“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:25-34
Anxiety is defined as a universal experience in which one anticipates nonexistent dangers in the future and helplessly dwells on how to reduce them. We learn from the medical profession that anxiety produces anything from ulcers to chronic feelings of unhappiness.
Worry and anxiety are the plight of those without Christ. As children of God, we know that God loves us as a Father and is in control of our lives. We know that God has promised to meet our needs. We also know that it is useless to worry or to be anxious about anything.
In Philippians 4:6, Paul teaches us to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
Learning to worry less is undergirded by a developing, daily walk with God (Heb. 13.6).
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A Good Self-Image
“For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”1 Corinthians 15:9-11
“But by the grace of God I am what I am” (vs. 10). The foundation of having a handle on your emotions is possessing a good self-image. Here is where many Christians stumble for fear of losing their sense of humility No, we’re not talking about an egotistical type of inflated pride. A good self-image is seeing yourself for who you really are - created in the image of God.
Self-image means how we visualize ourselves - our mental picture of who we are. If my visualization of myself is negative, defeated, and one of failure, I’ll never become what God wants me to be.
At least ten basic emotions we deal with are:
Anxiety
Loneliness
Fear
Guilt
Anger
Jealousy
Depression
Rejection
Love
Contentment
These ten emotional responses govern much of our lives, so it is important that you learn how to handle your emotions. Begin by seeing yourself as a person of great value in God’s eyes. He thought so much of you that He sent His Son to die just for you.
We need to have a good self-image - which is the foundation to a right attitude about God Himself.
“But by the grace of God I am what I am” (vs. 10). The foundation of having a handle on your emotions is possessing a good self-image. Here is where many Christians stumble for fear of losing their sense of humility No, we’re not talking about an egotistical type of inflated pride. A good self-image is seeing yourself for who you really are - created in the image of God.
Self-image means how we visualize ourselves - our mental picture of who we are. If my visualization of myself is negative, defeated, and one of failure, I’ll never become what God wants me to be.
At least ten basic emotions we deal with are:
Anxiety
Loneliness
Fear
Guilt
Anger
Jealousy
Depression
Rejection
Love
Contentment
These ten emotional responses govern much of our lives, so it is important that you learn how to handle your emotions. Begin by seeing yourself as a person of great value in God’s eyes. He thought so much of you that He sent His Son to die just for you.
We need to have a good self-image - which is the foundation to a right attitude about God Himself.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
We are Emotional
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
As believers, you and I can never become the total people God wants us to be until we learn how to control our emotional lives. One misconception we often encounter is that a Christian will not express his emotions. Look at Galatians 5:22. Here we see a number of emotions expressed. The Scripture says that a person who is walking in the Spirit is on whose emotions are under the Spirit’s control, not the control of the flesh. Instead of being hateful in the flesh, we show mercy and love through God’s indwelling Spirit.
It’s important to note that all our emotional responses find their source in God. We may not always glorify God with our emotional responses, but they do find their origin in God. God has given us emotions in order to mobilize our bodies into action. Emotions sometimes serve as natural reflexes against danger or harm. They thrust us into action - into life. God wants your emotions to reflect his power, His love, and His sound mind.
Our makeup contains a whole spectrum of differing emotional responses.
As believers, you and I can never become the total people God wants us to be until we learn how to control our emotional lives. One misconception we often encounter is that a Christian will not express his emotions. Look at Galatians 5:22. Here we see a number of emotions expressed. The Scripture says that a person who is walking in the Spirit is on whose emotions are under the Spirit’s control, not the control of the flesh. Instead of being hateful in the flesh, we show mercy and love through God’s indwelling Spirit.
It’s important to note that all our emotional responses find their source in God. We may not always glorify God with our emotional responses, but they do find their origin in God. God has given us emotions in order to mobilize our bodies into action. Emotions sometimes serve as natural reflexes against danger or harm. They thrust us into action - into life. God wants your emotions to reflect his power, His love, and His sound mind.
Our makeup contains a whole spectrum of differing emotional responses.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Singleness: Obstacle or Opportunity
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4
Today in America we have the largest population of single people we’ve ever known. Not only are there more people who are single, but the percentage of single people vs. married people is ever growing.
Many Christian singles struggle with feelings that they have been left out or are missing an intimate relationship they desire - or feel they are unlovely because of their singleness.
Others see singleness as their lifestyle because they are absorbed in themselves, their vocation, their interests, their amusements. The thought of commitment is frightening - even foreign.
Others see their singleness as an opportunity to present themselves available for whatever God has in mind. They hold a type of freedom which a married family seldom can experience.
If you are single, review your present life and see where you stand as to your availability to God. Then ask the Lord to provide opportunity for you to touch lives in a unique way - as a single. How do view your position in life? An obstacle or an opportunity?
Today in America we have the largest population of single people we’ve ever known. Not only are there more people who are single, but the percentage of single people vs. married people is ever growing.
Many Christian singles struggle with feelings that they have been left out or are missing an intimate relationship they desire - or feel they are unlovely because of their singleness.
Others see singleness as their lifestyle because they are absorbed in themselves, their vocation, their interests, their amusements. The thought of commitment is frightening - even foreign.
Others see their singleness as an opportunity to present themselves available for whatever God has in mind. They hold a type of freedom which a married family seldom can experience.
If you are single, review your present life and see where you stand as to your availability to God. Then ask the Lord to provide opportunity for you to touch lives in a unique way - as a single. How do view your position in life? An obstacle or an opportunity?
Sunday, June 26, 2011
A Severe Truth, Part 2
“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49
“You call me Lord, Lord, and then
you go your way.
You call me Lord, Lord, and then
you don’t obey.
You call me Lord, Lord, and then
do things your way.
How can I be Lord if I’m never Lord
of your today?”
