Let's use this day of dinner fellowship as a means to invite others to know the love of Christ. Use every opportunity.
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Wednesday, November 21, 2012
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Let's use this day of dinner fellowship as a means to invite others to know the love of Christ. Use every opportunity.
love thanksgiving Tags
Thursday, May 24, 2012
05-23-12 "Reverent Wonder" 1 Timothy 4:6-10
The passage I read was 1
Timothy 4:6-10
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all
things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to
come.
As I reflect:
The passage starts
out talking about the previous few verses where Paul tells Timothy that there
are deceiving spirits which teach things that aren’t true. You and I often call those influenced by
these spirits “false prophets”. Paul
says that if we point these out to the brothers and sisters we will be good
ministers of Christ Jesus. I gotta tell
you I have a bit of personal experience on both sides of this situation.
I have been the
younger more immature Christian that is being told these things and I have also
told other brothers and sisters about them.
Some of the earlier things I was told by mentors include being warned
that Joel Osteen was a false prophet, Christmas is a pagan tradition (even as
celebrated surrounding the birth of Jesus), Easter is pagan, Joyce Meyers is a
false prophet, and several other huge eye opening truths in life. Now, when I was first told these things,
admittedly I had a great deal of doubt even though the info came from trusted mentors. I still felt in the back of my mind that they
were simply being judgmental or legalistic or had heard incorrect information
from a conspiracy theorist in the theology phase of their life. In fact I would sometimes thank them for the
info but then go and do research to the contrary just to prove to myself that
they were wrong and I could still celebrate whatever and listen to whomever I
felt was right. But, I was wrong. In time I came to realize as my studies got
deeper that I had been deceived by lying spirits. My entire life was filled with seemingly
little lies that were told to me from parents, books, teachers, strangers,
advertisements, and the overall traditions of a nation and beyond that a
culture that has existed since Satan’s first lie in the garden. Because I spent a lifetime believing in
certain traditions as holy, you can imagine I was defensive at first. But despite my love of the traditions, my
desire for truth was far greater and God revealed to me the lies I had fallen
for. After significant study and prayer (lasting several years on one particular topic), I found their warnings true.
I think back to those who told me
the truth and today they are still trusted advisors and yet I still research a
great deal of what they say (merely because we are all human and fallible). But I didn’t realize then what a great task
they took on when they told me those truths.
I since have heard of other brothers and sisters that have been lied to
and believe in false prophets to be God’s servants. I have come to those times in conversation
when I must tell them the truth or be held accountable for saying nothing and allowing them to
believe in a lie that could lead them astray.
Let me tell you, not all “Christians” respond in the way I did when
first told the truth. It’s harder to
share than you may think. But we are
told to nourish truth and be good ministers.
We are told to have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’
tales. We are told to train ourselves to
be godly. Doing this does require going
through some uncomfortable self examination and many times we may find that
what the world told us was real, was an illusion; what a “man of God” on stage
said, was really deceit from a man that knoweth not Our Father; that our fun
memories finding dyed eggs were really just idol worship of a false god. Let us put these wives’ tales aside and be honest
with ourselves and with each other. Let
us train ourselves to be godly and seek truth.
Let us labor and strive putting our hope in the living God and not in
traditions of cultures that are foreign to the truth.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
05-01-12 "Hopeful Perseverance" Romans 5:1-5
The passage I
read was Romans 5:1-5
You can find that passage here:
The verse that
most stood out to me:
5 Therefore, since we have
been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained
access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the
glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our
sufferings,because we know that suffering produces perseverance;4 perseverance,
character; and character, hope. 5 And hopedoes not
put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
As I reflect:
It’s too short a passage to just
pick one verse that stands out, so I chose the whole thing as having stood out.
Lol. I actually quoted a portion of this
passage yesterday not knowing it was on the agenda for study today. We often discuss, study, and meditate on
pushing through difficulties in our lives as followers of Christ. Often the focus is on just persevering and
how to do so by the Holy Spirit, but this passage is special to me because I am
a “why” person. When someone at work
tells me to do something, often before I even consider beginning, I will ask “why”. When one of my children has disobeyed me, it
is often more important to me to know “why” rather than just jumping right into
punishment. When a stranger raises their
voice at me and calls me all sorts of evil because of their cable not working,
my first thought is “why is their cable this important”. I am a why person. I ask it about price increases globally, the
introduction of sin in the garden, and when something breaks down. This passage gives us insight as to “why” we
suffer.
As Christians we can simply take
it on the Word of God to rejoice when we suffer. But from time to time, we may be tempted to
ask God “why”. Here, He has graciously offered
us an answer in advance. He doesn’t
expect us to simply rejoice because someone says that the Bible tells us
to. He gives us the answer to the “why”. We are not suffering in vain. But we suffer because it produces
perseverance. We persevere because it
produces character. We have character
built up in us so that we might understand and obtain hope. And we have this hope of the work of the Lord
in our life; the hope of His return; the hope of one day going to our eternal
home with our Savior and it expresses to us His great love being poured into
our lives through His Holy Spirit. We
don’t suffer in vain. Nor do we
persevere without end. There will come a
day when our suffering will cease and we will be with our Lord. When you suffer and begin to wonder why you
feel this way, know that the Lord is at work and is actually building and
lifting you up that you may have hope and character. You are being strengthened by the suffering
you now endure. It is with great purpose
that we have trials and tribulations of all kinds. I can rejoice in this knowing and trusting
that it is part of God’s design to complete the work begun in me. Rejoice with me as He also works in you.
05-01-12 "Hopeful Perseverance" James 1:1-8
The passage I
read was James 1:1-8
You can find that passage here:
The verse that
most stood out to me:
2 Consider
it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many
kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your
faith produces perseverance.
As I reflect:
This week’s focus is “hopeful
perseverance”. A common denominator
among the passages chosen thus far is that hardship is not something to be sad
about or even fearful of. Rather the
contrary, hardship is something to rejoice over because we know it is going to
be used for our good. In this 1st
part of James we read “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance.” This reminded me
of a few other passages from God.
Romans 5: 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance,
character; and character, hope.
Matthew 5: 11 “Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you
because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because
great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the
prophets who were before you.
Romans 8: 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him, who[a] have been called according to his
purpose.
Those are of course just a few of
the many that carry this same feeling.
At this point in the week my view of persecution isn’t just that it’s
not bad, but that it strengthens in a way that nothing else can. I would liken hardships and trials to a
workout. The best workouts for the human
body are the ones where you push yourself beyond what you have previously
done. The reason for this is because the
only way to improve upon you physical condition in a workout is to strive to do
more each time. Many times during a
workout we may want to quit because it’s hard.
But if we persevere and push through those times, we find a since of
accomplishment and a reward of better health for having done so. We are very similar to this in our spiritual
and mental lives as well. The things
that grow our spiritual and mental strength and abilities are often the things
which we least desire or those which cause us the greatest discomfort. But just as you push through when you want to
quit at the ymca, we also must persevere when we are under mental, spiritual,
and for many across the globe even physical attack. For these times can be the very passage to
our becoming stronger in our faith, hope, and daily work in the harvest. Rejoice when times of hardship are upon you
and trust in God. He may very well be
answering your prays to be a greater witness or to further His kingdom.
05-01-12 "Hopeful Perseverance" Luke 8:4-15
The passage I
read was Luke 8:4-15
You can find that passage here:
The verse that
most stood out to me:
15 But the
seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the
word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
As I reflect:
You know, I have read this
particular parable many times and reflected from multiple angles on its meaning
and application to our lives. Never have
I looked at it to consider perseverance though.
This was a first for me.
At first I thought perhaps I will
reflect on how the seed that fell on the path and was quickly eaten by birds,
is an example of those who lack the ability to persevere against Satan’s
crimes… But then I realized without God, they would have no way to persevere
against the enemy. Then I thought maybe
the focus of perseverance lays among the thorny bushes. These Christians should have persevered
against the distractions, worries, and riches of the world. But then again, they were never removed or
separated from such things to begin with.
Their soil wasn’t prepared and cleaned.
I wondered if the topic would be better reflected on looking at seed
among rocks. But again I was left
considering the obvious excuses for lacking perseverance. The only option I found, was looking at
myself.
I am the soil that is
fertile. In me I have the word which is
the seed of my new life. Here, in this
soil I see the potential for all of the dangers that effected the other seeds
but with one huge difference. I find
myself being looked after, watered, fed, protected from weeds and thorns. I can take no credit for my soil; my heart,
for it was by with great heart ache and pain that it was broken and prepared to
receive the seed. I didn’t choose God
before He chose me. Of this I am
certain. I never would have chosen to be
humbled in the manner that it occurred.
I never would have chosen to be broken down and lose everything for the
sake of finding new life. This was God’s
doing. His Holy Spirit worked the field
and prepared me to receive the Word of God.
For those who believe today; who
diligently seek Christ, we must persevere against thorns and weeds of the world
that attempt to blind us and choke the word of God out of us. We must persevere and watch for the enemy’s
attempts to steal the truth we so fervently believe. We must persevere against the climate of
rocky terrain under scorching heat as we seek deeper root daily feeding on
every Word that comes from God. We are
refreshed by His good grace being poured out on us a new each day. May we grow and persevere that our Master be
pleased with the fruitful crop we become.
May we also reach out to one another and help keep the garden free from
distractions, lift one another up when weary, and keep watchful eyes over one
another to protect each other from unseen attacks.
05-01-12 "Hopeful Perseverance" Hebrews 12:1-11
The passage I
read was Hebrews 12:1-11
You can find that passage here:
The verse that
most stood out to me:
7 Endure
hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what
children are not disciplined by their father?
As I reflect:
The topic for study this week is
“hopeful perseverance”, and this is a great passage to start out with for that
topic. As I reflect, I see 2 main angles
being discussed.
1 – The race comparison (run with
perseverance)
When one is running a race (and
I’m no athlete any more but have a history of Martial arts competitions and
Military exercises), it would be easy to simply stop when we get tired. But we wouldn’t cross the finish line this
way. We would lose completely and it
would have been better to have not shown up at all. We are instead encouraged to run with
perseverance. These 1st three
verses give some key elements of how to do that.
a. surrounded by such a great
cloud of witnesses. Here we see that we
have encouragers (some who have struggled in far greater battles than our
own). We ought to receive their encouragement
as we read their stories and see their own perseverance as well as when we hear
them still today through those who surround us and share the Word of God
through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
b. Let us throw off everything
that hinders us. You wouldn’t run a race
with 10 layers of clothing, a cold, a car strapped to your waist, and a back
pack of bricks (though some might actually train this way). No, you would throw off all that baggage and
run well hydrated with little to no weight to restrain you and an outfit which
allowed your body to breath. Likewise as
we run the race of a life lived for Christ, we want to throw off all that
hinders that. Sin. As we recognize sin in our lives we are to
throw it off so that our walk with Christ (our race) isn’t hindered. I want to grow and become a better runner for
the prize but will have great difficulty if I carry hidden weights and extra
layers of clothing. This race requires
letting go of sin and holding very lightly to possessions that they may fall
from your hand without regret when the Holy Spirit moves you. Let’s lighten the spiritual and physical load
and run without entanglement.
c. Fixing our eyes on Jesus. This is the prize. We aren’t running to get into Heaven. I don’t want it if Jesus isn’t there. I’m running to fall at the feet of my blessed
Redeemer who has taken my place, my shame, my pain, my punishment upon Himself
that I may live free from the eternal damnation of sin. This is my prize; that I might reach the
finish line and hear from my Savior, “well done my good and faithful
servant.” I keep my eyes on this prize. I see Him at the finish line and I look ever
forward to His embrace. With such a
prize awaiting how could anyone stop running?
d. He endured the cross. I am not only encouraged by the great mass of
others who have already endured this race and also by those still setting the
example today, but also by my Lord Who has already completed the race. His prize is far greater because His race was
infinitely harder. He ran not only the
race of life, but also took on the weights that we now lay down. All that would hinder us, we lay aside as we
receive grace from the one that carried all that we couldn’t. I am encouraged knowing that Jesus did this
as a man. If He then endured far greater
for my sake, then I may run this race focused and encouraged by Him already
having faced every temptation along the way.
I know it can be done, because He did it. I know He knows how it feels, because He felt
it.
2 – As a father disciplines his
child…
Secondly I noted the comparison
of God the Father in disciplining us to our earthly fathers disciplining us as
children. In my case it was usually my
mom as I had several father figures but she was the one who was always there. Many times when I was punished I can remember
feeling angry and resenting her or even building up bitterness. But looking back with an adult view of it
all, I get it now. Each and every
punishment received was because I was in the wrong and needed correcting. I was corrected not out of hate but
love. I was corrected not for everyone
else’s sake but for my own so that I may grow up knowing right from wrong and
the gifts that come from doing the right thing vs. the ill effects of doing
wrong. It is likewise in the way that
the Lord holds us accountable for our actions.
Infinitely wiser of course, but same concept. Because He loves us so dearly, He cannot then
allow us to continue sinning because He knows the ill effects of that sin. He then punishes, rebukes, corrects that we
may know right from wrong and make a good choice. He wants us to grow in wisdom and so He isn’t
a silent God turned away from His children, but like an active Father in our
lives He is ever present and guiding through His Holy Spirit. Let us not grow bitter or angry with God
because “the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he
accepts as his son.” Be encouraged in hopeful perseverance for this correction
shows that He cares for you as His own child.
Let this then bring joy as you run the race marked out for you.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
04-24-12 "Self Control - b" Matthew 26:36-54
 |
| Control yourself. |
The passage I read
was Matthew 26:36-54
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The
spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
As I reflect:
In keeping with the theme of self control this week I see
several examples given in the passage.
1- Jesus’ self control to go to a place where Judas knew to
find Him instead of hiding. This was
self control in obedience to the Father.
Sometime we as Christians can have great self control when God says, “Here
walk through this glorious open door to great blessings that I have laid out
for you.” But I wonder if we are
bi-polar in our attitude of self control.
Would we display as great self control to be obedient even when it means
hardship or trials and tribulation leading to death? Jesus wasn’t only obedient in the little
things or only in the blessings. He was
obedient even unto death. So we also
ought to be so self controlled that we chose obedience not only in the joyous
times in life, but also in times of sorrow and great hardship. Remember, not our will but His be done.
2 – the self control of Peter, James, and John (the sons of
Zebedee). So first we see a good example
of what we ought to do. Then, looking at
3 disciples we see the example of what not to do. Now I’m sure there were some kind of
spiritual attacks occurring here to lure these disciples into sleep. I’m sure their bodies, the flesh was very
tired indeed after the long walks, filling meal, and now shut eyes in pray at
this late hour. However, I believe
strongly that had they stuck to prayer, perhaps even aloud and together, they
would have overcome the sleepiness and managed to stay awake and alert. The example here for me is to pray without
ceasing and strike a blow to my flesh to keep it from leading me away from this
spiritual victory. Had Peter managed to
strengthen his walk at this time in prayer, perhaps he may never have denied
the Lord. But Jesus knew in advance the
things to come. Does he know of you and
me that we have the self control to say no to distraction and no to the flesh
and no to our weariness that we may press on in pray before our King?
3 – the self control of Peter. When they came for Jesus, Peter drew a sword
and struck a guard’s ear. Now I don’t
know about you, but I know I have many times wanted to respond in my flesh with
violence. Even in just a violent word I
have been tempted by this world. It is
the flesh that responds with no self control.
Here Peter exhibits this for us to know that the nature of man is abroad
in all. Later however, Peter exhibits a
far more powerful sword and with self control over the flesh he gives us a far
greater example in how to wield the sword of the spirit. He cuts to even the heart of men and they are
changed forever. Acts 2: 37 When the people heard
this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles,
“Brothers, what shall we do?”38 Peter replied, “Repent
and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.39 The promise is for you and your children and
for all who are far off —for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Let us also use the self control over the
flesh to not lash out in anger, but use the Holy Spirit who is present in us
that we would respond in a righteous and Biblical manner.
How much greater a witness to all we would be if we
exhibited self control in prayer, word, and deed and if we responded with the
Holy Spirit and chose obedience in every situation?
My response:
Jehovah, I have not fully obtained all that I preach. I am in need of your grace. I am in constant need for you to fill me with
that which I lack for apart from you I am nothing. I bring my petition before you to exhibit
greater self control in the workplace, in my home, and abroad. May my life overflow with the characteristics
and supernatural presence of your Holy Spirit Father. In Jesus’ name.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
04-24-12 "Self Control - b" Romans 6:4-14
The passage I read
was Romans 6:4-14
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
6 For
we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin
might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves
to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set
free from sin.
As I reflect:
Paul (in his longest
epistle yet) covers all the salvation bases in this detailed letter to the
roman church (the saints in Rome). In
this particular passage of that epistle we find him talking not only about
physical baptism but more importantly a spiritual baptism which occurs in those
who are born again.
Dying to old –
The first concept is that what we were before salvation was
a person driven and controlled by sin.
We were not simply in the flesh that wraps our spirit but we were
controlled by it as our spirit also desired what our flesh desired. We lived in sin, making daily choices to
continue in sin and being in our very hearts sin filled as beings who were
slaves to sin. Our actions, words, thoughts, and even our very inner being was
sinful and we obeyed it’s every command as we were daily led in
temptation. Even those said by man’s
standards to be of upmost integrity and character were born into sin and lived
lives of sin (and still do if not yet re-born). The idea of dying to this very nature in us
isn’t as simple as it is often put and I seriously doubt in my own ability to
so thoroughly explain it here as I reflect.
My reflection is also a fairly simple explanation of it. When one is baptized they are laid down into
the water symbolizing the death of the old man.
This is only symbolic and the act in itself is not what saves or changes
us in any way. The symbol must stand for
a conviction and changes which occurs inside our heart of hearts. We are told that the Lord removes our cold or
hardened heart (the idea being that which allows us to so ignorantly live a
life as slave to sin and satan) and He gives us instead a new heart (covered in
the next part of the process). That is
the symbolism of going down into the water, and when one is brought back up,
the old man remains in the water having been washed off of the new man. This can also be seen in parallel passages
where we are told to daily crucify the old man.
It means that we don’t just do this once, but rather that daily we are
putting off the old sin nature and making a conscio0us choice to battle against
it. We have to chose not to sin as an
evidence of the putting off the old man.
This becomes easier in time as habits of the flesh are broken and the
mind is given new food by which to act on.
It is easier still when we daily remember why we are saved, Who saved
us, how He did it, why it had to occur no other way, and how we can relate to
Him and Him to us. Even as Christ was
crucified on the cross, let the old sinful man that we were be crucified daily
in our walks.
Becoming new –
Simply dying of our old sin nature is not enough. That’s like deciding to go somewhere, getting
dressed, getting into a car, and then simply sitting there. That’s great that you got ready to go
somewhere but you have to start driving forward now. When one is brought into the water as a
symbol of the death of their sin nature, they aren’t left there. They would drown. There is no life being beneath the water,
just as there was no life in the tomb for Jesus to remain there. We are raised back up from the water to
become a new creation, just as Jesus was raised back from the dead. As He overcame death so must we overcome the
sin nature which leads to death. We must
live in such a way as to daily chose to reign over the mortal body and it’s
evil desires. We have a new heart now
but are still in the flesh. That’s why
it’s a battle. Many of us spent a
lifetime teaching our flesh to sin and it will be a struggle to retrain it, but
it must be done. We have to teach our
body to be obedient unto God. We daily
read the word and pray for Holy Spirit guidance and empowerment that we might
live in such a way that is un-natural to the sinful flesh we are in. We are not natural beings that occasionally
have a supernatural experience, but we are supernatural beings having a natural
experience. We must chose to identify
with that supernatural, our spirit, and the Holy Spirit working in unison. We must recognize that we are daily under the
attacks of the enemy and move forward in resisting those attacks and furthering
the kingdom of God. If we are in fact
born again, new creations, a new man, then there ought to be ample evidence of
such a change in our lives. Let us live
daily as those that have been raised from their death in sin and now live dead to
sin instead.
Dramatic change –
Now, being under grace may we offer our lives as an
instrument of righteousness for God’s use.
Now that we have been given understanding of the scriptures and have received
the truth that is there in contained, may we live in such a way that gives
evidence to that truth. If we then
profess salvation from death in sin, shall we not live in accordance with that
profession and indeed live dead to sin?
Spurgeon said it well, “If God has given to you and to me an entirely
new life in Christ, how can that new life spend itself after the fashion of the
old life? Shall the spiritual live as the carnal? How can you that were the servants
of sin, but have been made free by precious blood, go back to your old
slavery?”
May we not go back to the old man but be actually changed
daily giving evidence to the work the Lord is doing in and through us.
My response:
My Lord, I offer myself to you as one who has been brought
from death to life. Every member of my
being is yours to be used as an instrument of righteousness in doing your
will. Help me daily Father I pray, for
this flesh was trained well in the sinful desires of this world and it holds
too tightly to my spirit. Father I cry
out daily for crucifixion of the old me and the resurrection power of You
working mightily in the new me. Remind
me that I am under grace and not the law of sin and death. Keep close to me through your Spirit that I
be led away from sin and act instead in a way that brings glory to your
name. In Jesus’ name who was crucified
and rose again that I may live. Amen.
Friday, April 20, 2012
04-17-12 "Self Control" Galatians 5:16-26
The passage I read
was Galatians 5:16-26
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit,
and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
As I reflect:
Today’s passage starts out telling us to walk by the Spirit
as to not gratify the flesh. There are
many struggles with sin that I have had and even today constantly must battle
against. There are temptation on every
side of me just as all of us are tempted greatly to sin daily against our
God. This is one of the reasons we pray
the he lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. However, it would not be the characteristic
of God to simply remove all temptation and by doing so remove all free will to
chose who we follow and what we do. God
allows us this freedom otherwise our service to Him would bring no glory. Paul
talks briefly about this constant battle that is waging in all of our
lives. It’s not that one day we came to
jesus and no we no longer struggle to overcome evil. Rather the opposite. Before we came unto a saving knowledge of
Christ, we battled no sin. No we are
engaged in a great war and upon receiving this revelation we must daily chose
to take up our cross and do battle against the enemy. Paul put’s it this way, “For the flesh
desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the
flesh. They are in conflict with each
other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” There is a Christian performer who puts it in
more eloquent terms with music.
Watch
his video here and follow along with the lyrics if you’d like:
Paul then continues in verse 18 saying, “But if you are led
by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
There are many a Jew that would disregard this verse and in fact much of
the new testament simply on the premise of believing this to empower one to sin
all they want and claim it as freedom from the law. That is not what is meant here though. Boice said it well as, “Life by the Spirit is neither legalism nor
license - nor a middle way between them. It is a life of faith and
love that is above all of these false ways.” And Paul reiterated in more detail in Romans
8:1-4 saying, “ 1 Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free
from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was
powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending
his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And
so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that
the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
In these passages and quotes we can clearly see that freedom
in the Spirit is not mean to be interpreted as a license to sin. It is instead an antidote for those who are
attempting to live by the law and finding themselves in constant failure
because the flesh is in fact so weak.
Can’t stop living in sin? Start
living by the Spirit and watch as change takes place. Stuck in a mire of self satisfaction? Replace the outer influence of the law with
the infer influence of the Holy Spirit.
Continuing on Paul gives some examples of acts of the flesh
(also known as the works of the flesh). It
is not an all inclusive list, so if you don’t see you sin on there, it doesn’t
mean it’s not a sin. But he hits some
big ones that most are familiar with and then says that those who “live like
this” won’t inherit the kingdom of God (that is Heaven and eternity with our
Savior). What it does not say is that
if you stumble and fall into the temptation of sin, that you are suddenly and irrevocably
condemned to Hell. Here Paul is speaking
not of “a” sin, but of a lifestyle of continuing in sin by choice. We as Christians do make mistakes and we
stumble and we sin. It’s just a fact of
living in the flesh. But, we sin far
less when we live by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. WE sin less when we listen to that still
small voice and resist the flesh’s desires.
We sin less when we fellowship with other Holy Spirit filled believers
whom the Spirit also uses to influence and support us. We do not become sinless perfect beings who
never make a mistake, for we are after all still living in a body of flesh this
side of eternity.
Paul’s final paragraph for today’s reflection time starts
with, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love”, and it could end right there and
no further words would be needed because love encompasses all that follows in
the paragraph. Go ahead, read it. Love encompasses it all. All the acts of the flesh in the previous
paragraph cannot be done in this love because all of them contort are go
directly against what love it. The exhortation
to believers from this passage (at least one of the many that could be taken
from it and applied) is that we walk in the Spirit and live in a way that God’s
love is evident in us and being shared through us. With this focal point in our lives we will
have far greater victory over the enemy as he daily attempts to lead us into
temptation and evil. Let there be
evidence of the Holy Spirit living in you as you display the fruit of that relationship.
My response:
Lord, I asked long ago that your Holy Spirit would come into
my heart; my life and change me from within.
Open my eyes, ears, and heart to continue not only receiving your word
in this manner, but also that I would apply every word. I don’t ask to be filled with fruit for my
sake alone but to further your kingdom and to do your will. I ask every morning to be guided by your
Spirit that I not fall into those temptations that are laid as traps before me. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.” “lead me not into temptation but deliver me
from evil”. These are the things that I
pray. I know that I cannot do it alone,
nor do I intend to, but rather I fall at your feet and pray that every step be
Holy Spirit filled; every word like a fiery sword slaying my enemies and
reaching into the hearts of men with love to cause change. My Father I pray not only for your Spirit to
save me from my own flesh, but that you would use me to draw others to you so
that they too may be saved from their flesh.
In the name of Jesus I pray.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
04-17-12 "Self Control" Acts 24:10-26
 |
2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not
make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
|
The passage I read
was Acts 24:10-26
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
26 At
the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for
him frequently and talked with him.
As I reflect:
During my reflection
my focus seemed to be on Felix and the last few verses of the passage. When Paul shared the Gospel message with
Felix, it caused fear. This is a correct
response for those who have no intention of serving the King of Kings. Deep within their hearts they may already
know that if you are not for Him, you surely must be against Him and this is
reason for great fear. Felix, after
hearing the gospel then does what many still do today. He rejects Jesus passively. I reflected on the many acquaintances and
strangers that I have conversed with on the Gospel. I see many of them reacting in the same
way. When the message comes to a close
and it’s time to make a decision, often I have heard the excuse, “just let me
think about this”, or, “I am undecided but will probably follow Him later in
life.”, or (and this one is classic), “I just want to have fun right now”. None of these people believe that they are
rejecting Christ. They all believe they
can put Him on a shelf and possibly make a decision at another time. However I believe3 the message is clear that
not making a decision for Him when the evidence is presented is the same as making
a decision against Him. There are no
undecided in Heaven. There will be many
undecided in Hell.
Another thing I
noticed about Paul was that he didn’t appear to water down the gospel or in any
way fail to present all of the facts. He
presented truth and he did so in a bold and Holy Spirit filled manner. I compare this to my own life and find that I
am many times left wanting. I have nowhere
near the same courage though I have been told by God that this same Spirit
resides in me. Why do we as Christians
so often fear offending another person with the very truth that could cause
them to run to salvation? I think for
me, the answer is forgetfulness. When I
spend time reflecting and meditating on the word, I feel like I am ready to
face any storm, any trial, any question that one would bring against me. But when I get distracted by my routines and responsibilities
in the day, I find that I seem much less prepared and have less courage when
questions are presented and an opportunity to witness is present. May we all be more like Paul in his boldness
to state the truth even in times of struggle.
Lastly I noticed the
greed in Felix. A man who has just been
given the Gospel truth boldly by another who is most certainly obviously
willing to die for the truth; you wouldn’t think that Felix would still believe
it was possible to get a bribe from Paul.
How blind and foolish must one be to hear what was presented and still
think that corruption was present in such a man. I see this too in those whom I witness
to. It is odd to think that you can
present the Gospel to someone and tell them that all have sinned and require
salvation and then have that same person invite you to sin… I believe the greed
and all the sin that covers the hearts of the unsaved has caused them to be
blind to the power of God presented in Scripture and the life changing truths
that the Gospel presents. How I was ever
saved is a mystery other than that God chose me and changed me. I surely would have been as blind as those
who now seem so oblivious to the truth presented.
My response:
Jahovah-Hoshe’ah, My Lord who has saved me, I thank you for
softening my heart. Thank you for
breaking the stone away and rebuilding me from the inside. I was as blind as Felix at one time in my
life. Thank you for eyes to see and ears
to hear. You be glorified eternally my
King. I pray now as I have before that
you will fill me with boldness and courage to deliver your message even in the
face of adversity. When my heart beats
too fast and panic begins to rage in me, still my pulse and give me peace to
speak. When I open my mouth Father, let
your Spirit go forth and touch those who stand before me. Let me not be timid or weak except that in my
weakness I rely upon your strength. Thank
you that you hear and answer. In Jesus’
name I pray. Amen.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
04-17-12 "Self Control" 2 Timothy 1:1-11
The passage I read
was 2 Timothy 1:1-11
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not
make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
As I reflect:
This week is week one of looking at “self control”. At first I did struggle a bit to understand
what this passage has to do with self control.
Then I read a foreword which greatly put things into perspective. When I think about self control, I think
about what I am not supposed to do and how to control myself from doing
it. That concept is still true in this
passage but it is being approached from another angle. This passage is approaching from the mindset of
self control being also to do what should be done.
One must control themselves as greatly at moving forward and
doing what is right as they must not go the wrong direction or do what is
wrong. Both categories fall into the realm
of exercising self control. For me, the
daily “don’t do” has previously been the only focus of my self control. But to add, I must also force myself to move
forward (often out of my comfort zone) and do what is right atop not doing what
is wrong. When we are faced with this decision
to do what is right, we often have excuses.
To quote Highquest, “We struggle with the “over” issues: over-eating,
over-spending, over-reacting, etc. We
console ourselves with victim excuses that blame our past ancestry,
circumstances, or even our genes. We do
everything except take personal responsibility for our decisions.” We have excuses to not do what we should
do. This is a serious lack of self
control. Like a toddler throwing a fit
about a nap and excusing it saying he isn’t tired instead of saying “yes Sir” and
doing what must be done. Paul destroys
our excuses in this passage when he says “For the Spirit God gave us does not
make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
How then can anyone who claims to remain in the Spirit and
the Spirit of God in them, go on in such sin to excuse not doing what is
right? Let us daily put our excuses to
rest and instead recognize where it is that our power comes from. What great resources we have in the Christ we
claim to serve. Let us be self-disciplined
to use those resources.
My response:
Our Father in Heaven, you are above all the nations and you
see all of our excuses as plainly as we see the sun in the sky. We hide behind them far too often and are a
people whose lives are cowardice to do what is right. I am one of your children who is guilty of
this sin. I have many times been too
timid to present Christ to those who need Him.
I have many times lacked self-discipline in witnessing, helping others,
being a good steward of my finances, and even in controlling my emotions. Lord forgive me. I am ashamed at my passivity and desire to do
your will. I pray that your Holy Spirit
give me power, love, and self discipline that I may fan into flame the gifts that
you have given. Save me from my flesh
who is lazy and fearful. Lift me up
Father. In Jesus’ name.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
03-12-12 "Moral Excellence (A)" Matthew 7:1-12
The passage I read
was Matthew 7:1-12
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
12 So
in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums
up the Law and the Prophets.
As I reflect:
I was a bit shocked
to find this passage for a one day study.
This passage is huge to do just one meditation on. I find that one could easily take one to two
sentences at a time and make a complete days reflection just on that. There is a great deal of material covered in
this passage.
Firstly, it deals
with judgment. I’ve said it before and I
will say it again, this is one of the most misquoted and misunderstood passages
in the Bible. God is not here saying
that we are not to judge. That is taking
this directly out of context. He is
saying don’t pass hypocritical judgment.
Many people when a Christian says something of their sin will say that
we are passing judgment. This is not the
case. We are commanded by God to beware
of evildoers, false prophets, and to avoid those who practice all kinds of
evil. How are we to be aware of and
avoid them if we don’t make a judgment of them at some point? We must accept and understand that we are not
to judge in an unrighteous manner or in a hateful way, but to do so righteously
and lovingly is a commandment to us. In John
7:24 we are told, “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge
correctly.” This states that there is a
correct way to judge. In Matthew we are
given one of the correct ways to do so.
This defines how we are to judge a believer… even unto the point of no
longer considering them a believer if they refuse or rebuke the judgment.
Matthew 18:15-17
15 “If
your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just
between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.16 But
if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter
may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If
they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to
listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
We are to correct,
rebuke, and encourage as we preach the Word in and out of Season (2 Timothy
4:2) in hopes of bringing others to repentance (James 5:20). It is in fact our duty to do so. So when Christ says do not judge or you too
will be judged, know that I will in fact be judged and it will be done to me in
a righteous and loving manner just as I judge others in a righteous and loving
manner. Too many people don’t go on to
read the rest of what is said. We will
be judged in the same measure (manner) as we judge others. It doesn’t mean don’t judge. It means do it right and for the right
reasons. By all means judge me in this
way. If you see me in sin, help me. Don’t keep your mouth shut as to not be caught
judging someone. Tell me so that I may
be corrected. I will also tell you.
Ok, so wow. Here we are almost a page of writing later
and I have only barely touched on the surface of one of several topics
discussed in this passage. Told you it
was a lot to cover. Lol. I’ll try to be
more brief in the remaining verses.
Verse 6 is a truth
that I have found in life long before I knew it was from God. Have you ever tried to help someone that didn’t
want or realize that they needed help? It’s
like getting your hand bitten while trying to feed an emaciated dog. Kinda bitter sweet in that you gave the truth
that was needed to be given, but hurtful that you were so attacked for having
done so. It’s rough, but with
discernment, prayer, consistency in your witness, you may win them over
still. But be careful you don’t walk
into a den of wolves with steak attached to your jacket. Witness with wisdom and discernment. When someone has repeatedly turned from the
Gospel truth and has communicated repeatedly their hate for you and for your
God, continue to pray for them and be a shining light, but push them not
further from that light by forcing knowledge to those who chose ignorance. Pray for their release from the scales satan
has grown over their eyes. But do not
quarrel with them or attempt to force God down their throat. You will get bitten.
Verses 7-11 deal
with the giving nature of God. These too
have many times been taken out of context and with only literal interpretation have
lead to many a person’s misunderstanding and frustration. Jesus isn’t saying if you ask for a Lamborghini
it will be given to you and if you seek for a million dollars you will find
it. He is talking about asking, seeking,
knocking within the will and motivation of doing the Lord’s will here on
Earth. You see this advice is not for
the lost, but for the found. And the
found, those who follow Christ, ask, “how can I serve you” and He answers. We seek, “How may I please you”, and we find
those in need. The comparison to a child
asking a father for bread is a perfect comparison. Even if my child came to me and asked me for
a million dollars and even if I had a million dollars to give him, I wouldn’t. He is young and foolish and I know that the
money would be squandered and lead to his destruction for a love of money. And so instead when he ask for money, I lead
him to chores that he may earn and understand what it is to earn an
income. I don’t do this out of cruelty,
but love. I know what is best for my
child. If however he comes to me and
ask, “Father, what may I do to help you today?”, then my response will offer us
closeness in bonding and I will guide him in helping me complete whatever
project I could use the help on. This
approach will much greater build him up into the man we both want him to
be. So it is with our Heavenly
Father. We must first seek His kingdom
and all else will follow.
Verse 12 sums it up
nicely, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for
this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
My response to the
Lord:
It’s a lot to take in Lord, but that is my prayer to
you. I pray that you would write your
word on my heart and let me not forget a single mark. But by your Holy Spirit working mightily,
teach me to apply these things to every moment of my existence. When judgment comes up in me in unrighteous
anger, help me to release it to you.
When however I am called to judge and to share in love a truth with
someone faltering, then give me courage and discernment to approach wisely the
topic and send your Spirit ahead of me to prepare their heart. When I pray and as I live Lord, may I always
seek your will ahead of my own. Nay, I
pray instead Father that my will be your own.
Change me so that I see through your eyes and walk where you want me to
and do as you wish and speak how you spoke as you through your Son walked this
earth. May I love boldly by your great
work in me. Help me my Lord to remember
this “golden rule” of doing unto others as I would have them do unto me. Give me grace to serve your infinitely better
than I have. In Jesus’ name.
03-12-12 "Moral Excellence (A)" Philippians 4:1-9
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This is the youngest of my 4 children. Just a few moments after birth. Her name is Faith. She turns 1 in 14 days. I remember how it felt to hold her. It's something I could never explain though.
The passage I read
was Philippians 4:1-9
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
8 Finally,
brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
As I reflect:
Paul starts off with
“therefore”. This indicates a
continuance of previous thought. The end
of the last chapter discussed our looking forward to our Savior’s return and
entering into our eternal citizenship in Heaven. Paul says therefore, stand firm in the Lord… This is a wonderful encouragement. He is coming back so stand firm.
Paul goes on to
plead with 2 women who had some sort of
large disagreement to make up. He tells
them to be of one mind. This is no
different for us in Christ. We ought to
be of one mind. If I and my brother are
both focused on Christ, His return, our citizenship as eternal brothers in
Heaven, then our arguments become meaningless. We can hold no grudge against each other in
this light. We ought to not only love
each other but help others to do the same. Remember your name is in the book of life…Along
with your brothers and sisters in faith.
Verse 4 is a command
to rejoice always in the Lord. Verse 5
says to be gentle and to let it be seen.
Paul reminds us also in this verse that “the Lord is near”. What a great reason to rejoice. This may seem a separate topic from the above
arguing women, but in fact it is one fluent topic. It is a discussion of our moral integrity and
united focus on our returning Savior. It
is a uniting thought that ought to cause us all to rejoice and (continuing in
verse 6) be anxious for nothing. Think
about that. I mean we get the distinct privilege
and honor to come before God and speak, knowing that He hears us, considers our
requests, and responds. This alone
should be cause for no anxiety. How
wonderful to rely on the most trustworthy being in existence and know that you
are His beloved child. Rejoice and know
that you can make your requests known to the Lord. Make your request known with thanksgiving and
be patient in your petition. This is not
a time to make demands or wishes, but a time to humbly be allowed into the
presence of the Most High to lay your burdens down. Be thankful for the opportunity and the many
wonders He does in your life. Do this
and receive the peace of God which passes all understanding. This peace is a study all of its own.
Indescribable but completely obtainable by
each and every believer who comes before the Lord. It’s like trying to explain the first moment
you ever held your child to a person who has never had children. It is completely beyond their ability to
understand if they haven’t experienced it for themselves. This is like the peace that God offers. For those who have experienced this place or
often do as they seek the Lord, it cannot be explained to a non-believer. It must be experienced firsthand.
As Paul wraps up the
message he lays out the mindset and the things that a Christian ought to
meditate on. Whatever is true, noble,
right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy, we ought to
meditate on these things. This goes back
to the beginning of the passage in that as believers focused on and meditating
on these things, our disagreements really can’t get out of hand as the 2 women
Paul spoke of. Again, if our minds are
where they should be and every thought captive for Christ, then it is
incredibly difficult to find ourselves so unjustly angry at and separated from
a fellow believer.
Paul wraps up with
an incredibly bold statement. It’s not
the first time he has said it either. “Whatever
you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into
practice. And the God of peace will be
with you.” Wow Paul! That’s confidence in the example you are
setting. I gotta admit I don’t have that
same confidence in my walk. I know my
imperfections far too well to tell you to do as I do. Rather, I encourage you reader be you saved
or know you nothing of my Father, when you see me do or say something and you
are curious to know if it is right or fitting for a man of God to do or say so,
then by all means get your Bible, grab a concordance, pull up a library of commentaries, and pray to
the All Knowing God that He would reveal to you truth and guide you in
understanding these great mysteries that we daily interpret and abide in by the
Spirit of our Most High. And if you find
me to be faltering in my steps, then I implore you to assist me in love.
My response to the
Lord:
Lord, who is higher than you? Who can stand among the Heavens and hold the
Earth at such a distant view and yet fill every atom of its existence? Who can write the mysteries of our existence
and guide our paths? My Father, I am
nothing without you. I need even you
power in me to simply control how I treat or look at other believers. I cannot even, think; breathe without you
giving me my next breath. Everything in
me that is good comes from you Father. I
feel so human; so inescapably mortal. I
consider whom I advise by the wisdom you have given and then look at my life
and see the great failures and sins I have committed. I have sinned in anger against brethren. How many times oh Lord will I be able to fall
at your feet and again confess my mortal need for your immortality to cleanse
me? How many times My King will you lay
your hands on my head and forgive me?
Your mercy is new on me every day and though wrath is my just deserves,
you give me grace; abundantly you give.
I find myself again making yet another petition known before you,
knowing you already know my request. My
King, make me more like you. Fill me
with your Spirit. In the mighty name of
Jesus… Fill me Lord.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
03-12-12 "Moral Excellence (A)" 1 Peter 2:4-12
The passage I read
was 1 Peter 2:4-12
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
12 Live
such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong,
they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
As I reflect:
My reflection on
this passage is a fairly simple one. It
is based on a building. When any
building is built, there must be a foundation and if that foundation is not
strong or is laid crooked, It will become as evident in that building as it is
in the leaning tower of Pisa. For us the
Cornerstone is Christ and if we are in fact built upon that cornerstone, then
it ought to be evident in the building itself that it’s cornerstone is Jesus,
the designer is The Father, and that the supporting structure is the Holy
Spirit. What we do and do not do; how we
live or don’t live; what we say and don’t say; even how we think are all based
on the cornerstone and the work of God in our lives. We ought to think, live, speak in such a way
that it is evident to all others that we are a holy possession of God who has
been pulled out of darkness and into his wonderful light. Peter urges us as I also urge you to abstain
from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that,
though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify
God on the day he visits us.
My response to the
Lord:
My Lord, I know that my foundation is solid. Very precious to me is the rock upon which I
have been built. May I glorify you in
every way. Lord lead me not into
temptation, but deliver me from that evil which wages war against me. Build me up strong that I will not fall when
life’s storms come. Father, use me as is
best for your will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. In the name of your Son Jesus I pray.
Monday, March 12, 2012
03-12-12 "Moral Excellence (A)" 2 Peter 1:3-11
The passage I read
was 2 Peter 1:3-11
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
8 For
if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from
being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As I reflect:
When I explained
this to my family, we used marriage as the example. I explained that when me and my wife married
some things began to change right away and other things changed with time. We immediately confirmed our marriage to one
another and have not since ceased to show by action our love for one another. We have grown to know each other’s weaknesses
and strengths. We know each other’s
favorite colors, foods, activities. We
share a common love for each other, our kids, extended family, friends, and
even strangers as we walk through this life hand in hand. There is evidence of our marriage. We don’t need to carry our marriage license
around with us to prove that we are married.
The way we treat each other in action and word speaks more volume to
prove our marriage to one another than any paper ever could. I asked how many people would believe that we
were married if we told them we were married but they never met our spouse. What if they never heard me speak well of my
wife, saw my love for her in my actions and instead saw me with other women on
a regular basis living in a way that would be displeasing to any wife. Obviously my actions would prove that I hadn’t
a wife at all despite my words to the opposite. This is part of the point I get out of this
passage.
We Christians and
Messianic Jews are a saved people by our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. We believe that He took our punishment and
place on the cross and died for our sins.
But it is important to also remember that He rose from the grave to give
us also resurrection power over our old selves.
Too often a person claims salvation because they have faith in what
Jesus did, but then they live in such a way that directly contradicts the idea
of them being saved from anything at all.
They disclose by action that they are very much the same person now as
they were pre salvation. There is no
evidence of a relationship with God. No
conviction, growth, understanding, or love to prove that they are the bride of
Christ. Verse 5 – 7 are just some of the
characteristics that by the power of Christ in one’s life ought to be displayed
and also deeply rooted in the believer. These
are some of the evidence of our faith.
In verse 9 Peter defines a person without these qualities as nearsighted
and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. In verse 10, he goes on to encourage us to
therefore make every effort to confirm our calling and election. He says doing these things will keep us from
stumbling.
For me in my
relationship with my wife, I sometimes make mistakes. When I make them, I am usually immediately
aware that a mistake has been made because it is so obviously out of the normal
communication and relationship I have come to cherish so greatly between
us. It is likewise with my God; my
Groom, that I sometimes also make mistakes in that relationship. Thankfully, He (like my wife) is forgiving
and continues to love me despite my lack of worthiness for His love. I daily have to remind myself in everything
to make every effort to confirm my relationship with Christ by my words and
deeds that my faith may be proven true as it affects my life and the lives of
those around me. Every morning I ask God
for His renewed strength to help me through the day. For it is surely an impossible task without
Him.
My response to the
Lord:
Lord I pray you daily continue to add to my faith goodness,
knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and
love. I know there is still much room
for more of these and it is painfully evident in my every mistake. Father forgive me when I fall and by your
power lift me back up and walk with me still.
Thank you for your great and precious promises; for allowing me to
participate in your divine nature; for delivering me from corruption. I trust you to continue your wonderful work
in me Lord. In Jesus’ name.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
02-27-12 "What it means to represent/reflect Christ" 1 Peter 2:9-16
The passage I read
was 1 Peter 2:9-16
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
15 For
it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of
foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not
use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
As I reflect:
So on day one I
looked at relying on Christ as the first necessity of representing Christ. The next day I looked at how we are changed
by our reliance on Christ and we no longer value the things of the old mane but
consider them lost. Today I read about
being set apart as a result of the change.
Peter begins this
passage by defining his audience. He
defines them as God defines us. We are a
royal priesthood, chosen people, holy nation, and God’s special
possession. We are no longer of the
darkness of this world, for we are called into His wonderful light. We have received mercy. These are definitions that ought to be true
of every representative of Christ. If we
at any time find that we are acting as those in the darkness, then we have
deceived ourselves and His Spirit is not in us.
This is not to say that we are without sin. 1 John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without
sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us”. So Peter isn’t saying we are unsaved if we
sin. He is however saying that we must
walk in the light. This is a contrast of
those walking in the darkness. Though we
make mistakes, we are to be different and set apart by our beliefs, words, and
actions.
Peter continues to
define this separation of darkness and light by urging us to abstain from
sinful desires which wage war against our soul.
He isn’t in anyway condoning a person’s choice to stay in a sinful
lifestyle after receiving salvation from that same lifestyle. He is saying to abstain; to keep away
from. You see when we become born again,
we first repent before God. This means
not only a confession of sins, but an earnest desire to turn away from them and
never turn back. Peter is saying the
same thing when he says to abstain from sinful desires. Turn away from them and don’t look
back. He knows the importance of
abstaining from sin because he understands the spiritual warfare that
occurs. There is a constant battle for
your attention between good and evil.
This unseen fight is waged among fallen angels and the servants of God
who protect you day and night unseen.
Giving in to sin, is like walking across the enemy lines with your hands
behind your back and saying, “take me”, all the while God’s army fights for you
to stay in the light. In times when you
feel tempted beyond what you can bear, remember 1 Corinthians 10:13 and look
for the way out that God has provided. It is there, but you must seek it. This is part of representing and following
after Christ. Wage war on sin in your
life, because it has waged war on you.
We are then told in
similar fashion not only to abstain from sin but to do good. We are to live such good lives that it will
silence the ignorant talk of foolish and pagan people and many of them will be
freed unto salvation simply by seeing what salvation has done through you. We are told to do good deeds and I think far
too often Christians see this as only the major things, like feeding the poor
or donating time and energy to a ministry.
But Peter goes on to also define our representation of Christ as being a
people who obey the law of man. He says
we are to submit ourselves (for the Lord’s sake) to every human authority. This of course is referring to obedience to
the law and the government so long as that obedience doesn’t cause disobedience
to the Lord. This means that when you
are on your way to do that good deed at the soup kitchen, you shouldn’t be
speeding. It is against the law and it
shows your lack of self control to others as you wrongly represent Christ. It also means that when you are called to
jury duty and would rather be making more money at your own job, you don’t lie
or purposely attempt to get out of jury duty.
As a representative of Christ, you are to submit yourself also to jury
duty as the government calls you into this service. It
means that when you could loose your house if you are honest on a form, that
you are honest anyway. It means that if
you could gain more money or food stamps by lying on tax forms or assistance
applications, you are honest and trust the Lord instead. He is the one who told you to submit
yourselves to every human authority. It means
when you get pulled over and held accountable for being disobedient to the law,
you are respectful and apologetic for a wrong action and not in any way
disrespectful to the officer who pulls you over. I believe the overall point is that living
Godly lives in a pagan society doesn’t mean that we become liars, or
disrespectful or have any excuse to be lacking in self control, but rather that
we can represent Christ also in the way we vote, drive, fill out forms, do our
taxes, and respond to the many persons in authority over us.
Yes, I do serve a
Jewish Carpenter that is higher than any human authority here on earth. But my Boss has told me to be obedient to the
many bosses I have here on earth. My
obedience to them is thusly my obedience to Him.
Peter wraps up this
portion of the passage saying, “live as free people, but do not use your
freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.” This is as plain as plain can get. If you are in Christ, you do not continue in
sin and then justify it saying it’s ok because you are forgiven. We are changed and set apart. We are not of the darkness any longer. One can tell who your master is by the things
that you do. If you are constantly
breaking laws and living in such a way that you cannot be told apart from the
rest of the world, then odds are that your master is the same master that has
blinded the world to God. Instead, live
in such a way that people can tell that God is your master… Even when no one is
looking.
My response to the
Lord:
Lord, as I look over the reflection time I spent in your
word today, I am tempted to change many things written because I am also guilty
before you. There are moments when I too
feel that the law of this land is greatly unjust and I am disrespectful in
thought and in conversation with my wife about it. Forgive me Father. I know I am to submit to that authority and
trust in your sovereignty. I know that
you are their judge just as you are my judge and that they need grace just as I
need grace. I am no better of my own,
but because you have shown me grace I can see.
Forgive me for soo often forgetting.
Help me to love and have compassion for those I struggle against
judgment of. Lord thank you for always
providing a way out when times have been difficult in the past and we have been
told by others to just say this or that lie on a form to get more out of what
is already a generous offer undeserved.
You have always helped us to be integral in our representation of you in
this dark world. I pray you continue this work in us always that we not be
found doing wrong by our accusers. Lord
I give you our accusers and pray you show them our good deeds because of you in
our lives, and bring them unto repentance that they may glorify you. Thank you for your mercy Father. You be glorified by my response to this mercy
flowing in my life. Father you be
glorified. In the mighty name of
Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
02-27-12 "What it means to represent/reflect Christ" Philippians 3:7-21
The passage I read
was Philippians 3:7-21
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
13 Brothers
and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one
thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
As I reflect:
Yesterday I looked
at the starting point for representing Christ; recognizing our need for
Him. We can’t do it ourselves. We must rely on God. Today I started off looking at one of the
first things that change in many believers’ lives. It’s perception.
Once a person comes
to Christ, everything changes. For some,
it’s immediate. For others, it happens
over a lifetime. Both happened/are
happening in me. One of the things that
happened immediately to me was that I counted all I used to be as completely
lost and I held on tightly to the Christ.
It was no small change in me.
Overnight, I became a new person with new values. I no longer wanted to do the things I had
done up to that point and even my very way of thinking was changed. I wanted to live for Christ, no matter what it
meant changing or giving up. It wasn’t a
struggle to lay down who I was at His feet because I saw it as freedom from
this world’s bondage. It was exciting
and powerful. Since then there have
been many more changes. If someone told
me the word says “this” and it didn’t align with my life, then I would research
it, pray on it, and change my life to align to it. I didn’t do this to perform my way to
Heaven. I did it because anything in me
that is not what God wants in me doesn’t belong. I trust Him and His plan for my life and want
to throw out the garbage so there is more room for the characteristics He wants
to build up in me. There is no fighting
against Him on this. He says, “get rid
of that and let me put this in you instead so I can better use you.” And I happily
reply, “yes sir!” What reason would I
have to respond any differently? Didn’t
my way lead me to hell? Doesn’t His way
lead to life? This is the way I thought
the experience of entering into a relationship with God ought to be. But I don’t see that in everyone that comes
to Christ.
There are many who
come joyfully and thankfully to Christ but then immediately start resisting His
work in them. He wants them to listen to
things that glorify His name and encourage them in this relationship, but often
I see Christians holding on to and willing to fight for their secular music…
Why not count it garbage that you may gain Christ? The King calls them to speak in a patient and
loving manner keeping all which is perverse from their lips. But far too often I see Christians defending
their foul language and jokes saying, “God accepts me the way I am.” Well, that’s true, but after He accepts you,
He molds you. Why not lay down the filth
of the world and take up Christ, having a righteousness that comes from
faith? Why hold on to the way we
were? Don’t we consider it garbage to
continue in the same ways that were leading us down a path to hell? We can participate in the death and
resurrection of Christ by dying to our old selves and being born again. This is the exciting news of the Gospel and
yet so many who profess faith in Christ are in a constant battle to keep from
losing the old man. The old man is
garbage I say. Throw him away and take
hold of Christ. Be born again. Allow Him to make you new.
Paul humbly admits
that he hasn’t yet obtained that which he speaks of. A wise statement for him to make and I will
here say the same. For at no point in
our walk should we feel as though we have reached a place where we no longer
require growth and molding. God’s chisel
won’t be set down till we are complete. Paul
says he presses on toward the goal to win the prize. I picture a race and in this particular race
there are some who show up just to cheer on others. To them I say, “Get in the race! You can’t win without entering.” Then there are those who show up to the
starting line, take one step over, stop, and then turn around and admire where
they came from. To them I say, “Run!! You must run the race!” There are those still that begin running and
refuse to reach out for any of the drinks held out from the sidelines or
coaches. They quickly become fatigued and eventually stop running all together
because it’s just too hard. To them I
say, “Take the help. You can’t do it
alone. I know it’s hard but run with me
and let’s hold each other up.” The
analogies could go on and on. I love
that Paul chose running a race to convey the message. You must press on toward the goal to win the
prize. This means never becoming
content with your walk saying that you have been changed enough or witness
enough or study enough or pray enough or have a close enough relationship with
Christ. Keep growing, keep praying, keep
witnessing, keep studying, keep running the race. We aren’t finished yet.
In verse 17 Paul
says to keep your eyes on those who live as Paul and the others who disciple
after Christ and share the Gospel do. I
have mentors who follow God the way the Bible instructs us to. They know me and I know them so that we might
hold each other up in the race and point out hazards to one another. If you don’t have a mentor, find one who
authentically represents Christ and ask them for their help. In requiring them to lift you up, you also
help them to make sure they too are on the right path. Then both of you together can keep your
identity in Christ, your eyes homeward bound on Heaven, and eagerly await Our
Savior who will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his
glorious body. (v21)
So to summarize,
once we have come to a realization of our need for Christ and we have become
reliant on Him, we must then also count all lost for the sake of taking a hold
of that which He has in store for us.
Keep our eyes forward and run the race, holding each other up and
pulling the bystanders in to run also with us.
Count the old a loss and let it go.
Become new. Accept your new
citizenship in Heaven and identity in Christ.
Be changed.
My response to the
Lord:
My Savior I thank you for all you have done and are doing
through your Holy Spirit here with me. I
am truly not the man I used to be.
Please continue the work you have begun in me and help me to run this race. Use me to help others along the way as well,
that none should be left behind. Help me
help them. Give me eyes to see and ears
to hear that I may better do your will.
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