Colossians 3:13 - Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
None of us is perfect no matter how much we try to be or how much we like to think we are. The beauty of it is that God doesn't expect us to be. He forgave our transgressions and imperfections, and He makes allowance for our continued faults and shortcomings. And so should we. Forgiveness works both ways.
If anyone had a good understanding of forgiveness, it was Paul. He referred to himself as the worst of them all when it came to sin (1 Timothy 1:15). While we might have one or two people in mind who we think was or is the worst sinner ever, who are we to decide. Paul was a bit hard on himself, but he understood that holding a grudge had no place in the Christian's heart.
I heard a Pastor on the radio recently that said that God forgives our sins, but He also forgives the sins committed against us. I thought that was an interesting perspective. How often do we think, "I know God has forgiven me, but He can't forgive that person for what they did to me." Well of course He can and He will when they seek His forgiveness and repent. No matter what the offense was, He can and will forgive it, with the exception of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31).
A couple of years ago, someone hurt me. They did something that is not easily forgivable, and had it happened 10 years ago, I wouldn't have forgiven them. When I confronted them with what happened and they were truly sorry, they asked me why I was calm and not upset, I said that God had already forgiven them, so who am I not to. I think that's the attitude we should be striving for. This doesn't mean I am perfect, because I still get upset at people and situations. I have to remind myself to pray for God to give me peace of mind and heart so that I can forgive and move on. I remind myself of what Paul said in Philippians 2:5 about having the attitude that Christ had. I believe that He would have forgiven the ones who had sentenced Him to die on the cross if they had asked Him to.
Failing to forgive is letting yourself be conquered by evil. Revenge is not sweet. Paul addressed this very well in Romans 12:19-21. Forgiving others and leaving it in God's hands, showing love to those who hurt you heaps burning coals of shame on their heads. It's not that we aim to shame someone when they sin against us. Although throwing burning things on their heads might feel good in the moment, it isn't our goal. We want to show them love and forgiveness so that our Heavenly Father will forgive us (Matthew 6:14). The burning coals of shame is the conviction of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.
We have to remember to be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32). It works both ways.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for teaching me about forgiveness. Thank You for forgiving my shortcomings and all my faults that are too numerous to list. I ask for Your strength and peace to remember to forgive others when they sin against me and hurt me. I know that I have struggled with this from time to time, but I also know that You will give me what I need according to Your will, and I know that it is Your will for me to love others, and forgive them as You have forgiven me. I pray for those that are holding on to a lot of bitterness in their hearts. My prayer is that You will continue to rain down Your love on them, and remind them that they need to forgive those that have hurt them. Show them that forgiving others as You have done, will not only improve their attitude, but it will heal their heart. I ask this in the name of Your Precious Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Successful Planning
Proverbs 15:22 - Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
We aren't meant to do this (life) on our own, or figure everything out by ourselves. Seeking wise counsel before decisions is the best way to achieve the success God has planned for us.
I don't know about you, but I find that more and more, I need advice. I used to believe that I was smart enough to figure anything out if I spent enough time on it. Fortunately, I finally realized that I didn't know what I was talking about when I would tell myself that.
The first place I go when I am struggling with a decision, is to God in prayer. In Proverbs 16:9, Solomon tells us that we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Here's the kicker, God has already determined the steps we should take before we have ever taken them or asked Him about them. In order to make sure we are following them, we need to ask Him. Now the question becomes, "What if He doesn't answer?" Well that depends on a couple of things.
Are you asking for your will to be done or His? In your prayers are you saying, "God I really want this promotion (or whatever), can You make it happen for me?" What if that's not His will for you? Maybe follow up that last question with, "I want Your will to be done." Asking God if He can do something is like asking the sun if it can be hot. Of course it can be hot, but do you always want it to be hot?
God also doesn't necessarily answer us the way we always expect. When we ask someone a question, a majority of the time, that person comes back with the answer, and usually right away. God doesn't always speak directly to people in some still soft voice, or a loud booming one either. Sometimes, He will show us the answer in His Word. That's usually how He communicates with me. Other times He will give His answer to other people to communicate it for Him. I'm not saying He doesn't communicate to us directly, I am just saying not always.
