How to Know God Loves You

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 

To the one who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Revelation 3:19-22 NIV

In case you haven't figured it out, my purpose is to highlight a simple truth found in a given section of scripture and try to make it applicable to us today. I am not attempting to give a full on exegetical exploration and teaching. I am not against that at all. It's just that my desire for these posts is that someone can sit down and in a short amount of time focus on their relationship with God and be encouraged and or exhorted to walk by faith. 

I know the verses just preceding 19-22 are very important and often (for good reason) quoted and taught. I just want to focus on the truth that discipline is a proof that God loves us. In the duplicity of our hyper politically correct culture to disagree is often commingled with hate and opposition. Especially here in the United States. Opposing political arguments are embedded with hate. That's just not how God works. When he rebukes us and disciplines us it is not because he is opposed to us, it's because he loves us and desires that we live in righteousness. 

Think of Christ when he rebuked Peter in Matthew 16:23. Right after Peter's great confession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Peter tries to tell the Lord he couldn't suffer and be killed. We know how the Lord responded saying, "Get behind me. Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Then Jesus taught them about denying themselves, picking up their crosses and truly following him. Later, after the resurrection, Christ re-affirms Peter as a shepherd of His sheep. I know many like to call it reinstating Peter, but I don't really see Christ un-instating Peter. He called Peter out, but, he didn't toss him out. He loved Peter, so he rebuked him and disciplined him. 

I think most Christians, if they are honest, at some time or another, wonder if God loves them. We often struggle because we equate love with thoughtful gifts, romantic longings and warm fuzzies. I know my parents loved me because they disciplined me even when I was seemingly unresponsive. They told me the truth, even when I didn't want to hear it. They said no, even when I begged, threatened or pleaded. I didn't enjoy it, but, I am thankful they did. Now we know that God's love is unfailing and his wisdom is omniscient. He knows the end from the beginning and and he works all things for the good of those who love him. 

So, have you been or are you being rebuked or disciplined  by the Lord? Then he loves you.

Control Is Yours

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 

1 Peter 1:13 NIV

Have ever heard someone say, "Just go with your heart." (Maybe you said it?) You can find the scripture for that in I Fleshalonians. Well, actually, the Bible tells us that the heart is deceitfully and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9). 

I may not be able to control my emotions but, I can choose my actions and reactions. One of the great lies of the devil is that we are subject to our emotions. Acting against what we feel is, according to the world, dishonest. No, acting according to my emotions can prove to be not only foolish, but, very costly. 

The Bible, here in I Peter tells us to "prepare your minds for action". We do need to think ahead. How do we prepare our minds for action? We can choose ahead of time to try to act in humility (I am a sinner too), mercy (Christ was and is merciful to me) and grace (God does not treat us as our sins deserve, otherwise we'd all be wiped out). Remember, we are here to demonstrate the love of Christ to the world, not inform everyone else where they fall short of the glory of God. Control is ours, but we must choose it.

What I Need to Hear, Not What I Want to Hear

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Philippians 1:29-30 NIV

Let's face it, sometimes we only hear what we want to hear. We'll listen to a sermon and "critique" it. Not because it wasn't the truth, but, it just wasn't what we "needed" to hear. Maybe it was but, we just weren't willing to hear it. 

Suffering is never what we really want to hear is part of the plan. But, it is. Barry McGuire wrote a song (From a poem by Robert Browning Hamilton) entitled Walked a Mile and the chorus was

Walked a mile with pleasureShe chattered all the wayLeft me none the wiserWith all she had to sayWalked a mile with sorrowNever a word said sheBut oh the things I learned from herWhen sorrow walked with me

Hearing that suffering is what we need may not be the best news we can hear, but knowing that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28) is what we need to know. God uses trials and suffering to mold us into the image of Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord. Remember Christ suffered for you. 

Link http://lyrics.wikia.com/Barry_McGuire:Walked_A_Mile

utube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilBRJ70LRXs

Choose to Build

"Everything is permissible"- but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"- but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good but the good of others. 

I Corinthians 10:23-24

As a teacher, I know what actually helps students learn. You can do a lot of things to temporarily get their attention, but, that does not mean the students are actually learning the content. Everything I do in the classroom is to help the students learn, to build them up. The funny thing is, kids don't realize that. Now, as Christians, everything the Word of God tells us is to build us up in Christ. Yet, often we don't realize that truth. 

