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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Everything...

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."--Romans 8:28.  This verse has gotten me through some of the toughest times in my life.  It got me through the some of the worst of days during my dad's sickness.  It got me through the hours and the days following his death.  I say that like it's past tense. This verse, among others, is still getting me through the pain of having lost my dad.  But no matter what life throws our way, good or bad, this verse tells you and tells me that ALL THINGS work together for good to those who love God.

Everything.  Funny story. Just prior to writing this devo I actually had a Bible Study with a new sister in Christ regarding this verse. Thanks again Kelsey!!! :-).  Honestly, this is not the reason I chose this passage for tonight's devo.  It just happened to be one of the surrounding verses of the passage I would have chosen.  But I thought I would share with you and expound upon what I shared with our new sister Kelsey, whose story you can read here in one of my previous devo's titled "Be Strong". It is also the story of her younger sister.

Everything. Returning to the passage in Romans 8:28.  This passage says ALL THINGS work together for good.  But there are two stipulations.  All things work together for good to: 1) Those who love God and 2) are called according to His purpose.  If all things are to work together for our good as Christians, we must love God and be called according to His purpose.  Loving God is obeying His commands. Being called does not mean God selected us beforehand as says the false doctrine of predestination which is another discussion.  God called as many as would respond to the gospel.  It's OUR CHOICE.

Everything. So we are down to this phrase ALL THINGS.  ALL THINGS means EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING works together for our good, whether it is good or bad. How has this passage applied to me.  Well to be quite honest, the pain I went through during my dad's sickness and the pain I am still coping with after his death has allowed me to connect with people who are hurting in a way I don't think I ever could have had this not happened to me. The pain I carry has strengthened my relationship with the Lord and with people because God softened my heart.  He did this in a way I honestly would rather not have dealt with but I am glad it happened because ALL THINGS, EVERYTHING was for my good and so that I could use those things for the good of others, especially those closest to me such as Kelsey and her wonderful family who have had their share of trials.

Everything. So where does this leave you? First of all. What I went through I would not wish upon my worst enemy. The 4 years leading up to my dad's death were some of the most trying years of my life and that of my family's. While I am thankful for what it did for my faith, I don't want you or anyone to ever go through what my family went through. I don't know if it's a pride issue, or an issue of stepping out of your comfort zone but my encouragement to you tonight is this. Take some time to reach out to someone that you know that is hurting and help them see the light of Christ, near, far or anywhere in between. Pick up that phone, make that call, send that text message or email, go to your neighbor's house who you know is hurting and let them know you are praying for them and show him/her that you care.  I guarantee you, no matter how small it might seem, it will make a BIG difference.

And may we always remember ALL THINGS, EVERYTHING works together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose.  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

According to His will...

"If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this."--1 John 5:16.  The key phrases in this verse are the sin leading to death and the sin not leading to death.  According to what I have learned during my time here at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver is that the sin leading to death is the sin that has not been repented of.  The sin not leading to death on the other hand is the sin that has been repented of.

That being said, the concept in 1 John 5:16, in light of the context is pretty simple and straightforward.  The context of this passage tells us that if we ask something of God according to His will, He hears us.  All we do must be according to God's will. We must seek His will.  The broader context speaks of those that believe in Christ.  So if I understand this verse correctly, if we ask forgiveness for a sin our brother is committing, God will forgive him on the condition that the brother (or sister) repents.  On a side note, when Jesus said "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.", the conditions were still the same, they had to repent.  Forgiveness does not come without repentance.

1 John 5 is the final chapter in 1 John and ends so beautifully.  It says in 1 John 5:20-21 that the Son of God came to give us understanding to know Him who is true and we as Christians are in Him who is true.  The final verse tells us to guard ourselves from idols.  We do this by obeying His commands.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Self exam...

"Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord."--Lamentations 3:40.   This is the first time I have looked at this chapter and admittedly taken a closer look at the book of Lamentations.  This chapter speaks of how bad conditions have gotten as a result of Israel's sin.  God has seemingly removed His protective hand and now Israel is in a state of total depravity.   This is honestly a depressing chapter but it contains a telling message. It provides the answer to the universal question of why???

Many times when people, myself included, find themselves in difficult circumstances they are tempted to ask the question why? The problem is they ask it not because they are searching for a reason but because they are complaining. Israel went through some very difficult times.  WHY??? Because they disobeyed.

This is why Israel was in such terrible conditions.  Their disobedience is what caused their problems.  I just want to note here that problems are not always a result of sin. Take Job for instance, he committed no sin but God allowed for the worst problems anyone could ever have to come on him because God knew he was faithful and would not waver.

Job examined his ways to see if he was indeed not sinning in any way.  We need to examine our ways. The immediate context of this passage in Lamentations is Lamentations 3:39-45.  This section opens asking why should we complain in view of our sins? We "lift up our heart and hands" but we have rebelled. Verse 44 states that God has made a cloud so no prayer can pass through.

This is how terrible an impact our sin can have on our relationship with God.  If we continue in our stubborn sinful ways, we will eventually reach a point where God is just not going to listen anymore. That's a scary thought.

