New Heart in the New Year

We read in Ezekiel 36:25-27 of a wonderful promise that each of us can take and hold onto if we desire to see our lives changed and it starts by allowing God to change us from the inside out.

25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. Ezekiel 36:25-27 (ESV)

I love this passage of scripture because it explains to me one thing that apart from God I will never really get where I am going. You see He was talking to Israeli about being redeemed from all of their failings and He has promised you and me the same things if we will submit to His will for our lives.

What we see here is that when we chose the path that leads to God he begins a work in us that cleans us up. Not that you or I have to have everything right before we come to him we just have to take the steps in the right direction and he will begin that work. That comes through the conviction of our sins and the repentance of our heart. It is God who strengthens us to put aside those things that are keeping us out of His will no matter what it might be. He has promised to cleanse us and bring us closer to Himself.

Then God shows Ezekiel that the problem is not that we are just unclean but our hearts are hard as stone and this keeps us from continuing on the path that he has set before us. We are unable to enjoy what he has given us because we are dry inside. There is a difference between the words rock and stone within scripture. We call Jesus the rock of our salvation this is something permanent that will with stand everything that comes against it. While a stone is something much smaller that is often used by man. Sometimes it was used to honor God when altars were built but most often you see it used to destroy men and women as they are stoned to death for sins against God. So for us to try to follow after God with something that is manmade will never work it requires we allow Him to give us a heart transplant. This is the only real way for us to grow closer to Him.

He has also promised us something else in these passages a source of power to stay the course. He has promised to provide you with a new Spirit and that Spirit will help us stay on the path that he has called us to. It will give you strength in times of weakness. It provides direction when we are lost. It strengthens us when the load gets heavy and He guides us in our interactions with others. This new heart and spirit that have been promised; you will receive as you walk with God on the path he has chosen for you in the New Year.

One last point and verse I want to share with you today. When we have accepted this New Heart and Spirit God has promised us something in verse 28;

28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:28 (ESV)

God has something prepared for us that is greater than anything we can imagine. It requires though that we start traveling in the right direction and that we submit to His will in our lives so that we will be blessed and be a blessing to others.

I hope you have a truly blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Guaranteed Promises

As believers we are told one thing that we often overlook; it is that we have been given a guarantee in the form of the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus Christ for salvation.

²¹ It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, ²² and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NLT)

This gift we have received is provided so that we can come to know Christ better and to work in accordance to His will. The Holy Spirit in us is evidence of our relationship to Christ and allows us to show love that is beyond our own personal abilities. However, the first thing we need to understand is what the primary goal of the Holy Spirit really is and that is best explained by this sentence from Wayne Grudem.

“The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world, and especially the church.” I add one portion to this and that is in the life of the believer.  

This idea is simple everything that goes on in and around the church should bring glory to God. For this to occur it must be done under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The same thing can be said for the Christian who desires to live a righteous life; it cannot be done separate from the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. As I looked for examples of this I realized that not everyone is walking at the same pace so what might be considered sinful by one person the other has not yet reached a point in which the Holy Spirit has revealed or convicted them of it as something that is sinful. I know some will not agree with me on that but in my own life it has been my personal experience. Paul also talks of this condition as he writes to the Romans;

⁷ Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” ⁸ But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power.⁹ At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, ¹⁰ and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Romans 7:7-10 (NLT)

As you can see Paul recognized the fact that for many of us we do not understand what we are doing is sinful until we are confronted by it either through God’s Word or His Holy Spirit convicting us of it. For many people today even some who call Jesus Lord; they do not know or trust God’s Word enough to allow it to penetrate to their heart and mind showing them their sin. Instead the live by the old saying, “Ignorance is Bliss” there by denying the opportunity to grow closer to God. Too many Christians today are comfortable with just getting by and in the meantime are missing out on what God really called them to do.

In allowing God’s Word to penetrate beyond the surface of our lives He empowers us for service not only to Him but to one another. I pray that today you will spend time in God’s Word asking him to show you that sin that you have hidden away that is keeping you from the promises he has guaranteed to each of us through the Holy Spirit.  Have a Blessed Day.

