Good Morning,
Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
For almost all Christians these are among the most known and often repeated verses in the entire Bible...(Along with John 3:16, of course.) We have used these verses as our incentive to go out and evangelize both near and far. We know that this "Great Commission" is what we are supposed to do. This morning the verse that came across my desk was verse 19, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." It them struck me that for too many of our religious institutions we sort of miss this part of our commission to be obedient to what Jesus told us.
What I mean is that we seem to be led to speak the Gospel message, go out and evangelize to bring people to the Lord, but we kind of lose our focus after that. Yes, we do much in our efforts to bring people to know Jesus, but then, well, we're not so pretty good at the "disciple" part of this section of Scripture. For too many of our congregations, we kind of drop the ball a bit there.
It's the discipling part that God has sort of laid on my heart this morning. That is...What are we doing for those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior so that they become firmly grounded in the faith? Here's where, I think, the rubber meets the road, so to speak. Too often people come to Christianity, are applauded for what they've done, given a Bible, and told, "Now go and live a good Christian life." They're told that without really knowing or understanding what it is to actually LEAD a good Christian life. Yes, they've been told, in Jesus words, "Go and sin no more," but what practical steps are we taking to be sure people have a solid foundation in the faith that they've embraced?
Now, I don't have all the answers here, for sure. And, I really hate it when I see and actually point out some challenge...then don't have a specific answer as to how handle it and alleviate that challenge. I would guess those answers would come from people much more educated and knowledgeable than me. I do know that our individual congregations probably need to put a bit more emphasis on the "discipling" part of our ministries than we currently do, without losing focus on the evangelizing part, as well. We probably need to seek out and find those who have that passion to be active in discipleship activities in our local churches. I know there are people in our congregations who have the talent and ability to truly disciple those who have felt the touch of the Holy Spirit, repented of their sins, and are looking for guidance toward their futures.
We need to find those folks, nurture their talents, and help them to help others. I guess, we need to "disciple" those who will do the "discipling"...if that makes sense.
Sometimes, I guess, we first need to see the problem clearly before we can actually take steps in the solving of it. I hope we all see this clearly.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Temptation
Good Morning,
Luke 4:5-7 (NIV)
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
The devil was none too subtle in these verses, was he? He was direct in His temptation of our Lord. Today, however, the enemy is a bit subtle with us in his temptations.
He doesn't come and offer us "all the kingdoms of the world" when he tempts us, but he does offer us pleasures that, at the time, seem like all the pleasure in the world. He doesn't, perhaps, offer "all their authority and splendor" but what he does is tell us that we can have all of the pleasure we want because it's his to give.
Then, he doesn't tell us, "...if you worship me, it will all be yours," when he tempts us. All he wants now is to take us away from our true praise and worship of the Lord and to lead us down a path where we the love for Jesus we have will wane and eventually fade to almost nothing. He knows that if he says that we must worship him, well, we're not going to go down that road. But, in his subtle way, he just wants to take us away from God...even if only for a little while. You see, once he finds that "soft spot" that many of us have, he'll keep on coming back to attack us right where he knows we'll be most vulnerable.
So, of course we must be on guard when the devil DOES offer the huge and great things in his temptations, but we've also got to be on guard for his subtleties, as well.
Point being...We've got to be constantly vigilant and always on guard against the enemy. We've got to be especially careful in those areas where we are most vulnerable.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Luke 4:5-7 (NIV)
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
The devil was none too subtle in these verses, was he? He was direct in His temptation of our Lord. Today, however, the enemy is a bit subtle with us in his temptations.
He doesn't come and offer us "all the kingdoms of the world" when he tempts us, but he does offer us pleasures that, at the time, seem like all the pleasure in the world. He doesn't, perhaps, offer "all their authority and splendor" but what he does is tell us that we can have all of the pleasure we want because it's his to give.
Then, he doesn't tell us, "...if you worship me, it will all be yours," when he tempts us. All he wants now is to take us away from our true praise and worship of the Lord and to lead us down a path where we the love for Jesus we have will wane and eventually fade to almost nothing. He knows that if he says that we must worship him, well, we're not going to go down that road. But, in his subtle way, he just wants to take us away from God...even if only for a little while. You see, once he finds that "soft spot" that many of us have, he'll keep on coming back to attack us right where he knows we'll be most vulnerable.
So, of course we must be on guard when the devil DOES offer the huge and great things in his temptations, but we've also got to be on guard for his subtleties, as well.
Point being...We've got to be constantly vigilant and always on guard against the enemy. We've got to be especially careful in those areas where we are most vulnerable.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Friday, May 29, 2009
Doing Good
Good Morning,
Titus 3:1-2, 8 (NIV)
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
What we're being shown today in these verses is pretty easy to understand, if not, perhaps, simple to undertake...for some.
Paul is pretty clear, I think. "...be ready to do whatever is good..." and "...be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good..."
So, I would suggest that each of us ask him or her self, "What, exactly, am I doing in my life that would be considered "good" in the eyes of first: God; then, in the eyes of my fellow Christians; and last, in the eyes of the world in which I live?
It's not a hard question to answer. Although, there are some, perhaps even many, who might not like the answer that they come up with. There are those of us who will struggle to find even one "something" that immediately comes to mind in the "doing good" category. Then, there are others who are more obedient who will have to fill pages with the things that would be "doing good" as we, and God, would observe.
I suppose that these verses today are aimed at the former, those of us who might find difficulty naming that which we do that is "good" in our day to day lives. We are the ones who need to decide what we do with our time and our recourses to change what we are presently involved in to that which we really know we need to be involved in. Yes, we have that word cropping up again, I'm afraid...CHOICE...that we have to deal with. For those of us who do little that might be "good" in our lives each day, well, we have to make the choice to change that. We can take our lives and make them more meaningful by simply choosing to NOT do what we are presently doing and then DO what it is we know we should. A choice, you see. Just as almost every moment of every day of our lives involves some choice or other.
For those who are actively "doing good" in their lives, I would first commend you for your obedience and your Godly actions. Second, I pray that you continue making the choices in your lives which show, in a real way, that doing good on a regular basis CAN be achieved. I sincerely hope that the way you live your lives continues to be that example which proves the right choices, the choices that will please God, are what we all should strive for. And, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you do.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Titus 3:1-2, 8 (NIV)
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
What we're being shown today in these verses is pretty easy to understand, if not, perhaps, simple to undertake...for some.
Paul is pretty clear, I think. "...be ready to do whatever is good..." and "...be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good..."
So, I would suggest that each of us ask him or her self, "What, exactly, am I doing in my life that would be considered "good" in the eyes of first: God; then, in the eyes of my fellow Christians; and last, in the eyes of the world in which I live?
It's not a hard question to answer. Although, there are some, perhaps even many, who might not like the answer that they come up with. There are those of us who will struggle to find even one "something" that immediately comes to mind in the "doing good" category. Then, there are others who are more obedient who will have to fill pages with the things that would be "doing good" as we, and God, would observe.
I suppose that these verses today are aimed at the former, those of us who might find difficulty naming that which we do that is "good" in our day to day lives. We are the ones who need to decide what we do with our time and our recourses to change what we are presently involved in to that which we really know we need to be involved in. Yes, we have that word cropping up again, I'm afraid...CHOICE...that we have to deal with. For those of us who do little that might be "good" in our lives each day, well, we have to make the choice to change that. We can take our lives and make them more meaningful by simply choosing to NOT do what we are presently doing and then DO what it is we know we should. A choice, you see. Just as almost every moment of every day of our lives involves some choice or other.
For those who are actively "doing good" in their lives, I would first commend you for your obedience and your Godly actions. Second, I pray that you continue making the choices in your lives which show, in a real way, that doing good on a regular basis CAN be achieved. I sincerely hope that the way you live your lives continues to be that example which proves the right choices, the choices that will please God, are what we all should strive for. And, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you do.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Speak Up!
Good Morning,
Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV)
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy."
I wonder, sometimes, why the Lord sends verses with this theme...about helping and caring for others...across my desk with such regularity. I'm fairly well aware that, personally, I probably don't do quite as much as I could do for people who are less fortunate than me. I know that, in all likelihood, I should maybe do a bit more for the poor and needy. Perhaps these verses that are brought to my attention, and that I send along, are meant for ALL of us. You think?
In conjunction with these verses I read the following, which speak pretty directly with what I feel and what God has spoken in my mind. But, you know, it's always good to have another voice to hear on just about any subject. Keeps me from thinking too much of me and also sort of gives credence to what God is whispering to me. So, here's just a short message...
God's people in every era are called to defend the rights of the weak, speak up for the disenfranchised, and protect the lives of those who are vulnerable. This comprehensive call is the great reminder that the blessings, rights, wealth, and power we may have is not ours alone; it is a gift from God to be used to bless those who have no power to speak, to defend, or to protect themselves. (My thanks to the folks at "Today's Verse" for this.)
These words caused me to more fully understand something. That would be the fact that WE ARE CALLED by God...all of us and in every generation...to be the voice for those who aren't being heard. Yes, of course, we are to help people in more tangible and direct ways, we know that...I hope. But, we are also CALLED, and that would mean we are given not just a suggestion here, we are CALLED to speak up wherever and whenever we can to be a voice which will be heard in order that changes be made in the way we Christians, and society as a whole , treat the "weak...disenfranchised...vulnerable"; those whose voices are simply ignored or even not heard at all.
Something else that comes into my mind when verses of this genre come my way is whether people who read these words ever get tired of me "harping" about this subject. Then, when I begin to say "Okay. Enough is enough on this," I hear that little voice that reminds me it's not my place to decide what gets sent. Nor is it my business as to who reads these devotionals. And it certainly doesn't fall on me to know what is done or thought about what God has to say. He has to remind me every once in a while, "Don't be concerned about who pays attention or what is done. That's My business."
If you hear that little voice today after reading these verses which tells you that, perhaps, you should speak up, well, I would implore you to listen. Then, please, like a good child, do as you're told!
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV)
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy."
I wonder, sometimes, why the Lord sends verses with this theme...about helping and caring for others...across my desk with such regularity. I'm fairly well aware that, personally, I probably don't do quite as much as I could do for people who are less fortunate than me. I know that, in all likelihood, I should maybe do a bit more for the poor and needy. Perhaps these verses that are brought to my attention, and that I send along, are meant for ALL of us. You think?
In conjunction with these verses I read the following, which speak pretty directly with what I feel and what God has spoken in my mind. But, you know, it's always good to have another voice to hear on just about any subject. Keeps me from thinking too much of me and also sort of gives credence to what God is whispering to me. So, here's just a short message...
God's people in every era are called to defend the rights of the weak, speak up for the disenfranchised, and protect the lives of those who are vulnerable. This comprehensive call is the great reminder that the blessings, rights, wealth, and power we may have is not ours alone; it is a gift from God to be used to bless those who have no power to speak, to defend, or to protect themselves. (My thanks to the folks at "Today's Verse" for this.)
These words caused me to more fully understand something. That would be the fact that WE ARE CALLED by God...all of us and in every generation...to be the voice for those who aren't being heard. Yes, of course, we are to help people in more tangible and direct ways, we know that...I hope. But, we are also CALLED, and that would mean we are given not just a suggestion here, we are CALLED to speak up wherever and whenever we can to be a voice which will be heard in order that changes be made in the way we Christians, and society as a whole , treat the "weak...disenfranchised...vulnerable"; those whose voices are simply ignored or even not heard at all.
Something else that comes into my mind when verses of this genre come my way is whether people who read these words ever get tired of me "harping" about this subject. Then, when I begin to say "Okay. Enough is enough on this," I hear that little voice that reminds me it's not my place to decide what gets sent. Nor is it my business as to who reads these devotionals. And it certainly doesn't fall on me to know what is done or thought about what God has to say. He has to remind me every once in a while, "Don't be concerned about who pays attention or what is done. That's My business."
If you hear that little voice today after reading these verses which tells you that, perhaps, you should speak up, well, I would implore you to listen. Then, please, like a good child, do as you're told!
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Who Am I?
Good Morning,
Exodus 3:10-11 (NIV)
So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
I believe that we've all had a similar experience to Moses. No, I can't imagine that all of us have had God speak to any of us directly from a burning bush that wasn't consumed. But, I do think that God has spoken pretty directly to all of us at one time or another and asked us to do something for Him. Something else that I also would guess is true is that fact that almost all of us...ALL of us?...responded to God's call in much the same way as Moses. You see, we DO, truly, have something in common with Moses after all, don't we?
