God's blessings

Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
(1Jn 3:18 NLT)

And we will receive from Him whatever we ask because we obey Him and do the things that please Him.
(1Jn 3:22 NLT)

We work so hard to live “the good life” that sometimes we forget the best life is a blessed life. As a father I have tried to instill in my children that in order to be blessed they had to do what was right – work hard at school, do their chores, be kind to one another, and listen and obey their parents. It has not always worked, too often I’ve seen them pick up an attitude of entitlement from their peers and to be honest we do the same with God many times as adults. Just as this attitude discussed me as a parent because it was dishonoring and disrespectful and took what I offered for granted I imagine God feels much the same way when we, as His children act this way. The results of this behavior yielded the opposite of blessings, which often caused frustration in the child.

Have you ever seen an adult who was so driven and self-motivated that the world placed them on a pedestal as an example of what a successful person looks like? Many times this adult was a child who did not understand the correlation between obedience and blessings and so he/she relied on themselves to obtain what they wanted out of life but does their striving make them strong, does their endless pushing bring them any closer to what they are missing or does it send them down a dead end road, further from the truth? You see we were created to desire our Creator’s blessings but they are only obtained through listening and obeying but the enemy lies to us, telling us there is a shortcut but no matter how hard we work the best we can do is obtain stuff that temporarily brings happiness. King David’s son Solomon said this…

"Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless!" What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes.
(Ecc 1:2-4 NLT)

Solomon was the wisest person who ever lived and had riches beyond compare if anyone could obtain enough stuff to make them happy surely it was him but through arrogance or ignorance we strive just the same unless we are listening to God’s still small voice, which leads us to the truth and to fulfillment in this life.

The lesson of listening

And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
(Mat 5:30 NLT)

Jesus said this and still Christians wonder why bad things happen to good people, is it possible that “bad things” happen to keep God’s children on the straight and narrow? I have seen many times where someone who belongs to God by confessing Him as Lord and Savior and who sincerely love Him start down the path of pride, unforgiveness, bitterness, etc. only to have their attention refocused after going through a difficulty which required them to let go of the sin they were holding onto so that the desperate situation they were going through didn’t overtake them. I have no doubt God will use whatever means necessary to get our attention. Of course this only happens after we repeatedly choose to not listen to the moving of His Holy Spirit.

If the sin in this Christians life also breaks the law then God may choose to reach that person through jail; God does not promise to keep us isolated from the consequences of our own choices what gave us such an idea? The difficulty God uses is not as important as the end result and we, His children, have a choice. This gift of choice will not be taken from us even if it means we are eternally separated from God. We can choose to trust Him and obey or we can dive deeper into the desires of our own flesh. This is not to say there won’t be struggles between one’s flesh and spirit and sometimes it will even appear that the flesh has won. Remember even Christ Jesus was tempted but never sinned. So being tempted is not wrong but yielding to it is. You should also remember God’s grace is sufficient for all our needs just don’t think His grace means you have a free ticket to act however you want. You are a representative of the character of God and along with that are God’s laws and precepts given to us through His Word.

If you are caught in an addiction rest assured God knows your struggles and He even understands why you are uniquely addicted to this sin that so easily besets you but that does not mean you are shielded from the consequences that follow. You who struggle know how many times God’s still small voice has spoken to you right before you made the decision to do wrong and it is this small still voice that will lead us out of our addictions, if we listen and obey. Sadly, for many it takes a tragedy and being brought to a place of desperation before we are willing to listen, no one wants to go there but so many lack the strength to obey until they understand that their choice has great costs associated with it. That is why Jesus said it is better to lose your eye or hand than not enter the kingdom of Heaven. Unfortunately we would also have to lose our thoughts and memories but the point is made very clear, the temporary does not hold value over the eternal.

In all things be thankful, even when you have hit bottom and there is no place to look but up. Above all understand that God loves us beyond what we ourselves can understand and He will do anything to bring us to the point of preparation so that we are ready to live with Him for all eternity and still it is our choice. Yes, God is holy and holiness requires that we be holy and if this shell, this home where our spirits currently abide must be put through difficulties so that our spirits are awaken to the eternal then so be it. God will not give you more than you can handle, that is true but He will crash through the limits you have previously put on yourself so that you can be what He intended but you must trust that He is good and all things work together for the good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Understanding the battle

It seems life as a Christian is filled with minor hills and valleys as I ascend and descend in altitude. To put it another way I know my spirit is strengthened from spending time with God, waiting to hear His voice, and obeying but even while doing this I can sense this notion that I am either about to go through a battle (usually with my own flesh) or I don’t quite understand the battle is already taking place but the decision to do right or wrong hasn’t taken place yet. Somehow my decision that is yet to come is being impacted by the things I believe or don’t believe right now so when that time comes the battle is either over very fast or I resist but feel the attack will only grow in strength. As an end result I feel weaker than I should be and a defeated attitude washes over me.