 

The Word of Salvation

Do we understand how we come to salvation in Christ Jesus? Depending on your personal convictions and your level of understanding about the conflicting theologies that have penetrated Christianity you might believe that salvation comes from having faith in Jesus alone as Luther taught that only through faith can we come to Christ and salvation. The other alternative is to look at it from Calvin’s view of election that and the concept of TULIP that he taught his followers. However, if you look at John 6:44-45 Jesus explains to the disciples what is required for salvation.  

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— John 6:44-45 (ESV)

For us to learn and be taught about Jesus we must be spending time in God’s word. We understand from John that:

“‘1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’ John 1:1 (ESV).”

So the more time we spend in God’s word the more we will understand who God is. As we understand scripture we see everything was created as God spoke it into existence.

Paul reinforces this idea as he tells the Romans that:

“¹⁷So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (ESV)”

Every day as we walk in the light of God’s Word we understand that God is drawing us to salvation, justification, sanctification in His Son Jesus. We see that that drawing comes from the teaching of God’s word to those we meet and then the application of it into our lives. So the question for you today is how much time are you currently spending in God’s word and hoe much influence does it have on your life. When your use of scripture in your life flows into every area of your life it will impact all those who you come in contact with. Much of what we learn in life is trickled down from those we associate with. The truth is what we allow in then flows out in our actions, word and deeds. This is understood because we all have influence on the people around us the question is what type of influence it will be. Does Jesus flow out of you or does the world?  Be blessed as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Puzzled

As Paul was sitting in a prison waiting on the emperor to decide his fate he wrote many of his letters to the churches. The one that I have been reading this week is to the Philippians this morning as I was reading the passage that struck me deals with the striving in Christ. It is found in Philippians 1:27;

“27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,” Philippians 1:27 (ESV)

You know within the church today there is no longer a strong sense of unity. As we look around on Sunday mornings we often see the individual who comes in the back door and takes their seat and as soon as the pastor says Amen they walk back out and leave the church without a second though till their next appointed time. I have to ask do you believe those individuals are striving side by side with a heart for what God has called his church too. Often while faithful on Sunday morning they have no more connection to the work of the church than the CEO (Christmas Easter and Other special occasions) Christians that we see a few times a year.

Personally I believe when we experience church in this manner we are missing out on some of the most beneficial parts of why we are members of a local church to begin with. We read throughout scripture the importance of being like-minded and living in one accord;

10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)

I guess the question becomes do we have enough of an understanding of who Jesus is and what he has called us to; as to live lives worthy of the calling and salvation we have received. Today does the church you serve in have a singular purpose? Do you know what that purpose is and are you living in accord with it or are you doing your own thing making your own path to righteousness. Paul gave the Christians at Corinth an instruction at the end of his first letter to them and I believe it is appropriate for us today.

13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (ESV)

Each of us has a part to play in the local church body. Just like a puzzle with many pieces without all the pieces the puzzle is incomplete. However, when all the pieces are joined together as designed by the creator of the puzzle it reveals a beautiful picture with a specific purpose. If for some reason you find yourself feeling like an outsider; maybe it is because you are in the wrong puzzle. However, I want you to know something that I have found to be true you only get out of life what you are willing to put into it. The church is no different are you living worthy of your calling today? I pray that if not than you will begin to as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Standing Firm

Is there a purpose in the trails we face as a Christian? Have you ever given it much thought I recently explained to a group of Christians that when I received Christ I was lied to by other Christians; salvation while it is a gift from God is not free, it costs you one thing above all else and that is your free will. As a Christian you are called to replace your wants and desires with that of Jesus Christ. It requires a sacrifice that many of us are not willing to make. We may have no problem surrendering a few hours on Sunday morning or even an hour on Wednesday night but how much more are we willing to give God. You see He wants it all. I am sure that while Paul was sitting in the Roman prison there were times when he had to remind himself of why he was there. We see it in his writings to the churches especially to Philippi.