- Linda Rich, IVP
There is no more tragic moment of realization than that which Jesus clearly reveals - one in which a person who worked and spent their whole life supposedly in a powerful ministry for the cause of Christ, in Jesus’ name, and have to hear Jesus say, “I never knew you; depart from Me.”
What can you do to keep from hearing those dreadful words? Jesus’ next words help: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them...” (Matt. 7:24). Doesn’t James admonish us to be not only hearers, but doers of the Word?
It’s time for each of God’s children to exemplify in their daily lives a true pattern of Jesus. Make your heart’s prayer each day to do God’s will and be God’s man or woman. A day will come when many who think they are saved will stand before Jesus Christ for Judgement.
“You call me Lord, Lord, and then
you go your way.
You call me Lord, Lord, and then
you don’t obey.
You call me Lord, Lord, and then
do things your way.
How can I be Lord if I’m never Lord
of your today?”
- Linda Rich, IVP
There is no more tragic moment of realization than that which Jesus clearly reveals - one in which a person who worked and spent their whole life supposedly in a powerful ministry for the cause of Christ, in Jesus’ name, and have to hear Jesus say, “I never knew you; depart from Me.”
What can you do to keep from hearing those dreadful words? Jesus’ next words help: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them...” (Matt. 7:24). Doesn’t James admonish us to be not only hearers, but doers of the Word?
It’s time for each of God’s children to exemplify in their daily lives a true pattern of Jesus. Make your heart’s prayer each day to do God’s will and be God’s man or woman. A day will come when many who think they are saved will stand before Jesus Christ for Judgement.
Friday, June 24, 2011
A Severe Truth
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Matthew 7:21-23
Christian, beware! One of the strongest and most straightforward warnings given in all of Scripture is given by Christ shortly after His statements such as “blessed are the meek” and do not be anxious for your life” and what is commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer.” Jesus' statement in these three short verses casts a clear warning to ever active ministry-oriented individual.
Yes, it is possible to carry out an effective, powerful, and meaningful ministry in the name of Jesus (even to the extent of working miracles) and yet miss heaven. There are those who believe they are an authentic child of grace, but they’ve missed a foundational step in building their lives: “...but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven ...” (John 7:21).
What has your heart’s affection? Maybe it’s time to take stock of your inner motivation for the ministry in which you are involved. Ask yourself, “Why do I do what I do?” How tragic for those who will experience this final rejection when all along they were convinced that they were an invaluable member of God’s eternal family. Never focus on your works but on the humbling fact that you were bought with a price - the blood of Christ!
The ultimate rejection is Jesus Christ’s judgment: “I never knew you; depart from Me.”
Christian, beware! One of the strongest and most straightforward warnings given in all of Scripture is given by Christ shortly after His statements such as “blessed are the meek” and do not be anxious for your life” and what is commonly referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer.” Jesus' statement in these three short verses casts a clear warning to ever active ministry-oriented individual.
Yes, it is possible to carry out an effective, powerful, and meaningful ministry in the name of Jesus (even to the extent of working miracles) and yet miss heaven. There are those who believe they are an authentic child of grace, but they’ve missed a foundational step in building their lives: “...but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven ...” (John 7:21).
What has your heart’s affection? Maybe it’s time to take stock of your inner motivation for the ministry in which you are involved. Ask yourself, “Why do I do what I do?” How tragic for those who will experience this final rejection when all along they were convinced that they were an invaluable member of God’s eternal family. Never focus on your works but on the humbling fact that you were bought with a price - the blood of Christ!
The ultimate rejection is Jesus Christ’s judgment: “I never knew you; depart from Me.”
Thursday, June 23, 2011
A True Servant, Part 2
“Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?’ She said to Him, ‘Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ They said to Him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.’
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 20:20-28
Allow Jesus’ clear words to penetrate your heart and mind.
“...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” (Matt. 20:26-28).
“But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt. 23:11-12).
Be careful lest you keep your selfish way of thinking and serve here and now - only to be honored and be served later. God is looking for disciples who have an honest servant’s heart - one who serves out of loyalty and joyful obedience to the will of the Father.
Our best illustration of a true servant can be found in the life of Christ. We are admonished to follow His pattern. That means I must be willing to serve without recognition and without expectation of any return.
Why this emphasis on servanthood? It’s the lifestyle of those in God’s kingdom. Is it yours? We need now more than ever before to set our hearts and minds on Jesus' teaching on servanthood.
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 20:20-28
Allow Jesus’ clear words to penetrate your heart and mind.
“...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” (Matt. 20:26-28).
“But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt. 23:11-12).
Be careful lest you keep your selfish way of thinking and serve here and now - only to be honored and be served later. God is looking for disciples who have an honest servant’s heart - one who serves out of loyalty and joyful obedience to the will of the Father.
Our best illustration of a true servant can be found in the life of Christ. We are admonished to follow His pattern. That means I must be willing to serve without recognition and without expectation of any return.
Why this emphasis on servanthood? It’s the lifestyle of those in God’s kingdom. Is it yours? We need now more than ever before to set our hearts and minds on Jesus' teaching on servanthood.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
A True Servant
Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.” John 13:5-15
“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” (vs. 15). The Gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Christ are full of events and teachings which go completely against our “normal” way of thinking. They also went against the customary expectations of many of the Jewish people who were anticipating the arrival of the Messiah.
To them, the Messiah would be a conquering hero, driving the Romans from their land, setting up a national kingdom much greater than that of King David’s time. So when Jesus cam as “a suffering servant,” most passed Him off as some misdirected mystic Who was obviously uninformed as to the requirements and the duties of the coming Messiah.
Interestingly, one of the greatest hindrances for many people to overcome was Jesus’ teaching on the necessity of being a servant. Here again we see the great contrast between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of our Lord. Our choice is crucial since we alone can decide which kingdom will be build within our lives. “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8).
True success is discovering God’s plan and goal for your life and following that plan.