I know this, somehow victory is tied to rejoicing in the Lord for what He has done. Too often I find myself in a state of minor frustration because of surrounding circumstances or relationships with co-workers, family, and friends. This position wears on me spiritually until my resolve is broken and surprise that is when the battle (not necessarily the same issue) reveals itself and my spirit which had been strong from spending time in God’s Word is now weary and unprepared. I believe rejoicing as the Israelites did, even when they didn’t feel like it, was not only for God’s benefit but for theirs as well. In rejoicing your spirit reminds your flesh that God is in control regardless of what you see, hear, or feel. By letting circumstances impact the way you live makes you sensitive yes but I don’t want to be sensitive by means of my flesh but I want to live a life that is sensitive to the moving of God’s Holy Spirit. Being sensitive to the needs of my flesh only ends in defeat but being sensitive to the desire of God’s Holy Spirit leads me into His victory!

So God thanks for this revelation, thanks for loving me even when I cannot love myself, and thanks for caring enough to bring about change in my life so that I may live according to your will. Please help me not to be tied down by my needy flesh but strengthen my spirit so that it constantly reminds me that you are a loving God and my whole life and every situation and every relationship that involves me fits in the palm of your hand. It is not my place to control but to obey, please take this offering and be glorified as I lay it at your feet. Help me to change O’ God for I cannot be who I was made to be without you in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

God's promises remain

The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
(2Pe 3:9 NLT)

Jesus’ returning is no less urgent today than it was two thousand years ago, as a matter of fact the time is nearer now than ever before but because our time table is much shorter than God’s people do not concern themselves with such things. Because of this many come to the conclusion that God lied, does not exist, or is dead as a means of justifying their self-centered lives but those who believe God’s Word is truth know Jesus’ returning will be like a thief in the night and only those who overcome the flesh will be ready to leave this world behind. From the beginning God told His select few to keep their lamps burning continually and though they did not, nor could not understand why they obeyed through the generations (Exodus 27:20). Today we are reminded to do the same and though we do not know the hour of the Lord’s returning we obey. Jesus said this…

"Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn't take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. "At midnight they were roused by the shout, 'Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!' "All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, 'Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.' "But the others replied, 'We don't have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.' "But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, 'Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!' "But he called back, 'Believe me, I don't know you!'
(Mat 25:1-12 NLT)

How do we keep our lamps burning, how do we make sure like the five wise bridesmaids we keep enough oil? Relationship – seeking and finding, listening and obeying, following the unseen! Do you spend time alone with God, do you seek Him because that is what you desire or do you do it begrudgingly or not at all because the Lord has delayed? What will you do when His return catches you off guard and you are not prepared, surely then it will be too late. Don’t be short-sighted, look to His promises and understand that nothing in this world holds value when compared to the next. Again Jesus said…

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!
(Mat 13:45-46 NLT)

Are we willing to sell everything we call “ours” to buy that which we could never afford if it were not for the magnificent grace and great love of our Lord Jesus Christ? He was obedient unto death can we not give ourselves as living sacrifices so that we might be called His? God’s promises are true, for He does not change and His timing is impeccable. Like the Israelites it is not ours to question but simply obey because of who God is. With same reckless abandonment as the disciples we hear Jesus’ call and walk away from the known to win that which is promised, because of what He has done.

God loves us and anticipates great things for us but to receive those blessings we must align ourselves with the Word of God. So many people are looking to receive a word from God but overlook the provisions He has already given in the Bible and through His Holy Spirit. What you seek is here waiting but you have to be the one to initiate the change, otherwise we would accuse God of controlling and manipulating us. He has given us freewill and out of that He wants us to respond to the love He has shown so that the blessings He has stored up for us can be realized to the fullest extent!

What controls you?

They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.
(2 Peter 2:19-20 NLT)

There is no victory without purity, you want to overcome then you must let go of the weight that so easily besets you. Choose you this day whom you will serve, for no one can serve two masters. Those who try do not know the Word of God but there is a thin line between attempting to serve two masters and a genuine struggle between your flesh and your spirit. Dying to self is a daily exercise, you can have a great victory one day and be defeated the next but the key is the condition of your heart, do you love the things God loves and hate the things He hates or have you become indifferent and numb to sin?