We need to be thankful we serve a God who bestows grace but per Romans 6:1 we are NOT to abuse that grace.  Lamentations 3 paints a perfect picture why we are NOT to abuse that grace that God so freely gives.

If we wish to receive that free gift of God, the starting point is in Christ then going from there.

Tonight I encourage you to do as Lamentations 3:40 suggests, examine and probe your ways and return to the Lord by obeying the gospel and/or repenting of any sin that may be plaguing your life.  THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Numbered with the transgressors...


"...He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors..."--Isaiah 53:12.  This passage is taken from one of the most famous passages in the Old Testament regarding Christ.  Isaiah 53:1-12 paints a graphic picture of what the Messiah would suffer.  In just 12 verses we see what a terrible death our Lord and Savior would die.

Isaiah 53:3-12 uses the following words and phrases to describe the way most of the world would see Christ and the way He would die:

"He was despised and forsaken of men." and "A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (v.3).

"Our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried" and "Smitten of God, and afflicted." (v. 4)

"He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities," and "by His scourging we are healed." (v. 5)

"The Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him." (v. 6)

"He was oppressed and He was afflicted." He was "Like a lamb led to the slaughter" (v. 7)

"By oppression and judgment He was taken away." (v. 8)

"His grave was assigned with wicked men yet He was with a rich man in His death because He had done no violence." (v. 9)

"The Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief...And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand." (v. 10)

"As a result of the anguish of His soul...My Servant will justify the many as He will bear their iniquities." (v. 11)

And finally, "Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great...Because he poured out Himself to death and was numbered with the transgressors, yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors." (v. 12).

I have to admit that while I have always been aware of this chapter, this is the first time I have read it through in its entirety.  I read this chapter and it paints a picture of that brutal road that Christ carried the same cross he was to be crucified on having been brutally beaten and spat upon.  While the above image is graphic, I don't believe any portrayal of Christ's crucifixion would do justice to the magnitude of the suffering our Savior went through for you and for me.

As a result, Jesus is asking you and for me to commit our lives to Him and obey the gospel. What will you do?  

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Proper Preparation...

"You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."--Luke 12:40.  This is a key thought in Jesus' ministry.  That we ought to be ready because He will come when He is least expected.  Among the instructions for preparation Jesus gives us is to keep our lamps lit, we need to be ready to open the door when He comes, we need to be on the alert.  We need to be properly prepared and ready to serve.  We need to be properly prepared.

Proper preparation.  Sometimes life throws us some unexpected curveballs.  We need to be ready to swing.  Ever since 2006, my life has gone anything but as expected.  In short, my dad got sick, I took on College/Young Adult Ministry, I wound up with a new job that ended up going through some changes that eventually caused me to resign my position, I finished college after having twice changed my major, I wound up here at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, my dad passed away, I had to put my cat down and now I am on the road to doing the Lord's work full time through all those ups and downs.  Out of the list I just gave, the only thing I was really unprepared for was my dad getting sick. Through those initial stages of his sickness I learned the importance of preparation. I learned a lot of lessons but among them, I learned that I needed to be ready at the drop of a hat to serve my family when I was needed.

Proper Preparation.  We must always be ready because the unexpected will always happen.  But the most important event we must ALWAYS be prepared for is the coming of Christ.  As Christians, we are expecting His return but how many of us are truly ready? How many of us are properly prepared?

Being properly prepared starts by being in Christ.  When we have been born into Christ, we must then continually search the scriptures. Why? Because 2 Timothy 3:16-17 will tell us that ALL Scripture is inspired of God and profitable so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

So my question for you tonight is simply this. Are you properly prepared? PRAY ABOUT IT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Our faithful guardian.

Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way."--John 18:8.  Jesus makes this statement when He is before Judas, His betrayer and those who would arrest Him.  He made this statement to fulfill that which He stated in His earlier prayer in the garden found in John 17:1-26 that He had not lost a single one of those God had given to Him.  This scene is a small picture of the great sacrifice Christ would make on the cross.

Jesus is our faithful guardian.  He does not allow a single one of his sheep to perish.  John 10 tells us Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  Jesus gave His life for the sheep.

Jesus never fails us.  People, at one point or another are going to let us down.  Jesus will never fail to protect us.  The Scriptures tell us that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.  If we are to receive this unfailing love we must be in Christ Jesus.

Jesus does not allow one to be lost.  If we follow Christ as faithfully as Peter, Paul and the other apostles did, Christ will not allow us to be lost.  The words that Jesus spoke in His prayer were true then and they are true now and will always remain true.

So the choice is yours.  Will we submit ourselves to the guardianship of Jesus or will we be like Judas and sacrifice that eternal guardianship to do what we think is right?  Submitting to Jesus' guardianship starts with a first step towards being in Christ.  Or maybe you have already taken those steps and have ventured away from the fold. The time is here, the time is now for us to resubmit to Jesus' guardianship. PRAY ABOUT IT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!   Feel free to comment and/or check out the incorporated links.

