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Monthly Archives: April 2013

Only when it works for me

19 Apr

Only when it works for me

Matthew 8:19-22     Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Christ had preached his great Sermon on the Mount; his sermon in response to those who had followed his call of repentance. This sermon was of how to live as a Christian. The large crowd had followed Jesus as he came down from the mountain at the sermons end. Christ had performed miraculous healings, even by only His spoken word from afar for a Roman officers ill servant. Christ was astonished at the level of his faith. Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! The crowds were growing much larger, everyone wanted to be close to Him, to hear what he had to say and to witness or receive the miracles. Many were caught up in the moment of it all.

Christ told the disciples that it was time for them to get into their boats and go to the other side of the Sea of Tiberias, it was much more that departing to flee the crowds. He knew that he must spread himself to all that would hear his words everywhere, but it was also a testing of those that would follow him. Many of us want all of Him when it is convenient, when He is at our door, or our church; but what about when He asks us to follow Him across the sea, across the street, to step out into the unknown in faith? Is your faith real, or convenient? This scripture above points to two individuals who seemed to want to step out in faith, to go the distance to follow Christ, to draw near to Him. Christ spoke clearly to each individual of the cost of discipleship. To my knowledge it is unknown how they responded. How would you?

Christ spoke to his disciples telling them of the cost of following him. Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Christ has called us to discipleship, not to life resting on the grace that came at the cost of His blood on the Cross. Can you claim the prize without running the race? Can you claim Salvation yet continue to live in sin, or let their be no evidence of Him in your life? If you are zealous on this side of the sea with Him, will you go to the other side of the sea to follow Him? Will you forsake all that you have in a temporal life for an eternal reward? What will you do, or the harder question, what will you not do to follow Christ? He may press upon you heart a great thing to gauge where your heart is with Him. Do you follow, or do you walk away? The rich young ruler was zealous, when it was convenient. Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 
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Posted by on April 19, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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It is all about repentance

18 Apr

It is all about repentance

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Christ had been to see John the Baptist who was His forerunner, and been baptized by Him. John was preparing the way for Christ’s ministry by calling the people to repent of their sins. When Christ left after his baptism, the Spirit led him into the desert for 40 days to prepare him for the ministry. There He fasted and prayed, and Satan himself came and tempted Christ in a useless attempt to get Christ to blaspheme God. Then the angels came and nourished Him, and helped him to regain his strength. Christ visited a few personally (Nicodemus & the Samaritan women at the well), and then headed into Galilee where he was welcomed. John had prepared the way, God had prepared the hearts, and Christ was to show them the way; a gospel of reverent fear of God, and the honor of him in the repentance of sin. Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth–to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people– 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

Do you fear God? Do you fear the One who created you, who holds the power of life and death over you and every living creature? Do you grasp the power of God? If you truly begin to seek Him with your heart, He will begin to open your eyes and mind through your heart. When you begin to grasp and ever so slightly understand who and what He is, you will be moved to a holy, reverent, fear of Him. You will be moved to a respect that none other can claim; an honor that invokes fear in your heart of the One who now holds it. As an honor to Him you begin to understand what it means to sacrifice your life to Him, to repent of your sins past, present, and future, To repent daily of your failures and know that you are cleansed by the blood of Christ and given access to the Creator through that sacrifice. The knowledge that comes with a heart that sees God for whom He is, is a  heart that is guaranteed eternity with Him.

It was no coincidence that Christ began his ministry with a call to repent. In the providence of God, John had prepared the way and was removed for Christ to begin. John fulfilled his ministry and Christ honored him saying,  “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11). In that statement by Christ, he points to John as the greatest prophet to ever live, yet he also points out that the least of those in heaven is greater than he. Only through your humble repentant heart will you gain access to the kingdom of heaven also. The gospel is so simple; so simple we feel the need to complicated it. All one must do is to have a humble heart that seeks forgiveness of their sins through the sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave them as an extension of God’s grace to them. Nothing you can ever do will earn it, but you can accept the free gift from God in it.

 
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Posted by on April 18, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

Tick tock, tic tock, tic tock

17 Apr

Tick tock, tic tock, tic tock

1 John 5:18-21    We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (ESV)

John spends much time in this letter pointing to whom Christ was; His deity as the Son of God. He points to how He came to earth as fully man, died a completely human death, and arose from the dead. He was strongly refuting the false teachers of the day that had blended many religions into their own mix. The false teachers of that day were Satan’s messengers sent to try and stop the growth of the early church; to take people’s eyes off Christ and put their own dead pride in His place. The evil one is always at work, and you must understand his messengers sit in the pews or the pulpits with you every week. You must cultivate your own personal relationship with God to discern who are the false prophets, or those sent by Satan to stir up division and cause strife.