Those who know what sin looks like only know because the Holy Spirit has revealed it to them and therefore have crossed a spiritual bridge (the cross of Jesus Christ). This bridge allows them to boldly come to the Heavenly Father and ask for His help but those who become numb to sin in their lives have effectively returned back to the land on the other side of that bridge and have forsook all that has been provided for them and in this way the master that they have chosen has been selected. The unseen trick is when the enemy causes this individual to believe all is the same as when they first came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and in that way they would have been better off not to ever have known the truth. Yes, this time their blindness will not be as easily removed but only through a deep cleansing self-inventory, a shaking off of the denial, and humbling themselves before Christ Jesus once more. You see great life change comes when we come face to face with desperation. Why do you think people have end of live revelations that cause them to turn from their wicked beliefs they held onto all their lives? Because they realize their own desperate situation and how they are about to cross over into the unknown but we don’t have to wait until then. Jesus told Thomas you believed because you have seen but how blessed are those who believe and haven’t seen! See John 20:29. Don’t wait choose this day who you will serve and live in God’s blessings today so that tomorrow you will have no regrets.

Self-control and patient endurance

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
(2Pe 1:3-9 NLT)

Peter tells us we must supplement our faith with moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, and with brotherly love for everyone. This was not just a laundry list of good things to do but each item was selected by God and led by His Holy Spirit as Peter went through them. You see what the carnal Christian forgets is that true faith leads us to action, it is not enough to simply believe and go back to living the way you used to. Because we have been changed we no longer choose to live for ourselves, the immoral lifestyle no longer binds us because of the knowledge we are given through God’s Word, which leads us to self-control and patient endurance. It is because of these things we reflect God’s character and as we begin to understand all that we’ve been given we are able to freely give it away and love as we are loved. These are inseparable you cannot be moral without godliness and you cannot be patient without self-control and all of these are required in order to show God’s love to your neighbor.

The things Peter mentions here takes a lifetime to get right, that’s why we are told not to grow weary of doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13) and it does not matter how well we did them yesterday if today we decide to take a break and please ourselves. A race is not won by starting well but by the way we finish. We have all seen those who pull out of the pack at the beginning and are praised by people saying “What marvelous things he is doing, surely he will do mighty works for the Lord.” Only to watch the same person fall behind partway through the race and it matters not who you are, pastor, evangelist, or teacher. When we let go of the hand of Jesus and decide to “I’ve got this” through pride we fall and though we can get back up it is only through full surrender to the Holy Spirit of God that we can be fully restored, for there is a proving that takes place in our hearts and minds that must happen if we are to once again lead others.

The battle line is drawn

The battle is clear and no one knows it better than you. It has been with you for so long that it seems to have complete control, as if you don’t realize where it is leading you until you arrive and realize you don’t want to be there. Yes, you have made bad decisions and to further exasperate the issue you have even justified and excused the sin as a way of coping with it persistently being present in your life but that is not where your story ends, for your spirit has been growing stronger as well. Strange that both the spirit and the flesh can be strong at the same time but there is one major difference. The flesh has been strong and it has a stronghold that is true but the spirit is growing stronger each day as you seek the Lord and draw closer to Him. The fiercest fighting comes just before the battle is won and the devil knows he is on the losing end, if your relationship with Jesus continues to grow. However, if he can persuade you to relax your efforts to know Christ and do His will he might still have a chance. Doesn’t it seem odd you are tempted to listen to different kinds of music? There are many songs written to be something other than worship songs that in themselves no wrong can be found but in this crucial state, the balancing of power between spirit and flesh, they can and will cause the flesh to have the upper hand. The same is true for every decision you make, so choose carefully your spiritual wellbeing is at stake.

In the class I teach, me and the other instructor talk often about taking the thirty day challenge. If you are tired of your life going the way it is and you truly desire change then guess what change must happen! Change the music you listen to, the people you hang around, the places you go for just thirty days and see if the things you thought never would change don’t actually start to shift. See it’s not whether change can happen but more about are you ready for it to happen? Have you hit bottom and have you seen the folly of your ways? Until this revelation is revealed to you denial rules the day and the further into the enemy’s camp you unknowingly walk. Just know with each blind step into his camp the more difficult it becomes to be the person you were meant to be.

Finally, do not lose hope, do not despair but do know once you make the decision to stop living for yourself and instead know what it is to be a living sacrifice for Christ Jesus only the limitations you place on yourself can stop you. For nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. He will walk with you and though this journey can sometimes be treacherous and seemingly impassable Christ has already been this way and has made it through and has come back for you. There will be battles that you must face and do not misunderstand it is your feet that must take the initial steps out onto the battlefield to face your giant but God is with you and in you and when the time is right somehow you’ll notice it is no longer your knees knocking but the enemy shaking in fear. I believe it was the Disney cartoon “The lion king” where the young lion boldly faces an enemy who could tear him apart except for behind the young lion cub stood the might lion king and so it is with us when God walks with us. So do not fear and do not doubt, even though you know how great your enemy is but instead know God and trust Him and know you are His own. The key to the lion cub’s success that day was that he was walking with his father and was not led astray by his own desires to do what pleased him.