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Let that burden take you out

07 Jan

Let that burden take you out

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Pastor Alan spoke yesterday of burdens, of the burdens God will place on your heart. These things that tug at your heart can be many things, but only a few of them really grab you. They can create an urgency feeling with them; the need to move forward quickly in pursuit of them. They cannot be hidden from; they cannot be denied because God places them there. When God places these things before you, your focus will change. The things that seemed important will be in the shadows of those burdens. A heart focused on what God has burdened you with is a heart after God and the things of God.

Christ was early in his ministry, and Mark is recording the accounts of his early teachings and healing’s. Mark is describing Christ’s achievements in the casting out of demons, cleansing lepers, the lame walking, and the list goes on. He has been baptized by John and has began selecting his apostles. But the religious of society began to notice that he spends all his time hanging out with the dredges of society. Mark 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” Christ had not began pointing out the sin of those who fancied themselves religious; but showed Himself to those that knew they were sinners in need of a Savior; and possessed the humble hearts that recognized their sin. The pride of the religious builds the wall between their souls and their Savior.

Do you feel comfortable? Are you willing to go out of your comfort zone for God? God will always ask you to go where you feel uncomfortable. It removes the power and pride of yourself and lets God work through your scared humble heart shine. You will see God do things you know you cannot. It is very easy to stay in the comfort of habit; the ease of simple routine; but the lack of the power of God in your life in stepping out in faith is being missed. The commentary of my study Bible says of Mark 2:17 – “In this instance Jesus was speaking tongue-in-cheek when He used the word righteous. None are righteous, though some such as the Pharisees, fancied themselves as such. Instead Christ came to call all sinners to repentance.” Let that burden in your heart take you out of your comfort zone so that you can see Christ really work in and through your life.

 
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Posted by on January 7, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Loosing a battle for ultimate victory

06 Jan

Loosing a battle for ultimate victory

Acts 5:38-39    And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it–lest you even be found to fight against God.”

Peter and the apostles were spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sin that he had provided on the cross. The early Christian church was growing, and the leaders in the Jewish church were taking notice. The apostles were being thrown into prison and brought before the council. God was moving in a mighty way and was freeing them from prison miraculously. Although they apostles may have been temporarily chained, God’s Word was never deterred. The leaders of the Jewish church began to move cautiously, for they feared the power of the people. Gamaliel was a respected leader on the Jewish Sanhedrin counsel and spoke these words in Acts above, which led to the release of the apostles. 40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

Gamaliel was simply saying that if these men were doing this on their own, they would ultimately fail on their own. But he was also saying with what they had seen; they may be under God’s direction, and they will never be stopped. There is no work of men that can stop an act of God. You may feel God stirring in your heart; prodding you to do something. You may feel as though you can’t do it; but in reality you are fighting against God. This I personally know, and still battle myself; following God’s Will for my life. When Christ came down miraculously to Paul in a blinding light, He asked Paul why he was trying to stop the will of God; the one who he was persecuting. Acts 9:5 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.” A goad was a tillage tool; also known as something pointed. Easton’s dictionary, “against the goad, was proverbial for unavailing resistance to superior power.”

There are so many ways to read what you see and feel God doing in your life. There is only one way to discern what that is. You must live a life in constant pursuit of God and the things of God in prayer and His Word. This pursuit will lead you to understand, and hopefully submit to God. Once you begin to understand, if you deny what you now understand, you are fighting God. There are many stories in the Bible of people who have struggled with God; in fact most of the people who God did great work with battled in some way with Him. This in some way humbled them, and prepared them for God’s work through them. If God is for it; no man shall prevail or win his own war against it…..not even you

 
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Posted by on January 6, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Loving to the point of loosing

05 Jan

Loving to the point of loosing

Luke 9:23-24   Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Christ was speaking to “them all”; all that desired to become his disciples. He was not only addressing the chosen 12, but the crowds that followed him in that day, and even to this day. He spoke of denying ourselves daily, and following him with abandonment. Loosing our lives to a life of becoming a slave to him. There must come a point in your life as a Christian that you realize what becoming a Christian truly means. You must come to the point of the realization of the ultimate sacrifice; you must come to the realization of your need for a Savior; you must remove the pride that builds the wall between; you must be drawn to sacrifice your temporal life here for that Savior to reap the eternal rewards. It is as simple as honoring the sacrifice that He gave you.