Monday, March 28, 2011

The Best Man/The Maid of Honor

"He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full."--John 3:29.  This statement is made by John the Baptist. The voice of one calling in the desert who was to make straight the paths of the Lord.

This passage is in the same section as Scripture where John makes the statement "He must increase but I must decrease" in John 3:30.  John uses the illustration of marriage here.  He refers to himself as the friend of the bridegroom. I am not 100% sure but the friend of the bridegroom may be equivalent to what we would call a best man.

The best man.  I was best man at my best friend's wedding almost two years ago now.  A best man rejoices with the groom and traditionally offers a toast and some words for the groom.  The best man or friend of the bridegroom needs to lift up the bridegroom.  This is what John does.  He follows this illustration up with the fact that Christ must increase and he must decrease.

So what does this mean to us? As Christians, we are the best man or if your a girl, you are the maid of honor. Our job is to lift up Christ and putting ourselves second.  Being Christ's best man or maid of honor is putting what He wants above our own interests and doing whatever we can to make sure His will is accomplished.

Going back to the story of my best friend's wedding. He asked me to be his best man two weeks before the wedding. Not the ideal amount of time to prepare but because he was my best friend I was going to do whatever I could to get there and share this joyous occasion.

So this is what being a Christian is all about. Doing whatever we can to make sure Christ's will is accomplished above our own. Sometimes this might mean staying up a little later at night with someone. It might mean getting up a little earlier in the morning just to make time to encourage someone who might need to hear some words from you that will make a world of difference. That is my encouragement for you this week. Get up earlier or stay up a little later and find a way to encourage someone who is struggling in their walk with God.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

A kiss...

"But Jesus said to him, 'Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?'"--Luke 22:48.  This is one of the final events before the crucifixion of Christ.  After praying in the Garden, Jesus is handed over to His enemies by Judas Iscariot.  The ultimate betrayal would come by way of a kiss.

A kiss.  In Jesus' day, a kiss on the cheek was a common greeting among men.  In at least 4 different passages in the New Testament, we are told to greet one another with a holy kiss.  However, this is not a command but a custom practiced at the time.  Greeting one another with a kiss is not part of American culture. However, in Latin American culture, a kiss on the cheek is common between women and between men and women.

But Judas' kiss was of a different sort.  It was a kiss of betrayal.  This kiss would serve as a sign to those who would arrest Jesus.  Judas would kiss the One whom they were to arrest.

But the question is what can we learn from this one isolated event. What can we learn from the kiss of Judas? Well, let us consider Proverbs 27:6 which says the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.  I think we all know that people can be one thing to our face and when we turn our back, they are completely different. Judas' kiss was the ultimate display of hypocrisy on his part.  While Judas had already been identified as the betrayer, he still had the nerve to show a "reverence" for Jesus.

We must be on our guard even today because the unfortunate fact is that there are still Judas' in the church today who can deceive us with a kiss but then turn us over to our enemies.

This week take some time to reflect and ask yourself if in your life you have remained true to Christ or if you have been like Judas and betrayed Him with a kiss. If you fall in to the latter category, there is still time to turn your life around. As Christians, we look down on Judas and understandably so. However, we must recognize that while there may have been consequences, Judas could have repented of even this most heinous of actions and that Jesus would have forgiven Him and that Jesus did love Him.  We must remember that Judas was one of Jesus' hand picked twelve apostles. However, Judas did not repent and he ended up killing himself.

We must learn from the kiss of Judas...DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS! THANKS FOR READING!  

Friday, March 11, 2011

Got Milk?

Got Milk?--1 Peter 2:2

"like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,"--1 Peter 2:2.  In 1 Peter 1, Peter describes the proving of our faith through the various trials that come our way.  He goes on to describe how our faith is more precious than gold and while we have not physically seen Christ, we love Him. And since we love Him, we are called to be holy as He is holy since He is our Father. Peter concludes chapter 1 by saying the word of the Lord endures forever. Bringing us to chapter 2 where we are told to put aside malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander and LONG FOR THE PURE MILK OF THE WORD.

Got Milk? We have all seen the various commercials and advertisements bearing the phrase "Got Milk?" well here in 1 Peter 2:2, we are essentially asked the same question. The Greek word for milk, gala is only used 5 times in the NT, and this is the only instance in 1 Peter that it is used.  Peter tells us that as newborn babies, we need to crave the Word. We need to long for, or as it is defined, deeply desire the pure milk of the word. In Hebrews 5, however, we are told that we need to move past the milk. That will be discussed later.  While we can't live on milk forever, it is still crucial.  Milk, no matter at what age is important in our diet but as we get older we need more than just milk.  

Milk is always going to be an important element in our walk with God. The milk in a Christians walk can include basic things such as repentancebaptism and the gospel per 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. This milk is crucial to maintain a solid walk with God and must always be incorporated into our spiritual diet.  Make sure you are solid in these and other basic areas before moving on to the other spiritual nutrients we need. Click highlighted links for more information on the subjects I mentioned. Until then, LONG FOR THE PURE MILK OF THE WORD. PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS! GOT MILK?



