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Preparing Sinners and Soul Winners

03 Feb

Preparing Sinners and Soul Winners

Acts 10:17-21   Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there. 19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.” 21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”

My best friend has been called to pastor a struggling church in the inner city of downtown Charlotte. I have been at his side serving. and loving seeing God move and work in the early stages of reaching the community for Christ. I am seeing God bring in people from the community that have a heart and a zeal for God; they are surely to be used by God to reach their neighbors. There are plans of how to do community outreach events in the works; there is the front door ministries; care ministries; the pastor is already beginning the shepherding of his flock; there are many aspects of spreading the Gospel, of seeking to see the church grow. By God’s grace in my current schoolwork I am in the book of Acts, and seeing the plans God had for growing the early church.

God was preparing Peter for the unthinkable of his peers as a Jew. God was preparing Peter to deliver the Gospel to the Gentiles. Jews were not even supposed to hang out with non-Jews, much less break bread to sit and eat with them. God had given Peter a vision of breaking the old Jewish law and eating the unclean. 28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” At the same time God had given a Roman soldier Cornelius a vision of seeking out Simon Peter. Cornelius was 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. Cornelius feared God, but was not yet saved. God was preparing the sinner and soul winner.

God is always at work behind the scenes. He is preparing the hearts of the lost. He is seeking them and hopefully they are responding to His call on their lives. He is working in the lives of the believers. He may be pointing out sin in their lives; he is showing them truths in his Word and prayer;  he is preparing them for his work through them. The Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius and his entire household of faith that day. Christ was brought out into the Gentile world for 34b “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.” The Good News is available for all to have, and for all to share in what they possess. God has most likely prepared that persons heart that stands before you today; to hear the Good News which you possess.

 
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Posted by on February 3, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Better than Wheaties

02 Feb

Better than Wheaties

Philippians 3:20-21   For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

My wife gets to the point of listening to my moaning, that she tells me she is just going to take me out back and shoot me. All of my adrenaline filled antics of my younger years are starting to take their toll on my mid-forties physic. I have worked hard, played hard, and abused my body for most of my life. The aches and pains are the daily reminders of past experiences, and God has his hand in a few that humble me more than the antics of my extended supposed youth. These also seem to point me to the sins I have lived in this body; of the abuse that was more than physical. Matthew Henry calls it “an occasion and instrument of sin”. That stirs the heart and mind when we come to that realization.

Paul was speaking directly to our sexual immorality, but his scripture speaks to how we view our bodies also 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? That understanding of our bodies as a living temple will bend our understanding of how we treat the physical and the mindset of them. It should not only move us to try and live healthier lifestyles, it should move us spiritually to truly see and understand what is important. How we eat, how we exercise, how we  nourish our bodies plays a huge part in how we physically feel, which we understand affects our emotional state also. Simply stated the better we treat our bodies the better we feel as a whole.

That spiritual side of your temple is only fed by time in God’s Word and prayer. That is where you gain that peace and focus of the life after this; the eternal life that will bring the renewed body and eternal paradise. You can spend 80hrs a week focused on proper diet and exercise, but your physical body becomes your own temple, and you are starving your eternal temple. The strength gained in the spiritual nourishment brings about a peace the world cannot provide. Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. We need that spiritual strength and focus to go out into a world every day that is far from God. Prepare your breakfast today with God. It is the most important meal of the day.

 
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Posted by on February 2, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Huh? I can’t heeaarr you…..

01 Feb

Huh? I can’t heeaarr you…..

Psalm 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.

When I pray, I feel as though I must pray aloud. This is not necessary, for God knows the heart and mind before we utter the words. But in my heart, in my mind, unless it is a circumstance that calls for secret unspoken prayer, I speak it aloud to God. It helps my train of thought, it helps keep my mind from wandering, it keeps the distractions of the enemy at bay. It helps me to know my relationship is strong enough with my God that I can say anything to my God. It also helps me to know that their is strength and the power of God in the spoken word.

