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Rough week

19 May

Rough week

Ephesians 4:22-24    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.

It has been an incredibly long, stressful week. The demands at work have simply been more than I could keep up with alone; I could have tripled my work force with the demand. It has been one of those Murphy’s Law weeks; every thing that could go wrong did, and three times on a large scale. Anger, anxiety, depression, and temptation seemed to have been at every turn. I seemed to have been tempted to return to my old self, over and over again in so many ways. Satan has been after me this week with a gun blazn’ assault. I failed myself and my Lord in the heat of battle a few times. Conviction set in, and I am thankful for it. That steep conviction of sin in my gut is an assurance of Salvation to me; I know that I have grieved the Holy Spirit living inside me, for I know that Christ lives there. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians tells us of these struggles that we will face for our time here. Paul wrote to those in Ephesus to encourage them of how to live in their faith as believers in Christ; of how to face all the troubles before them with the hope that lived in them. My study Bible titles Ephesians 4:17-24 “The New Man.” I and you are a new person in Christ. We will still face the troubles and temptations of this world, many times direct attacks from our enemy to take our eyes off Christ. Throughout Ephesians Paul points us to how to face them; not alone but in the likeness of Christ. Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. The ultimate goal of God for you is to make you more like His Son.

Ephesians 5:8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. (ESV). This week has been a week to remind me of how far I was from God for so much of my life. This week has been a week to make me realize God’s grace given to me, an undeserving soul. This week has been a week to make me realize I am a work in progress; I will fail and I will seek forgiveness for all my life. Ephesians is a great place to go spend time when you need a reminder of who you are, and how you are to live your life as a Christian. Even when you have a week like mine, you are still a child of His.

 
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Posted by on May 19, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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R12 Christian

30 Apr

R12 Christian

Romans 12:1-2     I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)

The apostle Paul had just pointed us to the understanding of how our entire lives flow through God’s mercy; Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. When we come to grasp the power of God and his sovereignty, we should become naturally bent towards a heart of worship to him. We should be moved with that small grasp of understanding to a life transformed by it. Paul is showing us that how we live our lives is a direct reflection of our worship to Him. I do like the ESV (English Standard Version) of this scripture, for it makes that clear in Romans 12:1.

Paul stresses this point in 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? He is addressing the topic of sexual immorality, a battle that in most of our lives we have faced at some time, inwardly or outwardly. Paul is pointing to the evidence as Christians that we are sinning with the Spirit of Christ that is living inside of us. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Can you imagine the Spirit inside of you in pain when you go against God; when you fall into sin for that small pleasure for a short time? He might say, “Oh, why are you doing that? Do you not see what I have planned for you?” It pains God to see the power that sin has over our lives; so much so that He gave his Son to rescue us from it.

The closer you draw to God with a true heart that desires him, and the things of him, the more you will begin to live your life in worship to Him. You will begin to feel His Spirit at work more and more in you; convicting you of your sin when you fall, and drawing you away from it when you are tempted. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. That is the renewal of your mind spoken of in Romans 12:2. You will begin to think differently the more you seek God. You will begin to discern those temptations and hopefully avoid them. You will begin to seek the pleasure that living a life for the One who gives you life an act of worship to Him. That circle of life in those acts of worship lead to becoming the disciple you are ultimately called to be.

 
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Posted by on April 30, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Hands and Feet

09 Dec

Hands and Feet

Matthew 18:11-13   For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

“Well, I am gonna just sit right here. I am comfortable, and that might cause me to be uncomfortable.” That statement could apply in many contexts to many different situations in our lives. Think of how many times you have not made a move because a move will always involve change. We can tend to get content; we fear change; we get lazy. To step out into the unknown is where faith is. Hebrews 11:Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We can seem to justify by many, and any, means the reasoning behind remaining idle. Satan provides the excuses for sitting still, for that keeps us from experiencing Christ in those situations.

This morning in my prayer time I had the words “hands and feet” on my mind. We are to be the hands and feet of Christ in the motion of going out and spreading the Gospel. We are not to remain idle, or to simply serve ourselves, but to share with those that Christ puts before us. Do you think it is a coincidence that God has put that person before you; and that you are feeling that tug to share? This is a time when you deny yourself and your fear; you step out in faith to share your faith. Hebrews 13:16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. The acts of sharing your faith is the acts that please God. The idleness and denial of sharing your faith pains the Holy Spirit living inside of you. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Idleness is a sin, in fact a great sin to be honest. When the Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation from the visions he experienced; idleness is directly addressed in a terrifying scripture. Revelation 3:15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. This scripture should terrify you. You cannot sit in the comfort of your religion in a pew on Sunday. You cannot grieve the Holy Spirit and not share your faith. You cannot remain idle and not live out your faith; you must let your faith in Christ take you where you would not go on your own. Be the hands and feet of Jesus, and live out your faith in Him.

 
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Posted by on December 9, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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14 Sep

Discipleship 101

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

There is a revival happening at our church right now. They Holy Spirit is stirring in people’s hearts and the outpouring of love and good works is picking up steam. Many people are wanting to know how to serve God in their communities; to share their love for Him and the good news He brings to a dying world. To know how to be more than a spectator in the stands, but to be a player on the team. They want to get in the game of becoming disciples of Christ. It is exciting to witness and be a part of what is going to become a great move of God I believe.