Thursday, March 10, 2011

Moving past infancy in Christ...Jealousy


"For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?"--1 Corinthians 3:3.  Paul writing to the group of Christians who were divided at Corinth.  Among their problems, jealousy and strife.  The church was divided over a laundry list of issues. Jealousy occurred because there were people that thought they were better than everyone else.

Jealousy.  I believe this concept to be pretty straightforward. I think we have all been jealous of something or someone at some point in our lives.  But what happens when this becomes a problem?  What happens when this becomes a problem in the church?  Jealousy can tear a church apart.  Like Paul, I believe jealousy is among one of the most childish attitudes a Christian could ever have. It is no wonder that in 1 Corinthians 3:1, Paul addresses the Corinthians as infants in Christ as opposed to spiritual men.

Do you see the contrast in terms from 1 Corinthians 3:1? Infants and men. Immaturity vs. maturity.  Jealousy leads to strife.  Strife leads to division.

My point here is that if there is any hint of jealousy, it needs to be gotten rid of if we expect to mature in Christ. Because if we have jealousy and worse allow that jealousy to tear our relationships with our brothers and sisters apart, we are not walking with Christ but as Paul said, we are "walking like mere men." There is no room for jealousy in the life of a Christian.  One solution to jealousy is rather than being upset somebody got something that you didn't, be happy that they got it.

DO THIS AND IT WILL HELP US IN MOVING PAST INFANCY IN CHRIST! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Be strong

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."--2 Timothy 2:1. Paul, writing to Timothy to remain strong under difficult circumstances at Ephesus.  Paul reminds Timothy of his grandmother, Lois and his mother Eunice.  Paul also reminds Timothy that he too has had his share of struggles in his walk with Christ as he shared the saving gospel message with others.  Paul reminds Timothy that he has been given a spirit not of timidity but of power, love, and discipline.  Paul describes a host of other things, the most important being the fact that God has saved us and called us with a holy calling through Christ Jesus "who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Timothy 1:8-10).

Be strong.  Last night, the most amazing thing happened.  Two souls were added to the body of Christ! Around 10:00 last night Kelsey and Kaitlyn were baptized into Christ.  These two girls, 14 and 10 years old respectively are officially my sisters now but for a long time they, and their other sister Jessica have been like little sisters to me.  Their parents, Shane and Paula (also my brother and sister in Christ) , and their baby brother Joshua I consider all my family.

After I got home last night their baptism was all I could think about because I was so excited for them and for Jessica, Shane, and Paula.  Shane, the proud father had the privilege of baptizing his two girls. I also found myself still excited and thinking about it this morning when I woke up.

So what does this have to do with 2 Timothy 2:1? Well, Paul's encouragement to Timothy is to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Kelsey and Kaitlyn are babes in Christ.  Strength is especially crucial for them  being new Christians. I thank God they are members of a faithful family and I know that above everyone else, their parents, Shane and Paula will provide them the strength they need in their new walk with Christ. Kelsey and Kaitlyn, if you read this, like Paul told Timothy to remember the faith of his mother, remember the faith of your mother [and of course your father :-)].  May not only Kelsey and Kaitlyn, but may we all BE STRONG IN THE GRACE THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS! PRAY FOR OUR NEW SISTERS! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Slaves and Bond-servants


"Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?"--Romans 6:16.  Paul writing to the church in Rome. This is one of my chapters in Romans and possibly the whole New Testament.  Obeying the gospel is so wonderfully described in this chapter in Romans 6:1-4 and Romans 6:17.  Romans 6:1-23, the whole chapter just fits so beautifully together.  But one of Paul's points here is since we have obeyed the gospel, we have become slaves. I prefer the term bond-servant. Furthermore, at the end of the day, we are slaves of one of two masters, of sin or obedience.  One results in death, the other in righteousness.

Slaves.  The word slave does not have a good connotation to it.  Especially here in America, when we think of slaves, we think of someone in chains.  We think of the way many men, women and children were brutally treated in the 1800's and before.  We think of the slave trade. A very dark time in our history.

Bond-Servants. In contrast, there is the term bond-servant, a situation where a slave was freed but still chose to serve his master much due to the fact that the master treated the slave well.  Many time, this was the situation in biblical times.

Slaves.  When we think of the American slave trade, we think of the brutality that occurred.  Now think of sin, even your sin.  Look at the world around us. People today are still enslaved to sin.  People enslaved to sin might not have stripes on their back from being whipped upon or chains on their hands showing someone owns them. But sin hurts us.  It hurts us deep inside.  In many cases, our sin can hurt those around us.  Families are torn apart by sins of addiction and lust just to name a couple. We must also remember this. Your sins and my sins inflicted the wounds Jesus suffered on the cross.

Bond-servants.  As followers of Christ who have obeyed the form of doctrine described in Romans 6, Christ has removed the chains and has healed the wounds that our sins have caused by taking them to the cross, burying them and leaving them in the grave forever offering US the chance at new life through HIS resurrection (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).  We must follow Jesus to the cross and be buried with Him and be raised again to newness of life per Romans 6:1-7. Because Jesus has freed us, we must become His bond-servant because He is the BEST master anyone could ask for.