When I am struggling with finding an answer to something, if I haven't found it in God's Word, I will seek out a couple of Godly people that I know, and see what they think. This is very much out of my comfort zone, because I have always believed that no person knows what is good for me better than myself. Fortunately, I realized that I didn't know what I was talking about when I would tell myself that too. One of the things God wants for us, is to step out of our comfort zones and trust in Him more. I have been working on this for myself, and I feel I have made some progress. The advice I have sought from other people has always been right on, so I know that God is using them to show me that I can and should trust Him more.
That's where we need to start when making plans. Trust God, and He will guide our steps the way He always intended for us to be successful in what we are doing. When that happens, we have to be sure we give Him the glory, because we don't have any successful planning outside of His will.
Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to trust You more. I am so grateful that I have learned, and still am learning, to step out of my comfort zones and into the arms of the One who has loved me forever. I trust You will always guide me down the path I need to be on that will bring glory to You and Your Kingdom. I pray for those that struggle with this. I know it's not easy stepping out of that comfort zone. My prayer is that they will take that first small step of faith, so that they will see that You will never let them down as You have always promised. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
We aren't meant to do this (life) on our own, or figure everything out by ourselves. Seeking wise counsel before decisions is the best way to achieve the success God has planned for us.
I don't know about you, but I find that more and more, I need advice. I used to believe that I was smart enough to figure anything out if I spent enough time on it. Fortunately, I finally realized that I didn't know what I was talking about when I would tell myself that.
The first place I go when I am struggling with a decision, is to God in prayer. In Proverbs 16:9, Solomon tells us that we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Here's the kicker, God has already determined the steps we should take before we have ever taken them or asked Him about them. In order to make sure we are following them, we need to ask Him. Now the question becomes, "What if He doesn't answer?" Well that depends on a couple of things.
Are you asking for your will to be done or His? In your prayers are you saying, "God I really want this promotion (or whatever), can You make it happen for me?" What if that's not His will for you? Maybe follow up that last question with, "I want Your will to be done." Asking God if He can do something is like asking the sun if it can be hot. Of course it can be hot, but do you always want it to be hot?
God also doesn't necessarily answer us the way we always expect. When we ask someone a question, a majority of the time, that person comes back with the answer, and usually right away. God doesn't always speak directly to people in some still soft voice, or a loud booming one either. Sometimes, He will show us the answer in His Word. That's usually how He communicates with me. Other times He will give His answer to other people to communicate it for Him. I'm not saying He doesn't communicate to us directly, I am just saying not always.
When I am struggling with finding an answer to something, if I haven't found it in God's Word, I will seek out a couple of Godly people that I know, and see what they think. This is very much out of my comfort zone, because I have always believed that no person knows what is good for me better than myself. Fortunately, I realized that I didn't know what I was talking about when I would tell myself that too. One of the things God wants for us, is to step out of our comfort zones and trust in Him more. I have been working on this for myself, and I feel I have made some progress. The advice I have sought from other people has always been right on, so I know that God is using them to show me that I can and should trust Him more.
That's where we need to start when making plans. Trust God, and He will guide our steps the way He always intended for us to be successful in what we are doing. When that happens, we have to be sure we give Him the glory, because we don't have any successful planning outside of His will.
Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to trust You more. I am so grateful that I have learned, and still am learning, to step out of my comfort zones and into the arms of the One who has loved me forever. I trust You will always guide me down the path I need to be on that will bring glory to You and Your Kingdom. I pray for those that struggle with this. I know it's not easy stepping out of that comfort zone. My prayer is that they will take that first small step of faith, so that they will see that You will never let them down as You have always promised. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Pretty Simple
Romans 10:9 - If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Paul keeps it simple for us when he tells us what we need to do in order to be saved. I like simple, don't you?
There's no special deeds we have to do. No quota of souls reached that we have to make. Just believe and confess. Although we do have a responsibility to share the Good News with others, the winning souls to Christ part isn't our department. We share, and the Holy Spirit does the stirring. Ah ha! There's the catch! We have to talk to people!
Well of course we do, don't we do that every day anyway? When you are in a romantic relationship with someone, don't you tell other people? You change your Facebook status, you tweet about it. Why wouldn't you do this when you're in a relationship with God? Isn't that a bigger relationship than anything we could possibly ever have while we are on earth?
