Monday, January 31, 2011

The Power and Wisdom of God

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:25-29
Throughout history, God has called and will call men (and women) to great works in His name. God calls upon ordinary people to complete extraordinary feats through Him. Those whom God calls, He equips.

The following are a few examples of those whom God has called: In Judges 4, the LORD sent Deborah, a prophet, with a message to Barak to build an army and go to war against the enemies of Israel. Barak, a man, replied he would only go if Deborah, a woman, would go with him. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon in Judges 6, Gideon met Him with a bevy of questions and then asked for a sign that the message was really from the LORD. In Judges 13-16, you read the story of Samson, who seemed to have a weakness for women. The story of the prophet Jonah, found in Jonah 1-4, is one of a person who decided to do God’s bidding only after an attempt to run from God failed. Jonah then became angry because those to whom he preached, living in the city of Nineveh, repented upon hearing God's message and God forgave them. In John 4, God used the Samaritan woman, a person who had lived an immoral life, to bring her fellow villagers to Christ after meeting Him herself.

As Christians we are commanded (and therefore, obligated) to go and tell a dying world the good news of Jesus Christ. There are no excuses. In what ministry is God asking you to participate? Where is God asking you to go? What is God asking you to do? You may be sure, wherever God sends you; whatever He sends you to do, He will not send you unprepared.

Note: David Platt writes in Radical, “The faith in Christ that saves us from our sins involves an internal transformation that has external implications.” (p. 110)

God Bless!

Friday, January 28, 2011

The Divine Name

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM (Or I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE). This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14, NIV
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM!” John 8:58, NIV
Dr. Robert Luginbill writes on http://ichthys.com/, “God is the author of all existence, of all creation, and that He is supreme within that creation, being both the definition and the ruler of the very notion of being and existence. The use of the divine "being" Name in Exodus chapter three served to put the Israelites on notice that this God is in no way comparable to the gods with which they were familiar (so neither is His Name comparable). In John 8:58 and elsewhere, Jesus makes it clear that He is that very same One. "The Name" is a declaration that the Lord is the very definition of being and existence without regard to time or phenomena.”
I have always been and continue to be fascinated by the Divine Name, I AM. To me, it is the greatest of all the names of our Lord because the name denotes action. You cannot mistake this name as passive; for it implies not only activity and life, but eternal-infinite-life. God is eternal and defines eternity—timelessness—duration without beginning or end.

And yet, His character is unchanging. In Malachi 3:6, the LORD declares He does not change; the writer of Hebrews further states, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”, (13:8).

Dear Ones, the facts are these: HE is always there, HE never changes, and therefore, He can always be relied upon. Come to know Him as Lord and Savior today. He’s waiting for you.
For he says,

  “In the time of my favor I heard you,
   and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
  
 I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2, NIV
Amen and God Bless!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Father Knows Best

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight (or direct your paths). Proverbs 3:5-6
It seems we frequently attempt to go our own way through life and only when utterly defeated do we turn (and run!) to the LORD. For then we realize it is pride, the enemy, which sent us skipping down those crooked paths, blindly bumping into danger at every turn, until finally, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we remember the better way--leaning on and trusting in our loving Father-God, submitting to His ways, and being guided by Him.

As the ultimate-parent, our Heavenly Father, loves us and always wants the best for us, (Romans 8:28)1.  He tells us exactly what He expects of us, (Mark 12:30)2. He corrects and disciplines us (Hebrews 12:6)3 and He makes us aware of the consequences of rejecting Him (John 3:16-18)4. He is always consistent (Malachi 3:6a) 5, and He always keeps His promises (Isaiah 59:21)6.

Indeed, if we would follow God’s example as ultimate-parent the market for books on parenting would suffer greatly. For God’s actions throughout the Bible tell us everything we need to know about parenting.

As parents, we sometimes bemoan the fact that children don’t come with an instruction book; but the truth is all we need to do is read the Bible for the answers to our questions. The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy—“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). What better work is there than teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness future generations?

God Bless!