My purpose and your purpose in the body of Christ is to build each other up, to seek their good. It does not matter what your gifts are, your purpose is to seek the good of others. I have been built up by someone telling me, "Good job, keep it up!" and "Get it together man, your wife needs you to stand strong and encourage her." One was kind of a pat on the back and the other was sort of a slap in the face. Both really built me up. 

So, there are a lot of things you can say and do in the Body of Christ, choose what will build other up in Christ.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22

I believe A.W. Tozer said, "Self deception is the worst kind of deception." If I just go to church and change nothing in my life, if I do nothing any differently than before, what's the difference? 

Let's just get it straight. Going to church does not make you a Christian. It's a good thing, it just doesn't mean anything if you don't act accordingly. Putting on a Laker uniform doesn't make me a professional basketball player. It's doesn't even mean I know how to dribble a basketball. 

This is where it gets real. I have been walking with Christ since I was in high school in the 70's. There has been times when I honestly looked at myself and realized that I wasn't acting on what I knew was true. My decisions, my choices, and my actions were not of faith. I was not doing what the Word of God says. I was in sin. 

I'm married. We are going on our eighteenth year. I have a lot of friends who are married and a few that are divorced. If you don't do what the Bible says; love, respect, and forgive each other, I don't know how you can stay married. Honestly, it's usually more about inflexibility than infidelity. The Bible tells us to love as Christ first loved us, which is when we didn't want it and didn't deserve his love. What usually holds a marriage together is when you love your spouse when they are unloveable. 

What do you need to do?

Father, help us to do what your word says to do. Praise be to you in us today! 

THE DISCIPLINE OF NO

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons...No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7a, 11

When I was sixteen my dad told me, "If you want to drive, you can. You just have to pay for your own car and insurance." I was not to happy with that plan because it would mean I wouldn't be able to do sports or anything else. My dad knew that allowing me to get my drivers license would of been disastrous. We lived in Lake Arrowhead and every male under the age of 90 thought they were driving in the Lake Arrowhead Grand Prix. If I would of drove I am sure I would of killed myself or someone else. Literally everyone I knew who drove as a teenager totalled at least one car. When I finally got myself together and drove I at least was trying not to kill myself and dad even lent me a truck. 

Looking back I can see that it was probably one of the wisest things my dad ever did. It was hard for me at the time, but in the end it did keep me from doing something crazy. 

I think that the things that God doesn't allow us to do can be pretty frustrating at times. The discipline of "No" by God can be hard for us to understand, but, God's no's have probably saved us from more than we can imagine.

Father, help us to trust in you and trust you, even when you say, "No". Praise be to you in us today!

GRACE & SELF-CONTROL/ Titus 2:11-14

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us  to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." Titus 2:11-14

Self-control is a lifelong lesson. It is life long because although everyday is connected to the past and bridges to the future, it is new and unique unto itself. Today I will encounter circumstances, situations and people that will be opportunities to experience God and to seek to be godly. 

How does the grace of God that brings salvation tie into this moment? 

How does the grace of God affect the way I respond to each person and each situation and circumstance?

Father, teach us to say "No" and abide in you. Praise be to you in us today!

HOW TO TREAT OTHERS: I Timothy 5:1-2

When I first started teaching I was single and my approach and perspective toward my students was sort of as an older brother. After I got married and had children my point of view changed. I began to see them through the eyes of a parent. Now, part of my philosophy as an educator is that I try to treat each student like I would like my children to be treated. As a Christian and a leader Paul gave these words of direction to Timothy and they still hold good for us today.

"Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."        I Timothy 5:1-2

Paul's basic message is to treat each other like family, like a godly family, because we are the family of God. If something needs to be said, say it, but say it with respect and love. I have been in several situations as an administrator where I needed to "correct" someone. Delivery is everything. Sometimes teachers had much more experience than I did, but, they still needed "guidance". I tried my best to be respectful yet truthful. I even wrote up one of our long time security guards once. I did not do it with anger and gave him opportunities to do what was being asked by the district mandate. Just recently our school got a new principal (I recommend him and think he was a great choice). The security guard came up and said he wished I was the principal. 

So, I encourage you to treat others, no matter who they may be, in a godly manner. God will bless that and use you. 

Father, help us to treat others with love because you first loved us. Praise be to you in us today!