Jesus tells us in Luke's Gospel that when someone has been given much, much will be required in return and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required (Luke 12:48). Well when we have been saved, we have been given the keys to God's Kingdom. We have been entrusted with sharing the Gospel with others so that they too can share in God's glory. The Apostle Paul keeps it pretty simple in Romans 10:14 when he says, "How can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?" Isn't simple so much easier?
This doesn't mean that everyone who has been saved has to be an instant Bible scholar and have the answers to every question that someone might raise. I am certainly not one, and I sure don't have all the answers. But with so many resources at our fingertips, it isn't hard to find the answers. If someone challenges you on something, don't be afraid to say that you aren't really sure and then offer to research it together. I've done that. We don't have to do the winning, Jesus did that when He died for us and defeated death. We just need to do the sharing.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the Good News that You have redeemed us. Thank You for inspiring the hearts of the writers of the Old and New Testament, so that we may know Your heart better when we seek You in Your Word. Give me the courage to share Your message with someone so that they will have to the opportunity to believe and be saved. I pray for those that struggle sharing Your message with others, perhaps out of fear of stepping out of their comfort zone. My prayer is that Your Spirit will come upon them so strongly that their fears will disappear and they step out and declare Your message to anyone that might listen. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Paul keeps it simple for us when he tells us what we need to do in order to be saved. I like simple, don't you?
There's no special deeds we have to do. No quota of souls reached that we have to make. Just believe and confess. Although we do have a responsibility to share the Good News with others, the winning souls to Christ part isn't our department. We share, and the Holy Spirit does the stirring. Ah ha! There's the catch! We have to talk to people!
Well of course we do, don't we do that every day anyway? When you are in a romantic relationship with someone, don't you tell other people? You change your Facebook status, you tweet about it. Why wouldn't you do this when you're in a relationship with God? Isn't that a bigger relationship than anything we could possibly ever have while we are on earth?
Jesus tells us in Luke's Gospel that when someone has been given much, much will be required in return and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required (Luke 12:48). Well when we have been saved, we have been given the keys to God's Kingdom. We have been entrusted with sharing the Gospel with others so that they too can share in God's glory. The Apostle Paul keeps it pretty simple in Romans 10:14 when he says, "How can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?" Isn't simple so much easier?
This doesn't mean that everyone who has been saved has to be an instant Bible scholar and have the answers to every question that someone might raise. I am certainly not one, and I sure don't have all the answers. But with so many resources at our fingertips, it isn't hard to find the answers. If someone challenges you on something, don't be afraid to say that you aren't really sure and then offer to research it together. I've done that. We don't have to do the winning, Jesus did that when He died for us and defeated death. We just need to do the sharing.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the Good News that You have redeemed us. Thank You for inspiring the hearts of the writers of the Old and New Testament, so that we may know Your heart better when we seek You in Your Word. Give me the courage to share Your message with someone so that they will have to the opportunity to believe and be saved. I pray for those that struggle sharing Your message with others, perhaps out of fear of stepping out of their comfort zone. My prayer is that Your Spirit will come upon them so strongly that their fears will disappear and they step out and declare Your message to anyone that might listen. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Unashamed
Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes - the Jew first and also the Gentile.
We should never be ashamed of our faith or embarrassed that we are living for a purpose far greater than ourselves or beyond anything that the world can promise.
How easy is it to get caught up in what the crowd is doing? How easy is it to use the excuse that we have to go along to get along? Peer pressure doesn't stop when we are no longer teenagers in high school. It continues our entire lives. In a culture that has very loose moral values, people excuse behaviors all the time because they are afraid of offending anyone. They say things like, "Well everyone cheats on their spouse." How ridiculous is this?! No, not everyone does that! And if they do, it should not be rationalized away.
God doesn't expect us to be perfect. He knows and understands that we are all a work in progress (Philippians 1:6). But He does expect us to be repentant for the sins we commit, and not try to find creative excuses for why they happened.
