Worship 2

/07/12 Yesterday I shared with you the first time worship is mentioned in the Bible, Gen.22:5. In the first appearance of worship you find Abe worshipping and God providing a lamb. Abe named the place the Lord sees or provides – Jehovah –Jireh. You can’t miss the connection in the NT. The first appearance of the word ‘worship’ in the New Testament is found in Matthew 2:2 when the wise men travel from the east to worship the “King of the Jews”. The wise men worship the Lamb of God who came to take away the one thing that hinders our worship – sin! The elements of their worship were the same as those found in Abraham. They feared God, the rightful king, more than Herod. They offered precious gifts and they obeyed God. We refer to these men as the wise men and speak of them each year at Christmas. Wise men like Abraham in the Old Testament or like these wise men in the New Testament are men who fear the Lord, offer Him their all, and does what He says. That is true worship. Worship that does not contain these three elements is not worship that God approves of. No matter what kind of music you prefer or how often you sing, worship that pleases God must be centered on God. Wise men will worship the Lord! Are you wise? Can you give demonstrable evidence that you fear the Lord? Could you produce examples of your willingness to give your all? When was the last time that you heard from God and obeyed? If you want to be wise – worship the Lord! Prayer: Father, today I bow before You in awe and adoration. I want to worship you by way of the cross. You sent Your Son to die for my sins so that I may have access to You. I praise Your Holy name. In. Jesus name, amen.

Worship

12/06/12 O, come and let us worship Christ the Lord. This is the time of year when so much is going on and we seem so busy that we can hardly find time to worship. But the reason for the season is to worship Christ the Lord. When you hear the word ‘worship’ what do you think about? Many probably think about music and praise choruses. While music can be an expression of worship, worship must begin in the heart. Since worship is the most important thing we do it would be to our great advantage to find out what worship is and what kind of worship God approves of. The first time the word worship is mentioned in the Bible is Genesis 22:5. Abraham is called upon to offer his most precious possession – Isaac, his son, the promised seed. Abraham travels for three days to arrive at the place God had told him to go. Upon arrival Abraham tells his men that he and Isaac will go and worship then return. Just when Abraham is about to offer his son God stops him and says, “now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” From this passage we learn that worship involves three elements: 1.) fearing the Lord 22:12, 2.) willing to give our all, even the most precious, 22:12, and 3.) A lifestyle of obedience 22:18. Fearing the Lord means a reverent trust in God and what He says. It means that when we fear the Lord we need not fear anything else. Fearing the Lord brings wisdom, peace, understanding and a host of things that will enhance our lives as we walk with the Lord and He provides us with the means to bless others as well. Fear of the Lord was a way of expressing faith in God. The worship that Abraham expressed is the same kind we must express. Abraham was willing to give his all as part of his worship. It is easy for us to understand that we must give up our Ishmael’s because they are works of the flesh and in the long run will harm us and will not bring much glory to God. But our Isaac’s are a different story. They are blessings from God. They are the good and best things in life. They are blessings that have come from God. They are answered prayers. Our Isaac’s are those things and people that are most dear to us. But even the blessings can and sometime do take the place of God and become an idol. That is why worship will lead to a lifestyle of obedience. Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Genesis 18:19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” Abraham knew God through obedience. If Abraham had not feared the Lord, he would not have offered his best, and he would never have obeyed. But because Abraham’s first priority was worship those three elements of worship were present. This is really what life is about. It is knowing God and being known by God. The bottom line is that you cannot worship what you don’t know. This may be the major reason why so many can come to church and participate, yet go unchanged and unmoved. Knowing God is meant to thrill the soul and excite the heart. What could be more exhilarating than knowing the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 10:14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. John 10:27-28 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Prayer: Father, today O bow before you in holy awe and adoration. I offer myself to you. You are my God. In Jesus name, amen.

God with us!

12/04/12 Hebrews 13:5 (NLT) 5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. The above verse is tremendous and it’s packed with truth. The reason we don’t have to be fond of money is because God is with us and He will do what money cannot do, satisfy the soul. ‘Fail’ means to relax, to loosen, not to uphold, to let sink. God will not fail you because He will not loosen or relax His hold on you. Our Lord Jesus said, John 10:29-30 (NKJV) 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. 30 I and My Father are one. Those who belong to God are safe and secure because the Almighty God holds them in His hand! ‘Abandon’ means to leave or forsake someone in a state of defeat or helplessness. God will never let you down! But I said that this verse is packed with truth. There is more here than the English language reveals. In the original Greek language there are five negatives in this one verse! In English a double negative is a positive: “Do not not go,” means to go. We don’t write this way because it isn’t proper or good English. But it is beautiful Greek! In this language more than one negative is meant to strengthen and emphasize the negative. The Greek literally says, “I will never, never fail you or loosen my hold on you. I will never, never, never leave you helpless or let you down.” It is God Himself who has said this and He has put it on record. When you think of God and who He is this is indeed a most precious promise. He is none other than the Creator, the Almighty, and the One who sent His Son to redeem us to Himself. No wonder Paul could write, Romans 8:31 (NKJV) …If God is for us, who can be against us? When you realize this truth fear will be replaced with peace and joy. So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6 (NKJV) Prayer: Father, how awesome You are! There is none like You. May we take this truth to heart and live with a keen awareness that you are with us. In Jesus name, amen.

The Gospel (part 3)

11/30/12 When the gospel is believed that person becomes a new creature in Christ. They have been reconciled to God and given the ministry of reconciliation. Listen to what the Bible says from 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. Over the last couple of days I have written that it is only through the gospel that we can live by faith and please God. And through the gospel people brought into God’s family. God, by way of the gospel saves us provides a way for us to please Him, and by means of the gospel we receive the ministry of reconciliation. Our ‘job title’ is ambassador. Our ‘job description’ is to reconcile people to God. By living the gospel our works and words should be as though God was pleading through us. My personal conviction is that you cannot be pleasing to God if you are not in some way imploring people be reconciled to God. One of the greatest preachers who ever lived, Charles H. Spurgeon, said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.” So whether you keep the nursery, or walk the neighbor’s dog, or rake your grandmothers’ yard, or lead a Bible study, or pray for your pastor, whatever you do, you must keep the gospel as the main thing because it is! Do you live in a manner that it is as if Christ was living through you? Prayer: Father, we are to glorify You even in the little things of life. (1Cor.10:31) Help me to live the gospel because witrh the gospel You are well pleased! . In Jesus name amen.

The Gospel (part 2)

11/29/12 Philippians 2:6-7, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. God entered the world in human flesh to reconcile sinners to Himself. Through the shed blood of Christ our sin debt is paid, we are made right with God and we become part of His family. Even when we pray, because of what Jesus Christ has done, we can say, “our Father who is in heaven.” When we think about all the blessing our Lord has given us, family is usually at the top of the list. This is what the gospel is all about. God loved the world (John 3:16) and sent His Son to bring us to God. (1Pet.3:18) The gospel is what brings unity to church families. When groups meet together, if they are not gospel-centered, they are nothing more than a social gathering. The group without gospel-centeredness is nothing more than individuals meeting hoping they can get some felt need met. And as result the Lord Jesus is no longer the focal point. In fact He is replaced by something or somebody else. (By the way this is the essence of idolatry.) And without the gospel there can be no genuine love for one another. (Rom.12:9) Just as your biological family must have love for each other in order to live and flourish, your church family must have it even more so. Every meeting must be gospel-centered. This is the true meaning of Christmas. Christ came into the world to save sinners. People of all walks of life are brought together because Christ came as a man, lived a sinless life, died for our sins, and rose from the dead on the third day. When we begin to grasp these truths and live them our church family will truly be a family that Our Father is pleased with. Prayer: Father, because of the Lord Jesus I am forgiven and can forgive others. I can love because Christ first loved me and I can love others. Help me to live a gospel-centered life. I Jesu name amen.

The Gospel

11/28/12 The gospel is not only a message we share we lost people. The gospel is for us. In its simplest form the gospel is God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ God is making all things new. This applies to individuals who repent and believe as well as all of creation that will one day be made new. . Through the gospel we are empowered to tell the gospel and live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. You should never get over the gospel! It is truly the power for salvation. Listen to what Paul wrote to the church at Rome .Romans 1:16-17 (NKJV) 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." Notice that the gospel is the power of God and through the gospel we have the power to live by faith. (A life of faith is the only way to please God.) The gospel is Christ-centered and the gospel is what Jesus Christ did for us. It seems that many believers are attempting to live the Christian life apart from the gospel. This is why many are worn out and tired and few seem to have authentic joy because they are trying to do what only Christ can do. Jesus came to give His life and in doing so He gives life to all who repent and believe. The work God has called us to do is empowered by means of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NKJV) 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace (underserved favor) toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. God was working in and through Paul to carry out His mission and purpose. Paul was blessed and God was glorified. It must be the same with you. The life that God demands we live can only be lived by grace. And grace comes by means of the gospel. When you live a life through the gospel you are living a Jesus-centered life. And that kind of life is what pleases God. Prayer: Father, thank you for sending your Son to die for my sin. Thank you that He rose from the dead and now lives at Your right hand interceding for me. Forgive me for attempting to do what you have already done for me. In Jesus name, amen.