¹² I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. ¹⁴ And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Philippians 1:12-14 (ESV)

Do our trials make us bolder for Christ? Do the things we endure provide an impact for the community around us? Paul declares that the every member of the imperial guard knew that his only crime was his belief in Jesus Christ. And while he was suffering in prison those who watched and were believers were strengthened in their own faith. Are we today having that impact on the community of believers we belong to? Jesus told us that if we chose to follow him it would not always be an easy path and that divisions would occur;

⁵¹ Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. ⁵² For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:51-53 (ESV)

And some of you know and understand this all too well. As personal desires fight for control we have seen problems arise within families about the stance we have taken for Jesus. However, Paul has given us a simple instruction today as he wrote to the Ephesians;

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:13-18 (NLT)

Today are you standing firm for Jesus Christ? Do those you meet have any doubt about who you are or what God you serve? If so I pray you find the strength to take a stand before the world proclaiming that Jesus is Lord of your life. Have a blessed day as you live in the light of God’s Word.

Clinging to the Rock

Do you ever have doubts? I can promise you everyone does from time to time it is nothing to be ashamed of and if anything else it proves that you are a human being just like everyone else. I am sure that given enough time everyone feels this. I can say that because we see it in scripture:

"16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted." Matthew 28:16-17 (ESV)

Now here we have eleven individuals who for the previous three and a half years have been walking with a person so special that the bible records thirty-seven miracles that He performs. Let us not forget the forty-four prophecies that He also fulfills found in the Old Testament. We also know from John this is not all that he did:

"24 This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.25 Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written."

John 21:24-25 (NLT)

However, there were those who still had doubts. You see doubt is not about a lack of faith but it comes from the way we view time. We grow impatient for an answer to our questions and then we start wondering if God has heard us or if he is ever going to answer. I have learned he always answers. However, His answer may not be what we want to hear. Yet, these individuals had received a promise like so many others found in scripture; that seemed impossible by man’s standard. However, God was faithful to deliver on them. We see Abraham and Sarah having their first child when Sarah is 90 years old. I am assured that they had doubts, because when Sarah hears that she will conceive and give birth to a son she laughs.

"12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”" Genesis 18:12 (ESV)

So as doubters go we find ourselves in a long list of people who God has chosen to use to make a difference in this world. While it may not make a whole lot of sense to you while you are going through life always remember that:

"24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength."

1 Corinthians 1:24-25 (NLT)

Today if you are struggling with doubt let me assure you in time all things will be made new and what has made no sense to you here will be revealed to you one day in glory. I am sure that when the apostles who had doubts took their last breath in service to Jesus Christ they no longer had doubts about who he was or why they had endured all that they had. I want to leave you with one verse of scripture:

“Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:4 (ESV)

Today no matter what doubts you may have about your life or the things going on around you I can tell you that when doubt creeps in God is still there and he is an unmovable rock that will weather every storm that the world can through at you. Maybe in your time of doubt you need to just reach out and cling to the Rock of your salvation. Be blessed as you walk in the Light of God’s Word.

The Rescue Squad

Good morning and God Bless, This morning have you ever realized that as a believer in Jesus Christ we have been given a responsibility to rescue people from death. When I look for wisdom from scripture I go to the book of Proverbs and this morning I was looking at Proverbs 24:11-12:

11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? (ESV)

The first verse makes it rather clear that those who are able are to do everything in their power rescue those who are stumbling towards death. However, the second verse warns us that if we try to say that we did not know this was going to happen God has basically called us to account for it and what we have done or not done will be held to our account in the end. I wanted to share that with you because today we have a choice to make are we going to do what we can to rescue those we meet who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and shepherd or are we going to allow them to continue down the path that leads to destruction.

Now there is a particular way in which God has called us to do this it is found in John 13:34:35:

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (ESV)

We are to love one another. If we look at the book of Isaiah we see an example of how we are to do this in action.

6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.7 Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. Isaiah 58:6-7 (NLT)

Each of us can do something in order to help rescue those who are lost and headed towards death. It requires we allow God to show us were we can do the most good. Not that this will always be the most comfortable place. However if it is in God’s will it will be the most beneficial experience you will ever have. I pray God leads you to someone today that needs rescuing as you walk in the light of His Word.

