Grass and Flowers

Isa. 40:30-31

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint.

 

 

How great is our God! All flesh, no matter how powerful or important, is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower dies, but the word of our God will stand forever. Nothing that man can achieve, build, invent, accomplish, etc. lasts any longer than God has proclaimed it would. Strangely enough, man, in his few short years on earth, thinks he is master of his destiny even when he sees evidence to the contrary. Meteorologists may be able to predict hurricane Sandy's path and fortify against her ravages, but they can do nothing to stop her, for that matter even their fortifications were sadly lacking. The same goes for illness and financial ruin. The best health insurance or physician cannot prevent man from dying or from disease destroying his physical body, and no amount of financial strategies will stave off a recession or a  depression. Certainly, it may appear that man is controlling things, but when God sends Sandy, it is all over! When God has decreed human events, man cannot circumvent them. His word will stand forever and will always be True. Just because someone says there is no god doesn't make that true in the least. In fact, many of man's grandiose statements are merely the ravings of grass and flower withering to eventual death. All nations are as nothing before Him, they are accounted by Him as less than nothing and emptiness.

 

But for the believer, He will tend His flock like a Shepard; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. He is there with us as we endure the hardships and storms of life. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. How ironic that people in their prime think they have maximum strength, intelligence, and power, and are in need of nothing, especially something coming from God. They seem to have forgotten aging, disease, storms, financial ruin, etc. They think they are superior to all those who have gone before, to all those who have left a record of their failures. They refuse to learn from history. Man cannot sustain strength for the long haul! There are too many factors that he cannot control even though he believes he can. Once again, just because he says he can doesn't make it true. I am waiting on the Lord for all my strength so that when He says run, I can run. When He says, don't faint, I won't. My life is in the hands of the eternal God whose word is everlastingly true! Why would I stoop so low as to follow my own human inclinations or allow humanity to diminish my faith in the One who truly is powerful!

 

Father,

Take away my fear of the future and of the ravings of politicians.  Keep me resting in You as the storms You have sent become a reality. I know that You are my sufficiency, but help me live that truth.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Spiritual Blessings

Eph. 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

 

For me to bless God for His blessing me so plentifully would involve knowing how He has blessed me and then understanding how these blessings affect my life. I know that God has given me all that I need, but how often do I thank Him or bless Him for these spiritual blessings? Sadly my heart is more in tune with the physical blessings, the things that I can see and understand in this world.

 

To begin with all these spiritual blessings are in Christ. He is the conduit through which God's great love reaches man. It was through His great sacrifice that I could even know God. How hard it must have been for the Father to give up His only Son, to turn His face from Him when He took the sin upon Himself! What amazing love!  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

 

...even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,that we should be holy and blameless before Him. My life was destined before the world came into being. His purpose in choosing me and in sending His son was so that I would be holy and blameless. Since I could never achieve that state myself, God sent His Son. Not only did He choose me, but He gave me the means to make it a reality. Without the choosing of God, where would I be?  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.  When I was chosen, I was also predestined to be adopted as a son not because of what I had to offer, but because of Jesus Christ. Jesus obeyed the will of the Father implicitly to praise of His grace, a grace that is the means of my salvation, my power to live daily, and the greatest gift in my life. Without grace, there would be no way for me to know God. Without this destiny, where would I be?   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight...In Jesus I am redeemed through His sacrificial blood. I have forgiveness because of the never-ending supply of grace, not a grace that was the bare minimum to get the job done or a grace that would run out, but it was a grace lavished upon me. What a glorious word lavished! This grace was not lavished indiscriminately but lavished in all wisdom and insight. God's plan and will are perfect even down to the administering of His great grace. Without this great blessing, where would I be? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

...which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. All of this great plan for me was set forth in Christ for the express purpose of being united in Him. His life becomes my life and His will my will. It was the perfect plan accomplished by the Perfect One for the imperfect and deeply flawed one. What an amazing blessing! I can be united with God! Without this plan, where would I be?  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. In addition to all the previous blessings, God has given me an inheritance according to His will. This inheritance gives me hope in Christ. I know that as I longingly wait, He will come in God's time, according to His will, and to the praise of His glory. God works all things according to His will. Nothing takes Him by surprise! These blessings jsut keep coming! Certainly lavished! Without this great inheritance, in what would I hope? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In Him you also, when you heard the world of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession to it, to the praise of His glory. Once I believe in Jesus I am sealed with His spirit who is the guarantee of my inheritance. I don't have to worry that I will lose my salvation or that anyone or anything can take me out of His hand. I am eternally saved and sealed from the moment that I believed in Jesus. Certainly to the praise of His glory! Where would I be without this great peace and security? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

What a glorious passage, one that I need to remember everyday. What great grace and God-given salvation!  May I never take these blessings for granted, but instead glorify the Father and the Son for uniting me to them. My heart and my voice must constantly say, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Father,

Blessed be Your name, Your will and purpose, Your Son, Your grace, Your Spirit, Your plan for my life! Thank You for giving me such rest and peace as I long for Your return. Spirit, always remind me to thank and bless the Father for these great blessings and for giving me all that I need to live for Him.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

 



Boast in the Cross

Gal. 6:14

Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.

 

 

Paul ends this letter to the Galatians with several final instructions. He begins with a fellow believer who is caught in sin, mature believers are to restore him in a spirit of gentleness all the while keeping watch lest they fall into temptation too. Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. This concern and love is what should characterize interpersonal relationships within the body, rebuking only out of love not out of a sense of spiritual pride.

 

Next he develops a vital principle that is not clearly understood. What if someone has asked Jesus to be his Savior and has publicly declared it, but there is no corresponding transformation of the heart and life. Paul's response is hard but true.  Do not be deceived God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. If believers are sowing to the flesh, then they will reap corruption. But the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life. Christianity is not a head knowledge, but is a life style. Believers are changed from the inside out, every area of their life reflecting Jesus. So let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Hang on, don't defect, stay true for in God's own time all will be made right. As believers have opportunity, they need to do good to everyone, especially to believers.

 

Paul closes with a reference to circumcision, an idea developed earlier in the book. He urges them not to listen to those who would add to the faith to avoid persecution. Their goal is not for the believer's welfare but an opportunity to boast in their own flesh. Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Neither circumcision or uncircumcision count for anything, but the crucial issue is the new creation, the transformed life, and boasting only in the cross.