Contentment

11/27/12 Contentment! What a precious thing to have. Yet few seem content. Our God has given His all and since He gave His Son then surely there isn’t any blessing that He will withhold from us. Rom.8:32. This being true then why aren’t more people content? I believe it is a poor theology. We do not think about God as we ought. While I don’t have the space to give a theology lesson I want to give you something that I ran across a few years ago. It is a list of some sound theological principles from Martin L. Jones on how to be content. Read them and be content. They are based on Phil.4:11, “I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.” “1. Conditions are always changing; therefore I must obviously not be dependent upon conditions. 2. What matters supremely is my soul and my relationship to God. 3. God is concerned about me as my Father, and nothing happens to me apart from God. Even the very hairs of my head are numbered. I must never forget that. 4. God's will and God's ways are a great mystery, but I know that whatever He wills or permits is of necessity for my good. 5. Every situation in life is the unfolding of some manifestation of God's love and goodness. Therefore my business is to look for this peculiar manifestation of God's goodness and kindness and to be prepared for surprises and blessings because His ways are not my ways, neither His thoughts my thoughts. 6. I must regard circumstances and conditions, not in and of themselves therefore but as a part of God's dealings with me in the work of perfecting my soul and bringing me to final perfection. 7. Whatever my circumstances may be at this present moment they are only temporary, they are only passing, and they can never rob me of the joy and the glory that ultimately await me with Christ.”

Thankful

11/21/12 Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Even in the hardest times we can still be thankful. We know our Lord is working all things for our good and conforming us to the image of His Son. Giving thanks is one way of saying to the world that we trust in God and have confidence that He knows best even if we don’t understand. Our Lord was always thankful, even when people rejected His message, thus rejecting Him. He went through the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum preaching and doing mighty works. But they rejected His message and He told them that it would be more tolerable for Tyre, Sidon, and even Sodom on the day of judgment than for them. But then Jesus turns to His father and gave thanks. Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. (This passage got to me. I complain if people don’t respond; Jesus gave thanks! Father forgive me!) Even when Lazarus died Jesus gave thanks. John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. Let me give you a few of the many reasons to be thankful. 1. His name Psalm 30:4 Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. 2. His goodness and mercy. Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Psalm 86:5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. 3. Rom.8:28. Our Lord works all things for our good. 4. 2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 5. 1 Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 6. Victory over sin Romans 6:14 (HCSB) For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace. 7. His grace that is always sufficient! 1Cor.12:9

Faith 2

11/20/12 Faith alone in Christ alone is what saves us. But some think that they can believe in Jesus Christ and then do as they please. They think that even though they don’t live right but because they ‘believe’ they will go to heaven when they die. In fact there are many who claim to have faith or belief in Christ but show no evidence of it – they do as they please. But this is not the kind of faith that saves. They have the kind of faith that merely accepts the facts about Jesus. This is how demons believe according to James 2:19. The demons believe there is one God and they tremble but they do not follow the Lord and therefore they are not saved. When someone genuinely believes even though they are saved by faith alone, the faith that saves them is not alone. Saving faith is accompanied by the Holy Spirit. Just as the heat from the sun warms us, that heat has all the backing from its source the sun. So it is with the faith that save us; it has all the backing of the Son. When one is saved they are still ungodly but they do not remain that way. Romans 4:5 (HCSB) says, “But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness.” Notice that the ungodly is saved when they believe and are declared to be righteous. When you believe in Jesus you will want to obey Him because He is God and the Savior of your soul and the Lord of your life. You will not desire to remain ungodly. True faith opens your eyes to see reality and things that are otherwise not seen. (Heb.11:1, 2Cor.4:18). When you believe from the heart the Lord Jesus becomes real and your desire is to be as close to Him as you can be and to be as much like Him as a sinner can be. You begin to love what He loves and hate what He hates. Do you have this kind of faith? Galatians 5:6 (HCSB) says, … “what matters is faith working through love.” Father, thank you for sending Your Son to die in my place. I believe that Jesus is who He says that he is. I want to demonstrate what I believe. Amen.

Faith and Assurance

11/19/12 Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Faith is absolutely essential. Without it you cannot please God. Without faith you cannot hear what God says. Where there is no faith there is no joy, no peace, and no hope. In fact, without faith there is nothing left for you but to live your life apart from God and then die a death that you will regret forever. Faith in Christ quenches the fiery darts (Eph.6:16) of Satan - doubt, fears, unbelief, worries, anxieties, attacks from others, and etc. The tarts are anything and everything that has the potential to lead you into sin and away from God. Satan seeks to strike you with powerful weapons such as discouragement, depression, and despair. Moses and Elijah, perhaps the two of the greatest figures in the OT, both were so discouraged that they wanted God to kill them. David faced these same schemes and fiery darts from the same enemy that we face. David wrote in Psa.43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. What we must do is exercise our faith in the Lord until assurance comes. Assurance of salvation and of our future deliverance is a great protection against Satanic attacks like despair and discouragement. And without assurance it becomes easy to despair and become discouraged and give up the fight. How do I know that I have assurance? Assurance will produce a: 1.Sacrifical love – You willingly and joyfully sacrifice because of the God’s glory and for the good of others. 2. Sound praise –Even when you suffer there is joy that is expressed in praise. 3.Satisfied heart – You are content even with little because of the riches in Christ that awaits you. 4.Strong hands - Even laborious work will seem much easier and more enjoyable because of Who you are serving. 5.Saturated mind – When we fill our minds with thoughts of Christ and His glory we gain assurance of the ultimate victory in the One who died for us in order to bring us to God. Prayer: Father, I believe, help my unbelief! Fill me with your Spirit and word. Forgive me for ever doubting you. In Jesus name amen.

Suffering

11/08/12 Suffering is a gift! I know this sounds unusual, perhaps even strange, but it’s true. Listen to Phil.1:29 – “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” God has granted or given you the gifts not only of faith (believe) but also to suffer. Suffering is a gift that no one wants but one we all need. And when we suffer we are to suffer for His glory (His sake). Suffering comes from either our sin or someone else’s sin but all of us experience it. But make no mistake about it – all suffering is filtered through the hands of the God who loved you enough to send His Son to suffer and die for you. So when suffering comes how should you respond so that God is glorified and you get the blessing of this unwanted gift? A glance at how Paul responded is helpful. Paul’s sufferings were to numerous for me to list in this article but they were more than we will ever experience. Yet listen to what he said the believers in Corinth. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (2 Cor.4:17) Paul referred to his suffering (affliction) as ‘light’ and ‘momentary’ because he compared it to eternity. And he knew that what God was ‘working’ through his suffering was an eternal weight of glory. Again hear the apostle when he says that God has adopted them as His children “ and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Rom.8:17-18) God has assured Paul and us that whatever suffering we endure will not be wasted. And no amount of suffering can be compared with what awaits us when we meant Christ face to face. We will experience pain and sorrow in this world until we are in the presence of Christ. But knowing that all of the suffering we may be required to endure is seen and will be rewarded by the One who suffered once and for all helps us suffer in a manner that is pleasing to our Savior. In fact if we will keep our focus on eternity whatever amount of suffering comes our way cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. When God gives you this gift receive it with joy because God is preparing you for glory! Prayer: Father, help me to guard my heart and keep my focus on You. Grant me the grace to live for Your glory even if I must suffer. In Jesus name, amen.

God is Sovereign

11/07/12 I believe in the sovereignty of God. God has always been and will always be in absolute control. Our Lord referred to the birds of the air when He spoke with His disciples and declared that not one of them would fall to the ground apart from His heavenly Father’s will. The Lord Jesus’ next statement was that even the hairs on our heads are numbered by God. We have no reason to fear because our Lord allows nothing to take place, not even a sparrow to fall to the ground, without His divine approval. (Matt.10:29-31). Yesterday our nation elected a president. Some are happy and some are sad. But the Lord Jesus is still sovereign and He is still at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. He has not changed. He is not wondering what to do next nor is He caught by surprise. Therefore I will not fear nor will I be ashamed of my Lord. Today if the Lord gives me opportunity, I will confess His name before those I meet with. Empowered by His Spirit and grace I will worship Him. I will pray for those in authority over me (including the president) that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:2-4) Today I will bow my knees before my Lord and ask Him to guide me and lead me for His name sake because “all the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10) I hope you will do the same. Today I read my Bible in order to know my God. Nations and leaders come and go but our Lord does not change and He is still sovereign. Prayer: Father, I pray for our nation. You sit in heaven full of glory and majesty and do as you please. Today I will bow in humble reverence and worship You through the blood of Jesus. In His name, amen.

