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You are special too

23 Jun

You are special too

Galatians 1:11-24     For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.(ESV)

You can’t unpack Paul’s story in a OneMinuteMinistry. There is something grand to see and understand in this passage; Paul understood that he was chosen by God, even chosen before birth (vs15). So much of Paul’s early life was a life a faith by works, earning his salvation by his intellect and his deeds; he felt he was earning his way into heaven. He led even unto persecution those that did not believe what he did. His world changed when Christ came to him on the Damascus road. Christ told him of how he would be called to preach to those he had been persecuting, of how he must suffer for His name. Acts 9:16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Paul understood that all of his life before Christ, all that he had experienced and performed, could now be drawn to glorify Christ. God had let him walk down that road of life to ultimately show the grace of God, and the glory of God in Paul’s life.

God can and will forgive all of your great sins you have ever committed. You can never repay or work out a penance plan for the repayment of sin. On God’s grace alone are you provided through Christ the payment of sin; it was all settled at the cross. Paul understood the err of his ways, he understood that God had chosen him, not that he had chosen God. With that tug in your heart that comes an incredible understanding that God wants you. Can you really deny that One who is asking for your heart? All it takes is a humble repentant plea asking for forgiveness by the only Way to obtain it. John 14:6 I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Me.

Today is not meant for deep theological debate on Election. It is meant in the simplicity of the understanding that you have never sinned so greatly, as not to obtain grace. It is meant in the simplicity of how a humble, repentant heart is all it takes to receive that grace found in Christ. That question, that tug in your heart, is God pursuing you. You are a chosen one. You are able to obtain forgiveness; all of your past life can be used to show God’s grace too. He is knocking at the door of your heart, will you open the door?

 
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Posted by on June 23, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Live by Faith

06 May

Live by Faith

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

“Live by faith” is found five times in the Bible. It was first quoted by the prophet Habakkuk, when he was questioning God’s plans; he was not understanding the ways of God to let Judah go unpunished for their sin. He came to realize God’s sovereignty and control over the universe, and he came to rest in the peace of that understanding. Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. These were some of the first words spoken by the Lord in response to his questions. The proud person elevates themselves and their supposed intellect, no need for God. The humble person understands their place under God, and His control over the world; they rest in their faith, and under His mercy and grace.

The apostle Paul had come to that understanding after his encounter with Christ on the Damascus road. His once prideful spirit had been humbled by the power of God. He had come to see how he had been persecuting the One who could give him all that he desired for eternity. He was humbled at a great cost, he suffered for Christ and the cause of Christ for the remainder of his life. Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Paul saw past this temporal life, he saw into eternal paradise with the One who created both. He knew that all in this life was a preparation for the next; in that his faith was strengthened in the small understanding of God’s sovereignty for this life into eternity. When you humble yourself and approach God in that same spirit; God will strengthen you for your time here.

When Paul finally made it to Rome, early in his teachings he began to present the Gospel of Christ to some of the proudest of that days society. The Romans were the greats of their time, and Paul began to teach them of humility and the rewards of it through Christ. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” The power of Christ to deliver us from sin, and eternal rewards from the resting in the grace of God for that provision. When you come to grasp all that rests in the grace of God, the forgiveness of your sin in Jesus Christ, you will be moved to a life that you live by faith in Him. You will live your life by responding with your heart and your actions to that He places before you. You will become an example just as Paul of that which is available to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, the one who came to set you free from all that entangles you, for eternity.

 
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Posted by on May 6, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Intellectual + Relational = Intimacy

30 Jan

Intellectual + Relational = Intimacy

Philippians 3:8-10   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 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

Paul really lays it out of his righteousness before Christ in Philippians 3:1-6. His life before he met Christ personally on the Damascus road was a life steep in religiosity; the false security of obedience to the law. He lived a life full of the pride of his abilities and achievements in the Jewish religion; he was proud of his ancestry, his education, and his zeal for persecuting those who were against his beliefs. He had gained much fame, power, and false success in this pursuit of religious persecution of those who followed Christ. His encounter with Christ changed his life forever, and blessed us with his testimonies and writings of much of the New Testament.

Paul had the best education, and his pride rested in it. He knew the Law that was laid before his people by God, but he did not understand that Christ had came to fulfill the laws requirements that no man could meet. When he came to know Christ, he understood this, and his zeal was poured into spreading that Good News. There is nothing we can ever do that will earn us righteousness before God; only through a humble repentant heart is that free gift attained. With that understanding comes the knowledge of Christ 8b in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. No education can surpass the knowledge that is found in a humble, seeking heart for God.