So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.” John 13:5-15
“For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” (vs. 15). The Gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Christ are full of events and teachings which go completely against our “normal” way of thinking. They also went against the customary expectations of many of the Jewish people who were anticipating the arrival of the Messiah.
To them, the Messiah would be a conquering hero, driving the Romans from their land, setting up a national kingdom much greater than that of King David’s time. So when Jesus cam as “a suffering servant,” most passed Him off as some misdirected mystic Who was obviously uninformed as to the requirements and the duties of the coming Messiah.
Interestingly, one of the greatest hindrances for many people to overcome was Jesus’ teaching on the necessity of being a servant. Here again we see the great contrast between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of our Lord. Our choice is crucial since we alone can decide which kingdom will be build within our lives. “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8).
True success is discovering God’s plan and goal for your life and following that plan.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Handing Down Your Faith, Part 2
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:1-7
Prayer plays a central part in successfully handing down your faith to your children. As you pray together as a family, you will develop a family unity that problems cannot destroy. As you pray, you will all focus your attention toward God Who wants to bless His children, especially the family unit, more than you could ever imagine.
The Bible says that since the beginning of time, people have not seen, heard, or perceived all that God has prepared for “the one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4). It is a very good thing to wait on the Lord in prayer and to teach your children to do the same. You should encourage your children to pray about decisions concerning their standards and values as well as their behavior. If this is to happen, your children will need to know how to pray and realize the importance of prayer in their daily lives.
Without learning to pray and to depend wholly upon God for everything, they will continue to look to someone else to meet their needs and answer their questions. All too often the young people who have no background for making wise and godly decisions think they are accountable only to themselves.
Abiding faith in God is handed down by principle pattern, persistence, participation, and prayer.
To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:1-7
Prayer plays a central part in successfully handing down your faith to your children. As you pray together as a family, you will develop a family unity that problems cannot destroy. As you pray, you will all focus your attention toward God Who wants to bless His children, especially the family unit, more than you could ever imagine.
The Bible says that since the beginning of time, people have not seen, heard, or perceived all that God has prepared for “the one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4). It is a very good thing to wait on the Lord in prayer and to teach your children to do the same. You should encourage your children to pray about decisions concerning their standards and values as well as their behavior. If this is to happen, your children will need to know how to pray and realize the importance of prayer in their daily lives.
Without learning to pray and to depend wholly upon God for everything, they will continue to look to someone else to meet their needs and answer their questions. All too often the young people who have no background for making wise and godly decisions think they are accountable only to themselves.
Abiding faith in God is handed down by principle pattern, persistence, participation, and prayer.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Handing Down Your Faith
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
“You shall teach them (God’s commands) diligently to your sons...” (vs. 7). The word diligence adds force and weight to these words of direction given to the children of Israel. They are to teach diligently.
Diligence is defined as “constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind; preserving, untiring, tireless.” That is how a Christian parent should be teaching the principles and truths of God’s Word to their children.
Before you can pass anything on to someone else, you must first be in possession of it.
- Do you have a faith to leave to your children?
- By your lifestyle, are you leaving your children with clear instruction and a consistent pattern to follow for living according to godly values and principles?
- Are you passing on to your children what you really want to pass on to them?
Habits are caught, not taught, and it’s much the same when it comes to children following their parents’ pattern regarding their faith or practicing biblical guidelines. The pattern always prevails over the principle - so live it.
A parent wants to hand down a faith that equips their children to serve God.
“You shall teach them (God’s commands) diligently to your sons...” (vs. 7). The word diligence adds force and weight to these words of direction given to the children of Israel. They are to teach diligently.
Diligence is defined as “constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind; preserving, untiring, tireless.” That is how a Christian parent should be teaching the principles and truths of God’s Word to their children.
Before you can pass anything on to someone else, you must first be in possession of it.
- Do you have a faith to leave to your children?
- By your lifestyle, are you leaving your children with clear instruction and a consistent pattern to follow for living according to godly values and principles?
- Are you passing on to your children what you really want to pass on to them?
Habits are caught, not taught, and it’s much the same when it comes to children following their parents’ pattern regarding their faith or practicing biblical guidelines. The pattern always prevails over the principle - so live it.
A parent wants to hand down a faith that equips their children to serve God.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Preparing for Heaven, Part 2
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’
And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ 6 Then He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.’” Revelation 21:1-6
‘Everybody talkin’ ‘bout heaven ain’ta goin’ there.” This line from an old spiritual reverberates a haunting truth: not everyone who talks good, looks good, does good is going to spend eternity in the place God has prepared for his children.
This thought has touched the hearts and imaginations of men and women through the ages. Slave-trader turned preacher, John Newton, put it this way: “If I ever reach heaven I expect to find three wonders there: first, to meet some I had not thought to see there; second; to miss some I had expected to see there: and third, the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there.”
There was a man who could preach a sermon in one sentence. Contemplating our eternal destination out to affect our attitudes and our actions, our conversations and our moods. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “When you speak of heaven let your face light up...When you speak of hell - well, then your everyday face will do.”
The point is this: a wise person always prepares for what they know is inevitable. Since the Bible clearly teaches the reality of eternity, your first choice is where you’ll spend it; and you’ll decide how you’ll spend eternity. Salvation is the first step in preparing for heaven. From there we choose to conform to Christ.
Happy Father’s Day!!
And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ 6 Then He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.’” Revelation 21:1-6
‘Everybody talkin’ ‘bout heaven ain’ta goin’ there.” This line from an old spiritual reverberates a haunting truth: not everyone who talks good, looks good, does good is going to spend eternity in the place God has prepared for his children.
This thought has touched the hearts and imaginations of men and women through the ages. Slave-trader turned preacher, John Newton, put it this way: “If I ever reach heaven I expect to find three wonders there: first, to meet some I had not thought to see there; second; to miss some I had expected to see there: and third, the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there.”
