Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, PART II: SPIRITUAL HABITS, Chapter 13, "Consecrating Life", Question 1, Page 85.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
PHOTO: What does it mean to consecrate ourselves to God?
In medieval times, as the gospel was brought to numerous European tribes, many turned to Christ and were baptised. There are stories of some tribes, like the Irish, who were willing to be baptised - but on one condition. When they entered the baptismal waters, they requested to have their right hands raised above the water. They were willing to have all parts of their body baptised, except their right hands that were needed for battle.
Many Christians live like that. They are willing to give certain parts of their lives, but hold back other parts from God. But we must remember the principle spelt out in the 19th century by Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, "Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all." God wants every part of our life given over to Him, because otherwise we will live in misery. His blood must be applied to every parts, and the spiritual medicine must penetrate all aspects of our lives.
To consecrate is to set apart or make holy.
How do we do it?
What we have been keeping for ourselves must be handed over to Jesus, to be brought under His rule and authority.
What does it involve?
It involves a surrendering of the heart's throne and the key to the control room of our lives. Dr Thomas Chalmers, the 19th century Scottish preacher, rightly said, "In conversion God gives to me but in consecration I give to God." We each have to ask ourselves, "Have I returned to God what rightfully belongs to Him?"
The haunting question God asked the ancient Jews, "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me" (Malachi 3:8), is a question that extends beyond monetary giving, tithes, and offerings. It is also true when it comes to consecration (how we dedicate ourselves to God's glory). The statement of Paul to the Corinthian Christians - "what I want is not your possessions but you" (2 Corinthians 12:14) - is similar to what God says to us. He does not want parts of our lives but the whole.
What would be the signs of a consecrated life?
In Romans 6, Paul describes the process by which people become slaves to sin. "Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God" (Romans 6:13, emphasis added). Note that the contrast between the parts and the whole. Satan is masterful at fragmenting our lives into various parts, and then asking just a few of them for himself, the flesh, or the world. But if we give in to this deception, we will soon be like hapless Gulliver who woke up on a beach in Lilliput. The tiny people of Lilliput had worked on the unconscious man, tying down strands of his hair and parts of his clothes to the ground. They worked part by part and succeeded in immobilising him. He had a rude shock when he woke up. He had become their prisoner even though he was stronger and bigger than any one of them.
Is this not how bondage to sin occurs? It is done part by part. However, when God relates with us, it is not bondage but bonding. He asks for us to relate to Him wholeheartedly. It is like a marriage where both bride and groom give themselves wholly to each other for the rest of their lives. When we offer the whole, the parts are brought into the bonding as a result (Romans 6:13). If we give the heart to Jesus, then every part of our lives is also given to Him. Like the wise father who tells his son, "My son, give me your heart" (Proverbs 23:26), God speaks to us in the same terms of endearment. He knows that when we give our heart to Jesus, we give everything, as the heart is the centre of our being where intellect, emotions, and will reside. And when we give our hearts to God, He changes our hearts of stone into new hearts that are able to love God (Ezekiel 36:26).
In medieval times, as the gospel was brought to numerous European tribes, many turned to Christ and were baptised. There are stories of some tribes, like the Irish, who were willing to be baptised - but on one condition. When they entered the baptismal waters, they requested to have their right hands raised above the water. They were willing to have all parts of their body baptised, except their right hands that were needed for battle.
Many Christians live like that. They are willing to give certain parts of their lives, but hold back other parts from God. But we must remember the principle spelt out in the 19th century by Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, "Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all." God wants every part of our life given over to Him, because otherwise we will live in misery. His blood must be applied to every parts, and the spiritual medicine must penetrate all aspects of our lives.
To consecrate is to set apart or make holy.
How do we do it?
What we have been keeping for ourselves must be handed over to Jesus, to be brought under His rule and authority.
What does it involve?
It involves a surrendering of the heart's throne and the key to the control room of our lives. Dr Thomas Chalmers, the 19th century Scottish preacher, rightly said, "In conversion God gives to me but in consecration I give to God." We each have to ask ourselves, "Have I returned to God what rightfully belongs to Him?"
The haunting question God asked the ancient Jews, "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me" (Malachi 3:8), is a question that extends beyond monetary giving, tithes, and offerings. It is also true when it comes to consecration (how we dedicate ourselves to God's glory). The statement of Paul to the Corinthian Christians - "what I want is not your possessions but you" (2 Corinthians 12:14) - is similar to what God says to us. He does not want parts of our lives but the whole.
