(1 Corinthians 15:19 MKJV) If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
All of our hope, all that we live for cannot be found in this life but that which has been promised and if that is a lie and all of our hopes die when we are placed in the ground then we who believe are of all men most miserable!
We are to deny our flesh and live our lives according the purpose of our Lord Jesus Christ so all things that would kill the seed within us are instead killed. This seed which is planted when our bodies buried is therefore instead stripped clean so that on that day when Christ returns that which comes fourth from the ground is something new and whole but if this hope is lost then the sacrifices we have made in this life have been for nothing and we’ve missed the mark by not living for the flesh but instead for the spirit within us. Take hope, for we believe because God’s Spirit is witness to ours that Christ Jesus is alive and preparing a place in heaven for us where we will one day live in His presence, under His reign forever and ever, amen.
(Psalms 6:9 MKJV) Jehovah has heard my cry; Jehovah will receive my prayer.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Loud and Clear
(1 Corinthians 14:8 NLT) And if the bugler doesn't sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?
There are a lot of buglers today and the vast majority of those are unclear though the original message may be meant for good it becomes convoluted with branches leading to nowhere, only to confuse the hearer. As a result what we end up with is system overload because all the buglers are sounding at the same time from all different origins with no clear direction. 1 Corinthians 14 Paul is talking to the church about the spiritual gifts. It seemed the Corinthians desired to have the gift of speaking in a heavenly language over other gifts but Paul tells them this…
(1 Corinthians 14:18-19 NLT) I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.
Paul’s point is understood, if someone prays in tongues that person’s spirit is strengthened but when someone prophecies he strengthens the entire church. But today this spoke to me differently, many times when a believer is led to share God’s Word with someone other things get mixed in with the message God intended for the listener to hear. Now I understand we each add flavor according to our own understanding and our own stories and that is good for we become witnesses to God’s deliverance in our own lives but the messenger also needs to understand they are simply the vessel God chose to deliver His message and sometimes it’s not about the delivery of the message but the message itself. Simply put be mindful of what God is doing through you as you speak and do not add or take away from His purpose.
(Psalms 5:7-8 NLT) Because of Your unfailing love, I can enter Your house; I will worship at Your Temple with deepest awe. Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Make Your way plain for me to follow.
Lord, help my ears to hear you clearly. Strip away the sounds of the world, wash me so I may enter your courts with praise and thanksgiving and then prepare me for the things You would have me do and say today. Help my tongue and lips to say no more and no less than what You have prepared for those I come in contact with. In Jesus’ name, amen.
There are a lot of buglers today and the vast majority of those are unclear though the original message may be meant for good it becomes convoluted with branches leading to nowhere, only to confuse the hearer. As a result what we end up with is system overload because all the buglers are sounding at the same time from all different origins with no clear direction. 1 Corinthians 14 Paul is talking to the church about the spiritual gifts. It seemed the Corinthians desired to have the gift of speaking in a heavenly language over other gifts but Paul tells them this…
(1 Corinthians 14:18-19 NLT) I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you. But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language.
Paul’s point is understood, if someone prays in tongues that person’s spirit is strengthened but when someone prophecies he strengthens the entire church. But today this spoke to me differently, many times when a believer is led to share God’s Word with someone other things get mixed in with the message God intended for the listener to hear. Now I understand we each add flavor according to our own understanding and our own stories and that is good for we become witnesses to God’s deliverance in our own lives but the messenger also needs to understand they are simply the vessel God chose to deliver His message and sometimes it’s not about the delivery of the message but the message itself. Simply put be mindful of what God is doing through you as you speak and do not add or take away from His purpose.
(Psalms 5:7-8 NLT) Because of Your unfailing love, I can enter Your house; I will worship at Your Temple with deepest awe. Lead me in the right path, O LORD, or my enemies will conquer me. Make Your way plain for me to follow.
Lord, help my ears to hear you clearly. Strip away the sounds of the world, wash me so I may enter your courts with praise and thanksgiving and then prepare me for the things You would have me do and say today. Help my tongue and lips to say no more and no less than what You have prepared for those I come in contact with. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Lift up and instruct
(1 Thessalonians 5:12-14 TNIV) Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
For the most part Christians who live in the United States have lost our God-given purpose but I can tell you that does not relieve us of our responsibility unto God and therefore I pray He awakens us. As followers of Jesus Christ the older are to instruct the younger and the younger are to respect their elders by listening and following their instructions as it aligns with the Word of God and apply it to their own lives and God-given dreams. It is the elder that has the heavier responsibility and it is the same that will be judge more harshly if this call is ignored but that does not relieve the younger from their responsibilities either – none are exempt and we all will give an account of the choices we make, not to man or man’s law but to God and on that day one cannot point to another and say it is because of him, no you alone will answer for your decisions!