Now, Moses gave this reason and that for not doing what God asked of him. He stuttered, he wasn't worthy, well, you know the story pretty well I would presume. But the first thing that Moses asked God is probably the first thing that you and I have asked, or would ask, when approached by God to do a work of ministry for Him. "Who am I?"
I know that many years ago when this particular ministry came into being at the suggestion of that "still small voice", the same voice, I believe, that spoke clearly to Elijah and millions of others over the millennia, I certainly asked, "Who am I that You would think me worthy of something like this?" Then, like Moses...and, again, like so many, many others...I came up with a myriad of reasons (excuses?) as to why I shouldn't take on this work. And God, as He always does, answered each of my silly arguments in the same way He did to Moses. He said, I guess as He probably does every time, "I will be with you." (vv 12)
I would surmise that the reason we're touching on this subject today, the subject of being asked by God to take on some work or other, is that there are those reading these words who are struggling with saying "Yes" to that voice which is asking to serve God in maybe a way they aren't comfortable with. There's that question that keeps arising, "Who am I?"
All right, let's answer it, just in case you need someone like me to answer it.
You are a child of God! You have been chosen by the Creator of the universe! You are so very, very special! God loves you! Only you can do whatever it is that He is asking you to do at this point in time!
Most of all...it's because God is asking you to do it.
Yes, it's possible that we might have fears and trepidations of doing what is being asked. So what? Remember what God said to Moses, "I will be with you." He's saying the same thing to you.
Okay, I guess that's enough preaching for today, huh? Seriously here, please, if you feel that nudge and hear that whisper in your head...please...please...please...do something about it. Talk to your friends. Discuss it with your family. Bring it up to your pastor or another congregational leader. Don't just ignore it. You have been chosen, remember that. You are, well...YOU! There is none like you and there will never be another the same as you.
Say, as Isaiah did, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isa. 6:8)
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Exodus 3:10-11 (NIV)
So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
I believe that we've all had a similar experience to Moses. No, I can't imagine that all of us have had God speak to any of us directly from a burning bush that wasn't consumed. But, I do think that God has spoken pretty directly to all of us at one time or another and asked us to do something for Him. Something else that I also would guess is true is that fact that almost all of us...ALL of us?...responded to God's call in much the same way as Moses. You see, we DO, truly, have something in common with Moses after all, don't we?
Now, Moses gave this reason and that for not doing what God asked of him. He stuttered, he wasn't worthy, well, you know the story pretty well I would presume. But the first thing that Moses asked God is probably the first thing that you and I have asked, or would ask, when approached by God to do a work of ministry for Him. "Who am I?"
I know that many years ago when this particular ministry came into being at the suggestion of that "still small voice", the same voice, I believe, that spoke clearly to Elijah and millions of others over the millennia, I certainly asked, "Who am I that You would think me worthy of something like this?" Then, like Moses...and, again, like so many, many others...I came up with a myriad of reasons (excuses?) as to why I shouldn't take on this work. And God, as He always does, answered each of my silly arguments in the same way He did to Moses. He said, I guess as He probably does every time, "I will be with you." (vv 12)
I would surmise that the reason we're touching on this subject today, the subject of being asked by God to take on some work or other, is that there are those reading these words who are struggling with saying "Yes" to that voice which is asking to serve God in maybe a way they aren't comfortable with. There's that question that keeps arising, "Who am I?"
All right, let's answer it, just in case you need someone like me to answer it.
You are a child of God! You have been chosen by the Creator of the universe! You are so very, very special! God loves you! Only you can do whatever it is that He is asking you to do at this point in time!
Most of all...it's because God is asking you to do it.
Yes, it's possible that we might have fears and trepidations of doing what is being asked. So what? Remember what God said to Moses, "I will be with you." He's saying the same thing to you.
Okay, I guess that's enough preaching for today, huh? Seriously here, please, if you feel that nudge and hear that whisper in your head...please...please...please...do something about it. Talk to your friends. Discuss it with your family. Bring it up to your pastor or another congregational leader. Don't just ignore it. You have been chosen, remember that. You are, well...YOU! There is none like you and there will never be another the same as you.
Say, as Isaiah did, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isa. 6:8)
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
What Kind of Fast?
Good Morning,
Isaiah 58:6-11 (NIV)
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Uh, oh! He's going to talk about fasting again! I can almost hear the thoughts, and the groans, about what it is I might have to give up, or stop, in fasting for one particular reason or another. Well, although I feel that fasting is a good thing...not to mention Biblical...this isn't about "giving up" anything or going without something. No, this is about what God spoke through Isaiah, that would be a fast of DOING what God wants of us. And, of course, the benefits of it.
God asks of us a kind of fast that HE has chosen for us...loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke that enslave, set free those who are oppressed, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, make a home for the homeless. Very different, isn't it, from what we normally think of as a "fast?" God is telling us that too often people fast improperly. If we take the time to read the first 5 verses of this chapter, we see that the people did as they pleased, exploited workers, ended up with quarreling and strife, and even in fist fights. Then, people whine and complain that God isn't hearing them nor is He honoring their fast. God says, "You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high." (vv 4)
So, I read the whole chapter (I ask you to do the same) to try to get my mind around the "big picture" so to speak, of what God is telling us. I think He's saying that what we do is much more important than a fast of giving up, or not doing. Does that make sense? He's telling us where we ought to be putting our priorities. As is so often found in many, many places in Scripture, God is telling us to care for the poor and persecuted. He is letting us know, pretty clearly, what He wants us to be doing in those areas of hunger, nakedness, persecution, injustice, and homelessness. We are to be, well, Christians about how we treat people...ALL people. Pretty novel idea, huh?
So, what's in it for me, some might ask. Okay, God tells us. If we will do as He asks of us then our "light will break forth like the dawn," and our "healing will quickly appear." He tells us that our "righteousness will go before" us and that He will be there for us as our "rear guard." If we're doing as He says in this chapter He tells us "Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help and He will say: Here am I." And the list of benefits from the kind of fast that God wants for us to undertake go on, of course.
This is, truly, a beautiful and insightful chapter of Scripture. In these verses we can learn so very, very much. If we will obey what it is that God wants of us in "the kind of fasting" that He has chosen; if we will simply heed His words and what it is He wants of us, then...
"The Lord will be with you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
That, surely, is what we all desire. Isn't it?
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Isaiah 58:6-11 (NIV)
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Uh, oh! He's going to talk about fasting again! I can almost hear the thoughts, and the groans, about what it is I might have to give up, or stop, in fasting for one particular reason or another. Well, although I feel that fasting is a good thing...not to mention Biblical...this isn't about "giving up" anything or going without something. No, this is about what God spoke through Isaiah, that would be a fast of DOING what God wants of us. And, of course, the benefits of it.
God asks of us a kind of fast that HE has chosen for us...loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke that enslave, set free those who are oppressed, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, make a home for the homeless. Very different, isn't it, from what we normally think of as a "fast?" God is telling us that too often people fast improperly. If we take the time to read the first 5 verses of this chapter, we see that the people did as they pleased, exploited workers, ended up with quarreling and strife, and even in fist fights. Then, people whine and complain that God isn't hearing them nor is He honoring their fast. God says, "You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high." (vv 4)
So, I read the whole chapter (I ask you to do the same) to try to get my mind around the "big picture" so to speak, of what God is telling us. I think He's saying that what we do is much more important than a fast of giving up, or not doing. Does that make sense? He's telling us where we ought to be putting our priorities. As is so often found in many, many places in Scripture, God is telling us to care for the poor and persecuted. He is letting us know, pretty clearly, what He wants us to be doing in those areas of hunger, nakedness, persecution, injustice, and homelessness. We are to be, well, Christians about how we treat people...ALL people. Pretty novel idea, huh?
So, what's in it for me, some might ask. Okay, God tells us. If we will do as He asks of us then our "light will break forth like the dawn," and our "healing will quickly appear." He tells us that our "righteousness will go before" us and that He will be there for us as our "rear guard." If we're doing as He says in this chapter He tells us "Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help and He will say: Here am I." And the list of benefits from the kind of fast that God wants for us to undertake go on, of course.
This is, truly, a beautiful and insightful chapter of Scripture. In these verses we can learn so very, very much. If we will obey what it is that God wants of us in "the kind of fasting" that He has chosen; if we will simply heed His words and what it is He wants of us, then...
"The Lord will be with you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
That, surely, is what we all desire. Isn't it?
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Monday, May 25, 2009
Planter? Waterer? Yes.
Good Morning,
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (NIV)
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Many of us tire and become weary at evangelism because we don't see, as often as we'd like, the true fruits of our labors. What I mean is, after we have shared the Gospel message with someone we aren't around to actually see that person accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. So, in our humanity, we don't speak out as we should because we don't see results from what we might be doing.
Today, though, I hope that we all will understand what it is that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. You see, it isn't necessary to see "results" from our labors in speaking up about Jesus. Paul is clear here in saying that we all have a particular part to play, a job to do, but we don't all have the SAME job, nor do we all play the same part, in our endeavors to bring people to the knowledge of the Lord.
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." In the final analysis, it's only God who matters here because it's God who does the convincing. We're only there to be workers in His service and present that which we've been given to present. "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." We all have a job to do. Today it very well might be planting the seed of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Tomorrow it could be watering that seed with showing how we live a Christian life. We may, or we may not, see that seed which was planted and then watered grow to maturity in God. That's not our place.
Paul tells us, "For we are God's fellow workers..." God depends on us to plant the seed we've been given and then to provide the watering of that seed so He can do the growing part. We're all in it together. We all have our part to do. I'm no more important than you in this process. You are no more important than another in it. Only God is what is truly important. Our place is to labor obediently...planting or watering, sometimes both.
So when you feel that your efforts may have been in vain in speaking God's message of salvation, please remember these verses of Scripture. That day you spoke, well, you were planting a seed. That day you helped someone, perhaps you were watering a seed that was planted by another. That day you saw a person raise a hand to accept Jesus, you saw God at work as He grew the seed.
Let's not weary in our jobs. We're all necessary.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (NIV)
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Many of us tire and become weary at evangelism because we don't see, as often as we'd like, the true fruits of our labors. What I mean is, after we have shared the Gospel message with someone we aren't around to actually see that person accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. So, in our humanity, we don't speak out as we should because we don't see results from what we might be doing.
Today, though, I hope that we all will understand what it is that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. You see, it isn't necessary to see "results" from our labors in speaking up about Jesus. Paul is clear here in saying that we all have a particular part to play, a job to do, but we don't all have the SAME job, nor do we all play the same part, in our endeavors to bring people to the knowledge of the Lord.
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." In the final analysis, it's only God who matters here because it's God who does the convincing. We're only there to be workers in His service and present that which we've been given to present. "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." We all have a job to do. Today it very well might be planting the seed of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Tomorrow it could be watering that seed with showing how we live a Christian life. We may, or we may not, see that seed which was planted and then watered grow to maturity in God. That's not our place.
Paul tells us, "For we are God's fellow workers..." God depends on us to plant the seed we've been given and then to provide the watering of that seed so He can do the growing part. We're all in it together. We all have our part to do. I'm no more important than you in this process. You are no more important than another in it. Only God is what is truly important. Our place is to labor obediently...planting or watering, sometimes both.
So when you feel that your efforts may have been in vain in speaking God's message of salvation, please remember these verses of Scripture. That day you spoke, well, you were planting a seed. That day you helped someone, perhaps you were watering a seed that was planted by another. That day you saw a person raise a hand to accept Jesus, you saw God at work as He grew the seed.
Let's not weary in our jobs. We're all necessary.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Good Fruit? Bad Fruit?
Good Morning,
Matthew 7:15-20 (NIV)
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 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. (Emphasis mine, DRB)
I read only, "By their fruit you will recognize them," first thing this morning. Then, as I try to do, I looked at the context of these words. Jesus was talking about "false prophets" here who were obviously out to sway opinions over to their side in order to take advantage of those who might believe them. However, Jesus also mentioned "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit," so we see that what is inside people, good and bad, can be seen by the "fruit" that they produce.