There was a man who could preach a sermon in one sentence. Contemplating our eternal destination out to affect our attitudes and our actions, our conversations and our moods. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “When you speak of heaven let your face light up...When you speak of hell - well, then your everyday face will do.”
The point is this: a wise person always prepares for what they know is inevitable. Since the Bible clearly teaches the reality of eternity, your first choice is where you’ll spend it; and you’ll decide how you’ll spend eternity. Salvation is the first step in preparing for heaven. From there we choose to conform to Christ.
Happy Father’s Day!!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Preparing for Heaven
“Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 22:1-5
Scripture solemnly says, “...it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Through the years we’ve gathered a great deal of misunderstanding about heaven, and we’ve expressed it in songs and ballads and hymns. Unfortunately, many of them tend to lean in the direction of the sentimental rather than to be Scripturally correct.
What will we do in heaven?
- We’ll unhesitatingly praise God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We’ll shine for God. Once in heaven, earthly limitations will be removed, allowing the very glory of God which indwells each believer to shine forth (Matt. 13:41-43).
- We’ll serve the Lord (Rev. 22:1-3).
- We’ll reign with God. To reign means to oversee (Rev. 22:4-5). Our lives on earth are a testing ground, preparing us for what we will do in heaven. We are earning heavenly rewards and responsibilities by our work here and now.
What are you doing in preparation for eternity in God’s kingdom? As the great hymn by Helen H. Hemmel says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
A wise person always prepares for what they know is inevitable.
Scripture solemnly says, “...it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Through the years we’ve gathered a great deal of misunderstanding about heaven, and we’ve expressed it in songs and ballads and hymns. Unfortunately, many of them tend to lean in the direction of the sentimental rather than to be Scripturally correct.
What will we do in heaven?
- We’ll unhesitatingly praise God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We’ll shine for God. Once in heaven, earthly limitations will be removed, allowing the very glory of God which indwells each believer to shine forth (Matt. 13:41-43).
- We’ll serve the Lord (Rev. 22:1-3).
- We’ll reign with God. To reign means to oversee (Rev. 22:4-5). Our lives on earth are a testing ground, preparing us for what we will do in heaven. We are earning heavenly rewards and responsibilities by our work here and now.
What are you doing in preparation for eternity in God’s kingdom? As the great hymn by Helen H. Hemmel says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
A wise person always prepares for what they know is inevitable.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Our Eternal Home, Part 2
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (vs. 21). There is a familiar saying which states that “although we are in the world, we are not of the world.” That thought is exemplified in Paul’s teaching that our true citizenship is in heaven.
Making such truths a practical and natural part of our daily lives on planet earth does present some measure of difficulty. There are those who take this thought to its opposite extreme and are fearful of becoming too heavenly minded to be of any earthly value (although few there are who run such risk!).
I quickly determine my citizenship by checking in which direction my affections lie. Someone has said, “I become like what I focus on the most.” The question is: “What holds the focus of your attention and affection?”
Later on in the sixth chapter of Matthew, Jesus touches one of the most sensitive areas of human awareness - anxiety. He was divinely aware of the weight of anxiety which we bear as a result of our humanity, and His mandate for a powerful defense was simple trust and faith in God.
Maybe it’s time to refocus your attention on what is eternal, “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Believers differ from unbelievers in that they have a different eternal destiny.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (vs. 21). There is a familiar saying which states that “although we are in the world, we are not of the world.” That thought is exemplified in Paul’s teaching that our true citizenship is in heaven.
Making such truths a practical and natural part of our daily lives on planet earth does present some measure of difficulty. There are those who take this thought to its opposite extreme and are fearful of becoming too heavenly minded to be of any earthly value (although few there are who run such risk!).
I quickly determine my citizenship by checking in which direction my affections lie. Someone has said, “I become like what I focus on the most.” The question is: “What holds the focus of your attention and affection?”
Later on in the sixth chapter of Matthew, Jesus touches one of the most sensitive areas of human awareness - anxiety. He was divinely aware of the weight of anxiety which we bear as a result of our humanity, and His mandate for a powerful defense was simple trust and faith in God.
Maybe it’s time to refocus your attention on what is eternal, “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Believers differ from unbelievers in that they have a different eternal destiny.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Our Eternal Home
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3
“Let not your heart be troubled...I got to prepare a place for you...that where I am, there you may be also.” Those words of Jesus have been recited at countless gravesides, speaking comfort and a quiet hope of an eternal future to those locked in the grieving boundaries of time and space. But Jesus meant more by His statement; His gentle assurance was meant to transform our struggle into an understandable, exciting journey with an identifiable destination.
These are words of comfort for the living, those who know life through the experience of being “born again.” There would always be room for speculation if Jesus had not gone on to lay the groundwork, presenting Himself as “the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). The magnitude of that one statement cancels out and shows the emptiness of statements by “educated men” who wish to believe that “heaven is such that all who have lived well, of whatever religion, have a place there.”
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3
There are two places where men will spend eternity: one is heaven; the other is the lake of fire.
“Let not your heart be troubled...I got to prepare a place for you...that where I am, there you may be also.” Those words of Jesus have been recited at countless gravesides, speaking comfort and a quiet hope of an eternal future to those locked in the grieving boundaries of time and space. But Jesus meant more by His statement; His gentle assurance was meant to transform our struggle into an understandable, exciting journey with an identifiable destination.
These are words of comfort for the living, those who know life through the experience of being “born again.” There would always be room for speculation if Jesus had not gone on to lay the groundwork, presenting Himself as “the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). The magnitude of that one statement cancels out and shows the emptiness of statements by “educated men” who wish to believe that “heaven is such that all who have lived well, of whatever religion, have a place there.”
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3
There are two places where men will spend eternity: one is heaven; the other is the lake of fire.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Who are You Rebelling Against?
Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.’ Samuel said, ‘Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.’” 1 Samuel 15:20-23
The rebellious teen years have taken on almost legendary status. So common is the concept of rebellion during these years that we almost have come to expect its arrival. True, questioning and identity take on new meaning for a teenager; but we must not lose sight of rebellion’s disastrous consequences. Too many adults still suffer the ravages of rebellion - captive to the forces of drugs or immorality.
You can help your teenager or even your grandchildren bypass rebellion by emphasizing several critical truths as they mature:
First, love your teenager unconditionally. Sons and daughters are especially vulnerable to the opinions of others, and they need a refuge where they are freely and richly loved. Rejection is the worst possible feeling for a teen.
Second, establish God and His Word as the authority for their lives. Yes, you have authority and responsibility as a parent; but every person must understand that they ultimately are rebelling against God, not man.
The teenager who is unconditionally loved and who grasps that his rebellion is against a loving, gracious God Who cares for him can come through his teen years with a firm foundation for the future and a secure self-image.
“For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.” 1 Sam. 15:23
The rebellious teen years have taken on almost legendary status. So common is the concept of rebellion during these years that we almost have come to expect its arrival. True, questioning and identity take on new meaning for a teenager; but we must not lose sight of rebellion’s disastrous consequences. Too many adults still suffer the ravages of rebellion - captive to the forces of drugs or immorality.
You can help your teenager or even your grandchildren bypass rebellion by emphasizing several critical truths as they mature:
First, love your teenager unconditionally. Sons and daughters are especially vulnerable to the opinions of others, and they need a refuge where they are freely and richly loved. Rejection is the worst possible feeling for a teen.
Second, establish God and His Word as the authority for their lives. Yes, you have authority and responsibility as a parent; but every person must understand that they ultimately are rebelling against God, not man.
The teenager who is unconditionally loved and who grasps that his rebellion is against a loving, gracious God Who cares for him can come through his teen years with a firm foundation for the future and a secure self-image.
“For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king.” 1 Sam. 15:23
Monday, June 13, 2011
We are Accountable
“So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12
You have heard the old saying: “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” What that phrase suggests is the extraordinary discipline that accountability can foster and the amazing lack of diligence its absence can generate. We all work better and harder when we know we must answer to someone for our efforts. There is something about accountability that motivates us to excellence; it stimulates our attitudes.
The principle of accountability works just as effectively in the spiritual realm. The Christian, while saved and forgiven, still is accountable to God for his behavior. He is not free to do as he pleases; he is free to obey and enjoy God.
Understanding this accountability should encourage us. God is not a demanding, overbearing Master but a kind, compassionate Lord Who enables us to do His bidding. We are not motivated by fear but love. Accountability to the Father as we live our lives here assures us of spectacular rewards in heaven.
In another and secondary sense, a Christian should be accountable to another mature believer who does not dictate to him but sharpens him for service. The Christian who lives as accountable to God and to man walks the narrow but profitable road of spiritual fruitfulness.
“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
You have heard the old saying: “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” What that phrase suggests is the extraordinary discipline that accountability can foster and the amazing lack of diligence its absence can generate. We all work better and harder when we know we must answer to someone for our efforts. There is something about accountability that motivates us to excellence; it stimulates our attitudes.
The principle of accountability works just as effectively in the spiritual realm. The Christian, while saved and forgiven, still is accountable to God for his behavior. He is not free to do as he pleases; he is free to obey and enjoy God.
Understanding this accountability should encourage us. God is not a demanding, overbearing Master but a kind, compassionate Lord Who enables us to do His bidding. We are not motivated by fear but love. Accountability to the Father as we live our lives here assures us of spectacular rewards in heaven.
In another and secondary sense, a Christian should be accountable to another mature believer who does not dictate to him but sharpens him for service. The Christian who lives as accountable to God and to man walks the narrow but profitable road of spiritual fruitfulness.
“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The Problem of Procrastination
“He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.” Ecclesiastes 11:4-6
In Gone with the Wind Scarlett O’Hara repeatedly utters this now celebrated line whenever faced with calamity: “I’ll think about that tomorrow...” How often do we - either intentionally or not - develop the same “tomorrow” outlook? We too easily find ways to put off until tomorrow what can be done today. A sober look at procrastination’s aftereffects, however, might help us realize its subtle dangers. The procrastinator can miss out on God’s best for his life.
When we fail to confront an issue or a situation, we fail to develop the kind of Godly, positive character desired by God. By hesitating, we delay God’s blessings. Prompt obedience always brings eventual blessings. When we procrastinate, we are dangerously close to disobedience - along with its consequences.
We can learn to face and deal with undesirable circumstances by trusting God to supply what we lack. He will give courage, wisdom, grace, mercy, power - whatever the need. As we confront our problems - rather than avoid them - our faith is nurtured and stretched. Our confidence grows; our fears subside. Let your motto be: “Do it now as the Lord directs and enables me.” it will save a lot of heartache later.
“The hand of the diligent will rule...” Proverbs 12:24
In Gone with the Wind Scarlett O’Hara repeatedly utters this now celebrated line whenever faced with calamity: “I’ll think about that tomorrow...” How often do we - either intentionally or not - develop the same “tomorrow” outlook? We too easily find ways to put off until tomorrow what can be done today. A sober look at procrastination’s aftereffects, however, might help us realize its subtle dangers. The procrastinator can miss out on God’s best for his life.
When we fail to confront an issue or a situation, we fail to develop the kind of Godly, positive character desired by God. By hesitating, we delay God’s blessings. Prompt obedience always brings eventual blessings. When we procrastinate, we are dangerously close to disobedience - along with its consequences.
We can learn to face and deal with undesirable circumstances by trusting God to supply what we lack. He will give courage, wisdom, grace, mercy, power - whatever the need. As we confront our problems - rather than avoid them - our faith is nurtured and stretched. Our confidence grows; our fears subside. Let your motto be: “Do it now as the Lord directs and enables me.” it will save a lot of heartache later.
