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Well, if he can……

21 Jan

Well, if he can……..

Philippians 1:12 -14    But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul was in prison for preaching the Good News of Christ. His boldness in sharing his faith had landed him chained to most likely an elite guard in the Roman army. He knew his imprisonment could eventually lead to his death, but he did not slow down sharing the news that Christ is Lord. In a twist of irony the guards were chained to Paul; they could not escape his preaching; Paul knew this and pressed on. He saw God at work in all of this and the opportunity to take the gospel to where it would not have gone if he was not imprisoned. Paul rested on God’s sovereignty; knowing that God was at work in all of this. His boldness during his imprisonment became a huge encouragement to those who faced persecution; and reached those who may have seemed unreachable.

You are not where you are in your life by accident; God has either allowed or designed it. With that understanding should come a peace about it. I could list my own struggles as you, both large, and the daily that become large, but don’t all of them either draw our attention away from, or closer to God? The choice is ours; we either look down in the misery of the problem, or we look up to the glory of the Deliverer from it. I struggle with memory on a large scale that seems to be getting worse; I have coined the statement “ I live in the present tense”. With the genealogy of my family of those diseases, the reality of it is very scary. I choose not to focus on it, but to consistently pursue God in it. Every day I am out here seeking God looking up scriptures again & again that I just can’t memorize. This present tense keeps my heart seeking God for that word that is just on the tip of my tongue. Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.

Satan is the pinnacle of deception, and he plays on the “woe is me” of our souls continually. Satan always draws us to the pit of misery, and the “how could God” of despair. All he desires to do is to draw us away from the One who can take us away from what we are battling. There is no misery in the life of a disciple; only a life with different opportunities to show the love of Christ is all situations. How you handle these situations is a direct reflection of your faith to others. God  most likely is using you to encourage someone else facing the same battle without Him. Paul’s imprisonment encouraged those who might be facing persecution themselves. 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. “Well if Paul can do it through Christ, so can I.”

 
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Posted by on January 21, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Knowledge & Discernment

20 Jan

Knowledge & Discernment

Philippians 1:9-11     And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul was writing the letter to the Philippians from prison. In a place where most would have seen  a huge setback and trial, Paul saw God’s work in it, and the ability to share the gospel and the joy he possessed in Christ. Paul saw God at work in every thing in his life; he knew that his paths were directed by God and he sought to serve him every day. A central theme in Philippians is Paul’s joy, and he expresses that joy in relationships. Paul used two Greek words to describe those types of relationships; knowledge for our relationship with God; discernment for our relationships with each other. The closer our relationship with God, the greater our discernment in our lives and relationships here.

What comes first; the earthly relationship or the one with Christ? We may hear the Gospel preached and come to know Christ; but at that point it becomes our duty to pursue Christ. We should desire to sit under good teachers that help reveal God’s Word to us. We should desire to spend time in the Word ourselves with daily diligence; to have a sincere heart for God. We should seek to know God and the things of God; in these things are found the knowledge of God. 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment. In this knowledge is a relationship is nurtured; a relationship that you were created for by Him that you are now in pursuit of. You will never come to know more about God until you truly seek God with all your heart. God knows your heart and will reward you with opening your eyes and mind through your heart for Him.

The closer we get to God, the more discernment He may give us. Discernment is a key to unlocking a better understanding of the things that surround you every day. Paul is speaking of discernment in the light of person-to-person relationships, and we all need a better understanding of those realities. This world is full of darkness, and much of that darkness may lie in false relationships. God will open our eyes to these things the more time we spend with him. The promises that come in the scriptures that follow in verses 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.(ESV). With this gained understanding comes the joy that Paul possessed. He saw God at work in all aspects and relationships of his life. He sought to glorify God in all his life with that knowledge of their relationship, and the worldly discernment that he gained from it.