That got me to thinking and wondering...a couple of sometimes dangerous activities...what kinds of fruit I may have produced up to this point in my live and what kind of fruit I might be producing at this particular point in my life. I have to admit that after some examination, I wasn't totally gratified with what I found...and even am finding now, today, at this point in time.
It can be pretty sobering, this reflection thing, you know? I guess that's a very good thing. We are shown, pretty easily I think, the not so good fruit we've produced (and may yet still be producing) in our lives. The good fruit that we've produced? Well, not so easily seen, I'm afraid. That might seem to be a bad thing, or at least a not so good thing. But, I would argue that. I believe it is a very good thing. You see, when we see what wasn't so great in what we've done, in the fruit we've produced, it gives us the opportunity to make changes in our lives and, thus, begin to swing the scale over to the "good fruit" side of things.
That's the beauty of being a human being with a mind and will. We can make changes when changes are deemed necessary. Yes, it takes will and a mind bent on making positive changes when we see the need, but we can do it.
I guess the point today is simply for us to look at the fruit we've produced, what fruit we are presently producing, and what kinds of fruit we wish to produce in the future. We obviously can't change what we've done in the past, that goes without saying, of course. But if we see that the fruit of today isn't so great, we can begin to alter our behavior in such a way that we change what it is we are producing. Then, we can put our minds and efforts into being sure that what we do in the future will produce ONLY good fruit that God would be proud to see.
As always, in pretty much everything in life, we have a choice. Our choice. Let's make it wisely. We can be sure that the fruit we leave behind as a legacy of our lives is good.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Matthew 7:15-20 (NIV)
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 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. (Emphasis mine, DRB)
I read only, "By their fruit you will recognize them," first thing this morning. Then, as I try to do, I looked at the context of these words. Jesus was talking about "false prophets" here who were obviously out to sway opinions over to their side in order to take advantage of those who might believe them. However, Jesus also mentioned "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit," so we see that what is inside people, good and bad, can be seen by the "fruit" that they produce.
That got me to thinking and wondering...a couple of sometimes dangerous activities...what kinds of fruit I may have produced up to this point in my live and what kind of fruit I might be producing at this particular point in my life. I have to admit that after some examination, I wasn't totally gratified with what I found...and even am finding now, today, at this point in time.
It can be pretty sobering, this reflection thing, you know? I guess that's a very good thing. We are shown, pretty easily I think, the not so good fruit we've produced (and may yet still be producing) in our lives. The good fruit that we've produced? Well, not so easily seen, I'm afraid. That might seem to be a bad thing, or at least a not so good thing. But, I would argue that. I believe it is a very good thing. You see, when we see what wasn't so great in what we've done, in the fruit we've produced, it gives us the opportunity to make changes in our lives and, thus, begin to swing the scale over to the "good fruit" side of things.
That's the beauty of being a human being with a mind and will. We can make changes when changes are deemed necessary. Yes, it takes will and a mind bent on making positive changes when we see the need, but we can do it.
I guess the point today is simply for us to look at the fruit we've produced, what fruit we are presently producing, and what kinds of fruit we wish to produce in the future. We obviously can't change what we've done in the past, that goes without saying, of course. But if we see that the fruit of today isn't so great, we can begin to alter our behavior in such a way that we change what it is we are producing. Then, we can put our minds and efforts into being sure that what we do in the future will produce ONLY good fruit that God would be proud to see.
As always, in pretty much everything in life, we have a choice. Our choice. Let's make it wisely. We can be sure that the fruit we leave behind as a legacy of our lives is good.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Saturday, May 23, 2009
On The Road
Good Morning,
Luke 24:13-35 (NIV)
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
I received a Devotional that contained these verses and I thought it important enough to send along....
IN the reading above, two people are walking toward Emmaus and talking about the issues of the day, which centered around the death of Jesus on the cross. They had lots of questions but not many answers. Jesus joins the travelers in their anguish. He listens carefully and then helps to clear up their confusion. The story's central issue is answering the question, Is Jesus dead?
Jesus is not dead, and he still listens, walking beside us in our questioning. How comforting to know that Christ understands our confusion because he knows us better than we know ourselves! In times of struggle and confusion, Christ comes to us as we read the Bible and pray.
Christ wants us to know that he is alive and still walks and talks with ordinary people. Sometimes we know his presence through the "still small voice" of inward peace that comes in the midst of the storm; sometimes he comes to us through a friend or fellow traveler who brings encouragement or comfort or insight. Christ promised to be with us to the end of time, and we can trust him to keep that promise.
From: Gavin Leverton (Cape Town, South Africa)
I don't think that I could possibly have conveyed these thoughts and truths any better than Mr. Leverton. He reminds us that, without any doubt, Jesus is here, with us, walking with us, talking with us, every step of our lives. I can't think of anything else to add, except, that we should be so very grateful for such a loving Savior.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Luke 24:13-35 (NIV)
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
"What things?" he asked.
"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
I received a Devotional that contained these verses and I thought it important enough to send along....
IN the reading above, two people are walking toward Emmaus and talking about the issues of the day, which centered around the death of Jesus on the cross. They had lots of questions but not many answers. Jesus joins the travelers in their anguish. He listens carefully and then helps to clear up their confusion. The story's central issue is answering the question, Is Jesus dead?
Jesus is not dead, and he still listens, walking beside us in our questioning. How comforting to know that Christ understands our confusion because he knows us better than we know ourselves! In times of struggle and confusion, Christ comes to us as we read the Bible and pray.
Christ wants us to know that he is alive and still walks and talks with ordinary people. Sometimes we know his presence through the "still small voice" of inward peace that comes in the midst of the storm; sometimes he comes to us through a friend or fellow traveler who brings encouragement or comfort or insight. Christ promised to be with us to the end of time, and we can trust him to keep that promise.
From: Gavin Leverton (Cape Town, South Africa)
I don't think that I could possibly have conveyed these thoughts and truths any better than Mr. Leverton. He reminds us that, without any doubt, Jesus is here, with us, walking with us, talking with us, every step of our lives. I can't think of anything else to add, except, that we should be so very grateful for such a loving Savior.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Friday, May 22, 2009
Engraved On His Hands
Good Morning,
Isaiah 49:13-16 (NIV)
Shout for joy, O heavens;
rejoice, O earth;
burst into song, O mountains!
For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.
I would venture to guess that most of us, if not all of us, have felt, well, abandoned I guess we could say, by God. It happens from time to time when our lives seem to be going backward and we can't even get one step ahead of all that appears to be crashing down all around. I know it happens to be from time to time, and I know I'm not alone in this. After all, we are human beings and we do have our frailties and flaws and our minds can kind of shut down every once in a while. Of course, we know that God would not abandon us. We know that because we have put our faith and trust in Him. We know that because we have these words from Scripture to bring us back to some semblance of sanity.
Now, that doesn't mean that everything that's going on in our lives will clear up and all will be well. But what it does mean is that what is occurring in our lives isn't from God and He certainly hasn't left us to fend for ourselves without Him being there with us.
"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. These words mean so much. Jesus went to the cross for us and suffered wounds that we know left scars upon Him. Among those scars are the ones in the palms of His hands that came from Roman nails piercing Him and nailing Him to the cross. These scars are the engravings that God has in His hands that are each of us. We are permanently with Him. Therefore, He is permanently with each of us. He has YOU engraved on the palms of His hands. He has ME engraved on the palms of His hands.
I know that there might be someone who needs these words today; to be reminded that God has NOT abandoned them. We all need to remember these words sometime when things are rough and times are difficult. Let's never forget, God does not, under any conditions, forsake or depart from us.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Isaiah 49:13-16 (NIV)
Shout for joy, O heavens;
rejoice, O earth;
burst into song, O mountains!
For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.
I would venture to guess that most of us, if not all of us, have felt, well, abandoned I guess we could say, by God. It happens from time to time when our lives seem to be going backward and we can't even get one step ahead of all that appears to be crashing down all around. I know it happens to be from time to time, and I know I'm not alone in this. After all, we are human beings and we do have our frailties and flaws and our minds can kind of shut down every once in a while. Of course, we know that God would not abandon us. We know that because we have put our faith and trust in Him. We know that because we have these words from Scripture to bring us back to some semblance of sanity.
Now, that doesn't mean that everything that's going on in our lives will clear up and all will be well. But what it does mean is that what is occurring in our lives isn't from God and He certainly hasn't left us to fend for ourselves without Him being there with us.
"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. These words mean so much. Jesus went to the cross for us and suffered wounds that we know left scars upon Him. Among those scars are the ones in the palms of His hands that came from Roman nails piercing Him and nailing Him to the cross. These scars are the engravings that God has in His hands that are each of us. We are permanently with Him. Therefore, He is permanently with each of us. He has YOU engraved on the palms of His hands. He has ME engraved on the palms of His hands.
I know that there might be someone who needs these words today; to be reminded that God has NOT abandoned them. We all need to remember these words sometime when things are rough and times are difficult. Let's never forget, God does not, under any conditions, forsake or depart from us.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Faith Without Works
Good Morning,
James 2:14-26 (NIV)
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
When I read the Book of James, and specifically these verses from Chapter 2, I believe that James must have been maybe a little bit angry at what he was observing among his brothers and sisters in the Church. It's obvious that he was seeing people who were speaking about what great faith in the Lord they had, but then didn't do anything to show their faith and belief. There must have been many who professed their faith in God and even were active in reading and speaking Scripture, but once they were outside the temple, well, that faith they professed to have didn't produce anything in a practical and helpful way. I would think that James saw obvious needs of some people which weren't being met, perhaps not even addressed, by those capable of filling those needs.
Now, thoughts like these make me realize that nothing much has changed in over 2,000 years. We still have many who will speak loudly and proclaim unwavering faith and belief, but then, once away from their listeners, don't actually DO anything about their faith. It is possible for many of these people to see someone struggling and simply pass by as if there was no need at all exhibited. Maybe even not giving as much as a thought to what they've seen. There are those among us who are very well off in a financial way and yet don't really do very much, sometimes nothing at all, to help feed or clothe those who are without even the basic necessities of life. I ask you, as James asked millennia ago, what kind of faith is this that we observe?
I have to agree, totally and completely, in what we read here today. "Faith without deeds is dead."
It's as basic as that. I'm sure that James must have angered many by being as outspoken as he was about this subject. I'm sure that I've probably angered some folks, as well, by seeming to "harp" about this particular subject...that is, helping the needy and down trodden among us with real, physical and meaningful help. I guess that I need to be like James and simply not much care about those who are angered by being reminded that they might need to actually DO SOMETHING about the faith they profess. James spoke his heart and mind about this...and other things as well. I don't claim to be as righteous or holy as James, but I do know that God has laid these things on my heart to speak out to His people.
Let's not get anything wrong here. We're NOT saying that it might be by deeds or works that one achieves salvation. That, of course, is not true. Salvation comes, simply, by putting one's faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in his or her life. Salvation comes, as Paul wrote, "But what does it say? 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Rom. 10:8-10) So, let's not mistake that salvation comes from anything that you or I could possibly do. No, certainly not. Salvation comes only because of what Jesus did. Just wanted to make sure that there were no mistakes about this, so forgive the little bit of preaching there.
Who do you know that might need to read these verses of Scripture that we read today? Is there someone who might benefit from more fully understanding that their faith in the Lord needs to be expressed with more than just words? I'm sure we all know people who should take a long, hard look inside to see if their deeds are truly speaking loudly enough to show their faith. We, that is you and I, might even need to take that difficult look.
You see, there are many who don't need to say a word about their faith, but merely go about their daily lives showing their faith for all to see. I hope to be one of them.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
James 2:14-26 (NIV)
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
When I read the Book of James, and specifically these verses from Chapter 2, I believe that James must have been maybe a little bit angry at what he was observing among his brothers and sisters in the Church. It's obvious that he was seeing people who were speaking about what great faith in the Lord they had, but then didn't do anything to show their faith and belief. There must have been many who professed their faith in God and even were active in reading and speaking Scripture, but once they were outside the temple, well, that faith they professed to have didn't produce anything in a practical and helpful way. I would think that James saw obvious needs of some people which weren't being met, perhaps not even addressed, by those capable of filling those needs.
