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Monthly Archives: January 2013

Either……Or…….

11 Jan

Either……Or…….

Philippians 3:7-8    But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

This scripture will always bring a reflection; always make you want to take a look at your life from the outside; look in to reflect on what you have held, and do hold dear. What is important to you? For so many of us it would fall under the heading of success. Success typically brings with it the perks of it; material possessions that flaunt our success. Working all our lives to impress those that surround us, to chase dreams of happiness that are never found in material possessions. I for so long lived in this circle of destruction. It is painful to look back at the last 25 years with the labor, the pain, the false financial security, the cost to my family, the cost to my health, the list of damage that fell in the path of empty pursuits under the heading of success.

Paul was very successful by worldly standards. His accomplishments even from birth had molded him into a great man to those that knew him and even in his own eyes. He had gained knowledge and power, and was growing in power in the church; Paul (then Saul) was full of pride. Philippians 3:4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. He had it all he thought, yet he lacked the one thing that mattered; Christ. Jesus came to him on the Damascus road and changed his outlook on life forever. He saw his sin, and he saw the need for a Savior. He became the great apostle Paul who’s life was used by God to write most of the New Testament and give us the example of a disciple; a life dedicated to Christ.

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. You can work 80hrs a week to enjoy your trophies of success for a few hours a week. You can work yourself to the bone, only to have a illness rob you of your plans for the rewards of retirement. You can pour your entire life into the pursuit of success and leave a wake of destruction in those close to you that truly matter. You can also pursue a life dedicated to becoming a disciple of Christ’s just like Paul and enjoy an eternity of retirement in heaven. Will you spend your time here pursuing the eternal, or the temporary? You have a choice to make. Either invest your energies in the temporal, or the eternal.

 
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Posted by on January 11, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Are you worried about what they think?

10 Jan

Are you worried about what they think?

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (ESV)

I love the introduction in my favorite study Bible to the book of Galatians. “In the whole Bible, there is no more passionate, comprehensive, yet concise statement of the truth of the gospel than Galatians.” The apostle Paul defends the gospel and himself as a minister of the good news that Christ has given him. The early church in Galatia had been infected by those who were perverting the simplicity of the gospel; “well yes, but you have to also do this…..”. They were adding to that which needs none. There were and are no works of man that need to be added to the justification by Christ in faith in Him. Galatians 2:16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Paul before his conversion to Christ was an elevated man. He was held in high regard in the Jewish society; he was somebody in his own eyes. Christ had humbled him greatly, and showed him that he was nothing without Christ. Paul had swallowed his pride and lived a life dedicated to pointing others to Christ. It was his sole focus, it be the minister of the gospel that Christ had entrusted him with. Philippians 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul saw the grace that he had been given even as the great sinner that he was. He had persecuted even unto death those that were following Christ, yet Christ wanted and claimed Paul as His own in the free grace He provided. Christ showed Paul that there is no sin that cannot be forgiven, and there is no work that man can do to earn the grace of God.

Paul did not care what other people thought of him, he only cared that they heard his message that God had entrusted to him. His only concern was to spread the Good News, and to suffer all that he must as a result of that mission. Do you have that passion? Do you worry too much about what people may think; so much so that you may remain silent; do you even hide your faith? Will Christ ask you why you were silent when He asked you to speak? Mark 8:38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” If the Spirit living inside of you is prompting you to speak; either to share the gospel; to defend the gospel, or to denounce sin; do not remain silent in fear of what others may think. It is only you who have to answer for what He is asking you to do or say regarding what you have been entrusted with.

 
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Posted by on January 10, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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When to hold; when to fold

09 Jan

When to hold; when to fold

2 John 1:9-11    Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

Hospitality was a big part of Bible times; welcoming strangers into their homes and towns. Throughout the Bible we are told to entertain strangers, to welcome sinners, to show them the love of Christ. Christ even speaks of being that stranger that was welcomed in (Matthew 25:35). During those days of the early church there were many traveling teachers and preachers also. There were groups that were modifying the good news of Christ, and leading people astray. John is warning the believers to take a stand against those false teachers; do not show them hospitality. If as a believer you show them that hospitality, you are being seen as supporting their cause. John is saying to test their doctrine, and deny it and them if it goes against Christ.

