God speaks to us first through His Word, all that we seek can be found hear but it does require that we know Him, seek Him first, and know how to listen to the leading of His Holy Spirit. Too often we get stuck or lack the faith to believe yet God loves us and though His answer is in the love letter He has provided sometimes He will speak to us through other people, situations, or His law. Sometimes it is for the purpose of correcting us and sometimes it is for the purpose of growing us up, that is why you must always understand that God is good at all times.
I have been saved for 35 years and the older I get the more I believe it doesn’t make sense to get upset with God when something does not go my way. Some believe this is a necessary step in order to be in touch with your emotions because there will be times that you are naturally frustrated at situation knowing God could have made it happen another way but if you believe everything happens for a reason and at the same time you believe God is good in all situations then clearly the problem is not with God but that you don’t understand what He is up to. Is our time not more wisely spent seeking God’s will then becoming upset that things didn’t go your way? Have you ever seen a child upset at the parent because they did get something they wanted at the grocery store? It’s not a pretty sight! Spiritually speaking, those who get upset at God because something didn’t go their way are acting the same way.
Job went through more than anyone else has, seemingly without reason. God did not give Job a reason why, nor did God give a reply to Job’s many questions but Job knew his position, knowing right from wrong and he stood firm in the things he believed knowing that God was just, in spite of what his friends had to say. And like Job we must know who God is and walk by faith, not by sight. Though our eyes may tell us God is nowhere to be found and our friends may lead us astray it is our unshakable faith in our loving Heavenly Father that becomes the life line we hold onto. As you seek God for answers ask Him for understanding and that your eyes may be opened so that He might give you the strength to endure this test and yes express your heart’s cry, weep before Him day and night but never become angry at God, for this only reveals the fact that you do not know God the way you should. If you recall when Job finally broke and began to doubt God’s goodness God’s reply was stern and fearful.
Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
(Job 38:1-4 NIV)
Whether it’s King David running for his life or Job ready to give up because of the weight that had been placed on his shoulders what God wants most from us is that we are honest and we speak from our hearts. God doesn’t like lip service, He doesn’t like prayers that are well thought out for the purpose of tickling the ears of those in the room but what He wants most is that we know Him and that we communicate with Him from our very core and that we do it with all praise and honor that’s due Him. This is what God calls a righteous person, someone that knows Him intimately and who trust Him regardless of circumstances, who walks by faith and not by sight, someone who stands up to those who talk out of ignorance and reveals the distance between themselves and God, and someone who shares the Good News with others and tells of God’s faithfulness to forgive sins. God promises to be near this person and to hear their prayers when the call out to Him.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
(James 5:16 NIV)
So the next time you are being tested think about how God has been dealing with you prior to this, has your heart been heavy, have you listened to the whisper of His Holy Spirit or have you been avoiding God? I have found that most difficulties only come after I have refused to listen to what He told me in His Word or I’ve been indifferent to the moving of His Holy Spirit. You see He loves us too much to let us wonder away deaf and blind but instead He gently wipes the mud from our faces, leads us to the fountain to bathe us and when He catches our attention we grow in Him being more mature than we were before and more willing to listen the next time.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
(James 1:2-8 NIV)
Monday, October 6, 2014
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Understanding our need
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.
(Romans 3:23 NLT)
My life passes as swiftly as the evening shadows. I am withering away like grass. But You, O LORD, will sit on Your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation.
(Psalms 102:11-12 NLT)
The secret to life is knowing our need and answering God’s call. Without understanding our need we cannot hear God’s answer for that need, without hearing God’s answer we are left to lesser things. These things try to fill our lives but nothing satisfies, not drugs, not alcohol, not money, or possessions, not even other relationships but only God’s love and it’s only when we respond to that love do we understand we have a Creator who desires relationship with us and wants to see us to grow and mature in Him. As we mature we are to help others see their need and point to the one answer.
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. If you had really known Me, you would know who My Father is. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!" Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father! So why are you asking Me to show Him to you?”
(John 14:6-9 NLT)
You see Philip did not see clearly his need and therefore could not see that Jesus was the answer, for if he would had recognized his own need his eyes would have been opened and who was standing before him that day would have been revealed. Like Philip we know of Jesus, we go to church, we pray and read the Bible because that is what we are supposed to do but have we ever dove into the depths of our own heart to see our desperate situation, do we know what we lose when we don’t surrender all to His Lordship? An American pastor once told a pastor from China, “We are praying for you, that God would deliver you from the persecution you face daily.” And the pastor from China said, “We are praying for you, that you would face more persecution so that you faith becomes stronger.”
