What's Your Message?

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 

Colossians 3:16

Whether we want to or not each of us is sending out a message with our lives. Jesus taught, "A good man brings up good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man things evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of" (Luke 6:45). That is why Paul encourages us to let the message of Christ dwell among us richly. 

One thing I want to point out is that Paul does not specifically direct the leaders to teach and admonish one another. He is empowering everyone. We all teach and admonish each other. It does not matter who you are, you have something to "teach" the rest of us. You may not be a "teacher" but your life can be very instructive to those who are walking right along side of you and God may be using you to "teach and admonish" by your simple acts of faith and faithfulness. 

If you are reading this I am guessing that you are probably trying to store up good things within yourself. Keep seeking, keep praying, reading the Word, singing praises and what is inside you will come out one way or another, to the glory and praise of God. 

The Forgiven Forgive

Who Makes You Holy

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.

Exodus 31:12-13 NIV

Sometimes when we read a verse like this we forget that the point is that God makes us holy. We get caught up in legalism about if wether the lack of attendance is a sin or not. But that's not the real point. The point is that it is the Lord who makes us holy. We don't go to church to try to be holy, we go to church to be reminded that God makes us holy. 

This calls to mind one of my favorite verses: It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV Christ is our holiness and in him we are made holy. Think about communion. We don't take communion to remember what we did, we remember what Christ did, that his body was broken and his blood was shed. In Christ we are made holy.

Quite frankly, I think most of the time when we go to church we are really just going out of habit or to seek a warm fuzzy. We forget that we are there to worship the Lord of all creation, the Lord God Almighty, our Savior and Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who make us holy. 

I Thank God Because...

Lord, we thank you, O Most High, for your love and your faithfulness. Thank you for my family, my job and an opportunity to serve you. Praise be to you in us today!

What are you thankful for today?

Worthy of His Calling: A Prayer

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NIV

Notes from a men's study: You Are Being Built

On Wednesday mornings I am blessed to attend a men's Bible

study. The following is something that ministered to me. I hope it blesses you. 

you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

1 Peter 2:5 NIV

God is building you. You may feel like a stone; hard, dead and stuck in the shape you are in. But, the truth is that God has made you new, made you alive in Christ, and is shaping you into the image of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

You are a living stone, being built by the author and founder of our faith.

The Battle Was Won on the Cross

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 7:24-25 NIV

Tomorrow we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every day a battle is waged within us. But every battle has been won on the cross. Today we remember that Christ paid the price so that we might live by faith in him. 

I think we all feel the battle that Paul shares with us in Romans chapter 7. We wish that we could claim the victory and never have to fight the battle again, but, that is just not the way it is. We are called to fight the good fight and remember, every day, that Jesus rescues us from this body of death. Everyday we are reminded of his grace and his mercy, his forgiveness and faithfulness. 

Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Come...help us.

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Acts 16:9-10 NIV

Paul knew he was sent, so he went. The Spirit was keeping from entering Asia but then gave him a vision of a man of Macedonia begging for help.

Yesterday, I read a post from Anand V at Mamre Gospel Ministries  ( https://plus.google.com/u/0/+anandvmamre/posts )in India. I prayed for them and commented in the post that I was praying for them. He responded by asking for prayer that God would supply their minimum needs. Pray with me that God will supply all their needs in Christ Jesus.

Now, the cool thing is that I can reach out to someone on the other side of the world and in some small way try to help. 

Be an Agent of Forgiveness

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

John 20:21-23 NIV

So often when we think of the Holy Spirit we think of the gifts of the Spirit. Isn't it interesting that after his resurrection, when Christ appeared to his disciples, that with the first breath of the Holy Spirit he empowers them to forgive? 

In a sense, forgiveness is the fulcrum of our faith. We need to be forgiven. We need to forgive. We forgive because Christ forgave us. Everyone around us needs to know that in Christ their sins are forgiven. 

Father, thank you that in Christ we are forgiven. Everyone we know needs to be forgiven. May we be agents of forgiveness to everyone around us today!