1 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
3 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
   and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.
4 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
5 I the LORD do not change.
6 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Longing for God

 You, God, are my God,
   earnestly I seek you;
 I thirst for you,
   my whole being longs for you,
 in a dry and parched land
   where there is no water.  I have seen you in the sanctuary
   and beheld your power and your glory.
 Because your love is better than life,
   my lips will glorify you.
 I will praise you as long as I live,
   and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:1-4, NIV
Recently I read an article written by Mark Batterson (author of Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity). He related an incident where he was sitting in an auditorium with other Christian leaders when the speaker asked the question: “Does your heart break for the things that break the heart of God?”

The question not only caught the attention of Mark Batterson but he writes he was also tremendously convicted by it. The question took him back to what he refers to as a primal place when as a young Christian he possessed a spiritual intensity that resulted in him constantly seeking the Lord. For him the question was one that brought him to a place of remembrance and repentance.

I never want to lose the feeling of the Holy Spirit moving within me and that quickening of my heart; for I recognize it as the presence of God. I recently shared with my sister that while I am burdened for the lost, I am also burdened for Christians who never experience the spiritual fullness Christ offers His believers.

Far too many people are concerned only with “getting their ticket to heaven punched” as my pastor puts it. They seem to believe once they become a child of God there is no more to experience. But dear friends, let me assure you, the experiences of the Christian life have just begun! You were meant for so much more!

As you seek to deepen your relationship with God and understand more of His character, you will find the more you learn the more you want to learn. The pursuit of the knowledge and character of God, in my own mind, is absolutely addictive (in a good way). You will discover God is always pursuing you and always seeking a personal, intimate relationship with you (in fact, that’s why you were created). God's love for you is unfathomable and He has a plan and purpose for your life; He always has your best interests in mind.

As God’s most treasured creation, we are created in His image. His goal and desire for each of us is to live in close relationship with Him. Don’t shut the door and stymie the growth of your relationship with the Creator. Keep the door of your heart, mind, and soul open as you seek God each day through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. Seek Him fervently and relentlessly. Learn to recognize His voice. Make yourself available to the leadership of His Spirit as He transforms you into the person He wants you to become—a perfect being in Christ Jesus. Amen.

God Bless!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Sanctification

So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Then the word of the LORD came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. Jeremiah 18:3-6, NIV
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Ezekial 36:25-27, NIV
Recently, I was cooking a large pot-full of Jambalaya (a family favorite). I added the rice to the dish and walked away from the range without reducing the temperature of the heating element upon which the pot sat. I realized my mistake 20 minutes later when the kitchen filled with smoke.

On the bottom of the pot was a thick layer of black, burned-on, rice. Not a pretty sight.  I knew the cleaning of this black mess off the bottom of the pot would not be easy; in fact, I knew it would be an arduous task involving a lot of muscle and patience. There would be soaking, scrubbing, soaking, scrubbing…over and over again until all the ugly black crust was completely eliminated.

I immediately sat about the task at hand and after a great deal of time and effort the metamorphosis was complete. The black residue was gone and the pot was like new and ready for its next assignment.

This process reminds me of what God does for us. Our hearts and lives are black with sin yet He pursues us, drawing us to Him. Once we ask Christ into our hearts, the process of being made into Christ’s likeness begins. This is the process of sanctification and it continues as long as we remain in our fleshly bodies.

The Holy Spirit resides within us helping us defeat sin—leading us, teaching us to become more and more like Jesus. The salvation experience is a one-time event, but sanctification is a life-long process. It is the process of refinement; the removing of the grunge that doesn’t belong in our lives and the extinguishing of the dirt and filth that hinders us from becoming that which God wants us to be. It is the process of yielding oneself to the Potter who fashions us, the clay, into the image and character of Christ.

This process which fits us for heaven is a long, difficult, and tedious process but the rewards are great…in fact, they are out of this world!
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. Romans 6:22, NIV
God Bless!

Monday, January 24, 2011

The 3-D's of the Devil

Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me. Psalm 23:4, NIV
The three D’s of the Devil are discouragement, doubt, and, despair. Even though the LORD is your shepherd (meaning if you are a child of God the Holy Spirit resides in your soul and it is eternally safe), the Devil can still get into your head and create havoc with these devastating D-words. Make no mistake, Satan is fully aware of where you are weakest and attacks there.