When we’re in a group setting and we pray at the closing why are all the prayer requests for people we know, even people we don’t know (friends of friends)? Is it easier to talk about other people’s needs than it is to talk about our own? If real relationships are to happen how about we pray for each other! How about we become vulnerable to each other enough to expose our own needs? You want to see your group grow by leaps and bounds by practicing the things Jesus teaches, you want to see real community happen, then restrict the group to share only prayer request based on their own need. Don’t be surprised when people in the group start sharing how God has been speaking to them during the week about the things they have been praying for in the group. Also watch how ice breakers aren’t needed to get people to open up but true genuine love and compassion for each other is shown and encouraged. Soon your group will be too big to be considered a small group and it will need to break into other smaller groups, from a single seed comes a bountiful harvest! In this situation God’s love is truly experienced and people can’t get enough of it all because one person recognized their need and became vulnerable and open in a safe environment, allowing God to provide the answer through His children and allowing others to practice God’s love.
(Romans 3:23 NLT)
My life passes as swiftly as the evening shadows. I am withering away like grass. But You, O LORD, will sit on Your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation.
(Psalms 102:11-12 NLT)
The secret to life is knowing our need and answering God’s call. Without understanding our need we cannot hear God’s answer for that need, without hearing God’s answer we are left to lesser things. These things try to fill our lives but nothing satisfies, not drugs, not alcohol, not money, or possessions, not even other relationships but only God’s love and it’s only when we respond to that love do we understand we have a Creator who desires relationship with us and wants to see us to grow and mature in Him. As we mature we are to help others see their need and point to the one answer.
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. If you had really known Me, you would know who My Father is. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!" Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father! So why are you asking Me to show Him to you?”
(John 14:6-9 NLT)
You see Philip did not see clearly his need and therefore could not see that Jesus was the answer, for if he would had recognized his own need his eyes would have been opened and who was standing before him that day would have been revealed. Like Philip we know of Jesus, we go to church, we pray and read the Bible because that is what we are supposed to do but have we ever dove into the depths of our own heart to see our desperate situation, do we know what we lose when we don’t surrender all to His Lordship? An American pastor once told a pastor from China, “We are praying for you, that God would deliver you from the persecution you face daily.” And the pastor from China said, “We are praying for you, that you would face more persecution so that you faith becomes stronger.”
When we’re in a group setting and we pray at the closing why are all the prayer requests for people we know, even people we don’t know (friends of friends)? Is it easier to talk about other people’s needs than it is to talk about our own? If real relationships are to happen how about we pray for each other! How about we become vulnerable to each other enough to expose our own needs? You want to see your group grow by leaps and bounds by practicing the things Jesus teaches, you want to see real community happen, then restrict the group to share only prayer request based on their own need. Don’t be surprised when people in the group start sharing how God has been speaking to them during the week about the things they have been praying for in the group. Also watch how ice breakers aren’t needed to get people to open up but true genuine love and compassion for each other is shown and encouraged. Soon your group will be too big to be considered a small group and it will need to break into other smaller groups, from a single seed comes a bountiful harvest! In this situation God’s love is truly experienced and people can’t get enough of it all because one person recognized their need and became vulnerable and open in a safe environment, allowing God to provide the answer through His children and allowing others to practice God’s love.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Your people O, Lord
A psalm of David. Who may worship in Your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.
(Psalms 15:1-5 NLT)
King David recognized the things that separated God’s people from people of the world because God was teaching him and his heart was able to be molded and soft in the Master’s hands but even David’s journey was not without struggles. What kept David returning on the occasions when he wondered off course? He had an intense, burning desire to please the Lord God and the ability to see own his desperate situation and his depravity without God in his life. Even though David was king he did not allow pride to blind him from the realization that without Jehovah he had nothing.
Have we come to the same conclusion that King David came to? That there is nothing I can do, nothing that I could ever accomplish that could possibly take the place of Jesus Christ living in my heart or have we become too comfortable with the life we’ve made for ourselves, out of touch with what true value we lose by depending on ourselves and trusting in the riches we’ve stored up?
“For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child." As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all.