 

These three important issues are still vital for today. Believers often rebuke other believers out of their own spiritual pride or biases. It has nothing to do with bearing burdens and fulfilling the law of Christ, but it actually makes the burden heavier for the one struggling. Of course, these people wouldn't notice that because they are too puffed up in their own spiritual pride, much like the Pharisees were. Secondly, the idea of living for the flesh is monumental today. Many believers blend into the world so well that they are not recognizable as a believers. Their lives are filled with the same pursuits and pleasures, but all the while, they think they are fine in God's eyes. Perhaps they think that they are living the best of both worlds, the spiritual and the fleshly. How sad! Finally he dealt with the issue of adding to the faith. Even though circumcision is not an issue today, there are many people who add to the faith and use their faith as an opportunity to boast in their own flesh, their own works. My only boasting point must be the cross of Jesus Christ. My life must be built only on grace, and out of this grace, I can bear the burdens of my fellow believers, live for the Lord, and do it all energized by His grace!

 

Father,

Grow me in these three areas. When my flesh rears its ugly head, prick my heart so that I might confess, repent, and live in Your grace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Walk by the Spirit

Gal. 5:15

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

 

It sounds simple when it is stated like v. 15. Why should walking by the Spirit be so hard if the Spirit indwells believers? The rub comes in the fact that the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit are at war; in fact, my life is a constant battle ground. I can never ease up on watching and praying because the flesh is lying in wait ready to pounce at its first opportunity. The works of the flesh are clearly obvious :sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. What a warning list! If any of these are evident, then my walk is compromised. The enemy has gained a foothold. When my life is infiltrated, I need to immediately confess and repent. This is an area that can not tolerate compromise. Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

In contrast, walking in the Spirit is equally obvious: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law. And those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. There is the answer: if I am continually struggling, I have not crucified the flesh. I must reckon it dead, no longer alive in my body, no longer appealing, and no longer tolerated. Walking by the Spirit is a narrow path leaving no room for the flesh to pop out even for a moment. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  Envying or provoking either on the grounds of worldliness or on the grounds of spirituality is a no-go. My Spirit-Walk is unique to me and is something that I live by the promptings of the Spirit. My desires are an important part of this walk. Just as in the past,  I desired to gratify my flesh, I must know want to satisfy my spirit. My desire and commitment coupled with God's grace and strength will enable me to walk by the Spirit. I can't be wishy-washy in what I want and I must never tolerate sin in my own life. I must be preoccupied with walking in the Spirit and being a citizen of the kingdom of God.

 

Father,

I desire to walk in Your way. Point out what is wrong in my life and give me your grace to confess, repent, and walk in a new way. Change my desires so that they are in harmony with Your Spirit living within me.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Love One Another

Gal. 5:14

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 

How important is love in the body of Christ! Actually, it should define who believers are and how they act and respond to others. Sadly the Galatians were at war with one another over elements of the law. Some wanted to merge Christianity and Judaism. What resulted was a war within the body! Paul clearly told them that in Christ there was neither circumcision or uncircumcision, but only faith working through love. This preoccupation with the law was hindering them personally from obeying the truth and corporately plunging them into discord. They were called to freedom, but it was a freedom that wasn't meant to be a means to sin. As to the law, Paul said that the entire law was completed in one principle: love your neighbor as yourself. But if they continued to bite and devour one another, they would be consumed by one another. Certainly, warring with one another was sin, disobedience to God, as well as straying from the gospel of Christ. In no uncertain words Paul made his case! Love your neighbor as yourself! The same goes for us today. Love should be the keystone of our relationships with one another. It should be our default response not one that we have to muster up. Yes, I must love as Christ loved me!

 

Father,

Change my default. Grow Your love in me so that I can reflect You and Jesus. Open my ears that I might hear clearly what Your Spirit is teaching me.

In Jesus name,

Amen

What Is True About God

Lam. 3:22-23

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

 

Chapter 3 begins with the writer declaring he is a man who has seen affliction under God's rod of wrath. His days have turned to darkness, and his flesh and skin have wasted away. As he examines his life, he sees only bitterness and tribulation. And worse yet, he feels his prayers are shut out. Where is his hope? When his endurance has perished and so has his hope from the Lord, what does he do? For all mankind, there are times when circumstances are constantly defeating, when illness and starvation consume the flesh, and when a man is scorned and becomes the laughingstock of all people. The writer's plight is something we all can understand and sympathize with. But where do we turn when everything in life is bearing down?

 

The writer himself knows the answer to the question when he says, But this I call to mind, and there fore I have hope. He rises above his circumstances and focuses on something other than himself and his problems. He calls to mind and remembers what is true about God. The mind and spirit trump the debilitating physical elements of his life and the defeating and constantly negative emotions. He rises out of the pit of self-pity and focuses his life on God!

 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

 

The writer has come back to God accepting what God has allowed in his life and quietly waits for the Lord to save him. He knows that God's love and mercy are unending, that God is his portion, and that God is good to those who wait for Him. He is assured that in God's timing all his issues will be resolved and that they are for his good. He is submitting to God and seeing his life as an instrument to be used by God for His higher purposes. What a great lesson! I must always call to mind and remember what is true about God! I must not live only for the circumstances of this life, but live for God accepting His will and waiting patiently for Him.

 

Father,

Thank You for Your ending love and mercies. Increase my patience as I wait for You. Help me never forget what is true about You when circumstances pull me down.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 



Praise to My God and King

Ps. 145:1

I will extol You, my God and King and bless Your name forever and forever.

 

What a great psalm of praise and how perfect to memorize and pray! When I set out to memorize this psalm, I wanted to learn more about praising God, and I certainly did! Every night after the day is finished regardless of the stress, the pain, the busyness, the tension, the joys, the pleasures, and the time spent with God, I pray this psalm before I fall asleep. In the quiet and stillness as I lay in bed  with all the lights out, I can calm my heart and my mind and focus completely on Him. I can praise Him as He should be praised with His very own words!

 

The specifics of this prayer-praise times vary. On some days one verse in the psalm will touch my heart more than others. So it is exciting to watch and see what God teaches and will teach me.  Already, I have learned that my praise should be continual and consistent. No situation or circumstance should be reason enough to suspend my praise. In fact, suffering should be cause for more praise as I watch to see how God will work in the situations of my life. It should be an encouragement to me because it demonstrates how God is growing me in holiness and maturity in Christ.  Everyday I will bless you and praise Your name forever and forever.

 

Also I have pondered the generational relationship the psalm develops. One generation shall commend Your works to another and declare Your mighty acts. How can I make this a reality? What can God do through me to impact the next generation? Clearly, from this verse I should declare His works and mighty acts. His presence in my life is something that I should share with others including my children and grandchildren. It certainly gives me a higher meaning and purpose since God blesses my life not just for me but for me to share with others. That changes my focus completely taking me out of myself and into the lives of others. I so want to be that window inviting others to look and see that the Lord is good.