But the good news is that our hope is in the LORD. We need not fear evil for God is always with us. He supports us; He guides, rescues, protects and reassures us. Nothing happens to us outside of the knowledge and will of our LORD and Savior and nothing can ever separate us from His love. He is our refuge and our strength; an-ever-present-help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). AMEN!

God Bless!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Actively Participate

 1 My son, if you accept my words
   and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
   and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
   and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
   and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
   and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5, NIV
The Spirit draws us to Him, but we are given the ability to choose and must make that choice for ourselves. Once we actively, deliberately choose Christ we are not to become passive; we are to actively participate in the body of Christ. We are not to remain babies in the faith but we are to continue to learn and grow.

Looking at Proverbs 2:1-5 we find these instructions from Solomon to his son: Accept my words; store up my commands; turn your ear to wisdom; apply your heart to understanding; ask for insight and understanding—seek these things fervently—THEN you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. This does not advocate a passive life but instead describes a life actively pursuing God!

Your good works will not save you, but James, chapter 2, says, faith and actions work together; a person is considered righteous not by faith alone but by what they do—the actions of people define what they believe to be true. And Jesus Himself said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart…the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45). Actions follow beliefs.

What kind of person do people believe you to be strictly based upon how you act? Are you actively participating in the body of Christ? Are you growing in wisdom and understanding of the Word? Do your actions demonstrate your faith? Most importantly—are you sharing the love of Christ with others?

Dear LORD—thank you for working within me to make me more and more Christ-like. I pray for your wisdom as I pursue you and actively share your love with others. I pray to serve you faithfully and that my words and actions bring honor and glory to your wonderful name. Amen.

God Bless!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Faith, Obedience, Righteousness

God’s covenant with Abraham is found in Genesis 12. Abraham, already 75-years-old, is told by God to leave the country where he and his family are living and go to another land. God tells Abraham that He will bless him and in him all the families of the earth will be blessed.

Would you go as Abraham did or would you take time to mull over the situation and attempt to apply some common sense to God’s message of direction? How often do we try to second-guess God? But Abraham had faith in the LORD, the Eternal God (Genesis 21:33) and was humble before Him. Abraham’s humility is shown when he says to God, “I am nothing but dust and ashes”, (Genesis 18:27) and he humbly falls on his face as God speaks to him, (Genesis 17:3).

When God appears to Abraham in Genesis 17, calling Himself, God Almighty or El-Shaddai, He repeats the covenant mentioned earlier. Abraham is 99-years-old when he and all the males in his household are circumcised as a sign of the covenant between him and God. God tells Abraham that he and Sarah will have a child the next year (at ages 100 and 90)!

NOTE: Isaac means he laughs; both Abraham and Sarah laughed at the notion of having a child in their old age. But the LORD was gracious and faithful to His promise. Sarah says, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” Genesis 21:6

God provides Abraham with all He has promised and Abraham walks faithfully before God. Even when God calls upon Abraham to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering, Abraham does so, telling Isaac, the LORD will provide! What faith! What obedience!

Obedience follows faith and righteousness is borne of faith and obedience. In Genesis 26: 5, the LORD tells Isaac, Abraham had obeyed Him and done everything that He had required of him. James 2:23 says that because of Abraham’s belief in God, “it was credited to him as righteousness” and Abraham is called a friend of God.

Dr. Charles Stanley writing in the Life Principles Daily Bible,How can I become a more obedient child of God?” makes these four points concerning obedience to God: all obedience begins with faith; we grow by waiting upon God; by following faithfully, and by obeying promptly. Oh, that we may all walk faithfully and obey quickly, sweetly, and completely; thereby claiming the promise spoken by David in Psalm 4:3—“But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him.”

AMEN!

God Bless!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Be Awe-Ware Always

To be in awe is to be overwhelmed with reverence and admiration of the sublime and powerful. Are you aware of the power and glory of our God? If not, allow me to direct you to scriptures which speak to the awesomeness of God.