So my question for you tonight, is which are you? Are you a slave or a bond-servant? Consider Romans 6. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Life is short

David Malley-Garza
Patches. You are loved and you will be missed.

"Man, who is born of woman, is short lived and full of turmoil."--Job 14:1.  Job.  A man who remained faithful to God despite the difficult circumstances God allowed Satan to bring upon him.  Job lost everything except his own life.  He was struck with sickness.  He lost his children and his wealth.  In this somber chapter Job describes how short this life really is.  You can read Job 14:1-22 by clicking on the reference.

Life is short.  On this devo, I speak not just from my mind but from my heart.  I usually would rather write thoughts of a more positive nature or calling us to action.  But difficult circumstances are upon me.  As many of you know, I lost my dad on December 18th, 2010.  I am still coping with that.  Since then, however, I have had a number of friends and brothers/sisters in Christ lose loved ones and I have been to the funeral of one of them. Now I am facing death again of a a different sort. This afternoon I will be having to put my cat Patches (pictured above) to sleep.  In short, she developed arthritis which caused neurological (nerve) problems which caused bladder control problems and also a urinary tract infection (UTI). This led to my decision to put her down. She is 14 years old and for a cat that is old.  I do not want to take your valuable time to explain what factored in to my decision.

I read Job 14:1 and the words ring so true. Man is short lived and full of turmoil.  The question remains what do I do about it? What do we about it? I can't deny that this is a difficult time for me, despite the walls I may put up.  I have had Patches for 10 years and she has become like my child hence why this is so difficult. But I maintain Job's mindset in Job 2:10. "Shall we accept good from God and not accept adversity?" I admit I fail to understand what God is doing in my life but I trust Him enough for Him to see me through my adversity.  I have dealt with a lot of heartache ever since my dad died in various areas. As they say, when it rains, it pours. I simply ask for your prayers.

You reader are part of the reason I have remained strong through all my adversity. Thank you for faithfully reading the thoughts I post, whether somber or positive in nature. Oh and Job's account does have a happy ending, I encourage you to read that book. It is a good book. I TRULY DO LOVE Y'ALL! MAY GOD BLESS YOU! THANKS FOR READING!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Poor


"They also asked us to remember the poor--the very thing I also was eager to do."--Galatians 2:10.  Paul describing what happened at the Council of Jerusalem (See Acts 15:1-35).  This was one of the things Paul was asked to do.  He and those with him were asked to remember the poor.  Paul not only agrees but it is the very thing he was eager to do. 

Rich, what do you think of? Before you answer this question, ask yourself these questions.  Did you have a roof over your head when you went to bed last night?  Did you have easy access to your last meal today? You obviously have a computer at your disposal or you would not be reading this. How much money do you have? Truth is money is the least important of these series of questions.  If you had a roof over your head and did not have to fight for your last meal, many people would consider you wealthy.  There are even people that would die to have that fixer upper car.  That fixer upper car makes you rich.  Our bank account may not have a lot of money in it right now but the fact that we do not have to fight to meet our most basic of needs shows that we are rich, not poor regardless of how much money we have in our bank account right now.

Poor..what do you think of when you think of poor? Not having a lot of money? Being in college or preaching school like me living on support? I sometimes joke about being a "broke preaching student" and I have joked about being a "broke college student."  But it's images like the one above that remind me how blessed we are.  Again, this is REGARDLESS of how much money is in our bank account. If God has blessed you with a warm bed to sleep in and with easy access to your next meal, you are rich.

What is our attitude towards the poor? Are we like Paul? Eager to remember the poor. This is not some sort of sales pitch to write a check and donate it to some charity. This is an appeal to not neglect this portion of our society.  At the end of the day, these too are souls in need of Christ and His gospel.  Keep an eye out for these people.  If you are not able to meet their need when you see one, we need to at least make an effort to talk to them. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. PRAY ABOUT THEM. LOVE Y'ALL. GOD BLESS. Remember Matthew 25:31-46.

Abraham

"The Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do...?"--Genesis 18:17.  The words of God spoken in Genesis 18 prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  We can learn a lot Abraham's relationship with God from Genesis 18:16-33.

Abraham knew God in a way that only a small handful of people after him would know God. Among the most noted would be Moses and of course Jesus who is God (John 1:1, 14).  Reading the Genesis 18 account we can glean valuable insight to Abraham's relationship with God.  Abraham had the courage to draw near to God.  Abraham knew God well enough that he knew God would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. In Genesis 18:24-33 Abraham asks God if He would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there were fifty righteous there. God would not.  Abraham gets down to as little as ten.  God would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if as little as ten were found. Problem was there was NONE righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah.

But returning to Genesis 18:17, God was not going to hide from Abraham what He was about to do. God shared everything with Abraham because of their relationship.  Abraham maintained a humble and fearful attitude but at the same time was not afraid to approach God.

