May 2023
Happy Memorial Day! My purpose is to share God’s Word in hopes to change your worldview into the reality of God’s love and grace. Thus, helping you to realize that God isn’t holding your sins against you, because of the finished works of Christ. The apostle Paul wrote:
”So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 1
A Response from Germany…
Michael wrote: “My joy to have received an answer from you is huge. And my surprise and happiness about your website is only surpassed by my gratitude.”
“The Bible passages you have picked out for me are so clear to me. Thank you! The Bible, religion, prayer and Jesus Christ have been an intense part of my daily life since July ’21. I feel when I read the Bible that God knows me, since I feel quite alone and insecure. You gave me power too, though I didn’t know you were a soldier of God before you wrote, but because of your past I thought and hoped – and I was right – that you would be a role model for me right away.
“I have also fallen into the radical aberration since early childhood and suffer from it. Unfortunately, I have to live in the rejection. My pain will soon be weaker because Jesus overcame it with his love! And Charles, your attitude to life is balm for my soul – definitely! I’m ashamed that I am so fickle and after destroying what is most valuable to me through my borderline syndrome. My heart finds something, is happy and opens up, then it gets scared, clashes and is hurt.
“Your website is great, Google translation rather not, but you understand everything. I haven’t read everything yet, but I’m interested in The Christian Toolbox and The Christian 12 Steps. The diagrams are very interesting. I still have many questions about perspective, trust, forgiveness and auxiliary services, plus the instructions from your site. You’ve definitely done me good! Let me know how I can help. Michael, Germany.”
What’s Your Worldview?
The word “worldview” may be new for some, but everyone has one. It’s simply how you view the world around you; your perspective or view of things in their true relationship or importance. So, what is true to you and of the most importance? It could have to do with work, money, media, politics, gender, religion, philosophy, nature, etc. I have a Christian worldview. Whatever it is, does it include a relationship with God through knowing His love and grace? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” 2 This is true reality for me.
If you have come through the Father through Jesus, He doesn’t hold your sins against you. He placed them on Jesus at the cross. Now that you are risen with Him through faith, you are a new creation by grace, seeing things differently. “Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” 3 Like Michael professed, “My pain will soon be weaker because Jesus overcame it with His love!”
Viewing the World…
I have a television in my cell like most prisoners, so I am able to view what seems to be crazy people with different views destroying themselves. One view bouncing off another; a divided world of judgmentalism and hatred. Some think the destruction is a good thing because their worldview is becoming a reality. But let me assure you, this is deception and a lie from the devil. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” 4 Both Michael and I were once filled with radical views from the evil one that destroyed our lives and others. I hear Jesus crying out as He cried over Jerusalem when He viewed their condition in Luke 13:34, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.”
As children of God, we are admonished by the apostle John through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, saying: “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” 5 Our views must include an external perspective in order to live a “rich and satisfying life,” which is God’s purpose for us through Christ.
Humility is the Key…
One definition of “humility” is to surrender our will, view and opinions to God’s will and view. The problem is that the world system is diametrically opposed to God’s point of view because of pride. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 We must invite God into our lives, dressing ourselves in humility, as we relate to one another. “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” 7
This means we must humble ourselves to God’s will and view – His Holy Word. “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn – not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son [Jesus Christ].” 8 Won’t you receive Him today?
A Prayer for You…
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your plan and purpose for my life. I surrender my sill, view and opinions to Your will and view found in Your Word. My desire is to abound in Your love and grace so that I will be able to do what I cannot do in my own power. My sole desire is to view the world as You see it and to do Your will. I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. I ask that You use me to touch the lives of others so that they too will be able to see life from Your perspective. In Jesus' Name, Amen!
Scripture References (NLT):
1) 2 Cor. 5:16-17
2) John 14:6
3) 2 Cor. 5:14b-15
4) John 10:10
5) 1 John 2:15-17
6) Pro. 3:34; 1 Pet. 5:5
7) James 4:7-10
8) John 1:1-5, 10-14