Life Upside Down

I was reading this morning from the book of Isaiah and as I was looking at it these verses jumped out at me and I realized that in our world today many people have taken this position when  it comes to their relationship to God.

15 Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who says, “Who sees us? Who knows us?” Isaiah 29:15 (ESV)

Have you ever found yourself doing something that you felt was wrong. However, because at that moment in time you were in the privacy of your home or office with no one around that you could do it and get away with it and no one will be the wiser. It is my personal life I can live it anyway I see fit. Many well-meaning Christians hold to this very idea every day. Isaiah goes on from here though and makes a simple but true statement.

16 You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Isaiah 29:16 (ESV)

For many of us we believe we have placed ourselves either on an equal footing with God or that we are above God in certain areas of our lives. What we want is after all what we deserve and there should be no reason why we cannot have what we desire. The problem is that what we may desire is often not what God would have for us.

It has been a long time coming for me to see the truth in this whether it be in the church or outside the church our desires to have everything our way does not line up with the Christian calling. If our personal desires were the correct way to go through life; the story we find in the scriptures would probably look a lot different. Even from the beginning, if what we as individuals wanted out weighed God’s design for our lives Adam and Eve would still be in the Garden.

We have believed a lie and we all fall for it from time to time. We see that something that we want and even though we know we should turn around and run; we will do it anyhow. Temptation is an interesting thing it is not something God does to trap us; however, it is a measuring of our faith in Him. A friend recently said, “When we give way to temptation we show how little we trust God.”  

I have to ask you a simple question are you living life upside down? So whose life are you living; the one you have designed for yourself or the one created and established by God to bless you. Life is about choices be sure you’re your making the right ones as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Living on Cash or Credit

As believers we are called to do more than sit on the pew or in-front of the TV or computer on Sunday morning or whatever day you take time to attend service in today’s culture. We see this modeled for us in the Gospels as Jesus sends out the 12 disciples. I chose to look at Luke’s account but it is also recorded in Mark and Matthew.

¹ And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ² and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. Luke 9:1-2 (ESV)

One point you need to understand; Jesus did not just pick them to be his disciples one week and put them out doing his work the next. By most accounts Jesus has spent the better part of a year teaching and preparing these twelve men to be heralds of the good news that God’s Kingdom is close at hand. There was a time of preparation. They were equipped to perform miracles in the realm of healing and casting out demons. This served a two-fold purpose one it brought the end of suffering to those who needed it. However, it also showed the power of God among the people, it added credibility to the testimony they were sharing. This is the point that I want to touch on.

Today how creditable is your witness. Do your actions, attitudes and words reflect a relationship with Jesus Christ that has Him at the center to your life or do you have to announce that you are a Christian in every situation you enter into. There is no record in scripture about how any of these encounters went as the twelve went out so let us look at John 5:1:17 and the Healing at the Pool of Bethesda.

The Sheep gate was located off the northern side of the temple it was how the shepherds would bring the animals into the temple area in order to have them available for sacrifice. Here is located a pool that was believed had the ability to bring healing to the sick. However, this healing was only available when the waters had been stirred. In the case of the man Jesus heals he was never able to get to the water in time so he had laid here waiting all his life for someone to help him into the water. Jesus confronts the man with a question, “6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” John 5:6 (ESV)”. The man explains the problem of not having any help and Jesus responds, “8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. John 5:8-9 (ESV)” Then the real action starts then people start to come to see what has happened. The purpose of the miracles was always to bring healing and end suffering but also to bring an opportunity to glorify God.

Now personally I believe that the God I serve is an unchanging God; who has promised to provide us a helper (the Holy Spirit), who convicts us of our sin and draws us to salvation through our relationship to Jesus Christ. With this same Holy Spirit being the one providing us the gifts of the Spirit to serve God as we walk in accordance to His Word. We to have been sent out to tell the world about the soon coming Kingdom of God, Matthew 28:16-20 shows this to be the truth.