Reader, through His Word God has revealed to us what He does with the nations who refuse to follow Him.  In Sodom, there was none righteous.  I think we would all agree that our nation is moving further away from righteousness.  Ask yourselves will God find as little as ten righteous here in the United States?  If not, like Abraham, God has revealed to us what He will do.

Our relationship with God is a special one. Have a humble and fearful attitude but do not be afraid to approach the throne of grace.  Don't reject this relationship. Click here if you want to know how to enter into a relationship with Christ.  LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY BRINGING THIS NATION BACK TO GOD THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL! THINK SOULS! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE'ALL! GOD BLESS 

Monday, March 7, 2011

Every great journey requires a first step.

"By faith..."--Hebrews 11:8

"By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going."--Hebrews 11:8.  From the great chapter of faith, Hebrews 11.  Some call this chapter the Hall of Faith. Among those mentioned are Moses, Rahab, Joseph, Isaac and Jacob.  And of course the father of Isaac, Abraham.

Abraham.  After the flood, this is really where our story as followers of God begins.  God tells Abraham to pack his bags and start making tracks. The beginnings of Abraham's (at that time known simply as Abram) great journey can be found in Genesis 12:1-20. In Genesis 12:1-3, Abram is told by God what to do.  What I find so interesting about the Genesis 12 account is that Abram (Abraham) did not ask questions. Verse 4 tells us simply that Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him.  He simply obeyed, no questions asked.

No questions asked.  Ironically, the only question I have in response to this is why? Why didn't Abraham even ask where God was taking him? The answer is really quite simple. He trusted God. Hebrews 11 tells us that by faith, he obeyed and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

I bet we all wish we had faith like Abraham.  Not a day goes by that I don't ask God "Where are you taking me?" I moved out to Colorado back at the end of July. When I packed my bags and my trailer and left Southern California, I asked God, where are You taking me?  Now, just 3 months short of a year later, God continues to show me where He is taking me.  Being here at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver has allowed me to go places I never thought I would go in my faith.

I have been to New Hampshire doing the Lord's work.  In just a few days I will be headed to Guatemala to do His work in Central America.  In the mean time being here at BVBID has allowed me to DAILY do His work at my home base here in Denver, Colorado through, among other things, the posting of these devo's that have reached the world all from a little library in Denver, Colorado.   

I don't know where you are at with your walk with God. I don't have any practical suggestions tonight. But I leave you with this thought. Let's be like Abraham. Let us by faith, obey God, and go out even if we don't know where He is taking us. Why? Because every great journey requires a first step. LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS! THANKS FOR READING!

Ambition

"Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him."--2 Corinthians 5:9.  Paul, in his second letter to the church at Corinth.  He says the Christian's ambition is to be pleasing to God.  Why?  Because we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ.  When Paul says at home or absent, he means at home with the Lord or absent from our heavenly home, our ambition needs to be to please Him so that we might enter into the eternal house.

Ambition.  I hear the term ambition and I think of someone working towards a goal and being driven and determined enough to meet that goal.  I usually hear this term associated with people wanting to make it in the corporate world.

Ambition. Reflecting on this I rarely hear the term ambition used among the Lord's people.  The majority of us want to please the Lord no doubt.  However, while there is desire, there is no ambition. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word ambition as a strong desire to do or achieve something.  More importantly, the Greek word defines it as aspire.  Ambition is clearly stronger than desire.

So how do we make it our AMBITION, not just our desire to be pleasing to God?  Well, one idea is to get involved in a ministry with your congregation.   Or even take on a particular ministry with the ultimate goal of saving souls.  We must also DAILY search out God's Word and be on the look out for new ways to please Him in our EVERY DAY lives.  You can start by clicking here for some study material.

What is lacking in the church today is not desire but AMBITION to please God.  Remember to have AMBITION is to aspire not to an earthly goal but to an eternal heavenly goal.  We can no longer afford to just sit in the pews 2 or 3 times a week and call that pleasing God. Ambition to please God is making an active effort not just Sunday but Monday through Saturday to please God in our DAILY lives.

Do you have ambition or just desire? DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  
  

Friday, March 4, 2011

Amazed yet fearful

"They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him,"--Mark 10:32.  There were those following after Jesus into Jerusalem.  All were amazed.  All were fearful.

They were amazed.  The Greek word used here can also be translated astounded.  Interestingly enough the Greek word used here is only used 3 times in the whole New Testament and all within the book of Mark. What were they amazed at in regards to Jesus? Too much to list here.  But Jesus was different than the religious leaders of the Jews' day.  He did not consider Himself above anyone but their servant.  He even says elsewhere in Scripture, "The Son of Man came not to serve but to be served."  Jesus is different than what we see across religious circles today.  Jesus invites everyone to come to Him no matter what age, race, nationality, or language.  All are invited to follow Him

Those who followed were fearful.  Why? Well they were headed to Jerusalem.  Jerusalem is where Jesus' sufferings and ultimately his crucifixion would occur. As a result, those who followed Him would suffer as well.  Following Christ can be scary at times.  Thankfully, here in the United States, we don't face the same persecution.  However, following Christ can be scary because it can mean relinquishing control of a situation and placing our trust fully in Him even in the worst of circumstances.