Salt

11/06/12 Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. When our Lord spoke these words salt was not only common but necessary. Salt was useful to help purify, especially as it pertained to sacrifices that were required before Christ died as the once and for all sacrifice. The purer the salt the better it was. (Christ was without sin, He was absolute purity.) Salt was also used in food just as we do today and it made food much more pleasing to the taste. We as the followers of Christ should make life here on this planet a little more tasteful. Salt could well symbolize passion because salt makes one thirsty. When God’s people share His word some will want more. Salt was also penetrating. And we as believers should penetrate all of society. But I think what our Lord had in mind when he said that we are “the salt of the earth” was that we, as His people, should influence those around us in such a way that we preserve society. Salt will not prevent corruption but it will slow it down. When we speak truth and live for the Lord we are being that salt that our Lord referred too. For too long many have been silent and sadly the ‘salt’ is losing the ability to preserve our society. And what we are now seeing is a country that is decaying like meat that has no salt. And because the church is losing her ‘saltiness’ prayer is no longer allowed in schools, babies are killed as a means of birth control, and the Ten Commandments aren’t even allowed to be put on display. Same sex marriage is not only allowed but even encouraged. And if someone is offended by a cross then it must be taken down. And while all of this has been happening before our eyes where is the salt that is so needed? Have we lost our flavor? And if our flavor is lost then the church is no longer useful and there is nothing left but to throw her out and trampled on her! God forbid! Let’s go before the Lord and repent and turn from our wicked ways of apathy and silence and be what God says that we are. One more thing about salt: in order for salt to useful it had be broken into grains and spread out. Let’s go before the Lord in brokenness and then spread out and be the salt of the earth. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Col.4:6 Prayer: Lord, You are our only hope. Grant us repentance and be merciful to us. Restore us to the rightful place and grant us whatever is necessary to be the salt of the earth. In Jesus name, amen.

Our nation

11/05/12 A couple of weeks ago I posted this article about our nation. Since tomorrow is election day I want to post it again. Please pray for our country as you vote tomorrow. Our nation is in trouble. In fact it seems to me that we are being judged by the Lord. Why do I think this? Throughout history nations has been judged by God. (Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, and Israel, are just a few of them.) And there are similarities with all of them. They were continually at war. Our troops have been fighting on same foreign soil since WWII. Secondly, there was no real solid or sound leadership in those nations that were judged. (Need I say more?) Third, sexual immorality was abundant in those countries and they thought nothing of it. In fact not only did their laws allow it but the religious leaders even approved of it. Today in our own country not only are laws being formatted to allow same sex marriage, but we also have churches springing up across our land that not only allow such practices but even approve of them. And fourthly, like bygone countries, our nation is being evaded by foreign powers. We call them terrorist. And lastly, our economy, like the other nations, is grumbling as we speak. In spite of all these things I don’t lay of all the blame on the government or congress or any of the leaders, though they will be judged too. I believe the problem lies with us – the church, God’s people! When are we going to wake up? Is there an answer? Is there a word from God? I believe there is. And since we have a word from God I have hope because He is merciful. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God says, ”if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Notice God says that if His people will humble themselves, pray, seek His face, turn (repent) from their wicked ways then He will HEAL OUR LAND! I don’t think anyone questions the fact that our land needs healing. Here is the Judges’ solution. If we will obey God in the power of the Holy Spirit then I believe the church will be restored to its rightful place as salt and light to a miserable and darken world and our land will be healed. Prayer: Father, in heaven, You are holy. Grant us repentance and a broken and contrite heart. Return to us the joy of our salvation Heal our land and let it begin in me.

Tears

11/02/12 When was the last time you shed tears over either someone else’ sin or perhaps your own? Paul sends for his beloved friends from Ephesus in Acts 20. He knows he will not see them again and he reminds them of how he served the Lord in humility with many tears. He warned them with tears flowing from his eyes about what might happen to them if they strayed from “the word of His grace.” 20:19, 29-32. Paul was a broken man and his tears were the evidence of it. He was broken over the hardness of hearts and how easily many were being lead astray. And because of this ‘brokenness’ Paul was often before the Lord interceding. Even our Lord Jesus Christ shed tears over the sinfulness of humanity. Three times the Bible tells us that Jesus wept. Luke 19:41 records our Lord weeping over the city of Jerusalem because judgment was coming upon them for their refusal to receive Him. In John 11:35 our Lord is weeping. When he arrived at the tomb of Lazarus the Jews and Lazarus’ sisters were weeping. Death had taken another and it broke our Lord’s heart to the point that He wept. And in Heb.5:7 we read of our Savior before the Father shedding tears while he prayed. I have often heard that tears are a sign of weakness. But the greatest Christian who ever lived shed tears and our Savior and Lord shed them. And until we begin to shed tears because we are broken over our sin and those of others we may not see the hand of God at work. Go before the Lord and the word of His grace and seek His heart and you will be like our Lord, Paul, and many others and allow those tears to run down your cheeks. And then serve the Lord in humility and with tears! Prayer: Father, in the name of Jesus I ask that you break our hearts for Your glory and our good. Amen.

Suffering for His glory

11/01/12 Why would Abraham leave his home and relatives and willingly go to an unknown place? Why would Moses stand before the mightiest man of his day and willingly spend forty years in the wilderness with a people that didn’t like him? What about Joshua, David, the prophets, Esther, and many more? If space permitted I could tell you of a host of men and women who voluntarily endured much suffering. But why would they? The apostle Paul says it well in Philippians 3:7-8 (NLT) 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. Knowing the Lord by experience was infinitely valuable. Again in the words of Paul the church is “to the praise of His glory.” Eph.1:12. Abraham, Moses, Paul and a multitude of others saw enough of God’s glory that when they compared what they were losing to what they were gaining no amount of suffering could compare with the glory that would soon follow. The Lord Jesus Christ is so infinitely valuable that all else in comparison is garbage (literally dung). When you know the Lord Jesus and by faith you see glimpses of His glory, you will willingly and joyfully give up whatever is required in order to gain more of the One who is of infinite worth. And when this joy of knowing the Lord is in your heart it will soon be expressed in praise for the One who is so praiseworthy. Prayer: Lord, I want to know you, really know you. Show me Your glory and I will joyfully tell others. In the infinitely valuable name of Jesus, amen.

The Church

10/31/12 Today I want you to focus on the church. Listen to what the bible says about the church. As you read each of these, if you are part of God’s church, then pause and give thanks to God for what he has done for you. The church is the body of Christ, Eph.1:22-23, Col.1:24; the church of God, Acts 20:28; the dwelling place of God, Eph.2:22; the family of God in heaven and earth, Eph.3:15; God’s flock, 1Pet.5:2; the fold of Christ, John 10:16; the assembly of the firstborn, Heb.12:23; golden lampstand, Rev.1:20; God’s building, 1Cor.3:9; God’s field, 1Cor.3:9; the heavenly Jerusalem, Heb.12:22; the holy city, Rev.21:2; the house of Christ, Heb.3:6; house of God 1Tim.3:15; household of God, Eph.2:19; the lamb’s wife, Re.19:7; Pillar and ground of truth, 1Tim.3:15; a spiritual house, 1Pet.2:5; the temple of the living God, 1Cor,3:16,17. As you can see we have much to be thankful for. Our Lord and Savior is awesome! This year while you give thanks for so many things and people, don’t neglect to give thanks for the church. These are the ones that you will spend eternity with. These are the ‘brethren’ that you are to serve with both now and forever. These are the ones that God has called out of the world and to Himself. This is the church of which our Lord said that not even the gates of hell will prevail against her. The church is the salt and light in a corrupt and dark world. The church is the people of God who testify for the only One who can save the world. Let’s be thankful for the church and let’s be what God says we already are - the church! Prayer: Father in heaven, thank You for sending Your Son so that I can be a part of that glorious assembly that will one day stand before You clothed in purity and full of great joy. Do whatever You wish with me to help be the church that You say we already are. In Jesus name, amen.

New Testament Christian

10/30/12 Think about this for a moment. When a person is saved God regenerates them, gives them a new heart (born again). The eternal third person of the Almighty God indwells in them, they are made new creatures, the old has gone and the new is come 2Cor.5:17, He grants them faith and repentance Acts 11:18, 20:21. And they forgive even their enemies. Acts 7:60. Their lives are so plain that Barnabas saw the grace of God in people at Antioch. Acts 11:23. Yet in many churches today we have people who say they are saved but never witness or obey God because they seldom if ever hear Him or even think about Him. Rarely do we see any amazement at what God does in the hearts of people, we see little proclamation of the word, and few speak boldly and share their testimony.( It may be that perhaps they have no real testimony.) We have members who do not love the brethren and therefore cannot love God. We have members who are “lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. 2 Timothy 3:2-5 When you are saved you receive the Holy Spirit and though you will still struggle with sin you begin to love God and love what He loves and hate sin because he hates it. Unless we return to this authentic New Testament Christianity we cannot expect God to bless us. And not only are we in danger of judgment but those we love will be affected as well. Prayer: Lord, revive me. Grant me a deep and abiding repentance that I may return to my first love (Rev.2:4). Restore the joy of my salvation. Create in me a clean heart.(Psa.51;10, 12) And grant that I may speak the name of Jesus with boldness and clarity, and in love and power. (2Tim.1:7) In Jesus name, amen.