So today what is missing in our walk with God that keeps us from being the witnesses he has called us to be? In our culture today we are a society built on credit. As Dave Ramsey says, “we are buying stuff we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we really don’t like.” It’s funny to me how true that is of our Christian walk just in reverse. As Christians we are using our energies, to try to win people who don’t really like us, because as Christians we have no credibility because we lack power to live the lives God has called us to. Today as Christians we are living on cash; our own ability and power, what we have is all we can spend on God. Meanwhile God has provided us an unlimited line of credit if we will just tap into His power through our surrendering to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. What will you do today depend on your ability or depend on God’s?  The question is CASH or CREDIT? Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Preparing for Rain

I was out cutting grass this evening and I was thinking about all the rain we have had here in the upstate so far this year. One thought I had while cutting grass was how this time last year we were in a drought that had been affecting the area for the past ten years. Then I began to think about when I was 14 or 15 that we had been in a drought that was so sever in the south east that farmers out west were sending hay to the upstate of South Carolina so people could keep their livestock feed. I can remember working in the back of a tractor trailer and it being100 degrees outside dragging square hay bales out and loading them in pick-up trucks. I remember churches and individuals all around the country praying for rain like they did during the dustbowl era.

I than had a thought about Elijah and how he had prayed and the rain stopped for 3 ½ years. (1 Kings 17:1)

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand; there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” (ESV)

Then how he prayed for the rain to return (1 Kings 18:45).

41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’ ” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. (ESV)

 Do you ever wonder if they were prepared for the rain? After ten years of drought conditions here at home; we were overwhelmed with the amount of water that came in the past eight months. The ground soaked up as much as it could and the water began to pool and run; the creeks overflowed and it took out bridges and roads, it left a path of destruction everywhere. The truth is water is the most powerful force in nature it controls life and death it can teardown mountains and build up islands only to tear them down later. We have seen the destructive power of water through the devastation of hurricanes like Katrina and Sandy. So I still wonder if they were prepared for the rain.

In scripture we see rain in two contexts in the Old Testament. The term mātar which can mean rain in the physical or metaphorical sense. It is either a blessing or a curse depending on the context of the scripture; to much rain is destructive while the right amount allows life to prosper. As I thought about this one of the things I have heard most of my Christian walk has been that if we praise God he will rain blessings down on us.

 The question I am asking myself tonight though is how prepared are we for those blessings (the rain)? Are we praying for something and feel as if we are in a drought? We ask God to deliver us from certain situations and bless us with certain things. However, when we get them do we know what to do with them?  There is a story I was told several years ago about an evangelist during the years of the dust bowl that was preaching a revival. The major issue at the time was prayer for rain. One night as they were preparing for the revival to start people were coming in and on the front row a young girl came in and sat down in her hand she held a red umbrella. The evangelist realized that she was the only one present who had one. He asked the people during the message if they were ready for it to rain. They all said they were, However, She was the only one who came prepared for God to answer her prayers. Are you prepared for rain to come into your life either as blessings or destructive? Tonight keep your umbrella handy and be prepared for God’s rain to come into your life as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Do-Nothings

If you believe the Bible to be true than you should know work was something that God created we see it established Genesis;

 

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Genesis 2:15 (ESV)

So from the beginning part of God’s plan was for man to work and take care of the creation that God made. I wonder how as a whole we are doing with that one. Now as we look at work with the understanding that God created it and calls us to it how should that impact our view of it?

First we need to adjust our thinking about our work. According to Paul in Ephesians we should approach our work in this manner:

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. Ephesians 6:5-8 (ESV)

While we are not slaves per say some of us may feel like we are in our current jobs. In some ways we are; it’s not because we are physically chained to the job, but financial chains are no different. Most families work every day just to make ends meet trying to keep food on the table and provide for the basic necessities in life. We meet them every day in Wal-Mart or the restaurant you ate lunch in yesterday. They have no joy in their jobs but are doing what is required to make ends meet. Pray for them it’s the best thing we can do as the children of God. 

While we may see this every day in the outside world it may surprise you (not really) to know that it impacts the church as well. The church today has developed a problem that the only solution for it is to change how it approaches the idea of work and the issues of works.

