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Monthly Archives: March 2015

Holy Week – time to share

30 Mar

Holy Week – time to share

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

How do I plea behind a keyboard? How do I convey to you my heart that yearns for you to know Jesus Christ not only as your Savior, but your Lord? How do I get you to understand that this temporal life is simply a preparation for the next eternal one? I really can’t get you to do any of these things……God does these things….I am nothing but a disciple with a heart for you to have all that I have in that relationship. I am nothing but an ol’ unedjumicated’ country boy that God has extended unimaginable mercy to; granted unworthy grace to, and is stripping all that pride I once lived in. He has pursued me, and I have humbled myself at that realization. I did not find God through study, I found God when he put that inquisitiveness in my heart. If you are questioning God, he is placing that same tug inside of you that he has done for countless others throughout history. You are a chosen child of God and your eternity revolves around your response. Look at the verses prior in John’s gospel; 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. Without arguing deep theology you must understand that God pursues you first; you must understand you either respond or deny that tug from him. What if you think you will do it on your own timeline and yours does correlate with His? You do know that God does not recognize time right? He sees the past, present, and the future all the same so your timeline will not match his I promise you. Repent and believe today!

As a Christian this is our most Holy Week. Over two thousand years ago Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as a king, and was killed by the same people who worshipped him only a few short days later. It was all part of God’s redemptive plan for humanity, but it should stir our hearts at the events that took place. There is no better week to share your faith with someone at work or school; even those outside of the faith know it is Easter, and likely know something about the faith you claim. Many will recognize the most famous verse in the Bible; John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Many may not know the next; 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Right there is the good news, or the gospel of Jesus Christ. All of humanity is lost eternally in sin without knowing Jesus as their Savior. God is a holy God and he demands holiness in his presence. Without accepting Jesus as your savior, you will never be holy enough to enter heaven. You can never do enough good works to be considered holy; only one person to walk this planet has ever been holy, and He told us he is the only way to heaven. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. God has given you, just like he has given me, the ability to show those around you that he is available to everyone. Knowing him is a matter of the heart, a humbled heart that desires the grace we do not deserve, and thankful for the mercy he shows us. God wants to use you this Holy Week to reach others with the gospel; pray this morning for the boldness to share your faith and a deepening of your faith as you realize what this week represents.

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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It ain’t mine to keep

27 Mar

It ain’t mine to keep

Matthew 19:23-24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

It is nearly impossible to condense all the truths taught in the parable of the rich young ruler, especially when you live in a country obsessed and weighed by the monetary possessions we measure ourselves by. We are so pulled by the tug of sin found in our pursuits of stuff, that we measure ourselves without seemingly even knowing it. Houses, toys, cars, cash, all seemingly related to a power we feel in them. We are chasing a power and happiness in them that is of the ruler of this world; we are chasing what Satan wants us to chase, for money is likely our biggest test from God. Money can become our God, even thousands of years ago just as this rich young ruler. You may say you have trouble understanding the Bible, but God has made this perfectly clear. 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. (ESV) I have heard many a sermon on how we value our money; simply put, take a look at your checking account and the truth will be made known.

I have stepped out of the pulpit and back into the business world myself. I am sure that many think in the pursuit of money, which is not true. There are many business owners out there that use their success to invest in ministry and eternal work; they utilize their financial blessing to invest in kingdom work. This is a root of this parable. Are you blessed; are you tithing at your church, or even giving above your tithe? Are you giving back to God out of the tug of duty and being religious, or out of love for what He has entrusted you with? There is an eternal difference in the two. One brings condemnation, for you think you are being saved by your works; the other brings immeasurable joy to the heart, for you are entering into the joy of the Lord by following his example. The summary to this parable is found in the middle of it; 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.” Jesus taught for three years how to follow him, countless examples and clear calls to those who asked. He was calling for us to make him first in our hearts; if he is first in our hearts it becomes easy to follow his example of living our lives with an eternal focus. It becomes easy to give away to the needy, when the world says to hide away for ourselves. It becomes easy to lay down our daily burdens and follow Jesus knowing we are eternally safe and secure there. 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.