I don't know if you are going through a difficult circumstance.  If you are consider what Jesus has done and trust Him to get you through.  But whether you are or you are not going through a difficult time, I leave you with the following passage. James 5:13--"Is anyone among you suffering? Then he MUST pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises." (Emphasis added).  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Your Enemies


"You have heard it said...hate your enemy.'"--Matthew 5:43.  This passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount.  The Sermon on the Mount, delivered by Jesus, is about righteousness and righteous living in the sight of God.  Jesus tells us to love our neighbor and our enemy. It's easy to look at this verse alone and think we should hate our enemy. But remember context!  However, Jesus tells us not only to love but He also will go on to tell us how to treat our enemies. We are to LOVE our neighbors and our enemies. And we are told how to do it.

Who are our enemies?  Our enemies are those who seek to harm us however they can.  This is where this particular passage gets really intriguing. Jesus was not what people expected Him to be on a number of levels.  How He tells us to treat our enemies exemplifies this.  Jesus says to love (agape) our enemies.  I have had my share of enemies in my life, not necessarily ones that persecute but who by their actions have shown they will do me more harm than good.

I am sure we all have people like this in our lives.  Maybe it's an employer or a co-worker that is your "enemy." Or maybe it's your neighbor??? Or it may even be someone in your own congregation!!  Our natural reaction is to retaliate against said people. But Jesus calls us to a higher standard. To agape them and to seek their good.  Did I mention that in Matthew 5:44, Jesus also tells us to PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES? Why should we? Well consider this, you and I were God's enemies once and look at the agape He showed us by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins.

My encouragement to you tonight is this. As hard as it might be, do good to your enemies.  In doing so, as it is put in Proverbs 25:21-22, you will heap burning coals on his (or her) head.  Do good to them. AGAPE THEM. Pray for them and I guarantee from experience, it will make a difference. PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

For God so loved the world...

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."--John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."--John 3:16.  Where to begin.  These are the very words of Jesus spoken to Nicodemus in John 3:10-21.  This is a verse that every person across Christendom probably knows.  We can quote it without even blinking an eye.  The words in the verse are straightforward but I would like to take some time to explore two key aspects of this verse.  There are more than two but time will only allow for us to explore these two: God so loved the world and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world.    The Greek word for love used here is agape, more specifically for "loved" it's agapan.  I have shown before that agape love is more than just a love between friends, it is a sacrificial kind of love.  Are you a parent?  Is there anything you would not do for the sake of your children?  Do you have a close friend that you would do anything at all for, even take a bullet for them if necessary? These are two small examples of agape kind of love. This is what God did for us.  We were hurting because of our sin.  Problem was we had/have been doing it for so long, we couldn't feel the pain anymore.  But God, being the loving God that He is sent His Son to bring us back to our senses.  Some were so desensitized to the pain that they did not recognize the error of their ways and continued in their sinful ways to their destruction.  But others believed and turned.  God gave His only begotten Son that WHOEVER believes in Him shall NOT perish but have eternal life.

Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  One of the things Jesus told Nicodemus in this text was that whoever believes in Him is not judged.  Jesus refers to the judgment as being that men loved the darkness rather than the Light (Jesus) and continued their evil deeds.  But those who believe are not judged. We who are followers of Christ are not judged.  We will pass through judgment into eternal life. So we must believe in Him.

To believe in Him is more than to just believe what Jesus says.  It is DO what He says found in the pages of Scripture. To love Jesus in the way He loved us is to follow His commands in regards to life and salvation. We also must remember this Jesus whom YOU (AND I) crucified has been made both Lord and Christ. (Cf. Acts 2:36-38).  May we never forget this for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!   

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Heavenly Vision

"So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision."--Acts 26:19.  Paul, before King Agrippa  had just finished describing his encounter with Christ and the events leading up to it.  Paul knew what he had to do.  

The Greek word vision here is optasia and it means vivid apparition, not a dream. When Paul saw Christ, his encounter was real.  It was most definitely not a dream.  Paul recognized the reality of Christ.  The reality of Christ caused him to be obedient to the "heavenly vision."

Christ is real.  He is not just a dream.  Where I think many Christians and leaders thereof have failed these days is to realize the reality of Christ in their own lives.  This has caused Christians to not see the heavenly vision and therefore have no direction in their walk with Christ.

Honestly, this is where opening God's Word and studying it out for ourselves is crucial.  I don't mean just sitting down and reading a few passages everyday.  What I mean is digging into the text. This night I think of the lesson I just heard regarding John 15 and how Jesus is the true vine.  In the beginning of the lesson, we were shown how we can highlight words in a certain text and this well help paint a picture of what is being spoken of and what we can learn from John 15.

Looking at evidence outside the Bible can help us realize the reality of Christ and KNOW He is real.

Knowing Christ is real will allow us to more actively obey the heavenly vision.