 

Finally some of the verses are just precious because they reinforce what I know to be true about God , and since they are constantly in my mind, they help me see the hand of God at work in my life. They give me a sharper and clearer awareness of God. The Lord is good to all and His mercy is over all He has made...Your works shall give thanks to You and all Your saints shall bless You. What does that say about me that even His works thank Him, and still I don't always bless Him and thank Him as I should?

 

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, who call on Him in truth. He is only a call away. How awesome is that! But why then do I sometimes neglect to call and try and handle life in my own strength? How foolish on my part! He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him...He has been impacting my thinking to see that the desires He fulfills are those desires of my heart to be close to Him, to be obedient, and to grow in Him. His desire for me and my desire for Him should grow to become one! My life is in Him.

 

The Lord preserves all who love Him...He has promised me and given me the seal of the Spirit that I am His eternally. Nothing can pluck me out of His hand! Praise Him! My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever! Such resolve! The psalmist will have it no other way. Praise will be his language of choice! Is it my language of choice? Do I resolve to praise Him regardless of circumstances? Finally, I am encouraged to know that the praise I offer here in my weakness will be continued in eternity in my glorified body. What a glorious time I will have with all the saints praising the Father and the Son!

 

Father,

Continue teaching me about praise. Thank You for Your words that take me into Your presence.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Blessed

Ps. 144:15

Blessed are the people to whom such blessing fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

 

David began this psalm by blessing God who had trained him for war and battle. Certainly David's life was full of battle, intrigue, and war during which he constantly cried out to God. He knew from experience all that God had done in his life. God, his Rock, was his foundation and his refuge. God was his steadfast love, his fortress, his stronghold, his deliverer, and his shield. God was his constant companion and his support! God was his sufficiency!

 

Amazed by his relationship with God, David wondered how a God so powerful could regard him [or any man for that matter] since his life was finite and flawed, like a breath or a passing shadow. Compared to the majestic power and sovereignty of God, man was [and is] nothing! His only recourse was [and is] to cry out to God for help, comfort, and protection. In David's own words he cried, Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from many waters, from the hand of foreigners...

 

Assured of God's help, David sang a new song to the Lord rejoicing in his victory. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind. He personally knew his God! He prayed not only for himself but also that his children would flourish and prosper, that his crops would be manifold, and that his animals would be abundant. His heart rejoiced and overflowed in blessing to God. Not only that but David knew thses blessing were not just his but also belonged to the people of God. How blessed were the the people whose God is the Lord!

 

As I look at my life, I must ask some questions. Do I constantly cry out for His help, support, and comfort? Is He my sufficiency, or do I try and muddle through on my own? Am I blessing my God as He has blessed my life? With David, I can say, Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

 

Father,

Thank You for being my God and blessing my life with Your presence. Pour Your grace on me, strengthening my resolve and my obedience. 

In Jesus name,

Amen 

 

 

 

 



Christ Lives in Me

Gal. 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

 

Paul was able to make these strong declarations because he knew he was not justified by the law even though he was a Jew by birth, his justification came through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The fact that Paul was justified by Christ and not through any works does not mean that he could sin at will for that would make Christ a servant of sin. He could not rebuild what he had already torn down. However, the solution to the dilemma is in verse 20. Because Paul was crucified with Christ, not physically but spiritually by identifying with Christ in His death, he was released from the power of sin and death. He would no longer be dominated, enslaved, or live to sin. In sin's place, Jesus would come and indwell the believer. As Paul said, Christ lives in me. The life that Paul was now living in the flesh would be by faith in the Son of God. Making salvation and justification dependent on works means that Christ died for no purpose. Horrendous thought! 

 

What is in man that makes him want to earn favor with God? Is it related to his pride or his inflated sense of self? I only have worth because of Jesus Christ who saved me at the cost of His life. When I try and claim meaning through what I do, I am nullifying His grace. But still how do I live in the power of Christ? How do I make this verse a practical reality?

 

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

 

Father,

Teach me how to live in Your grace. Reveal to me when my self-will is taking over so that I might repent. I want my life in the flesh to be by faith in Jesus Christ.

In Jesus name,

Amen





Grow in Grace and Knowledge

II Pet. 3:17-18

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen

 

 

Peter admonishes the beloved by stirring up their minds by way of remembrance: Take care, Be stable, and Guard against false doctrine. Specifically, he urges believers to remember the prophesies of the prophets and the commandments of the Lord because the end is coming. However, these lawless people will scoff at the prophecies pointing out that Jesus has not come, and things are as they have been from the beginning. Simply because they do not understand the power of the word of God not only in creation but also in salvation, sanctification, and judgment. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 

 

Most assuredly, these lawless people have overlooked one fact, that a day with the Lord is as a 1000 years and a 1000 years as a day. God is not slack concerning His promises or slow in fulfilling His promises, but His patience exists for those He has chosen to repent, believe, and receive His Son. Like a thief, the day of the Lord will come with the heavens and the heavenly bodies burning and dissolving with a roar. Quite the fireworks!

 

The question is: In light of this, what kind of people should believers be? Certainly not people who are fixated on the world and the world's system, but instead people who are pursuing holiness and godliness as they wait for the coming of the Lord. Believers are people of the promises, people whose focus is on the eternal, and people who are diligent to be found without spot or blemish.  You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless people and lose your own stability. Peter exhorts believers to guard against false teaching, to be aware of the promises of God, and to wait eagerly for the Lord. Instead, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The believers' life must be one of growth in grace, the God-given power for life and godliness,  and in knowledge, the result of reading, studying, meditating, and memorizing the Word of God. To Him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen

 

 

Father,

Grow me in Your grace and in the knowledge of You, Your Son, and Your words. I want to be obedient as I pursue a life of godliness. Enlighten my mind and soften my heart so that I can hear the Spirit as He teaches me.

In Jesus name,

Amen

False Teachers

II Pet. 2:1

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

 

Peter wanted to make perfectly clear what false teacher are, how they operate, and the end result of their actions. Thus knowing all this information the believers could and still can recognize them and resist their teaching.

• secretly bring in destructive heresies
• denying the Master who bought them
• blaspheme the way of Truth
• in their greed exploit believers
• bold and willful without any trembling
• irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed
• blaspheme about matters about which they are ignorant
• enjoy reveling in the daytime
• blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions
• eyes full of adultery
• insatiable for sin
• entice unsteady souls
• trained in greed
• followed the way of Balaam, loving gain from wrongdoing
• waterless springs and mists driven by a storm
• speaking loud boasts of folly
• entice by sensual passions
• promise freedom but they themselves are slaves of corruption

These people do not advertise their position, teaching, or methods, but instead are feasting with believers and claiming to be one of them. Their deceit opens the door for their destructive teachings and immoral actions. Greed, lust, and rebellion are their key words! Many may not even notice what they are doing since deceit by its very nature promises one thing while delivering another. Definitely wolves in sheep's clothing! The warning is clear: Be watchful, Be sober...