“The hand of the diligent will rule...” Proverbs 12:24
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Truth Will Set You Free, Part 15
“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:5-17
The truth of God alone sets us free (Eph. 2:13-16). Only God can penetrate the invisible boundaries of our spirits and souls and thereby rescue us from sin’s rule. As you relinquish your area of bondage to God, remember that the freedom you find in the Lord Jesus Christ will endure. It will stand fast.
Like beginning an exercise program, the benefits of freedom in Christ may not be visible for a time. Anger may still flare, fear still lurk in your mind, passion still burn. As you trust the Spirit of God to work in your life, results will come. The battle is yours to endure, but the Holy Spirit will bring the victory. He is at work in your innermost being - even when you think all is lost. He will triumph as you trust in His strong arm.
Begin now to operate on the basis of God’s truth as revealed in the Scriptures and as you are empowered by the Holy Spirit. The truth can set you free forever.
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery...” Romans 8:15
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:5-17
The truth of God alone sets us free (Eph. 2:13-16). Only God can penetrate the invisible boundaries of our spirits and souls and thereby rescue us from sin’s rule. As you relinquish your area of bondage to God, remember that the freedom you find in the Lord Jesus Christ will endure. It will stand fast.
Like beginning an exercise program, the benefits of freedom in Christ may not be visible for a time. Anger may still flare, fear still lurk in your mind, passion still burn. As you trust the Spirit of God to work in your life, results will come. The battle is yours to endure, but the Holy Spirit will bring the victory. He is at work in your innermost being - even when you think all is lost. He will triumph as you trust in His strong arm.
Begin now to operate on the basis of God’s truth as revealed in the Scriptures and as you are empowered by the Holy Spirit. The truth can set you free forever.
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery...” Romans 8:15
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The Truth Will Set You Free, Part 14
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
How can truth set us free? Behind the generation of electricity for a home or business is the power of nuclear physics. Behind the power of an automobile engine is the power of spontaneous combustion. In each instance it is the power of the truth that substantiates the action.
For the Christian, behind the truth of the Scriptures is the power of the living God. His power saved you. It is the same power of God that underwrites every word of the Scriptures. When you believe His Word for handling everyday obstacles, His same divine power works on your behalf.
When Jesus spoke, things happened - with diseases healed, demons vanquished, sins forgiven, seas calmed. His power can conquer every fear, every doubt, every habit, every inordinate passion, every trembling heart, every lonely soul.
Whatever holds you in bondage cannot withstand the power of the Warrior of the Ages. You can have hope this very hour because the power of God is behind His truth and will work on your behalf as you embrace and cling to the Lord Jesus Christ. The risen Christ can and will liberate you from any bondage - if you call on His all-powerful name.
“...Deliver me according to Your word.” Psalm 119:170
How can truth set us free? Behind the generation of electricity for a home or business is the power of nuclear physics. Behind the power of an automobile engine is the power of spontaneous combustion. In each instance it is the power of the truth that substantiates the action.
For the Christian, behind the truth of the Scriptures is the power of the living God. His power saved you. It is the same power of God that underwrites every word of the Scriptures. When you believe His Word for handling everyday obstacles, His same divine power works on your behalf.
When Jesus spoke, things happened - with diseases healed, demons vanquished, sins forgiven, seas calmed. His power can conquer every fear, every doubt, every habit, every inordinate passion, every trembling heart, every lonely soul.
Whatever holds you in bondage cannot withstand the power of the Warrior of the Ages. You can have hope this very hour because the power of God is behind His truth and will work on your behalf as you embrace and cling to the Lord Jesus Christ. The risen Christ can and will liberate you from any bondage - if you call on His all-powerful name.
“...Deliver me according to Your word.” Psalm 119:170
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Truth Will Set You Free, Part 13
“Blessed be the LORD, because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him. The LORD is their strength, and He is a saving defense to His anointed. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.” Psalm 28:6-9
In The Adventure of Prayer the late author Catherine Marshall reveals the power of helplessness:
“Why is prayer so startlingly effective when we admit our helplessness? One obvious reason is because our human helplessness is bedrock fact. God is a realist and insists that we be realists too. So long as we are deluding ourselves that human resources can supply our hearts’ desires, we are believing a lie.
This recognition and acknowledgment of our helplessness is also the quickest way to that right attitude which God recognizes as essential to prayer. It deals a mortal blow to the most serious sins of all - man’s independence that ignores God.
Another reason is that we cannot learn firsthand about God - what He is like, His love, and His real power - so long as we are relying on ourselves and other people. And fellowship with Jesus is the true purpose of life and the only foundation for eternity. It is real, this daily fellowship He offers us.
So if your every human plan and calculation has miscarried; if, one by one, human props have been knocked out and doors have shut in your face, take heart - the message is: ‘Stop depending on inadequate human resources. Let Me handle the matter.’”
“...power is perfected in weakness...” 2 Corinthians 12:9
In The Adventure of Prayer the late author Catherine Marshall reveals the power of helplessness:
“Why is prayer so startlingly effective when we admit our helplessness? One obvious reason is because our human helplessness is bedrock fact. God is a realist and insists that we be realists too. So long as we are deluding ourselves that human resources can supply our hearts’ desires, we are believing a lie.
This recognition and acknowledgment of our helplessness is also the quickest way to that right attitude which God recognizes as essential to prayer. It deals a mortal blow to the most serious sins of all - man’s independence that ignores God.
Another reason is that we cannot learn firsthand about God - what He is like, His love, and His real power - so long as we are relying on ourselves and other people. And fellowship with Jesus is the true purpose of life and the only foundation for eternity. It is real, this daily fellowship He offers us.
So if your every human plan and calculation has miscarried; if, one by one, human props have been knocked out and doors have shut in your face, take heart - the message is: ‘Stop depending on inadequate human resources. Let Me handle the matter.’”