If you spending your time pursuing earthy rewards, would you say that you are loosing your life here for Christ? If you work 80hrs per week to pay for those rewards, and give Christ maybe a couple hours on Sunday, where is that sacrifice? How will you answer that question when you stand before Him and God asks “What did you do with my Son?” There comes a time of question; there comes a time for growth; there comes a time for commitment of your life in serving Him. His last words to you before ascending into Heaven was to become a disciple and to make disciples; to spread his name throughout the earth. Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

God has placed you and gifted you where you find yourself today. He has put you in a circle of influence to share your heart for Him. He may have blessed you financially so that you may bless others who are not so fortunate. In these acts of kindness and giving people who may not know Christ, may come to know Christ. How glorious it appears when you give to or for something that is unexpected. That is the heart of a Christian; a sacrificial gift that is bound up in their love for Christ. Loving to the point of loosing their lives to the One whom gave them life.

 
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Posted by on January 5, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Eternal resolution

01 Jan

Eternal resolution

1 Thessalonians 4:1 -2  Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

This morning is sort of weird. I seemingly have a lot on my mind, yet in the same sentence I feel blank. I have really felt burdened after yesterday with God, and His showing me how much I need Him and how far I must go for Him. Pride creeps in and makes us feel proud, yet at no point in the Christian life should ourselves feel elevated. Pride is at the root of all sin and a great tool of our enemy who uses it to draw our attention away from God. This morning is the day of resolutions; a day of all the things we will say we desire to do or change by our willpower to achieve that goal. Goals are a great thing if we seek God in them. Do we rely on 12 step programs or prayer to achieve them? Programs elevate us, prayer elevates God.

Paul was writing to the the Thessalonians encouraging them in the growing of their faith and spreading of the Gospel. Paul spends the first part of chapter 4 speaking to them about sexual purity, and how to live a Christian life (4:1-12). He encourages them to live peaceably with others; to set a good example in their work ethic; to not become wrapped up in the chaos of the world that surrounded them; to lead by example. 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you. Paul knew the struggles they faced and we face many of the same struggles today. We live in a sexual exploited society; we live in a entitlement society; we live in a selfish society; we live in a society that is beginning more and more to persecute the church, even in a nation founded on the freedoms of it.

If today is a day that you set your heart on a goal, why can you not make that goal to seek God and the things of God? Why can’t you make the conscious effort on something that matters eternally, much more than any bad habit that is temporal? Why can’t you make today the start of growing your relationship with your Creator and Savior the greatest resolution ever? Today could be the first day of the rest of your eternal life if you truly seek to change through the Good News of Jesus Christ. Have you been playing Christian but yet never sold your soul out for Christ as a disciple? Is your name on a Most Wanted poster at the gates of hell? Make today’s resolution on of a life consecrated to seeking God and the things of God and you will be eternally rewarded. Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.  True change begins with Christ; true change continues daily in Christ; true change is rewarded eternally, but begins today.

 
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Posted by on January 1, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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That light hurts my eyes

31 Dec

That light hurts my eyes

John 1:4-5    In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

God woke me up early this morning. I wish I could say it was pleasant, but it was far from it. I woke up in a self-reflection and a deep conviction of sin. I lay there thinking and God kept pointing out sin in my life. The more I reflected; the more He revealed. In my pride I feel like I have come a long way from my old self; but God showed me the journey has only begun. I looked back at recent years in almost a defensive plea; but God knows me and shows me the present struggles; He presses where it hurts to reveal that sin. God knows that my pride will grow if He does not humble me; He knows my struggles. He humbled me in a great way this morning.

The one whom Christ loved was the Apostle John. Their relationship seemed to be special in some way. John spends his gospel pointing to Christ’s deity; that Christ was God. John speaks of Christ as the Light many times in his Gospel. Light will dis-spell darkness, the two cannot co-exist. This light that lives within us not only brings eternal life, but also reveals our sin to us. This light shines in our darkness, and our darkness is revealed to us. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There is no point in your life as a Christian that you get to the point of no need for Christ. When He begins to point out your sin to you He is confirming your need for Him. The conviction of sin is a powerful tool in the work of Sanctification by God in your life.