Now, thoughts like these make me realize that nothing much has changed in over 2,000 years. We still have many who will speak loudly and proclaim unwavering faith and belief, but then, once away from their listeners, don't actually DO anything about their faith. It is possible for many of these people to see someone struggling and simply pass by as if there was no need at all exhibited. Maybe even not giving as much as a thought to what they've seen. There are those among us who are very well off in a financial way and yet don't really do very much, sometimes nothing at all, to help feed or clothe those who are without even the basic necessities of life. I ask you, as James asked millennia ago, what kind of faith is this that we observe?
I have to agree, totally and completely, in what we read here today. "Faith without deeds is dead."
It's as basic as that. I'm sure that James must have angered many by being as outspoken as he was about this subject. I'm sure that I've probably angered some folks, as well, by seeming to "harp" about this particular subject...that is, helping the needy and down trodden among us with real, physical and meaningful help. I guess that I need to be like James and simply not much care about those who are angered by being reminded that they might need to actually DO SOMETHING about the faith they profess. James spoke his heart and mind about this...and other things as well. I don't claim to be as righteous or holy as James, but I do know that God has laid these things on my heart to speak out to His people.
Let's not get anything wrong here. We're NOT saying that it might be by deeds or works that one achieves salvation. That, of course, is not true. Salvation comes, simply, by putting one's faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in his or her life. Salvation comes, as Paul wrote, "But what does it say? 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Rom. 10:8-10) So, let's not mistake that salvation comes from anything that you or I could possibly do. No, certainly not. Salvation comes only because of what Jesus did. Just wanted to make sure that there were no mistakes about this, so forgive the little bit of preaching there.
Who do you know that might need to read these verses of Scripture that we read today? Is there someone who might benefit from more fully understanding that their faith in the Lord needs to be expressed with more than just words? I'm sure we all know people who should take a long, hard look inside to see if their deeds are truly speaking loudly enough to show their faith. We, that is you and I, might even need to take that difficult look.
You see, there are many who don't need to say a word about their faith, but merely go about their daily lives showing their faith for all to see. I hope to be one of them.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Encourage?...We have an example...
Good Morning,
1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NIV)
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Ephesians 6:22 (NIV)
I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 (NIV)
Therefore encourage each other with these words.
2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV)
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Titus 2:15 (NIV)
These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Recently, we discussed "encouragement" and "encouragement" in a message. Today, I received a short message which gives a wonderful example of what encouragement looks like and what can happen when we take the instruction to be an encourager to heart. I thought that we could all benefit from reading about this subject from someone's experience. So, here's what I received...
There are many ways to bring the presence of Christ to our workplaces, and encouraging our fellow employees is one most often available to us.
Tom works for a local credit union. One of his favorite leadership techniques is "management by walking around". He makes a point of visiting with his co-workers each day, fostering a trusting relationship and looking after their welfare. Tom says he has learned not only to maintain an open-door policy, but an open-heart policy. He has been fortunate to have had several employees come to his office to talk when a crisis has occurred in their lives.
One of his employees, Kim, approached him in tears one afternoon. After taking a good deal of time to calm her down, she finally confided that she was facing an unplanned pregnancy that was creating a strain within her family. Tom and a couple of co-workers rallied to her support that day and throughout a difficult pregnancy. Today, they all laugh and watch joyfully when Kim's four year-old daughter comes into the office for a visit.
Another employee, Anne, became distraught over all the evil she saw in the world and observed, "It's hard to have hope." Tom showed her a letter he had just received from a prisoner he had been visiting through a prison ministry program. The prisoner stated that although he had been locked up for six years and had not seen his children in a long time, he had found peace in prayer and daily Bible study. As Anne read the letter, her disposition changed completely. She said it was remarkable to see that someone in that situation could be so upbeat. Tom used the opportunity to encourage Anne and to urge her to show her Christian faith in action.
Saint Paul uses the word "encourage" more than a dozen times in his letters to the early Christians. Encouraging people in times of crisis or need is being Christ to them-just like Tom.
TAKE THE CHALLENGE: Is there someone in your workplace who is experiencing a difficult situation? How can you encourage this person? (Thanks to the folks at Faith and Work Life for this)
I believe that sometimes we need to see an example of something before it really takes permanent residence in our hearts and minds. That's why I've forwarded this along. You see, our encouragement doesn't necessarily have to be ONLY between ourselves and other believers. Just think of how important this "encouragement" thing can be in the life (lives) of someone who doesn't know the Lord, yet can experience His love from one of us. As the author points out, this...encouragement...is a real and substantial way that we can show the love of God.
Thought we all ought to know.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NIV)
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Ephesians 6:22 (NIV)
I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 (NIV)
Therefore encourage each other with these words.
2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV)
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Titus 2:15 (NIV)
These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Recently, we discussed "encouragement" and "encouragement" in a message. Today, I received a short message which gives a wonderful example of what encouragement looks like and what can happen when we take the instruction to be an encourager to heart. I thought that we could all benefit from reading about this subject from someone's experience. So, here's what I received...
There are many ways to bring the presence of Christ to our workplaces, and encouraging our fellow employees is one most often available to us.
Tom works for a local credit union. One of his favorite leadership techniques is "management by walking around". He makes a point of visiting with his co-workers each day, fostering a trusting relationship and looking after their welfare. Tom says he has learned not only to maintain an open-door policy, but an open-heart policy. He has been fortunate to have had several employees come to his office to talk when a crisis has occurred in their lives.
One of his employees, Kim, approached him in tears one afternoon. After taking a good deal of time to calm her down, she finally confided that she was facing an unplanned pregnancy that was creating a strain within her family. Tom and a couple of co-workers rallied to her support that day and throughout a difficult pregnancy. Today, they all laugh and watch joyfully when Kim's four year-old daughter comes into the office for a visit.
Another employee, Anne, became distraught over all the evil she saw in the world and observed, "It's hard to have hope." Tom showed her a letter he had just received from a prisoner he had been visiting through a prison ministry program. The prisoner stated that although he had been locked up for six years and had not seen his children in a long time, he had found peace in prayer and daily Bible study. As Anne read the letter, her disposition changed completely. She said it was remarkable to see that someone in that situation could be so upbeat. Tom used the opportunity to encourage Anne and to urge her to show her Christian faith in action.
Saint Paul uses the word "encourage" more than a dozen times in his letters to the early Christians. Encouraging people in times of crisis or need is being Christ to them-just like Tom.
TAKE THE CHALLENGE: Is there someone in your workplace who is experiencing a difficult situation? How can you encourage this person? (Thanks to the folks at Faith and Work Life for this)
I believe that sometimes we need to see an example of something before it really takes permanent residence in our hearts and minds. That's why I've forwarded this along. You see, our encouragement doesn't necessarily have to be ONLY between ourselves and other believers. Just think of how important this "encouragement" thing can be in the life (lives) of someone who doesn't know the Lord, yet can experience His love from one of us. As the author points out, this...encouragement...is a real and substantial way that we can show the love of God.
Thought we all ought to know.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Service
Good Morning,
2 Corinthians 9:12-14 (NIV)
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
Okay, let's ask what many might consider an obvious and necessary question this morning. Some would ask, "Why should I serve in my local congregation? I mean, I see many who come to our place of worship and don't appear to really be doing anything, so, why is it that I should serve in some way?" Seems like a logical question, doesn't it? I'm sure that there are those among us who have been asked that question in one form or another. I'm a bit ashamed to say that my answers haven't been, well, let's just say that they haven't been very convincing or, perhaps, even intelligent or enlightened. Thankfully, God gives us an answer in today's verses that help us to explain why we ought to be serving in God's Church (and our local congregation) here on this earth.
The first thing that we see is that when we serve, we are "supplying the needs of God's people." Now, this should seem pretty logical to all of us, shouldn't it? A great reason to provide some service or to give financially is to help out those who are in some need. I think that we can all agree on that point. What's to argue? A brother or sister finds himself or herself in need and someone among God's people provides for that need. Pretty simple conclusion to a problem, isn't it? So, the fact that we are helping people is one reason to serve when we see a need.
The next thing that we read is that when we serve there is also an "overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." Doesn't this seem like a pretty good reason to serve? Don't we want to hear people thanking God for His provisions in their lives? Now, remember, more often than not, God's provisions...financially or by providing some service or other...comes from the children of God. In other words, God doesn't just drop "manna" from heaven, so to speak, but works in the lives of believers in such a way that they will step forward and do what is necessary in ways of serving. So, if we will think about this a bit more deeply, then perhaps we might feel moved to serve just a bit more.
Third, we read "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God..." Oh, how it fills my heart and pleases my very soul when I hear those praises for God! Whether it be through words or music or any other way, people praising God is a marvelous and wonderful thing. So, when we provide service or fill some need in our local congregation, it will result in praise for God. One directly leads to another when we serve in God's name and are obviously doing His work among His children.
Now, in doing what it is we ought to be doing in service, we see that it comes from "...obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing..." In our service to and for God, we need to be sure that those being served understand exactly who it is that we serve, first and foremost...God! He is our Father and we serve Him gladly. In serving Him, it follows that we also serve His children and even the whole world. That's why these verses aren't limited to ONLY our brothers and sisters in Christ. No, if we read closely we see..."for your generosity in sharing with them (God's children) and WITH EVERYONE ELSE." You see it? We're not to limit our giving and serving only to those who meet inside the walls of one Christian congregation or other. Not at all! It is clear in these verses we read today that our service is also to be for "EVERYONE ELSE," as well.
The final thought here this morning is in the last words we read, "And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you." I certainly can't answer for you, but I will gladly admit that I can use all the prayers that are offered for me. I would be willing to venture that the same can be said for you, as well.
You see, God has graced us with the means and ability to give and serve in His name and for His purposes. He has also provided blessings, in His name, for us when we are obedient to His call to serve and to give.
My question for us all this morning: In what way can I serve by supplying the needs I see around me? Then, of course, what logically follows: When will I do it?
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
2 Corinthians 9:12-14 (NIV)
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
Okay, let's ask what many might consider an obvious and necessary question this morning. Some would ask, "Why should I serve in my local congregation? I mean, I see many who come to our place of worship and don't appear to really be doing anything, so, why is it that I should serve in some way?" Seems like a logical question, doesn't it? I'm sure that there are those among us who have been asked that question in one form or another. I'm a bit ashamed to say that my answers haven't been, well, let's just say that they haven't been very convincing or, perhaps, even intelligent or enlightened. Thankfully, God gives us an answer in today's verses that help us to explain why we ought to be serving in God's Church (and our local congregation) here on this earth.
The first thing that we see is that when we serve, we are "supplying the needs of God's people." Now, this should seem pretty logical to all of us, shouldn't it? A great reason to provide some service or to give financially is to help out those who are in some need. I think that we can all agree on that point. What's to argue? A brother or sister finds himself or herself in need and someone among God's people provides for that need. Pretty simple conclusion to a problem, isn't it? So, the fact that we are helping people is one reason to serve when we see a need.
The next thing that we read is that when we serve there is also an "overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." Doesn't this seem like a pretty good reason to serve? Don't we want to hear people thanking God for His provisions in their lives? Now, remember, more often than not, God's provisions...financially or by providing some service or other...comes from the children of God. In other words, God doesn't just drop "manna" from heaven, so to speak, but works in the lives of believers in such a way that they will step forward and do what is necessary in ways of serving. So, if we will think about this a bit more deeply, then perhaps we might feel moved to serve just a bit more.
Third, we read "Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God..." Oh, how it fills my heart and pleases my very soul when I hear those praises for God! Whether it be through words or music or any other way, people praising God is a marvelous and wonderful thing. So, when we provide service or fill some need in our local congregation, it will result in praise for God. One directly leads to another when we serve in God's name and are obviously doing His work among His children.
Now, in doing what it is we ought to be doing in service, we see that it comes from "...obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing..." In our service to and for God, we need to be sure that those being served understand exactly who it is that we serve, first and foremost...God! He is our Father and we serve Him gladly. In serving Him, it follows that we also serve His children and even the whole world. That's why these verses aren't limited to ONLY our brothers and sisters in Christ. No, if we read closely we see..."for your generosity in sharing with them (God's children) and WITH EVERYONE ELSE." You see it? We're not to limit our giving and serving only to those who meet inside the walls of one Christian congregation or other. Not at all! It is clear in these verses we read today that our service is also to be for "EVERYONE ELSE," as well.