 

In case fear still lingers in the hearts of believers, Peter reassures them by saying that God has abundantly shown that He can rescue the righteous from trials while still keeping the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment. [fallen angels, Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot]

What a great promise to cling to when times are rough! The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials... What must I do when I feel threatened? Call out for rescue!

 

Sadly, if any of these false teachers had a knowledge of Jesus and have chosen to go back into these evil ways or have been overcome and entangled by them, the last state has become worse for them than the first. It is better to have never known the way of righteousness than to have known and turned back. God is serious in warning believers to guard their hearts, to know His words, and to resist those who would destroy His words. It is a matter of crucial eternal significance.

 

Father,

Keep me alert and recognizing false teaching. Keep me from handling these matters on my own and falling prey to their deceit.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 



Very Great Promises

II Pet.1:3-4

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires.

 

In God's sovereign plan and purpose, He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We are lacking in nothing! This gifting was through the knowledge of Jesus, the mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory. However, it wasn't a supernaturally imposed knowledge. We didn't accept Jesus as Savior and then suddenly know Him; instead, when we accepted Him, He and the Holy Spirit indwell us. But still the process is not complete. Jesus, the Logos,  gave us the very great and precious promises so that through them we become partakers of the divine nature, through them we access all things that pertain to life and godliness, through them we grow and have victory over the flesh and sin, and through them we reflect the glorious Savior who indwells us. The promises are the key! Jesus is the living Word, and His promises are the very words of God.

 

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

For this reason, that reason being that we are granted all things that pertain to life and godliness through the precious promises of Jesus, we need to grow. We don't have to remain stunted in our growth and helpless to our flesh. We need a faith that is active, alive, and outwardly visible. How powerful and life-changing are His promises! But, I notice that Peter doesn't say go after these things and add them in your own strength; instead he relates them to the word because it is in the word that we get the grace and strength to live out the promises of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am...I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God that is within me. Here is the process: my working in His strength. His strength comes into my life as the very great and precious promises take root in my heart and give me the strength and grace. The Word of God is living and active...piercing to the division of soul and spirit...It is through the Word that I grow, pressing on, straining forward that I might obtain the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

Father,

Thank You for giving me everything that pertains to life and godliness. Give me the desire and the means to saturate myself in Your words. Teach me to try as hard as I can but only in Your grace!

In Jesus name,

Amen

Humility

I Pet. 5:5

...Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

 

How hard to grasp what humility really is! So illusive! When you think that you have it, you don't! But Peter does give some guidelines for living in humility by emphasizing its relational quality. It not only impacts the way that we relate to one another but also impacts the way we relate to God. 

 

First, Peter says believers are to be clothed in humility toward fellow believers. This clothing of humility is what is readily discernible about us just like our clothes are more observable than our feelings. Also by the fact that humility is compared to clothing, it demonstrates that it is something we must put on. It is not part of our nature and does not come easily. At salvation, Jesus gives us our new garment, and we give up our pride.  Wouldn't it be great if it were that way? A simple, easy transaction! But the rub comes in the fact that we still live in our body of flesh, a body that is constantly trying to control us. Even though Jesus gives us a new nature, it is not fully completed until He comes for us and takes us home to heaven. In the meantime, He gives us His Spirit and His strength to fight the pride/humility battle.

 

Secondly, I must humble myself under the hand of God, and in His time, He will exalt me. So when those feelings of injustice and hurt rumble in my heart, I need to confess them as sin and wait for God's timing. I must trust God that He will judge justly. How hard it is when I feel slighted or unappreciated! How hard to keep my eyes focused on Him! Instead of me harboring these hurts or worse yet acting on them, I must cast them on Him because He cares for me. Sounds simple enough! Yet after casting, I must be watchful and sober-minded looking for the roaring lion who is seeking someone to devour. If I indulge my wounded pride, for sure the lion has taken a bite out of me. Humility is my constant protection against his vicious attacks. Sadly, he doesn't attack me where I am strongest but where I am weakest, where he is most likely to get success. But it doesn't have to be that way. I do have Jesus in me, the hope of glory, and the Holy Spirit. What an arsenal! The problem comes in the fact that when my pride is wounded, I somehow get satisfaction in hanging on to those hurts. How twisted is that! The flesh is a strange but powerful entity. To combat the ravages of myself and the lion, I must pray crying out for help and rely on these verses trusting that they will transform my hurts into victories.

 

Father,

Keep me humble under Your hand, not usurping Your power but relying on You for all that I need. Help me defeat the flesh that is so strong within me. Give me Your grace for this battle!

In Jesus name,

Amen

Suffering

I Pet. 4:12-13

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice, insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.

 

Even though it is not a surprise, it is hard to endure! I know believers are called to suffer, to follow in the steps of Jesus [2:21] But besides being called to suffer and identifying with Jesus, Peter gives other reasons for suffering. Verse 12 says one reason for suffering is to test us. In fact, 1:7 says, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise, honor, and glory at His revelation. This testing could be personally purifying, to rid our gold of its impurities, or it could be to prove the genuineness of our faith.

 

Speaking of personal purification, Peter says we are to cease from sin, so as to live the rest of of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. The believers entire focus and emphasis should be vastly different than that of the world. But sadly, the easiness of the times has lulled believers into taking much of what the world offers. Is there a need for purification? Definitely, yes! How will believers respond? How will I respond?  For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God...

 

It appears that the first arena of testing the genuineness of our faith is coming to the business world in new regulations and altered freedoms. Christian businesses are refusing to include the abortion pills in their medical insurance at the cost of unbelievable fines (1 million dollars a day) or even at the cost of closing down which will result in even more job losses. As I watch the legal battles and the stand these companies take, it makes me look within. What would I do in similar circumstances? How strong are my beliefs? How strong is my stand? History has demonstrated that what one says they believe in easy times doesn't always hold true in persecution.  For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God...

 

Another benefit of this suffering is blessing! How can that be? Only with Christ can physical hardships be transformed into blessing!  If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and God rests upon you. Insults, fines, loss of income and opportunity are becoming a reality, and tragically most of these issues do not even make the national news. America's transformation to a anti-religious country will happen quietly but effectively. All people, whether believers or not, are losing their way of life. Sad but true! But for the believer, these massive losses mean blessing! The Spirit of glory and God is there giving peace and strength to endure. Our citizenship is heavenly. We are merely strangers and aliens. Perhaps, we need these tests to see the true loyalty of our heart. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God...

