dailywalkinthelight

A Daily a Walk in the Light of God's Word

Archives for July 2017

Honor

The Majesty of God’s Creation

The last few days have been a bit hectic but the best kind of hectic.  I had to take the Jeep to the shop.  The AC went out but I had time to pray and I had time to study a bit before we had to go.  I started in 1 Peter 3:15; a single verse that lead to a study of honor that I continued through this morning. This honor was for others, not my own honor or pride.  It was a study in humble service.

1 Peter 3:15 is one of those verses that the adversary used in my past to frighten me.  It is a simple verse but he used it to introduce doubt.

 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

For a long time, this passage was used to seal my lips, but the Holy Spirit has broken them free through the Word.  I no longer fear this passage.  He who is in me is bigger and stronger than who is in the world.

As I looked at the Passage more closely I noticed in the beginning “in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy”, and the end “yet do it with gentleness and respect,”  so I did what I do when I study; I started reading the passages that precede the starting point and follow it.

Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake

I went back to 1 Peter 3:8 and read to verse 15 and this passage is powerful it speaks to unit and brotherly love; a tender heart and a humble mind.

1 Peter 3:8-14 (ESV) 8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 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. 10 For

“Whoever desires to love life

and see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil

and his lips from speaking deceit;

11 let him turn away from evil and do good;

let him seek peace and pursue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,

This passage is so powerful and full of promise.  There is simple guidance as to good behavior in seeking God but there is this one thing that bugged me.  The word that started the passage, “Finally”.  If there is a finally there had to be more so I moved further back in the book of 1 Peter.  The search took me back to chapter 1.

Born Again to a Living Hope

After the greeting Peter defined who we are in Christ Jesus.  What we gain through our faith in the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

 1 Peter 1:3-9 (ESV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 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 and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

I get cold chills when I read verses 8 and 9

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

What a gift.  What joy that brings to me.  I am overwhelmed by it all and it is so easy to stop here and just revel in these verses, but there is more.  This is just the beginning.  I moved forward now beginning in verse 13

Called to be Holy

This blessed call for us to be holy as Christ Jesus is holy.  Set apart for His purpose in accordance with His will not our own.

1 Peter 1:13-16 (ESV) 13 Therefore, 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. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

 

I moved a bit further and came to verse 22.

1 Peter 1:22-25 (ESV) 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for

“All flesh is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

and the flower falls,

25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

As I read this passage and reread it I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving that I first heard this Word and have it that I can study and grow closer to God through it every day! I am filled with a joy that engulfs my heart.  But it does not stop there.  Peter goes on to discuss submission to authority For Jesus sake.

Submission to Authority

Peter speaks of submission to authority for only one reason; to honor God.

1 Peter 2:13-17 (ESV) 13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

He goes on to speak of servants honoring their masters; good or bad.  I know when  I was working I had some good and bad bosses and in my youth honor was not a word I used to describe my behavior, and that is regrettable, because our goal should be to model our lives after Jesus and he did not return evil for evil.

Chapter 2 ends with a reminder that we once strayed but now we have returned to the Shepherd and he transitions to Husbands and Wives.

Wives

He begins here counseling the wives but closes with the husbands.  I think the counsel to the wives shows the

great power they can have with a heart like Jesus.  They can turn an unbelieving man to Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 3:1-4 (ESV) 1 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 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 very precious.

I love this whole passage, but especially the verse 4.  That is the true beauty of a woman.  That is what draws the true love of a man.  The same part that God loves.  “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 very precious.”(vs 4). (emphasis added)

That warms my heart and reminds me of the beauty and wonder of my Pat.  Her beauty is beyond words for me.  It simply melts my heart.

Husband

Peter does not neglect husbands in this discussion of honor.  He reminds us that both husbands and wives are heirs together.

1 Peter 3:7 (ESV) 7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Peter is brief, but what he says to the husband is powerful.  “live with your wives in an understanding way.”  Show honor to them as well.  If you disrespect your wives it will hinder your prayers; to obstruct the path of our prayers.

I struggled with the word hinder, but then I read Psalm 66 after reading K-Loves verse of the day.

Psalms 66:16-19 (ESV) 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,

and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

17 I cried to him with my mouth,

and high praise was on my tongue.

18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened.

19 But truly God has listened;

he has attended to the voice of my prayer

If I do not honor my wife I am cherishing iniquity in my heart.  That is a sad thing to consider.  If I neglect my wife I am cherishing iniquity. If I cherish iniquity I will hinder my prayers.

Closing Thoughts

I reread these passages and the guidance the Holy Spirit gave us through Peter.  As I reflected on it and considered Psalm 66 this wave came over me.  When I get angry with a person that is in authority over me and disrespect them or if I dishonor them I cherished iniquity in my heart.  If I do not honor my wife with understanding, I cherished iniquity in my heart. That is not my desire.  Mine is to worship and praise God in spite of what may come.

1 Peter 4:1-2 (ESV) 1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

I know I fall short every day.  But each day I gain strength from He who lives in me and each day is better than the last most of the time.  Every day I learn more and Every day I learn more places I fall short, but I am thankful for grace and the gift of repentance.  The more I learn the more I see the more I am thankful for repentance and grace.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  I am filled with joy at His presence and the wisdom He shares with me.  Thank you for revealing the places I fall short Lord.  Forgive me and help me to continue to grow that I may be more like Your Son Jesus.