Jesus asked a great question. He asked, "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Mark 8:36). If you are choosing to not do something because you know it would be wrong, you should never be ashamed of it. If someone tries to call you out on it, turn it around on them and tell them that you aren't doing it because you are living for something far greater than yourself, and far greater than the world could ever provide. You are living for the eternal life that God promises to those who believe and live their lives for Him and His purpose. It probably won't be the popular answer (to say the least), but it's the right answer
I spent 10 years of my life after I accepted Jesus as my Savior, kidding myself. I misguidedly thought that since I was "saved" I was good to go. I was a good person, I didn't really hurt anyone. I was just enjoying my life, which I was confident that was what God wanted me to do. Not only was I wrong, I can't remember ever once telling someone that I had been saved. I felt embarrassed to talk about it.
God doesn't want us to be ashamed to know Him. He wants us to be unashamed followers of His Son Jesus Christ who warned us that if we deny Him here on earth, He will deny us before His Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:33). The last thing I ever want is to have Jesus deny me before God. I am beyond grateful that the Holy Spirit convicted me after so many years of kidding myself so that I could seek the right relationship with Him. I am blessed that I am not only a work in progress by God, but that He is delighting in what He is doing in and through me. I know that I will stumble and fall from time to time, but I confidently trust that He will always be there to pick me up. He is not ashamed to call me His son, and I will never be ashamed to call Him my Father.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for being such a loving and forgiving God of second (and third, fourth...) chances. I know I never deserved any of them, but You gave them because You loved me. I ask for the strength and courage that only You can provide as I go out into the world today. I don't want to go along just to get along. If speaking Your truths make me an outcast, I am happy to be considered an outcast. I pray for those that have been ashamed to call You their Father in front of others. My prayer is that they will be convicted by Your Holy Spirit, and boldly and unashamedly call You the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for everyone to hear. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
We should never be ashamed of our faith or embarrassed that we are living for a purpose far greater than ourselves or beyond anything that the world can promise.
How easy is it to get caught up in what the crowd is doing? How easy is it to use the excuse that we have to go along to get along? Peer pressure doesn't stop when we are no longer teenagers in high school. It continues our entire lives. In a culture that has very loose moral values, people excuse behaviors all the time because they are afraid of offending anyone. They say things like, "Well everyone cheats on their spouse." How ridiculous is this?! No, not everyone does that! And if they do, it should not be rationalized away.
God doesn't expect us to be perfect. He knows and understands that we are all a work in progress (Philippians 1:6). But He does expect us to be repentant for the sins we commit, and not try to find creative excuses for why they happened.
Jesus asked a great question. He asked, "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Mark 8:36). If you are choosing to not do something because you know it would be wrong, you should never be ashamed of it. If someone tries to call you out on it, turn it around on them and tell them that you aren't doing it because you are living for something far greater than yourself, and far greater than the world could ever provide. You are living for the eternal life that God promises to those who believe and live their lives for Him and His purpose. It probably won't be the popular answer (to say the least), but it's the right answer
I spent 10 years of my life after I accepted Jesus as my Savior, kidding myself. I misguidedly thought that since I was "saved" I was good to go. I was a good person, I didn't really hurt anyone. I was just enjoying my life, which I was confident that was what God wanted me to do. Not only was I wrong, I can't remember ever once telling someone that I had been saved. I felt embarrassed to talk about it.
God doesn't want us to be ashamed to know Him. He wants us to be unashamed followers of His Son Jesus Christ who warned us that if we deny Him here on earth, He will deny us before His Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:33). The last thing I ever want is to have Jesus deny me before God. I am beyond grateful that the Holy Spirit convicted me after so many years of kidding myself so that I could seek the right relationship with Him. I am blessed that I am not only a work in progress by God, but that He is delighting in what He is doing in and through me. I know that I will stumble and fall from time to time, but I confidently trust that He will always be there to pick me up. He is not ashamed to call me His son, and I will never be ashamed to call Him my Father.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for being such a loving and forgiving God of second (and third, fourth...) chances. I know I never deserved any of them, but You gave them because You loved me. I ask for the strength and courage that only You can provide as I go out into the world today. I don't want to go along just to get along. If speaking Your truths make me an outcast, I am happy to be considered an outcast. I pray for those that have been ashamed to call You their Father in front of others. My prayer is that they will be convicted by Your Holy Spirit, and boldly and unashamedly call You the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for everyone to hear. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Leading Like Jesus
1 Corinthians 11:1 - And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
Paul knew what it meant to be a good leader. It means leading from the front like Jesus led. It means leading by example like Jesus led. Paul strove to imitate Christ's leadership.