“...power is perfected in weakness...” 2 Corinthians 12:9
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Truth Will Set You Free, Part 12
“For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:14-25
We usually do not seek freedom until we are miserable in our bondage. Sin’s pleasures can control us for many years, decades - eve a lifetime. It is not until we realize the extent to which sin controls us that we cry our for release.
Some would say it is too late to be delivered from the bondage of such masters as lust, alcohol, drugs, fear, anger, or inferiority. But with God our helplessness is our first step on the road to freedom. God places us in the awkward, uncomfortable position of helplessness.
Most of us do not fully receive our freedom in Christ because we will do almost anything to avoid such a predicament. We enjoy the feeling of control. We detest the notions that we cannot stop our drinking, cannot halt our immorality, cannot conquer our fears, cannot heal our marriages, and cannot discipline our children.
Many of us see helplessness as weakness - as admission that we are inadequate to solve our dilemmas or to do anything apart from Christ “...for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). But in God’s eyes and along His route to spiritual freedom, our feelings of helplessness are the birth pangs of a miracle.
“...Revive me according to Your word.” Psalm 119:25
I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:14-25
We usually do not seek freedom until we are miserable in our bondage. Sin’s pleasures can control us for many years, decades - eve a lifetime. It is not until we realize the extent to which sin controls us that we cry our for release.
Some would say it is too late to be delivered from the bondage of such masters as lust, alcohol, drugs, fear, anger, or inferiority. But with God our helplessness is our first step on the road to freedom. God places us in the awkward, uncomfortable position of helplessness.
Most of us do not fully receive our freedom in Christ because we will do almost anything to avoid such a predicament. We enjoy the feeling of control. We detest the notions that we cannot stop our drinking, cannot halt our immorality, cannot conquer our fears, cannot heal our marriages, and cannot discipline our children.
Many of us see helplessness as weakness - as admission that we are inadequate to solve our dilemmas or to do anything apart from Christ “...for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). But in God’s eyes and along His route to spiritual freedom, our feelings of helplessness are the birth pangs of a miracle.
“...Revive me according to Your word.” Psalm 119:25
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Truth Will Set You Free, Part 11
And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Mark 9:19-24
Two more essential elements follow if the truth is to lift us out of our insecurity and inadequacy.
The truth of the Scriptures must be received. Webster’s Dictionary defines receive as “to take in through the mind or senses; to permit to enter; to take or to come into possession of.” Truth can be rejected; it can be held at arm’s length. First, we have to receive God’s truth into our inner man. Pride in our resources can hinder that reception. God is a Gentleman; He will not force His ways upon us. We must open the door of our minds and hearts to Him.
Second, the truth of the Scriptures must be believed. Believing means we trust God enough to step out on His promises. We cannot just assent to the Word of God; we must rely on, lean on, and let Him implement His Word in our lives in order for Christ Jesus - Who is “the truth” (John 14:6) - to set us free.
Belief is action. Since God tells us in His Word not to worry (Philippians 4:6), we must stop fretting. Since He says we are valuable in His eyes (John 3:16), we must lay aside our ideas about a lack of our self-worth. When we receive and believe God’s authoritative, liberating truth, we have entered the doorway of freedom.
“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him...” John 6:29
Two more essential elements follow if the truth is to lift us out of our insecurity and inadequacy.
The truth of the Scriptures must be received. Webster’s Dictionary defines receive as “to take in through the mind or senses; to permit to enter; to take or to come into possession of.” Truth can be rejected; it can be held at arm’s length. First, we have to receive God’s truth into our inner man. Pride in our resources can hinder that reception. God is a Gentleman; He will not force His ways upon us. We must open the door of our minds and hearts to Him.
Second, the truth of the Scriptures must be believed. Believing means we trust God enough to step out on His promises. We cannot just assent to the Word of God; we must rely on, lean on, and let Him implement His Word in our lives in order for Christ Jesus - Who is “the truth” (John 14:6) - to set us free.
Belief is action. Since God tells us in His Word not to worry (Philippians 4:6), we must stop fretting. Since He says we are valuable in His eyes (John 3:16), we must lay aside our ideas about a lack of our self-worth. When we receive and believe God’s authoritative, liberating truth, we have entered the doorway of freedom.
“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him...” John 6:29
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Truth Will Set You Free, Part 10
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:1-7
The truth does not liberate us automatically. All of us can testify to knowing the truth but failing to experience its power. When Jesus said the truth would set His hearers free, He preceded that declaration with: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31). Two crucial principles are involved in the emancipation of our emotional and spiritual beings.
We must first abide in the Word of God. To abide means “to continue in.” Bondage to sin and deception did not come overnight and neither will our sense of liberty. We have to allow the Spirit of God to pour His truth into our inner man over time. He will free us with His truth, but we must be exposed to it repeatedly.
The second principle is that we must be learners. That is the meaning of the Greek word for disciple. Since God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9), we have to humble ourselves, admitting we lack the wisdom or strength to save ourselves, admitting we lack the wisdom or strength to save ourselves.
Truth is leaned in all fields of endeavor, and it is no different in the spiritual realm. The truth will set us free as we look to God and in His Word with eager, open hearts, wanting all He will provide.
Doing must always accompany knowing.
The truth does not liberate us automatically. All of us can testify to knowing the truth but failing to experience its power. When Jesus said the truth would set His hearers free, He preceded that declaration with: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31). Two crucial principles are involved in the emancipation of our emotional and spiritual beings.
We must first abide in the Word of God. To abide means “to continue in.” Bondage to sin and deception did not come overnight and neither will our sense of liberty. We have to allow the Spirit of God to pour His truth into our inner man over time. He will free us with His truth, but we must be exposed to it repeatedly.
The second principle is that we must be learners. That is the meaning of the Greek word for disciple. Since God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9), we have to humble ourselves, admitting we lack the wisdom or strength to save ourselves, admitting we lack the wisdom or strength to save ourselves.
Truth is leaned in all fields of endeavor, and it is no different in the spiritual realm. The truth will set us free as we look to God and in His Word with eager, open hearts, wanting all He will provide.