 

First salvation is only found in one’s faith in Jesus Christ. The problem is we have spent so much time guarding that door and telling people that their works are not going to get them to heaven that we have filled our churches with do-nothings. You know what I am talking about if you have ever spent more than three Sundays in the same church. There are individuals who are in the sanctuary every time the doors are open. However, when you start talking about doing anything from working as an usher or greeter to teaching a Sunday school class or volunteering at the food bank they don’t have the time. Not to question the salvation of these individuals; however, my own experience with Christ tells me that when I accepted Him as Lord and master He had something for me to be doing.

 

Overtime I have learned that I can’t do everything; that is why God saves others to work with me to accomplish His goals. However, He did not save us just to sit on the pew waiting on the rapture. He has set before us a work just as He always intended as we saw in Genesis. Today I want to challenge you to apply the words of Paul to Titus in both your secular and church work: 

7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Titus 2:6-8 (ESV)

Today whatever you do; be sure to do it as if you were doing it unto Christ. There are individuals watching your every step just waiting for a chance to use you as an example of why Christians are fake. I challenge you today that whether it be inside the church, on your job or out in Wal-Mart; you let your words and deeds be a blessing to others as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

The Shepherd's Voice

I woke up this morning thinking about all the places in the Old Testament that God physically speaks to someone and a reality struck me. For many of us who call themselves Christian we want a Moses experience in an Elijah world. If that seems a little strange let us take a look at these two encounters. First we find Moses out tending the flocks of his father-in-law when this he sees a bush that is on fire:

3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Exodus 3:3-4 (ESV) 

If we take the time to look further into these passages of scripture we come to understand this is when Moses receives the marching orders to go back and confront Pharaoh and to bring freedom to God’s people. As Christians we often wish God would be this clear with us when we are seeking guidance about what to do as we serve Him. However, the reality is we are more often especially in today’s world going to find ourselves feeling like Elijah who has been serving God and has taken a stand for Him to the point he is the last true prophet left and people are seeking to destroy him. We find Elijah hiding in a cave wondering how and why God would bring him to this place and situation. I believe many of us can relate as we find ourselves in what feels like similar situations. However, God is still speaking it just requires a different kind of listening.

11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (ESV)

While several eye-catching things happened before Elijah that God could have used to provide him direction and get his attention it was the still small voice that caused Elijah to move. The difference between these two encounters is simple for me. It comes to understanding the relationship between God and each individual. Moses did not know who he was talking to and Elijah did. God had to create a situation that would cause Moses to turn aside and come to meet Him where He was. Elijah however knew the voice of God. Elijah had allowed his own circumstance to effect his ability to hear God’s voice. It required God to refocus Elijah’s attention and reassure him that He could go nowhere that God could not find him or be with Him. Just like Moses once Elijah was listening, God instructed him about what he was to do.

Today are you as believers able to recognize that still small voice or are you looking for your burning bush. Jesus taught us about hearing His voice in John 10:

3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:3-5 (ESV)

If you are looking for the burning bush maybe it’s because the voice of the shepherd is strange to you. In our world today there are millions of voices crying out for our attention something new and flashy draws us to the left and the right each day. However, it requires a discerning ear if you really desire to hear God’s voice in your life. We must develop that listening ear through fasting, worship, prayer and scripture reading so that we can recognize and understand the voice of the shepherd when He calls us. I pray today that you begin to have an ear of discernment for the voice of the shepherd as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Our Helper

I don’t know what exactly you may do for a living in my own life I have done a little bit of everything from being a bag boy in a grocery store to waiting tables and dozen things in between. While in high school I studied brick and block masonry and was a descent block mason. I came to realize though that it was a lot of hard work and I was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. However, I learned a very valuable life lesson during this experience and at the time I was un-churched so today I can look back and say it was a biblical lesson also from the Wisdom of Solomon. We read in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

 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. (ESV) 

The trick to be a truly good block or brick mason is not your own abilities but the abilities of the laborer that works with you. As a block mason you work generally in one place or a stretch of wall that can be any length all your movement is from one end of the wall to the other. It is tedious and repetitive work. The trick to doing it quickly is having a laborer that can keep the mortar and bricks or blocks supplied, if they are not working twice as hard as the mason than productivity will be low. Believe me one person can lay block all by themselves but the work is extremely slow and unproductive. What I have come to understand out of the physical world is also relevant to my life as a Christian.  