In His name, I pray, Amen.

 

 

“Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You”

Precious Treasure

I started this blog post on Monday.   Sometimes it can be a bit of a struggle; not the study or the writing but getting out ahead of God.  I can read a passage and become so excited that I become distracted formulating the blog as I study and miss something important. My biggest concern is to get caught up in my thoughts and miss the main point.  So, I decided to slow down a bit and listen to the Word.  I started in 1 Timothy and thing that caught my eye was talk of a good deposit.

I like the book of 1 Timothy.  I ended up reading through all of it. and coming to a passage that touched my heart at the end of the letter.  It is 1 Timothy 6:20-21. It is a very powerful passage, so powerful that Paul restates it in his second letter to Timothy – 2 Timothy 1:13-14.  Both passages spoke of a deposit entrusted to Timothy; to all that believe.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 (ESV) 20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

2 Timothy 1:13-14 (ESV) 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

I read these passages and I went back to the beginning of 1 Timothy and just read through it again.  There are a lot of great teachings in this book but as I read it that piece about the deposit held my focus.

Warning Against False Teachers

When Paul left he urged Timothy to stay in Ephesus and make sure that no false doctrine was taught to the people.  Paul reaffirmed for Timothy proper teaching and what happened with false teaching.

1 Timothy 1:3-7 (ESV) 3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. 

These false teachers talk about things they do not understand and lead people away from the truth of salvation by heaping tasks upon them rather than teaching faith and living and worshiping in the Spirit. 

You know that there are so many places to get information about our Christian faith if you are not grounded in God’s word you can be deceived.  Just watching television, you can see a person with a ton of letters after their name professing their high education making “confident assertions” about our faith and they are completely incorrect. But the only way to know of their lie is to know to test it against God’s Word.

After that warning, Paul reminds Timothy why Jesus came.

Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners

Paul, spoke of His unworthiness and using his example as confirmation that Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  Not cleaned and polished sinners living in accordance with the law.  There were no minimum or maximum conditions to be saved.  He came to save sinners.  All we must do is believe in Jesus for eternal life.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 (ESV) 12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Paul is a good example to show us that all of us, regardless of our past have hope in Jesus Christ.  Our list of specific grievances may differ, but ultimately, they are all sin.  And Jesus came to save Sinners.  I read this and went back and read John 3 just because.  I also looked at the cross references in these passages and spent some time in Romans 3.

I read through the chapter but focused on the section with the heading, “The Righteousness of God Through Faith.”

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

This passage contains one of the verses that helps me stay grounded –  “all fall short.”  The passage is lengthy, but it is worthwhile.

Romans 3:19-20 (ESV) 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Through the law comes only knowledge of sin.  None of us can be justified by it.  We only come to realize the depth of our sin. But salvation comes by faith through Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:21-26 (ESV) 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Christ gave up His life for us.  No one could have put Him on that cross had He not been willing to go and obedient to the Father.  He shed His blood as a free gift to pay my debt.  I cannot boast, because it was a gift, not anything I did, except to believe.

Romans 3:27-28 (ESV) 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

I read that passage and I am filled with a feeling of thanksgiving and humility.  Words fail me when I consider all this.  God’s plan required the blood of His Son Jesus to save me.  I am overwhelmed at the price Jesus paid willingly for me.

Reflections

I looked back through these passages and finished reading 1 Timothy again this morning.  Paul gives much instruction for the Church and he warns again about false teachers and the need for Timothy to “Fight the Good Fight.”

As I reflected on all the misconceptions, half-truths and outright lies or deceptions about Jesus all I could do was think of how important knowing His Word is.  We know the deceiver.  Peter defined him well.

1 Peter 5:8 (ESV) 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

When I think of sober minded I think of a mind led by the Holy Spirit nourished by the Word of God.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

We must fight the good fight of faith.  But to do that we must flee the selfish things of the world and its deceptions and false teachings.  Paul is such a man of passion when he writes.  I like this passage that he uses to close this letter to Timothy.

1 Timothy 6:11-16 (ESV) 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

He warns Timothy to flee from its traps.  Instead, pursue righteousness.   “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses(vs.12).”

Closing Thoughts

Paul tells Timothy and he tells us to fight the good fight of faith.  We must not let false teachers twist the truth of God’s Word.  The only way I know to do that is to prayerfully study God’s Word and discuss it openly with fellow believers.  I am very thankful to belong to a church that believes the Bible is the only source of absolute truth from beginning to end.

And that faith we hold on to we must guard.  I will close with the passage that started this.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 (ESV) 20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you have given me.  Thank you for this precious gift of faith and hope and the promise of eternal life through your Son Jesus Christ.  I pray Father for wisdom to guard this precious gift and hold it always in my heart.

Thank you, Lord, for Your Holy Word.  The true source of understanding.  In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!

 

 

 

The Day of the Lord Will Come

The Path

You know I often have trouble with focus.  Bright light and a lot of movement will cause me a bit of grief as well.  Both things can make reading difficult and both often contribute to headaches that can be very distracting, but there is one thing that these circumstances will not change; a need to be in God’s Word.  Today that began with 2 Peter.