I had thought I might write of the reflections of 2012 on the last day of it today. I found myself in a reflection and need for a Savior today; a need for a daily deeper walk with God. I found myself humbled by God’s grace and thankful for His mercy. I found myself wanting to draw closer to Him as a result of what He has shown me in my need for Him this morning. The Godliest man I know,  and one of my best friends, has shown me how to emulate Christ. You cannot be around him for five minutes and not know that he is a man of God. My prayer is for God to continue to press me where it hurts, and to mold me into what He desires; to show the reflection of His Son in me. The apostle Paul puts it well: Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,. I pray that 2013 brings less of me and more of Him

 
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Posted by on December 31, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Families…we all got em’

29 Dec

Families…we all got em’

Obadiah 1:12 But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. (ESV)

Edom was the land of Esau, and Israel was the land of Jacob; they were family divided. The history of Jacob and Esau was one of trouble, even from the day they were born. This carried into the nations that they fathered, and their histories were one of continued trouble. God had brought down judgement on Jerusalem for their sins and they were fleeing their country. The Edomites took advantage of them, siding with their enemies, and turned their backs on their brothers in their time of need. Differences aside, they even in God’s eyes should have helped their family in their time of need. Obadiah spoke this prophecy of God’s coming judgement on Edom; Obadiah 1:10 “For violence against your brother Jacob, Shame shall cover you, And you shall be cut off forever.

It has been a season of family during the holidays. It has been the time we spend with those closest to us. We see the lifestyles of them that may bring about troubling thoughts. We may see things we know are wrong; we may see things that bother us deeply. Most likely they see some of the same things in us. We all have dysfunctional families in some degree, but they are the only family that we have. God has placed us together in that gene pool for a reason, and it is not to turn our backs on each other. God takes this so seriously that we are not to come to a place of worship with him without a pure heart. Matthew 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Many times this is thought of in relation to the Lord’s Supper; but it also may be in daily context.

We have all heard of Karma; and many may believe that it is an axis on which the world turns. “What goes around comes around.” Their may be some truth to that all wrapped up in God’s Sovereignty, but we all must answer for our thoughts and deeds before Him. Obadiah prophesied of this in Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. Can you see where Karma could be derived from that scripture? The day of the Lord is the day of judgement, and we will answer for our lives at that day. Forgive what you have against your family; in so many ways it is so important to God

 
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Posted by on December 29, 2012 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.

Home

 
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Posted by on December 28, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Two steps forward; one back

27 Dec

Two steps forward; one back

Galatians 2:18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

The Apostle Paul begins Galatians giving a timeline of his testimony. He speaks of his life of sin persecuting Christians, his conversion, and the early years after that seeking God. More than 10 years later he goes to Jerusalem again and even has a confrontation with Peter about some hypocrisy he sees in the Apostle Peter. Peter had been called by Christ to witness to the Jews; Paul had been called to witness to the Gentiles. Peter’s acts were damaging his ministry. Paul begins to preach of how they must lead in their dying to the Law’s of tradition; the Law that Christ came to fulfill. The Law did not produce righteousness, and Peter was stepping back into traditions, back into sin.

As I read these scriptures this morning, the Holy Spirit spoke to me of how I easily do the same thing sometimes. The power of the Living Word at work in my soul. I am far from perfect; struggle and fail every day; and need God to prick me every now and then to remind me of it. Those convictions hurt, but in them should bring humble repentance and healing. If I let sin build back into my life, as Paul did in those Jewish traditions, I stand condemned. The law points us to our need for Christ; for we cannot satisfy it’s requirements. Paul explains this in Galatians 3:19-25. Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. The Law points us to our need for Christ; it is that simple.

Paul continues to pour out his heart in one of the most powerful statements of a person sold out for Christ. He shows he has a life with no other focus than to be a slave to Christ; a sold out disciple with his only purpose to share the hope that lies within him. 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. Paul saw nothing else with any purpose than Christ in his life. He was so sold out to he says he “lives by faith in the Son of God”. He recognizes the sacrifice Christ made; he recognizes the life of sin he led; he recognizes his need for Christ every single day to live. Christ will let you fall, only to pick you up again. Seek Him every day, for you need Him every day to live as Paul says. Thank you Lord for your grace you provide every single day.