What would be the signs of a consecrated life?
In Romans 6, Paul describes the process by which people become slaves to sin. "Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God" (Romans 6:13, emphasis added). Note that the contrast between the parts and the whole. Satan is masterful at fragmenting our lives into various parts, and then asking just a few of them for himself, the flesh, or the world. But if we give in to this deception, we will soon be like hapless Gulliver who woke up on a beach in Lilliput. The tiny people of Lilliput had worked on the unconscious man, tying down strands of his hair and parts of his clothes to the ground. They worked part by part and succeeded in immobilising him. He had a rude shock when he woke up. He had become their prisoner even though he was stronger and bigger than any one of them.
Is this not how bondage to sin occurs? It is done part by part. However, when God relates with us, it is not bondage but bonding. He asks for us to relate to Him wholeheartedly. It is like a marriage where both bride and groom give themselves wholly to each other for the rest of their lives. When we offer the whole, the parts are brought into the bonding as a result (Romans 6:13). If we give the heart to Jesus, then every part of our lives is also given to Him. Like the wise father who tells his son, "My son, give me your heart" (Proverbs 23:26), God speaks to us in the same terms of endearment. He knows that when we give our heart to Jesus, we give everything, as the heart is the centre of our being where intellect, emotions, and will reside. And when we give our hearts to God, He changes our hearts of stone into new hearts that are able to love God (Ezekiel 36:26).
Painting by Greg Olsen (1958) - Presentation of Jesus at the temple, A Light To The Gentiles
Picture posted by Elder Dale G. Renlund on 8 December 2016 at 2:17 pm MDT
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlMR-LVdrebx-1c0aBnktXz8ZBb-aJYP9Ag_hXoKn5R-Xq3EH4u0TsMV296XFd6V75YirqIp5l3KL1khQrXD9rRfKyxjJA6q4t0V6LICy2FhLtqYq_4FNpf__vWzYrtYfLrV2FoGEpcI/s1600/simeon-mary-joseph-greg-olsen-243715-print.jpeg
https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2016-12-08/elder-dale-g-renlund-recalls-a-beloved-christmas-memory-22246#&gid=22246_1&pid=1
https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2016-12-08/elder-dale-g-renlund-recalls-a-beloved-christmas-memory-22246
What does it mean to consecrate ourselves to God? How do we do it and what does it involve? What would be the signs of a consecrated life?
What does it mean to consecrate ourselves to God? [1]
In medieval times, as the gospel was brought to numerous European tribes, many turned to Christ and were baptised. There are stories of some tribes, like the Irish, who were willing to be baptised - but on one condition. When they entered the baptismal waters, they requested to have their right hands raised above the water. They were willing to have all parts of their body baptised, except their right hands that were needed for battle.
Picture posted by Elder Dale G. Renlund on 8 December 2016 at 2:17 pm MDT
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlMR-LVdrebx-1c0aBnktXz8ZBb-aJYP9Ag_hXoKn5R-Xq3EH4u0TsMV296XFd6V75YirqIp5l3KL1khQrXD9rRfKyxjJA6q4t0V6LICy2FhLtqYq_4FNpf__vWzYrtYfLrV2FoGEpcI/s1600/simeon-mary-joseph-greg-olsen-243715-print.jpeg
https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2016-12-08/elder-dale-g-renlund-recalls-a-beloved-christmas-memory-22246#&gid=22246_1&pid=1
https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2016-12-08/elder-dale-g-renlund-recalls-a-beloved-christmas-memory-22246
What does it mean to consecrate ourselves to God? How do we do it and what does it involve? What would be the signs of a consecrated life?
What does it mean to consecrate ourselves to God? [1]
In medieval times, as the gospel was brought to numerous European tribes, many turned to Christ and were baptised. There are stories of some tribes, like the Irish, who were willing to be baptised - but on one condition. When they entered the baptismal waters, they requested to have their right hands raised above the water. They were willing to have all parts of their body baptised, except their right hands that were needed for battle.
PHOTO: In medieval times, some tribes, like the Irish, who were willing to be baptised - but on one condition. They requested to have their right hands raised above the water. They were willing to have all parts of their body baptised, except their right hands that were needed for battle.