The first book written in the New Testament was written by Jesus’ half brother James who did not believe until after he saw his Brother arise from the dead and ascend into heaven. James, by the Holy Spirit, in the first chapter wrote how everything we possess in life, comes from God. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. When you can grasp that all you have is a gift from God, how can you not be moved to pass that gift on to others? The world would tell you to keep it, but they see your heart for your God in the passing on of any gift to them. They want to know more about this God that you love so much to give away what the world values so much. Through the eternal investments in kingdom work the Great Commission is preached. Follow Jesus’ example today and give to the poor; show your love for him by setting an example by which the world does not understand. Through this example eternal doors are opened for sharing the Gospel to a world that is dying and headed to hell. Opening those eternal doors with the financial blessings He has entrusted you with will bring you a joy that no amount of money or possessions could ever attain

 
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Posted by on March 27, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Faith to believe

26 Mar

Faith to believe

Romans 8:38 -39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sometimes, well many times to tell the truth, I don’t know what to say. When I struggle to put together words that just don’t come, sometimes they come out wrong. When I struggle with something that is close to my heart, passion may flow and it comes across hard instead of the love I sought to project. I am the poster child of simplicity; my faith is why I believe what I believe. I believe our God is so mighty that he breaths stars into existence; with that I believe he can control the smallest details of my life woven with a complexity of free-will and sovereignty that my simple mind (and yours too) cannot comprehend. I believe, but I cannot comprehend the complexities of predestination and election, but I know they are part of the Creators design and control and spoken of throughout the Bible. I believe, but I cannot comprehend the depth of a love so deep, that He extends mercy on a daily basis to us that fail him greatly on a daily basis. I believe, I cannot fathom my God sacrificing himself, for even those that hated him. I believe, but I cannot comprehend the depth of a love for us where He condescended himself; lowered himself from heaven to live as one he created, to die a death of immeasurable pain for even those who hated him. I believe he conquered death eternally in that act of rising from the dead to provide the possibility of eternal life even to those who hated him. I believe, but I stand amazed……

In study this morning of Jude, I was led to Romans 8 above. Paul struggled as I to put a pen to the words of the absolute certainty of God’s love for us. My study Bible puts it as our security in Him is absolute. Your faith, the measure of your faith is directly proportional to your diligent pursuit of Him. If you are a Sunday Christian, the depth of your faith is about two hours long; you do the math. God knows your heart, and the depth of your heart for him. The others that may view you as a Christian do not know past the facade. God loves you so much that he extends you mercy by not giving you what you deserve; he loves you so much he died for you to give you grace, giving you what you don’t deserve. The love of God surrounds your every waking moment of every single day; a small glimpse of that understanding will stir your soul. When he begins to stir your soul, you will change from the inside out. You will begin to project Christ to those he puts around you. John wrote about how we are to live as Christians; 1 John 2:4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. This is not hard to do, neither is it a burden to bear. The more you seek him, the more you reflect him. The more you seek him, the deeper your love for, and faith in him. The greater your faith in him, the more you understand even small portions of his sovereignty, and rest in it. Paul had just written in Romans 8 about all the trials of life and how we are to rest in the assurance God is in control of them. Your pursuit of him today will grow your love for him tomorrow. In that pursuit is found the depth of faith to believe.

 
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Posted by on March 26, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

Was he right or wrong?

25 Mar

Was he right or wrong?

2nd Peter 2:1-3 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. (ESV)

Peter was writing this epistle from Rome, likely from prison, and likely awaiting execution for his faith in Jesus Christ. This is his last letter of warning to the church against false teachers. False teaching with just enough truth to sound like the truth, has tickled the ears of the hearers and led thousands to condemnation as a result. Peter writes here in this second chapter how those false teachers are going to pay eternally for leading people astray 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment. When you begin to teach the Word of God, you are held to a higher standard by God; no teacher worth his weight in salt takes this knowledge lightly. My study Bible puts it, “Teaching and learning involves truth and error; it becomes ingrained in the soul. And if the truth or error involves our eternal destiny, the stakes only go up. This is why Peter wrote his second epistle.”

There is more of the world coming into the church that the church going out into the world. The church is seeking to please and entertain everyone; the church is seeking to become politically correct and not offend anyone; the church is bending the absolute truths of God to please everyone; those in authority will pay the price that Peter describes in his second epistle. Do you see it all around you, especially here in the USA? These false teachers are entertaining their congregations while building themselves mansions and earthly kingdoms and asking for private planes. They are seeking to exploit and milk their followers into believing they are doing good, all the while they are headed to hell and taking many with them. They preach sensuality and the pleasure that the world measures by. Why would a preacher torn by how lost the world is in sin waste thousands or millions of dollars on anything for themselves? How far could those millions of dollars for a house, plane, or fleet of cars or toys have gone to help the poor and needy by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ?