He Chose You

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

John 15:16-17 NIV

It never ceases to amaze me that God chose me. My whole life sees to be an enigma. The student that teachers said, "Oh no, not him" who became a teacher. (A middle school teacher of mine literally fell out of his chair spinning around when he heard I became a teacher.) If there is such a thing as Attention Deficit Disorder I still have it. When I was in school a ruler was what teachers used to "help" you pay attention and stay focused. I question just about everything, stumble easily, I'm wrong more often the right, have to do things more than once, learn the hard way, discern mostly with hindsight, remember that I should of prayed first, and I know most of my motives are completely self-centered. 

Yet, Christ chose me. And he chose you...

You Are Always With Me

   The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him...

  "My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours." 
Luke 15:28, 31

God, always makes the first move. His Spirit is the One who works within us to desire to even think about God. If you are seeking God in any way (even reading this blog), that was not your innate spirituality causing you to do that, no, it's the Spirit of the Living God drawing you to Himself. Every thought of God is proof of the Spirit of God within you. God goes out to you. 

It's easy to forget that God is with us. It shouldn't be, but it can be. Yet, the truth is that God will never leave us or forsake us and even if we are unfaithful, he remains faithful. Notice that in the parable it says, "you are always with me." It does not say, "I am always with you." Jesus is placing the focus on the son knowing where he was. Where are you with God? If you are a Christian the answer is that you are always with God. 

Deliver Me, Lord, In Your Great Love...

But I pray to you, Lord,
   in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
   answer me with your sure salvation.
Rescue me from the mire,
   do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
   from the deep waters.
Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
   or the depths swallow me up 
   or the pit close its mouth over me. 
Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;
   in your great mercy turn to me.
Do not hide your face from your servant;
   answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
Come near and rescue me;
   deliver me because of my foes.
Psalms 69:13-18 (NIV)

Father, look upon me with favor. You sent your Son, your One and Only Son to die that I might have eternal life. Rescue me from the mire in my life. I look to you and you alone. Hear my prayer. Thank you, Lord. 

What's Your Anguish?

But what can I say? 
   He has spoken to me, 
   and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
   because of this anguish of my soul.
Lord, by such things people live;
   and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
   and let me live.
Surely it was for my benefit 
   that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
   from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
   behind your back.
Isaiah 38:15-17 (NIV)

I don't know about you, but sometimes (well, most of the time) I don't know what God is doing. I mean, I know his ultimate goal is to shape me into the image of his son, Jesus Christ. It's just specifically, at the moment I don't often "see" what God is about. I have to take it by faith that he is working all things out for my good.

King Hezekiah was suffering from a life threatening illness when he cried out to God. God answered and healed him. It was after he was healed that he could say that it was for his benefit that he suffered such anguish. It humbled him. And humility is when we see ourselves correctly or truthfully before God. 

You may be going through some form of anguish. I am. Like Hezekiah we can only call out upon God and seek him. He will keep us from the pit of destruction and put all our sins behind his back. 

Father, hear our prayers and see our anguish. Praise be to you in us today!

To love (agape) others means ____. Fill in the blank on Fill-It-In-Friday!

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, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)

After mixing together faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and mutual affection (brotherly love) Peter  says to add love. 

Why do you think Peter saved love, agape in the Greek, for last? What do you think agape love means? 

I am going to try something different today. Let's call this a "Fill-it-in" Friday. I need you to complete the following statement. 

Peter places love last for a reason. To love (agape) others means ___________________________________. Help us out by filling in the blank leaving your thoughts and insights in the comment section. Thanks!

ARE YOU PLAYING FAVORITES?

     "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

     Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" James 2:1, 5

I think the bottom line on this is that to God our outward circumstances do not make us more or less worthy of his mercy, grace and forgiveness. Romans 3:10-12 reminds us "As it is written, "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no who does good, not even one."" In God's eyes everyone, regardless of your social standing is unworthy. 

Yet, Christ died for us all, rich or poor. Paul says in Colossians 3:11, "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." The love of God, the forgiveness offered in Christ, is for anyone who will accept it, regardless of their position or circumstances. 

Favoritism can come in many different ways. But, what James was dealing with was the intentional favoritism (what I might crudely call "butt-kissing") toward people of wealth and status. The pathetic thing was that these people were exploiting them! I think the crux of the matter involves faith, as in who or what are you trusting. If you look to the world and its' system of dominance built to make you trust in anything but God, you will always be in bondage. But, if you trust in Christ and view the world from his perspective, you will inherit the kingdom of God. 

