Monthly Archives: February 2012
Good works
I can speak of my industry (HVAC) as corrupt. I have been doing this for 20 years and this is the worst I have seen it. With the downturn of the economy, and industry mandates, the fuel for price gouging fed on fear and outright dishonesty are going to affect every home. The industry is playing on the fear card on both sides, and trying to take advantage through dishonest tactics to make the largest profit in our industry in these tough economic times. I could easily write a paper on this. But the book of Titus speaks just as true today, as it did thousands of years ago.
Good works
Titus 3:4-6 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Paul was writing this letter to Titus to exhort the young leader of the church in Crete where Titus was trying to lead a church in a very hostile environment. The Cretans were living a life of excess, and known as liars, whom in their world I am sure would do anything to make a deal. Crete was a huge business hub, and the people believed in themselves, not God. But yet here Paul and Timothy were preaching of maintaining good works, going against what in their society was the norm. I am sure this was a very unpopular teaching in a society of excess and “liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” verse 12.
Paul and Timothy had brought the gospel of Christ to Crete and told them as in Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. This would go against all the culture in saying that you cannot earn your way into heaven. If we feel as though all our good works, our good deeds, our prosperity will earn Gods grace, we are mislead. It is by the humble acceptance of Christ as the only Way, and the good works that come as a result of the regeneration of ourselves, bring glory to God. Titus 8: This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. You don’t earn it, but you do reveal it in all you do every day to those around you.
The Fog
This morning I was watching the weather and all the talk of the dense fog, and how it would burn off in a couple of hours with the coming sun. I could not help but think of how those statements were parallel with what we read in the Bible. Our time here is temporary, and we do not know when we will fade as the morning fog, but we are guaranteed a pathway into the next life through the Son, into eternal paradise. Are you ready?
The Fog
James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Today you will arise, go throughout your day for probably close to 16 hours, called to the duties of the day. You will follow the order of things, you will tackle the obstacles that arise, and in your mind you hope to overcome all that is set before you today. But what if today was your last? What if today, your life faded as the fog of this morning in just a few hours? How would today be different? Are you ready to face eternity in either Heaven or Hell?
Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. We simply have no idea of when our time here is up. The tragedies of life have struck, and will strike, many of us that forever change us. But they must direct us to life’s futility, and the importance of our limited time, and our preparation for the life thereafter. We are assured of few things, but death of our flesh, and the assurance of a pathway of our souls into eternal paradise are guaranteed. Christ has provided the Way through the security of Salvation to not worry about what tomorrow or today might bring. The apostle Paul saw his time here, and even his death, all as an opportunity to glorify Christ. Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. How could today be different for you?
But God…..
I could write a book expounding on this, and all that is going on inside my head right now. Those of you close to me probably already know and understand, but please pray for me. God is pressing down on me, and I am humbly feeling the pressure.
But God….
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
But God……how many times have we felt the command or conviction of God, and then followed it up with those words? We feel God speaking to us through His word, through prayer, through preaching, through those close to us He has place in our lives. But then ourselves step right in the way, into His way and add those words. They are usually fed from fear of many things, but all fear is fed from the enemy below. God did not instill fear into our DNA as 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. God gives us the security of a sound mind and Satan tries to lead us into believing we can’t do whatever it is that we feel God speaking to us about. That is the spiritual war that rages within you, but you have assured victory in Christ alone.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? We have the power of God residing in us. God is the victor, and possesses the power to only let our enemy have what God allows. It all passes through Gods hands and serves His purposes, but the defeated foe does not acknowledge that he has already lost the war. The peace and security of what we face today is all under His control should allow you to rest in Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! I should have replaced every ‘we’ with an ‘I’ throughout this writing…..for it was for me.
Even at work
This morning I have spent time in the gospels of John and Luke, and Matthew Henry’s commentaries and just lost track of time. I could write so much more on the scriptures surrounding these passages. God can use you where you find yourself today. You are where He wants you for today. It all can bring glory and honor to Him in how you handle the every day. Spend daily time with Him, and you will overflow what He presses into you as a result.
Even at work
John 21:6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
In Luke chapter 5, Christ had called His first disciples while they were at work. He had approached them at their business, and used their vocation to deliver a sermon from the pulpit in the boat to the crowd of people on the shore. Their is also a great prophecy being fulfilled regarding Abraham and the sand on the seashore in the study of these scriptures. After His sermon in Luke 4 he says, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” We have heard how the disciples were called “fishers of men.” Christ called them while they were at work, and used their work for the glory of God. Are you aware, and prepared to glorify God in your vocation? Are you glorifying God now in your workplace?
After His death and resurrection, He began to appear to the disciples. In John 21 Peter had probably sulked and decided “well at least I can return to what I know how to do” and went fishing to earn a living, and get his mind off what had transpired. They had no luck, and were headed back to shore when in John 21:6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.” Christ had returned to them at work, where He found them to begin with. Christ can use where you spend your every day to glorify Himself. It does not have to be from the pulpit to honor Him, it can be how you handle every day with the integrity He instills in you. Do not miss the opportunity he places before you in the workplace today, for much of the workplace is far from God, abusing every ideal for the benefit of only themselves, or the bottom line. Let it be known that you serve the highest line, held to the highest standard to glorify Christ.
A tent of Hope
As I turned on the computer this morning and FB came up, I was thinking of a guy I was talking to yesterday who was working on his house, and how I sure couldn’t be any help with the construction side of it. I then was skimming through my bible this morning seeing where I felt led to spend some time, and I came upon the title “Assurance of the Resurrection.” That sounded like a good place to spend some time, and I laughed as I saw these passages speaking of our “tent” or earthly bodies. It struck me of how they can be called a tent, which is the simplest of structures. Then the passages evolved into the hope that resides in us, and a wonderful time in God’s word it has been this morning. I pray that you too possess that hope, and groan for eternity, with Him.
A tent of Hope
2 Corinthians 5:1-2 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,
You wouldn’t want me to build you anything. There are many things I can do, but building anything structural will have many flaws. I am stubborn enough to continue to try, but my hands and gifts do no include carpentry. God does not build, God speaks into existence. We simply cannot wrap our minds around that, but He even speaks of our grand design bodies as a tent. If a tent is the simplest of structures, how grand will our eternal bodies be with Him in a heavenly paradise? We have been promised in John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
But in these passages Paul is really speaking of our longing to be in heaven with Christ, and our groans and desires while we find ourselves here. The hope that rests in us, that cannot be taken away is in verse 7; For we walk by faith, not by sight. That hope that resides in us is a guarantee from God found in verse 5; Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. The hope we have brings a peace about us that the world cannot understand. They find peace in “stuff”, or things they can see or touch, and all these things will fade away or be destroyed. Hope cannot be touched, or seen, or taken away. Romans 8:23-24 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? Place your hope, home, and soul in an eternal residence of paradise with the One who came to earth to provide you the Only Way, through Jesus Christ.
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