(Hebrews 12:6-8 NLT)
Have you ever been corrected by God, let me ask in another way. Have you ever gone through a situation that brought you to the point of desperation and when you hit bottom did you finally look into the face of God knowing that none of your own devices would save you? God loves us unconditionally but long before we were created God’s law of sowing and reaping had already been established. God loves us too much to allow us to escape the plan He has set in motion but often long before we go through the trial God’s Holy Spirit has been trying to lead us and if that be the case and you have refused to listen on the other side of the trial He will remind you of His loving ways even before the fall. All for this one purpose – that you may learn God’s voice and know He is trust worthy in all situations. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and like King David love the ways of God so that your days may be blessed. Don’t think you can do what you want, remain stubborn with deaf ears to the Lord’s call and then depend on His mercy when you are caught as King Saul did before David became king.
But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
(1 Samuel 15:22 NLT)
Saul became filled with pride and God replaced him as king over Israel with a young shepherd whose heart remained pliable all the days of his life. David was not perfect and many times was disciplined by God but David always returned to God’s side because he knew there was no other place for him, in all the world David desired to rest under the shadow of the All Mighty and he knew the Master’s voice.
(Psalms 15:1-5 NLT)
King David recognized the things that separated God’s people from people of the world because God was teaching him and his heart was able to be molded and soft in the Master’s hands but even David’s journey was not without struggles. What kept David returning on the occasions when he wondered off course? He had an intense, burning desire to please the Lord God and the ability to see own his desperate situation and his depravity without God in his life. Even though David was king he did not allow pride to blind him from the realization that without Jehovah he had nothing.
Have we come to the same conclusion that King David came to? That there is nothing I can do, nothing that I could ever accomplish that could possibly take the place of Jesus Christ living in my heart or have we become too comfortable with the life we’ve made for ourselves, out of touch with what true value we lose by depending on ourselves and trusting in the riches we’ve stored up?
“For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child." As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all.
(Hebrews 12:6-8 NLT)
Have you ever been corrected by God, let me ask in another way. Have you ever gone through a situation that brought you to the point of desperation and when you hit bottom did you finally look into the face of God knowing that none of your own devices would save you? God loves us unconditionally but long before we were created God’s law of sowing and reaping had already been established. God loves us too much to allow us to escape the plan He has set in motion but often long before we go through the trial God’s Holy Spirit has been trying to lead us and if that be the case and you have refused to listen on the other side of the trial He will remind you of His loving ways even before the fall. All for this one purpose – that you may learn God’s voice and know He is trust worthy in all situations. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and like King David love the ways of God so that your days may be blessed. Don’t think you can do what you want, remain stubborn with deaf ears to the Lord’s call and then depend on His mercy when you are caught as King Saul did before David became king.
But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
(1 Samuel 15:22 NLT)
Saul became filled with pride and God replaced him as king over Israel with a young shepherd whose heart remained pliable all the days of his life. David was not perfect and many times was disciplined by God but David always returned to God’s side because he knew there was no other place for him, in all the world David desired to rest under the shadow of the All Mighty and he knew the Master’s voice.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Good deeds do not equate to good fruit
There are many people who are kind, show compassion, who are generous, and give of themselves but unless they are dead to sin and have been born a new creature through believing Christ Jesus is the Son of God come down to earth and lived among us in flesh to show us how to love, who died for our sins and was raised to life on the third day there can be no good fruit produced.
Romans 7 tells us until we believe we are married to a sinful nature and no matter what we do the law of God points out where we have fallen short, everything we do only produces fruit for the master we serve, which is sin and death but once we believe in Christ Jesus we die to sin, effectively freeing us from the law of works, and alive in Christ! Now everything we do that is pleasing to God, every time we serve someone putting their needs before our own or compassion moves us to help someone or we give to those in need we no longer produce fruit for our old master, which was sin, but the fruit we produce is good and righteous and pleasing to God and like a wife who longs to please her husband such is the bride of Christ who long to please God! For we have died to sin and have been reborn to Christ Jesus so that every work produced in us is now a pleasing offering unto God.
Again, our dying to sin imitates the death of Christ and believing in Jesus has raised us to new life as Christ has risen! God planted within our hearts a godly seed that when matures brings forth a good harvest, holy and pleasing to Him, for His purpose. This is why a “good” person cannot enter the gates of heaven. You see it’s not our actions but whether the fruit we produce is for the Lord God or for sin and death.
Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
(Matthew 7:17-23 NIV)
It’s not what we did but who we did it for, it’s not about what you know but who you know, and it’s not about serving but who you served. Don’t be deceived good works won’t save you
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
(Isaiah 64:6 NIV)
but believing Christ Jesus is God’s Son and forsaking your ways by following His leading makes you to die to sin and you are then reborn to new life so that the fruit you produce is righteous and holy.