At the core of America’s problems is a thread that is woven into everything we do – selfishness and pride. Selfishness pushes us onto the goals we set for ourselves and pride makes us believe obtaining those goals makes us better for it. Unfortunately, if we are not listening to God’s voice while we are working out our schemes, by the way ignoring our elders sets us up for ignoring God’s voice as well, then we will have spent our entire lives pursuing things that lead to spiritual death and destruction and that which we have worked so hard for will be viewed for what it is – worthless heaps horded by a hollow heart, for without Christ our plans will only bring sorrow and pain.
So much could be gained if we as a people would align ourselves with God’s precepts. God does not give instruction to punish us but instead to set us free from a life lived following after things that hold no spiritual value. It all starts at home – parents will you give up selfishness and pride so that your children may know God’s will? Children, will you do the same so that you may gain your parent's wisdom, that which was given to them by their parents? Obedience does not mean surrendering your hopes and dreams, your challenge is to learn from your parents and apply it to your own lives so that you can see above your peers as you stand on the shoulders of your parents. As parents there is no other pursuit in this life that will bring more joy than children who long for Christ Jesus to be present in every decision they make, who run to their Heavenly Father when you cannot be there for them. If this is what you want then replace selfishness and pride with holiness and edify one another, pushing one another on to the hope God has placed within them.
Edify – To instruct and improve the mind in knowledge generally, and particularly in moral and religious knowledge, in faith and holiness. (Webster)
For the most part Christians who live in the United States have lost our God-given purpose but I can tell you that does not relieve us of our responsibility unto God and therefore I pray He awakens us. As followers of Jesus Christ the older are to instruct the younger and the younger are to respect their elders by listening and following their instructions as it aligns with the Word of God and apply it to their own lives and God-given dreams. It is the elder that has the heavier responsibility and it is the same that will be judge more harshly if this call is ignored but that does not relieve the younger from their responsibilities either – none are exempt and we all will give an account of the choices we make, not to man or man’s law but to God and on that day one cannot point to another and say it is because of him, no you alone will answer for your decisions!
At the core of America’s problems is a thread that is woven into everything we do – selfishness and pride. Selfishness pushes us onto the goals we set for ourselves and pride makes us believe obtaining those goals makes us better for it. Unfortunately, if we are not listening to God’s voice while we are working out our schemes, by the way ignoring our elders sets us up for ignoring God’s voice as well, then we will have spent our entire lives pursuing things that lead to spiritual death and destruction and that which we have worked so hard for will be viewed for what it is – worthless heaps horded by a hollow heart, for without Christ our plans will only bring sorrow and pain.
So much could be gained if we as a people would align ourselves with God’s precepts. God does not give instruction to punish us but instead to set us free from a life lived following after things that hold no spiritual value. It all starts at home – parents will you give up selfishness and pride so that your children may know God’s will? Children, will you do the same so that you may gain your parent's wisdom, that which was given to them by their parents? Obedience does not mean surrendering your hopes and dreams, your challenge is to learn from your parents and apply it to your own lives so that you can see above your peers as you stand on the shoulders of your parents. As parents there is no other pursuit in this life that will bring more joy than children who long for Christ Jesus to be present in every decision they make, who run to their Heavenly Father when you cannot be there for them. If this is what you want then replace selfishness and pride with holiness and edify one another, pushing one another on to the hope God has placed within them.
Edify – To instruct and improve the mind in knowledge generally, and particularly in moral and religious knowledge, in faith and holiness. (Webster)
Friday, September 20, 2013
Whether You crush me or You raise me up
Lord whether You crush me or You raise me up it’s all for your purpose. Whether I fall or I stand You are the One who will be glorified and You are the One who will bring about good out of the appearance of evil. You are amazing, from the barren You bring forth a bountiful harvest and in the waste land your spring of Living Water flows. For I know if I am laid low I will once again stand and if You place my feet on a mountain top You will give me the courage to face my enemy in the valley. Where my path leads in this life matters not but only that I am following You, for one day I know You will call me home and though I pray that day is soon I know You have a work that is to be done through me, here and now and therefore I will wait. Lord, help me not to miss it because of concern for my own comfort. So if You should lead me to the valley I will go and if I am to climb the mountain then I say, “let’s go!” Whatever your purpose is bring it to pass so that I may live this life with no regrets and help me to be wise so I don’t unwillingly bring these things upon myself. Lead me Lord so that I may know You better and cause me to be open about what You have done in my life with others.