Psalm 55 is a deeply emotional plea by David; he has been betrayed by a friend and his plea is for God’s judgement on the wicked. David’s prayers are typically passionate, and he is not afraid to lay his true feelings out to God, and the Psalms are full of these emotions. But they are also full of the reassurances that David has in God’s plan for his life; he knows that God is in control. Psalm 55:8 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me. David speaks of the peace he feels when he goes to God in what troubles him; he knows the strength that is gained in these prayers. 22 Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. You can easily see the reference by Christ in this when He told us in Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

There was a time not so long ago I could not imagine praying aloud in front of anybody. Fear was at the head; fear of how it would sound, fear of saying the wrong thing, fear of not saying anything, fear of prayer period. There is no right way or wrong way to pray, period. Your prayers do not have to be full of the religious jargon; many times they are to impress those that hear. If your prayer is a respectful heartfelt plea to the God of the universe, let it be your own words; those many times are the most beautiful prayers. The one thing you must never do is be ashamed to pray, for that sin has consequence. Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. If you feel it, speak it aloud to God and anyone else that he has before you to hear.

 
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Posted by on February 1, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Apprehended

31 Jan

Apprehended

Philippians 3:12-13   Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

It might be easy at a quick glance of this scripture to see a pride welling up in Paul. But it is far from that; it is a humbling revelation of the desire to attain that which he cannot. Paul had spent the prior verses speaking of giving his life wholly to Christ; of seeking to emulate Christ in all of his life. Paul pressed into sainthood as deep as anyone could, yet he understood he could never attain that goal in this life. It will only be when Christ returns and sin is wiped from this world, that we live in perfect union and conformity with God. It is that eternal goal, or prize, that we live our Christian lives in pursuit of. Our lives are bound by our faith, and works that are a product of that faith, are the levels of reward we seek. There is no greater reward that to stand at Christ’s feet and hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

You must understand that you didn’t “find” Christ. Christ sought you first, and you either responded to his invitation, or you denied him. 1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us. There comes with this understanding of His pursuit of you, a change of heart. You may well up in joy and pride of the revelation of Salvation, but a deeper understanding is found when you realize that it was nothing of your doing, but simply a response to a heavenly call upon your life. This brings about a new level of thanksgiving, a deeper desire of grateful service, a longing to give up the things that matter no longer for the eternal pursuit of what does. A heart that realizes that you are a chosen child of God, is a heart that desires to become a disciple of Christ in the pursuit of living their lives for him. Those things that mattered before, now seem worthless.

How much is Christ stirring in your soul today? Are you claiming to know Him, yet not living your life for Him? He gave his life up for you; is it not too much to ask for you to do the same for him? This world will distract you every day in every way from growing closer to Christ. This world is not living for Christ, so are you living for the world, or for him? If you will spend some time in alone with God in genuine, humble prayer; He will likely reveal himself to you and open your eyes through your heart. When he does, you either grow closer to him than ever before, or you run away. Pray and let Christ apprehend your life like he did Paul’s, and live your life in pursuit of him.

 
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Posted by on January 31, 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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As a son

29 Jan

As a son

Philippians 2:22-23     But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. 23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me.

I love how God works. How He will put just the right scriptures before you at just the right time. He will put Godly peers before you with just the right words for you at just the right time. Those who say they do not hear God speak are those who are not seeking God every day. A heart seeking God every day is a heart that hears God. Many of you know what my son Russell has been doing the last couple of days. He has been getting up early, spending time in God’s Word and writing short devotionals. I am in complete awe of God’s work in my 10 year old sons life. In my continued study of Philippians this morning I came to the passages above; of where Paul describes Timothy of his son, and Paul’s joy in the heart of Timothy. Thank you Jesus.

Timothy’s grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice had become Christians (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy had spent 10 years with Paul; traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys; helped start the church at Philippi; and now was aiding and encouraging Paul while he was in prison. Timothy had a heart for God, and his only focus was to further the spreading of the Gospel, and to do whatever tasks where laid before him as a disciple of Christ. In all his years as Paul’s son, he had learned Paul’s trade (ministry), as all sons would do at that time. I too learned my trade from my father; an element that is missing in today’s society in the family and business world. Paul knew that Timothy would care for them as deeply as he would himself. Philippians 2:9 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.