Be honest

10/29/12 Satan is a thief and he seeks to destroy your witness and your life. If he cannot destroy from without he will attempt to deceive from within. Hypocrisy is dangerous and deceptive. I must constantly be asking myself: do I pretend to have a devotion when I preach that I don't have? Do I preach things that I don't experience? Do I say things that I don't believe? Do I declare commitments that I've not made?" And, very frankly, the very question that struck fear into my is, “Am I being honest?” Is there any pretense in your life?" We must constantly examine ourselves. There are times when I feel as if my heart is getting cold and hard. I must go before the Lord and seek Him until He warns and softens it again. A prayer that I have for myself (and for you) is that I will not be a hypocrite. This does not mean that we won’t struggle; it means that we admit that we are in a battle and the struggle to live a life of transparency before the Lord and others is real. Satan, the devil is real so don’t take him lightly. I’m listing some scriptures about him. As you look at them ask yourself if Satan has influenced you with his lies and craftiness. Who is this enemy? 1. Satan the accuser rev12. 2. Father of lies John 8:44 3. god of this world 2cor 4:4 4. an infidel or unbeliever 2 Cor. 6:15 5. prince of the bottomless pit or angel of the abyss (destroyer) Rev. 9:11 6. angel of light 2 Cor. 11:14 7. star of the morning, son of the dawn Isaiah 14:12 8. the enemy or the avenger Psalm 8:2 9. evil one Matthew 6:13; John 17:15 10. adversary 1 Peter 5:8 11.ruler of demons (Beelzebub) Matthew 12:24 12 the destroyer Job 15:21; 2 Thes. 2:3 13. the tempter Genesis 3:1; Matthew 4:3; 1 Thes. 3:5 14. the dragon Rev. 12:7-13; Rev. 20:2 15 the serpent Genesis 3:1-4, 13; Rev. 12:9; Rev. 20:2 16 the deceiver Genesis 3:13; 2 John 7; 2 Thes. 2:3 Prayer: Lord, You are greater than my enemy. I surrender myself to You. Keep me from the evil one by Your power and wisdom and for Your glory. In Jesus name, amen

Do you have the Holy Spirit?

10/26/12 In Acts the receiving of the Spirit is described; it is experimental not only inferential. Everyone who received the Spirit not only knew that they had the Spirit but they could point to and describe their experience - this so uncommon today. Paul ask the Ephesians is Acts 19:1-2 … "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." We usually ask someone if they believe and if they yes, then we infer that they have the Holy Spirit. Paul doesn’t ask that. He wanted to know if they had received the Holy Spirit. This implies being able by some experience to describe the event in some detail. Acts goes into enough detail and ways of describing the coming of the Holy Spirit. At least six stories or instances in the book of Acts are recorded for us and in every one the coming of the Spirit is with experienced effects. 1. At Pentecost there was hearing and speaking in tongues (known languages) and praising the mighty works of God and had power to witness (1:8; 2:4, 11); 2. in Samaria there is something so obvious in experience that Simon saw it and is amazed and wants to buy the power to make it happen (8:18); 3. in Caesarea at the house of Cornelius there was speaking in tongues (languages) and praising God (10:46); 4. in Ephesus where Paul found the disciples of John the Baptist there was speaking in tongues(languages) and prophesying (19:6); 5. at Paul's conversion there is extraordinary boldness and empowering to witness (9:17, 22); 6. and in Acts 5:32 Luke says that God "gave the Holy Spirit to everyone who is obeying him." So obedience to God is a mark of his presence. Rom.8:9 says that if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he is not His. Do you have the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit in you? Can you demonstrate it? Prayer: Father, thank that You have given us Your Spirit. May we live by the power of the Spirit and not ourselves. In Jesus name, amen.

Is our nation being judged?

10/25/12 Our nation is in trouble. In fact it seems to me that we are being judged by the Lord. Why do I think this? Throughout history nations has been judged by God. (Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, and Israel, are just a few of them.) And there are similarities with all of them. They were continually at war. Our troops have been fighting on same foreign soil since WWII. Secondly, there was no real solid or sound leadership in those nations that were judged. (Need I say more?) Third, sexual immorality was abundant in those countries and they thought nothing of it. In fact not only did their laws allow it but the religious leaders even approved of it. Today in our own country not only are laws being formatted to allow same sex marriage, but we also have churches springing up across our land that not only allow such practices but even approve of them. And fourthly, like bygone countries, our nation is being evaded by foreign powers. We call them terrorist. And lastly, our economy, like the other nations, is grumbling as we speak. In spite of all these things I don’t lay of all the blame on the government or congress or any of the leaders, though they will be judged too. I believe the problem lies with us – the church, God’s people! When are we going to wake up? Is there an answer? Is there a word from God? I believe there is. And since we have a word from God I have hope because He is merciful. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God says, ”if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Notice God says that if His people will humble themselves, pray, seek His face, turn (repent) from their wicked ways then He will HEAL OUR LAND! I don’t think anyone questions the fact that our land needs healing. Here is the Judges’ solution. If we will obey God in the power of the Holy Spirit then I believe the church will be restored to its rightful place as salt and light to a miserable and darken world and our land will be healed. Prayer: Father, in heaven, You are holy. Grant us repentance and a broken and contrite heart. Return to us the joy of our salvation Heal our land and let it begin in me.

Carnal Christian (part 2)

10/24/12 Carnal Christian? (part 2) Some would say that Jesus has saved them but they haven’t surrendered to Him as their Lord. Theologically they are saying that they are justified but not sanctified, It is like asking Jesus to save you but still allow you to sin. Imagine saying to the Holy, Holy, Holy God, “I want you to save me but I don’t want to be holy.” It would be saying that I want God to save me in my sin not from my sin. Matt.1:21. Our Savior came to take away our sin. John 1:29. This carnal Christian idea does not see the seriousness of sin nor do they seem to understand how much even one sin offends God. That is exactly what Paul says in Rom.6:1-2: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! If the carnal Christian teaching is right then Paul should have answered the question with an affirmative. Instead his answer was the strongest negative possible. What bothers me the most is that this false doctrine portrays an inadequate and low view of Christ. It pictures Him as a savior who is weak and helpless and unable to save anyone from their path of destruction unless they allow Him. At the same time it pictures man as in complete control of His life. Man becomes sovereign instead of God. God is reduced to someone like an old grandfather type who winks at his grandchildren’s sinfulness and continues to supply them with more gifts so they can sin even more. This false doctrine portrays Jesus as Savior but not Lord. They think they someone can accept Him as Savior and then later (if they choose to) as Lord. Again this is foreign to the teaching of the Bible. Even at the announcement of His birth Jesus was declared both Savior and Lord. Luke 2:11. Jesus is one person. All who truly receive Him must receive all of Him. Matt.7:23. There are other points of concern that I have but my burden is for so many of those who have been led astray into thinking that they are saved when in reality they may not be. My dear reader, do not be among those who will hear the words of our Lord, Depart from me because I never knew you. Prayer: Lord, You came and died on the cross to take away my sin. Your word says that sin will not have dominion over me. Help me by the power of Your Holy Spirit to live by faith for that is pleasing to You

Carnal Christian?

10/23/12 Some believe that you can be a Christian but not live like one, thus the carnal or sinful living while still claiming to be a Christian. Space will not allow me to go into much detail so I will give you the highlights of my thoughts. First, the Scripture clearly puts all people into one of two categories – saved or lost, sheep or goats. Either you are born again or you are not. There is no third category. Second, the only place this is mentioned is in 1Cor.3. The Corinthians were certainly carnal in their preferences of one leader over another but it was certainly not a way of life for all of them. (Paul did imply that some of them may not be saved. 1Cor.15:34, 2Cor.13:5) All of us struggle with sin. I am not advocating perfection; but I am saying that for anyone to claim that Jesus has saved them from their sin yet show no sense of repentance or desire to live a life that is pleasing to God is a very dangerous and deadly doctrine. Matt.7:21-23 Third, the new covenant that was the result of Christ shed blood insured at least two things for all who are in the covenant – forgiveness of sin and a changed heart. Heb.10:15-17. If the carnal Christian theory was true it would then appear that a new life and new heart were optional. And I can be justified (saved) but give no evidence of sanctification (holy living). It would then appear that the ‘Holy’ Spirit, if He is even in the so called believer, is at best dormant. Why would the thrice holy God even consider saving someone so they could continue in the very thing that he hates and His wrath is against it? Fourth, if there has not been a radical change i.e. a new heart, then we have no reason to believe that Christ’s blood has covered our sin and our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life because there would be no distinguishable difference a biblical faith and the kind of faith (belief) that the demons have. James 2:19. When the gospel has really been believed then those whom God has justified will live by faith. Rom.1:16. Receiving the gospel is receiving God’s power in the Holy Spirit to live by faith. (There is no other way to please God.) Living by faith means that you trust in what God says and act on it. If anyone tells you that he is a believer but still lives in his sin, it is your duty to assure him that his faith is like those of the demons and he is not saved. Love him, pray for him, and witness, but do not compromise the gospel. Life and death are at stake. Prayer: Father, I still struggle with sin but not the sins I used to struggle with. Thank You for your grace and the power of Your Spirit to live a life that You are pleased with.