(Psalms 3:1-8 TNIV) A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom. LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the one who lifts my head high. I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
(2 Samuel 18) Absalom ended up falling before king David but not at David’s hands and stranger yet was the way he fell. For Absalom was a son filled with pride and it was by a symbol of his pride that stopped him in his tracks – his hair! His hair became tangled in tree branches as he was riding his mule during the battle which left him hanging at the mercy of his father’s army and though king David told his men to protect Absalom for his sake some of David’s men did not have the same restraints as the king did for his son. Absalom died that day at the hands of those he threatened and pride and arrogance were the things that bound him, holding him before his enemy depending on their mercy even though he intended to destroy them and exalt himself over them.
In turn when king David found out about his son’s death David cried aloud for his son and wished it was he who died instead. Even though the king had to run from his son it tore him apart to learn that Absalom had been killed in battle. To be betrayed and pursued by those whom you love is a difficult thing indeed, when Jesus died it was not the nails or the soldiers or the Jewish leaders that held him on the cross that day but his heart for his people. Even though Jesus was left alone He was filled with compassion as we see Him having mercy on the dying thief in their last moments and asking His Father to forgive those who came to watch Him die, Jesus died that day not from the physical abuse but of a broken heart.
(Psalms 3:1-8 TNIV) A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom. LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the one who lifts my head high. I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
(2 Samuel 18) Absalom ended up falling before king David but not at David’s hands and stranger yet was the way he fell. For Absalom was a son filled with pride and it was by a symbol of his pride that stopped him in his tracks – his hair! His hair became tangled in tree branches as he was riding his mule during the battle which left him hanging at the mercy of his father’s army and though king David told his men to protect Absalom for his sake some of David’s men did not have the same restraints as the king did for his son. Absalom died that day at the hands of those he threatened and pride and arrogance were the things that bound him, holding him before his enemy depending on their mercy even though he intended to destroy them and exalt himself over them.
In turn when king David found out about his son’s death David cried aloud for his son and wished it was he who died instead. Even though the king had to run from his son it tore him apart to learn that Absalom had been killed in battle. To be betrayed and pursued by those whom you love is a difficult thing indeed, when Jesus died it was not the nails or the soldiers or the Jewish leaders that held him on the cross that day but his heart for his people. Even though Jesus was left alone He was filled with compassion as we see Him having mercy on the dying thief in their last moments and asking His Father to forgive those who came to watch Him die, Jesus died that day not from the physical abuse but of a broken heart.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The advice of the wicked
(Psalms 1:1-6 NLT) Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
How do we live in a world but be not of it? Balancing the laws of man with the leading of God’s Spirit? Discernment is given to those who delight in God’s leading and those who find comfort in His staff. Even man’s best attempts lead to hollow promises and unanswered questions; for their counsel keeps appearances of wisdom but the foundation of it is far from wisdom. Those who judge, those who mock should be warned for it is by the same judgment they give that they will be given but those who know God hold fast to His promises, they love His ways, and they trust Him with their very lives. No matter what storms may come or how intense the winds blow they cannot be moved for they know man’s laws cannot bring about salvation nor does it bring joy but contempt and revenge. It is during their testing and trials that they will bear fruit and it is by this fruit their hearts will be revealed but the world cannot see it for they lack the discernment. The very things man’s systems try to prevent it instead creates a breeding ground for, leading to only worse events than the original wrong. This happens every day yet mankind and its systems cannot offer another solution and therefore continue down this path which leads to destruction. Psalms 1:4 “They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.”
How do we live in a world but be not of it? Balancing the laws of man with the leading of God’s Spirit? Discernment is given to those who delight in God’s leading and those who find comfort in His staff. Even man’s best attempts lead to hollow promises and unanswered questions; for their counsel keeps appearances of wisdom but the foundation of it is far from wisdom. Those who judge, those who mock should be warned for it is by the same judgment they give that they will be given but those who know God hold fast to His promises, they love His ways, and they trust Him with their very lives. No matter what storms may come or how intense the winds blow they cannot be moved for they know man’s laws cannot bring about salvation nor does it bring joy but contempt and revenge. It is during their testing and trials that they will bear fruit and it is by this fruit their hearts will be revealed but the world cannot see it for they lack the discernment. The very things man’s systems try to prevent it instead creates a breeding ground for, leading to only worse events than the original wrong. This happens every day yet mankind and its systems cannot offer another solution and therefore continue down this path which leads to destruction. Psalms 1:4 “They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.”