In today’s society we are far from an open door for strangers. It was even in my lifetime that doors were never locked, hitchhiking was a mode of transportation, and if a stranger came to your door they were likely welcomed in. Today we live in fear of the evil that lurks in our midst. The traveling teachers and preachers of our day are most likely on the TV, radio, and internet. They fill our airways and minds with their doctrines; are we welcoming them in? Are we testing what they preach with the God’s Word? 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Do not believe every thing you hear. Go to God’s Word and investigate it for yourself.

When you are hearing a good sermon in the pulpit, the radio, or any other means; take notes if possible. Write down what God is pressing on your heart. It may be that you find in your research that God is showing you the answer to a question you had been asking him. You may find that the teacher was wrong in what they spoke. God may be showing you to stay away from that teacher; to not welcome them into your mind as they did in the times of the Bible into their homes. Through your testing of things in God’s Word and prayer you gain discernment. You begin to understand the differences between good and false teachings. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. You know what to hold onto, and what to let go of.

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Love – doubt = Perfect Love

08 Jan

Love – doubt = Perfect Love

1 John 4:17-19    Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

I heard a powerful sermon yesterday on doubt. Doubt is really fear; fear of the unknown, of the unsure, of the uncertain. Doubt is a powerful tool of Satan, for it settles in slowly and takes root. It can gradually grow and effect the outer self. We move in relation to our faith and fears; we act on what we believe. Fear is never a tool of God, fear is always a tool of Satan. 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. My mental strain is a great burden these days, the weight of it commands my thoughts during the day, and Satan sneaks into them with doubt and fear. It is a constant warring in my head of the battle of good and evil. It seems so hard some days…….

John is speaking of the power of love; the power of the security of our future wrapped up in that love. The boldness that we should know and feel in the security of our Salvation in Christ. We should have no fear if we rest in that perfect love that is eternally promised. Our lives here will be full of disappointments in people, careers, friends, society, ____________, you can make your own list. When we begin to place our hope in these things we will surely be disappointed. But when we place our hope in our love for Christ; these disappointments should become expected and trivial. They are nothing but distractions to take our eyes off Christ.

The way to fight these fears is found in the Bible. The Word of God is the only offensive weapon that we have against Satan. Christ set that example for us when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days (Luke 4:1-13). The more time you spend in God’s Word, the stronger your faith becomes and the more power He gives you to fight these fears. Your heart is moved to a place of thanksgiving, and love is grown out of that thankful heart. That love completes the circle to enable you the power to fight those fears. You begin to see verse 19 We love Him because He first loved us. Thank you Jesus.

 
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Posted by on January 8, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Let that burden take you out

07 Jan

Let that burden take you out

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Pastor Alan spoke yesterday of burdens, of the burdens God will place on your heart. These things that tug at your heart can be many things, but only a few of them really grab you. They can create an urgency feeling with them; the need to move forward quickly in pursuit of them. They cannot be hidden from; they cannot be denied because God places them there. When God places these things before you, your focus will change. The things that seemed important will be in the shadows of those burdens. A heart focused on what God has burdened you with is a heart after God and the things of God.

Christ was early in his ministry, and Mark is recording the accounts of his early teachings and healing’s. Mark is describing Christ’s achievements in the casting out of demons, cleansing lepers, the lame walking, and the list goes on. He has been baptized by John and has began selecting his apostles. But the religious of society began to notice that he spends all his time hanging out with the dredges of society. Mark 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” Christ had not began pointing out the sin of those who fancied themselves religious; but showed Himself to those that knew they were sinners in need of a Savior; and possessed the humble hearts that recognized their sin. The pride of the religious builds the wall between their souls and their Savior.

Do you feel comfortable? Are you willing to go out of your comfort zone for God? God will always ask you to go where you feel uncomfortable. It removes the power and pride of yourself and lets God work through your scared humble heart shine. You will see God do things you know you cannot. It is very easy to stay in the comfort of habit; the ease of simple routine; but the lack of the power of God in your life in stepping out in faith is being missed. The commentary of my study Bible says of Mark 2:17 – “In this instance Jesus was speaking tongue-in-cheek when He used the word righteous. None are righteous, though some such as the Pharisees, fancied themselves as such. Instead Christ came to call all sinners to repentance.” Let that burden in your heart take you out of your comfort zone so that you can see Christ really work in and through your life.

 
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Posted by on January 7, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Loosing a battle for ultimate victory

06 Jan

Loosing a battle for ultimate victory

Acts 5:38-39    And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it–lest you even be found to fight against God.”