 

There is no shame in suffering for Christ [in losing a business, in being fined, in being taken to court, in being imprisoned], but instead believers need to glorify God. Not only is the believer's life style vastly different from the world, but so is his mental focus. When we see massive difficulties looming in our future, we are not fearful scrambling to do anything to survive, but instead we rejoice! We see the purification as a blessing, as another step closer to arriving safely home in heaven. Oh for the grace to embrace these circumstances as blessings and cause for rejoicing! How hard it is when we are just frail and weak fleshly beings! It must be through grace, and only grace!

 

Father,

At times my heart is fearful when I see evil triumphing, but in my head I know that You are in control. Build my peace and trust! Refine my gold. Help me rejoice!

In His name,

Ame

Wives

I Pet. 3:1

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the words, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see you respectful and pure conduct.

 

The relationship of husband and wife has been a struggle from the get-go. Wives declaring and husbands demanding--neither one understanding or growing together. But Peter teaches some good principles.

• Likewise...this new section obviously refers to what has previously been taught in Chapter 3 about enduring when suffering unjustly. If you are in the wrong and suffer for it, you deserve it. But if you were in the right and still suffer for it, then what you have endured is gracious to God. Perhaps Peter is saying that within the realm of marriage there are many instances of just and unjust wounds. Any two people in close proximity will differ and struggle to have their own way, but Peter is saying to give those unjust wounds and hurts to God and let Him do the judging. Don't try and get back or even manipulate a situation. So as Peter teaches these principles about marriage, keep this former teaching in mind. Let it be the basis for you responses to each other.
• Be subject to your own husbands.. Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. Just as the church is subject to Christ and Christ to His Father so are wives to their husbands. That doesn't mean a wife should have no input or that her husband is somehow more suited for wisdom or leadership. It means that they put their strengths and weaknesses together and operate as a unified whole. It means that the spiritual meaning of marriage is what is first and foremost before any personal whims or desires. It means that the wife freely respects and defers to her husband for the sake of Christ.
• So that if some do not obey the word, they maybe won without a word by the conduct of their wives. Peter is here addressing the unique situation of a marriage where the husband is an unbeliever. How is the wife to act and respond since he is not emulating the spiritual model of Christ and the church. Peter says that this attitude of submission is powerful in itself. It can be used by the Spirit of God to draw the unbelieving husband to God.  So, even though the two are not united in belief, the wife still lives for the higher spiritual value. She is not seeking her way, or resorting to revenge and manipulation. Her life is reflecting the sacrifice and humility of Christ. (Phil. 2)
• When they see your respectful and pure conduct-Wives must show respect even when the husband has behaved foolishly. In fact, this respect needs to be coupled with purity. Her life code honors others especially her husband.
• Do not let your adorning be external-the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear--but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is precious. True beauty is not from a bottle, a fad, or by following the latest worldly fashions. True beauty is from the heart where the spiritual values grow and bloom, where the gentle and quiet spirit replace the strife and the struggle. But how does a wife change her spirit to one that is honoring to God? How does she rid herself of past hurts? Certainly, it must be through grace and prayer. It is not just a head knowledge and then then purposing to do it with all the strength she can muster. It does not mean quietly gritting your teeth and bearing it; instead it means that wives should know and purpose but all through the grace and strength of God. Give Him the hurts and trust Him to handle them as the One who judges justly. [Go back to the Likewise]
• If you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. Certainly there are fearful situations, but Peter is saying concentrate on doing good and trust a sovereign God for safety. Don't live your life saturated in fear! Don't let fear defeat your trust in a sovereign God.
• Finally all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. How many marriages are characterized by pay-back and reviling? Sadly, there are even many Christian marriages like this. But I, as a wife, should be sympathetic with love, a tender heart and  a humble mind.. I should live by the code of Christ, honoring Him in all that I do. But by the grace of God, I am what I am..I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me...And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Thank God for His grace!

 

Father,

Take away my tendency to want to even the score and to take matters in my own hands. Teach me how to trust You in all my circumstances. Give me Your grace so that my sufficiency will be transformed to Yours.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Called to Suffer

I Pet. 2:21

 For to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.

 

It is a gracious thing, when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. It certainly take the grace of God to suffer unjustly! Something in my flesh cries out for vindication. So in reality, suffering unjustly is a double-fronted trial. First I have been injured or unjustly treated, a situation that isn't fair or right. This is often the card that Satan plays to get me off my game, to get my flesh to take control over my spirit. But if I do manage to endure, then I have to decide to cry out for His grace instead of powering through in my own strength. Often, I don't ask for grace until I have crossed over into anger or bitterness.

 

For what credit is it if you endure, and are beaten for it, you endure? No credit to me whatsoever if I power through! I am losing out on the entire blessing and growth that this trial can bring. But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. The favor and blessing comes not in the arena of receiving deserved punishment, but in the area of receiving undeserved punishment. Christ has taken this a step farther. It is not enough to do good without suffering [which is how the flesh thinks it should be], but I must do good and suffer for it! Why?

 

For to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. First it is my calling from God. Jesus left me His life as my example. Unjust suffering is the path that I and all believers must walk!  Christ suffered unjustly for me! He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return, when He suffered, He did not threaten. He rejected the notion of eye for an eye and tooth for tooth. His life style went above and beyond what was normally accepted. But why?

 

But continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. His actions and attitudes were centered in the sovereign will and purpose of God. He did not live for self, but for His Father. Since Jesus indwells me, then I must live as He did, with His priorities and purposes. He ever lived to do the will of His Father, willingly humbling Himself to the point of death on a cross, a totally unjust punishment! He did all this to obey His Father and bring me salvation. Therefore my life must be in sync with the Father too. I must not live for my flesh but only for the spirit. Instead of me righting the wrongs done to me or getting even with others, I must trust it to God who is the rightful judge of all. God's scales of justice does not operate in man's time, I may never in my lifetime see the score righted! Instead I must trust God to be true to His promise! So hard! It so takes all and only the grace of God! Certainly, that is why it is a gracious thing to suffer unjustly!

 

Father,

Give me Your grace in great measure so that I might entrust my soul to You in all things. Teach me to cry out immediately not after I have rolled in the flesh.

In His name,

Amen



Be Holy

I Pet. 1:14-16

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy as I am holy.

 

The Beginnings

What is the process leading to holiness? How can I ever leave behind my former passions? At the beginning of the chapter, Peter introduced the letter by saying that a believer' state was according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctification of the Spirit for obedience to Jesus by being sprinkled with His blood. Thankfully all of my salvation is completely out of human hands! Before there was time, I was His! What a thought!