They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. You only flatter someone you like or admire. It's easy to think that Paul may have been trying to get the believers in Corinth to follow him, but that isn't the case. He was reminding them that they should be striving to follow and imitate Christ.
Jesus was the best leader that ever lived. He showed what it meant to lead from the front. To lead by example, and to be a servant leader that was interested in only doing God's will. He gave His life as a sacrifice so that when we followed His example of love, and believed in His life-giving truth, we would no longer follow our sinful nature, but follow the One that came to free us from it (Romans 8:4).
Jesus' greatest example of servant leadership was shown in John 13 when He washed the feet of His disciples. He wasn't telling us that we had to necessarily wash everyone's feet (thankfully), but He was showing us that we should care for the one's that are put in our charge. We should show a genuine interest and care for those that we lead. That is servant leadership.
So how do we start leading like Jesus led? We begin by keeping our eyes and our hearts focused on Him. Proverbs 4:25 says to look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Since we have turned away from our sinful nature, and have made the commitment to follow Jesus, He is what lies before us. Keeping our hearts focused on God's will is the place to start. He will never lead us astray, and He will never ask us to do anything that He isn't willing to do Himself first. He proved that when He gave up His only Son to redeem us. He isn't asking us to sacrifice our children for Him, but He did that so that we would know that whatever we needed, He would provide when we ask Him with a right heart. A heart focused on Jesus and His example of servant leadership.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing me the right way to lead those that You have placed in my charge. I pray that I will continue to seek You for guidance, understanding, and discernment, and that I will always seek Your will first before I make any decisions that affect those under me. I pray for those that never had the right training of leadership. My prayer is that they will find that the best leadership training is found in Your Word, and that they will seek You out for the wisdom and discernment they need to lead properly and effectively. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Paul knew what it meant to be a good leader. It means leading from the front like Jesus led. It means leading by example like Jesus led. Paul strove to imitate Christ's leadership.
They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. You only flatter someone you like or admire. It's easy to think that Paul may have been trying to get the believers in Corinth to follow him, but that isn't the case. He was reminding them that they should be striving to follow and imitate Christ.
Jesus was the best leader that ever lived. He showed what it meant to lead from the front. To lead by example, and to be a servant leader that was interested in only doing God's will. He gave His life as a sacrifice so that when we followed His example of love, and believed in His life-giving truth, we would no longer follow our sinful nature, but follow the One that came to free us from it (Romans 8:4).
Jesus' greatest example of servant leadership was shown in John 13 when He washed the feet of His disciples. He wasn't telling us that we had to necessarily wash everyone's feet (thankfully), but He was showing us that we should care for the one's that are put in our charge. We should show a genuine interest and care for those that we lead. That is servant leadership.
So how do we start leading like Jesus led? We begin by keeping our eyes and our hearts focused on Him. Proverbs 4:25 says to look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Since we have turned away from our sinful nature, and have made the commitment to follow Jesus, He is what lies before us. Keeping our hearts focused on God's will is the place to start. He will never lead us astray, and He will never ask us to do anything that He isn't willing to do Himself first. He proved that when He gave up His only Son to redeem us. He isn't asking us to sacrifice our children for Him, but He did that so that we would know that whatever we needed, He would provide when we ask Him with a right heart. A heart focused on Jesus and His example of servant leadership.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing me the right way to lead those that You have placed in my charge. I pray that I will continue to seek You for guidance, understanding, and discernment, and that I will always seek Your will first before I make any decisions that affect those under me. I pray for those that never had the right training of leadership. My prayer is that they will find that the best leadership training is found in Your Word, and that they will seek You out for the wisdom and discernment they need to lead properly and effectively. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, May 26, 2014
All-Access
Romans 5:2 - Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.
When we come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, He begins to reveal Himself to us little by little. He reveals His will for each of us piece by piece, until that day we enter His glory in Heaven and all of it is revealed to us.
How awesome is God that He give us this all-access pass to His glory?! Paul said it perfectly when he called it a place of undeserved privilege.
Ever been to a concert? Ever got an all-access backstage pass for that concert? Most of us probably haven't, but if you have you get to see all sorts of stuff going on that most people don't get to see. Some of it is quite revealing, and some of it is stuff that you probably didn't want to see. However, God has granted us an all-access backstage pass to His Kingdom. And everything there is all we could ever want to see and know. He will hold nothing back from us, His children.