In all John’s writings he points us to the importance of our relationship with Christ. He continually speaks of abiding in his writings; abiding is a “state of being”, a relationship so deep that two become one. John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. Our relationship with Christ should be so strong that the evidences flow from our lives. Our faith should be visible to those at work, play, friends, family, and not just those beside us on Sunday. John is closing out his letter with three absolute truths. Three truths that should present the evidences of our faith in our daily routines. Three truths that give us power; power that we know we are eternally secure and not of this world. This world is under the rule of the evil one, and we are not under his power any more. Matthew Henry states, “ They are thereby prepared and principled against the fatal touches, the sting, of the wicked one; he touches not their souls, to infuse his venom there as he does in others, or to expel that regenerative principle which is an antidote to his poison, or to induce them to that sin which by the gospel constitution conveys an indissoluble obligation to eternal death.”

The evidences of Satan’s power in this world are becoming more and more visible every day. Senseless, evil acts by his soldiers to create terror, division, and anarchy in the hearts of men. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. (John 10:10a) Satan almost seems to be peaking in a world gone astray from the beginning of time. Do you wonder what comes next? Do you fear what comes next? If you are a child of God there is no fear that lies in your heart. Death only comes to the wicked; eternal life comes to the redeemed. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b) Redeem the time that you have today to draw near to Christ. Respond to that tug at your heart where He is calling you. Make today a day that you begin to abide in Him, and understand that when all around you is failing, you have no fear because you abide. Redeem the time now, and rejoice in it for eternity.

 
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Posted by on April 17, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Evil Hearts

16 Apr

Evil Hearts

Genesis 6:5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 8:21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

These two scriptures are from before and after the great flood. Yet in these scriptures it also shows the bad news; that the heart of man has not changed. We are all descendants of Adam, and we all are born into sin as a result of his fall at the Garden of Eden. This is an inescapable fact; at your core you are a sinner. You sin because you are a sinner, you are not a sinner because you sin. The evidences of how great our society is lost in sin are before us every day; senseless tragedies from men who pursued that evil in their hearts. They do not seek to forgiveness for their sins, but become so lost in it they become truly consumed with evil. We live in a fallen world as a result of sin, and we are living in a nation turning their backs on God.

Our nation is teaching equality for all, and no absolute truth. We have become spineless for the fear of offending. The backbone that made us great as “One nation under God”, has become broken. Absolute truth is lost in equality and no accountability to God. We must understand as a nation, and even more personal as man, that we are bad at the core, and lost without Christ to redeem us from our sin. “The total depravity of man is seen throughout the Bible. Man’s heart is “deceitful and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9), and the thoughts of his heart are “continually evil” (Genesis 6:5). The Bible also teaches us that man is born dead in transgression and sin (Psalm 51:5, Psalm 58:3, Ephesians 2:1-5). The Bible teaches that because unregenerate man is “dead in transgressions” (Ephesians 2:5), he is held captive by a love for sin (John 3:19; John 8:34) so that he will not seek God (Romans 3:10-11) because he loves the darkness (John 3:19) and does not understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, men suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) and continue to willfully live in sin. Because they are totally depraved, this sinful lifestyle seems right to men (Proverbs 14:12) so they reject the gospel of Christ as foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18) and their mind is “hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is unable to do so” (Romans 8:7).” (gotquestions.org)

Our nation is mourning again for another senseless tragedy by someone who’s evil heart thrives on the terror they create. They kill senselessly and mercilessly in acts of pure evil. They are pursuing their evil heart. We as a nation have turned our backs on God and are feeling the effects of it. Just as when Solomon had built the Great Temple to honor the Lord, the Lord came to him and warned him of Israel’s sin. He warned Solomon personally as their leader, even telling him that He would destroy the Great Temple he had built. But He also delivered a promise to him that would come to a humble repentant heart before God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Let these days of mourning draw you closer to God. One by one, prayer and repentant hearts can heal our nation.

 
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Posted by on April 16, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Hold that thought

15 Apr

Hold that thought

James 3:1-2    Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

The heading in my study Bible for this passage is, “The Untamable Tongue”.  James gives examples of how evil our speech can be throughout this chapter. Of how no matter how hard we try to guard our speech, we will ultimately fail and say words that will sting, judge, curse, condemn; the list of could be endless of the harm our words can be. James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. What we seek to build up can be torn down in one wrong statement from that evil tongue. All we can do is to seek God, and spend daily time with God, in preparation to guard our speech. What we put in our mind comes out our mouth.