Sin and forgiveness

10/22/12 Unbelief! What a hideous sin and the root of all other sins. In a moment of unbelief the very Savior that shed His blood for your sin is despised and rejected. His precious blood is treated as a common thing and trampled on underfoot as if it was meaningless and the Spirit of grace is insulted. (Heb.10:29). The word of the Lord is denied and ignored. Even the father Himself is treated as if either he doesn’t exist or doesn’t care. Unbelief says there is no fear of God and though only misery and destruction await them they still continue in this hideous sin (Rom.3:16-19) Unbelief says that you can be your own God. (Gen.3) Unbelief has a inseparable twin, pride. Both are joined at the heart. Anyone who lives in unbelief will never be pleasing to God. Yet all have sinned and committed this horrible, unsightly, hideous, sin. Unless the Spirit of God works in you to convict and persuade you, you will die in sin and be separated from God forever in hell. But in Christ we have redemption through His blood! (Eph.1:7) Though you only deserve hell, Christ died for your sin in order that you might be with Him forever. He not only conquered death but he conquers sin in your life. Because of what Jesus Christ did for you your sins are forgiven and sin no longer has the power it once had on you. You are FOREGIVEN! Your sin has been taken away and you are now free to serve the One who freed you. Praise the Lord, what an amazing Savior we have! The blood is indeed precious, very precious. How often do you confess your sin? Are they specific and detailed enough that you see them as God does? Prayer: Father I have sinned against you and all that You say and do. Forgive me and allow me me to walk with You in peace.

Amazing Love

1013/12 Christ died for me! How many times have we spoken to someone about love? We have no doubt told people we love them. But when someone is willing to suffer for me, or even instead of me, I know that they love me because they demonstrate it. This is how I can know that God loves me because He died for me. Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God made his love so conspicuous that it is almost impossible to miss it. God the Son died for me! What amazing love! “Amazing love! How can it be that thou my God should die for me!” (Chorus from the song, “And Can It Be”) God manifested in the flesh, died for me. Some have difficulty believing that God the Son died because some don’t believe that Jesus is God. But if Jesus was anything other than God, God would not be loving. If Jesus was a created being then God sent someone or something to do His work of love. That would make God to be some kind of cruel despot that would send someone else to suffer and die so that people would love Him. It would be like you paying someone else to suffer so that people would love you. Our affections and desires are toward people who actually suffer on behalf of others. We are drawn to people who willingly suffer for the good of others. When God demonstrated His love, God came in the flesh suffered and died so that we might live. Also, if Jesus was not God then when He came to reconcile us it was based on a lie. His claim to take on our sins would be false. He claimed that He would reconcile those who broke the law and put those sins away from them. He was actually breaking God’s law instead of fulfilling it. If Jesus wasn’t who He said He was then He was actually an enemy of God because only God can remove sin and reconcile sinners. Think of it this way: A terrible crime has been committed against you. Then someone tells you that they went to the person who offended you and forgave them. That would be wrong because that person wasn’t offended, you were. And only you have the right to forgive because you were offended. It is the same with God. As sinners we have ‘offended’ God and only he can reconcile us, not some other created being. God demonstrated how much he loves you by His death on the cross. It was there that Jesus as very God of God paid for your sins and mine. What amazing love! Since He demonstrated His love for us, how can we do any less? Are you willing to suffer if need be to love as God loves you? Prayer: Father, how amazing You are that You would so wonderfully and completely demonstrate Your love! Help me to love as You love. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)

Love (part 2)

10/12/12 If we are left to ourselves we will not love God. Love is first initiated by God. “We love Him because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) Love includes not only what God does for us but what He does to us. The barrier that hinders us from loving God as we should is sin. 1 John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” God is the great lawgiver and His laws must be obeyed. Failure to do so will mean ‘just’ punishment - death. God’s wrath abides on the person who chooses to live apart (unbelief) from God and His word. (John 3:36) Since we are doomed and condemned, God sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. God did this for us because He loved us. Propitiation means that God’s wrath was satisfied and the judgment that was against was paid in full by the death of the Son of God. This is love at its best; this is divine love, God’s love for us. It through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ that our sins are forgiven (literally sent away) and the barriers to love God and experience that love has been removed. And we are to love in the same way that Jesus loves us. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16) As I mentioned yesterday love is the only motive that God approves of because it is His motive. When we apply this wonderful truth it becomes easier to understand what Jesus meant when He told His disciples that if they were to follow Him they must deny themselves and take up their cross. (Luke 9:23) Love is giving yourself to the Lord and then through Him to others. Do you really love the Lord? Is He truly the desire of your heart? Are you willing to do whatever He says and go where He says to go? Prayer: Father, thank you for first loving me and freeing me from sin so that You can love through me. Show me opportunities to love with the love of Christ. In Jesus name, amen.

Love

10/11/12 There is only one God approved motive that is acceptable to live the Christian life – LOVE. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” If you would pause for a moment and consider your sins you will find that they are more numerous than you can imagine. And yet our gracious Lord died on the cross and the One who knew no sin became sin so that you and I might live before Him. And His motive was love. When a person is saved (born again) God pours His love into that person and enables them to love by His Spirit. (Rom.5:5) 1 John 4:7-8 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Love is the supreme motive because God is love. 1 John 4:8 is often misunderstood. ‘God is love’ does not mean that love is God. The original language has an article before God. Literally the text reads, “The God is love.” This means that God’s nature and character is love. Kenneth S. Wuest translates verses 7-8 this way: “Divinely-loved ones, let us be habitually loving one another, because this aforementioned love is out of God as a source; and everyone who is habitually loving, out of God has been born with the present result that he is regenerated and knows God in an experiential way. The one who is not habitually loving has not come to know God, because God as to His nature is love.” This is powerful. Not only does God love us but everyone who has been born again (regenerated) loves as God loves because the Spirit of God who inhabits you enables you to love. As Wuest puts it, love is out of God as a source. The defining character trait of every born again believer is love. That is why the Apostle Paul said that without love his words were nothing more than a clanging cymbal. And without love Paul said in effect I am nothing and I will gain nothing. (1Cor.13:1-3) Without love all your works are empty and will amount to nothing on judgment day. Without love you will not obey the Lord. Without love you will not only not be holy you will not want to be holy. You must have love, God’s love. And the only way to get that amazing love is the new birth. Have you repented of your sin and trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Can you prove it by how you love? Prayer: Father, your work of love for me and in me is amazing. Grant me opportunities to love as you love. In Jesus name, amen.

Holiness (part 3)

10/10/12 Holiness is necessary because God is holy and He expects us to be holy and walk with Him. We must have a desire to be holy out of our love for the Lord and desire to be close to Him. Remember God demands that we walk as Jesus walked. 1 John 2:6 says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (The word ‘ought’ means necessary or obligated.) As I pointed out a few days ago, the Lord Jesus walked with the Father in complete agreement. This is genuine fellowship – walking with God and becoming holy as He is holy. Our fellowship is with the Father, in the Son, by the Spirit. This is an amazing reality! We can fellowship with the thrice holy God. But how is this possible? How can a sinner (unholy) walk with the Holy One? It is because of the blood of Jesus! 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. The fellowship spoken of here is fellowship with God. Some understand the ‘one another’ of this passage to mean other believers and there is an element of truth to that. But the context, before and after this verse, is clearly speaking of fellowship with God. As followers of Jesus we desire to walk with God. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin and provides the means for one who is unholy to walk with the Holy One. No wonder Peter referred to the blood of Christ as precious. (1Pet.1:19) This is amazing love: that Christ would not only shed His blood so that my sins can be forgiven but His blood also provides the means for me to fellowship with Him. Through the blood of Christ I can walk in sweet fellowship with the God! Even as these words flow from my fingers I cannot express the feelings of love and gratitude that I have for the One who died for me so that I might have fellowship with Him. Anyone who rejects this great love treats the blood of Christ as a common thing, tramples on it, and insults the Spirit of grace. (Heb.10:29) Eternal punishment in hell is all that is life for them. Do you express your love for the Lord? Could you tell and show others how you walk with the Lord? Prayer: Fathers, words are not adequate to express my love for You in sending Your Son to shed His blood for me. Today I want to draw as near to You as possible. Help me to walk with You. In Jesus name amen.