The final thought here this morning is in the last words we read, "And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you." I certainly can't answer for you, but I will gladly admit that I can use all the prayers that are offered for me. I would be willing to venture that the same can be said for you, as well.
You see, God has graced us with the means and ability to give and serve in His name and for His purposes. He has also provided blessings, in His name, for us when we are obedient to His call to serve and to give.
My question for us all this morning: In what way can I serve by supplying the needs I see around me? Then, of course, what logically follows: When will I do it?
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Monday, May 18, 2009
Psalm 104
Good Morning,
I'm going to ask you to join with me today in praise and worship of God by reading with me Psalm 104. Then, please, prayerfully, all of us together, let's join with the Psalmist in his prayer that he places at the end of these verses, " I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!" And...please...please...please...spend some time alone with God. Just allow Him to be with you; to speak to you; and to touch you.
Psalm 104 (NKJV)
Praise to the Sovereign LORD for His Creation and Providence
– 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
4 Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.
5 You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
8 They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
That they may not return to cover the earth.
10 He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.
14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons;
The sun knows its going down.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work
And to his labor until the evening.
24 O LORD, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
25 This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
26 There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan
Which You have made to play there.
27 These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
28 What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
29 You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
May the LORD rejoice in His works.
32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the LORD.
35 May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Praise the LORD!
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
I'm going to ask you to join with me today in praise and worship of God by reading with me Psalm 104. Then, please, prayerfully, all of us together, let's join with the Psalmist in his prayer that he places at the end of these verses, " I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD. Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!" And...please...please...please...spend some time alone with God. Just allow Him to be with you; to speak to you; and to touch you.
Psalm 104 (NKJV)
Praise to the Sovereign LORD for His Creation and Providence
– 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
4 Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.
5 You who laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
8 They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over,
That they may not return to cover the earth.
10 He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.
14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons;
The sun knows its going down.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work
And to his labor until the evening.
24 O LORD, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions—
25 This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
26 There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan
Which You have made to play there.
27 These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
28 What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
29 You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
May the LORD rejoice in His works.
32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the LORD.
35 May sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
Praise the LORD!
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Worry
Good Morning,
Matthew 6:25, 27, 31, 24 (NIV)
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Because of the times in which we now live and because of the situations that have come to bear in our lives, many of us have gone back to that old saw, worry. If we listen closely to the prayer requests and to people talking about what is going on in their lives right now, we see that things are, to say the least, bothersome...and, at times, even terrible. More often than not, these conditions that we find ourselves in are not of our own doing, but because of the greed that has been allowed to run rampant through not just our country, but the entire world. The point here being that predicaments that people are in are exactly what is necessary to bring on that terrible emotion...worry.
Jesus was clear in His teaching about worry, I think. In just 10 verses of Scripture, Matthew 6:25:25-34, Jesus tells us three times, "Do not worry..." and He also adds the question, "Who of you by worrying can add a single your to his life?", which I take to mean something like, "Who can change things by worrying?" So, we see clearly, that Jesus taught us, to put just as simply as He did, "Do not worry!"
Yes, we've spoken about this subject many times in the past, and we'll probably touch on it many more times in the future. But there are those of us who need to be reminded of these verses and there are others who've not had the opportunity to read all the messages God has given us about worry and worrying, so I guess it's timely that the Lord has led us here today to learn, once again, from Him.
Worry is 100% a waste of time and energy. I'll reiterate what studies have shown: Ninety percent of everything we worry about will never happen, so worry is a waste. The other ten percent, well, we can't do anything about anyway, so worry is wasted here, as well. You see, nothing good comes out of worry, but only bad. When we worry, we lose sleep. When we worry, we are unpleasant to be around. When we worry, we are unable to see the good things happening around us. When we worry, we argue about almost everything...and NOT just those things we're worrying over. When we worry, we don't get done the simple things of life that we know we ought to be doing. When we worry, our bodies react by almost shutting down to any kind of activities. When we worry, we are tired, irritable, and, well, just downright unpleasant.
I'm sending this message along today because it seems in my heart and mind that God wants us to revisit these verses of Scripture and more fully understand what Jesus was teaching us. I know that this particular message, and even many of these words, are a bit redundant. But, you know what? Sometimes it's good to be somewhat redundant, just in case there is even one person out there who needs to hear what God has to say.
Please, if worry is overtaking your life, give it to God and do all you can to rid yourself of this terrible emotion. Surround yourself with friends and Christian brothers and sisters. Don't be afraid of talking openly about whatever situation you might find yourself and don't be afraid to ask for assistance. Most importantly, pray...talk to God...bear your heart and mind and soul to Him...ask Him to come and give you comfort and peace, the comfort and peace than can ONLY come from God.
Let us all remember one another, and even all the world, in our prayers during these most disturbing and difficult times.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Matthew 6:25, 27, 31, 24 (NIV)
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Because of the times in which we now live and because of the situations that have come to bear in our lives, many of us have gone back to that old saw, worry. If we listen closely to the prayer requests and to people talking about what is going on in their lives right now, we see that things are, to say the least, bothersome...and, at times, even terrible. More often than not, these conditions that we find ourselves in are not of our own doing, but because of the greed that has been allowed to run rampant through not just our country, but the entire world. The point here being that predicaments that people are in are exactly what is necessary to bring on that terrible emotion...worry.
Jesus was clear in His teaching about worry, I think. In just 10 verses of Scripture, Matthew 6:25:25-34, Jesus tells us three times, "Do not worry..." and He also adds the question, "Who of you by worrying can add a single your to his life?", which I take to mean something like, "Who can change things by worrying?" So, we see clearly, that Jesus taught us, to put just as simply as He did, "Do not worry!"
Yes, we've spoken about this subject many times in the past, and we'll probably touch on it many more times in the future. But there are those of us who need to be reminded of these verses and there are others who've not had the opportunity to read all the messages God has given us about worry and worrying, so I guess it's timely that the Lord has led us here today to learn, once again, from Him.
Worry is 100% a waste of time and energy. I'll reiterate what studies have shown: Ninety percent of everything we worry about will never happen, so worry is a waste. The other ten percent, well, we can't do anything about anyway, so worry is wasted here, as well. You see, nothing good comes out of worry, but only bad. When we worry, we lose sleep. When we worry, we are unpleasant to be around. When we worry, we are unable to see the good things happening around us. When we worry, we argue about almost everything...and NOT just those things we're worrying over. When we worry, we don't get done the simple things of life that we know we ought to be doing. When we worry, our bodies react by almost shutting down to any kind of activities. When we worry, we are tired, irritable, and, well, just downright unpleasant.
I'm sending this message along today because it seems in my heart and mind that God wants us to revisit these verses of Scripture and more fully understand what Jesus was teaching us. I know that this particular message, and even many of these words, are a bit redundant. But, you know what? Sometimes it's good to be somewhat redundant, just in case there is even one person out there who needs to hear what God has to say.
Please, if worry is overtaking your life, give it to God and do all you can to rid yourself of this terrible emotion. Surround yourself with friends and Christian brothers and sisters. Don't be afraid of talking openly about whatever situation you might find yourself and don't be afraid to ask for assistance. Most importantly, pray...talk to God...bear your heart and mind and soul to Him...ask Him to come and give you comfort and peace, the comfort and peace than can ONLY come from God.
Let us all remember one another, and even all the world, in our prayers during these most disturbing and difficult times.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Saturday, May 16, 2009
1 John 1
Good Morning,
1 John 1 (NIV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We write this to make our joy complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
This short chapter of Scripture is so very amazing to me. It says so very, very much to all of us that we should have deeply entrenched in our hearts and minds and into our very being.
These verses fill me with hope and give me peace in my life. God gave these words to John in order that he would write them and they would bring that peace and hope to all who would read and believe what they say.
I think that the words here today speak for themselves. I believe that no comment is really necessary as what is written is clear and to the point.
I just give thanks that we have these verses to read. I give thanks that God has given us His assurances through them.
Glory to God! Praise be to Him! Hallelujah!
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
1 John 1 (NIV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
We write this to make our joy complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
This short chapter of Scripture is so very amazing to me. It says so very, very much to all of us that we should have deeply entrenched in our hearts and minds and into our very being.
These verses fill me with hope and give me peace in my life. God gave these words to John in order that he would write them and they would bring that peace and hope to all who would read and believe what they say.
I think that the words here today speak for themselves. I believe that no comment is really necessary as what is written is clear and to the point.
I just give thanks that we have these verses to read. I give thanks that God has given us His assurances through them.
Glory to God! Praise be to Him! Hallelujah!
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Friday, May 15, 2009
Discipline...Correction
Good Morning,
Proverbs 10:17 (NIV)
He who heeds discipline shows the way to life,
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
How many people do you know who like to be corrected or who might enjoy being disciplined about something they may have done or said...even if that correction or discipline is well founded and appropriate? I surely can't think of many. Well, I can't think of even one who enjoys the experience of discipline. However, we surely would all admit that discipline and correction are a necessary part of life and without it, well, we'd surely run even more amok that we now do.
I guess it's pretty normal to dislike discipline. After all, it isn't really very pleasant, is it? I mean, it USUALLY isn't very pleasant because too many people who find themselves in positions and places where they are assigned the responsibility of disciplining others aren't very good at administering discipline and/or correction. I think that's what we should be considering today.
Are you one who has the responsibility to bring discipline to your home or your workplace? Perhaps a teacher who must discipline and correct students? Maybe a church leader who has the burden of bringing discipline to others? Many of us find ourselves in just such a situation. That is, we must discipline someone or correct someone who has done something amiss. Of course we know that discipline is necessary in these situations and we realize that people MUST get correction for wrongs, or the aberrant behavior will continue unhindered. What comes to my mind, however, is NOT the fact that discipline is necessary and even, as we read today, "shows the way of life," but it is HOW we bring that discipline to bear on the lives of people.
The first thing that we must realize is the fact that we ARE dealing with human beings. Yes, it's the behaviors that we are the point of bringing discipline, but it is people with whom we must work with and who must understand what it is we're doing. The problem that arises is that every human being with whom we must interact is different. There are no two alike. (Praise God!!!) That's where the rub begins. Because...the way we might bring disciplinary action or correction to one person simply will not work in another, even a sibling of the first, even an identical twin of the first. So, we have to do all possible to more fully understand where people are coming from...before we begin the process of discipline...or correction.
(Maybe I'm being a bit obtuse and going too far when I lump "correction" with "discipline" but I think not. You see, most times, correction is given in much the same manner...harshly and without care for the person being corrected...as discipline. So, I sort of see them as almost one and the same.)
This, my friends is so very, very difficult. We want the words of what we read in Proverbs this morning to be applicable to those to whom we must discipline or correct. We want those under our care to be able to "heed discipline" and thus "show the way of life" rather than one who "ignores correction" and might "lead others astray." Yes, it's a delicate subject, isn't it? It's also one that we've probably all done badly at one time or another, and maybe many times.
But, I think it's as simple as just trying to get to know the person we're responsible for correcting and disciplining. Not that we need to know every nuance of everyone's behavior and life style. That would be impossible. But we CAN be observant and watch how people respond, or react, to things being spoken to them. And from those signs of their behavior, we can then make a much more effective decision on how we must handle that specific situation. It comes down to being willing to be more observant and more caring about those who must be disciplined. It also is something that we need to work on...some of us much more than others. It also means, and OH, how this hurts to say, it means we must be patient. Now, for you that may not be too difficult, but for me? Oh, my! It is just an almost impossible task, this patience thing, that I fail at so very miserably. However, it IS, truly, most very necessary.
So, when disciplining others, we must remember that first, we are dealing with living, feeling human beings who may have fragile personalities. Then, we need to really care and love those to whom we must bring correction. Last, we really have to use patience...sometimes a lot of patience...in dealing with disciplinary matters.
If this has been rather too basic for some, I'm sorry, but I think that many of us need these gentle reminders on what bringing discipline should be like. I pray with thanksgiving that God remembers these things every time He must deal with me, I can tell you that!
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Proverbs 10:17 (NIV)
He who heeds discipline shows the way to life,
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.
How many people do you know who like to be corrected or who might enjoy being disciplined about something they may have done or said...even if that correction or discipline is well founded and appropriate? I surely can't think of many. Well, I can't think of even one who enjoys the experience of discipline. However, we surely would all admit that discipline and correction are a necessary part of life and without it, well, we'd surely run even more amok that we now do.