Romans 7 tells us until we believe we are married to a sinful nature and no matter what we do the law of God points out where we have fallen short, everything we do only produces fruit for the master we serve, which is sin and death but once we believe in Christ Jesus we die to sin, effectively freeing us from the law of works, and alive in Christ! Now everything we do that is pleasing to God, every time we serve someone putting their needs before our own or compassion moves us to help someone or we give to those in need we no longer produce fruit for our old master, which was sin, but the fruit we produce is good and righteous and pleasing to God and like a wife who longs to please her husband such is the bride of Christ who long to please God! For we have died to sin and have been reborn to Christ Jesus so that every work produced in us is now a pleasing offering unto God.
Again, our dying to sin imitates the death of Christ and believing in Jesus has raised us to new life as Christ has risen! God planted within our hearts a godly seed that when matures brings forth a good harvest, holy and pleasing to Him, for His purpose. This is why a “good” person cannot enter the gates of heaven. You see it’s not our actions but whether the fruit we produce is for the Lord God or for sin and death.
Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
(Matthew 7:17-23 NIV)
It’s not what we did but who we did it for, it’s not about what you know but who you know, and it’s not about serving but who you served. Don’t be deceived good works won’t save you
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
(Isaiah 64:6 NIV)
but believing Christ Jesus is God’s Son and forsaking your ways by following His leading makes you to die to sin and you are then reborn to new life so that the fruit you produce is righteous and holy.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Giving from a clean heart
Jesus taught this way,
Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
(Matthew 6:1-4 NLT)
What is our motivation for giving? Selfishness or compassion, blessing or need, you decide. God’s Word teaches if we are giving to God the only gift that is received will be the ones given with a clean heart. Again Jesus taught this,
But I say, if you are even angry with someone [without cause], you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
(Matthew 5:22-24 NLT)
You see it’s not just what is being placed on the altar but our very lives are to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. We are not to judge others but according to God’s commandments we are to judge our own action, motivations, and even thoughts so that God doesn’t have to. My friend do not think so highly of yourself as to place your needs and desires above others but trust that the Master knows the heart of each man and woman and sees our true needs and intentions and will give to each the portion they deserve. Once again Jesus teaches this,
"When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! "Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
(Luke 14:8-11 NLT)
It’s about looking to God and knowing that He knows each heart and His intent is to bless His people through the vessels of His choosing. In this way His blessings not only cover the needy but those who humble themselves and allow God to work through them as well. You see though the gift passes from you to the one receiving it you are not the giver but simply the vessel from which the gift has been poured. Though you worked for the money that blesses someone God is the One that provided the job for you to have the money and so it goes. No matter how much you give you cannot out give the Lord God whether it be finances, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, or many, many other things.
I grew up understanding this scripture to mean finances but it is about so much more! Malachi the prophet spoke as God gave him the words, giving God’s people the choice and proving His blessings are conditional but thankful His love and long suffering is not. Even when we turn our backs to God His Holy Spirit reminds us of His love, wooing back into relationship with Him. In the Old Testament, before the Holy Spirit came God used His prophets such as Malachi to correct and teach – this is God loving a people who turned their backs to Him and He still does it today!
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put Me to the test!
(Malachi 3:10 NLT)
Don’t cheat God, get your selfishness out of the equation and let Him do the work He has purposed through you as His living sacrifice. When His people are arrogant and refuse to be God’s vessel we will see very quickly God can use anything He chooses, even a donkey!
But God was angry that Balaam was going, so He sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along, Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. Then the angel of the LORD stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the LORD moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff. Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. "What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?" it asked Balaam. "You have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!" "But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life," the donkey answered. "Have I ever done anything like this before?" "No," Balaam admitted. Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him. "Why did you beat your donkey those three times?" the angel of the LORD demanded. "Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey."
(Numbers 22:22-33 NLT)
Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
(Matthew 6:1-4 NLT)
What is our motivation for giving? Selfishness or compassion, blessing or need, you decide. God’s Word teaches if we are giving to God the only gift that is received will be the ones given with a clean heart. Again Jesus taught this,
But I say, if you are even angry with someone [without cause], you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
(Matthew 5:22-24 NLT)
You see it’s not just what is being placed on the altar but our very lives are to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. We are not to judge others but according to God’s commandments we are to judge our own action, motivations, and even thoughts so that God doesn’t have to. My friend do not think so highly of yourself as to place your needs and desires above others but trust that the Master knows the heart of each man and woman and sees our true needs and intentions and will give to each the portion they deserve. Once again Jesus teaches this,
"When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! "Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
(Luke 14:8-11 NLT)
It’s about looking to God and knowing that He knows each heart and His intent is to bless His people through the vessels of His choosing. In this way His blessings not only cover the needy but those who humble themselves and allow God to work through them as well. You see though the gift passes from you to the one receiving it you are not the giver but simply the vessel from which the gift has been poured. Though you worked for the money that blesses someone God is the One that provided the job for you to have the money and so it goes. No matter how much you give you cannot out give the Lord God whether it be finances, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, or many, many other things.