Holiness (part 2)

10/09/12 Holiness is a work that God begins inside of you. This work or process is often referred to as sanctification. Sanctification is the process that God does for us and with us to make us holy This work that God does goes to the deep recesses of our being. God takes His word and works in us down to the soul and spirit. (Heb.4:12). Generally speaking this work is a three-fold process – conviction, confession, and cleansing. Conviction is what the Holy Spirit does to persuade you that you have sinned. He may convict you while you are reading His word, or perhaps by what someone has said or done. Conviction may come as result of a circumstance or trail. But the point to be aware of is that conviction is a result of the Holy Spirit working in you so that you understand that you have sinned and offended God. As a result of the convicting work of the Spirit, confession takes place. Confession includes being sorry or regretful for what you did, but it is much more. Kenneth Wuest’s word studies says this about confession, “Confession of sin on the part of the saint means therefore to say the same thing that God does about that sin, to agree with God as to all the implication of that sin as it relates to the Christian who commits it and to a holy God against whom it is committed. That includes the saint's hatred of that sin, his sense of guilt because of it, his contrition because of it, the determination to put it out of his life and never to do that thing again.” God works in you to until you see the sin as God sees it. As a result we confess. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The word ‘confess’ means to say the same thing or agree with what someone else is saying. When you have true confession before the Lord you are in agreement with God about your sin. After conviction and confession take place our gracious Lord cleanses us and removes the filth and vileness of that sin that has broken our fellowship with God. All of this is possible because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ 1 John 1:7). (Lord willing I will write more about this tomorrow.) This work of sanctification (holiness) must never be separated from our new birth. God will sanctify those who are saved. Without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb.12:14). When was the last time you were convicted and confessed your sin before the Lord? Can you name the sin(s)? Can you describe how you felt before, during, and after confession? Prayer: Father, help me to be still and allow You to penetrate my hard heart. Even if the process is painful it is worth it because I want to walk closer with You in sweet fellowship. I ask this because of Jesus and His shed blood. Amen.

Holiness

10/08/12 When God begins his work of conforming us into the image of His Son, He has one goal in mind – holiness! Ephesians 1:4 tells us that, “ He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Even before we were born God chose us and expects us to be holy. Holiness is far more than being without sin. While it involves purity, character is also included. Warren Wiersbe in his book, On Being a Servant, wrote, “Holiness is to the inner person what health is to the body. Holiness is wholeness, Christlikeness, the fruit of the Spirit being revealed in our lives…God doesn’t make us holy so that we can enjoy it. He makes us holy so that He can use us to do the work He wants us to do” 1Pet.1:15 reinforces what Wiersbe said, “ but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, “ As you can see holiness involves who you are as well as what you do. One of the ways you know that God is at work in you is that you have a desire to be holy and to live a holy life simply because that kind of life is what pleases the Lord. The best way I know of to “be holy” is to spend time in the presence of the Holy One. Prayer, meditation in the Word, and obeying what God says to you is the only key I know for you to become holy. Do you have a desire to please the Lord? Do you spend time with Him? Do you read you Bible asking the Lord to speak to you so that you can draw closer? Prayer: Father, I want to be as holy as sinner can be because that is pleases You. Help me to take time to be holy and feast on your word. In Jesus name, amen

How does God work through us?

10/05/12 How does our Lord work through us? First we become new creatures. We repent of our sin and believe in the Lord Jesus and what he has done for us and he makes us new. This happens when we are born again. Our Lord said that you must be born again or you will not enter His kingdom. (John3:7) You must be made new because there is nothing to work with. The flesh (our carnal nature) is corrupt and nothing good dwells in the flesh. (Rom.7:18). When we are born again, as new creatures, we are given a heart that loves the Lord. God sets up His dwelling place in our being. We become His temple (a building where worship takes place) and a body that is useful to the Master. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” It is at this point that God begins to work in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Phil.2:13). As worship from the new heart takes place, the Spirit of God convicts you of sin and as you turn from it God shows you the way to live (His righteousness). (John 16:8-9) Now that you are a new creature, you will need power. Ephesians 3:20 says “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” When you have a desire to obey from a heart that loves the Lord you are granted supernatural power. This kind of lifestyle should be normal for the believer. I think the reason some call it other things (victorious living, deeper life, etc.) is because so few seem to live the life that Jesus intended. I don’t want to oversimplify this work of God. It should humble us and cause us to bow in worship and adoration because the Infinite, Almighty, Ever-present God is not only working in us but willing to allow us to work with Him to accomplish His will. You are a work in progress. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) Have you been born again? Do you really want to obey God just because you love Him? When was the last time that you sensed the presence of God while you were in private worship? Prayer: I am in awe that you would willing do all this for me and with me. I love you Lord. Thank You for first loving me. In Jesus name, amen.

The Normal Christian Life

10/03/12 I want to speak to you about a subject that is not often spoken about. And because of this many of God’s people are living defeated lives. This subject is referred to by various names. Some call it the victorious life; others refer to is as an exchange life or delivered life or even a deeper life. Whatever you may call it, I’m simply going to share what the Bible says about this truth and let you decide. (I think it should be the normal Christian life.) This teaching comes from the Lord Himself. Our Lord Jesus came as God in the flesh and as the perfect man. As such, He has given us an example of how we should live. Even though he was God in the flesh He only did according to the Father. John 5:19 says, “Then Jesus answered and said to them [the Jews} , "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. The Son of God did things exactly like His Father because it was His Father in Him doing the work through Him. The manner that Jesus is speaking of is by God’s Spirit. In John 14:10-11 our Lord is clear about this, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Jesus plainly tells His disciples that it is the Father who dwells in Him that does the work. And as evidence our Lord said they could believe what they saw - the work that God the Father was doing through His Son. (See John 10:38) Since this is how the Son of God lived, it must be how we live. Our Lord expressed His will for us to live this way in His high priestly prayer. He prayed “21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (John 17:21-23) We know that Jesus is Savior and Lord by what he said, what He did, and how He did it. When our Lord works in us and through us the world will see the works and glorify the One who does them. (Matt.5:16) I will write more on this, but for now let others see Jesus in you! If called upon could you give evidence that Jesus is in you? What work(s) could you point to? Prayer: Lord, I’m want You to live Your life through me. Today I die to sin because I am in Christ and Christ is in me. I want others to see the Christ that is me and bring glory to the Love of my life. In His name amen.

Living in Christ

10/02/12 Since we have such a sinful nature and everything we do is tainted then you may begin to think that it is hopeless. But I can assure you it is not. No sooner than Paul had written about the sinful nature than he penned Rom.8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Paul knew well that the law of sin warred against his mind and brought him into captivity (Rom.7:23). He knew that in his own strength and will-power he was helpless (Rom.8:18). But there was another law that had set him free. This law was none other than the very Spirit of life. Paul knew that it wasn’t what was in him, but something on the outside that was put on his inside. If he was ever going to be fruitful for the glory of God, it would have to come from One greater than himself. The Spirit of Jesus would live His life through the person of Paul. This is what Paul meant when he wrote to the Philippians, “For me to live [really live] is Christ.” (Phil.1:21) This is what he meant when he wrote to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal.2:20) This abundant life that Jesus promised (John 10:10) would not come from our resolve to do better or by our self-determination. It comes to the extent that we surrender to Christ. I must die daily in order to live! I must die to my efforts and my ways, and whatever else is mine. I must begin to see myself as a part of Christ’s body. I am his hands and His feet and His mouth and so on. When a skilled craftsman builds something that is a work of beauty, no one praises his hands, they praise him. When the Lord does His work through us, He is glorified and we are blessed. If we truly want our Lord to be glorified we must allow Him to will and work in us according to His good pleasure (Phil.2:13). Are you willing to go before the Lord and allow Him to examine your motives and attitudes? Is the Lord really working through you or are you simply trying to do the best you can? Remember your best, apart from Christ, is like the filthy rags that Joshua had on. Can you honestly say, “For me to live is Christ!” Prayer: Father, You do in me and through me as You wish. I surrender my all to You. In Jesus name, amen.

Difficult people

10/01/12 The greatest challenge we face in life is people. People can be difficult to deal with. Even the best of friends can have disagreements that may never be resolved on this side of heaven. The apostle Paul and his encouraging friend Barnabas could not agree on what to do with John Mark. As a result they had to go separate ways (Acts 15:36-40). (Paul did resolve the issue with Mark later is his ministry 2 Tim.4:11.) King David’s long time friend and worship companion, Ahithophel, betrayed him and even sought to kill him (Psa.55:12-14). While I could give more examples of difficult people there is one particular person that causes me the most difficulty and that is the one I want to deal with. And while I’m at it, this person is the most difficult one that you deal with as well. That person is the one you see in the mirror each day. The one who gives me the most grief is me! The reason that I cause others as well as myself difficulty and grief is because of my sinful nature. There is within each of us a sinful nature that the Bible usually refers to as the ‘flesh.’ We inherited it from our ancestor, Adam. Every one that has been born has inherited this hideous sinful nature that is contrary to God and everything that He represents. Most of those who will read this know that sin is wrong, it is breaking God’s law (1 John 3:4) and sin is omitting what we should be doing (James 4:17). But sin runs far deeper that most of us realize. There is not a part of our being that is not tainted by sin. When I am at my very best sin is still a part of what I am doing. The Bible says it this way, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Rom. 7:18). Paul knew sin was so strong in his life that he was unable to even to do one single ‘good’ act without it being tainted by sin. Remember Joshua the high priest clothed in those filthy garments (Zech.3). Those garments represented his attempts to do ‘good’ things apart from God. His ‘good’ works were so tainted by his sin that the devil could accuse him and be truthful. When you and I attempt to live apart from Christ we will not accomplish anything that is pleasing to our Lord (John 15:5). When we begin to see our wretchedness from God’s perspective we will flee to the cross and allow the blood of our precious Savior to cleanse us and make us fit for the Master’s use. How long has it been since you were convicted of a particular sin? What did you do about it? Prayer: Lord Jesus, if not for you I would be lost in my sins and bound for a hell that I deserve. Thank you for saving me and cleansing me. Work in me and through to do accrdong to your good pleasure. In Your name, amen