James was concerned that this very worldly manner of living was creeping into the church and people were making choices in an ungodly way. In this respect I think James' message is timeless and therefore relevant to you and me, even today. Trust God, not people and treat everyone, regardless of their outward appearance and social status the same, God does. 

Father, help us to see each other through your eyes. Praise be to you in us today!

A FEW GODLY MEN

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:7-8 (NIV)

I have been very blessed to have had some godly men in my life. My youth pastors were both great guys who gave me time and we're great examples of real men living lives for Jesus. Both worked full time jobs while volunteering as youth pastors. How these men treated their wives and children influenced how I would be a husband and father.

When I attended Bible school in England the schools' principal befriended me. I learned that being a leader doesn't mean that you go it alone. His honesty, humility and openness taught me how to love others in a truly Christlike manner.

I thank God for these men and the example they set for me. I saw the love of Christ lived out in these men and their lives. Their lives were real. Their faith was real. The love of Christ was real. 

Father, thank you that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever and his love for us never ceases or changes. Help us to love as he has loved us. Praise be to you in us today!

JUST LIKE A BROTHER

"Keep on loving each other as brothers." Hebrews 13:1 

The thing about close families is that even though they do fight sometimes, they still love each other and pity the fool that tries to get between them. Brothers (and sisters) can argue and mess with each other and yet, will defend each other to the end. 

As Christians there will be times when it is not easy to love each other. That's all right. Think about Christ's love for us. He loves us when we don't love him. He just keeps loving us. His forgiveness just keeps washing us clean. 

I had this student once who just couldn't get with the program. He kept disciplined and finally with just a few weeks left he got it together. He finally realized I wasn't trying to punish him, I was trying to teach him. That's God's love sometimes. We reap what we have sown and it's not good. Christ faithfully forgives and the Spirit teaches and we learn that his love is eternal. He just keeps loving us. 

That's what are love should be for each other. We just keep loving. Our brothers (and sisters), like us, struggle along and we just keep loving each other in Christ.

Father, thank you that you first loved us and continue to love us. Help us to love each other. Praise be to you in us today!

WHAT HAS GOD DONE FOR YOU?

"I will praise you forever for what you have done; 
     in your name I will hope, for you name is good.
     I will praise you in the presence of your saints."
 Psalm 52:9

What has God for you? Take a moment and remember what he has done for you...

I know he created me and formed in the womb. He knew me from the foundations of the earth. He sent his one and only Son to die for my sins. 

He gave me a godly wife and great children. 

Although I am not always aware of God's presence in my life he is always there. 

Just to remember a few...

What has God done for you?

Father, remind us of all you have done for us and open our eyes to see you in our lives. Praise be to you in us today!

BOASTFUL HOPE

"But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast." Hebrews 3:6

Think of Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with you." And I Corinthians 3:16 says, "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" Theses verses teach us the truth that we, as believers, have a special relationship with God where his very Presence becomes a part of our lives.

Christ, God's son, is faithful as the builder. He will do what he set out to do. He came to save us from sin, to make us children of God. Our job is courageously hold on to the hope we have in Christ's faithfulness. To some our hope may seem a bit bold, maybe even absurd. But, we are not hoping in our own strength. Our hope is in Christ Jesus who died and rose again. That same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that God is working in our lives to conform us into the image of Christ Jesus, his son. He is faithful and he will do it!

Father, help us to hold on courageously and confidently to the hope we have in you. Open our eyes to see you in our lives. Praise be to you in us today!

GOD GUIDES, TO THE END

"For this God is our God for ever and ever; 
     he will be our guide even to the end." 
 Psalm 48:14

In Hebrews chapter 2 we read about Christ become our perfect High Priest by becoming like us. Christ, became a man and experienced life as we know it so that he might save us completely. Jesus knows what it feels like to be a human. Christ even experienced and defeated death on our behalf. 

Whatever you are going through, God knows the way. Wherever you are, God knows the way. God will make a way. 

Father, help us to follow you as you lead us through our lives. Praise be to you in us today!