy for me to say the least, and this morning the meaning of repentance settled deep within the bitter coffee of my soul. The reason I believe Jesus identified the Holy Spirit as the Helper—according to the book of John chapter 16 in your bibles—is because there is no repentance from sin nor significance to repentance without faith in the sweetness of Help. It doesn’t take 2 sugars and a creamer to make bitter coffee, sweet; it takes a wooden stirrer and metal spoon. The salvation of my soul took a wooden cross and metal nails. It’s the Helper of discipline from a Holy Father of love sent by the resurrected Jesus Christ that makes bitter coffee taste sweet.

Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.

Job 2:4 

Whenever sin is treated passively, the devil is prepared to take my soul. Whenever suspicion is treated passively, your truck gets stolen. The blue mustang has horse power over my golf cart, but the blue mustang met my God and left the site—my golf cart then proceeded to cut the head off the blue mustang. Satan is testing mankind to the limit, and if I don’t lose myself for the sake of Christ and the gospel… there is by no other means to experience salvation.

DISCLAIMER:
This is Nathan Psychology. What you read is my discipline of edification to sanctification. What I write is from my perspective as I learn more and more each day with you.

I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones | P3-V8

Leave a comment

The Rewards of Wisdom

Proverbs 3; I die daily devotional.

8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.

What will be healing to our bodies and refreshment to our bones?

 … 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. …

We have a short life span as it is, so what is the significance of this wisdom? To experience healing and refreshment?

It’s difficult to separate from the reality of our impending death to believe in a life everlasting, but I write with the Lord being present in both mind and body which produces the reality of an impending life that is eternal.

Faith to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding, to acknowledge Him as our straight and narrow path to God our Father, and to respect the nature of His design and glory is to experience our lives change in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. We will experience the ongoing discipline of our Holy God as the Father Who—loves us more than we can fathom as enough—produces in us this wisdom of healing and refreshment for time with Him in the eternal, having learned through the severity of disobedience—by the consequence of our present condition of death—enlightened by the grace of God to Jesus Christ for our salvation.

To experience healing and refreshment, is to experience the discipline of repentance from dead works to serving a living God. To repent, and serve God, is a choice made by people of faith in Christ our Lord, Jesus. Amen.

RESOURCE

Proverbs 3 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; 2 For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the LORD  loves He reproves, Even as a father  corrects the son in whom he delights. 13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. 19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew.  21  My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. 23 Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; 26 For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. 27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it, ”When you have it with you. 29 Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. 30 Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. 31 Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. 32 For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright. 33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. 34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. 35 The wise will inherit honor, But fools  display dishonor.

COMMENTARY

Chapter 3

Matthew Henry (P3-V8) Commentary
2. A dutiful subjection: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil; take heed of doing any thing to offend him and to forfeit his care. To fear the Lord, so as to depart from evil, is true wisdom and understanding (Job 28:28); those that have it are truly wise, but self-denyingly so, and not wise in their own eyes. For our encouragement thus to live in the fear of God it is here promised (v. 8) that it shall be as serviceable even to the outward man as our necessary food. It will be nourishing: It shall be health to thy navel. It will be strengthening: It shall be marrow to thy bones. The prudence, temperance, and sobriety, the calmness and composure of mind, and the good government of the appetites and passions, which religion teaches, tend very much not only to the health of the soul, but to a good habit of body, which is very desirable, and without which our other enjoyments in this world are insipid. Envy is the rottenness of the bones; the sorrow of the world dries them; but hope and joy in God are marrow to them.