Picture posted by rrx.cn
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlPRGLh90E_ZXrwxJdCfX_-miwBB3-xY4Y16HBWOgjkrla8Qjors52EK52mQJaFudEZLmIC3zjBKQ8w8k27nnCKBKqrnh08Itf_J7Ag5ZkITRAcUcklpGOTteMwKPUU5yzR8xxCE-1iU/s1600/1501830838699_1.png
https://file2.rrxh5.cc/g2/c1/2017/08/04/1501830838699.png
https://rrx.cn/caseview-d2gsfd
Many Christians live like that. They are willing to give certain parts of their lives, but hold back other parts from God. But we must remember the principle spelt out in the 19th century by Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, "Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all." [46] God wants every part of our life given over to Him, because otherwise we will live in misery. His blood must be applied to every parts, and the spiritual medicine must penetrate all aspects of our lives.
PHOTO: Consecrating Every Part of Our Lives
God wants every part of our life given over to Him, because otherwise we will live in misery. His blood must be applied to every parts, and the spiritual medicine must penetrate all aspects of our lives.
Picture posted by Красота gantelin - The girl falls into the water
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMaHbRkwsCx087D70TQ5vnkGX3hu29sFjcw248JmPYqjpz9ga1SlFDgy5EiGTdzT8H6DwXZRaISe_CuWXFBd-ChCa7WREsCl3WV7gpxK-YgzJDrQvdMUWzs5khvR58DdnGuLr5YPmUlg/s1600/orig.gifhttps://avatars.mds.yandex.net/get-pdb/211794/2ebb29d8-d897-4468-bc12-088ac1b50cf1/orig - (orig.gif)
https://yandex.com/collections/card/5a4385ea215a8466dde25250/
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/09/reflection-letting-christ-live-in-us_27.html
To consecrate is to set apart or make holy.
Picture posted by rrx.cn
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlPRGLh90E_ZXrwxJdCfX_-miwBB3-xY4Y16HBWOgjkrla8Qjors52EK52mQJaFudEZLmIC3zjBKQ8w8k27nnCKBKqrnh08Itf_J7Ag5ZkITRAcUcklpGOTteMwKPUU5yzR8xxCE-1iU/s1600/1501830838699_1.png
https://file2.rrxh5.cc/g2/c1/2017/08/04/1501830838699.png
https://rrx.cn/caseview-d2gsfd
Many Christians live like that. They are willing to give certain parts of their lives, but hold back other parts from God. But we must remember the principle spelt out in the 19th century by Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, "Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all." [46] God wants every part of our life given over to Him, because otherwise we will live in misery. His blood must be applied to every parts, and the spiritual medicine must penetrate all aspects of our lives.
PHOTO: Consecrating Every Part of Our Lives
God wants every part of our life given over to Him, because otherwise we will live in misery. His blood must be applied to every parts, and the spiritual medicine must penetrate all aspects of our lives.
Picture posted by Красота gantelin - The girl falls into the water
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMaHbRkwsCx087D70TQ5vnkGX3hu29sFjcw248JmPYqjpz9ga1SlFDgy5EiGTdzT8H6DwXZRaISe_CuWXFBd-ChCa7WREsCl3WV7gpxK-YgzJDrQvdMUWzs5khvR58DdnGuLr5YPmUlg/s1600/orig.gifhttps://avatars.mds.yandex.net/get-pdb/211794/2ebb29d8-d897-4468-bc12-088ac1b50cf1/orig - (orig.gif)
https://yandex.com/collections/card/5a4385ea215a8466dde25250/
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/09/reflection-letting-christ-live-in-us_27.html
To consecrate is to set apart or make holy.
PHOTO: What does it mean to consecrate ourselves to God?
To consecrate is to set apart or make holy.
Picture posted by Imagens Bonitas (Beautiful Pictures) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDJc48vAhlC4x8sbW4nULBsMWdqpjpCMWO-6hGBGs3cxHGx7trPyC-N_c1MsYIg3jOdtmTT1rcCt8FedKfgi0NtSIwwveyn9545e_XZMI0Df-D0fzoW4CW71fP9f5nicl6-BjZ6-Cvxc/s1600/Apresenta%25C3%25A7%25C3%25A3o+de+Jesus+no+Templo+2.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXeFeknFtHcML4-tw0xJzeHBJK_REeD-tlUoFQIjSNhwJRYhjjDJ159OqxcT-A2W5rn3Nc4TwtZxTpNZovB2IpkRDH4v3_lxEHgiXyGDDIdplZe4Si2HlAkYZc1e3eGcy5BjS_qacQBtI/s1600/Apresenta%25C3%25A7%25C3%25A3o+de+Jesus+no+Templo+2.jpg - (Apresentação de Jesus no Templo 2.jpg)
https://www.imagensbonitas.com.br/2017/07/apresentacao-de-jesus-no-templo.html?m=1#.WW7OEVzl0No.pinterest
How do we do it?