Redemption and restoration

09/29/12 Zechariah 3 is a story about redemption and restoration. Joshua the high priest is standing before the Lord clad in filthy clothing. And Satan is standing beside him to oppose him. It is a grim picture to be sure. God had moved upon the heart of a pagan king to release the people from bondage and sent them back to rebuild the temple. The captivity had, after seventy years in a foreign and cruel land, ended. But there was still a major problem. The high priest was unfit to lead the people in worship. What good would it do to have a temple if there was no one to lead them into the presence of the Lord? Joshua’s filthy clothing represents his iniquity as well as those he was to represent. Iniquity is one of the major words in the Old Testament that describes sin. One of my Hebrew dictionaries explains iniquity this way: “This word indicates sin that is particularly evil, since it strongly conveys the idea of twisting or perverting deliberately. The noun carries along with it the idea of guilt from conscious wrongdoing (Gen. 44:16; Jer. 2:22). The punishment that goes with this deliberate act as a consequence is indicated by the word also (Gen. 4:13; Isa. 53:11).” Joshua is standing before the Lord and what Satan is vomiting out about God’s high priest is true! Joshua is compared to a piece of firewood (3:2) that is plucked from the fire. At first glance it seems as though all is hopeless. But the Lord speaks for Joshua. He sends Satan backing, removes Joshua’s iniquity, clothes him in priestly garments, and tells him that if he will walk with the Lord, God would bless him and the people he was to lead. But an even greater promise was given in 3:8. God promised to send One who would one day remove all iniquity in one day! This promised ‘BRANCH’ is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you ever felt like all was hopeless? Imagine being like a stick in the fire that is dried up, dead, and about to be destroyed. When all seems hopeless there is the BLESSED HOPE. You may be covered in the filth of your sins but our Lord will remove then in one day if you will come to Him. He will cloth you in garments of His righteousness and put you to work in His vineyard as one of His branches. (John 15:5). He Himself will lead you into the presence of God! What a Savior! Prayer: Father, words cannot express my heart. You have done a work in my heart and I rejoice and give you all the praise and glory. In Jesus name, amen.

Motivation

09/28/12 My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work (John 4:34). Ministry to our Lord should be enjoyable and a blessing. If you are in the service of the Lord Jesus and you don’t feel as if you are being blessed something is wrong. The Lord Himself said that doing His Father’s will was like was like partaking of food; it brought strength and nourishment to Him. If you aren’t experiencing joy in the ministry one area that is usually suspect is your motivation. If your motivation is anything other than love for God and His glory then as far as God is concerned you aren’t serving. When Paul was describing the ministry he said the love of Christ compelled him (2 Cor.5:14). The word ‘compel’ means to be shut up or be closed in so that you can only move in one direction. (See Phil.1:23 for an another example of this word.) Paul had one direction or purpose in his heart and that was his love for the Lord and the Lord’s love for him. Paul was surrounded and controlled by the love that Christ had displayed for him on the cross and that brought him great joy. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” This is why Paul could continue ministering to people who wanted to harm him. He knew that the Lord loved him even while he was in active rebellion against the very One who died for the sins he was committing. (Rom.5:6-8) God sends people into your life that are difficult to love. Sometimes they are more like enemies (Matt.5:44). And certainly they don’t deserve to be loved. But that is exactly the point. Paul didn’t deserve Christ’s love either but he received it. And since Christ has poured His love into Paul, Paul wanted to love others the way His Lord loved him. When we love the way Jesus loves that is a supernatural act as God works in you and through you. This love brings glory to God because God loves others through you. And you are filled with joy and strength! Do you really love the Lord? Could you list people right now that you love that don’t love you? Prayer: Father, I pray this morning for myself. I need your Holy Spirit to fill me so that I can love with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Increase my love! In Jesus name, amen.

Ministers

09/27/12 All of God’s people are to be ministers. We are to be used of God to meet the needs of others. God works in us and through us to accomplish His will and work. Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Ministry is not something you do for God but what God does in you and through you and for you. Ministry that glorifies the Lord must be done in His strength. Let me share an Old Testament example. The people had returned to the land and though the rebuilding of the temple had begun it hadn’t been worked on in about 16 years. Those called upon by God to rebuild it were not only caught up with their own desires but the obstacles to finish it were like mountains that were unmovable. The circumstances were dark and seemingly hopeless. God speaks to the heart of the prophet Zechariah in a vision to call the people back to what God had already commanded them to do. In chapter 4 of Zechariah God showed the prophet a vision of a lampstand that had oil supplied from two olive trees. The lampstand indicated God’s light and presence. And with His presence comes the power to remove the mountains of obstacles. God told the prophet Zechariah that the temple would be built not by might nor by power but by God’s Spirit. Not even mountains would stand in the way of the One who made them. His work would be accomplished and God would be gloried and His people would be the better for it. The ministry that God called the people to do in Zechariah’s day could not have be done unless God did it through them. Nothing has changed. Every minster who wants to meet the needs of the ones God has called him to, knows he can’t do it without the Lord working in him and through him. It may be possible to do the work of the ministry and still not minister. When true Spirit-empowered ministry takes place hearts are changed and our Lord is glorified. All else is only an appearance of ministry. Is God working in you? How do you know? What evidence can you point to? Do you have a mountain that needs moving? Prayer: Father, the work that you have called me to is impossible without you. I surrender myself to you. Do whatever you need to do in me so that you glory will be seen through me. In Jesus name, amen.

Slave

09/26/12 Slave. The word is not something that is usually on anyone’s list of what they would like to be. Yet all of us are slaves. Romans 6:16 says, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” According to this verse whatever you submit your lives to will result in either death or being right with God which is true life. I see no need to tell you of the effects of sin because you know them by experience, but I do want to tell you about being a slave to Jesus. Though He is my Master, He is kind, loving, benevolent and merciful. He knows all about me yet He stills loves me. He made me and has great and marvelous plans for my future. He loves me so much, He not only paid for my sins on the cross, but He created good works for me before I was even born. His Spirit indwells within to empower me to carry out the works he planned so that I can serve Him acceptably and fruitfully. For these reasons and many more I am glad to be called His slave and honored that He allows me to serve Him. This truth motivates me to serve Him with all I have, regardless of whether others notice it or not. When I acknowledge that I am at His disposal for His good pleasure and his good pleasure is to bless me, I want to give Him my all and my best. And serving Him is not burdensome because it is an act of love on His part and mine. I serve Him because I enjoy pleasing the Desire of my heart. Being a slave to His great love keeps my eyes on him and off of others. A slave of the Lord Jesus Christ – what a blessing and what freedom! Are you obedient to your Lord? Does it bring you joy to hear from Him? Are you a ready and willing servant? Prayer: Father, in the name of Jesus, I come before you. If you will speak to my heart as I read Your word I will joyfully do as you say. I want to be your faithful servant. Amen.

More Like Jesus (part 6)

09/25/12 (part 6) God has not only predestined His people but He has also called us. This calling is by means of the gospel. Listen to what Paul said about this calling: But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess. 2:13-14). We are called to be with Jesus Christ and walk with Him in fellowship (1Cor.1:9). God calls people to Himself as His people share the gospel. The call is answered by repentance and faith. And the ultimate purpose of this call is, in the words of Paul, “for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” How exactly the Spirit of God witness to our spirit is somewhat of a mystery. But one thing is certain – communication must take place. You must hear from God and respond in a manner that is acceptable to God. The only thing that is acceptable is faith. (Heb.11:6) This will involve conviction of sin, repentance, believing what God has said and a willingness to act on what you hear. Those who have heard the call have met with the thrice holy God and have understood that their only hope is in the blessed hope – the Lord Jesus. The called have understood that they deserved death for breaking God’s law. Yet God in His mercy forgave them of their sin because Jesus paid the price of death for them. God then justifies (a court term meaning to declare not guilty) them and pours His love into their hearts by giving them His Spirit. And from God’s point of view we have already obtained that glory that Paul spoke of. So here is at least one point of application: My dear reader, no matter the trial or the intensity of the suffering, you can find rest in this wonderful truth. God is doing in you whatever is necessary whether you like it or not, to conform into the likeness of the One who died for you. When our glorious Lord returns He will conform our lowly bodies to be like His (Phil.3:20). PTL what a Savior! When was the last time you heard from God? How long has it been since you were convicted of sin? Can you right now bow and worship God even if you are experiencing trials? Does the truth being conformed to be like Christ intensify your worship? Prayer: Father in heaven, You are more glorious than I can even imagine. I want to live out this glorious truth in my life so others can see Jesus in me. Grant me opportunities to share the gospel with others. In Jesus name, amen.

