REFORMED OR REDEEMED?: WHY DO YOU WALK THE LINE?

Praise the Lord everybody! Let everything that has breath praise his holy name. God is truly worthy to be praised. I love what He is doing in my life and the life of my wife right now. He is preparing us for a whole new world and a new mission. I am spending more time in Gods' word and letting it renew my mind and revitalize my soul for the final push forward in these last and evil days.

The other day as I was talking to a good friend of mine he mentioned something about how the purpose of prisons was to reform the prisoners, making them obedient and useful members of society. My friend also mentioned that maybe they needed to be "redeemed more than reformed." That stuck with me as the day wore on, later that day I heard that soft still voice ask me "Darrell, why are you obedient? Are you reformed or are you redeemed?"

TO REFORM MEANS TO= To improve by alteration, correction of error, or removal of defects; put into a better form or condition: TO RE-FORM OR RESHAPE

TO BE REDEEMED MEANS: a. To set free, as from slavery or kidnapping, by providing money or other compensation.
b. To save (a person or soul) from a state of sinfulness and its consequences. See Synonyms at save1.
c. To restore the honor, worth, or reputation of: You botched the last job but can redeem yourself on this one.
5.
a. To atone for (an error or mistake)

I thought about prisons and reform schools where their goal is to change you through discipline and behavior modification. Your "insides" are still the same except now you are supposed to be able to control your behaviors and be obedient to the rules of society.

I asked myself this time, "why do I obey God? Am I reformed or am I redeemed?" Do I serve because of what God did for me? Because He loved me and died for me and freed me from my sin and addiction? Or am I "dry drinking" as they say in AA, being obedient just because I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, just "kicking against the pricks"                              

serving God my way according to my own will. Paul talks about it in  2nd Timothy 3: 3-5King James Version (KJV)

3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Paul is not just talking about non-believers here, he is talking about Christians, people in the church who believe in their own minds that they are serving God, they may have given up certain behaviors but at the same time they involve themselves in other ungodly behaviors and have no feeling of a need to repent or seek deliverance. They are the "reformed" of the Lord. The trials of life and or a personal crisis leads them to seek God but they never truly embrace the "program" so to speak. They attend church thinking that is enough to keep them and protect them.


Jesus said in John 14:15-17King James Version (KJV)

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray for the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The "redeemed" believer obeys out of a love for God, because of what He has done, and because of that loving obedience, He sends us the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us and teach us and also convict us when we sin.
I must admit there was a time when I was more reformed than redeemed. When I finally stopped doing drugs for good that I didn't give God all the glory, telling myself that I stopped because I was tired and getting too old to be running the streets chasing drugs. After a while, I realized that if it wasn't for God I would have gone to hell with a crack pipe in my mouth. I am redeemed, bought with a price and the life I now live I live through Him and because of Him.
So ask yourself, "am I reformed? or am I redeemed?" and if you find yourself on the reformed side ask God to show you what is missing from your relationship with him and the Holy Spirit will guide you into a "redeemed" walk with him.

  God Bless You All, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall

Carrie Underwood And Crowder Sing 'Lift Your Head Weary Sinner'

THE MOUTH DISCONNECTED

Praise the Lord everybody! He alone is worthy to be praised! I can't thank God enough for what He is doing in my life in these last and evil days. So much going on in the world right now, war and rumors of wars, fear, and paranoia are running rampant in our country. There seems to be a PC backlash going on in this country. At one time everybody appeared to be very concerned about the political correctness of their conversations in their everyday relationships.

That seems to be changing these days. Since Donald Trump became a major player on the political scene, and now President of the United States. We have come to expect these things from the World but when you see them creep into the Body of Christ, Gods' people, it is quite concerning. There is a disconnect going on, a disconnect between the heart, mind, and the mouth.

the bible says in James 1:26     If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.

A lot of us who claim to be disciples of Christ and Holy men and woman of God has perfected the art of appearing "religious" but allow gossip, backbiting and judgemental words to come out of our mouths, directed toward our brothers and sisters in Christ are only fooling themselves and their religion is in vain.

The pain we inflict on each other with our tongues in the household of faith is without excuse. The Bible states in James 3:1-6
 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

4 Behold also the ships, which though they are so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.


We go around saying things in so-called jest, and we do not realize the damage we sometimes do with a few words. We declare with our mouths that we meant no harm, but if we examine our hearts many times it would reveal to us that way down inside we meant to cause a little discomfort with our words. the bible says inLuke 6:45 (KJV)45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

The Bible tells us that "the heart of man is desperately wicked, who can know it?" this is why we must have the mind of Christ connected between our hearts and our mouths as a buffer. We need to inspect every desire and intention of our heart, bringing them into obedience to Christ before we open our mouths to speak.
The tongue is a volatile member that cannot be allowed to run amok, disconnected.

 If we continually cleanse our hearts and minds with Gods' word and our tongues connected to them both we will be able to keep to Gods' word that says in  Ephesians 4:29-32
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

  God bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall