“For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Titus 3:3-7
Harry Houdini was a master escape artist. Tied by chains and ropes and placed in confining quarters, he could be counted on to free himself from his predicaments. One day Houdini did not escape - but died.
Although the unbeliever may invent all kinds of escape devices to deal with his life on earth - drugs, vacations, riches, pleasures, good works - he never can escape eternal death. Born in sin and alienated from the Source of life, the Lord Jesus Christ, man is bound by the chains of death. All of his attempts to avoid the divine decree of eternal punishment are utterly futile.
There is only one path of escape from the judgement of everlasting separation from the God of the ages - personal faith in and reliance upon the Savior, Christ Jesus. The instant a person turns to Christ to forgive his sins, he has made the great escape from eternal death into eternal life. What an escape. From darkness to light. From despair to hope. From futility to meaning. From the domain of Satan to the kingdom of God (Col. 1:13-14).
Have you looked to Christ as your only escape from sin’s penalty of death? If not, run to the cross today - where Jesus shed His blood to pay for all of your sins - to receive your everlasting liberation.
“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men...” 1 Timothy 2:5
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Practical Obedience
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
John 14:15-21
Just before you leave the house for an overnight trip, your son hugs you and say, “I love you, Dad. Have a good trip.”
“I love you too, son. Don’t forget to clean out the garage like I told you, okay?”
“You bet, Dad.”
The next evening you arrive at the door. Your son greets you.
“We missed you, Dad. We love you so much.”
“I missed you too, son. It’s good to see you. Did you get the garage clean as I told you?”
The boy lowers his head. “No, sir.”
Loving God, while definitely a matter of the heart, is gauged ultimately by our obedience to Him. Words of praise and adoration are pleasing to the Father. But the practical test of our love for our Heavenly Father comes in whether or not we do what He asks.
Has God asked you to correct an area of disobedience in your life? Are you participating in an activity that he forbids in His Word? Are you living out the truths of the Scriptures by allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to express His life through you - by loving unconditionally, giving generously, serving others, providing Godly direction for you children? Loving God is emotional, but without practical obedience it is incomplete.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
John 14:15
John 14:15-21
Just before you leave the house for an overnight trip, your son hugs you and say, “I love you, Dad. Have a good trip.”
“I love you too, son. Don’t forget to clean out the garage like I told you, okay?”
“You bet, Dad.”
The next evening you arrive at the door. Your son greets you.
“We missed you, Dad. We love you so much.”
“I missed you too, son. It’s good to see you. Did you get the garage clean as I told you?”
The boy lowers his head. “No, sir.”
Loving God, while definitely a matter of the heart, is gauged ultimately by our obedience to Him. Words of praise and adoration are pleasing to the Father. But the practical test of our love for our Heavenly Father comes in whether or not we do what He asks.
Has God asked you to correct an area of disobedience in your life? Are you participating in an activity that he forbids in His Word? Are you living out the truths of the Scriptures by allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to express His life through you - by loving unconditionally, giving generously, serving others, providing Godly direction for you children? Loving God is emotional, but without practical obedience it is incomplete.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
John 14:15
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
With All Your Heart
But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40
Some people have problems with the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to love Him with all of their hearts, all of their souls, and all of their minds: “I do not like someone - even if that Someone is God - commanding me to love them. I want my love to come freely.” Such a reservation melts when we consider why God sets the commandment of love above all others. As we allow the Holy Spirit to love Him through us, we love God with all of our strength because He is worthy of our devotion.
The Lord created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them - including us (Gen. 1:1; 2:7, 22). Christ has saved us from eternal destruction. He supplies all of our needs (Phil. 4:19). Christ Jesus died and rose again - for you and me. Understanding God’s majesty and glory is the wellspring of our love. He has done so much for us. How can we not love such a One?
We also love God with all of hearts because He knows that devotion given to any other person or thing besides Himself is harmful. God created us for Himself. When our highest and noblest love is directed to something or someone else, we have been seduced into treachery. Loving God frees us from competing idols which only enslave us.
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good...” Psalm 107:1
Some people have problems with the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to love Him with all of their hearts, all of their souls, and all of their minds: “I do not like someone - even if that Someone is God - commanding me to love them. I want my love to come freely.” Such a reservation melts when we consider why God sets the commandment of love above all others. As we allow the Holy Spirit to love Him through us, we love God with all of our strength because He is worthy of our devotion.
The Lord created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them - including us (Gen. 1:1; 2:7, 22). Christ has saved us from eternal destruction. He supplies all of our needs (Phil. 4:19). Christ Jesus died and rose again - for you and me. Understanding God’s majesty and glory is the wellspring of our love. He has done so much for us. How can we not love such a One?
We also love God with all of hearts because He knows that devotion given to any other person or thing besides Himself is harmful. God created us for Himself. When our highest and noblest love is directed to something or someone else, we have been seduced into treachery. Loving God frees us from competing idols which only enslave us.
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good...” Psalm 107:1
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Intimacy of Prayer
“Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:22-23
What does it mean to be intimate with God? The believer who lives close to the Father’s heart is free to express his feelings to Him. You don’t not have to be uptight with God. He knew every detail of your life the moment He created you. When you were saved, the Lord Jesus Christ understood all of your past failures and hangups and your future struggles.
Because you are now His child for all eternity, you can be completely honest with Him. You can pour out your hurts, your anger, your disappointments, your secrets, and your dreams to the Lord. He will never reject you (Heb. 13:5). You can never turn away His steadfast love.
There will be times when you do not understand what God is up to in your life. God’s presence may seem distant. Because you have God’s assurance of His presence and because of His unceasing activity on your behalf, you can still cling to Him because of His love for you. Refuse the advances of competing lovers - many, fame, power - and deny doubt and unbelief.
Have you that kind of intimacy with God so that the Father is your most adored Friend? Does your unswerving allegiance belong to Him? If not, confess your need for such a relationship and let Him gather you into His waiting arms.
“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him...” Psalm 145:18
What does it mean to be intimate with God? The believer who lives close to the Father’s heart is free to express his feelings to Him. You don’t not have to be uptight with God. He knew every detail of your life the moment He created you. When you were saved, the Lord Jesus Christ understood all of your past failures and hangups and your future struggles.
Because you are now His child for all eternity, you can be completely honest with Him. You can pour out your hurts, your anger, your disappointments, your secrets, and your dreams to the Lord. He will never reject you (Heb. 13:5). You can never turn away His steadfast love.
There will be times when you do not understand what God is up to in your life. God’s presence may seem distant. Because you have God’s assurance of His presence and because of His unceasing activity on your behalf, you can still cling to Him because of His love for you. Refuse the advances of competing lovers - many, fame, power - and deny doubt and unbelief.
Have you that kind of intimacy with God so that the Father is your most adored Friend? Does your unswerving allegiance belong to Him? If not, confess your need for such a relationship and let Him gather you into His waiting arms.
“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him...” Psalm 145:18
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Ultimate Purpose of Prayer
“Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my groaning.
Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
for to You I pray.
In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”
Psalm 5:1-3
The goal of a married couple is not just to stay married but to develop a personal intimacy that touches body, soul, and spirit. Likewise, the goal of a believer is not just to be a Christian but to cultivate an intimate, devoted relationship with our Heavenly Father. In both instances honest, sincere, and consistent communication is the key to such oneness and nearness. For the Christian, that process is experienced through a deepening, growing, expanding prayer life.
God’s goal in prayer is not just to answer our petitions or hear our complaints or solve our problems. Although He does address each of these needs, they are only a part of our Lord Jesus Christ’s ultimate purpose in prayer - oneness and union with Him.
God wants you to know Him; to enjoy Him; to live continually in the light of His favor, wisdom, and truth. He desires a genuine relationship with you, His child. Daily, abiding prayer is the spiritual closet where you and the Father are drawn into a personal intimacy in which God’s love for you and your love for Him become the bedrock of your faith.
If you have not done it already - starting this month, make it your goal to know God intimately. Then watch your prayer life move into a new dimension.
“You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” -John Bunyan
consider my groaning.
Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
for to You I pray.
In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”
Psalm 5:1-3
The goal of a married couple is not just to stay married but to develop a personal intimacy that touches body, soul, and spirit. Likewise, the goal of a believer is not just to be a Christian but to cultivate an intimate, devoted relationship with our Heavenly Father. In both instances honest, sincere, and consistent communication is the key to such oneness and nearness. For the Christian, that process is experienced through a deepening, growing, expanding prayer life.
God’s goal in prayer is not just to answer our petitions or hear our complaints or solve our problems. Although He does address each of these needs, they are only a part of our Lord Jesus Christ’s ultimate purpose in prayer - oneness and union with Him.
God wants you to know Him; to enjoy Him; to live continually in the light of His favor, wisdom, and truth. He desires a genuine relationship with you, His child. Daily, abiding prayer is the spiritual closet where you and the Father are drawn into a personal intimacy in which God’s love for you and your love for Him become the bedrock of your faith.
If you have not done it already - starting this month, make it your goal to know God intimately. Then watch your prayer life move into a new dimension.
“You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” -John Bunyan
Sunday, April 24, 2011
He is Risen!
“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.’ So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.
And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
So the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”’ Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and that He had said these things to her.” John 20:1-18
He is Risen, Indeed!!!
And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
So the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”’ Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and that He had said these things to her.” John 20:1-18
He is Risen, Indeed!!!
Friday, April 22, 2011
God is For Us!
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Just as it is written,
‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.’
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39
Not only is God’s Spirit in us but also God is for us. There is amazing power and freedom in knowing that Almighty God is now on our side. Have you ever blown your marriage due to immorality? If you are a believer, God is still for you. Have you backed off from your commitment to God? Have you ignored His counsel, refused His direction? As staggering as it seems, God is still for you. Here’s why. When Christ died, God’s judgement was fully executed on His Son. His wrath against sin was vented.
God’s love is steadfast for those who receive the gift of eternal life by faith in Christ Jesus. You may sin and rebel, but His love for you does not change. Yes, He will discipline you; yes, He will chastise you if necessary. But all correction is filtered through His loyal, blessed love.
God is for you, not against you. Because of the cross, you can abide in His presence permanently and experience His love by personal faith in Jesus Christ. Paul declared that nothing can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).
“...If God is for us, who is against us?” Romans 8:31
Just as it is written,
‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.’
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39
Not only is God’s Spirit in us but also God is for us. There is amazing power and freedom in knowing that Almighty God is now on our side. Have you ever blown your marriage due to immorality? If you are a believer, God is still for you. Have you backed off from your commitment to God? Have you ignored His counsel, refused His direction? As staggering as it seems, God is still for you. Here’s why. When Christ died, God’s judgement was fully executed on His Son. His wrath against sin was vented.
God’s love is steadfast for those who receive the gift of eternal life by faith in Christ Jesus. You may sin and rebel, but His love for you does not change. Yes, He will discipline you; yes, He will chastise you if necessary. But all correction is filtered through His loyal, blessed love.
God is for you, not against you. Because of the cross, you can abide in His presence permanently and experience His love by personal faith in Jesus Christ. Paul declared that nothing can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).
“...If God is for us, who is against us?” Romans 8:31
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Faith Brings the Victory
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4-5
The cross of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s plan for salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. That is why the Lord Jesus Christ cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) as He drew His final breath on Golgotha. Prophecy was fulfilled; redemption was accomplished.
Also the cross is the keystone for individual destiny and deliverance. Man’s eternal state rests on his acceptance or rejection of God’s redemptive work on Calvary. There his sins were forgiven because God’s Son was sacrificed in our stead and on our behalf.
There our sin nature was judged and rendered powerless; and our archenemy, Satan, was defeated. God death with the old man by crucifying him with Christ so that we may enjoy a new quality of life.
We experience the transforming power of the cross when our faith is anchored in its truth. By faith in Jesus, we are saved from eternal death and delivered from sin’s domain. We overcome all obstacles, all barriers, all habits, all circumstances by total reliance on the conquering Christ Who shattered sin’s penalty and power on Calvary. Christ’s cross secured it all.
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13
The cross of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s plan for salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. That is why the Lord Jesus Christ cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) as He drew His final breath on Golgotha. Prophecy was fulfilled; redemption was accomplished.
Also the cross is the keystone for individual destiny and deliverance. Man’s eternal state rests on his acceptance or rejection of God’s redemptive work on Calvary. There his sins were forgiven because God’s Son was sacrificed in our stead and on our behalf.
There our sin nature was judged and rendered powerless; and our archenemy, Satan, was defeated. God death with the old man by crucifying him with Christ so that we may enjoy a new quality of life.
We experience the transforming power of the cross when our faith is anchored in its truth. By faith in Jesus, we are saved from eternal death and delivered from sin’s domain. We overcome all obstacles, all barriers, all habits, all circumstances by total reliance on the conquering Christ Who shattered sin’s penalty and power on Calvary. Christ’s cross secured it all.
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
What He is Doing...
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
English author and pastor John R.W. Stott explains the Spirit-controlled life in his book Basic Christianity:
“The more we make a habit of denying the flesh (because of our co-crucifixion) and obeying the Spirit, the more our ugly works of the flesh will disappear and the lovely fruit of the Spirit will take their place...It is by the Spirit of Christ that we can be transformed into the image of Christ as we look steadfastly towards Him. We, thus, have our part to play in repentance, faith, and discipline; but...holiness is the work of the Holy Spirit.
William Temple used to illustrate the point this way: ‘It is not good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear and telling me to write a play like that. Shakespeare could do it; I can’t. And it is not good showing me the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life like that. Jesus could do it; I can’t But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live in me, then I could write plays like that . And if the Spirit of Jesus could come and live in me, then I could live a life like that. It is not that we should strive to be like Jesus but that He by His Spirit should come and live in us.’”
“For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” Galatians 6:15
English author and pastor John R.W. Stott explains the Spirit-controlled life in his book Basic Christianity:
“The more we make a habit of denying the flesh (because of our co-crucifixion) and obeying the Spirit, the more our ugly works of the flesh will disappear and the lovely fruit of the Spirit will take their place...It is by the Spirit of Christ that we can be transformed into the image of Christ as we look steadfastly towards Him. We, thus, have our part to play in repentance, faith, and discipline; but...holiness is the work of the Holy Spirit.
William Temple used to illustrate the point this way: ‘It is not good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear and telling me to write a play like that. Shakespeare could do it; I can’t. And it is not good showing me the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life like that. Jesus could do it; I can’t But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live in me, then I could write plays like that . And if the Spirit of Jesus could come and live in me, then I could live a life like that. It is not that we should strive to be like Jesus but that He by His Spirit should come and live in us.’”
“For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” Galatians 6:15
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Our Victory in Christ
“For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.” Galatians 2:19-20
Here is the essence of the crucified life - we can win over sin because we are joined inseparably to the Lord Jesus Christ Who has conquered sin. Paul wrote that he wanted to know Christ in “the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). He desired to experience the indwelling resurrection power of Jesus Christ day by day.
For the Christian, that possibility is a reality through our indivisible union with the risen Christ. That is precisely why the Christian life is a victorious one. We win, not through undying struggle, but by submission to and reliance upon the triumphant Spirit of God in us. Jesus is our Lord; His Spirit lives within us. We have been freed from the dominion of sin (not from its temptation or presence) and made a part of the kingdom of God.
Our part is determined obedience. Victory is ours when we rely on the Holy Spirit. It may not come instantly, but it will come if we walk with Christ in His power. The Christian life can be an abundant one as we shift our focus from self-effort to the all-conquering might of Christ Jesus within Who is our hope and our victory.
“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross...” Galatians 6:14
Here is the essence of the crucified life - we can win over sin because we are joined inseparably to the Lord Jesus Christ Who has conquered sin. Paul wrote that he wanted to know Christ in “the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). He desired to experience the indwelling resurrection power of Jesus Christ day by day.
For the Christian, that possibility is a reality through our indivisible union with the risen Christ. That is precisely why the Christian life is a victorious one. We win, not through undying struggle, but by submission to and reliance upon the triumphant Spirit of God in us. Jesus is our Lord; His Spirit lives within us. We have been freed from the dominion of sin (not from its temptation or presence) and made a part of the kingdom of God.
Our part is determined obedience. Victory is ours when we rely on the Holy Spirit. It may not come instantly, but it will come if we walk with Christ in His power. The Christian life can be an abundant one as we shift our focus from self-effort to the all-conquering might of Christ Jesus within Who is our hope and our victory.
“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross...” Galatians 6:14
Monday, April 18, 2011
Living the Crucified Life
“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” Romans 7:4-6
Before salvation, you were captive to the sin of envy - wanting what you could not have, desiring what others had. After salvation, you still experience the same problem; but you are all the more miserable because you realize God condemns the sin of covetousness.
The path to victory lies in the purpose and work of the cross. Because you were crucified with Christ, you are no longer enslaved to sin. Envy has no claim on your new life which is lived in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
You have been raised with Christ - made a partaker of His resurrection power. By faith in what God accomplished by the cross, you can put on the new man - alive to God, filled with the Spirit, made in the image of God.
Living the crucified life is a bold act of faith. You may feel envious and be mentally assaulted by it. But now with Christ in you and you in Christ, you have a new source of power to cope with the problem. You can overcome; you can conquer; you can be content. It is supernatural living - to be experienced, not understood, as you choose to present yourself and your affections to Christ each day as one alive from the dead.
“...so that we serve in newness of the Spirit...” Romans 7:6
Before salvation, you were captive to the sin of envy - wanting what you could not have, desiring what others had. After salvation, you still experience the same problem; but you are all the more miserable because you realize God condemns the sin of covetousness.
The path to victory lies in the purpose and work of the cross. Because you were crucified with Christ, you are no longer enslaved to sin. Envy has no claim on your new life which is lived in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
You have been raised with Christ - made a partaker of His resurrection power. By faith in what God accomplished by the cross, you can put on the new man - alive to God, filled with the Spirit, made in the image of God.
Living the crucified life is a bold act of faith. You may feel envious and be mentally assaulted by it. But now with Christ in you and you in Christ, you have a new source of power to cope with the problem. You can overcome; you can conquer; you can be content. It is supernatural living - to be experienced, not understood, as you choose to present yourself and your affections to Christ each day as one alive from the dead.
“...so that we serve in newness of the Spirit...” Romans 7:6
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Alive to God in Christ
“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:4-14
The cross is further removed from a purely historical perspective when we realize that we too are involved in its ageless liberation. The Apostle Paul informs us that by God’s unfathomable working we were included in the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. We have been crucified, buried, and raised with Christ. Through faith in Christ Jesus, we have died to sin and been joined with Him to become “a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17).
This concept is difficult to understand. Perhaps this analogy with help: Think of a book mailed to Europe. Inside the book is a 3 x 5 photograph. Wherever the book is sent, the photograph goes also. God placed us in Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. What happened to Jesus also has happened in us.
Daily the believer is told to “reckon” or “consider” himself (count it as so) “to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). We can do so only because of our union with Christ. His death to sin is ours, and His life with the Father is ours. The cross is the means to an entirely new way of living - now and forever.
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25
The cross is further removed from a purely historical perspective when we realize that we too are involved in its ageless liberation. The Apostle Paul informs us that by God’s unfathomable working we were included in the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. We have been crucified, buried, and raised with Christ. Through faith in Christ Jesus, we have died to sin and been joined with Him to become “a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17).
This concept is difficult to understand. Perhaps this analogy with help: Think of a book mailed to Europe. Inside the book is a 3 x 5 photograph. Wherever the book is sent, the photograph goes also. God placed us in Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. What happened to Jesus also has happened in us.
Daily the believer is told to “reckon” or “consider” himself (count it as so) “to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). We can do so only because of our union with Christ. His death to sin is ours, and His life with the Father is ours. The cross is the means to an entirely new way of living - now and forever.
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25
Friday, April 15, 2011
It is the Who that Matters
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
The cross of Christ appears unimportant to many cultures today mainly because of the time of its occurrence. “How could the death of a Jewish carpenter on a Roman cross two thousand years ago effect my life today?” This reasoning confuses the significance of the cross.
When Christ died is not the central issue. In God’s timing He was crucified about A.D. 30, but He could have died in 100 B.C. or in 1943 - had the Father so purposed.
How Christ died is not the essential meaning either. He died on a cross, but had God desired, His Son could have died another way.
The timeless meaning of the cross is that Christ, the Son of God, died there. Only God Himself was qualified to be a man’s substitute on Calvary. It was Who was executed that is significant. God in the flesh, Jesus the Messiah, was the single, sinless sacrifice Who could bear our sins.
The death and resurrection of God’s only Son made fellowship with the Father possible again. Jesus did not have to suffer - but he had to die, for death was the penalty for sin. The cross is relevant for every man, woman, and child in every age because there the eternal God died on our behalf so that we might receive His gift of everlasting life.
“...offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” Hebrews 10:12
The cross of Christ appears unimportant to many cultures today mainly because of the time of its occurrence. “How could the death of a Jewish carpenter on a Roman cross two thousand years ago effect my life today?” This reasoning confuses the significance of the cross.
When Christ died is not the central issue. In God’s timing He was crucified about A.D. 30, but He could have died in 100 B.C. or in 1943 - had the Father so purposed.
How Christ died is not the essential meaning either. He died on a cross, but had God desired, His Son could have died another way.
The timeless meaning of the cross is that Christ, the Son of God, died there. Only God Himself was qualified to be a man’s substitute on Calvary. It was Who was executed that is significant. God in the flesh, Jesus the Messiah, was the single, sinless sacrifice Who could bear our sins.
The death and resurrection of God’s only Son made fellowship with the Father possible again. Jesus did not have to suffer - but he had to die, for death was the penalty for sin. The cross is relevant for every man, woman, and child in every age because there the eternal God died on our behalf so that we might receive His gift of everlasting life.
“...offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” Hebrews 10:12
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Cross is the Center of Our Faith
“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Modern man scorns the contemporary relevance of the cross, assailing its intellectual virtue. Despite man’s skepticism and ridicule, the very core of the Christian faith is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. A large part of the four Gospels pertains to the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion.
The cross is the central truth of both Christian doctrine and experience. In the words of Paul, the crucified Christ is both “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). The cross is God’s power and wisdom because it is the only means by which sinful man can be reconciled to holy God. Because God became flesh, He could die as our substitute, bearing the divinely decreed penalty of sin.
Through the cross, the wrath of God the Father was spent on His Son. Through the cross, the love of God is freely extended to repentant men and women who, embracing Christ and His work, may receive the gift of eternal life, that is, Jesus.
Is the cross of Christ the center of your faith? There is no other way to God except through the cross.