Can you see the heavenly vision? Have you been obedient to the heavenly vision? If not, I encourage you to use the practical suggestions I just gave these will help you to become obedient to the heavenly vision.  The heavenly vision is real. Christ is real. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Preach the Word

"Preach the Word"--2 Timothy 4:2

"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."--2 Timothy 4:2.  This is another one of my favorite passages.  Paul's instructions to Timothy while Timothy was in Ephesus facing discouragement and the temptation to give up.  This was among the last directives Paul would write.  He would not only have written them to Timothy but to us.  The main instruction is to preach the word!

Preach the word.  This passage goes on to tell us that we need to "be ready in season and out of season." We must be ready at ALL times to preach God's word.  To be constantly prepared means to use every opportunity we have to study His Word so that we might be able to preach it, for the lack of a better term, at the drop of a hat.

Preach the word.  We are also told to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with great patience and instruction.  Me and so many others can tell you that preaching the word requires so much patience.  When we preach the word in order to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, we can't always expect people to change overnight. We must exercise patience while continue to instruct.

Preach the word.  Why? Well if you look at the surrounding context in 2 Timothy 3:1-17 and 2 Timothy 4:3-8, Paul tells us that difficult times are going to come where people will be "lovers of self" and "lovers of money" and there will be a time when people will turn away from the truths of God's Word "to have their ears tickled" or listen to simply what makes them feels good, regardless of whether or not it's true.  Lovers of self, lovers of money, ears tickled, does this not sound like the society we live in today???

Preach the word.   This is not an option, it's an obligation for every Christian and especially to those of us that are full time preachers. So brother, sister, in the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:1-2 "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom; PREACH THE WORD;" (Emphasis added).  PREACH THE WORD! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Nowhere else to go...

"You do not want to go away also, do you?"--Jesus Christ

"So Jesus said to the twelve, 'You do not want to go away also, do you?"--John 6:67.  This is a statement Jesus makes at the conclusion of telling the people that He is the Bread of Life (John 6:48).  John 6:48 follows the fact that Jesus had miraculously fed 5000 men with only five loaves and two fish (John 6:1-14).  Jesus did all this for them yet the people walked away from Him.  Why? Because Jesus was looking for commitment. However, all the people Jesus was speaking to, with the exception of the apostles, walked away from Him after their needs were met.  Jesus acknowledges this in John 6:26.  His purpose in this miracle was to prove that He is the Christ. Yet they still walked away. They walked away from eternal life.  So, Jesus turns and asks the apostles you do not want to go away also, do you?  Peter's answer: John 6:68. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. There was nowhere else to go.

Nowhere else to go. Recently, I was speaking with a brother in Christ and we were discussing the fact that people walk away from Christ all the time.  They have their reasons.  Maybe they are like those in John who got what they wanted and didn't "need" Jesus anymore. Maybe life was good for a while and then they turned their back on God because the storms of life came.  What me and my brother found ourselves asking is what hope is there without Christ?  He has the words to eternal life.  The fact is if we walk away from Christ, we have nowhere else to go.  Not anywhere good anyway.

Take some time to reflect on what Christ HAS done for you.  Ask yourself if there is any real hope other than in Christ.  Friend, I really don't know about you but my thinking is if we walk away from Christ, we have nowhere else to go.  

For additional insight to John 6 and Jesus being the Bread of Life by my instructor Michael Hite click here for an excellent podcast of his lesson.

PRAY ABOUT IT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!   

    

Tend His Sheep

"...Tend My Sheep"--John 21:17

"...Tend My Sheep"--John 21:17.  This was the statement Jesus made to Peter after having asked him three times if Peter loved Him.  Of course, as discussed in a devo earlier this month, "Do you love Jesus?" (Click title to read), the third time Jesus asked, He was referring to the kind of love between friends (phileo).  The first two times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Jesus with the sacrificial kind of love (agape) that God has for us.  Problem was Peter responded all three times with phileo. But Jesus still tells Peter to tend His Sheep.

Tend His Sheep.  What does this mean to us? To tend in this case means to feed His sheep.  Other translations of the Bible say feed my sheep in the same verse.  This is part of tending His sheep, feeding them.  Part of living our lives for Christ means making the choice to find ways to tend His sheep.  I love the illustration of sheep as it is used in the Bible. I believe this illustration was used for at least two reasons.  First, the original audience was a society very familiar with shepherds and sheep. King David himself was a shepherd in his youth.  The second reason is that sheep are among the most vulnerable to attack of God's creation.  This is another reason we must tend His sheep.

Tend His sheep.  Because sheep are so vulnerable to attack, they need constant protection.  God's sheep (Christians) also need constant protection because even as Christians we are still vulnerable to Satan's attacks. Those of us who are stronger in the faith have a responsibility, nay, an obligation to tend God's sheep by providing them the NECESSARY protection from Satan's attacks.  A good description of it can be found in Ephesians 6:10-18.

So how can we tend His sheep in a practical way? I encourage you to find someone, one person this week that is young in their faith and find ways that you can tend to their spiritual needs whether it's through Bible study or something as simple as praying with them. I leave you with the same question that Jesus asked Peter, do you love (agape) Jesus? TEND HIS SHEEP! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!