There are plenty of people that question why He doesn't reveal everything to us now. Why is He holding back some of it? Well it doesn't work that way. Our finite minds are not capable of all of that knowledge that we desire now all at once. We can't just accept Christ and then not build a relationship with Him. The key is to have faith as Paul tells us here. Solomon pointed it out in Proverbs 3:5 when he tells us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and don't depend on our own understanding.
Faith is trust. When we commit our lives to Him, and seek to build a relationship with Him, God faithfully reveals Himself to us a little at a time. I believe this has a two-fold reason. One, because He knows that we could not handle all of it all at once, and second, so that we continue to seek Him. God's biggest desire is to have a relationship with us, but it's a two-way street.
God has revealed Himself to me so much over the last few years as I've sought Him more and more and surrendered more and more to Him. But I know there is so much He hasn't revealed to me. I trust that He will reveal to me what He needs me to know and understand as I need to know and understand it. He hasn't given me the all-access backstage pass, and I am completely fine with that (although understanding that took some doing). I know the plans He has for me are for good and that they will give me a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). That doesn't mean that I know all of His specific plans for me, but He has shown me enough during our time together to sustain me on a daily basis. All it takes from me, and all of us, is faith.
Dear Father, thank You for the undeserved privilege of knowing You, and having an intimate relationship with You. I can't believe I went so long without it, but I know that I would not want to live another minute without it. I know that You have great and mighty things planned for me, and I have faith that You will reveal to me what You need me to know when the time is right according to Your will and purpose for me. I pray for those that don't have the relationship with You that You have always desired. My prayer is that they will feel Your Holy Spirit stirring in their hearts, so they will begin to seek You and the undeserved privilege You have for them. I pray that they will share in Your glory because of the all-access backstage pass You have promised them through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
When we come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, He begins to reveal Himself to us little by little. He reveals His will for each of us piece by piece, until that day we enter His glory in Heaven and all of it is revealed to us.
How awesome is God that He give us this all-access pass to His glory?! Paul said it perfectly when he called it a place of undeserved privilege.
Ever been to a concert? Ever got an all-access backstage pass for that concert? Most of us probably haven't, but if you have you get to see all sorts of stuff going on that most people don't get to see. Some of it is quite revealing, and some of it is stuff that you probably didn't want to see. However, God has granted us an all-access backstage pass to His Kingdom. And everything there is all we could ever want to see and know. He will hold nothing back from us, His children.
There are plenty of people that question why He doesn't reveal everything to us now. Why is He holding back some of it? Well it doesn't work that way. Our finite minds are not capable of all of that knowledge that we desire now all at once. We can't just accept Christ and then not build a relationship with Him. The key is to have faith as Paul tells us here. Solomon pointed it out in Proverbs 3:5 when he tells us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and don't depend on our own understanding.
Faith is trust. When we commit our lives to Him, and seek to build a relationship with Him, God faithfully reveals Himself to us a little at a time. I believe this has a two-fold reason. One, because He knows that we could not handle all of it all at once, and second, so that we continue to seek Him. God's biggest desire is to have a relationship with us, but it's a two-way street.
God has revealed Himself to me so much over the last few years as I've sought Him more and more and surrendered more and more to Him. But I know there is so much He hasn't revealed to me. I trust that He will reveal to me what He needs me to know and understand as I need to know and understand it. He hasn't given me the all-access backstage pass, and I am completely fine with that (although understanding that took some doing). I know the plans He has for me are for good and that they will give me a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). That doesn't mean that I know all of His specific plans for me, but He has shown me enough during our time together to sustain me on a daily basis. All it takes from me, and all of us, is faith.
Dear Father, thank You for the undeserved privilege of knowing You, and having an intimate relationship with You. I can't believe I went so long without it, but I know that I would not want to live another minute without it. I know that You have great and mighty things planned for me, and I have faith that You will reveal to me what You need me to know when the time is right according to Your will and purpose for me. I pray for those that don't have the relationship with You that You have always desired. My prayer is that they will feel Your Holy Spirit stirring in their hearts, so they will begin to seek You and the undeserved privilege You have for them. I pray that they will share in Your glory because of the all-access backstage pass You have promised them through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Pick & Choose
2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he tells us that ALL Scripture is from God and is true. Not just certain parts that we prefer to believe.