 

The New Life

 



The Father has caused me to be born again by His great mercy and through the resurrection of Jesus. But born again for what reason? Is it just to live a better life as I see fit? No, it is now to live with His purpose and means, to live in resurrection power. What is my future and my hope? I have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kept in heaven for me. While I live on this earth with my new nature and with heaven constantly in view, I am guarded through faith ensuring that I will be ready for this salvation yet to be finalized. In this thought I am to rejoice! Why do I need such a hope and future? Primarily, it is because grievous and varied trials will test the genuineness of my faith. When I am tested and tried enduring to the end, I will come forth as gold. Establishing firmly in my mind and heart that the most precious thing to me is my faith, my relationship with Jesus. Even though I don't see Him, I believe and rejoice!

 

The Life-Style

 

There fore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Everything that I have known or experienced before [my very existence as a child of God], now becomes my motivation for enduring. I must be prepared, filled with the Word and steeped in prayer. With a sober mind [well aware of the struggle yet to come], I must set my hope on grace!! My entire life must be saturated in grace! As an obedient child, I am to emulate my Father. As He is holy, so I should be. What a life! So impossible except for His grace! His grace makes the impossible possible. It makes the unbelievable believable, and it makes the sinner a saint! Since I was ransomed by the blood of my God, and foreknown before time existed, my life, my faith, and my hope are in God.

 

The Result

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart...Since God has called me to a life of obedience, I am purified and functioning in the grace atmosphere so that I might truthfully love my brothers. Not so that I might get something from them or so that I might appear a certain way, but so I might sincerely reflect my God who loved me to the point the gift and death of His Son. How do I do this when I am not really lovable nor are other people? It all comes back to my new nature. I must function in the living and abiding Word of God. His word is the source of all the grace that I need. It will enable me to live soberly, prepared for what comes down the pike, and all the while loving as I should. And what do I need to do? Get prepared. Be as passionate for God as I was passionate for sin! Struggle as hard as I can but through the grace of God.

 

Father,

What a life you have called me to live! You have shown my human impossibility and replaced it with the grace possibility. I want to live for You, setting my mind on You and enduring with Your grace. I want to follow You as Your obedient child. Send Your grace and strengthen my desire and my resolve.

In Jesus name,
Amen

 





A Sovereign God

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

 

 

What a clear statement of sovereignity! God told Israel through His prophet about the good times yet to come as well as the bad times they must endure in Babylon. God told them to flourish in captivity, to build houses, plant gardens, and eat the produce. They were not to decrease because when the time was right, God would fufill His promise to them. He would hear their cries, restore their fortunes, and gather them from all nations where He had driven them. He would bring them back to the place where God had sent them into exile. His sending them into exile was just as much His sovereignty as God bringing them back. Sovereignty also has two sides. But whether it is the hard times or the good times, this fact should be comforting. God always has a plan for our lives. He knows our lives and has fashioned them down to the smallest detail. We can trust in God's timing to be exactly right for our lives and our hearts!

 

Jeremiah went on to explain that God would break the yoke from their necks bursting their bonds and changing their status as servants to others to servants to Him. God can just as easily break the power of the enemy as He can prosper their power because the enemy nations are under His control just as Israel was under His control. He told them that He would make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. What was the problem with Israel? Was their more yet to come? Most certainly, He would discipline them in just measure, and He would by no means leave them unpunished. Israel's heart had not turned to Him. Granted they hated their exile, but had it made them love God? They had to realize that all their lovers had forgotten them. And then turn back to God desiring Him and Him alone to be His people and He their God. Behold the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. The firece anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has executed and accomplished the intentions of His mind.

 

Sovereignty is the practical outworking of the intentions of His mind! Sovereignty is His working out every details of my life so that my will will be His will,  my heart His heart, and my actions will be obedient to Him! Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.

 

Father,

I know You are sovereign. Help me to embrace every detail of life as coming from You. Help me see Your hand in all that You have allowed in my life.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Foolish Passions

James 4:6-8

But He gives more grace, therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to You. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

 

James begins chapter 4 with several loaded questions. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? It is not that your passions are at war within you? Look inside not around! Many times we foolishly think that if a certain person were not in our body, we would have no problem because it is our old nature to put the blame squarely on others and not on ourselves. But James says, not so. You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. He has clearly identified two problems. First our prayer life is ineffective, so we go after things in our own strength. When we see someone else has what we want, we fight and quarrel to satisfy our passions much like small children. Secondly, our fleshly passions are dictating not only our interpersonal relationships but also our prayer life. How closely these two things are intertwined!

 

Peter speaks of these same passions that result in fighting, quarreling, and sometimes even violence.   So put away all malice, and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander...so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do... These passions are from the old life, the old nature, and the old mindset, but as believers we need to live in the new life, the new nature, and with a Christ mindset. The one who allows these thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes in their life is fostering friendship with the world! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God. James emphasizes that God yearns jealously over the Spirit that He has made to dwell in us.

Do I care more about what the world thinks than what God thinks? What should I do when I feel these primal emotions welling up inside of me? Confess, repent, and walk in the Spirit believing that I don't have to fall prey to the controls of my fleshly passions. I must cry out to God for the grace that gives strength, and secure His help in ridding myself of pride and of my sinister desire to be friends both with the world and with God.

 

Secondly, James tells us to examine our prayer life. What is the content of our petitions? Are they more for fleshly possessions and power and less for spiritual growth and truth? James has stated clearly, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Don't pray for possessions and power that feed the flesh, but instead pray for what is needed to feed the soul. What are those things? James leaves nothing for our imaginations to surmise, but clearly states, submit yourselves to God, resist the devil [perhaps the very passions that are defeating you.], draw near to God, cleanse your hands and hearts, be single-minded [ No attempts at friendship with the world and with God.] God has His grace for me, a grace that can keep my friendship with God strong and healthy. What a shame to pray and go through all the motions of being a believer but still be an enmity with God and still seeking to satisfy the passions of the flesh! For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Am I still hanging on to the world, its passions and pleasures? Do I want the best of both worlds? Does pride control my life and hinder my growth? Am I wishy-washy in my resolve?

 

Father,

Strong words! I confess that at times I house feelings and thoughts that are not from my new nature. Prompt me to confess them immediately and not give them the audience that they want. Teach me this walk of faith and the resolve that I need to live it. Grow me each day.