 
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Posted by on December 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Entrusted

26 Dec

Entrusted

1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

I have been thinking again this morning of the words my 6yr old used Christmas morning. There was such a burden on his heart that he had to tell me something before he could even seemingly look at his presents. “I am not really entrusted with the presents, I am entrusted with Jesus’s birthday.” His words blew me out of the water, and the choice of the word “entrusted” was what grabbed me. He had been a typical 6yr old with the persistent mention of opening presents for about 72hrs durning family functions. He had been consistently reminded of what Christmas was really about; Jesus’s birthday. At some time it seemed to sink in and God placed that burden on his heart Christmas morning in a beautiful way that I even caught on video.

I searched “entrusted” this morning and found it 3 times in the Bible. The scripture above is what grabbed me. Paul was writing to the Thessalonians, almost defending his ministry. He was speaking of how God had entrusted him with the Good News, and of how He had called Paul to minister, to become a vessel for God to share it through him to others. God trusted Paul and knew Paul’s heart. Paul had a heart for God and the things of God; he did not seek any glory or personal gain as a result of what God had entrusted him with. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed–God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. Paul could have taken what God had given him for self gain, but Paul only sought to point people to Christ; even preaching the Gospel when he knew he would suffer for it.

Have you been “entrusted” with the Gospel? Do you claim Christianity yet live with no evidence of it in your life? What would those that surround you every day say about your faith if they were asked? How many of them might say they don’t want to be a Christian if that is how they act? We will all stand before God when we die and answer what we did with the knowledge of Christ; what we had been entrusted with. Paul spoke of a heart transformed by Christ to those in Philippians 3:8 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. Paul got it; he lived a life transformed by what he was entrusted with. He lived a life full of the evidence of Christ dwelling in him. He took was God had given him and treated it like a treasure. Nothing else matter in Paul’s life except the gift that he had been given through Christ; and all his life he sought to share what he had been entrusted to with others.

 
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Posted by on December 26, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Learning to read

24 Dec

Learning to read

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

I don’t gamble; I don’t play the lottery, I don’t win; I loose. There is really no gambling in the stakes for me you see; I would really be just donating my proceeds to whatever cause. I am not scared to “gamble” with God’s Word through. I have jokingly even heard it called Bible roulette. Some people go to God and flippantly tell God to show them something and randomly open the Bible expecting it to be a word from God. Hopefully it doesn’t land on the swine filled with sin that ran off the cliff into the sea (Mark 5:12-13). This morning I was in prayer, even more of a meditation really seeking God on something. I prayed for God to “use me” and to please give me a word of confirmation in His Word. When I opened my Bible the scriptures above was what I saw in only a few verses. Isaiah was telling God “use me”.

God’s Word can speak to you like none other can. No book has ever been written like it, for no other book has been directed by God on how to write it. The Bible is the inspired words of God, where the Spirit lead each man to write what he felt God telling him. Each book incorporates their personality, styles, doctrine, faith, and hope. The Bible contains everything that God knows you will need to live a life of faith in service to Him. 2 Timothy 3:6 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. The more you want your life to change; to honor God; to become a disciple; is all relative to how much time you spend in God’s Word. The more time you spend there, the more you will reflect the image of Christ; which is God’s goal for your life; to emulate His Son.

Pastor Dean spoke yesterday of how we want Christ to be our “buddy, ole’ pal”. He also spoke of how we can never get to that place until Christ is our Lord. The more time you spend in God’s Word, the greater your reverence and awe of Christ as your Lord and Savior become. You should be moved to reverent fear and awe of how great God is through His Word. Isaiah continues to speak to Israel, to prophesy of their coming judgements and then restoration. There is no difference between the Jew and Greek now; Christ came to save us all. We should be witnesses to that; to be used by God to point the lost to Christ. Isaiah 43:10 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior. Prayerfully seek God to grant you wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in the scriptures He has given you. Then make the conscious effort to spend time there. You will not be disappointed, for your life will never be the same.

 
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Posted by on December 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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