In very few words Peter spoke of the coming of the Lord.  He warned of what to expect.

2 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV) 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

Peter also explains that there is a reason for everything in God’s plan.

2 Peter 3:8-9 (ESV) 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

But how can we know this if we do not seek the truth for ourselves.?It is not enough to listen to someone else or even read a book relying on someone else’s interpretation.  We must spend time in the word.

This really hit home for me a week or so ago.  I was having a discussion with my daughter, and Peter reminded me of this in chapter 3 of his second letter today as well.

Communication

A couple weeks ago Caroline and I were discussing something serious, (I cannot remember exactly the topic today, but it was important then), and I replied to something she said.  When I finished I asked her what she thought I said and she answered.  I explained that was not my intent, and tried again with a similar result.  The third time we were successful.

Now Caroline and I got 3 chances to complete the communication.  But think of your favorite preacher on Sunday.  He may repeat important stuff a couple times, but you may get distracted by a cough or a sneeze or a baby and you cannot raise your hand and ask him to clarify his point.  You cannot say “Hey preacher, is this what you meant?” But if you are in the Word you can go home and work it out by yourself or with your spouse or with a friend or two.

If you have a group to get together with you can discuss the things you stumble over in your personal study.  The Word tells us that we are better off with more than ourselves.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV) 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

I also like Peter’s example in Chapter 3.

Understand so You are not Deceived

I like, beginning in verse 15 where Peter speaks of Paul’s writings and cautions the importance in growing in the knowledge of God.

2 Peter 3:15-18 (ESV) And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

 

This is the close to his letter.  The last thing he leaves us with. He adds credence to Paul’s equivalent to scriptures of other apostles and the old testament and cautions how important it is to understand these things about God so others cannot deceive you.

How can we serve God if we do not know Him well enough to discern truth from deception?

Do Not be Deceived

As I considered that this morning I got pulled into several passages that gave warning.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 (ESV) 18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Jude 1:17-23 (ESV) 17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

What awesome power we have in God’s Word.

Closing Thoughts

I am so thankful that despite everything the Holy Spirit gives me a desire to be in the Word.  He fills me with a need to study and to share.  The strange thing that still amazes me is that I often start with one thought and finish in a place that I did not intend.  Today was one of those days.

I am so thankful for all that Christ Jesus did for me.  His love and mercy blows my mind.  Every day I am surprised by something new.  Today I know this.

The Word of God and prayer are like living water and oxygen.  I need both to live.  Take either away for too long and the first thing that sets in is confusion.  The second is a desperation for anything to fill the void left by their absence.  It requires diligence.  I need more than one gallon a week  of water and though I cannot see it I need oxygen every moment of the day.

I give thanks to God for all His provision including this desire to know Him and draw near to Him.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Holy Word.  Father thank you for filling my heart with a desire to be near you and providing the path to achieve that.  Father I pray that that those who struggle or are being deceived might call on you today that they too might be lead out of darkness into the light.  In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Jars Of Clay

The Start of the Day

This morning I was praying and the power of the Word of God and the gift of the Holy Spirit were in my thoughts I was thinking about how God fills us with His Spirit and Word and I thought of Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana turning water into wine, (John 2:1-11).  But what I focused on was the jars of clay and the process Jesus went through to make that wine.

He filled these clay jars that held 20-30 gallons each with water, all the way to the brim.  Then he asked one of the servants to take it to the master of the wedding who tasted it and took it to the bride groom.  The master of the wedding told the bride groom that most served the best wine first, but he had chosen to “save the best until now.”

I read this miracle and all I saw was the coming of the new covenant promised in Jeremiah.  Christ Jesus filling our jars of clay with the living water of this new covenant.

Turning from God – Jeremiah 2

I went to Jeremiah and read two passages.  First where God declared that Israel had turned from Him in Jeremiah 2

Jeremiah 2:13 (ESV) 13 for my people have committed two evils:

they have forsaken me,

the fountain of living waters,

and hewed out cisterns for themselves,

broken cisterns that can hold no water.

They had turned from God and built these leaky cisterns to hold things of the world that could never be filled and turned from the fountains of living water that would never leave them thirsting for anything.

Trusting in the Flesh or the Living Water of God – Jeremiah 17

Then I went to Jeremiah 17 and Jeremiah contrasted the sin of Judah to the man who trusted in the Lord.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (ESV) 5 Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

and makes flesh his strength,

whose heart turns away from the Lord.

6 He is like a shrub in the desert,

and shall not see any good come.

He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,

in an uninhabited salt land.

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose trust is the Lord.

8 He is like a tree planted by water,

that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

What a contrast there is when we cling to the life-giving water of God.  Then I went to Jeremiah 31 where I saw this miracle most clearly.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

I thought of the first thing Jesus said when His mother asked Him to solve the problem of the wine.  ” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” But he did as she asked. He honored her and he gave a foreshadowing of what was prophesied by through Jeremiah in chapter 31.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (ESV) The New Covenant

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

For me the water He filled these clay jars with was His living water; His law, written on my heart.  From it came the sweetest wine; the promise of eternal life.