In His name,

Amen

 



Wisdom from Above

James 3:18

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

 

 

Who wouldn't want godly wisdom? I know I would; in fact I know that I have prayed about it many times. In light of my weaknesses,  how could I possibly possess such an array of character traits as purity, peace, gentleness, reasonableness, mercy, impartiality, sincerity and be fruit-bearing? Perhaps it is my weakness that makes me see clearly that it is only through grace! The same goes for a harvest of righteousness. Nothing that I do in myself produces this righteousness, but Christ in me does! I think that that might be the problem, that is I am trying in my own strength to make this a reality. Instead, to have this personal harvest, I need to know Christ in all His power and then realize that all this power is in me! I need to cry out, to rely on, and to use constantly the power of the indwelling Jesus. James says this harvest is very much related to peace. I know that peace with others is not just the absence of conflict, of allowing others to dictate my life, and of co-existing, but instead it is self-control in all situations, something that takes great strength, the strength that only God supplies. It is being so close to God and in such constant communication with Him that nothing upsets my apple cart. It is having my eyes constantly fixed on the eternal and not on the temporal. It means that my complete mindset and focus are heavenward causing me to view everything through the lens of Jesus Christ. What it really amounts to is changing my default! No longer do I automatically let my flesh take over, but in the face of any circumstance, I go to Him! Sounds so simple, but yet so hard! Why is my flesh so strong? Why does it constantly want to dictate my life? Certainly, I live a Rom. 7 life, one that is a constant struggle. I must struggle with all my might through the strength that He supplies. Such a mystery! How does this even work? What I know in my heart and head must become a reality in my life. I must believe it, and through this faith, put it into action. I may not know how it all works, but I know that the first step is wanting it, struggling with all my might, and straining forward at all times. My life is not a passive waiting for this harvest, but it is going for it. It is wanting it above all else. It is letting Jesus take complete control of my life.

Father,
I do want this harvest.Teach me how to struggle wholeheartedly in Your strength. Make Your words a reality in my life.
In Jesus name,
Amen 

Faith and Works

James 2:26

For as the body apart from the Spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

 

Faith must be evidenced practically in my life, for without works my faith is useless and merely becomes head knowledge. For example, if I see a hungry or needy brother and tell them to be warmed and filled, yet do nothing to meet that basic physical need, what good is it? Empty words are useless to the one who says them as well as to the hearer. Take for example, Israel when she declared her faithful love for God, but in reality worshipped false gods. Her heart was far from her words and in no way reflected love for God! Conversely, works without faith is useless too. It merely becomes humanitarian act done apart from any spiritual meaning. Unless this relationship of faith and works is viable, I am nothing but a foolish person. Strong words!

 

Abraham possessed just such faith. Definitely,  He believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. But along with his belief, his faith, he took obedient action. He was willing to offer Isaac, the promised child, on the altar. His faith was made complete by his obedient action. He knew that if God wanted him to offer the child of the promise, He would bring him back to life if need be. He never doubted the promises of God even though circumstances looked to the contrary. As a result, he was called a friend of God. So then, friendship with God is based on faith that flows out into obedient actions. Could my faith lived out practically in works make me a friend of God? Yes!

 

In the same way, Rahab, the prostitute, was justified by her works when she took action to save the messengers of Israel. She believed in what God had said and was willing to take active steps to demonstrate her faith and belief. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Just like Abraham, her faith was made complete by her actions! think of Jesus in His earthly ministry. He was committed to live out the will of the Father no matter how unpleasant or painful. His belief in the words of the Father were His motivation for all that He did. His faith was active and completed in the greatest act of all, His death on a cross whereby my redemption was made secure.

 

So I must examine my life. Is my faith evidenced in what I do? Do I seek to believe and to obey?

 

Father,

Thank You for choosing me to be Your child. Strengthen my faith so that I might live like I believe.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

 

 



Joy in Trials

James 1:2

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds...

 

Many times I have read this verse and thought that I needed to be joyful during a trial, but after thinking about it, I am not so sure. I think understanding this verse hinges on the word count, meaning to consider something, to reckon something, to change my thinking about something, in this case, trials. I am to count them as joy or to consider them cause for joy because of their benefit to my spiritual growth not because they will make me happy in the worldly sense. Since most growth happens in the hard times and not in the easy times, and since my primary goal in life is to please God by being satisfied in Him, then I should desire to grow in His grace and knowledge and should embrace whatever will help me achieve that goal, and in most cases that would be trials. Joy results because I am closer to Him, more intimate with Him, and because what is worldly in me has dimished. When this happens, my mind is focused on the eternal not the temporal. I am counting these slight, momentary afflictions as preparation for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. This eternal weight is my hope, my future, and my focus!

 

In vs. 3-4 it says, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. This is the course of preparing for the eternal weight of glory. I need to stay the course, believe what is true about God, and reject the world's thinking of happiness and pleasure in the here and now. I know that all of this is through God's grace, but His grace can only be functional when my desires are in sync with it. I have to want to be obedient, to be joyful, and to embrace trials when they come. When my mind embraces what it should, then my emotions will follow suit!

 

In Colossians, Paul rejoiced in his sufferings for the sake of the body(1: 24). He was willing to endure anything for the growth of the body of Christ. As fellow believers saw his joy in suffering and supported him in his imprisonment, it emboldened them in their faith and the proclamation of the gospel. Does that mean that the trial wasn't difficult? No, it means Paul's mindset toward the trial was eternal and not temporal And when his mind was set on the eternal truths, his heart and soul were rejoicing beyond belief. He said, Him (Christ in you the hope of glory) we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works in me. (Col 1:28-29)

 

Paul was committed to making the Word of God fully known. He would willingly endure anything so that the gospel could be proclaimed. For to him to live was Christ and to die was gain. Suffering and trials for Paul were an opportunity (not a curse) to show that the surpassing power belonged to God. He knew that to this (suffering) he had been called  if he was to follow in the steps of Jesus. Paul counted everything is this life as loss for the sake of Christ. Here is that word again, counted. His mindset was focused so much on the eternal, that the earthly had lost is importance or significance. His joy and rejoicing had eternal significance,  his joy was not remotely what the world calls joy.

 

Father,

Change my heart so that I might desire to obey unreservedly, that I might count trials as joy, and that I might fully follow in the steps of Jesus not matter hard the trial.

In Jesus name,

Amen



Refreshed

Philemon 7

For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.

 

 

What an interesting word! Refreshed...Paul's heart had been comforted knowing that Philemon was ministering to the saints. After hearing of his love and faith toward the Lord and also toward the saints, he had prayed that the sharing of Philemon's faith would be effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that resides within him, and within all believers. What is that good thing? I am thinking that it is Christ in you, the hope of glory. No doubt Philemon was  growing in this knowledge and his understanding was overflowing into ministry to others, and through this growth he was able to refresh the hearts of the saints.