“...having made peace through the blood of His cross...” Colossians 1:20
Modern man scorns the contemporary relevance of the cross, assailing its intellectual virtue. Despite man’s skepticism and ridicule, the very core of the Christian faith is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. A large part of the four Gospels pertains to the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion.
The cross is the central truth of both Christian doctrine and experience. In the words of Paul, the crucified Christ is both “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). The cross is God’s power and wisdom because it is the only means by which sinful man can be reconciled to holy God. Because God became flesh, He could die as our substitute, bearing the divinely decreed penalty of sin.
Through the cross, the wrath of God the Father was spent on His Son. Through the cross, the love of God is freely extended to repentant men and women who, embracing Christ and His work, may receive the gift of eternal life, that is, Jesus.
Is the cross of Christ the center of your faith? There is no other way to God except through the cross.
“...having made peace through the blood of His cross...” Colossians 1:20
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Orderly Nehemiah
“They said to me, ‘The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.’ When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
Nehemiah 1:3-4
“And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.’ Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, ‘Let the king live forever Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What would you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. I said to the king, ‘If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it.’ Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, ‘How long will your journey be, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.” Nehemiah 2:1-6
Sociological studies show that despite increased leisure time Americans feel more pressured than ever. With increased freedoms and opportunities come more choices; with more choices, more decisions are required. The key to living an orderly life in the midst of such frenzy is an established prayer life in which we can present our needs and agenda to our all-wise God. Nehemiah understood this foundational principle.
When he heard the news of Jerusalem’s plight, he did not organize a rescue squad immediately or launch a new organization. Nehemiah’s response was to pray: “I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (Neh. 1:4). For four long months, Nehemiah interceded on Jerusalem’s behalf, asking God for direction and wisdom. Then when the time came to petition King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah’s request was granted miraculously (Neh. 2:1-6).
Order in our lives begins with the rule of the Holy Spirit and the outworking of God’s plan. The discernment to implement His plan comes as we spend time in fervent prayer, seeking His mind and purposes.
“...He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray...” Matthew 14:23
Nehemiah 1:3-4
“And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.’ Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, ‘Let the king live forever Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What would you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. I said to the king, ‘If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it.’ Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, ‘How long will your journey be, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.” Nehemiah 2:1-6
Sociological studies show that despite increased leisure time Americans feel more pressured than ever. With increased freedoms and opportunities come more choices; with more choices, more decisions are required. The key to living an orderly life in the midst of such frenzy is an established prayer life in which we can present our needs and agenda to our all-wise God. Nehemiah understood this foundational principle.
When he heard the news of Jerusalem’s plight, he did not organize a rescue squad immediately or launch a new organization. Nehemiah’s response was to pray: “I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (Neh. 1:4). For four long months, Nehemiah interceded on Jerusalem’s behalf, asking God for direction and wisdom. Then when the time came to petition King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah’s request was granted miraculously (Neh. 2:1-6).
Order in our lives begins with the rule of the Holy Spirit and the outworking of God’s plan. The discernment to implement His plan comes as we spend time in fervent prayer, seeking His mind and purposes.
“...He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray...” Matthew 14:23
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
More Than God Intended
Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each man at the doorway of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased. So Moses said to the LORD, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”
The LORD therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone.”
Numbers 11:10-17
Responsibility is a double-edged sword. Once we learn God’s priority on faithfulness and diligence, we can abuse the principle when faced with larger challenges.
Moses encountered that problem. He proved his reliability in the desert and the exodus from Egypt but almost buckled under the load. Like many of us, Moses had assumed more than his share of the burden in seeking to lead the several million Israelites. He cried out to the Lord: “I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me” (Num. 11:14).
When we assume more responsibility than God intended, we live on an emotional and physical edge. Like Moses, there comes a time when we realize that we must share with others certain responsibilities which the Lord has entrusted to us. You are responsible before God for specific areas - family, work, ministry. Trouble can come when you attempt to handle more than your sphere of responsibility. You cannot save the world; but you can reach your family, friends, and neighborhood.
If you are overextended, ask God for wisdom either to delegate or shift your priorities. Your effectiveness will be greatly enhanced.
“But we will not boast beyond our measure...”
2 Corinthians 10:13
The LORD therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone.”
Numbers 11:10-17
Responsibility is a double-edged sword. Once we learn God’s priority on faithfulness and diligence, we can abuse the principle when faced with larger challenges.
Moses encountered that problem. He proved his reliability in the desert and the exodus from Egypt but almost buckled under the load. Like many of us, Moses had assumed more than his share of the burden in seeking to lead the several million Israelites. He cried out to the Lord: “I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me” (Num. 11:14).
When we assume more responsibility than God intended, we live on an emotional and physical edge. Like Moses, there comes a time when we realize that we must share with others certain responsibilities which the Lord has entrusted to us. You are responsible before God for specific areas - family, work, ministry. Trouble can come when you attempt to handle more than your sphere of responsibility. You cannot save the world; but you can reach your family, friends, and neighborhood.
If you are overextended, ask God for wisdom either to delegate or shift your priorities. Your effectiveness will be greatly enhanced.
“But we will not boast beyond our measure...”
2 Corinthians 10:13
Monday, April 11, 2011
Be Responsible
“Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, ‘I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.’ When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said also, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
The LORD said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.’” Exodus 3:1-10
The fast track for success is faster than ever. Employees complain that young people want to rise to the top as quickly as possible without any time-consuming layovers in areas they consider unnecessary. Success is any area, however, does not come easily; and it is no different in the spiritual realm. If we want to do great things for God, we must be willing to endure the small things with patience. There are often seasons when the Lord prepares us faithfully for future challenges.
Responsibility is learned in the little things. Can God entrust a pastorate to one who is inconsistent in teaching a Sunday School class? Can He send someone overseas to the lost if he has not labored among the unsaved where he lives?