I guess it's pretty normal to dislike discipline. After all, it isn't really very pleasant, is it? I mean, it USUALLY isn't very pleasant because too many people who find themselves in positions and places where they are assigned the responsibility of disciplining others aren't very good at administering discipline and/or correction. I think that's what we should be considering today.
Are you one who has the responsibility to bring discipline to your home or your workplace? Perhaps a teacher who must discipline and correct students? Maybe a church leader who has the burden of bringing discipline to others? Many of us find ourselves in just such a situation. That is, we must discipline someone or correct someone who has done something amiss. Of course we know that discipline is necessary in these situations and we realize that people MUST get correction for wrongs, or the aberrant behavior will continue unhindered. What comes to my mind, however, is NOT the fact that discipline is necessary and even, as we read today, "shows the way of life," but it is HOW we bring that discipline to bear on the lives of people.
The first thing that we must realize is the fact that we ARE dealing with human beings. Yes, it's the behaviors that we are the point of bringing discipline, but it is people with whom we must work with and who must understand what it is we're doing. The problem that arises is that every human being with whom we must interact is different. There are no two alike. (Praise God!!!) That's where the rub begins. Because...the way we might bring disciplinary action or correction to one person simply will not work in another, even a sibling of the first, even an identical twin of the first. So, we have to do all possible to more fully understand where people are coming from...before we begin the process of discipline...or correction.
(Maybe I'm being a bit obtuse and going too far when I lump "correction" with "discipline" but I think not. You see, most times, correction is given in much the same manner...harshly and without care for the person being corrected...as discipline. So, I sort of see them as almost one and the same.)
This, my friends is so very, very difficult. We want the words of what we read in Proverbs this morning to be applicable to those to whom we must discipline or correct. We want those under our care to be able to "heed discipline" and thus "show the way of life" rather than one who "ignores correction" and might "lead others astray." Yes, it's a delicate subject, isn't it? It's also one that we've probably all done badly at one time or another, and maybe many times.
But, I think it's as simple as just trying to get to know the person we're responsible for correcting and disciplining. Not that we need to know every nuance of everyone's behavior and life style. That would be impossible. But we CAN be observant and watch how people respond, or react, to things being spoken to them. And from those signs of their behavior, we can then make a much more effective decision on how we must handle that specific situation. It comes down to being willing to be more observant and more caring about those who must be disciplined. It also is something that we need to work on...some of us much more than others. It also means, and OH, how this hurts to say, it means we must be patient. Now, for you that may not be too difficult, but for me? Oh, my! It is just an almost impossible task, this patience thing, that I fail at so very miserably. However, it IS, truly, most very necessary.
So, when disciplining others, we must remember that first, we are dealing with living, feeling human beings who may have fragile personalities. Then, we need to really care and love those to whom we must bring correction. Last, we really have to use patience...sometimes a lot of patience...in dealing with disciplinary matters.
If this has been rather too basic for some, I'm sorry, but I think that many of us need these gentle reminders on what bringing discipline should be like. I pray with thanksgiving that God remembers these things every time He must deal with me, I can tell you that!
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Number Our Days
Good Morning,
Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 (TM)
Oh! Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well!
Psalm 90:12 (NLT)
Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 (CEV)
Teach us to use wisely
all the time we have.
I guess that at first blush it might seem a bit redundant to have all these different versions of one short verse of Scripture. However, I think that we can learn something maybe just a touch different from each of them, if we'll read them closely and allow the words to speak to us.
The gist of this verse, of course, is the fact that I have no idea when the end of my life might come. Neither do you. That's up to God to decide. What each of us DOES have though is the ability to live this life in such a way that we use our time well. That is, that we see each day as an opportunity to fulfill our God given purpose for being on this earth in the first place. As we read in the NIV, if we use our days rightly, we will gain "a heart of wisdom." That seems pretty obvious, I guess, to many of us. But, to some folks using their time for something other than frivolous and useless activities (pleasurable, yes, but useful?) instead of in service to God as He would have us to do, well, that's pretty much out of the question in thier lives. The Message translation tells us to "live well" and, of course, God wants us to do just that. The NLT sobers us with the fact that we need to "realize the brevity of life" so we can be wise in how we use each day. And, the CEV reminds us, yet again, to "use wisely all the time we have."
(Some might ask, "How do we KNOW our God given purpose for being on this earth?" And, that truly is a very good question. The answer is that God will let us know. He will make it clear if we will live our lives in such a way that we are paying attention to what is being taught in this verse. I mean, if we really DO number our days and listen to God, we will gain true wisdom. In that wisdom we will find the answer to what God has for us. Make sense?)
Okay, so, how does all of this relate, one might ask.
If we will look at our lives and fully realize that we have only a finite amount of time on this planet, listen to God and what He teaches us through the Bible and directly into our hearts and minds, then we will, truly, gain the heart of wisdom we read of today. With that wisdom, we will more easily realize what God wants us do accomplish for His kingdom and we can more easily decide what it is we should be doing at any point in time. When we're gaining wisdom by fully understanding that we only have but a few years to live, then we can listen to God as He teaches us to "live wisely and well." Here's where we must use our wisdom to understand what living well means. I don't think it means that we live to experience every pleasure known to mankind. I believe it means that we live well by being obedient to God and listening to Him as He guides our steps in accomplishing His purposes in our lives. That, my friends, is truly living well! Which brings us to the very sobering fact that we really do have to realize just how short this life is. And then, the next fact that we must use wisely this short time.
You see, to me all of these different versions of the same verse speak just a bit differently to me so that I can see more clearly what it is God wants me to learn today.
Bottom line here is that we can digest these words and put them to use in how we live, making sure that we eat the meat and vegetables of life. Or, we can go the other way and say, as someone once said, "Life is short...eat desert first!" Now, that might taste good momentarily, but, well, it shows a certain philosophy, doesn't it? I suggest we take the first option and forego the second.
I believe that in order to live a full, satisfying, and good life, then, we ought to pay attention to what God teaches us through His Holy Bible, His other children placed into our lives to help us, and to that all important still, small voice which speaks directly into our hearts and minds.
That, I think, is a good life.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 (TM)
Oh! Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well!
Psalm 90:12 (NLT)
Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 (CEV)
Teach us to use wisely
all the time we have.
I guess that at first blush it might seem a bit redundant to have all these different versions of one short verse of Scripture. However, I think that we can learn something maybe just a touch different from each of them, if we'll read them closely and allow the words to speak to us.
The gist of this verse, of course, is the fact that I have no idea when the end of my life might come. Neither do you. That's up to God to decide. What each of us DOES have though is the ability to live this life in such a way that we use our time well. That is, that we see each day as an opportunity to fulfill our God given purpose for being on this earth in the first place. As we read in the NIV, if we use our days rightly, we will gain "a heart of wisdom." That seems pretty obvious, I guess, to many of us. But, to some folks using their time for something other than frivolous and useless activities (pleasurable, yes, but useful?) instead of in service to God as He would have us to do, well, that's pretty much out of the question in thier lives. The Message translation tells us to "live well" and, of course, God wants us to do just that. The NLT sobers us with the fact that we need to "realize the brevity of life" so we can be wise in how we use each day. And, the CEV reminds us, yet again, to "use wisely all the time we have."
(Some might ask, "How do we KNOW our God given purpose for being on this earth?" And, that truly is a very good question. The answer is that God will let us know. He will make it clear if we will live our lives in such a way that we are paying attention to what is being taught in this verse. I mean, if we really DO number our days and listen to God, we will gain true wisdom. In that wisdom we will find the answer to what God has for us. Make sense?)
Okay, so, how does all of this relate, one might ask.
If we will look at our lives and fully realize that we have only a finite amount of time on this planet, listen to God and what He teaches us through the Bible and directly into our hearts and minds, then we will, truly, gain the heart of wisdom we read of today. With that wisdom, we will more easily realize what God wants us do accomplish for His kingdom and we can more easily decide what it is we should be doing at any point in time. When we're gaining wisdom by fully understanding that we only have but a few years to live, then we can listen to God as He teaches us to "live wisely and well." Here's where we must use our wisdom to understand what living well means. I don't think it means that we live to experience every pleasure known to mankind. I believe it means that we live well by being obedient to God and listening to Him as He guides our steps in accomplishing His purposes in our lives. That, my friends, is truly living well! Which brings us to the very sobering fact that we really do have to realize just how short this life is. And then, the next fact that we must use wisely this short time.
You see, to me all of these different versions of the same verse speak just a bit differently to me so that I can see more clearly what it is God wants me to learn today.
Bottom line here is that we can digest these words and put them to use in how we live, making sure that we eat the meat and vegetables of life. Or, we can go the other way and say, as someone once said, "Life is short...eat desert first!" Now, that might taste good momentarily, but, well, it shows a certain philosophy, doesn't it? I suggest we take the first option and forego the second.
I believe that in order to live a full, satisfying, and good life, then, we ought to pay attention to what God teaches us through His Holy Bible, His other children placed into our lives to help us, and to that all important still, small voice which speaks directly into our hearts and minds.
That, I think, is a good life.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
He's Still Working On You
Good Morning,
Philippians 1:6 (NASB)
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Today we read one of my favorite Bible verses. A verse which gives me a huge amount of hope when things aren't going as I wished they were, when life seems to be getting more and more difficult each day. These words help me when I seem to be spinning my wheels and just not getting the things done that I feel I should be getting done. This thought from Paul about how God is still working on me...when I surely know I need more work done on me.
I would pray that we all take these words to heart and remember them when what we're doing doesn't seem to be very effective. Yes, we'd all like to be perfect in what we do, and especially in those things we do in service to the Lord. But, the fact is, we're NOT perfect, and we will never BE perfect...in this life. That doesn't mean, however, that God isn't still working His miracles inside us to do what we are called to do. Not achieving the degree of expertise in some ministry that we feel we should have, doesn't mean that we don't go ahead and take on or continue in that ministry, because that's when God will do His greatest work in us. As Paul also said, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:10) He said this, of course, because he knew that God would continue to do the work needed in him. Paul did have that sincere belief and hope...just as we should have.
Take these words and etch them into your mind and heart today. God is NOT done with you! He's not done working on any of us and He will, as we read, "perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Philippians 1:6 (NASB)
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Today we read one of my favorite Bible verses. A verse which gives me a huge amount of hope when things aren't going as I wished they were, when life seems to be getting more and more difficult each day. These words help me when I seem to be spinning my wheels and just not getting the things done that I feel I should be getting done. This thought from Paul about how God is still working on me...when I surely know I need more work done on me.
I would pray that we all take these words to heart and remember them when what we're doing doesn't seem to be very effective. Yes, we'd all like to be perfect in what we do, and especially in those things we do in service to the Lord. But, the fact is, we're NOT perfect, and we will never BE perfect...in this life. That doesn't mean, however, that God isn't still working His miracles inside us to do what we are called to do. Not achieving the degree of expertise in some ministry that we feel we should have, doesn't mean that we don't go ahead and take on or continue in that ministry, because that's when God will do His greatest work in us. As Paul also said, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:10) He said this, of course, because he knew that God would continue to do the work needed in him. Paul did have that sincere belief and hope...just as we should have.
Take these words and etch them into your mind and heart today. God is NOT done with you! He's not done working on any of us and He will, as we read, "perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Fasting
Good Morning,
Daniel 1:8-17 (NIV)
Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."
Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
John 8:44 (NIV)
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
I know that many of us have been asked about the "why" of fasting and prayer that we undertake from time to time. I think that in reading the verses in Daniel today we have at least one excellent reason for taking on a fast. Daniel told the official in charge of him and his friends that they chose not to partake of the "royal food and wine" that were to be given as their sustenance. Daniel decided for himself and his friends to undertake a fast of only eating vegetables and drinking water. God honored them in doing this..."not to defile himself in this way" by eating the rich foods and drinking the wine that was offered...by showing at the end of the ten days He had more than supplied necessary nutrition to them, as we read, "At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food." You see, God DID provide all that was needed for their health and well being. God also rewarded these young men who honored Him by not defiling their bodies. He gave to them something that is beyond wealth or fortune, He gave to them knowledge and understanding...and to Daniel, the understanding of visions and dreams.
