Faith:Law Abiding Citizens (10.16.11)

I Peter 2:11 KJV "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the sou;"
Phil 3:20 NIV "But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."

(photo via www.immigration-lawyer-ny.com/citizenship.html)

Well im back again its the closing of another busy week. I picked up a book I began reading a while back titled "The Measure of a Man" by Gene A. Getz. I must say its certainly a must read for any man looking to strengthen his growth and faith in God.

Dr. Getz is the Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church. He has quite the list of published books including "The Measure of a Woman" so yes ladies you can enjoy his teachings as well.lol

I was reading a chapter and it touched on our place of citizenship.  The Bible describes us as being "strangers" passing through and our citizenship is in heaven. I receive those scriptures as a foundation. A foundation which we can focus on and apply that mindset in our daily walk.  God created us to stand out amongst others. There is a reason we sometimes feel distant from our environments.  I sure have had those kind of feelings many times. When we have chosen to live "Christ-Like," we have drawn a line in the sand.  There are simply things that use to gave me satisfaction that now seems foreign and viewers notice the change.  The new lifestyle of faith makes us strangers to people that new the previous version.

Being called citizens of haven means we are held to a spiritual standard that applies here on this earth.  The definition of citizenship is "the duties and responsibilities that come with being a member of a community," and that community is amongst believers. Our duties and responsibilities are outlined in the word of God and his commandments. People are proud to call themselves be it American, Chinese, African etc... We must be proud and solidified in our spiritual place of residency. Something I have had to work on is preventing my mindset from being conformed to the ways of the world.  Im sure there are some of you that can relate but together if we remind remind ourselves where home truely is, we can be Law Abiding Citizens.

Encouragement: John 15:19 KJV "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."