Our hearts, minds, and souls should be permeated with and in a state of awe for God at all times. For in Jeremiah 2:19, it is the Lord Himself who declares it to be the wicked, evil, and bitter who forsake Him and have no awe of Him.

God is declared to be a great and awesome God, (Deut. 7:21); awesome in glory, (Ex. 15:11); mighty and awesome, (Deut. 10:17); with great and awesome deeds, (Deut. 4:34); the One who performs great and awesome wonders, (Deut. 10:21; 2 Sam. 7:23; 1 Chronicles 17:21); whose name is glorious and awesome—the LORD our God, (Deut. 28:58).

Furthermore, Nehemiah 1:5; 4:14; and 9:32 tell us of our God, the God of heaven; the great and awesome and mighty God. The book of Job speaks of God coming in golden splendor and awesome majesty, (Job 37:22); and says that, “dominion and awe belong to God”, (Job 25:2).

The Psalmist declares the awesome and righteous deeds of God our Savior (Ps. 65:5; 45:4) and says, “For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth”, (Ps. 47:2). Psalm 65:8, asserts, “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders”; Psalm 66:3 proclaims His deeds are so great His enemies cringe before Him; He is awesome in His sanctuary, (Ps. 68:35); He is more awesome than all who surround Him, (Ps. 89:7); He is holy, provides redemption, and is worthy of praise for His great and awesome name, power, works, and law (Ps. 99:3, 111:9; 119:120; 145:6).

In prayer, Daniel addresses the “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments”, (Daniel 9:4). Habakkuk stands in awe of the LORD and His deeds, (Habakkuk 3:2). Those in awe of God and praise His works are recorded in the books of Zephaniah, Malachi, and throughout the books of the New Testament as well.

Are you convinced of the awesomeness of God? I pray that you are and I hope you share with me the confidence of the writer of Hebrews in the continuing-forever-awesomeness of our great God. The writer of Hebrews states that since we have a greater revelation (through Christ Jesus), we have a greater responsibility for sharing that revelation: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,” Hebrews 12:28.

Praise God for His great love, for His great gift, for His great mercy, and for His great grace (John 3:16)! If you don’t know Him, I pray you come to know Him today.

God Bless!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

My Hope Comes From the LORD

But those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31, NIV
The winter months are difficult for me. The lack of sunshine and the abundance of cloudy days wear heavily upon my mind. However, my hope is in the LORD and even though the short, dismal days are difficult for me I know whom I have believed and that He is able…(2 Tim. 1:12) We cannot appreciate sunshine if we have not experienced dark clouds.

It is when I am at my lowest point that prayer—I mean the kind of prayer where you are prostrate before the Lord—and His word get me through the day. I fully depend on His strength and I am encouraged by His word.

Precious Lord, You alone have the power to heal my troubled mind; replace my distress with Your peace, joy, hope and love. Renew my strength; restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit (Ps. 51:12). For You have not given us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of love and of power (2 Tim. 1:7). My hope is in You and Your unfailing love (Ps. 147:11). Amen.

God Bless!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Scripture Memorization

If you are familiar with the last few chapters of the book of Job, beginning with chapter 38, you know the majority of the text is spoken by God. It is wonderful dialog and describes the greatness of God as Creator. I love it!

In the last chapter of the book of Job, chapter 42, verse 12 begins, “The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.”

I feel great kinship with this verse because I believe this to be true in my own life. I don’t have the outer wealth Job possessed but I feel rich in the word of God and in His Spirit. The reason being I spend more time in the word of God than ever before and God has blessed me through it.

I began to read and study my Bible more about three years ago. This year I added memorization of Scripture to my daily study. I pray each morning before I begin my study that God will open His Scriptures to me and that He will give me memory and recall in regard to the Scriptures that I may better serve Him in whatever He asks me to do.

Author John Piper has written an article called, “Why Memorize Scripture?”, (http://www.desiringgod.org). Piper says Scripture memorization is vital and helps us keep our focus on Christ; it helps us triumph over sin and Satan; it helps us comfort and counsel others; it allows us to communicate the gospel to others, especially unbelievers; and it helps us commune with God.