Reflections

When I read this miracle in John 2, I see the great work that Jesus does with the water being turned to wine in these clay jars.  He fills us with this living water and changes us from the inside out.  In a moment, we are transformed from the people Jeremiah speaks of in Jeremiah 17:5-6   “5 Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.” To the people of the new covenant that he speaks of in Jeremiah 31:31-34 in the section above.

John 7:37-39

I cannot help but turn to John 7:37-39 and reread what Jesus said about living water and the Holy Spirit and think of the water to wine

John 7:37-39 (ESV) 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

What a glorious gift we have if we believe in Jesus, the Son of God.  He will change us from the inside out and the Holy Spirit will dwell in our hearts.

Closing Thoughts

There are so many places in the Word where God speaks of the work being done in us.  I know when I was saved the change was instant.  The growth has been slow and steady but I see Jesus and the Holy Spirits work in God’s Word everywhere, and me, I am a simple jar of clay being molded into shape by the potter’s hands.

I think about Jesus changing that water to wine, and you know I had always passed over it and given it only passing weight.  But think about it. How many folks do you know that can do that?  And as quickly as He changed that water in that clay jar to wine he can change a heart of stone to one of flesh and make it a throne room for the Holy Spirit!  It takes only the faith of a child and a willing heart to believe in Jesus.  Repentance and Baptism come out of an overpowering desire to obey.  But that water to wine thing is something that I cannot grasp.  I simply trust in my God, the Creator of all things.

Prayer

Oh, Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word.  Thank you, the nourishment it brings to my spirit, like “fountains of living water.”  Lord, thank you for letting me see Your wonder on every page.  Thank You for letting me see Your love and Your glory.

Father, help me that I might not turn either to the left or right but keep my eyes firmly focused on you, in the name of your precious Son Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!

Keeping Hydrated

Photos by Dan Dunnum

You know for me the whole Word of God is living water.  Like the 8 glasses of regular water, I need to keep my body hydrated every day, I need God’s Word every day to keep my spirit hydrated.  When your body gets dehydrated it is clear.  You get leg cramps and you can feel bad.  But when your spirit gets dehydrated it is subtler.

When I was a kid I was never dehydrated.  Everybody had a garden hose and if you got thirsty you got a drink.  As an adult, I got busy and found I did not take time for a drink of water and I got a lot of cramps.

The same was true of my spirit.  I knew who God was but I had gone so long without the Word I no longer realized I was thirsty.  I had found other things in the world to fill that thirst.  That is the bad thing about dehydration you can go so long that you do not realize you are thirsty until you are in trouble.

Thankfully the body sends me cramps that are horrible to remind me that I am not getting enough water, and because of the prayers of my parents, grandparent, wife, and others that I do not know the Holy Spirit reminded me at 52 years of age that I was thirsty for something more.  Now I stay hydrated.  Now with a prick at my heart, the Holy Spirit reminds me when my spirit needs the nourishment of Living Water, and quite frankly, like the leg cramps, I try to avoid that prick to the heart by staying in prayer and in Gods Word to stay hydrated.  I do not enjoy the pain of  dehydration; body or spirit.

Hydrate My Spirit – Isaiah 44

I thought about this stuff this morning and I went to the Word.  I first came to a passage in John, but I will get to that later.  Cross references in John took me to Isaiah.  The first was chapter 44.

I read this passage and was just moved.

Isaiah 44:3-5 (ESV) 3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,

and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,

and my blessing on your descendants.

4 They shall spring up among the grass

like willows by flowing streams.

5 This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’

another will call on the name of Jacob,

and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’

and name himself by the name of Israel.”

Those first two verses reminded me that the land was cursed with the fall as well as we were, and God promises to pour out water on the land and His Spirit on Jacob’s offspring, and they shall shoot up like “willows by flowing streams.”  God equates the nourishment that we gain from the Holy Spirit to be like what the land gains from flowing water.  What a promise.  From chapter 44 I went to 55.

Hear that Your Soul May Live Isaiah 55:1-4

“Hear that your soul may live” (vs 3).  Just think about that for a second.  How can we hear this and not thirst for His Word?  He offers us life in every word.  I do not know about you but that blows my mind in just those few words then I read the rest of the passage.

Isaiah 55:1-3 (ESV) 1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

3 Incline your ear, and come to me;

hear, that your soul may live;

and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

my steadfast, sure love for David.

You know I have read this passage over and over.  Isaiah is one of my favorite books.  But this had not stuck with me until today.  Now I think about these words.  Why do we chase after the things of the World that do not satisfy when God offers the Word that assures life?  I get goose bumps as I ponder this.  He will give us life if we will believe in His Son; listen and obey. He will guide and strengthen us with living water.

The Lord Will Guide You Isaiah 58:11

The last passage from Isaiah is 58:11

Isaiah 58:11 (ESV) 11 And the Lord will guide you continually

and satisfy your desire in scorched places

and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water,

whose waters do not fail.

He is with us always and He guides us and nourishes us with springs of water that will not fail.  I am so thankful for His Word and the gift I have of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  We need only believe in His Son.

Closing Thoughts

I look back at all these passages this morning and I am humbled by the gifts that God has given me.  I started in John this morning and the whole thing got rolling with John 7:37-39.  Jesus was at the Feast of Booths

John 7:37-39 (ESV) 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

In this moment, He explained that if we believed in Him we would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit promised in the scriptures, that would nourish our spirits and, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Why would we not want to drink up all that He offers us so that we might allow His living water to flow from us?