Responsibility is best learned on the backstage where we are diligent and faithful because we want to please the Lord, not man. As we learn to labor consistently out of the limelight, God can challenge us with progressively more demanding opportunities. A responsible Christian is one whom God and man can count on in any circumstance. Are you faithful where He has placed you, or do you clamor for more? Preserve and your future is bright.
“...Well done, good and faithful slave...” Matthew 25:21
The LORD said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.’” Exodus 3:1-10
The fast track for success is faster than ever. Employees complain that young people want to rise to the top as quickly as possible without any time-consuming layovers in areas they consider unnecessary. Success is any area, however, does not come easily; and it is no different in the spiritual realm. If we want to do great things for God, we must be willing to endure the small things with patience. There are often seasons when the Lord prepares us faithfully for future challenges.
Responsibility is learned in the little things. Can God entrust a pastorate to one who is inconsistent in teaching a Sunday School class? Can He send someone overseas to the lost if he has not labored among the unsaved where he lives?
Responsibility is best learned on the backstage where we are diligent and faithful because we want to please the Lord, not man. As we learn to labor consistently out of the limelight, God can challenge us with progressively more demanding opportunities. A responsible Christian is one whom God and man can count on in any circumstance. Are you faithful where He has placed you, or do you clamor for more? Preserve and your future is bright.
“...Well done, good and faithful slave...” Matthew 25:21
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Lay Down Your Rights
“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the LORD'S blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.” Genesis 39:1-6
Perhaps you are involved in a work situation where your employer is overbearing. Perhaps you are in a marriage where your mate is demanding and dominating. Perhaps you are in a school where your teacher abuses his or her authority. In each instance there is a principle involved in servanthood that can liberate you from bitterness, resentment, and frustration: When you adopt a servant spirit, you are on the royal road to victory.
Joseph, the son of the wealthy patriarch Jacob, found himself a slave in an Egyptian household. It could have been an opportunity for a nonstop pity party, but - “The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man” (Gen. 39:2). Despite his noble heritage, Joseph demonstrated a servant spirit - both in Potiphar’s household and in jail. He focused on serving others rather than demanding his rights.
When you lay down your rights and feelings and truly set your mind on serving those around you - regardless of their actions - God is free to work mightily on your behalf. You are freed from your desire for control. As you humble yourself and concentrate on another’s welfare, the Lord will certainly exalt and honor you in due season.
“Therefore humble yourselves...that He may exalt you at the proper time.” 1 Peter 5:6
Perhaps you are involved in a work situation where your employer is overbearing. Perhaps you are in a marriage where your mate is demanding and dominating. Perhaps you are in a school where your teacher abuses his or her authority. In each instance there is a principle involved in servanthood that can liberate you from bitterness, resentment, and frustration: When you adopt a servant spirit, you are on the royal road to victory.
Joseph, the son of the wealthy patriarch Jacob, found himself a slave in an Egyptian household. It could have been an opportunity for a nonstop pity party, but - “The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man” (Gen. 39:2). Despite his noble heritage, Joseph demonstrated a servant spirit - both in Potiphar’s household and in jail. He focused on serving others rather than demanding his rights.
When you lay down your rights and feelings and truly set your mind on serving those around you - regardless of their actions - God is free to work mightily on your behalf. You are freed from your desire for control. As you humble yourself and concentrate on another’s welfare, the Lord will certainly exalt and honor you in due season.
“Therefore humble yourselves...that He may exalt you at the proper time.” 1 Peter 5:6
Friday, April 8, 2011
The Path to True Greatness
“And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’” Matthew 20:24-28
Most of the world, including Christians, are into the power game. We want authority and position whereby our agendas - even our wills - can be imposed on others. We want to be the boss. We want others to listen to us. We want to control the office, the home, the church, the neighborhood. In so doing, we buy into the misconception that influence, importance, and self-worth come from reaching the top of the power structure.
In seeking to be great, we lose so much. People become objects who we try to manipulate, not brothers and sisters who we can help. Our emotions become trained to conquer, not love. Pride, anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy, and greed predominate. Grabbing for power always alienates us from others. Loneliness is a constant companion.
The Lord’s way is not through power but through service. Once saved, we are given a new capacity to serve the Father and others, seeking His glory and their welfare. Servanthood is not the easy way, for it runs against the grain of fleshly self-interest. But it is the path to true greatness in the kingdom of God and on earth.
“...through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
Most of the world, including Christians, are into the power game. We want authority and position whereby our agendas - even our wills - can be imposed on others. We want to be the boss. We want others to listen to us. We want to control the office, the home, the church, the neighborhood. In so doing, we buy into the misconception that influence, importance, and self-worth come from reaching the top of the power structure.
In seeking to be great, we lose so much. People become objects who we try to manipulate, not brothers and sisters who we can help. Our emotions become trained to conquer, not love. Pride, anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy, and greed predominate. Grabbing for power always alienates us from others. Loneliness is a constant companion.
The Lord’s way is not through power but through service. Once saved, we are given a new capacity to serve the Father and others, seeking His glory and their welfare. Servanthood is not the easy way, for it runs against the grain of fleshly self-interest. But it is the path to true greatness in the kingdom of God and on earth.
“...through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Loyal Ruth
“Then she said, ‘Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.’ When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.” Ruth 1:15-18
“Boaz replied to her, ‘All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.’” Ruth 2:11-12
In the movie Ollie Hopnoodle’s Haven of Bliss, the family car runs out of gas while they are on vacation because of the father’s insistence on using a certain brand of gasoline. When the Lord speaks in the Bible of loyalty, He is not hinting of such excessive behavior but rather of an intense, personal commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and to each other based on agape love. That means we are faithful even when misunderstanding and adversity occur.