This, the "knowledge and understanding" is the reward that can be ours, as well, when we decide to take on a fast in honor and in worship of God. This is what the answer is to the "why" of that question about fasting and prayer. Now, that's not to say that those who ask this will understand, but I think that it shows there is something well worth while for our efforts. Even worldly people can comprehend something when there is a reason given. They may not agree, but it's not up to us to convince them. That's God's job.
So, what does the verse in John have to do with Daniel and fasting? On the surface, I guess, it would appear that they are not really related. But, it is here today to show us that there is also a reason for people to question our rationale about taking on a fast and prayer time in our lives. You see, many who will ask us and question our motives are speaking for the enemy and are simply trying to put doubts into our minds and have us abandon what they are telling us is a useless undertaking. The devil does NOT want to see us succeed in a time of fasting and prayer. He hates it when we honor God in any way and especially in this way...fasting and prayer. So, this verse from John is here to remind us that there will be those who will attempt to have us waver and be uncertain during times of fast and prayer. The devil is a liar. He uses people to lie to us. He convinces them, easily it seems, that what we are doing is foolish and then has them come to us to try to place uncertainty and misgivings into our minds. He is, as we read, "a liar and the father of lies." This, I think, is the reason that we are questioned and even ridiculed when we undertake worship in the manner of fasting and prayer.
Now, one last thing about fasting. It works! It works in more ways than one. Yes, it does, truly, give us a much more spiritual and personal understanding of Scripture and even the world. But, let's not forget, it also makes us healthier in our bodies, just as it did to Daniel and his friends. I know, I tried it...it did work.
It's more than worth any effort or short lived discomfort. Honest.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Daniel 1:8-17 (NIV)
Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."
Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
John 8:44 (NIV)
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
I know that many of us have been asked about the "why" of fasting and prayer that we undertake from time to time. I think that in reading the verses in Daniel today we have at least one excellent reason for taking on a fast. Daniel told the official in charge of him and his friends that they chose not to partake of the "royal food and wine" that were to be given as their sustenance. Daniel decided for himself and his friends to undertake a fast of only eating vegetables and drinking water. God honored them in doing this..."not to defile himself in this way" by eating the rich foods and drinking the wine that was offered...by showing at the end of the ten days He had more than supplied necessary nutrition to them, as we read, "At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food." You see, God DID provide all that was needed for their health and well being. God also rewarded these young men who honored Him by not defiling their bodies. He gave to them something that is beyond wealth or fortune, He gave to them knowledge and understanding...and to Daniel, the understanding of visions and dreams.
This, the "knowledge and understanding" is the reward that can be ours, as well, when we decide to take on a fast in honor and in worship of God. This is what the answer is to the "why" of that question about fasting and prayer. Now, that's not to say that those who ask this will understand, but I think that it shows there is something well worth while for our efforts. Even worldly people can comprehend something when there is a reason given. They may not agree, but it's not up to us to convince them. That's God's job.
So, what does the verse in John have to do with Daniel and fasting? On the surface, I guess, it would appear that they are not really related. But, it is here today to show us that there is also a reason for people to question our rationale about taking on a fast and prayer time in our lives. You see, many who will ask us and question our motives are speaking for the enemy and are simply trying to put doubts into our minds and have us abandon what they are telling us is a useless undertaking. The devil does NOT want to see us succeed in a time of fasting and prayer. He hates it when we honor God in any way and especially in this way...fasting and prayer. So, this verse from John is here to remind us that there will be those who will attempt to have us waver and be uncertain during times of fast and prayer. The devil is a liar. He uses people to lie to us. He convinces them, easily it seems, that what we are doing is foolish and then has them come to us to try to place uncertainty and misgivings into our minds. He is, as we read, "a liar and the father of lies." This, I think, is the reason that we are questioned and even ridiculed when we undertake worship in the manner of fasting and prayer.
Now, one last thing about fasting. It works! It works in more ways than one. Yes, it does, truly, give us a much more spiritual and personal understanding of Scripture and even the world. But, let's not forget, it also makes us healthier in our bodies, just as it did to Daniel and his friends. I know, I tried it...it did work.
It's more than worth any effort or short lived discomfort. Honest.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Monday, May 11, 2009
Remember Who it is at work
Good Morning,
Philippians 2:13-16 (NIV)
For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
There are a couple of things we should look at in these verses that we read today. First and foremost...and definitely the most important...is the fact that "...it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Now, I know, and I'm sure you are aware also, that the world is out there doing it's work on us simultaneously with what God is doing in us. So, we have conflict, we Christians, in our lives...pretty much all the time. We have conflict because the work that God is doing in us...His will and His purpose...just goes against what the world is saying to us and trying to have us do. If we look just a bit further we read the words..."in a crooked and depraved generation"...which tells us quite a lot about the world in which we live. Here's the deal: We've got to recognize this conflict between God's will and purpose and the world's wills and purposes in our lives. We have to have a mind that can see and understand what it is that God would have us to do. Sometimes that just isn't very easy, because, well, sometimes what the world has in front of us just looks too good and it's so very tempting. So, when we see something that seems a bit too good to be true, then, more than likely it IS too good to be true...it's a lie and a deception being given to us by the enemy. What God has for us usually requires that we actually have to do something and put some effort out to get accomplished. Remember what Jesus taught us, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Mat. 7:13-14) It's that wide, easy gate and broad road that the world puts in front of us. You see, that road and gate is, simply put, too good to be true.
The other thing that we should get from these verses today is what Paul says about our attitude and the way we carry out God's will and purpose. "Do everything without complaining or arguing..." That's a rather tough one, isn't it? After all, most of us have been brought up seeing almost nothing BUT arguing and complaining! Even in our various congregations and in those who are trying to do God's will and carry out His purpose. We hear about the sermon that was too long or the fact that the air conditioner wasn't set cold enough...or too cold. We look and see people who can't agree on where to put the tables for that afternoon's picnic or which tree to hang the new swing. Our ears are inundated, almost at every turn, with words that are anything but conciliatory, peaceful, or comforting, but are filled with complaints and arguments...usually about nothing at all of any consequence. You see, my friends, complaints and arguments are the work of the enemy. If we're always having words with one another about inconsequential things, then we can't "shine like the stars in the universe" when observed by "a crooked and depraved" world. When we're against one another about silly things, then we look no different that what the world sees all the time.
Once we fully understand that it is God who is working in each of us to accomplish His will so that we act according to His good purposes in our lives, and if we will keep away from arguments and complaints that seem to come at every turn, then we can truly and effectively "hold out the word of life"...present the Gospel of the Lord in a way that will be listened to and heeded. This because we will NOT be like the rest of the world around us. But, we will be different and people will want to know the Why of our differences from them. That difference, of course, is Jesus Christ.
So, we need to remember Who it is at work in us...God Almighty. Then, let us turn away from complaints and arguments. Finally, we must present ourselves in such a way that we DO, truly, shine like the stars in the universe. Let each of us allow our lives to be lived in such a way that those who have taught us and guided us in our walk with Christ can boast and see that their efforts were not in vain.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Philippians 2:13-16 (NIV)
For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
There are a couple of things we should look at in these verses that we read today. First and foremost...and definitely the most important...is the fact that "...it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Now, I know, and I'm sure you are aware also, that the world is out there doing it's work on us simultaneously with what God is doing in us. So, we have conflict, we Christians, in our lives...pretty much all the time. We have conflict because the work that God is doing in us...His will and His purpose...just goes against what the world is saying to us and trying to have us do. If we look just a bit further we read the words..."in a crooked and depraved generation"...which tells us quite a lot about the world in which we live. Here's the deal: We've got to recognize this conflict between God's will and purpose and the world's wills and purposes in our lives. We have to have a mind that can see and understand what it is that God would have us to do. Sometimes that just isn't very easy, because, well, sometimes what the world has in front of us just looks too good and it's so very tempting. So, when we see something that seems a bit too good to be true, then, more than likely it IS too good to be true...it's a lie and a deception being given to us by the enemy. What God has for us usually requires that we actually have to do something and put some effort out to get accomplished. Remember what Jesus taught us, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Mat. 7:13-14) It's that wide, easy gate and broad road that the world puts in front of us. You see, that road and gate is, simply put, too good to be true.
The other thing that we should get from these verses today is what Paul says about our attitude and the way we carry out God's will and purpose. "Do everything without complaining or arguing..." That's a rather tough one, isn't it? After all, most of us have been brought up seeing almost nothing BUT arguing and complaining! Even in our various congregations and in those who are trying to do God's will and carry out His purpose. We hear about the sermon that was too long or the fact that the air conditioner wasn't set cold enough...or too cold. We look and see people who can't agree on where to put the tables for that afternoon's picnic or which tree to hang the new swing. Our ears are inundated, almost at every turn, with words that are anything but conciliatory, peaceful, or comforting, but are filled with complaints and arguments...usually about nothing at all of any consequence. You see, my friends, complaints and arguments are the work of the enemy. If we're always having words with one another about inconsequential things, then we can't "shine like the stars in the universe" when observed by "a crooked and depraved" world. When we're against one another about silly things, then we look no different that what the world sees all the time.
Once we fully understand that it is God who is working in each of us to accomplish His will so that we act according to His good purposes in our lives, and if we will keep away from arguments and complaints that seem to come at every turn, then we can truly and effectively "hold out the word of life"...present the Gospel of the Lord in a way that will be listened to and heeded. This because we will NOT be like the rest of the world around us. But, we will be different and people will want to know the Why of our differences from them. That difference, of course, is Jesus Christ.
So, we need to remember Who it is at work in us...God Almighty. Then, let us turn away from complaints and arguments. Finally, we must present ourselves in such a way that we DO, truly, shine like the stars in the universe. Let each of us allow our lives to be lived in such a way that those who have taught us and guided us in our walk with Christ can boast and see that their efforts were not in vain.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Sunday, May 10, 2009
"Come with me..."
Good Morning,
Mark 6:31 (NIV)
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
A couple of things sort of popped into my mind as I read and then thought about this verse of Scripture. The first thing was the fact that "busy-ness"...just being busy, busy, busy almost all the time...hasn't changed much over a couple of millennia. Seems that human beings have always had that problem of too much to see and do, and not enough time for just rest and reflection. I thought, with some wonder I must say, about how Jesus recognized this busy and maybe even overwhelming time and wanted His disciples to "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So, that first group of thoughts was about how we all need to get away from the day to day busyness we seem to be caught up in, get to a place of peace and quiet, and simply get some much needed rest.
Then, the second thing that struck me was that this was Jesus, Lord of lords and King of kings, the living Son of God, who was saying, "Come with me..." This sort of floored me in a way. What I mean is, I can't even imagine the magnitude of being asked by God to come away with Him, by myself, to some quiet place, for rest. As I thought about this, I realized (hey, I never said I was the brightest bulb in the box!), and it dawned on me that God IS doing EXACTLY what Jesus did with His disciples in that day thousands of years ago!
You see, God wants all of us, every one of us...you and me...to do what He did on that day of which we read. Jesus is saying to us, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." This is what God wants us to do on a regular, even daily, basis. And, this IS what we need to do...first to honor God's request of us and second to get that rest that only He can offer.
We need to go away with Him to a quiet place and simply spend time with Him. I suggest it can be as simple as a room in your home with the door closed and just you and He, together, communicating. Or, it can be a walk in a quiet park someplace. Maybe away from the city noises in a forest or woods. Whatever the setting and wherever the place, the important thing is that we get away from our busy, busy, busy lifestyle for a time and spend time with God...and allow Him to give us the true rest we need to go on and be effective for His work and His calling in our lives.
This really isn't something to just consider, I don't think. This is something that we NEED to do.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Mark 6:31 (NIV)
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
A couple of things sort of popped into my mind as I read and then thought about this verse of Scripture. The first thing was the fact that "busy-ness"...just being busy, busy, busy almost all the time...hasn't changed much over a couple of millennia. Seems that human beings have always had that problem of too much to see and do, and not enough time for just rest and reflection. I thought, with some wonder I must say, about how Jesus recognized this busy and maybe even overwhelming time and wanted His disciples to "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So, that first group of thoughts was about how we all need to get away from the day to day busyness we seem to be caught up in, get to a place of peace and quiet, and simply get some much needed rest.