What we have been keeping for ourselves must be handed over to Jesus, to be brought under His rule and authority.
PHOTO: How do we consecrate ourselves to God?
What we have been keeping for ourselves must be handed over to Jesus, to be brought under His rule and authority.
Dallas willard (Renovation of the Heart) suggests lying on the floor, face down or face up, and explicitly and formally surrender our body to God. Take time to go over the main parts of our body and do the same for each one. What we want to do is to ask God to take charge of our body and each part, to fill it with his life and use it for his purpose.
Picture posted by Ksenia Mazko - photo, Valet.ru
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij39X03cSJ7lWf8ZQZX1VoxUtR-AxBI1JbxmLoOMWzZMkLlHmTIbn4PjVvc23-uQSWiXTVA177ml8gBqeHwxMHYi2vNPaO8U-amfIC1D9-acEyAE1jByMPiFSIF7e1wWuf1cnqVPgVRfM/s1600/tLnbtEwrYUY-1.jpg
https://pp.userapi.com/c840625/v840625164/2204/tLnbtEwrYUY.jpg
http://valet.ru/user/252301693/
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/09/reflection-letting-christ-live-in-us_27.html
What does it involve?
It involves a surrendering of the heart's throne and the key to the control room of our lives. Dr Thomas Chalmers, the 19th century Scottish preacher, rightly said, "In conversion God gives to me but in consecration I give to God." [47] We each have to ask ourselves, "Have I returned to God what rightfully belongs to Him?"
The haunting question God asked the ancient Jews, "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me" (Malachi 3:8), is a question that extends beyond monetary giving, tithes, and offerings. It is also true when it comes to consecration (how we dedicate ourselves to God's glory). The statement of Paul to the Corinthian Christians - "what I want is not your possessions but you" (2 Corinthians 12:14) - is similar to what God says to us. He does not want parts of our lives but the whole.
PHOTO: The haunting question God asked the ancient Jews is a question that extends beyond monetary giving, tithes, and offerings. It is also true when it comes to consecration (how we dedicate ourselves to God's glory). The statement of Paul to the Corinthian Christians - "what I want is not your possessions but you" (2 Corinthians 12:14) - is similar to what God says to us. He does not want parts of our lives but the whole.
Artwork by Paul François Quinsac (1858 – 1932, French) - Allégorie de la Musique
Picture from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPE5Ctr_rSBQ-MbNhZTCvFWmBVmnAf5T4Q32KNasX0Xv3nDw7HZrCjc6dCXF3-vWD0-dMi1zWnCFU9aq-UW7bgC6qqt21adXGqXKH-RwT1Ox_xiPdGHwSKbGBjaeThjzKcKaFIbn_aAbo/s1600/Paul-Fran%25C3%25A7ois_Quinsac_-_La_musique.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Paul-Fran%C3%A7ois_Quinsac_-_La_musique.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul-Fran%C3%A7ois_Quinsac_-_La_musique.jpg
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/09/reflection-letting-christ-live-in-us_27.html
What would be the signs of a consecrated life?
In Romans 6, Paul describes the process by which people become slaves to sin. "Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God" (Romans 6:13, emphasis added). Note that the contrast between the parts and the whole. Satan is masterful at fragmenting our lives into various parts, and then asking just a few of them for himself, the flesh, or the world. But if we give in to this deception, we will soon be like hapless Gulliver who woke up on a beach in Lilliput. [48] The tiny people of Lilliput had worked on the unconscious man, tying down strands of his hair and parts of his clothes to the ground. They worked part by part and succeeded in immobilising him. He had a rude shock when he woke up. He had become their prisoner even though he was stronger and bigger than any one of them.
To consecrate is to set apart or make holy.