What I have come to understand is that many of us who accept Jesus and begin to live our lives as Christian believers try to do it on our own. While this is admirable there really is no need for us to struggle with the work of the Christian life all by ourselves. For one thing Jesus promised us a Helper in the Holy Spirit.

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (ESV)

 

On the day you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you received the Holy Spirit to help Guide and direct you in your Christian walk. There are two problems though; first we are often so used to doing everything on our own we do not want to turn to or trust in the helper we have received. Secondly we don’t really know or understand anything about who the Holy Spirit is.

1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Acts 19:1-2 (ESV)

Today as a believer in the Lord Jesus you have been given a helper that if we will surrender our will to His guidance we can experience life in a way that is different than anything you can ever imagine. The Christian walk is not an easy one however if you are walking with the Holy Spirit in the right relationship you will find the support necessary to live it. I pray today that you allow the Holy Spirit the proper place in your walk with Christ. Be blessed as you walk in the light of God’s Word.

Forgiving the Sinner

I have been struck by a passage in 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 that has made me stop and ask a question that I had never given a great deal of thought to before today. It has to do with forgiveness and how Paul directed us to treat the sinners among us. Not the person you meet on the street who does not know Jesus but the individual who for whatever reason has fallen away from the faith and has chosen to live in sin. I once had a man tell me that as a New Pastor in a church in Alabama that the church roles had more people who had been put out of the church for failure to live a moral life style than there currently were members. To him he believed that almost 70% of the community had at one time or another been members of the church. However, in the pattern of the holiness they had been shunned or as the Catholic Church calls it excommunicated. However if we look at what Paul tells the church at Corinth we have failed to head His teachings when we do this. If you are not familiar with this situation it is laid out in 1 Corinthians 5 and has to do with sexual immorality within the church at Corinth.

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (ESV)

 It would seem that from the second letter Paul has mellowed some. However, I believe his reaction is a model of what we are to do. Too often when people fall into a sinful situation we fail to recognize that except for God’s grace we are not far from falling also. Yes there is a time when we are told to separate ourselves from the brother or sister in Christ that has fallen into sin as to prevent ourselves from being dragged down with them. However, Paul is telling us here that there is a time to try to lift up and restore that same person.

5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 2 Corinthians 2:5-8 (ESV)

 

You see when we are unable to turn and forgive we are allowing the devil an opportunity to run rampant within the church. Paul explains this need;

 

9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. 2 Corinthians 2:9-11 (ESV)

 

The devil would love for a church to become known as that church were if you are not perfect in every way you are not welcome there. In 20^th century terminology it’s being referred to as the country club church. Where everyone is there to be served and everyone has to look or act a certain way in order to fit in. This pattern of church is in a slow march towards death and it is because we begin to lose the ability to forgive others and accept the fact that we all can fall sometimes. Today is there someone that you need to forgive. As Paul stated when a brother or sister in Christ causes pain to the body it impacts the whole body. Just as if you hurt your arm your whole body suffers for it.

Is it not in the best interest of the body to give forgiveness and restore those who have fallen, if they so desire to return. I pray that today you recognize the forgiveness you have received from Christ not just once but every day that you are given breath and begin to think about others the same way that Jesus thinks about you. We are all in need of forgiveness. I pray that this healing of your Church will begin with you. Be blessed as you walk in the light of God’s word.

Discipline of Prayer

I woke up this morning with this thought going across my mind; “You have not because you ask not.” I got up and started looking for this passage of scripture and it is found in James 4:2;

² 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 do not ask. (ESV) 

I know I have heard it preached time and again and James is rather direct about why we fail to get what we ask for. It comes from having the wrong passions when we ask.