There are seasons in our relationship that Jesus and other believers that test our allegiance. Will we still trust God when He does not answer our prayers as we want? Will we still support our brother in Chris when his actions seem illogical to us?
Biblical loyalty flows from a sense of belonging. If we are from Cleveland, we usually do not cheer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We are loyal to the hometown team. We belong to Jesus Christ. He has purchased us with His shed blood. “...We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3).
As members of Christ’s body, we are to be loyal to each other. Each person is interdependent on others. Loving the Lord and each other is the hallmark of genuine loyalty.
“...for where you go, I will go...” Ruth 1:16
“Boaz replied to her, ‘All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.’” Ruth 2:11-12
In the movie Ollie Hopnoodle’s Haven of Bliss, the family car runs out of gas while they are on vacation because of the father’s insistence on using a certain brand of gasoline. When the Lord speaks in the Bible of loyalty, He is not hinting of such excessive behavior but rather of an intense, personal commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and to each other based on agape love. That means we are faithful even when misunderstanding and adversity occur.
There are seasons in our relationship that Jesus and other believers that test our allegiance. Will we still trust God when He does not answer our prayers as we want? Will we still support our brother in Chris when his actions seem illogical to us?
Biblical loyalty flows from a sense of belonging. If we are from Cleveland, we usually do not cheer for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We are loyal to the hometown team. We belong to Jesus Christ. He has purchased us with His shed blood. “...We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3).
As members of Christ’s body, we are to be loyal to each other. Each person is interdependent on others. Loving the Lord and each other is the hallmark of genuine loyalty.
“...for where you go, I will go...” Ruth 1:16
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Loyalty
“What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud and like the dew which goes away early. Therefore I have hewn them in pieces by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; and the judgments on you are like the light that goes forth. For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:4-6
In certain sections of the country, a morning fog is almost a daily occurrence - the day beginning with a heavy mist which dissipates within a few hours. The prophet Hosea described the Israelites’ relationship to God in a similar way: “...For your loyalty is like a morning cloud and like the dew which goes away early” (Hosea 6:4).
Loyalty is an essential ingredient in the relationship between God and man. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for lovingkindness, hesed, is translated as “loyal, faithful, steadfast love.” Despite man’s rebellion and sin, God kept His covenant love for man through the generations, fulfilling His eternal plan for reconciliation through the cross of Christ. In return God expects the wholehearted allegiance of His followers.
Are you actively demonstrating your loyalty to Jesus Christ? Has your devotion to the Lord slackened over the years? Do you question God’s care? The Lord Jesus Christ is not as interested in your money or time or activity level as He is in your heart. He wants your wholehearted devotion that is not diminished by time or circumstances.
“...but who can find a trustworthy man?” Proverbs 20:6
In certain sections of the country, a morning fog is almost a daily occurrence - the day beginning with a heavy mist which dissipates within a few hours. The prophet Hosea described the Israelites’ relationship to God in a similar way: “...For your loyalty is like a morning cloud and like the dew which goes away early” (Hosea 6:4).
Loyalty is an essential ingredient in the relationship between God and man. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word for lovingkindness, hesed, is translated as “loyal, faithful, steadfast love.” Despite man’s rebellion and sin, God kept His covenant love for man through the generations, fulfilling His eternal plan for reconciliation through the cross of Christ. In return God expects the wholehearted allegiance of His followers.
Are you actively demonstrating your loyalty to Jesus Christ? Has your devotion to the Lord slackened over the years? Do you question God’s care? The Lord Jesus Christ is not as interested in your money or time or activity level as He is in your heart. He wants your wholehearted devotion that is not diminished by time or circumstances.
“...but who can find a trustworthy man?” Proverbs 20:6
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Decide with Confidence
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8
Watching a football player lie motionless on the turf after a vicious hit is sobering. Almost universally feared but usually unspoken is the possibility of an injury which results in paralysis. Often those feats are relieved when the player is escorted off the field.
Far more damaging and much more prevalent is another kind of paralysis that sets in when we are faced with a decision. Multitudes are frozen in fear and confusion in the decision making process. It is a form of bondage which God certainly does not desire.
The Christian can be confident in any form of decision making because his trust is ultimately in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are responsible to gather facts, analyze them, and weigh alternatives. People hold us responsible for results also.
Having done our part, we can rest because the Lord is in control. We do not know the future; He does. Our times and decisions are in His hands as we trust in His guidance (Psalm 31:15). Even when the consequences of our decision are not what we envisioned, we still know that God works all things together for good to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).
“How long will you hesitate between two opinions?...”
1 Kings 18:21
Watching a football player lie motionless on the turf after a vicious hit is sobering. Almost universally feared but usually unspoken is the possibility of an injury which results in paralysis. Often those feats are relieved when the player is escorted off the field.
Far more damaging and much more prevalent is another kind of paralysis that sets in when we are faced with a decision. Multitudes are frozen in fear and confusion in the decision making process. It is a form of bondage which God certainly does not desire.
The Christian can be confident in any form of decision making because his trust is ultimately in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are responsible to gather facts, analyze them, and weigh alternatives. People hold us responsible for results also.
Having done our part, we can rest because the Lord is in control. We do not know the future; He does. Our times and decisions are in His hands as we trust in His guidance (Psalm 31:15). Even when the consequences of our decision are not what we envisioned, we still know that God works all things together for good to those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).
“How long will you hesitate between two opinions?...”
1 Kings 18:21
Monday, April 4, 2011
Growing in Wisdom
“My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.” Proverbs 2:1-7
A person does not become mighty in spirit by setting his inner man on automatic pilot to drift through life. He must employ several basic disciplines if he is to experience the rewards of a Spirit-directed life:
The discipline of relationship.