Prayer

Father, I pray Lord that I might always hold fast to your word and listen diligently for Your guidance and understanding.  Lord, I pray that I never go so long without Your Word that my thirst draws me to things of the world for satisfaction.  Let me always hold fast to you in prayer and study and it active sharing of my faith.  In Jesus name, I pray.  Amen.

 

Seek the Things That are Above

The Narrow Path

Over the weekend I was taken with a verse in Colossians that I received as the “Encouraging Word from K-Love Radio.  They come in an email every morning and I always read them as kind of a jump start to my morning that morning it caused me to seek after more than just that short verse in Colossians.

Colossians 3:1 (ESV) 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

I lingered in Colossians around this verse through this morning, along with some other passages, and just meditated on the whole concept of to “seek things that are above.”

The first thing I did was get a few the details around verse one so I read on in Chapter 3.

Colossians 3:1-4

I read through verse 4 and could hear the passion of Paul as he wrote.  He holds nothing back in his words.  The power of the Holy Spirit fills his heart and he shares the teachings of Christ Jesus with such passion.

Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV) 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

It amazes me when I look at this passage.  In the first to verses Paul tells us to seek things that are above and repeats it telling us to set our minds on things that are above.  In the second verse, He even reminds me not to focus on things that are on earth and in the next two verses he tells us why.  I cannot help but think of Matthew 6:33

Matthew 6:33 (ESV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:25-34 Do Not Be Anxious

I read these passages and I am reminded that God is in control and ultimately, He does care for us, but it requires a level of trust and reliance that is unnatural; it is supernatural.  It also calls us to be in a relationship with God in prayer and study where we learn to listen and obey.  This passage in Matthew is true, but only if you believe it and trust that God will keep His promise. 

Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV) Do Not Be Anxious

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I like how Jesus closes this passage in verse 34.  He does not promise it will be easy.  He simply says do not be anxious.

Thoughts and Reflections

I thought a lot about these passages and the goal of both was to seek first the Kingdom of God.  Christ went so far as to say that our worries should not be on the things of this world for God will provide all that we need IF we seek first the Kingdom of God.  To me this is not a gospel of prosperity but I am reminded of Proverbs 30:8-9

Proverbs 30:8-9 (ESV)

8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9 lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.

And Philippians 4

Philippians 4:12-13 (ESV) 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

God puts before us a means to care for our families.  It is not always easy, and there are still consequences that come with our own decisions.  The thing I know is that I know He is helping me get through the consequences of my bad decisions, and I know that I grow stronger because of the counsel and discipline of God.

What’s Next

The first part of this scripture in Colossians was powerful.  But I went on deeper in to chapter 3.  In verse 4 Paul reminds us that Christ Jesus is our life and he sets a very powerful direction for those who believe 1-4.

Colossians 3:5-17 (ESV) 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This passage just fills my heart with joy.  Paul is repeating Jesus’ teaching of seek first the Kingdom of God, and explains changes that will have on our hearts and then he reminds us in verse 17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

That really does mean everything.  If you read the rest of Colossians 3 Paul gets specific.

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV) 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Closing Thoughts

There is so much to these passages.  I am always overwhelmed by the Love that God shares through His Word.  My heart aches for those who miss the joy that comes from time spent in prayer and in the Word of God.

I used to think that God was a god of rules and regulations.  Now I know that He loves me and all He has ever wanted is me close to Him.  I am often drawn to Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV) 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I am Thankful.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for this day.  Thank you, Lord, for reminding me of where my focus should be and giving me the strength to stand in this world of distractions.  I pray Lord that my eyes may always be focused on the things above and when they wander Father, You will set my eye on what it right and true.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

“Every Word That Comes From the Mouth of God”

John 1:1-5

Do you ever hit those times where you just struggle to focus and cannot seem to gather your thoughts?  You just seem to stumble through stuff.  That has been me for the past few weeks. That does not mean I am not inspired by the Word of God, but there has been something missing and I could not seem to find it.  So I continued to pray and wait on the Lord.

I went to Church and was moved by each sermon.  I studied and prayed, but something seemed to elude me, and even today I do not know what it was.  I just kept doing what God had asked me to do and waited expectantly, and God was faithful in a discussion with friends Tuesday evening.

I had discussed God’s Word with some friends Tuesday night and yesterday I woke and I prayed over what we had discussed and I asked for understanding and guidance.  I had really been impacted by our discussion and I prayed just for understanding and an hour or so after my prayer and study time I received a notification on my cell phone.

Notification

Yeah, I know you are probably going WHAT?!?!  A notification on his PHONE?!?!?!? Please bear with me a bit.  The notification was a YouTube video.  I get notifications from a channel on YouTube called “I’ll be Honest” and they are sermons or short clips from some leaders I like.  Yesterday it was Paul Washer and the Sermon was “How to Abide in Christ”.

This sermon was an hour and forty-four minutes long and when I first saw that I balked a bit.  I was not sure I was up to watching a sermon twice as long as Terry’s but the Spirit kept nudging not so gently to watch it, so I did.