I grew up understanding this scripture to mean finances but it is about so much more! Malachi the prophet spoke as God gave him the words, giving God’s people the choice and proving His blessings are conditional but thankful His love and long suffering is not. Even when we turn our backs to God His Holy Spirit reminds us of His love, wooing back into relationship with Him. In the Old Testament, before the Holy Spirit came God used His prophets such as Malachi to correct and teach – this is God loving a people who turned their backs to Him and He still does it today!
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put Me to the test!
(Malachi 3:10 NLT)
Don’t cheat God, get your selfishness out of the equation and let Him do the work He has purposed through you as His living sacrifice. When His people are arrogant and refuse to be God’s vessel we will see very quickly God can use anything He chooses, even a donkey!
But God was angry that Balaam was going, so He sent the angel of the LORD to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along, Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. Then the angel of the LORD stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the LORD moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff. Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. "What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?" it asked Balaam. "You have made me look like a fool!" Balaam shouted. "If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!" "But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life," the donkey answered. "Have I ever done anything like this before?" "No," Balaam admitted. Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him. "Why did you beat your donkey those three times?" the angel of the LORD demanded. "Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey."
(Numbers 22:22-33 NLT)
Monday, September 22, 2014
Worry
Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.
(Psalms 37:7-9 NLT)
How many times, now that I am older, wish that I would just learn to remain silent? Too many times similar situations would occur in my youth and I would hope for just the opposite, getting frustrated because I would not respond fast enough. Unfortunately I learned to do just that but by the grace of God I am still quiet by nature and in most cases I am who God has made me to be.
I believe at the heart of this matter is worry and Psalms 37:7-9 hits the mark. It is the injustice done to the innocent and the resilience of the arrogant and an unexplainable need to set straight the wrong. In my heart there is a drive to resolve the reasons that derail people within my circles of influence, which I know God uses this drive within me to accomplish His purpose if I can get out of the way by practicing humility and obedience.
If I can get the person to think about what they are doing and the reasons why my soul is satisfied but if they refuse to listen or are in a place where they are unable to listen or they continue to fall to the same bad reasoning it is at that point that I begin to worry and obsess, forgetting that God knows the situation better than I do. This is the very reason so many parents nag their children to do what is right, you see it is not just for the parent’s peace of mind but the parents who care (even if somewhat misguided) understand the consequences that are coming because of the child’s bad decisions. Parents naturally don’t want to see their children go through difficult times but in the end their intervention too often robs the next generation of the understanding God purposed through His law about reaping and sowing.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap.
(Galatians 6:7 MKJV)
Sometimes loving someone means letting them experience things that seem to be bad for them but in every situation not worrying and letting God instruct either by speaking through us, no more and no less or some other means is right and should they fail to listen then they learn by consequences for this is also right. If the other person listens you have won a brother or sister but if they refuse then you must trust God that He loves them even more than you do and as with you He knows what that person needs and His timing is never off. I’ve said it many times before but it’s worth saying again, God is more concerned with our spiritual condition than with our physical comfort. Meaning that if your flesh must endure difficulty there is a lesson your spirit must learn, even if it is as simple as knowing what God has said and trusting He is good in all things. Finally, it is our part to listen and obey not to control the outcome for we do not understand the things of God in whole but in part. Jesus asked (Mat. 6:27) “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” How do you respond?
(Psalms 37:7-9 NLT)
How many times, now that I am older, wish that I would just learn to remain silent? Too many times similar situations would occur in my youth and I would hope for just the opposite, getting frustrated because I would not respond fast enough. Unfortunately I learned to do just that but by the grace of God I am still quiet by nature and in most cases I am who God has made me to be.
I believe at the heart of this matter is worry and Psalms 37:7-9 hits the mark. It is the injustice done to the innocent and the resilience of the arrogant and an unexplainable need to set straight the wrong. In my heart there is a drive to resolve the reasons that derail people within my circles of influence, which I know God uses this drive within me to accomplish His purpose if I can get out of the way by practicing humility and obedience.