More Like jesus (part 5)

09/24/12 More Like Jesus (part 5) God is for you! That is what the Bible declares in Rom.8:31. Most of us have no problem believing God is for us as long as things are at least comfortable. But when our world seems to be falling apart we often question if God even cares. Rest assured that no matter what you are going through or how hard life may seem, if you are His child, God is working in your life to accomplish His goal of conforming you into the image of His Son. Rom.8:30 gives us four words that are like unshakable pillars that you can rest on while the rest of the world seems to be shaking apart. These words are predestined, called, justified, and glorified. And all of them are in the past tense. These words tell us what God has already done. ‘Predestined’ means to set boundaries or limits on someone so that they arrive at a predetermined place. Eph.1:5 says that God has predestined us to adoption as His sons and it is according to His good pleasure. ‘Sons’ is not necessarily males in this case. (A similar word is ‘brethren’ which includes brothers and sisters.) It means that as God’s own you (male and female) are given the glorious rights and privileges that belong to those who have God as their heavenly Father. And God does this wonderful thing for you because he enjoys doing so; it brings Him ‘good pleasure.’ These boundaries or limits that God places on you include every detail of your life, including the difficulties that you may be facing. While God has no part in any unholy or sinful action He will still use even that to accomplish His glorious will in your life. Someone said that though you may be in the furnace God’s hand is on the thermostat. None of us like trials but they are part of living in a fallen world. But rest assured my dear brother and sister, that since God is for you, even though there are many who are against you, God’s purpose for your life will succeed. His boundaries and limits that surround you were set in place before the world was even created. And because God is God nothing can prevent or pervert His will. One day you will stand in His presence and thank Him for the very thing you are struggling with now. (Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will look at the rest of Rom.8:30.) Prayer: Today, I bow before you in awe. You have me in the palm of your hand. I have no need to be anxious or worry. I rest in what You have already done. You have already accomplished your goal for me and in me. Help me to live faithfully so that you are glorified.

More Like Jesus (part 4)

09/22/12 More Like Jesus (part 4) As we have seen, being conformed to the image of Christ begins on the inside. So let’s think about our ‘inner man’ for a moment. The inner man is the real you; it is where all your thoughts are. For the one who has not been born again (lost) the inner man is full of thoughts that are self-centered and selfish and are ungodly and demonic. His mind is full of chaos and darkness and, as far as God is concerned, he is spiritually dead. When a person has been born again (saved) the living Savior comes into this chaotic and darkened mind and gives His life to them. He brings order from the chaos and dispels the darkness with light. In Eph.3:16ff Paul prayed that the inner man would be strengthened for the purpose of comprehending and knowing the love of Christ and to be filled with His Spirit. All of it begins in the inner man – the real you. If you desire to be like Jesus it must begin with the real you. What goes on inside of you, if you dwell on it long enough, will in all probability express itself on the outside. So if you want to be like Jesus you must think like Him. To do that we must have a steady intake of God’s word. When your heart is seeking to be like Jesus and you meditate on the word things inside you begin to happen. The Spirit of Christ takes the Word of God and begins to tear down everything that doesn’t exalt the Lord. He brings every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2Cor.10:4) The Lord changes you from the inside out. We must be quiet and still as we SLOWLY read our Bibles and meditate on what God has said and is saying to us. God will begin to accomplish His will and purpose in your life. You will begin to be more like Jesus. When was the last time you read your Bible? When was the last time that you heard from God? Is it really the greatest desire of your heart to be like the One who died for you? Could you prove it? How often do you really think about God? Prayer: Father, Take your sword (God’s word) and cut down anything in my life that doesn’t exalt You and fill we with your Holy Spirit. I want to think and live like my Lord Jesus. Right now I offer myself to You. In Jesus name amen.

More Like Jesus

09/21/12 More Like Jesus (part 3) 1 Corinthians 15:49 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. For the last two days I have been writing on what it means to be conformed to the image of Christ. Permit me to say a little more on this awesome truth. The precious gift of Christ-likeness is not something we earn or work for. It is a work of God that He not only does in us but He does it with us. How does God work with us? He empowers us to obey. For instance: 2 Peter 1:3-4 says, His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. The promise we are thinking about is conformity to Jesus:. We shall bear the image of heavenly Man. This requires us to live by faith. We believe God will do as he has promised. As the Holy Spirit works in us we become partakers of the divine nature and that is Christ-likeness! The word ‘partake’ means to partner with, a companion, fellowship, or share things together. (Some of you may be familiar with the Greek word – koinonos.) We partake of God’s divine nature which includes His power and everything else we need as he conforms us to “the image of the heavenly Man.” This ‘divine nature’ enables us to express on the outside what God is doing on the inside. We begin to see others as God sees them and treat them as Jesus Himself would. In fact when you are living by faith the Spirit of Christ is doing His work through you. It is no longer you that lives your life; Christ lives His life through you. (Gal.2:20) Do others see your Christ-likeness? Do you seek to think of others the way Jesus thinks of them? Is the Lord Jesus living His life not just in you , but through you? Prayer: Father, do what you need to do in me so that when others hear what I speak and see what I do they will glorify my Lord Jesus. In His precious name amen.

09/20/12 Most of us are familiar with Rom. 8:28. It is a most blessed promise that God will work all things for the good of those who love Him. The next verse helps us understand what the ‘good’ is. It is being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is our good and it is the will of God (His purpose) to work everything in a way that will finally conform us so that we will be like Jesus. Yesterday we saw an example from the life of David. I want you to look with me a little closer at this truth of what it means to be conformed into the image (likeness) of Jesus. When we are being conformed into Christ’s image it is a work that God begins on the inside of us that will show on the outside. When the Spirit of God begins to transform you inwardly, you will begin to express outwardly a life that reflects the beauty of the Lord Jesus! God used the anvil of adversity and the crucible of affliction to conform David into His man! And He will do what is needed in your life to accomplish the good that he has planned for you. So if you are going through difficult times and it seems as though God isn’t listening, you can rest easy because of the truth of Rom.8:29. The almighty and wise and loving God is working for your good. And He has promised that we will be like Jesus. And that is GOOD! 1 John 3:2 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Prayer: Father, thank you for loving me enough to be my good. Help me to daily surrender myself to you. Help me to understand that you are always at work for my good. Create opportunities for me show I can show others what you are doing in me. In Jesus name, amen.

More like Jesus

09/19/12 More Like Jesus Many of us have asked the Lord to make us more like the Lord Jesus. This kind of heart-felt prayer is the kind that God will answer because His will for all His people is that we be conform to the image of His Son (Rom.8:29). But how does God do this? One answer is that He gives us opportunities to be show the same kind of mercy to others that Jesus shows to us. 1 Samuel 24 gives us an example of a man who was being conformed into the image of the One who died for us. Even though God had already anointed David as the next king through the prophet Samuel, Saul still wanted to kill David. We find David hiding in a cave with Saul in hot pursuit. While there were many caves in the area Saul decides to relieve himself in the one that David and his men were hiding in. David’s men thought this was a divinely appointed opportunity to kill Saul and then he would become the rightful king. But David refused to take matters into his own hands. Instead of killing him as he deserved, David showed mercy. Unknown to Saul, David cut of the corner of the king’s robe. When Saul was at a safe distance David revealed to Saul what he had done. David said that he could not kill the one whom God had appointed; instead he left judgment to the Lord. Even wicked Saul realized the righteousness of David. “Then he [Saul] said to David: "You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil (24:17). Here is a picture of our Lord. The Righteous One rewards us with good when we should have been judged and sentenced to die! God was conforming David into the image of our Lord by giving him opportunities to reward evil with good. Someone has said that we should do all the good we can, in all the ways we can, to all the people we can, as long as we can. If you really want to be like Jesus, our gracious Lord and God will give you opportunities to good, even if it is to the ones who wish to harm you. Prayer: Father, It’s not easy to love your enemies and go good to them. Fill me with Your Spirit, open my eyes to see the opportunities that you created and planned for me, and give me what I need to act and speak as if it were the Lord Jesus himself. In His name amen.

The Ever-Present God

09/18/12 The Omni-presence of God is defined as all of God is everywhere at the same time. He is the ever-present God. One of the great truths of God’s holy Word is that God is always with us. To some this is a blessing and comfort but to others it is usually a truth that is either ignored or disbelieved. In Amos 9 the prophet reminds them that no matter where they go they would not be able to escape or hide from God. The people of Amos’ day had become so sinful that they no longer acknowledged God’s presence. Because God is holy He would show them that He was still ever-present but instead of rescuing them they would see His presence come in judgment. The end of Amos 9:4 terrifying – “I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good." Contrast this with Psa.139. The psalmist, David, ask the question: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” As he continues the Psalm David not only acknowledges that God is ever-present but he blessed and comforted by this wonderful truth. God was both near and dear to him and he saw this truth as precious and great (V17). I admit that I can’t rap my mind around this truth enough to fully understand it but I can and do believe it. If you would take a moment each day and meditate on the this marvelous truth I believe you would see a lot less stress and lot more rest for your soul. Write this doctrine on your heart and through the blood of Jesus Christ “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb.4:16). Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for being with me and your promise that you will never leave me. Today I want to rest in you. In Jesus name amen.