Matthew 7:7-8 tells us that everyone who seeks finds so keeping seeking the Scriptures and you will keep finding the rewards thereof!

God Bless!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Value of God’s Word

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: … ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ Hebrews 10: 5, 7, NIV
This morning I read an article at biblestudytools.com by Pastor Greg Laurie entitled, The Value of God’s Word. Being a huge fan of God’s word I immediately began reading the piece.

The article lists these five points to sum up the value of God’s word: it is perfect, it transforms us, it gives us wisdom, it is right and therefore, keeps us on the right path, and following God’s word keeps us happy. Laurie closes by saying the key to successful Christian living is to read, study, memorize, and obey the word of God.

Popular theologian, Chuck Swindoll, (Insight for Living or http://www.insight.org) says the Bible is food for Christian development no matter what stage of life you are in and you can never exhaust its storehouse of nourishment.

Consistently and earnestly study the word of God. You’ll be eternally glad that you did!

God Bless!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Clothed in Christ

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Romans 13:14, NIV
What does it mean to be clothed in Christ? It means to imitate Christ; to be like Him. We are to take His life as a pattern and guide for our own; to walk as He walked. We are to emulate Him in the exercise of love, mercy and grace while obeying His commandments.

Romans 13:14 also tells us we are to make no provision for following the desires of the flesh, (i.e., don’t give yourself an excuse to sin). The statement has nothing to do with our physical health and well-being. It is saying that if we are to be in fellowship with Christ we can not and are not to indulge in those things which are in direct contention with the Spirit of God.

While we may be merely human—at the moment, Romans 6:14a tells us sin is no longer our master. Further, 1 John 4:4b reminds us that every sin can be overcome because the One who lives in us is greater than he who is in the world. Praise God!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Work to Do

How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? Hebrews 2:3a, NIV
The writer of Hebrews reminds his readers to pay attention and be mindful of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If disobedience of the law brought judgment and punishment to those who neglected it how much more so will neglect of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ bring judgment and punishment upon those who are neglectful?

Are we mindful of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are we doing what He commanded us to do?

Before ascending into heaven, Christ’s last words to His disciples were: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NIV)

Jesus left us with a job to do before His return. Have you ever been left with a task to complete before someone returns? Did you hurry to complete the task or did you adopt a laissez-fair attitude about your work?

Consider for a moment the tragedy of adopting a laissez-fair attitude about Acts 1:8. The cost is this—day after day, souls leaving this world without hearing the good news of Jesus Christ.

In David Platt’s book, Radical (Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream), he says the gospel of Christ calls for action, not reflection. “We need to return with urgency to a biblical gospel, because the cost of not doing so is great for our lives, our families, our churches, and the world around us” (p. 19). The cost of non-discipleship is far too great. As Christians we need to rid ourselves of the useless junk in our lives so valued by the world and commit ourselves fully to following Christ.

The situation is urgent—for how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?

God Bless!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Living Sacrifice/Reasonable Service

As I read through the books of law in the Old Testament, especially Leviticus and Deuteronomy, I’m always amazed at the number of various sacrifices. And of course, before any sacrifices could be offered by the priest on behalf others, he had to go through a process of ritual cleansing and atonement for his own sins.

However, as Christians, we have the assurance of Christ Jesus—God’s one and only Son, the perfect sacrifice, who laid down His life for us at the cross for our sins—dying for sins He did not commit so that we might choose eternal life that we don’t deserve, (John 3:16). The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5:2, states it this way: “…Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

If you recently accepted Christ, you may be asking, “So…what’s the next step?” Far too many Christians seem to stop with the salvation experience. Too many think, “Well, I’ve got my ticket to heaven stamped and validated so now I can sit back and relax.” However, if that were true, God would take us immediately to heaven. Since typically, that does not happen it stands to reason God has other plans for us (including fitting us for heaven to live with Him there).