Doing must always accompany knowing.
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Truth Will Set You Free, Part 9
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
Tozer underscores the vital necessity of reckoning with the unseen reality of God and His power: “The spiritual is real....We must shift our interest from the seen to the unseen. For the great unseen reality is God. ‘...he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him’ (Heb. 11:6, KJV). This is basic in the life of faith. Every man must choose his world....As we begin to focus on God, the things of the Spirit will take shape before our inner eyes. Obedience to Word of Christ will bring an inward revelation of the Godhead (John 14:21-23). A new God-consciousness will seize upon us, and we shall begin to taste and hear and inwardly feel the God Who is our life and our all. More and more, as our faculties grow sharper and more sure, God will become to us the great All and His Presence the glory and wonder of our lives.”
Tozer concludes with this prayer: “Open my eyes that I may see; give me acute spiritual perception; enable me to taste Thee and know that Thou art good. Make heaven more real to me than any earthly thing has ever been. Amen.”
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8
Tozer underscores the vital necessity of reckoning with the unseen reality of God and His power: “The spiritual is real....We must shift our interest from the seen to the unseen. For the great unseen reality is God. ‘...he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him’ (Heb. 11:6, KJV). This is basic in the life of faith. Every man must choose his world....As we begin to focus on God, the things of the Spirit will take shape before our inner eyes. Obedience to Word of Christ will bring an inward revelation of the Godhead (John 14:21-23). A new God-consciousness will seize upon us, and we shall begin to taste and hear and inwardly feel the God Who is our life and our all. More and more, as our faculties grow sharper and more sure, God will become to us the great All and His Presence the glory and wonder of our lives.”
Tozer concludes with this prayer: “Open my eyes that I may see; give me acute spiritual perception; enable me to taste Thee and know that Thou art good. Make heaven more real to me than any earthly thing has ever been. Amen.”
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The Truth Will Set You Free, Part 8
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
The reality of our physical existence is undeniable. Each day we awaken to a world that is filled with pain and joy, clouds and sun, failure and success, problems and opportunities. One of the greatest troubles we have with internalizing God’s truth in the midst of our struggles is comprehending the reality of the spiritual world. We know our problems are real. Cancer makes us sick. Our work makes us angry. Our checkbook is in the red. Our relatives shun us. Our children rebel.
Comprehending the reality of the spiritual world and how it can affect our problems is the real test. Listen to the insight of A.W. Tozer: “Our trouble is that we have established bad thought habits. We habitually think of the invisible world as real and doubt the reality of any other. We do not deny the existence of the spiritual world, but we doubt that it is real in the accepted meaning of the word. The world of sense intrudes upon our attention day and night for the world of our lifetime. The world of sense triumphs. The visible becomes the enemy of the invisible; the temporal, of the eternal.”
We must learn to walk by faith as we pursue God.
“...Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalm 90:2
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
The reality of our physical existence is undeniable. Each day we awaken to a world that is filled with pain and joy, clouds and sun, failure and success, problems and opportunities. One of the greatest troubles we have with internalizing God’s truth in the midst of our struggles is comprehending the reality of the spiritual world. We know our problems are real. Cancer makes us sick. Our work makes us angry. Our checkbook is in the red. Our relatives shun us. Our children rebel.
Comprehending the reality of the spiritual world and how it can affect our problems is the real test. Listen to the insight of A.W. Tozer: “Our trouble is that we have established bad thought habits. We habitually think of the invisible world as real and doubt the reality of any other. We do not deny the existence of the spiritual world, but we doubt that it is real in the accepted meaning of the word. The world of sense intrudes upon our attention day and night for the world of our lifetime. The world of sense triumphs. The visible becomes the enemy of the invisible; the temporal, of the eternal.”
We must learn to walk by faith as we pursue God.
“...Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalm 90:2
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Truth Will Set You Free, Part 7
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2
Computers may appear much the same to the eye, but they function in thousands of different ways. The critical distinction is always in the software - the internal programming that performs multitudes of discriminating tasks. A Christian, one who has received the Spirit of God at salvation, has entered God’s kingdom. He is a new spiritual creature (2 Cor. 5:17), but he still retains the memory bank of his previous years. Habits, thoughts, inclinations, and affections can still influence behavior as before.
That is exactly why so many Christians live in such a miserable state. They did not want to return to their former state, but on the other hand, they cannot enjoy their new standing as a child of God. Yet there is hope. Your internal being - mind, emotions, will - can come under the influence of the Holy Spirit Who now indwells you. Your old mental grid system can be replaced by an entirely new set of thoughts and behavior through the power of God’s truth.
A new way of living is possible when you view life from God’s perspective and His truth takes up residence in your inner being. Real victory and genuine Godliness take root and bear the unmistakable fruit of a Christ-filled life.
“For as he thinks within himself, so he is...” Proverbs 23:7
Computers may appear much the same to the eye, but they function in thousands of different ways. The critical distinction is always in the software - the internal programming that performs multitudes of discriminating tasks. A Christian, one who has received the Spirit of God at salvation, has entered God’s kingdom. He is a new spiritual creature (2 Cor. 5:17), but he still retains the memory bank of his previous years. Habits, thoughts, inclinations, and affections can still influence behavior as before.
That is exactly why so many Christians live in such a miserable state. They did not want to return to their former state, but on the other hand, they cannot enjoy their new standing as a child of God. Yet there is hope. Your internal being - mind, emotions, will - can come under the influence of the Holy Spirit Who now indwells you. Your old mental grid system can be replaced by an entirely new set of thoughts and behavior through the power of God’s truth.
A new way of living is possible when you view life from God’s perspective and His truth takes up residence in your inner being. Real victory and genuine Godliness take root and bear the unmistakable fruit of a Christ-filled life.
“For as he thinks within himself, so he is...” Proverbs 23:7
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