Peter and the apostles were spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sin that he had provided on the cross. The early Christian church was growing, and the leaders in the Jewish church were taking notice. The apostles were being thrown into prison and brought before the council. God was moving in a mighty way and was freeing them from prison miraculously. Although they apostles may have been temporarily chained, God’s Word was never deterred. The leaders of the Jewish church began to move cautiously, for they feared the power of the people. Gamaliel was a respected leader on the Jewish Sanhedrin counsel and spoke these words in Acts above, which led to the release of the apostles. 40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

Gamaliel was simply saying that if these men were doing this on their own, they would ultimately fail on their own. But he was also saying with what they had seen; they may be under God’s direction, and they will never be stopped. There is no work of men that can stop an act of God. You may feel God stirring in your heart; prodding you to do something. You may feel as though you can’t do it; but in reality you are fighting against God. This I personally know, and still battle myself; following God’s Will for my life. When Christ came down miraculously to Paul in a blinding light, He asked Paul why he was trying to stop the will of God; the one who he was persecuting. Acts 9:5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” A goad was a tillage tool; also known as something pointed. Easton’s dictionary, “against the goad, was proverbial for unavailing resistance to superior power.”

There are so many ways to read what you see and feel God doing in your life. There is only one way to discern what that is. You must live a life in constant pursuit of God and the things of God in prayer and His Word. This pursuit will lead you to understand, and hopefully submit to God. Once you begin to understand, if you deny what you now understand, you are fighting God. There are many stories in the Bible of people who have struggled with God; in fact most of the people who God did great work with battled in some way with Him. This in some way humbled them, and prepared them for God’s work through them. If God is for it; no man shall prevail or win his own war against it…..not even you

 
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Posted by on January 6, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Loving to the point of loosing

05 Jan

Loving to the point of loosing

Luke 9:23-24   Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Christ was speaking to “them all”; all that desired to become his disciples. He was not only addressing the chosen 12, but the crowds that followed him in that day, and even to this day. He spoke of denying ourselves daily, and following him with abandonment. Loosing our lives to a life of becoming a slave to him. There must come a point in your life as a Christian that you realize what becoming a Christian truly means. You must come to the point of the realization of the ultimate sacrifice; you must come to the realization of your need for a Savior; you must remove the pride that builds the wall between; you must be drawn to sacrifice your temporal life here for that Savior to reap the eternal rewards. It is as simple as honoring the sacrifice that He gave you.

If you spending your time pursuing earthy rewards, would you say that you are loosing your life here for Christ? If you work 80hrs per week to pay for those rewards, and give Christ maybe a couple hours on Sunday, where is that sacrifice? How will you answer that question when you stand before Him and God asks “What did you do with my Son?” There comes a time of question; there comes a time for growth; there comes a time for commitment of your life in serving Him. His last words to you before ascending into Heaven was to become a disciple and to make disciples; to spread his name throughout the earth. Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

God has placed you and gifted you where you find yourself today. He has put you in a circle of influence to share your heart for Him. He may have blessed you financially so that you may bless others who are not so fortunate. In these acts of kindness and giving people who may not know Christ, may come to know Christ. How glorious it appears when you give to or for something that is unexpected. That is the heart of a Christian; a sacrificial gift that is bound up in their love for Christ. Loving to the point of loosing their lives to the One whom gave them life.

 
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Posted by on January 5, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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OK God, you asked……

04 Jan

OK God, you asked……

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

I have been really struggling the past couple of months with the inner wars in my head. The struggles that many of us face that are handled in the seen, but warred in the unseen. The struggles of life that command our thoughts even when we do no let them become visible. Like many of you, financial security is a thing of the past. I have seen people close to me deeply hurt. I have struggled in the church I call home. I have struggled with those close to me and how they turn their backs on God. I have struggled when God humbled me in great ways showing me my sin. I could go on and on and make the weight of the list too personal, but we all have a personal list. All of these weights bear down on me; bear down in a place of my mind that begin to affect the outer self. I know this load that I bear is becoming too much to bear alone. I must take the weight of this and lay it at the foot of the cross, daily.

Luke 9:23 can mean so many things in so many ways. It is a personal message from Christ that can apply to every struggle you face. It is broad enough, and personal enough, to apply to what you are trying to face; trying to carry; trying to hide; trying to resolve; trying to handle on your own. Pride is at the root of that sin of selfishness, and it will keep you from lightening that load by letting Christ take it from you. Christ desires for us to share what we face with Him, for in Him is strength to face the struggle He has allowed or designed. Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. All you face in life is not meant to handle alone; it is meant to draw you to Jesus.