Picture posted by Imagens Bonitas (Beautiful Pictures) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDJc48vAhlC4x8sbW4nULBsMWdqpjpCMWO-6hGBGs3cxHGx7trPyC-N_c1MsYIg3jOdtmTT1rcCt8FedKfgi0NtSIwwveyn9545e_XZMI0Df-D0fzoW4CW71fP9f5nicl6-BjZ6-Cvxc/s1600/Apresenta%25C3%25A7%25C3%25A3o+de+Jesus+no+Templo+2.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXeFeknFtHcML4-tw0xJzeHBJK_REeD-tlUoFQIjSNhwJRYhjjDJ159OqxcT-A2W5rn3Nc4TwtZxTpNZovB2IpkRDH4v3_lxEHgiXyGDDIdplZe4Si2HlAkYZc1e3eGcy5BjS_qacQBtI/s1600/Apresenta%25C3%25A7%25C3%25A3o+de+Jesus+no+Templo+2.jpg - (Apresentação de Jesus no Templo 2.jpg)
https://www.imagensbonitas.com.br/2017/07/apresentacao-de-jesus-no-templo.html?m=1#.WW7OEVzl0No.pinterest
How do we do it?
What we have been keeping for ourselves must be handed over to Jesus, to be brought under His rule and authority.
PHOTO: How do we consecrate ourselves to God?
What we have been keeping for ourselves must be handed over to Jesus, to be brought under His rule and authority.
Dallas willard (Renovation of the Heart) suggests lying on the floor, face down or face up, and explicitly and formally surrender our body to God. Take time to go over the main parts of our body and do the same for each one. What we want to do is to ask God to take charge of our body and each part, to fill it with his life and use it for his purpose.
Picture posted by Ksenia Mazko - photo, Valet.ru
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij39X03cSJ7lWf8ZQZX1VoxUtR-AxBI1JbxmLoOMWzZMkLlHmTIbn4PjVvc23-uQSWiXTVA177ml8gBqeHwxMHYi2vNPaO8U-amfIC1D9-acEyAE1jByMPiFSIF7e1wWuf1cnqVPgVRfM/s1600/tLnbtEwrYUY-1.jpg
https://pp.userapi.com/c840625/v840625164/2204/tLnbtEwrYUY.jpg
http://valet.ru/user/252301693/
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/09/reflection-letting-christ-live-in-us_27.html
What does it involve?
It involves a surrendering of the heart's throne and the key to the control room of our lives. Dr Thomas Chalmers, the 19th century Scottish preacher, rightly said, "In conversion God gives to me but in consecration I give to God." [47] We each have to ask ourselves, "Have I returned to God what rightfully belongs to Him?"
The haunting question God asked the ancient Jews, "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me" (Malachi 3:8), is a question that extends beyond monetary giving, tithes, and offerings. It is also true when it comes to consecration (how we dedicate ourselves to God's glory). The statement of Paul to the Corinthian Christians - "what I want is not your possessions but you" (2 Corinthians 12:14) - is similar to what God says to us. He does not want parts of our lives but the whole.
PHOTO: The haunting question God asked the ancient Jews is a question that extends beyond monetary giving, tithes, and offerings. It is also true when it comes to consecration (how we dedicate ourselves to God's glory). The statement of Paul to the Corinthian Christians - "what I want is not your possessions but you" (2 Corinthians 12:14) - is similar to what God says to us. He does not want parts of our lives but the whole.
Artwork by Paul François Quinsac (1858 – 1932, French) - Allégorie de la Musique
Picture from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPE5Ctr_rSBQ-MbNhZTCvFWmBVmnAf5T4Q32KNasX0Xv3nDw7HZrCjc6dCXF3-vWD0-dMi1zWnCFU9aq-UW7bgC6qqt21adXGqXKH-RwT1Ox_xiPdGHwSKbGBjaeThjzKcKaFIbn_aAbo/s1600/Paul-Fran%25C3%25A7ois_Quinsac_-_La_musique.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Paul-Fran%C3%A7ois_Quinsac_-_La_musique.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul-Fran%C3%A7ois_Quinsac_-_La_musique.jpg
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/09/reflection-letting-christ-live-in-us_27.html
What would be the signs of a consecrated life?
