Quote from Forum Archives on August 4, 2001, 10:52 am

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I want to send this message to you because it closely resembles
who and what I want to be. If there is anything that I am, it is
that "I am who I am". Yet, I am not what I was, for I have been
transformed, certainly not through any great feat on my own, but
by the transforming power of Christ.

Those of you who know me well know that I am generally cheerful,
sometimes silly, always willing to be different, wanting to
encourage others. From time to time, my old self pokes out.
That old self is critical and condemning. Which of those types
do you suppose others want to be around? Which type do you think
I desire to be?

Do you think it is fun to be saved? I sure do! Do you know this
song?

I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God.
I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!
Joint Heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod
For I'm a part of the family, the family of God!

Don't you think that being a part of a family where you are
deeply loved, fully accepted, and completely forgiven is a good
thing? Do you think such a place can be fun? I sure do!

I believe it will be like the best party ever held, and I believe
it will last for all eternity. The challenge for me, and for
each of us, is to live each day, remembering that we are already
a part of that family! Let's live today, not according to our
old identities, but with our new identities, clean, unblemished,
brothers and sisters in the family of Jesus Christ, with God as
our Father, the Holy Spirit as our constant guide, and Jesus
Christ as our hope. Amen!

Your eternal brother in Christ,
Brian

Reply-to: Neil Anderson <neilanderson@lists.crosswalk.com>
Subject: Neil Anderson Devotional for Saturday, August 4, 2001
Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 04:04:22 -0400

N E I L A N D E R S O N D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

August 4

UNINHIBITED SPONTANEITY

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with
gladness; come before Him with joyful singing (Psalm 100:1, 2).

Have you ever planned a major fun event and then asked yourself,
"Are we having fun yet?" Fun in uninhibited spontaneity. Chances
are the last time you really had fun it was a spontaneous,
spur-of-the-moment activity or event. Big events and expensive
outings can be fun, but sometimes we plan and spend all the fun
right out of them. I've often had a lot more fun in an impromptu
pillow fight with my children.

The secret to enjoying uninhibited spontaneity as a Christian is
in removing non-scriptural inhibitors. Chief among the inhibitors
of Christian fun is our fleshly tendency to keep up appearances.
We don't want to look out of place or be thought less of by
others, so we stifle our spontaneity with a form of false
decorum. That's people-pleasing and Paul suggested that anybody
who lives to please people isn't serving Christ (Galatians 1:10).

I really like the uninhibited joy I see in King David, who knew
the joy of being in the presence of the Lord. He was so happy
about returning the ark to Jerusalem that he leaped and danced
before the Lord in celebration. He knew there was joy in the
presence of God. But Michal, his party-pooping wife, thought his
behavior was unbecoming to a king, and she told him so in no
uncertain terms. David said, "Rain on you, lady. I'm dancing to
please the Lord, not you or anybody else. And I'm going to keep
dancing whether you like it or not" (my paraphrase of 2 Samuel
6:21). As it turned out, Michal was the person God judged in the
incident, not David (2 Samuel 6:23). You'll find a lot more joy
in pleasing the Lord than in trying to please people.

Frankly, I think it's fun being saved. Being free in Christ means
that we are free to be ourselves. We're free from our past, free
from trying to live up to other people's expectations, free from
sin and the evil one. What a joyful, uninhibited, spontaneous
life for those who are free in Christ!

Lord, thank You for the joy of serving You, joy that is not
detrimental to body, soul or spirit.

-----------
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=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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