Monday, September 16, 2013
How I want to love
(1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NLT) If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
This has always been one of the chapters in the Bible that I keep coming back to again and again. I cling to it, not because I’ve got it down but because this is who I want to be. Of the things that have no spiritual value riding motorcycles is at the top of my list. Because of the risks involved I take every precaution each time I ride, including wearing the right gear, riding safely, watching and anticipating other drivers, and learning from those who know more than I do about the sport. In the motorcycle safety course I took I was taught to keep my eyes on where you wanted to go, not what you wanted to avoid. When going around a curve you are to look at the exit not the guard rail, when there is an obstacle in the road you are to fix your eyes on the way through it not on the obstacle itself. This is good to know when riding but it is also good to know when living life. Keep your eyes on what love is (1 Cor. 13) and move towards that, as you lean around that curve you may not be steady, you may feel like you are going to fall but you are learning. Concentrate on where you want to go, what you want your life to look like, who you want to be. Eventually, your movements from one curve to the next will flow and you will be steady regardless of obstacles in your path. God’s love will eventually become second nature and it will replace the human, conditional love that really isn’t love at all.
This has always been one of the chapters in the Bible that I keep coming back to again and again. I cling to it, not because I’ve got it down but because this is who I want to be. Of the things that have no spiritual value riding motorcycles is at the top of my list. Because of the risks involved I take every precaution each time I ride, including wearing the right gear, riding safely, watching and anticipating other drivers, and learning from those who know more than I do about the sport. In the motorcycle safety course I took I was taught to keep my eyes on where you wanted to go, not what you wanted to avoid. When going around a curve you are to look at the exit not the guard rail, when there is an obstacle in the road you are to fix your eyes on the way through it not on the obstacle itself. This is good to know when riding but it is also good to know when living life. Keep your eyes on what love is (1 Cor. 13) and move towards that, as you lean around that curve you may not be steady, you may feel like you are going to fall but you are learning. Concentrate on where you want to go, what you want your life to look like, who you want to be. Eventually, your movements from one curve to the next will flow and you will be steady regardless of obstacles in your path. God’s love will eventually become second nature and it will replace the human, conditional love that really isn’t love at all.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
To each one a purpose is given
(1 Corinthians 12:11 TNIV) All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
We each come to Christ Jesus through the work He has done, drawn by God’s Holy Spirit we confess that He is Lord. Then God is faithful to give us new hearts and minds free to love Him for who He is and what He has done for us. In this process the Holy Spirit gives to each one gifts but not for our good but for the good of the body of Christ so that He might be glorified and so the world will know there is a Heavenly Father that cares for them by the things we do and say as we operate in the gifts the Holy Spirit has given. Not only that but we are to minister to each other caring for one another as we would the parts of our own body. If you stump your toe on the chair do you not immediately pull your foot back to protect it from further injury without thinking about it? Your whole body feels pain and so it is with the body of Christ if a brother or sister is hurting, without hesitation our concern should be for them and how God might use us so the one hurting is reminded of His love. To move in unity as God leads, to know each other as close friends would, to offer yourself and to pour your heart out for another. When the church learns to do this its number will increase and God’s purpose shall be done. Ultimately we are to love God so much that our hearts are filled and overflowing with His love until it infects those around us and to the outer most parts of the earth shall the work He has done be known.
We each come to Christ Jesus through the work He has done, drawn by God’s Holy Spirit we confess that He is Lord. Then God is faithful to give us new hearts and minds free to love Him for who He is and what He has done for us. In this process the Holy Spirit gives to each one gifts but not for our good but for the good of the body of Christ so that He might be glorified and so the world will know there is a Heavenly Father that cares for them by the things we do and say as we operate in the gifts the Holy Spirit has given. Not only that but we are to minister to each other caring for one another as we would the parts of our own body. If you stump your toe on the chair do you not immediately pull your foot back to protect it from further injury without thinking about it? Your whole body feels pain and so it is with the body of Christ if a brother or sister is hurting, without hesitation our concern should be for them and how God might use us so the one hurting is reminded of His love. To move in unity as God leads, to know each other as close friends would, to offer yourself and to pour your heart out for another. When the church learns to do this its number will increase and God’s purpose shall be done. Ultimately we are to love God so much that our hearts are filled and overflowing with His love until it infects those around us and to the outer most parts of the earth shall the work He has done be known.
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