Paul Washer

I do not know if you have ever listened to Paul Washer or not but he is about as subtle as a hay fork and about as likely to draw blood if you are not careful.  He is about as direct as an oncoming train, but I do like him because of his passion for the Lord and this sermon was no exception.  Even if a bit hard on the toes at times it was exactly what I needed.  The Lord helped me see some things differently than I had before and tied them back to my studies and Terry and Will’s teachings as well.  It really pierced my heart.

The Sermon and What Hit Me Hardest

Paul spoke of many things in ways I had not considered before.  He touched on prayer and how to pray.  The act of praying without ceasing, and on Matthew 4:4.  Matthew 4:4 was what had the largest impact.  It was Jesus’ response to satan in the wilderness.

Matthew 4:4 (ESV) 4 But he answered, “It is written,” ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

There was much more in this video, and all of it touched me but the Lord used this passage to pull me out of the spot I was in, and I am thankful for His patience, grace, and forgiveness.  Just think about that exchange Jesus and satan.

Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4 is Jesus’ response to the devil when he makes his first effort to tempt Christ Jesus.

Matthew 4:3 (ESV) 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

But Christ did not respond relying on his own strength, He drew on the strength of the Holy Word.

Matthew 4:4 (ESV) 4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

He quoted from part of the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 8:3.

Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV) 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

I love this passage.  The Son of God did not speak on His own when confronted by the adversary, but with the full power of the Word of God.  I get goose bumps when I think of that.  I often talk about the power of God’s Word and the need to put on the Full Armor, but yesterday the Holy Spirit revealed something more through this passage.

Thoughts and Reflection

Paul Washer said something that shook me.  He said most people hear that passage but do not really believe it, and yes, that caused me to pause.  He went on to explain that we think we do, but we do so many things every day without first conferring with God or reflecting on the direction in His Word.  I had to think about it for a minute and ask myself, do I really live “by every word that comes from the mouth of God?” I believe the power of God’s Word, but do I truly rely on every word that comes from His mouth to live my life.

Paul gave several examples, and I thought of several others,  but the one that struck me regarded marriage. If you are married, do you study everything in the Word that God teaches about marriage to assure that your marriage is lived in accordance with His Word?  He is the author of marriage.  Shouldn’t we be living our marriage as He has defined it?

As I considered this and meditated on the passages that I was led to, I developed a new appreciation for the Word, and I have to admit I was humbled and repentant.  I have for a long time believed that It was my sword and shield, but today I realized it is my life’s blood.  Living water that I cannot live without in a way I had not realized before.

Thoughts

The Word is Jesus.  God explains it through John in chapter one of his Gospel.

John 1:1-5 (ESV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

It is God Breathed for teaching us and more.  Just look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

And He is the Living Water.  Only by believing in Jesus can we be saved.  And what joy we can gain by knowing Him through His Word guided by His Holy Spirit.

John 4:13-14 (ESV) 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Closing

I cannot fully grasp all this yet.  It really impacted me.  There is so much yet that I need to get my arms around, but I feel the Lord has turned on the light in another section of this path I am walking on and I will continue to pray and study His Word and now apply really apply Matthew 4:4.  I give thanks for the gift of grace and repentance.  I give thanks for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to open my eyes when I am to blind to see.  I praise God for His patience with me.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Holy Word.  Thank you for your Spirit to guide me in my life.  I am overwhelmed by every new turn or revelation.  Help me, Lord, that I might live a life totally dependent on You and Your Holy Word.

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!

At A Loss for Words

Clarity

I woke yesterday with this devotional started but things got in the way.  They were good things, but none the less it delayed the writing and this morning I read what I had started and felt convicted to go a different way.  I was still struggling to find the words to write, but the path and reason seemed different this morning.

I had begun yesterday in Romans 8 26-27

Romans 8:26-27 (ESV) 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Now I still had that in mind as the starting point this morning, but when I fired up my PC after prayer time and praying for the kids and leaders at CIY and I found had left my digital Bible open in the book of John chapter 16 and I just began reading.  That is where the focus changed.  It was still on the power and help of the Holy Spirit, but just a bit different.

John 16:7-15

Jesus is telling the Disciples some harsh truths about His leaving, and He knows it is breaking their hearts; “sorrow has filled their hearts” (John 6:6).  But in verse 7 he begins telling them about the “Helper” and that they will not be alone.  He goes to great lengths describing what the Helper will bring.

John 16:7-15 (ESV) 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

I read the rest of chapter 16 and my sense was that they were struggling to grasp it

Reflections

What a wonderful promise that Jesus shared, but for the Disciples, t was so difficult to grasp.  It is hard for me to fathom what it must have been like to have traveled as a disciple of Jesus and hear the marvelous teachings, but not have the indwelling Spirit to help me understand.  His words.

I think of all the times in the Bible where Jesus showed them great miracles and they were blown away and in the next moment they were thinking about earthly things.

I am so thankful for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I know I still get distracted; that is the adversary working to turn my eye from God.  But I give thanks for the Spirit who corrects me if I will just listen and obey.  Those thoughts put me back in Romans 8.