 
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Posted by on January 20, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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From start to finish

19 Jan

From start to finish

2 Corinthians 8:10-11   And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.

Paul was writing his second letter to the Corinthians. He was here trying to encourage them to give to support the needy in Jerusalem and Judea. The Jews there due to sieges, famine, and persecution were in dire need. Although Paul was called to deliver the Gospel to the Gentiles, he still had a heart for his fellow Jew and took the opportunity to express the brotherhood of Christians in sacrificial giving that knows no bounds. Paul had used the example of the churches in Macedonia that had given so sacrificially. Paul spends much time in chapters 8 & 9 on the subject of giving; more than anywhere else in the New Testament.

A product of the heart of a Christian is a desire to give; to serve; to perform a good deed out of love for what Christ has given us; a desire to repay and extend our love to others. The Corinthians excelled in many gifts, and Paul encouraged them to use them. 2 Corinthians 8:7 But as you abound in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us–see that you abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. The giving of ourselves in any way in the name of Christ is an act of Christ through us; it lets His light shine through us to a dark world. These examples of our love for our fellow man are examples of Christian love; providing for those in need. Christ gave us the ultimate gift when we were spiritually bankrupt; He paid our eternal debt and gave us the opportunity to become eternally rich.

The scripture above could be paraphrased simply, “Finish what you started”. So many times we are spurred on to the impulse of acts of kindness only to have Satan block our paths of completion. Satan indeed will give you every reason and opportunity to not see them through to completion; many of them will even seem under good pretense. When you are given the thought of the act; God knows what he has supplied you for that thought. 2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. That is your enemy trying to convince you you cannot do it; you will not complete it; you will not succeed with it. Christ is telling you to start and finish it; He will provide.

 
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Posted by on January 19, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Out – Over – Move on

18 Jan

Out – Over – Move on

Acts 15:37-39   Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. 39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;

There had become a huge conflict in the early Christian church regarding the circumcision of the new Gentile believers. A meeting had been called in Jerusalem with all the apostles and the Jewish counsel. They had agreed somewhat that circumcision was not a requirement of the faith; 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Paul and Barnabas were to set off to deliver the news and encourage the early churches. An argument over John Mark who had earlier deserted them caused Paul and Barnabas to go their separate ways. The ministry doubled, and Paul was even reconciled to John Mark later in his life (2 Timothy 4:11).

If you stay in church long enough, you will have conflict in church. It is going to happen, it is going to divide, it can weaken testimonies and ministries. It can be a test of your faith; it can be a test of where your heart lies. If you take your eyes off the Person, you will surely be disappointed in where you place your hope. Satan loves dissension; Satan smiled at the argument of Paul and Barnabas; God doubled the ground covered by separating the two great men of faith. Barnabas headed to Cyprus; Paul headed to Syria, and then on to Cilicia. God was at work in all those men and He had a plan that included separating them to grow their ministries. Barnabas had chosen not to take their argument to the Jewish counsel, but to keep his eyes on his ministry and faithfully serve the Lord.

We are told throughout the Bible that when we fight we must forgive and make up. What if we are only forgiven the amount we are able to forgive? The Bible speaks directly to how we view one another, and that view may be held in how we forgive. Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. We are told not to even go to sleep with without resolving conflict; get it out, get it over, move on. Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. Putting conflict in the past is part of moving on with the ministry God has placed on your heart. God may be doubling the ground covered as a result; just like the days of Paul and Barnabas.

 
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Posted by on January 18, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Is He or isn’t he?

17 Jan

Is He or isn’t he?

John 11:25-26    Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11 is the chapter in the Bible that even most lost people know; it is where we find the story of Christ raising Lazarus from the dead. There are so many points in the scripture; so many ways Christ describes the power of the Father; his Sovereignty, or all knowing and control over our lives. The free will that He has given us allows us to waiver, but He is in control of all things. Christ knew that Lazarus was going to die, and Christ knew there was a purpose of God behind it; for Christ to glorify God in it. John 4:4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” In my Bible I have written beside this scripture Romans 8:28; a reference to the control God has over all His creation.