You may ask, how will I know if I am sitting under a false teacher? It is simple, and yet divine. If you will pray and study God’s Word diligently yourself, the Holy Spirit will open your heart to the truth. Listen to what God told the prophet Jeremiah that applies to all that will diligently seek Him. 3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ God was talking about all the sins of Jerusalem, but this book of Jeremiah applies to all of us as his eternal people. Jeremiah continues to write; 6 Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. If you will seek Him, just as he was telling Jerusalem, he will bring health and healing. The more time you spend seeking God in prayer and his Word, the greater the Holy Spirit grants you discernment for the world. The greater your discernment for the false pleasure of the world, the greater your discernment for the eternal things also. You are to test scripture with scripture; you are to test those preacher and teachers by studying your Bible. How will you have any possibility of knowing you might be led astray? The answer lies in the Holy Spirit and the diligent daily study of God’s Word. It is there, and only there, that He shows you the difference in truth and error.

 
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Posted by on March 25, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Trust & Obey – There is no other way

23 Mar

Trust & Obey – There is no other way

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”


As a parent what would be your greatest desire for your children to understand about your role as their parent? Let me put it this way; it could simply be grouped into two large headings of what to do, and what not to do. The foundation of parenting is obedience from the earliest age, and even most other sects can be brought under these two headings. Early in life we are simply trying to keep them from killing themselves by countless scenarios. As life goes on many times that is a continual lesson, but it changes into allowing them to grow, but also trusting our advice. So many times our parenting skills come from our own personal lessons, and not wanting our children to make the same mistakes in life. Parenting at it’s core is one of trust; it is bred from the infancy of food and care, to the childhood years of “you will get hurt if you do that,” to the young adult years of self-will allowance with a blend of advice, prayer, and trust. Our Christian growth follows the same pattern; God is providing for us as his children along the same stages of growth into his disciples.

Chapter six in the book of Isaiah is his incredible call into ministry; an incredible call for a tough ministry to preach a confrontational ministry that made him quite unpopular. But Isaiah was faithful and obedient to God’s call on his life; he loved and trusted God so much he knew he must be obedient to what God had laid on his heart. I pray their is a point in your Christian growth that God reveals the weight of sin to you; there will be such a move by just a glimpse of understanding his grace and mercy, your heart will be transformed into obedience from realizing how much he loves you. 5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Isaiah experienced a transformation with a live coal from a seraphim in a glimpse of heaven; Jesus can do that same work in your heart with a glimpse of the understanding of Salvation. 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

Simply stated, if you are not an obedient Christian, you are living a lie. God does not give you the salvation you desire, and allow you to live your life as you desire. He will continually call you to sacrifice yourself for kingdom work. This life is not about you, it is about preparation for the eternal one to come. What did God lay on your heart recently? Was it a sin that needed repentance; was it to serve, or publicly pray, or witness to someone; was it a call to obey that took you out of your comfort zone? The list is countless but only between you and God. You both know what he laid on your heart and if you were obedient. Every step of obedience is another step closer to heaven. Every step of obedience is drawing you closer to Jesus Christ. Every step of obedience shows your God, your Savior, and all those that witness your life here, the level of faith and trust you have in him. Do you trust and obey?

 
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Posted by on March 23, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Read Matthew 25

20 Mar

Read Matthew 25

Matthew 25:10-13 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

This is the summary of the parable of the ten virgins from Matthew 25:1-13. It tells the story of those who were prepared, and those that were not. Those who look farther than just the present, and prepared for the unexpected. Those five virgins that just worried about the day, thinking they were ready, thinking they knew the time, paid a painful price for their error. They left, and were left out of the wedding feast. How much truth does that speak into how we each live our daily lives? How much preparation are we doing for eternity? We must look at our daily lives and ask how each day reflects, or reflected, the possibility that it was out last, and therefore our first, as we entered into eternity…..somewhere.

I am no different from you. I have the same struggles, the same sins, the same tugs of this world to pursue this world. I am currently struggling with reviving a business, and trying to not let it command my thoughts. I am healing from a surgery that has drained me physically and mentally; finally returning to my early mornings with God. That is where I find my strength for the day to do battle with the ruler of the world. All you must do is to watch the news and see the world turning it’s back on God. Does the Bible not tell of God’s judgement on all that turn their backs on him? What if you find yourself ignoring all those worldly signs because you are wrapped up in your career? All you must do is listen to those who seek to sell you on the American Dream. Then you are not be preparing for eternity, thinking of the present even as broad as your mortal life, and miss the immortal reward to those who prepare. If you are out purchasing your next pleasure, and the King returns, will he give you the same reply for the heart that was ill-prepared?