Romans 8

I went back to Romans 8:1-8 and read where Paul was explaining the difference of life in the flesh and life in the Spirit. Then I came to verses 9-11

Romans 8:9-11 (ESV) 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Verse 9 is a tough verse that requires us to be truthful with ourselves.  It is one of the verses with that infamous “if” statement.  Everything is Great IF you meet the minimum requirements.  But the comfort that comes from the rest of the passage is one of peace when you know the Spirit is in your heart and that leads me to Romans 8:12-17

Romans 8:12-17

This passage is so wonderful to ponder.  It is such a joy to know the peace that this brings.

Romans 8:12-17 (ESV) Heirs with Christ

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

When I think of this passage and what God is conveying through Paul I am awestruck.  A fallen man like me was bought at a price and that purchase made me an heir with Christ Jesus, who, by His blood, my debt was paid.  I cannot find Words worthy to praise Him.  My heart aches with thanksgiving!

There are three more passages I read this morning that I want to share.

Romans 8:18-25

You know it is so easy to get caught up in our daily struggles, hardships, or illness, but just a moment in this passage and I realize that they are only temporary.  This time here is fleeting and it cannot compare to the future glory God has planned for us.

Romans 8:18-25 (ESV) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

My hope is in Jesus Christ and I wait patiently.  I know that he has given me all I need, even when I do not know what that might be.

Romans 8:26-27

This is the passage that started it all yesterday.  It dealt with the intercession of the Holy Spirit when I do not know what to pray.

Romans 8:26-27 (ESV) 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

This is such a wonderful gift.  We do not always know what to pray.  Sometimes we pray for one thing with and honest and open heart to God, but He knows the real need.  The thing is He knows us and our needs better than we do and intercedes on our behalf.  All we need do is trust Him and obey.

The last passage I want to share is from Philippians 2.

Philippians 2:12-13

When I looked back on these passages I could not help but see first the promise of the Helper by Jesus and then all the work He does in us as described by God through Paul.  That lead me to Philippians and one of my favorite passages.

Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV) 

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

It is God who works in me for His good pleasure.  Let me listen and obey.

Closing Thoughts

I look at all these passages and contemplate the wonder of the Holy Spirit and all that He gives to me.  How can I not listen and obey?  I know I get distracted.  I know my selfish nature gets the best of me sometimes, but I am thankful that God disciplines those He loves and I am thankful that He has given me the ability to grow and learn.  I am filled with a thankful heart.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for the words that you guide me to when I cannot find them.  Thank you Lord for knowing my needs when I do not.

I thank you Father for your love, grace and mercy and the gift of your Holy Spirit.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

 

 

Bullying

Don’t be Drawn in

Before I started my blog, I did not have much presence on social media.  I had a Facebook account that I used quite a bit.  I had a twitter account that I never really used and that was pretty much it.  Since the blog, I have become more active on Twitter and a few other social networks sharing my blog posts.  The thing that has amazed me is the meanness.  If it were kids exchanging content we would call it cyber bullying, but I assume these are adults, although I could be wrong.

The thing I have been struggling with is the meanness and crudeness people are willing to stoop to when they can hide behind a keyboard.  God has laid it on my heart with the latest back and forth shots in the political arena.  I guess it hit hard after the group of congressmen were shot at and two men were in critical condition and no one took a breath.  I am not picking a side here I am seeing.

As I watched the news over the past few weeks and watched the tweets and talking newscasters I could not help but think, “No wonder our kids think this is an acceptable way to communicate or harass one another.”  Adults, and seeming “Role Models” do it every day.

Prayer for Guidance

I kept praying for some insight into this issue, and asking God if I should even write about it.  I kept asking for guidance in His Word. The first few days were just muddled, but yesterday James 3 came to mind and today Proverbs and more in James.

The first, James 3:5-12 was powerful for me, and it is preached a lot.

James 3:5-12

In the first of James 3 he speaks of power of the tongue to do great harm.

 

James 3:5-12 (ESV) 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

I read this passage and I think at all the things we have done to amplify the power of the tongue and increase it range of influence from megaphones to movies, and TV to text messages and now we have social media.

I read on in James to verses 13-18 and for the first time and saw the link to the taming of the tongue.

James 3:13-18 (ESV) Wisdom from Above

This wisdom that James speaks of will show itself in how we control our tongue.

James 3:13-18 (ESV)

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

I read this passage by James and it is clear.  If I am listening to the Holy Spirit and relying on the wisdom from God rather than my own selfish desires the fruits I bare will show it.  There will not be the harsh and selfish words described in verses 14-15 or in 5-12, “17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Reflections

I read over chapter 3 several times and it just was so clear to me that the only way that we could tame our tongue was with the wisdom of God.  When we allowed the passions of the world to interfere and take control selfish desires flowed from our lips.  I know that when I was lost I had a vicious tongue.

I could nearly draw blood with my words and the facial expressions that came with the words were just as intimidating; just ask my kids.

I give thanks every day that man is dead and I am a new man in Christ Jesus. I look in His Word and give thanks for His Wisdom He shares from on high every day.

 Wisdom

Here are just a few examples of what he teaches us every day and it is not so far away that we cannot reach it.

James 1:19-21 (ESV) 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Proverbs 10:19 (ESV) 19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

Proverbs 17:27-28 (ESV) 27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.