Then, the second thing that struck me was that this was Jesus, Lord of lords and King of kings, the living Son of God, who was saying, "Come with me..." This sort of floored me in a way. What I mean is, I can't even imagine the magnitude of being asked by God to come away with Him, by myself, to some quiet place, for rest. As I thought about this, I realized (hey, I never said I was the brightest bulb in the box!), and it dawned on me that God IS doing EXACTLY what Jesus did with His disciples in that day thousands of years ago!
You see, God wants all of us, every one of us...you and me...to do what He did on that day of which we read. Jesus is saying to us, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." This is what God wants us to do on a regular, even daily, basis. And, this IS what we need to do...first to honor God's request of us and second to get that rest that only He can offer.
We need to go away with Him to a quiet place and simply spend time with Him. I suggest it can be as simple as a room in your home with the door closed and just you and He, together, communicating. Or, it can be a walk in a quiet park someplace. Maybe away from the city noises in a forest or woods. Whatever the setting and wherever the place, the important thing is that we get away from our busy, busy, busy lifestyle for a time and spend time with God...and allow Him to give us the true rest we need to go on and be effective for His work and His calling in our lives.
This really isn't something to just consider, I don't think. This is something that we NEED to do.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Encouragement
Good Morning,
Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV)
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Last Sunday, at the Small Group Leaders small group meeting...(sort of redundant, but I don't know what else to call it!)...we had a marvelous evening. One thing that I came away with, that I heard clearly from the Lord during our time together, was that we all need to encourage one another in this walk with God that we are taking. Something else that sort of came into my head was that we don't encourage each other enough as we go about our daily routines.
So, I thought I'd just look at the Epistles and see what would come up if I tried to see what would pop up if I put in "encourage". What we read today are just a few of the verses that came up. And, remember, I didn't search the whole Bible, just the Epistles. However, what we see here is clear about how we should exhort fellow Christians in this world.
I don't think a lengthy or "in depth" message or commentary is needed about this subject. What IS needed is that we take action on it, that is, that we actually go out of our way a bit and, truly, encourage one another in word and in deed. We're human, you see, and we really need all the encouragement we can get as we try to live a good, Christian life.
Only one comment...The more we encourage and are encouraged in return, the less we will tend to fall and fail in our walk.
Think about it. Then, do something about it.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV)
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Last Sunday, at the Small Group Leaders small group meeting...(sort of redundant, but I don't know what else to call it!)...we had a marvelous evening. One thing that I came away with, that I heard clearly from the Lord during our time together, was that we all need to encourage one another in this walk with God that we are taking. Something else that sort of came into my head was that we don't encourage each other enough as we go about our daily routines.
So, I thought I'd just look at the Epistles and see what would come up if I tried to see what would pop up if I put in "encourage". What we read today are just a few of the verses that came up. And, remember, I didn't search the whole Bible, just the Epistles. However, what we see here is clear about how we should exhort fellow Christians in this world.
I don't think a lengthy or "in depth" message or commentary is needed about this subject. What IS needed is that we take action on it, that is, that we actually go out of our way a bit and, truly, encourage one another in word and in deed. We're human, you see, and we really need all the encouragement we can get as we try to live a good, Christian life.
Only one comment...The more we encourage and are encouraged in return, the less we will tend to fall and fail in our walk.
Think about it. Then, do something about it.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Friday, May 8, 2009
"Make Every Effort"
Good Morning,
2 Peter 1:1-11 (NIV)
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(Emphasis mine, DRB)
Today, in these verses from 2 Peter, we are given a sort of plan, or maybe we can consider it a road map, in where we should go and how we should grow as followers of Jesus. Just as we must give the basics in educating children in our schools, so also must we, Christians, have certain basics in us in order to grow in our walk with the Lord.
Peter first takes for granted that those he's speaking to are believers in Jesus and have accepted Him into their lives as Lord and Savior. I say this because Peter mentions faith as the cornerstone to Christianity. He then goes on to tell us what we should "make every effort to add" to the faith that we already possess. Yes, faith does, truly, come in degrees...that is some will appear to have more faith than others...but, we ALL have faith and belief that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead so that He would be the Sacrifice for all of those who will accept Him.
So, it comes to us what we should do now that we have this faith in the Lord. We are to add to our faith certain characteristics that will mark us as Christians and, I think it's clear, that they should come in a certain order which seem to logically follow in the progression that Peter set them down. Therefore, we are to do all we can "make every effort" to actively seek goodness, then knowledge, then self control, then perseverance, then godliness, then brotherly kindness, then love. These qualities, for the most part I think, are all present in us to one degree or another. But, I also believe that we must consciously strive to add them into our lives in a greater degree, so that we will be obviously marked as Christians. You see, those in the world...those people who have not come to accept Jesus Christ into their lives, are NOT good, knowledgeable, patient, persevering, godly people who are concerned with their neighbor's well being and filled with the love of God. You and I SHOULD BE exactly like that.
Now, as Peter points out, being this kind of person will not come without some work on our part; it will not come without prayer; it will not come without help from God and from our brothers and sisters in Christ. In order to truly make a difference in the world and to be effective in helping to bring people to Christ, we must be willing to do what is needed to BE the person God wants us to be and HAVE the attributes that Peter is exhorting us to have. Now, this isn't like a two week "program" that we can get on and be changed by some "magic" or other. No, this process is life long, I believe. Day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year, we have to deliberately work on ourselves so we can have these qualities deeply ingrained in our lives.
Okay. The good news...
Then, of course, at the end of this section of Scripture, we read that there is, truly, a reward for the efforts we make..."For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." I can't get into your mind and think what you think, but for myself, I certainly want the rewards that we read of here.
All of the efforts we make will be more than worth the work. Of that I am certain.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
2 Peter 1:1-11 (NIV)
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(Emphasis mine, DRB)
Today, in these verses from 2 Peter, we are given a sort of plan, or maybe we can consider it a road map, in where we should go and how we should grow as followers of Jesus. Just as we must give the basics in educating children in our schools, so also must we, Christians, have certain basics in us in order to grow in our walk with the Lord.
Peter first takes for granted that those he's speaking to are believers in Jesus and have accepted Him into their lives as Lord and Savior. I say this because Peter mentions faith as the cornerstone to Christianity. He then goes on to tell us what we should "make every effort to add" to the faith that we already possess. Yes, faith does, truly, come in degrees...that is some will appear to have more faith than others...but, we ALL have faith and belief that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead so that He would be the Sacrifice for all of those who will accept Him.
So, it comes to us what we should do now that we have this faith in the Lord. We are to add to our faith certain characteristics that will mark us as Christians and, I think it's clear, that they should come in a certain order which seem to logically follow in the progression that Peter set them down. Therefore, we are to do all we can "make every effort" to actively seek goodness, then knowledge, then self control, then perseverance, then godliness, then brotherly kindness, then love. These qualities, for the most part I think, are all present in us to one degree or another. But, I also believe that we must consciously strive to add them into our lives in a greater degree, so that we will be obviously marked as Christians. You see, those in the world...those people who have not come to accept Jesus Christ into their lives, are NOT good, knowledgeable, patient, persevering, godly people who are concerned with their neighbor's well being and filled with the love of God. You and I SHOULD BE exactly like that.
Now, as Peter points out, being this kind of person will not come without some work on our part; it will not come without prayer; it will not come without help from God and from our brothers and sisters in Christ. In order to truly make a difference in the world and to be effective in helping to bring people to Christ, we must be willing to do what is needed to BE the person God wants us to be and HAVE the attributes that Peter is exhorting us to have. Now, this isn't like a two week "program" that we can get on and be changed by some "magic" or other. No, this process is life long, I believe. Day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year, we have to deliberately work on ourselves so we can have these qualities deeply ingrained in our lives.
Okay. The good news...
Then, of course, at the end of this section of Scripture, we read that there is, truly, a reward for the efforts we make..."For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." I can't get into your mind and think what you think, but for myself, I certainly want the rewards that we read of here.
All of the efforts we make will be more than worth the work. Of that I am certain.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Wisdom?
Good Morning,
James 3:13-18 (NIV)
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
Most of us, for almost all of our lives, have been counseled to seek out someone who has wisdom to help give us some guidance and direction, especially in our walk with God. One of the questions that many of us have had after receiving this excellent suggestion is, "How do I find a "wise" person? How will I know that this person, truly, has the wisdom I seek to help me?" Today, in the Book of James, we find the answer to those questions.
When we seek out someone with wisdom, we need to look for what James tells us will point out such a wise person. He says that a wise person will "show it by his (her) good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." This, truly, does show who is wise among us. Too often we see people who proclaim their "wisdom" but their lives show the other aspects that James talks about, "...bitter envy and selfish ambition..." Now, these people may have been successful in what they have done in the world. We too often mistake success in worldly, business, or financial matters with wisdom, you see. James tells us that much of this type of "wisdom" can be, as James points out, "...earthly, unspiritual, of the devil."
The people with true wisdom that we need will show "the wisdom that comes from heaven" by their lives which will be, "...first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." These are the kinds of people we need to give us the help necessary in our own search for wisdom.
Now, of course, we can look inwardly to see which of these attributes we have in our own lives. Do we think ourselves as wise? Of truly having wisdom? Then look at what is written and do a sort of "check list" of what a wise person looks like.
Do I live a good life?
Are the things I do truly done in humility?
Am I pure?
Am I a peace loving person?
Am I considerate of others...ALL others?
Am I submissive as I ought to be, as Jesus taught?
Do I have real mercy toward people?
Are the fruit of the Holy Spirit visible in my life?
Am I impartial?
Am I sincere?
Okay. None of us will score 100% on this, I know. But, if we can go over this list of characteristics and find that we are at least somewhat leaning toward each of them, then I would say that we are approaching wisdom. A tough test, isn't it? And, I don't think that any of us will ever achieve perfection in this. However, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive to be all of these traits in our lives. I think it is the striving toward these virtues that shows a person has wisdom. It surely shows that one wants to be favored by God and, thus, helped by Him in his or her Christian walk.
Wise and understanding? Maybe not completely. But, let's not allow our failures and imperfections in this to stop us from continuing to seek real wisdom and true understanding in our lives.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
James 3:13-18 (NIV)
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
Most of us, for almost all of our lives, have been counseled to seek out someone who has wisdom to help give us some guidance and direction, especially in our walk with God. One of the questions that many of us have had after receiving this excellent suggestion is, "How do I find a "wise" person? How will I know that this person, truly, has the wisdom I seek to help me?" Today, in the Book of James, we find the answer to those questions.
When we seek out someone with wisdom, we need to look for what James tells us will point out such a wise person. He says that a wise person will "show it by his (her) good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." This, truly, does show who is wise among us. Too often we see people who proclaim their "wisdom" but their lives show the other aspects that James talks about, "...bitter envy and selfish ambition..." Now, these people may have been successful in what they have done in the world. We too often mistake success in worldly, business, or financial matters with wisdom, you see. James tells us that much of this type of "wisdom" can be, as James points out, "...earthly, unspiritual, of the devil."
The people with true wisdom that we need will show "the wisdom that comes from heaven" by their lives which will be, "...first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." These are the kinds of people we need to give us the help necessary in our own search for wisdom.
Now, of course, we can look inwardly to see which of these attributes we have in our own lives. Do we think ourselves as wise? Of truly having wisdom? Then look at what is written and do a sort of "check list" of what a wise person looks like.
Do I live a good life?
Are the things I do truly done in humility?
Am I pure?
Am I a peace loving person?
Am I considerate of others...ALL others?
Am I submissive as I ought to be, as Jesus taught?
Do I have real mercy toward people?
Are the fruit of the Holy Spirit visible in my life?
Am I impartial?
Am I sincere?
Okay. None of us will score 100% on this, I know. But, if we can go over this list of characteristics and find that we are at least somewhat leaning toward each of them, then I would say that we are approaching wisdom. A tough test, isn't it? And, I don't think that any of us will ever achieve perfection in this. However, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive to be all of these traits in our lives. I think it is the striving toward these virtues that shows a person has wisdom. It surely shows that one wants to be favored by God and, thus, helped by Him in his or her Christian walk.
Wise and understanding? Maybe not completely. But, let's not allow our failures and imperfections in this to stop us from continuing to seek real wisdom and true understanding in our lives.
Love, peace, and blessings,
David
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