Your world is giving you signs everywhere of the coming King. Matthew 25 gives three examples of people that are not preparing and not investing in kingdom principles and work. Matthew spends the last third of this chapter with stern warnings for those who focus on themselves. Each division in this chapter closes with a warning. 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. These are Jesus’ words; he is returning and you had better be prepared! We all will be asked what we did with the good news of Jesus Christ? How will we answer? What will be the evidence in our lives? Will it prove us humble disciples or hypocritical Christians? God knows our heart, knows why we do what we do every day no matter that facade. Are we gonna leave for oil; are we going to bury our treasure; are we going to be a sheep or a goat? These are questions you must ask yourself and let the Holy Spirit provide the answer as you read Matthew 25.

 
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Posted by on March 20, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Let There Be No Doubt

18 Mar

Let There Be No Doubt

James 1:5 -8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

This passage falls on the heels of James writing about how we handle the trials, or the troubles of life. How God uses them to mold us, shape us, and to draw us closer to him. Somewhere in the midst of them we have likely cried out to God, “why?” It is a natural response from the power that sin has over us; it takes a life of endurance and 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Sanctification is a lifelong process and many times the purification process involves fiery trials of life. James is pointing us to God for the wisdom that only he provides to somewhat understand, or better put to rest in the assurance of his sovereign control. This peace and understanding comes with the maturing process of sanctification, and the patience that comes with that endurance.

When you are struggling with either big things or daily little things, what do you do, where do you go to? I wrote about those secret sins and addictions recently; there is also a plethora of self-help programs, pills, doctors, religions, mystics, astrologies, even the sects of seemingly Christianity that direct you to pray a specific prayer, to a specific person, for a specific problem. Where is your faith in Jesus Christ in any or all of them? Do you say you believe but look to other means for seemingly better ideas? Are you relying on your “fire insurance” but playing with fire? Read the passage above and ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart to the condition of your heart. Are you relying on the sovereignty of God to sustain and provide for your entire life? If not…..you are a double minded man. You are doubting God. My study Bible calls this doubting a divided allegiance, and this double-minded a divided soul; strong words for a Christian to not trust God.

Look at the promise for those who whole-heartedly believe found in verse seven; He gives liberally and without reproach. God doesn’t hold back when you seek him with prayer and his Word for how to deal with life. You pray and seek wisdom understanding he has your feet exactly where he has designed or allowed them to be for that very moment in time. If Satan has been given permission to test you with fire for evil, God means it for good when you seek his wisdom through faith for the endurance to persevere. 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. Satan is defeated, his plans backfired and you are closer to God than you were before the trial. Only, only, only if you have the faith to understand that God is in control. Without it, you waiver; with it your sail is strong and your rudder deep to keep a steady course when those waves tossed by Satan’s wind come rolling in.

 
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Posted by on March 18, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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What is it now?

17 Mar

What is it now?

James 1:2-5 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
Many of us have heard this passage; we remember when the going gets rough that we are to count it all as joy. I heard the laugh, I heard the “yea right.” Our flesh screams out at likely any trial of any magnitude for we want life to be a walk in the park on an afternoon like we had yesterday. Sadly there are preachers out there today delivering the falsehood that if our life is not that walk in the park, our faith is not great enough, and likely they tie somehow that we have not given enough to there church; do not believe their heresy. What if we look at this passage not in the lows of the great trials of life, but in the every day problems of life; the little things that chip away at, or build walls between your Christian faith.

The NKJV version uses the word “patience” here; the ESV version “steadfastness”; the NAS version “endurance.” What common characteristic do these words have? Longevity is a common denominator in all of them. These little things that the world brings to every day life are a tool of Satan to wear us down, to take our eyes off eternal reward, to make us question our faith, or after an extended time our God. He places pressures, anxieties, mis-guided focuses, distractions, countless things that take our mind off an eternal focus. Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. Satan comes at me with anxieties; worry about endless things; worry about everything. The demon of anxiety comes many times quickly; tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. That demon must be fought swiftly, for it’s legions are powerful and can become paralyzing, even to the point of depression. With depression always comes isolation, and isolation has no part in Christianity. You are never taught anywhere in the Bible that you are to do life alone.

What gets you through those every day struggles? Is it a bad habit that you have not realized has moved into addiction? Is it a secret sin that only you and God know about? Is it an outlet of anger that greatly affects family and those around you? How do you cope with the problems of every day life? I never struggled with anxiety until I quit smoking pot every day to cope with life. I am feeling the effects of almost half of my life “coping” using drugs. Thankfully I was rescued and forgiven by Jesus and now I start my day with the One who grants me life for the day. I pray for the wisdom that he gives in the trials. It is there each day that He grants me the patience to meet the day; to face whatever trial I will face with the wisdom and strength found through time spend in prayer and his Word.