Paul wrote two epistles to Timothy; the first he commissioned him, sending him out on his own. The second letter was Paul’s last words, his last encouragement to Timothy to remain focused on the tasks at hand as a minister of the Gospel. Paul had passed down all he knew to his son. He had poured himself into Timothy, and he had encouraged Timothy to remain focused on Christ. The letters in Timothy always encourage me; they seem to have a very real application side to them; very clear instructions. Paul reminds Timothy that life will be hard as a disciple; but as that minister of the faith he is to remained focused. 2 Timothy 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. As my son Russell said; “You might think the way he makes for you will be as smooth as a baby’s bottom. It’s not. He puts bumps on your road on purpose. Not to make you a lousy driver that crashes cars and has no sense of direction. He does it for you to believe, trust, and love him.”

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Turn the cup over

28 Jan

Turn the cup over

Philippians 2:14-17    Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

The greatest devotional writer of all time in my humble opinion is Oswald Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest). Throughout his writings that truly stretch your thinking and understanding of God; he uses the phrase of being poured out. It is a means of showing his heart of total commitment, of total abandonment to Christ. He holds nothing in reserve, but gives his mind, body, and soul to God entirely. He pours himself into his writings and is inspired by the truths he finds in God’s Word. His writing style is one that you must study, you must slow down to get to the meat of his messages; but their is fruit from his labor of love; you come to understand a truth from God in his humble servant.

Paul is using the phrase because at the time a drink offering was familiar as part of the animal sacrifices of the day. It may have been poured out on the altar, or the ground, but God had spoken to Israel with commands regarding the wine in the sacrificial system (Numbers 15). Paul is showing total commitment to obeying God’s commands and ministries laid our before him. Paul spends this selection of scripture speaking directly into obedience of what God is calling us to do. We are to seek obedience so earnestly that we care not what; where; or how the call. Matthew Henry states, “It becomes those to be blameless and harmless who stand in such a relation, and are favored with such a privilege.” What God is laying on your heart is unique; you are favored in that call.

Do you pour yourself out for God? Do you hold onto that last drop for yourself? Others may not see that you are only giving 75% of the duties they ask, but God knows WHY you are not giving him your all, of the reason why you are holding back or just saying “no”. The only way to get closer to God is to obey the calls that God places on you. The acts of obedience are the steps on the stairway to heaven. Every act in total abandonment draws you one step closer to God. 2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. Paul used this phrase again near the end of his life; he lived this phrase every day of his life.

Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering? (1)

 
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Posted by on January 28, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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WORMWOOD!………. Try plan C

27 Jan

WORMWOOD!………. Try plan C

Philippians 2:12-15    Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. 14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

In the light of this scripture it must always be clear that Paul is not calling for you to earn, (work out) your Salvation. Paul has spent the prior verses pointing to the incarnation (God becoming man) of Christ, and his sacrifice on the cross to provide the salvation we cannot earn. Paul is encouraging us to develop, and work out the experience of the salvation; to draw closer to God as a result of it; to pursue God in all aspects of our lives in a loving response to it. This outpouring of a heart so moved by the realization of it, is a heart moved to service in thanksgiving for it. Even these tugs that we feel in our soul for these good works are planted there by God as shown in verse 13. He gives us these desires for good things; he provides this draw to God and the things of God from deep within.

Satan plants those selfish thoughts that we all battle. The “why me”, the complaining, the disputing, the list of the things that selfish thoughts distract. I have had my feelings hurt a few times this week in simple statements by friends; unknowingly by them, but Satan used them to hurt me. I could wallow in the pity; I could question and dispute; but I could also recognize it as an attack and give it over to Christ in prayer; Satan goes to plan B. If Satan entered the apostle Peter standing before Christ, do you not think he can use those closest to you to plant trouble in your heart? Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” When Satan’s sting comes in those close to us, it is many times more powerful that what we may expect from the world. Knowledge is our relationship with God, and discernment is the understanding our our relationships with each other from that knowledge.

Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Paul reiterates the words of Christ and the example of light. Our world is dark, exceeding dark in these days it seems. Satan seems to be peaking in the mayhem that has become the norm. As a Christian you are a light bearer in a dark world; you stick out in the crowd; you must pursue God daily to keep your light bright. Satan is constantly trying to cover your lamp, to take your eyes off Christ. Know that he is coming with a plan to dim that light and if plan A or B doesn’t work, he is already devising a plan C. You must prepare yourself by remaining close to the light source in His Word and prayer every day.

(Wormwood is a reference to CS Lewis’s book The Screwtape Letters)

 
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Posted by on January 27, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Let your mind be…….

26 Jan

Let your mind be……..

Philippians 2:1-5     Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,(ESV)

Paul had laid out to the Philippians the principle of living a life of humility as a Christian disciple of Christ. He had laid out how they were to be united by love, humility, and the concerns for others before themselves. How they should be untied as a church in these things. Christ had set the example before them, and Paul was pointing to Whom they should follow in the coming verses, when he points to the deity of Christ. Paul begins to show how a great God could humble Himself to the point of becoming a man; to set the example of how to live; to pay the price for our mistakes; to die Himself as a man a painful death on the cross. Christ alone set the standard for humble, sacrificial love.

My study Bible puts it well in the notes of verse five. “Let this mind be: All godly action begins with the ‘renewing of the mind’. Right thinking produces right actions. Our actions are the fruit of our deepest thoughts.” You are what you believe another friend once told me. Once we pursue God and the things of God with a heartfelt desire, our thoughts and actions begin to change, begin to reflect Christ. This is God’s goal of the work of sanctification in you; to see less of you and more of His Son. Christ has told us it is easy to follow his example; he takes the loads we strain to bear alone from us. Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

If we are really wanting to change, really wanting to better our lives in the eyes of Christ, where would we begin? Would it begin with a twelve step program of what we could accomplish if we put our minds to the tasks? Wouldn’t that program mean that our pride is being puffed up in what we can do once we put our minds to it? It would start where the world says it will fail; removing the “I can do it” attitude and replacing it with the “I can’t do anything without Christ” mindset. To really make any change in your life, you must humble yourself and accept that only true change begins in Christ. Paul summarizes these changes that come with a true heart for Christ in Ephesians 4:21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.(ESV)

 
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Posted by on January 26, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Not me………you first

25 Jan

Not me………you first

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

The apostle Paul has been narrowing his focus on the letter to the Philippians for their unity, and their focus on their hearts for Christ. He had pointed in the preceding chapter of those that preached from selfish motives, and those that preached with a pure heart. Although Paul rejoices at any motive of the preaching of the gospel (Philippians 1:18), here he is expressing the problems of pride that come with those motives. Paul is spending time in these scriptures calling for a true self-evaluation; a gut check before God of ourselves; an evaluation that should bring humility every time; an evaluation that should draw glory to Christ every time.

I could go down so many paths on the power and destruction of pride. Pride is at the root of my testimony; pride is at the root of my sin; pride is still the largest daily battle I face. Pride is rooted into so many of us, for sin is rooted in pride from the fall in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:5 for when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God. Pride is beneath many of our thoughts and actions without even knowing it. These self-evaluations that Paul calls for must be daily, for we battle pride unknowingly daily. Pride has brought down many powerful leaders throughout history, and continues to do so today. Pride may be creating the division in the church that Paul is addressing.

With the humility that should come with these gut checks, our hearts should be draw to Christ, and his heart for others. Our hearts should be moved to a grateful, humble, servant of our most high God. We should be drawn to a heart of serving Him in all things, and putting the needs of others before ours. Christ throughout his ministry gave us the example of a servant leader. A servant leader is not a person with deceitful motive, it is a person who’s main objective is to think of others and show them a love for Christ. Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. I have “PFY” written in the margin of my Bible here; Prayed For You. This is a simple text that I send to those close to me when I am praying for them. It lets them know I am speaking their names to God; it lets them know I care enough for them to pray for them. Instead of going to God in your petitions for yourself today, pray for someone else that needs your prayers today. It is a great way to chip away at that pride you battle, and a great way to unite in prayer.

 
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Posted by on January 25, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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