It is not my intention to give you an exhaustive to-do list, but to direct you to what is called our reasonable service. To complete Paul’s thought in Ephesians 5:2 mentioned above, he tells us in verse 1, we are to follow God’s example. Verse 2, begins by telling us we are to “walk in the way of love”. So, just as God loved us and gave us His Son; Christ loved us and gave Himself for us and by way of example, we are to love others.

Further, Paul states in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Offering our lives—the way we live, everything we do, whatever we say, etc.—as a testament of God’s love for us. The King James Version translates the ending of the verse as, “which is your reasonable service”.

This does not speak of a passive life-style. Instead, it portrays a picture of someone busy in the service of God. And it calls this busy, active life-style of service to God reasonable, true, and proper worship.

I hope you aren’t feeling overwhelmed but instead you are feeling the assurance of the power of the Holy Spirit residing within—knowing you can do whatever God asks of you, in whatever circumstances you find yourself. If so, you are on the right track. When God brings you to something He equips you for it and leads you through it. Because of that dear friends, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased”. Hebrews 13:15-16

Amen and may God richly bless you!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Surrender to Win

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8, NIV
In the secular world dependency is seen as weakness and immaturity while Christians see dependence upon God as not only a measure of maturity but also a necessity in the walk of faith. Surrendering all, to the secular world, is not in any way the pathway to advancement; however, in God’s kingdom it means we trust our Lord and Savior in such a way to give Him complete control, saying, "I’m here, I’m available to do what You want me to do—to go where You want me to go—to say what You want me to say whatever the circumstances may be."

Surrendering all means living unhindered and expectantly, knowing our God is able. He loves us; He seeks us and draws us to Him. He leads and directs us as we travel through life; He forgives us when we come before Him with repentance in our hearts. Because God is faithful, we can live by faith and not by sight (Galatians 2:20). Our God is worthy; He is all powerful and He wants the best for His children. Surrender your all to Him today.
Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
1 Chronicles 29:11, NIV
God bless!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Life's Instruction Book

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:11, 105, NIV
The fast-paced hustle and bustle of the Christmas season has ceased and the New Year’s celebrations have come and gone. Among the list of things this means for me personally is that I have finished reading through the Bible from cover to cover and I’m ready to begin the task anew.

While some may think this a boring and rigorous task, I look upon it with great enthusiasm and pleasure. In fact, I have come to look upon this daily ritual of Bible-reading as absolutely addictive. The more I read the word of God, the more I want to read it; the more I learn about the ways of God, the more I want to learn. As I read through my Bible, I am continually inspired, awestruck, amazed and in love with our great and awesome God.

How can you not want to read the Bible? It is God’s holy word in book form! It is a collection of books which spans at least 1500 years, written by some 40 authors all inspired by the one true God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible continues to be the best-selling book of all time. How can you not be excited by a book like that?

The Bible is our instruction book for life; it tells us how to live and it keeps us on the right path. Knowing what the Bible says keeps us from being fooled and drawn in by false teachings and false prophets—God is never going to reveal, speak, or otherwise communicate to anyone anything that is contrary to what is already written in His word!

Micah 6:8 tells us the Lord requires of us that we, act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with Him. The Lord requires this of us. You learn how to do these things by reading your Bible!

In 2 Timothy 2:15, the Apostle Paul admonishes a young Timothy to, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth”. Read your Bible!

In Ephesians 6:13-17, when the Apostle Paul is encouraging the putting on of the “full armor of God” in order to be protected from evil, he describes, “the sword of the Spirit” as “the word of God”. In point of fact, Christ defended Himself and rebuked the devil, when being tested in the wilderness after His baptism, by using scripture, (Matthew 4:1-11). Read your Bible—it is your instruction book for life—be informed!

There are many reading plans and various translations of the Bible available. Daily Bibles, many which include a daily devotional, are broken down into the daily readings and are readily available at your local book seller. Through use of the internet and email you can have daily readings delivered directly to your inbox.

Your time investment is approximately 15 minutes a day. A small investment indeed considering the enormous benefit derived! You will discover and reap the rich blessings of God as you keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking, (Matthew 7:7-8), through the reading of His holy word!!