Do you know anyone that doesn't believe it's all true? They say things like, "I don't agree with that part, so it doesn't apply to me." I have. It blows my mind that people think it's okay to just pick and choose what is true and what applies to them at their convenience. I refer to them as Convenient Christians.
I have found that when people don't understand what they're reading in Scripture, they tend to dismiss it. I have also seen that people who don't believe that God could love them the way He does and the way He loves EVERYONE, they believe that He doesn't love some people because of their sin. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Senior Pastor at my church once said that in order to understand the content of the Bible, you have to understand the context. I don't think he could have said it any better. If we're not getting good Bible teaching from our church leaders, then we will have problems understanding the context, and therefore the content.
God loves EVERYONE. He hates SIN. Sin separates us from God, which is why He hates it. God will ALWAYS love us, and it breaks His heart when we are in bondage to our sin which keeps us from Him. I'm sure you've heard the term 'Hate the sin, not the sinner'. That's what I'm talking about here. God loves us all and always will. He will not bless us if we are rebelling against Him by letting our sin control us, which prevents us from being intimately connected to Him, but He will still always love us.
The next time you hear someone say, "God doesn't love them because they're sinning," correct them. It's their way of saying that God couldn't possibly love me because I'm a sinner that's done so much bad, or I'm still living in my sin." They're providing you a window of opportunity to speak to their heart. Share with them the truth of the Gospel message that Jesus didn't come to save those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners (Mark 2:17). All it takes is for that small window of opportunity into that person's heart to let the Holy Spirit in to do what He does best.
Dear Father, thank You for saving me. I know that I am a sinner, and I know that You still love me regardless. I thank You for Your Word. I know that it all comes from You, and I trust that You will always lead me down the path I should go, and You will always teach me to do what is right. I pray for those convenient christians that don't understand the truth. Perhaps they haven't been taught properly, or even been taught at all. My prayer is that when their friends see and hear what is in their heart, they will share Your truth with them, and they will receive Your Holy Spirit into their hearts to transform their lives for the glory of Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he tells us that ALL Scripture is from God and is true. Not just certain parts that we prefer to believe.
Do you know anyone that doesn't believe it's all true? They say things like, "I don't agree with that part, so it doesn't apply to me." I have. It blows my mind that people think it's okay to just pick and choose what is true and what applies to them at their convenience. I refer to them as Convenient Christians.
I have found that when people don't understand what they're reading in Scripture, they tend to dismiss it. I have also seen that people who don't believe that God could love them the way He does and the way He loves EVERYONE, they believe that He doesn't love some people because of their sin. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Senior Pastor at my church once said that in order to understand the content of the Bible, you have to understand the context. I don't think he could have said it any better. If we're not getting good Bible teaching from our church leaders, then we will have problems understanding the context, and therefore the content.
God loves EVERYONE. He hates SIN. Sin separates us from God, which is why He hates it. God will ALWAYS love us, and it breaks His heart when we are in bondage to our sin which keeps us from Him. I'm sure you've heard the term 'Hate the sin, not the sinner'. That's what I'm talking about here. God loves us all and always will. He will not bless us if we are rebelling against Him by letting our sin control us, which prevents us from being intimately connected to Him, but He will still always love us.
The next time you hear someone say, "God doesn't love them because they're sinning," correct them. It's their way of saying that God couldn't possibly love me because I'm a sinner that's done so much bad, or I'm still living in my sin." They're providing you a window of opportunity to speak to their heart. Share with them the truth of the Gospel message that Jesus didn't come to save those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners (Mark 2:17). All it takes is for that small window of opportunity into that person's heart to let the Holy Spirit in to do what He does best.
Dear Father, thank You for saving me. I know that I am a sinner, and I know that You still love me regardless. I thank You for Your Word. I know that it all comes from You, and I trust that You will always lead me down the path I should go, and You will always teach me to do what is right. I pray for those convenient christians that don't understand the truth. Perhaps they haven't been taught properly, or even been taught at all. My prayer is that when their friends see and hear what is in their heart, they will share Your truth with them, and they will receive Your Holy Spirit into their hearts to transform their lives for the glory of Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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