In Romans 6, Paul describes the process by which people become slaves to sin. "Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God" (Romans 6:13, emphasis added). Note that the contrast between the parts and the whole. Satan is masterful at fragmenting our lives into various parts, and then asking just a few of them for himself, the flesh, or the world. But if we give in to this deception, we will soon be like hapless Gulliver who woke up on a beach in Lilliput. [48] The tiny people of Lilliput had worked on the unconscious man, tying down strands of his hair and parts of his clothes to the ground. They worked part by part and succeeded in immobilising him. He had a rude shock when he woke up. He had become their prisoner even though he was stronger and bigger than any one of them.
PHOTO: Satan is masterful at fragmenting our lives into various parts, and then asking just a few of them for himself, the flesh, or the world. But if we give in to this deception, we will soon be like hapless Gulliver who woke up on a beach in Lilliput. [48] The tiny people of Lilliput had worked on the unconscious man, tying down strands of his hair and parts of his clothes to the ground. They worked part by part and succeeded in immobilising him.
Picture from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwB8edbk-Zrq12es0q6H6iDhNXl0tgMEmUiZp-M5Aux8wUJYCk6-vBxEEGg8tF3pQ5-H3G6W7opE7LECI_pw3PL9MpFrSRjreh3CbhpCPIjQc3lldv539Iz04EeRYYttwXpmjfNsC-O3k/s1600/Gulliver_Coloured_Picture_Book.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Gulliver_Coloured_Picture_Book.png
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gulliver_Coloured_Picture_Book.png
Is this not how bondage to sin occurs? It is done part by part. However, when God relates with us, it is not bondage but bonding. He asks for us to relate to Him wholeheartedly. It is like a marriage where both bride and groom give themselves wholly to each other for the rest of their lives. When we offer the whole, the parts are brought into the bonding as a result (Romans 6:13). If we give the heart to Jesus, then every part of our lives is also given to Him. Like the wise father who tells his son, "My son, give me your heart" (Proverbs 23:26), God speaks to us in the same terms of endearment. He knows that when we give our heart to Jesus, we give everything, as the heart is the centre of our being where intellect, emotions, and will reside. And when we give our hearts to God, He changes our hearts of stone into new hearts that are able to love God (Ezekiel 36:26).
PHOTO: When we offer the whole, the parts are brought into the bonding as a result (Romans 6:13). If we give the heart to Jesus, then every part of our lives is also given to Him. He knows that when we give our heart to Jesus, we give everything, as the heart is the centre of our being where intellect, emotions, and will reside. And when we give our hearts to God, He changes our hearts of stone into new hearts that are able to love God (Ezekiel 36:26).
Picture posted by ccouch on 04 May 2016
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http://mylifeinheals.com/one-year-ago-may-4th-2015/
http://veryfatoldman.blogspot.sg/2018/03/reflection-solution-to-worn-out-lives_26.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/09/reflection-letting-christ-live-in-us_27.html
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Is this not how bondage to sin occurs? It is done part by part. However, when God relates with us, it is not bondage but bonding. He asks for us to relate to Him wholeheartedly. It is like a marriage where both bride and groom give themselves wholly to each other for the rest of their lives. When we offer the whole, the parts are brought into the bonding as a result (Romans 6:13). If we give the heart to Jesus, then every part of our lives is also given to Him. Like the wise father who tells his son, "My son, give me your heart" (Proverbs 23:26), God speaks to us in the same terms of endearment. He knows that when we give our heart to Jesus, we give everything, as the heart is the centre of our being where intellect, emotions, and will reside. And when we give our hearts to God, He changes our hearts of stone into new hearts that are able to love God (Ezekiel 36:26).
PHOTO: When we offer the whole, the parts are brought into the bonding as a result (Romans 6:13). If we give the heart to Jesus, then every part of our lives is also given to Him. He knows that when we give our heart to Jesus, we give everything, as the heart is the centre of our being where intellect, emotions, and will reside. And when we give our hearts to God, He changes our hearts of stone into new hearts that are able to love God (Ezekiel 36:26).