Paul sought that ongoing power of a day to day relationship with his Savior. This type of abiding relationship is intimate. You can have this time of relationship too by having a true heart for God like Paul. You must give Christ your all; put him at the top of your list, not giving him your left-overs. He knows your heart and he knows where he stands on your list. A true heart for God seeks him daily in prayer and his Word. A true heart for God seeks to be his disciple at work or at play. Those around you should know you are a Christian and wonder what makes you different. There is a freedom that can only be gained in this abandonment to Christ. The freedom is only gained, in the loss of what you once considered gain. 8 I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

 
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Posted by on January 30, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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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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I am second

28 Dec

I am second

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

There is a movement out there called “I am Second” that focuses on the struggles of life we all face, and presents the testimonies of individuals that have found the answer to their struggles in Christ. Stories of lives changed through the Gospel; stories of people that as a result of that change come to realize that their lives revolve around Christ; not Christ around them. Putting Him first in your life means that you no longer live in the selfishness that the world breeds; you become elevated in a way the world does not understand by becoming a slave to it’s King. A heart transformed in the understanding of Christ as the ruler of your life, is a heart that shines in thanksgiving for His sacrifice and provision of it.

The Apostle Paul got it. He understood the sacrifice that Christ had made for him; he understood the outpouring of grace on a person who formerly dedicated his life to going against Christianity. Paul had such zeal for the Law that he persecuted Christians to death. He was in that pursuit of Christ followers when Christ approached him on the Damascus road in a blinding light. Acts 9:4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 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.” Paul had been living a prideful life; he was greatly known and respected in his knowledge of religion. He even was present at the martyr of Stephen, holding the coats of the men who stoned Stephen. This started a great persecution of the Christian church with Paul (then Saul) as a leader.

When Christ came into his life, transformed and saved it, Paul came to realize how bad he was before Christ. He thought of himself as the baddest of the bad. 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. When you accept what Christ has offered you as a child of His forever forgiven, it should move you to a place of humble thanksgiving. It should move you to the pursuit of God and the things of God in every day of your life. It should move you to share what He gave you with others who have not found the answer in Him yet. It should move you to a pursuit in prayer and His Word every day. It should move you to place Him above everything else in your life. Becoming second is no longer the first looser, but is the eternal winner in Christ.

Take a look at this website and the stories of struggles and healing people found in Christ.

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Posted by on December 28, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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It ain’t that bad

04 Nov

It ain’t that bad

Acts 9:16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

This week, last night, this morning, God is opening my eyes through my heart. It has been a tough week of closed doors and realizations. It has been a time in my life I am seeing those around me hurting. Last night in study I came to this scripture above, and the textbook listed Paul’s testimony of these sufferings for Christ. The list humbled me. I have not yet suffered for Christ; I have barely become uncomfortable. This morning in prayer that realization was even more clearly put to me. In all my trials I still have all the necessities and more luxuries than I will ever need. The luxury list has been shrinking, and with it has come a cleansing feeling of the removal of “stuff” that does not truly matter.

Saul had been persecuting Christians even unto death before his Damascus road experience. Christ had come to him in a literal blinding light; Saul could not see but knew he had seen Christ and spoken to Him. Saul had been led to town where he waited for Ananias to come as a messenger of the Lord to restore his sight. That blindness for three days was the beginning of sufferings for the soon to be renamed the great Apostle Paul. The rest of Paul’s life was solely focused on preaching Christ alone. 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The once great Saul; a great educated, wise man in all the laws of the church; had been humbled by Christ on that road. Saul had realized how small he was, and how great Christ is.

Paul’s life changed at the moment his suffering began. Paul went from being a great leader; resting on his wisdom and the power granted to him; to a person focused on the power of Christ alone. He knew his every day rested in Christ’s hands. It humbled him in this realization and he focused his ministry on Christ’s power alone. 1 Corinthians 2:3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. When we suffer as children of God, there may be an underlying purpose behind it; to point us to God. In all these trials of life, may we move to becoming focused on God; on the reward of eternity with Him. To hear what we should all strive to hear upon meeting Him. Matthew 25:21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

 
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Posted by on November 4, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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They still point in the right direction

03 Jun

They still point in the right direction

Philippians 1: 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.

Paul was in prison, and wherever Paul was he was preaching the Gospel of Christ. He was bound in chains and could have asked God ‘why’ and sunk into misery and depression as a result of his imprisonment. Paul suffered for Christ greatly after Christ visited him on the Damascus Road. Christ even sent Ananias to Paul and told him in Acts 9:16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Paul understood unlike many of the teachers today that we will be required to suffer for His name, and all of those happenings can be used to glorify Him in it. He understood that wherever His feet were that day, was God’s Will for him that day, and he was to use that day to glorify God. Philippians 1:12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel.

One of my good friends came to know Christ through a popular TV pastor who is what in today’s terms we would call a ‘Prosperity Preacher’. His preaching is of the idea that if you don’t have all the blessings Christ intends for you now, you don’t have enough faith. But my friend also  is wise enough to see the Truth now; and does not judge that pastor, for he sees him preaching Christ too. Look at how Paul was dealing with similar circumstances: Philippians 1: 15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from good will: 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. Even in the misguided steps of many of today’s pastors, Christ is being preached. If they are preaching Salvation only through the blood of Christ, once you accept that, and your relationship and discernment grow, you too many see their err. Seek God daily with all your heart, mind, soul, body and strength. These things will open your eyes and allow you to see clearly the path He has for you today; and how you can glorify Him either in your blessings or your sufferings for that day.

 
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Posted by on June 3, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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