Early in this ministry the scripture above haunted me. I looked at my life, and the horror of great sins in it, and Satan creeped in. My list of sins is great, my failures endless, but Satan cannot take away what my Salvation through Christ has given me. That was my life before Christ, this is my life after Him. I take that accountability very seriously of reflecting what I see in the scriptures, for I am an uneducated man teaching the scriptures. I only claim to have a heart for God and the things of God, and try to share with you what you can have in the same daily pursuit. I will be held to a stricter judgement, therefore I must be wholesome in my pursuit. James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

I actually ended up in James 3 as I was studying Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. The references pointed to those passages in James. The relation is easy to see, for what we judge in our minds we are likely to speak with our tongues. We are to guard our minds, therefore God will guard our tongues. God grants us discernment as disciples of His, but with that discernment comes wisdom and responsibility. We are not to become fault finding critics of those that do not appear to be holy; we are to use this wisdom to protect ourselves, not become self-righteous. The more time you spend with God, the more not only the sin that surrounds you is revealed, but the depth of your own depravity before He redeemed you. “Sin has left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”

 
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Posted by on April 15, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Merciful Life

14 Apr

Merciful Life

Proverbs 11:24-26    There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. 25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.

These wise words of Solomon could be taken in many contexts, and the commentaries seem to lead to them speaking to wealth and how we handle it. God’s monetary system operates outside of our understanding. We are called to give when we have nothing to give. We are called to have faith in the knowledge that He will provide for our needs. In this giving we see His hand at work when our wells never run dry. I have lived that experience over recent years in both my business and personal life. It is truly amazing to see the monetary blessings that seemingly come out of nowhere as God provides over and over again; just in time, right on time.

In the study notes we are pointed to how this scripture may apply to God’s mercy. Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. God will place us in situations in our lives where we must forgive many things; we must not repay with what is due. We are to extend the mercy in a similar, but much smaller form that what He has given us. Mercy has been described as not getting what you deserved. Grace is getting what you do not deserve. (Adrian Rogers). Can you look at those situations in life as God looks at yours? Can you forgive over and over again just as He has done and will continue to do for you? This test of our ability to show mercy is a measure of our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We have all heard of the Golden Rule that states, “Do unto others as you wish they would do unto you.” That scripture is Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Can you see how this Golden Rule is woven into those other scriptures? Can you see how that our lives can reflect the God that redeemed us and He is whom we serve? Can you see how a selfish, bitter heart that claims His promises, yet denies those in need is a hypocrisy? How you live your life may be the only Bible that those around you may ever read. A life that extends mercy on those in their time of need, or even those who do not deserve it shows the love you have for Him in your heart. In these selfless acts God is using you to draw others to Himself. Live your life today merciful; for you have life today because of it.

 
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Posted by on April 14, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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It’s gonna be ok

13 Apr

It’s gonna be ok

Matthew 6:25-34    “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (ESV)

I have written in bold print in the margin of my Bible beside this passage, “DO NOT WORRY”. I openly struggle with anxiety and depression, but I do not believe there are many others out there that can say before God they do not worry. Satan is the master deceiver, and a strong tool in his arsenal is the deception wrapped in doubt. When you look at worry in its simplest form it is fear, fear of the unknown. Fear is not from God but from the author of deception and death. 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. Satan is planting in your mind that you have no security; that your life and the outcome of it could fall at any time. He wants you to think you are a failure, and all your eternity is in question. He may even planted the ultimate deception in your head of life without eternity. This is all there is; get all you can while you are here.

It is no coincidence that this passage falls on the heels of the passage about wealth (Matthew 6:19-25). I bet that the majority of your fears fall under the heading of money. Will I have enough to pay my bills; will I have enough saved for college; will I be able to get that new…….; the list is endless in our lives wrapped around our finances. Believe me, my house of cards fell, and the money worries have been a big part of my life in recent years. But God has shown me that he will never fail me; just enough in the nick of time, every time, to do or pay what must be done. God is even letting that doubt Satan is planting to work for good when you are humbled and must look to Him for it all. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. There can be a new found strength and relationship with God built as you see Him never fail you. Satan’s plan was to draw you away from God, but if you turn to God you will come to understand this passage about not worrying. When you worry you become introverted, and when you are self absorbed you are not an effective disciple to spread the Good News that He calls you to do.

It has been proven that worry and stress are bad for your physical health. They take years off your life. Christ told us that in this Sermon on the Mount 2000 years ago. 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Spend today focused on the promise in Matthew 6:33, and do not worry about tomorrow, for you may miss the promise of today.

 
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Posted by on April 13, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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100% guaranteed ROI(return on investment)

12 Apr

100% guaranteed ROI(return on investment)

Proverbs 11:4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.