The Holy Spirit is opposed to the flesh, and the one who is mighty in spirit must constantly reject the competing values and passions of the world system which is devoid of Godliness.
The discipline of relationship.
Wisdom flows from a pure, honest relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The legalist, moralist, and Pharisee are not mighty in spirit. Above all we must guard our hearts and keep Jesus as our first love - singularly devoted to Him, not a cause.
The discipline of obedience.
An acquaintance with Christ and His Word is not enough. Obedience is always the path to growth and blessing. Are we obeying what we know? The riches of heaven are ours when we obey the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The motivation for each of these disciplines is our love for the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to be mighty in spirit because we adore Him.
“So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD...” Hosea 6:3
A person does not become mighty in spirit by setting his inner man on automatic pilot to drift through life. He must employ several basic disciplines if he is to experience the rewards of a Spirit-directed life:
The discipline of relationship.
The Holy Spirit is opposed to the flesh, and the one who is mighty in spirit must constantly reject the competing values and passions of the world system which is devoid of Godliness.
The discipline of relationship.
Wisdom flows from a pure, honest relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The legalist, moralist, and Pharisee are not mighty in spirit. Above all we must guard our hearts and keep Jesus as our first love - singularly devoted to Him, not a cause.
The discipline of obedience.
An acquaintance with Christ and His Word is not enough. Obedience is always the path to growth and blessing. Are we obeying what we know? The riches of heaven are ours when we obey the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The motivation for each of these disciplines is our love for the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to be mighty in spirit because we adore Him.
“So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD...” Hosea 6:3
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Mighty in Spirit
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6
Jim Elliot was a bright, articulate young man who left his home in the United States for the jungles of South America. In his mid-twenties he was killed by Indian spears, leaving behind his wife, Elisabeth, and a daughter. Elisabeth used her deceased husband’s diary as the source for her stirring book, The Shadow of the Almighty. Thousands have testified to the book’s influence in motivating them for mission service.
By secular values, her husband accomplished little, dying young in a remote forest. But in God’s eyes he was successful. He was one “mighty in spirit,” allowing the Holy Spirit to direct, guide, and energize his life. People who are mighty in spirit can build enduring, rewarding lives whether they live in a high rise or in the slums, whether they earn little or much money, whether they are known by few or many.
God’s presence and reign in a man’s life give him eternal significance. He can enjoy the gracious blessings which God gives without partiality to His children (James 1:5). Wherever you are - even if it is in the remote reaches of a tropical forest like Jim Elliot - you can impact your world by being mighty in spirit.
“He is no fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” -Jim Elliot
Jim Elliot was a bright, articulate young man who left his home in the United States for the jungles of South America. In his mid-twenties he was killed by Indian spears, leaving behind his wife, Elisabeth, and a daughter. Elisabeth used her deceased husband’s diary as the source for her stirring book, The Shadow of the Almighty. Thousands have testified to the book’s influence in motivating them for mission service.
By secular values, her husband accomplished little, dying young in a remote forest. But in God’s eyes he was successful. He was one “mighty in spirit,” allowing the Holy Spirit to direct, guide, and energize his life. People who are mighty in spirit can build enduring, rewarding lives whether they live in a high rise or in the slums, whether they earn little or much money, whether they are known by few or many.
God’s presence and reign in a man’s life give him eternal significance. He can enjoy the gracious blessings which God gives without partiality to His children (James 1:5). Wherever you are - even if it is in the remote reaches of a tropical forest like Jim Elliot - you can impact your world by being mighty in spirit.
“He is no fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” -Jim Elliot
Friday, April 1, 2011
Real Success
“For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that He will instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:10-16
In the booklet Jesus and the Intellectual “a power lunch” is attended by several of the most influential men in the world at the time:
“Attending this meeting (in 1923) were nine of the world’s most successful financiers: Charles Schwab, president of the largest independent steel company; Samuel Insull, president of the largest utility company; Howard Hopson, president of the largest gas company; Arthur Cotton, the greatest wheat speculator; Richard Whitney, president of the New York stock exchange; Albert Fall, a member of the President’s Cabinet; Leon Fraser, president of the Bank of International Settlements; Jesse Livermore, the greatest ‘bear’ on Wall Street; and Ivar Krueger, head of the greatest monopoly.
Twenty-five years later, Schwab had died in bankruptcy; Insull had died a fugitive from justice and penniless in a foreign land; Hopson was insane; Cotton had died abroad, insolvent; Whitney had spent time in Sing Sing; Fall had been pardoned (to) die at home; Livermore, Kruerger, and Fraser had died by suicide.”
God does not determine success by intellect, status, political pull, or wealth. His concern is for our spiritual health which stands at the hub of true achievement. Real success is ending up in heaven.
1 Corinthians 2:10-16
In the booklet Jesus and the Intellectual “a power lunch” is attended by several of the most influential men in the world at the time:
“Attending this meeting (in 1923) were nine of the world’s most successful financiers: Charles Schwab, president of the largest independent steel company; Samuel Insull, president of the largest utility company; Howard Hopson, president of the largest gas company; Arthur Cotton, the greatest wheat speculator; Richard Whitney, president of the New York stock exchange; Albert Fall, a member of the President’s Cabinet; Leon Fraser, president of the Bank of International Settlements; Jesse Livermore, the greatest ‘bear’ on Wall Street; and Ivar Krueger, head of the greatest monopoly.
Twenty-five years later, Schwab had died in bankruptcy; Insull had died a fugitive from justice and penniless in a foreign land; Hopson was insane; Cotton had died abroad, insolvent; Whitney had spent time in Sing Sing; Fall had been pardoned (to) die at home; Livermore, Kruerger, and Fraser had died by suicide.”
God does not determine success by intellect, status, political pull, or wealth. His concern is for our spiritual health which stands at the hub of true achievement. Real success is ending up in heaven.
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