If I can get the person to think about what they are doing and the reasons why my soul is satisfied but if they refuse to listen or are in a place where they are unable to listen or they continue to fall to the same bad reasoning it is at that point that I begin to worry and obsess, forgetting that God knows the situation better than I do. This is the very reason so many parents nag their children to do what is right, you see it is not just for the parent’s peace of mind but the parents who care (even if somewhat misguided) understand the consequences that are coming because of the child’s bad decisions. Parents naturally don’t want to see their children go through difficult times but in the end their intervention too often robs the next generation of the understanding God purposed through His law about reaping and sowing.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap.
(Galatians 6:7 MKJV)
Sometimes loving someone means letting them experience things that seem to be bad for them but in every situation not worrying and letting God instruct either by speaking through us, no more and no less or some other means is right and should they fail to listen then they learn by consequences for this is also right. If the other person listens you have won a brother or sister but if they refuse then you must trust God that He loves them even more than you do and as with you He knows what that person needs and His timing is never off. I’ve said it many times before but it’s worth saying again, God is more concerned with our spiritual condition than with our physical comfort. Meaning that if your flesh must endure difficulty there is a lesson your spirit must learn, even if it is as simple as knowing what God has said and trusting He is good in all things. Finally, it is our part to listen and obey not to control the outcome for we do not understand the things of God in whole but in part. Jesus asked (Mat. 6:27) “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” How do you respond?
Saturday, September 20, 2014
That which I do
But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commands for its own evil purposes.
(Romans 7:13 NLT)
The very thing I purpose in my heart to do, that is what I will be tested in and if I don’t prepare for battle by seeking God’s provisions then I am bound to failure. If I say to myself, “I will show my wife how much I love her.” That is when I find myself being frustrated by the things she does. The law points to the very reason why I need a Savior! Sin uses the law to tell me how bad I really am but God’s Holy Spirit uses the law to lead me to Jesus. Sin is relentless and does not give up, no matter how close my walk with Jesus or for how long the moment I step outside of His provisions for me, the moment I think I understand how things work, the moment I design a plan to change myself, that is when I fall.
Again the law is there to show me how much I really do need a Hero but it’s not Superman, Batman, or Spiderman, no a fictional children’s hero is a hallow representation of our real spiritual need for a Savior! While the one comes from another planet or an unexplainable determination because of some unjust circumstance or need that story can only mimic the truth about God’s Son, the Word made flesh, coming down from a place that knows no sin to rescue a world that cannot understand His holiness. In both the make believe and the real life the rescued needed to see their need, while the make believe is terrorized by an ugly villain, the real life is plagued with ugly sin. The hope comes when we see that there is a better way and God’s law is what opens our eyes. So is the law good, yes! Will the enemy use it to suppress, maim, and kill, yes! But remember God created the law to serve His purpose. It is but a reminder of who we were before coming to know His Son and each time we turn from Him it meets us face to face to once again serve God’s purpose to remind us where we would be without Jesus living in us.
(Romans 7:13 NLT)
The very thing I purpose in my heart to do, that is what I will be tested in and if I don’t prepare for battle by seeking God’s provisions then I am bound to failure. If I say to myself, “I will show my wife how much I love her.” That is when I find myself being frustrated by the things she does. The law points to the very reason why I need a Savior! Sin uses the law to tell me how bad I really am but God’s Holy Spirit uses the law to lead me to Jesus. Sin is relentless and does not give up, no matter how close my walk with Jesus or for how long the moment I step outside of His provisions for me, the moment I think I understand how things work, the moment I design a plan to change myself, that is when I fall.
Again the law is there to show me how much I really do need a Hero but it’s not Superman, Batman, or Spiderman, no a fictional children’s hero is a hallow representation of our real spiritual need for a Savior! While the one comes from another planet or an unexplainable determination because of some unjust circumstance or need that story can only mimic the truth about God’s Son, the Word made flesh, coming down from a place that knows no sin to rescue a world that cannot understand His holiness. In both the make believe and the real life the rescued needed to see their need, while the make believe is terrorized by an ugly villain, the real life is plagued with ugly sin. The hope comes when we see that there is a better way and God’s law is what opens our eyes. So is the law good, yes! Will the enemy use it to suppress, maim, and kill, yes! But remember God created the law to serve His purpose. It is but a reminder of who we were before coming to know His Son and each time we turn from Him it meets us face to face to once again serve God’s purpose to remind us where we would be without Jesus living in us.
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