28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Closing Thoughts

This world we live in is filled with darkness and selfishness.  It is hard when we feel wronged or we hear something that we believe is unjust to sit and remain calm.  We want to lash out like Peter when Jesus was arrested and cuts somebodies ear off, but that is not what Jesus wants from us.  It is clear in His Word.  By ourselves we cannot hold back our passions, but with the Holy Spirit in us all things are possible.

Prayer

Lord, I pray for your strength to contain the passions that come when I see injustice and help me to address things as you would have me do it.  Help me not lash out but hold fast in Your wisdom in all that I do.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

My Grace is Sufficient

God’s Way Is Truth

A year or two ago I had a discussion with a friend about a weakness he had with his back and we discussed 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 and Paul’s thorn and my friend felt certain that he had not experienced anything sufficient to warrant a thorn of any type to keep him humble.  Of course, there is no way for me to know if that is true.  But all that runs through my head is “My grace is sufficient”.  When I look around at our culture and wonder; we have so much isn’t it too easy to become proud and self-reliant instead of totally reliant on God.

I grew up learning that self-reliance was not only a good trait, anything less was lazy.  You did not ask for help you offered.  I grew up in a world of self-made men and you achieved that through hard work, being the best you could be.  You took pride in your achievements but you did not showboat.  You just did your work.  Sometimes I was a hard man to work with because I expected a lot from anyone I worked with.  But in the past several years God has shown me that pride does not require the level of vision that Paul had.  I still had plenty of pride to spare myself.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

As I came to know God I came to realize how large He was and how small I was.  He showed me so much in his Word that He humbled me.  On top of that my hard-driving lifestyle caught up with me and my health took a dive.  But the Holy Spirit gave me no time for self-pity instead He gave me a hunger for the Word and before long he brought me to 2 Corinthians 12.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (ESV) 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

He helped me see that my circumstances did not define who I was.  What defined me was the relationship I had with God.  He also reminded me that my focus determined direction.  If I focused on the kingdom of God that was my destination.  If I got lost in my circumstances I would get lost in this world.  He filled my heart with a hunger for His Kindom.

Grace or Trust

As I was praying and studying this morning one of my devotionals was about fretting.  One of the things that contradict that statement by Christ –  “My grace is sufficient” is fretting.  The devotional I was reading was in Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers for July 4th.  It is an excellent wake-up and I would encourage you to read it.  Two parts that stuck out to me were the following pieces.

“Worrying always results in sin. We tend to think that a little anxiety and worry are simply an indication of how wise we really are, yet it is actually a much better indication of just how wicked we are”

“Have you been propping up that foolish soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God to handle? Set all your opinions and speculations aside and “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1)”

I was a chief worrier who came from a long line of worriers.  I never considered it a sin until I started studying the scripture and realized that when I worried I was not trusting in God. I was doubting he could handle that problem I had.  How arrogant is that?

More than once I have believed that I could better handle my circumstance than the God who had given me life… the God who spoke the universe into existence.  Talk about pride; my goodness.

That whole process sent me to Revelation chapter 3.  I read the letter to Philadelphia and Laodicea.  I found it striking that God chose to place those to next to each other.

Revelation 3:14-17 To the Church in Laodicea

I read the first few verses of this letter to the church of Laodicea and I shuddered a bit because it is easy to fall into that body.

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

We have so much as a nation, and it is so easy to lose sight as to how we obtained it.  It is easy to think that we do not need God’s help in our lives.  But we are so wrong when the adversary decieves us into thinking that.  Then I looked back at Philadelphia in verses 7-13

Then I looked back at Philadelphia in verses 7-13

 Revelation 3:7-13

The message to Philadelphia is so much different.

Revelation 3:7-13 (ESV) To the Church in Philadelphia

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ 

Reflections

I look at these two Churches and one was wealthy and felt they had need of nothing even from God.  They knew who He was but they were in GOOD shape.  The other was weak and yet they never denied Him.  Those who held fast in spite of their trials had salvation.  The others that lived in comfort forgetting where their prosperity came from God spit out. They just knew who He was they were neither hot nor cold and he spits them out.

But there is an amazing thing in the letter to Laodicea in verses 18-22.  Again God shows this Church His Grace and Mercy, if they will call on Him.

Revelation 3:18-22 (ESV) To the Church in Laodicea

Jesus counsels them and shows a path to salvation even in this final hour.

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

He still loves them enough to counsel them and discipline them  and warn them to “be zealous and repent”

Closing Thoughts

I look at all that God does for me and how he uses every situation I find myself in to show me that His grace is sufficient.  He teaches me every day that there is no place in my life for foolish pride or arrogance but simply love for Him and a humble spirit that trusts in Him.  I am thankful for a humble spirit and even more thankful that when I get out of hand God loves me enough to reprove and discipline me.

I give thanks for He is good and His mercy endures forever.

 Prayer

Father, thank you for today.  Lord thank you for reminding me from where my strength comes from.  I pray Lord that I might keep my focus on the path of Philadelphia, but if I wander into selfishness of a lukewarm heart please bring quick correction to me that I might not linger there.

Father God I love you and praise you in Jesus name.

Amen!

 

Connect with me

Theme by 17th Avenue · Powered by WordPress & Genesis