 
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Posted by on March 17, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Broken business model

16 Mar

Broken business model

James 4:4-6 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

When I stepped down from pastoral ministry back into the business world, God truly laid on my heart a vision of how to operate the marketplace ministry he had given me. When he first grabbed hold of my heart years ago, there was a transformation of the business into a ministry model as a result of me needing an outlet for my growing faith and heart to share. That same bend has now grown to a vision and a place that the world will not understand, likely go against, and make little common sense to many. Am I friends with the world, the business model of the world, or do I trust the One who created and sustains all that is in the world? God is my CEO, I simply manage the work that He provides.

It is hard to pull passages from this fourth chapter of James and isolate into short ministries. This fourth chapter is all about your heart for the world, or your heart for God. This chapter speaks dearly to me for my testimony is rooted in pride, and James the half-brother of Jesus clearly understands that all sin is rooted in pride. James did not even believe his brother was the Christ until after he rose from the dead. God stirred James heart to the point James wrote the first book of the New Testament. James too simply could not contain his faith and needed an outlet; the Holy Spirit took that heart and helped him pen the words that this epistle speaks so clearly to us today. If you claim the Bible is an outdated book irrelevant to us today, read this epistle and tell me how your heart can be that hard and your mind that blind. Repent & believe!

The scripture after this speaks to that heart of worldliness versus the humble heart that sees their need for God; the heart that sees their sin and need for a Savior from it. A humble heart recognizes the power Satan has been granted in the world; the humble heart sees the sin of the world and their heart for it too. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. If you are a driven, prideful person that has their eyes on some lofty goal of success that is measured by worldly standards, how will you take it with you? We are told in the Bible all measured by the worldly standards will perish; everything is tested by fire, and an eternal fire awaits all here that measured their life by success and not by humility. The Bible tells us that the first will become last, and the last first. If you are desiring to be at the top here, are you prepared to look up from the bottom for eternity to those in heaven? All that matters for your short time here on earth is your eternal investment; your investments in people, prayer, ministries, and helping to spread the gospel to all that have not heard, or those who have refused to listen.

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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Gut Feelings

15 Mar

Gut Feelings

Colossians 1:9-10 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
I still remember early in my Christian walk telling my pastor how I try to trust my gut feelings. He laughed back at me and told me “that is the Holy Spirit pal,” almost like he was saying, “I hope you listen.” Do you? You know right from wrong as God’s creation, but sin has such a grip on you that you seemingly deny it. You can be so lost in the pleasures of temporal sin, that your heart seems cold to the truth that lies within you. These are perilous roads to travel, for only the grace of God can rescue you if your heart becomes softened through the Gospel. That rescue will likely involve pain and a life altering event; a reality that God puts before you of your mortality and your sin. Second chances are no guarantee’s, and sadly many of us think they are, or in my case I thought I would “get right with God” on my own timetable. God even gave me the breath of life that day to even have the ability to think that thought. You don’t get right with God when you are ready, you respond when he reveals himself to you so clearly you know it is God, and you feel this is your only chance. That is the power of God to soften even the hardest heart, to rescue them eternally, and to build powerful testimonies of his grace and mercy for them to share with others still trapped in sin.

After you have responded to the gospel, the work of sanctification begins in your life. God, for every day that he grants you life here, wants to conform you into the image of his Son. He wants you to reflect Jesus to all that you meet; he wants to use you to share the gospel with those still trapped by sin. You were commanded by Christ’s last words to live your life as a disciple, sharing the gospel to all that would hear. Both of these works of God and Jesus are combined with the work of the Holy Spirit living inside of you. God is living inside of you whispering those truths to your gut. He reveals truths to you when you study God’s Word; he warns your heart prior, or convicts your heart after that sin in your life. He shows you right from wrong every day and you either listen and grow closer to God, or you deny you hear him and grieve the Holy Spirit. Once you grasp that it is truly God living inside of you, your life is never the same. We all will continually fail, but thankfully the conviction is deeper and the understanding of mercy and grace grows. Once we understand how great our need for a Savior is, how great sin has a grip on humanity, the Spirit uses that revelation to draw us closer to God.

In study you will find this passage in Colossians speaks to James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. There is an entire message in that verse, but the closer you draw to God through diligently seeking him daily in his Word and prayer, the more you will reflect those attributes and Christ. The less you diligently seek him, the more the reflect him, and the more you listen to your gut. Listening to your gut produces Christ-likeness in you, and that is God’s desire for your life, until he calls you to your eternal home.

 
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Posted by on March 15, 2015 in Daily Devotions

 

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