I have a deep desire to draw closer to God this year. The last morning of 2012 God pressed down on me the sins in my life; the struggles in my life, many of which are unseen, many of which are in the mind. The inner wars of pride and covetousness are a huge battle I face. These inner wars are only fixed in a spiritual plain, and that is only in releasing them daily to God. In my heart for God I must pray for grace and mercy for the day I face. I must pray for the strength to give up my pride and become humble as a lifestyle. Proverbs 29:33 A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. I must approach Christ every day and release my struggles to Him, give it all to Him, and pray for the guidance to follow His will for me for the day. (Paraphrased Luke:9:23)

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Ya’ got that second chance today

03 Jan

Ya’ got that second chance today

Isaiah 38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.

Hezekiah was a king of Judah, and Jerusalem was under siege by Assaria, and the stress of it was getting to him. He had become sick, and God had sent the prophet Isaiah to tell him to get his house in order, for he would not recover. Hezekiah poured out his heart to God; God heard his plea and did the unimaginable; God promised to add 15 years to his life. God even told Hezekiah that He would give him proof of this and seemingly moved time backwards; Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will bring the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down with the sun on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down. Hezekiah recovered, poured out his heart in prayer, then pride crept in and he failed miserably showing off all his possessions to those who later would steal them.

We all hear of the stories of second chances in life. Miraculous healing’s, near death experiences, times when we know we should have died, yet God gave us added years. “God had something else for me to do; was not done with me yet.” So many testimonies of God’s power in His Sovereign control of life and death. With those experiences should come a gratitude and a mindset of the pursuit of God and the things of God for the rest of your days. Your life should revolve around serving the One who gave you life. There should be a desire to share what God blessed you with for the remainder of every single day. Does it take a near death experience for this revelation? God holds that sovereign decision regarding your life in His hand.

There is so much more to this life; there is the life after. This life is a preparation of things to come, to spend your time preparing for where and how you will spend eternity. Will you take the easy road of earthly pleasure and pay for that decision in eternal pain? Will you see that God has a plan for you with Him in paradise if you will spend your short time here loving and serving Him? All you must do is to believe in His Son, and your need for His Son. Jesus Christ paid the price for your sin, and only through Christ will you spend your eternal days in paradise. John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. It should not take a near death experience for you to be moved by God. He has granted you the breath of life for today didn’t He?

 
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Posted by on January 3, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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How bad to you want it?

02 Jan

How bad to you want it?

Matthew 17:20-21    So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

It is day two of the New Year and most likely the second day of some sort of resolution for you. I  hope that in your goals God is in there somewhere. The last couple of years I typically Fasted during this time of the year. This year Pastor Alan is calling for a 3 Day Fast for the church to do together; to seek guidance and God’s Will for the church, community, and each individual role in it. “God where do you want me to serve you?” The power of a church fasting together and seeking God on the same subject can produce mighty works of God.It is a humble self-sacrifice to honor God and concentrate fully on the time in prayer and His Word seeking Him. Fasting is a way to draw nearer to God; to hear the direction of God; to silence the white noise of the world by whole heartedly seeking Him in prayer and His Word.

We all love Matthew 17:20; for it speaks of the ability of the depth of our faith to move mountains. It speaks of the power of our faith; it speaks of the power of God at work in us; but it also is in a rebuke by Christ to His disciples for their lack of it. They had been unable earlier to cast out a demon due to their lack of faith. They had just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Christ and they were on their final journey with Him to Jerusalem. Their faith must had grown in these days, and Christ was showing them the power of it.; “and nothing will be impossible for you.” Christ was using these last days with them to strengthen them for their work to come serving Him. He again was using analogies with the smallest seed, doing the greatest work, with the inner strength, the inner faith in Him.

Matthew Henry has a great description of fasting: Fasting is of use to put an edge upon prayer; it is an evidence and instance of humiliation which is necessary in prayer, and is a means of mortifying some corrupt habits, and of disposing the body to serve the soul in prayer.” Do you really want to get close to God? Do you really want to seek God with all your heart, mind, body and soul? Would you replace that hunger pain you are feeling with prayer and time in His Word? Would you ask God for spiritual food in the place of junk that you put in your body every day? Are you ready to act of what you hear? Matthew 6 speaks of prayer and fasting; Christ gives us the example of how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 in the Lord’s Prayer. We also receive the instruction of fasting as the private act between us and God. Matthew 6:8 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. How bad do you want to get closer to God?

 
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Posted by on January 2, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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