³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. James 4:3 (ESV) 

 We often ask for things not out of our need but out of our desires and wants. James explains that much of the evil and sin we see in the world comes from these passions of the flesh. As I think about this Jesus provided us with the model prayer and as I think about it more there are some critical points that I need to change in my own prayer life and maybe you do to. The first issue I realized was whose will am I praying?

¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

Do you have a laundry list of things you pray for? I do sometimes it causes me a lot of stress waiting on God to respond to my wants. I think one issue that causes this is because there is another passage of scripture John 14:14;

¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (ESV)

That is often thrown out there when we teach people to pray. After all this is a direct quote from Jesus Himself. However, like all scripture we need to examine the rest of those passages around this statement. Verse 13 is critical to a right understanding of how we are to pray.

¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:13 (ESV)

Jesus has promised to do what we pray for IF it brings glory too the Father. How many of our prayers are focused on glorifying God? Trust me when I say that one truth will change how you pray. The discipline of prayer is something that requires humility as the center focus of your prayer life Jesus warns the disciples time and again that those with haughty hearts and worldly passions were only fooling themselves. He instructed them to:

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6 (ESV)

There is a little prayer found in Proverbs 30 that I recommend ever believer learn as part of their prayer life;

7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: 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. Proverbs 30:7-9 (ESV)

As we learn to pray it is desirable to approach the throne in humility remembering that without the humble sacrifice of Jesus Christ we would not even have the opportunity to go before God with our petitions. Ask yourself when you pray; who will get the glory out of what you’re asking? If the prayer you pray is answered will people see God at work or will they only see you? The answer to that question will help you determine if you are praying with the right passions. I pray God is glorified in all that you pray as you walk in the light of His word.

Our Mediator

The READ initiative from the Church of God is currently moving through the book of Job and as I was catching up on some of the days I had missed I was struck by these passages that are found in Job 9:32-35,

 

32God is not a mortal man like me, so I cannot argue with Him or take him to trial. 33 If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together. 34 The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of His punishment. 35 Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength.

 

I was struck by the description of the role of the mediator that Job desires to come. The concept of a mediator is someone who is looking to bring a solution to two parties that is acceptable to both. Job desires to have the attacks upon his person and family end, even if it means God kills him. However, it would be acceptable to him that God just stop the attacks. We know more of the story than Job does at this stage; we know that in heaven the devil has been given permission to test Job and God has allowed it to happen with specific limitations imposed.

 

Today does it seems like you are under an attack or that God has his sights set on your destruction? Do you feel like you have been singled out to receive His wrath? Trust me this feeling occurs to all people from time to time. It comes from two things first we don’t know and understand God’s real nature and secondly we don’t know how God really feels about us as His creation. As parents often we have to allow things to come into the lives of our children that we would rather they not endure. However, we must allow it to help them learn how to deal with life. It’s not always pleasant for the parent or the child sometimes it is even downright hard to stand back and watch. It goes against the nature of a loving parent not to try and help their child when they are in trouble.

 

The same thing can be said about our relationship with God. While he is unable to come to us directly because He is holy and can have not part in the sinful nature of mankind, He has provided us a mediator in His Son Jesus. Through Jesus we are able to come into His presence and make our pleas to God directly. Paul tells Timothy this and we read it in 1 Timothy 2:5;

 

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (KJV)

 

It is through this mediation that we are reunited to our creator. While many will tell you there is no cost to accepting Christ I won’t lie to you about it. There is a great cost when you accept Christ as your mediator you must learn to surrender your self-will to His will. Just as when you enter into a courtroom with a lawyer Jesus is there to bring a defense for each of us. However, if we jump up and start shouting at the judge demanding he hear us out. We would be found in contempt the same thing applies when we go before God. It is not by our will that God allows us into His presence it is through the willful obedience of  the sacrifice of His Son that we have been given another chance to have fellowship with God.

 

Today do you know Jesus as your savior if so you also have a mediator who stands between you and God making intercession for you daily? If not; today you can change that by asking Jesus into your heart and surrendering your will to His. I pray you make a decision that will change your life. So as Job declares, “you would be able to speak to God without fear;” knowing the love he has for you. Have a blessed day.