Picture posted by ccouch on 04 May 2016
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbU0uo6vLoX_hZzTwEmVN4JTuxuGZ6rl1Rlk28_sMjg_uXU4HHxS0cJsbrckp3makHWGaYvCSN0ByQTQlsheeDz6ls-7-9Hw0Go7_7xMBdBtgydz5Uaad8cKFLHLCsUulhHOG4-Umar6M/s1600/dreamstime_m_35729437.jpg
http://mylifeinheals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/dreamstime_m_35729437.jpg
http://mylifeinheals.com/one-year-ago-may-4th-2015/
http://veryfatoldman.blogspot.sg/2018/03/reflection-solution-to-worn-out-lives_26.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/09/reflection-letting-christ-live-in-us_27.html
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we learn that to consecrate ourselves to God means to set apart or make holy. We must be willing to give every part of our life over to God. Not just willing to give certain parts of their lives, but hold back other parts from Him. Because otherwise we will live in misery. His blood must be applied to every parts, and the spiritual medicine must penetrate all aspects of our lives.
Please help us with what we have been keeping for ourselves to be handed over to Jesus, to be brought under His rule and authority.
Help us to surrender our heart's throne and the key to the control room of our lives. In conversion God gives to us but in consecration we give to God.
Please forgive us for robbing You of the monetary giving, tithes, and offerings. And forgive us for not consecrating our whole but only parts of our lives.
Prevent us from becoming slave to sin. Help us not to not offer any part of ourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer ourselves to You. Please protect us from Satan who is masterful at fragmenting our lives into various parts, and then asking just a few of them for himself, the flesh, or the world. Help us not to be in bondage to sin but in bonding with You. We want to have lasting relationship with You wholeheartedly and successfully.
We want to give our heart to Jesus, which means everything, as the heart is the centre of our being where intellect, emotions, and will reside. Then changes our hearts of stone into new hearts that are able to love God.
Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
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Please help us with what we have been keeping for ourselves to be handed over to Jesus, to be brought under His rule and authority.
Help us to surrender our heart's throne and the key to the control room of our lives. In conversion God gives to us but in consecration we give to God.
Please forgive us for robbing You of the monetary giving, tithes, and offerings. And forgive us for not consecrating our whole but only parts of our lives.
Prevent us from becoming slave to sin. Help us not to not offer any part of ourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer ourselves to You. Please protect us from Satan who is masterful at fragmenting our lives into various parts, and then asking just a few of them for himself, the flesh, or the world. Help us not to be in bondage to sin but in bonding with You. We want to have lasting relationship with You wholeheartedly and successfully.
We want to give our heart to Jesus, which means everything, as the heart is the centre of our being where intellect, emotions, and will reside. Then changes our hearts of stone into new hearts that are able to love God.
Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
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Reflection - Spiritual Habits - Consecrating Life
Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, PART II: SPIRITUAL HABITS, Chapter 13, "Consecrating Life", Question 1, Page 85.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
Source (book): "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, PART II: SPIRITUAL HABITS, Chapter 13, "Consecrating Life", Question 1, Page 85.
By Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore from 2000 - 2012
Also from the same author, Robert M. Solomon
"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html
"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html
"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
Reference
[1] From "Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, Copyright © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon, ISBN 978-981-14-1836-5, PART II: SPIRITUAL HABITS, Chapter 13, "Consecrating Life", Page 79-82.
[46] Roger Steet, Hudson Taylor: Lessons in Discipleship (Crowborough, UK: Monarch Books, 1995), 34.
[47] Quoted in John MacNeil, The Spirit-Filled Life (Chicago: Bible Institute Colportage Association, 1895), chap. XII, http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/33247/pg33247.
[48] Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travel (1726), 14, http://www.planetebook.com/free-ebooks/gullivers-travels.pdf.
[46] Roger Steet, Hudson Taylor: Lessons in Discipleship (Crowborough, UK: Monarch Books, 1995), 34.
[47] Quoted in John MacNeil, The Spirit-Filled Life (Chicago: Bible Institute Colportage Association, 1895), chap. XII, http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/33247/pg33247.
[48] Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travel (1726), 14, http://www.planetebook.com/free-ebooks/gullivers-travels.pdf.
New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
2 Corinthians 12:14 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+12%3A14&version=NIV
Ezekiel 36:26 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+36%3A26&version=NIV
Malachi 3:8 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Malachi+3%3A8&version=NIV
Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV
Proverbs 23:26 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+23%3A26&version=NIV
Romans 6 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6&version=NIV
Romans 6:13 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6%3A13&version=NIV
Ezekiel 36:26 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+36%3A26&version=NIV
Malachi 3:8 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Malachi+3%3A8&version=NIV
Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV
Proverbs 23:26 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+23%3A26&version=NIV
Romans 6 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6&version=NIV
Romans 6:13 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6%3A13&version=NIV
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