Do you believe in Christ as the Son of God? Do you believe He came to earth as 100% God, 100% man, all to provide you a means to reach heaven? He was not a good man, was not a great prophet, was not the archangel Michael; He was and is God. You must get this right; you must not waiver on your believe in Christ as the eternal Son of God; sitting right now at His Father’s right hand on the throne in heaven. He alone holds the key to your forgiveness of sin and eternal paradise with Him. 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. You must believe that there is no other means by which you will enter heaven; but by all other means you will be denied and punished eternally in hell.

There are so many false religions out there. All of them point to many ways to God. All of them point to you doing something to earn your way to God. All of them point to the power of yourself to puff your chest out in pride for that accomplishment. What kind of god do they have who could not do it on his own; their god makes you work your way in to help him? My God is so great that all it requires is the faith in Him to do what I cannot. To humble myself and understand that He is God and He sacrificed His Son for me. That faith and humble repentance is the key to eternal paradise and security. The Apostle John’s gospel focal point is the deity of Christ; he begins his writings with this statement of Christ in the beginning of time as the Word. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. There is no middle ground; either He is God to you, or He is not. This decision and understanding is eternal.

 
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Posted by on January 17, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Hypocrisy

16 Jan

Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:1-4   Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Matthew 23 is a chapter that Christ bears down on the self-proclaimed religious of that time. The scribe and the Pharisee were interpreters of the law of Moses; the book of the Torah; God’s word and commandments to early Israel. They fancied themselves high above others; their pride was the backbone of their existence. The felt separated, elevated, chosen, above, special……one could make an endless list of the adjectives wrapped up into their self-worth. But in reality all they were was religious. They were wrapped up in religiosity in their pride; and they were not only failing miserably in trying to reach God, but they were dragging those seeking God down the path to hell with them.

The term hypocrite is used nine times in Jesus’s condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. He points early in the chapter of them knowing what to do, yet not even lifting a finger to do it. Hypocrisy is simply the act of saying one thing and doing another; not living what you believe or preach. We all know it; we all have done it; we all know that it is one of the leading reasons people look down upon Christianity. They see our hypocrisy lived out every day when we tell them we go to church every Sunday. If you are the only Bible, or the only example of a Christian to a lost soul every day, how do they view Christians based solely on your example? 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

I have been having the discussions of religiosity with a friend of mine. Of the people who feel good about themselves for going to church every Sunday; fulfilling their obligation of their Christian duty. The only time they think of their Christian duty is that Sunday morning; living for the cares of the world the other 6.5 days in the week. I lived most of my life as that person; I know the false comfort found in religiosity. Many will pay for that mistake eternally when they stand before Christ and He says he did not know them. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ That is the most terrifying scripture in the Bible! It alone should stir you to pursue Christ with every essence of your being; living a life dedicated to him every single day; a life so given over to him you are filled with the peace that you know He knows you; for he speaks to you every single day.

 
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Posted by on January 16, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Eternally Delivered

12 Jan

Eternally Delivered

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.

Do you feel trapped in your current situation? There are so many ways that you may feel trapped. I have even used that term in describing my financial state and outlook over the last couple of years. You can feel trapped in bad marriages; bad work environments; families; illness, addiction. life…….we all can have these battles. We wonder why God has placed us in these situations of life. Many times He has allowed or designed these situations to ultimately draw us closer to him. When we are struggling we most likely are looking for help, and hopefully that help is looked for in Christ. We must look past this temporal situation and look to the eternal reward.

I had a great talk with a new friend yesterday; a brother in Christ who is really seeking God right now. He opened my eyes to the needs of the community for deliverance. That statement impacted me as I thought of how so many people feel trapped; they just want a way out. Paul is speaking to that reward that we must set our eyes and heart upon; that reward of heaven that awaits us. The new bodies that are promised us. No pain, no problems; every need met for eternity. A deliverance from the pains this current life brings. Paul describes that embedded desire as a child of God; that longing for eternity from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This world that we live in is evil, and our desire is to be delivered from this world.