 

Paul also appealed to Philemon [master and owner] concerning Onesimus, his runaway slave. He acknowledged that Philemon was in the wrong and was sending him back to Philemon with this letter. However, the situation was much more complex than that. Paul was so attached to him that sending him meant Paul was sending his very heart. The bond between Paul and Onesimus had been forged in the very flames of the Spirit. Even though Paul could have demanded the release of Onesimus, he wanted Philemon's consent. He even went so far as to say that Onesimus was parted from him for awhile that he might have him back forever, no longer a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother-- especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. What a well crafted appeal! What a bond the presence of the indwelling Jesus makes! What a practical example of what it means to have Christ in you the hope of glory. To close his appeal, Paul simply said...if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would me. If he wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. Paul was deeply committed to this relationship and was willing to cross the acceptable cultural conventions of that day for the sake of a brother in Christ. For in Christ Jesus you all our sons of God, through faith...There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Paul was asking Philemon to function on the higher law of Christ. Attesting to the veracity of the letter, Paul called attention to his very own hand writing. Again he stressed repayment. But in this repayment, he brought in a new thought. He recalled that Philemon owed Paul for his very soul. Perhaps he was wanting a soul for a soul, a debt for a debt. Paul desired some benefit from Philemon, a benefit that comes only from the Lord. He wanted Philemon to refresh his heart in Christ.

 

How can I refresh the heart of the believers in my local body? As Paul demonstrated, it is by helping them make the harder but right choices, choices based on the word of God. By my living out the Word of God and by sharing what God says, I can bring refreshing through His grace and His power. Also, Paul was so invested in relationships that there was a personal cost for him, a cost that he was totally willing to assume. Am I willing to be that invested? Am I that concerned about other's problems? Certainly, Paul lived out what he taught, and was unafraid to share the word of God even if it was a touchy area. His concern was for the higher purpose, the welfare and growth of the soul. How can I refresh the souls of others? Am I bold enough to ask for refreshment? 

 

Father,

What a great example of living with the power of the indwelling Christ. Open my eyes to the needs around me so that I might be your hands and feet to refresh the hearts of others. Teach me what it means practically that Christ is in me, the hope of Glory.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

 

 

Good Works

Titus 3:8

The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

 

What are the good works that Paul is mentioning?

• Be submissive to rulers and authorities-This command reaffirms the fact that God is in control of all things, even politicians. All things are His servants so I need not fear what man can do to me or how bad they can mess up the economy or destroy a nation. Anything He allows is for my good, for my holiness to prepare me for that eternal weight of glory.
• Be obedient-First to God and then to others. My spirit should not be contrary or rebellious since I am submissive to God and He is in control of all things. 
• Be ready for every good work. Be constantly prepared to do whatever God has for me that day. Readiness and willingness...
• Speak evil of no one-Even if what I see and observe is not good, I shouldn't give a bad report, but instead I should look for the good in every person and seek to build them up. 
• Be gentle-In all that I do, do it tenderly and gently so that I might share the love of Christ with them as well.
• Show perfect courtesy to all people-This is something that is missing from our culture, and for that reason is an excellent way to show Christ to the world. Instead of anger or retribution as my response when I am wronged, I need to show courtesy and gentle concern.

What is our motivation for living in such a manner?

• We were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to our passions and pleasures, malicious, envious, hated by others and hating in return...My life before Christ was exactly like the people who do not know Jesus. I should be understanding and kind since I have been there as well. I should love and forgive as Christ loved and forgave me when I was in that state. Also, as a new person in Christ, I should not be clinging to these behaviors any longer. Sadly, how many of these traits do I still see hindering my walk with Jesus? To whom much is given, much will be required. Since I possess new life, forgivenes, a hope for the future, eternal life, the indwelling Christ and Spirit, a relationship with God, and grace richly poured out on me, it should be a no brainer that I would respond in a godly way to whatever comes my way.
• But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. -This is the gospel message. God in His goodness and kindness sent His Son to be our Savior. This salvation has nothing to do with our works, our gifts, or our talents, but instead is totally a result of His  mercy. In His great love, kindness, and mercy  I am washed, regenerated, and renewed by the Spirit. My entire life style and future is drastically altered. Now,  I can live a transformed life not longer enslaved by sin. I am not justified to muck around in the sin of the world, but that I might be an heir, a joint heir with Jesus Christ according to the hope of eternal life. This is my hope!
 

Father,
Teach me how to live like I should. Show me how to work as hard as I can but through the grace that is in me. Help me to be constantly ready for good works.
In Jesus name,
Amen



The Gospel

Titus 2:15

Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

 

The things that we must declare can all be summed up in one word: gospel. The verses preceding give a succinct definition of the gospel and how we are to live in the power of the gospel every day.

• For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people...God's grace came in the person of Jesus the Savior, who is grace and truth. When I accept His salvation, His grace and His presence become mine. Amazingly, they indwell me and allow me to live in His grace constantly.
• training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions...His grace first empties out the negative, the ungodliness and worldly passions, through a training process. I am not emptied at once, but must grow in grace; thus my training changes from day to day transforming my hearts and mind.
• and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age...Into the place where ungodliness and worldly passions once lived and flourished now abide self-control, uprightness, and godliness. Thankfully, this new life is all of grace as well.
• waiting for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ...Grace gives me the power to focus completely on Jesus and to hope expectantly as I wait for His return where He will call me to Himself and make me like Him. It is here that my training will be complete. I will be like Him for I will see Him as He is!
• who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possessions who are zealous for good works. To clarify, Paul now goes full circle by relating back to what he has said earlier. Christ redeemed us by giving Himself for us which happened when the grace of God appeared bringing salvation to all. His purpose was to free us from all lawlessness which relates to training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions. In the place of lawlessness, He purifies for Himself a people for His own possession which parallels living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. Finally His people are zealous for good works and a vital part of those works is waiting expectantly for the appearing of Jesus. Wow!

How concise yet so powerful! The gospel, the message of salvation, the redeemer sacrificing His life for my sin, the grace of God dealing with my sin, the indwelling Spirit and Son, the transformed life, the constant supply of grace so I might live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives, is what I must declare, exhort, and rebuke. It is to fill my thoughts, my life, and my conversation. I Pet. 2:9-10 echoes this same gospel. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people, once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. I am redeemed, freed from sin, trained to live godly so that while I wait for His return, I can proclaim the excellencies of Him, the gospel in all its fullness!

 

Father,

Thank You for such great grace. Teach me more each day about how to live in the power of the gospel. Give me boldness in my proclamation of Jesus.

In Jesus name,

Amen