Are you living a life of a disciple? Do you possess that desire to show what Christ has done for you and how your life has changed? We all have a testimony of our lives before and after Christ. This sin filled world has it’s grip tightly on the lost right now. Satan has deceived many through his evil ways; and even those that may feel good about themselves stuck in religions that preach tolerance and that all ways lead to God. They need to hear the truth, and they can hear the truth when you reach out into those you see every day. Your circle of influence is where God can use you today. When God places someone before you, and you feel that need to share, move forward with it. Don’t be scared; He will guide you along the way. When you don’t, you grieve Christ’s Spirit living in you. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 2: 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. There is an outline from God in scripture of your testimony. God loved you so much that He pursued you while you were a sinner just like everybody else. We all have lived for the lusts of this world, but now we can share how we were saved from them. Our good works can be that co-worker who we can’t stand; but we now swallow our pride and share Christ with them. They can see the change in you, that they want to know what makes you different. That simple step in your growth as a disciple will draw you closer to God and He will give you more opportunities to become a light in a dark world.

 
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Posted by on September 14, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Boldly proclaiming

13 Jun

Boldly proclaiming

Mark 8:38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Yesterday two of my closest friends, men that God has placed in my life to influence me, came to the hospital to pray with my family. In my pride I didn’t want them to; I knew how busy they were and I didn’t want to trouble them.  Satan entered my mind with those thoughts. Both of them have followed their hearts  and have become pastors and great men of faith, setting a great example for many to follow. God has used them together and in unique ways in my life. We laughed and shared and learned together about my family history things I did not know. But when it came time, they were obedient to the reason they came; to pray.

I cannot express the gratitude or the feeling of my entire family holding hands together while they prayed for us aloud in that waiting room. What a powerful experience full of emotion, yet one not so long ago I could not have imagined. I experienced this the first time only a few years back with one of them in the waiting room while his wife had brain surgery. As they prayed the prayers even shifted to those in the room witnessing this prayer, boldly proclaiming God and Jesus Christ before them. God was using this scenario, and these men to proclaim Himself to those witnessing this.

Our world now is far from God and needs more people to boldly proclaim their faith in Christ. If you feel that tug to share your faith, and you deny it from fear, you are holding back His Spirit that lies within you. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. God can be using you to give that person before you just the encouraging word they needed to hear. You could be denying them a direct blessing from God; and even yourself at the realization of Him using you. 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.

 
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Posted by on June 13, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Even that?

11 Apr

Even that?

Philemon 1:4-7   I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

Yesterday I was sharing my love for God with a customer. He is a brother in Christ and we were just having a great talk. But the reason we started talking was the prompting of the Holy Spirit to do so. When you feel those nudges inside to share your faith, do you respond or immediately begin to argue why this is not the time? Many times we get scared or “cold feet” when we feel led to share out faith. But we are actually saddening the Spirit that lives inside us, for He seeks to edify and share Himself with others. Ephesians 4:29-30 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Christ told the disciples in Matthew 4:19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” This was and is not accomplished by remaining silent.

God can use you in ways you don’t realize, understand, or maybe even conscious of. In Philemon Paul was making a plea to him regarding someone whom had wronged Philemon. Paul was also edifying him for he knew of his love for God and even had a local church meeting at his house. Paul was pleading for forgiveness for the one who had sinned against Philemon. When we speak with someone it should always reflect the love that Christ has instilled in us. These are accomplished through our deeds also. In 2 Corinthians 9:8-15  Paul is speaking of giving to the poor and sharing Christ with them in doing so; how the sharing of our faith through deeds all brings glory to Him. But it is accomplished in our daily routines of life also. Those every day meaningless tasks that occupy time can are even used by God to draw those surrounding you to Him. Nothing is wasted in every breath of your life if you live to glorify Christ. This life in pursuit of Him will not grieve, but please Him that lives within you.

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Grieving the Spirit

29 Jan
Boy I am opening up a can of worms this morning, but after a long talk yesterday, and a situation with someone I knew was doing something very wrong at another church, God has just really burdened me heavily with this. Probably one of the “great debates”, I have tried to state my views as God has shown me. It is not a popular belief, but it is mine.

Grieving the Spirit

Ephesians 5:18   And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Hard Truth – becoming drunk is biblically wrong. I am not saying here, do not drink, for I do not know the line at which Christ judges, but becoming drunk is simply stated in Ephesians 5:18. There we are simply told not to, and being told that we are wasting our lives away. But apart from that verse, let’s look at Ephesians 4:30   And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  When we accept Salvation, we are temples of the Holy Spirit who comes to live within us. We have Christ as our conscious now. Our conscious is hurting, for our relationship is broken when we give in to that temptation.

Some people think that Salvation is their get out of jail free card. That they can accept Christ, live it up now, and play that card before they die. What if, you die unexpectedly? What a dishonor to the one who came and died for you! Romans 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? An assurance of Salvation is your deliverance from past sins, and your denial of present sins that you know are wrong. You simply do not want to do them anymore. Been there, done that, thank you God for delivering me from that.

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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