In the scriptures prior Paul is speaking of his constant desire to continue to mature, or grow closer to Christ. Philippians 3:12 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. Paul was in constant pursuit of God and the things of God; therefore God was changing him constantly; maturing Him. He was delivering Paul from Paul’s old self; one full of religiosity, a prideful man steep in the ways of traditions of religion. God was delivering Paul to a place that he depended on God for every need for every day. God was showing Paul that no matter where he was for his days on earth, he was to keep his eyes and heart on the place he would call home for eternity.

 
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Posted by on January 12, 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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Are you worried about what they think?

10 Jan

Are you worried about what they think?

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (ESV)

I love the introduction in my favorite study Bible to the book of Galatians. “In the whole Bible, there is no more passionate, comprehensive, yet concise statement of the truth of the gospel than Galatians.” The apostle Paul defends the gospel and himself as a minister of the good news that Christ has given him. The early church in Galatia had been infected by those who were perverting the simplicity of the gospel; “well yes, but you have to also do this…..”. They were adding to that which needs none. There were and are no works of man that need to be added to the justification by Christ in faith in Him. Galatians 2:16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Paul before his conversion to Christ was an elevated man. He was held in high regard in the Jewish society; he was somebody in his own eyes. Christ had humbled him greatly, and showed him that he was nothing without Christ. Paul had swallowed his pride and lived a life dedicated to pointing others to Christ. It was his sole focus, it be the minister of the gospel that Christ had entrusted him with. Philippians 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul saw the grace that he had been given even as the great sinner that he was. He had persecuted even unto death those that were following Christ, yet Christ wanted and claimed Paul as His own in the free grace He provided. Christ showed Paul that there is no sin that cannot be forgiven, and there is no work that man can do to earn the grace of God.

Paul did not care what other people thought of him, he only cared that they heard his message that God had entrusted to him. His only concern was to spread the Good News, and to suffer all that he must as a result of that mission. Do you have that passion? Do you worry too much about what people may think; so much so that you may remain silent; do you even hide your faith? Will Christ ask you why you were silent when He asked you to speak? 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.” If the Spirit living inside of you is prompting you to speak; either to share the gospel; to defend the gospel, or to denounce sin; do not remain silent in fear of what others may think. It is only you who have to answer for what He is asking you to do or say regarding what you have been entrusted with.

 
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Posted by on January 10, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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When to hold; when to fold

09 Jan

When to hold; when to fold

2 John 1:9-11    Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

Hospitality was a big part of Bible times; welcoming strangers into their homes and towns. Throughout the Bible we are told to entertain strangers, to welcome sinners, to show them the love of Christ. Christ even speaks of being that stranger that was welcomed in (Matthew 25:35). During those days of the early church there were many traveling teachers and preachers also. There were groups that were modifying the good news of Christ, and leading people astray. John is warning the believers to take a stand against those false teachers; do not show them hospitality. If as a believer you show them that hospitality, you are being seen as supporting their cause. John is saying to test their doctrine, and deny it and them if it goes against Christ.

In today’s society we are far from an open door for strangers. It was even in my lifetime that doors were never locked, hitchhiking was a mode of transportation, and if a stranger came to your door they were likely welcomed in. Today we live in fear of the evil that lurks in our midst. The traveling teachers and preachers of our day are most likely on the TV, radio, and internet. They fill our airways and minds with their doctrines; are we welcoming them in? Are we testing what they preach with the God’s Word? 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Do not believe every thing you hear. Go to God’s Word and investigate it for yourself.

When you are hearing a good sermon in the pulpit, the radio, or any other means; take notes if possible. Write down what God is pressing on your heart. It may be that you find in your research that God is showing you the answer to a question you had been asking him. You may find that the teacher was wrong in what they spoke. God may be showing you to stay away from that teacher; to not welcome them into your mind as they did in the times of the Bible into their homes. Through your testing of things in God’s Word and prayer you gain discernment. You begin to understand the differences between good and false teachings. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. You know what to hold onto, and what to let go of.

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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