The first thought that comes to my head when I read this scripture is that old saying, “ You can’t take it with you.” This passage from Solomon could be viewed in many contexts, even the idea of trying to buy your way out of persecution. The seemingly rich may enjoy somewhat power for their short time here, but there will come a day their wealth is meaningless; Solomon described all their hard works as “folly and vanity” here and in the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Solomon had attained immeasurable wealth and wisdom, all as a gift from God. He had  come to realize that happiness was not found in wealth, but in ones relationship with God.

I chased that dream of financial success. I thought the harder I worked, the better it became, and eventually there would come a point that life got easier. There had to be a point that your hard work paid off; a crest that brought balances of finances and responsibilities. If there is such a pivot in life, I failed miserably trying to attain it. Solomon, who was the wisest and richest man in history, failed also.  Maybe you believe you are the one who can find balance in wealth, happiness, and faith; that no rich man before you has attained. You are serving one God or the other, their is no middle ground. Christ made this perfectly clear at his great Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

God has really been working on me for well over six years adjusting my priorities. He first spoke to me through my son, realizing I did not spend any time with him. That was a big part of my testimony when I went against the world and downsized my business in the midst of a booming economy, so I could spend more time with my family. God has continued to sanctify me in the realization of what is important; the removal of all the stuff that cluttered my focus on Him. We are about to sell our big house, and hope to simplify life even more. In this simplicity is found peace. Peace is not found in 90hr weeks to pay for the house, the boat, the car, the next toy that gets your attention. Peace is found in a heart that pursues God and the things of him daily. Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. All you have to do is to put all your focus and energies on God and he will take care of the rest of your needs, for eternity.

 
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Posted by on April 12, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Comfort in this understanding

11 Apr

Comfort in this understanding

Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

It has been a rough couple days. A cold/flu/allergy bug jumped on me, and the worst of it was robbed me of sleep. Last night was the closest I came to restful sleep since Sunday. I have been in a walking zombie state the last 72 hours. I have spent time with God in the middle of the night; I have had God speak to me, but my brain and hands were not connected to write. It was Tuesday night He brought to remembrance Psalm 23. This is a Psalm of comfort, a Psalm where the writer David pens from his personal experience. The concept of shepherds and their sheep were understood in that time. The shepherd was the sole person responsible for everything that was provided and guarded for his sheep. The Lord is known in that sense to those of us under His care also.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us of this promise; Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” The writer was speaking directly to our love of money in this context, but also wanting us to understand how to trust God for more than it also. Our love and understanding of His provision should be much deeper than the financial scale. In the current state of my life, I can see God speaking to me directly regarding this limitation I have put on Him. Our Lord is our provider of everything that comes to us, surrounds us, and is kept from us. There may be those hard things that He allows just close enough, to grow our understanding, but also just far enough out of reach to protect us.

Paul speaks of this comfort from God; this comfort that the world seeks, but only finds in Him. 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. The troubles of the world can come at you in countless ways, but these troubles of the world are not from a heavenly God. In Him is all you need to face all you have before you today. In Him is the understanding that it is temporal, and you serve and will rest with Him eternally. You will possess what others seek, and in that trial you are able to share the love of Christ, and the peace of Christ that they may possess also.

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Get to work

08 Apr

Get to work

Ephesians 2:8-10    For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Yesterday I had three instances where Ephesian 2 came before me. Very early this morning I was tossing and turning getting sick; I felt God speak to me about “In His hands”. I have not slept all night, and have been thinking about what He was pressing on me. In Ephesians Two, the central meaning of the gift of the gospel is stated in verses eight and nine. God’s grace is what allowed you access to Him, through the giving of His Son to pay the penalty of your sins. There is no way you will ever do enough good works to earn access to God. If you think that you can earn access to God, you are saying you are better than the perfect sacrifice He gave; you feel your good deeds outweigh Christ’s blood…..really?

Verse ten speaks of that grace that follows the act of Salvation; you have been born again, renewed by that grace through Christ’s blood and you are a new man. Paul speaks much about becoming that new man that Christ created you to be in his letter to Ephesus. Ephesians 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Matthew Henry writes: “Yet God, in his new creation, has designed and prepared us for good works: Created unto good works, with a design that we should be fruitful in them.” Our new man is created by His hand to live a life producing good works.

The apostle James spoke much about the faith and works debate. James understood that we are not saved by our works, but our salvation is to produce good works. James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. We are called by Christ to produce fruit, to make disciples, to live a life in pursuit of Him. If we live a life in true pursuit of Him, the natural product of that pursuit will be good works. We will feel that tug to share what we now possess as a new man in Christ. Jesus spoke to these good works that a come as a result of abiding in Him in John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. Is their evidence in your daily life that you are producing good works as a child of His? Let there be no doubt that you are called to live a life producing good works to honor His name and sacrifice. That is what His hands designed the new creation for, that has been born again of the water and Spirit. John 3:7

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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