Romans 12:1-2 (NASB):
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may [d]prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
When I was a kid, I was a fan of the cartoon show "The Transformers." This show centered around these "alien beings" that were made of metal and took the form of mechanical things on this earth. The cartoon show acted out the battle between the "Autobots" and the "Deceptecons". The drawing point of this cartoon was that these robots could "transform" into 1, and sometimes 2 or more different shapes. For example, the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, could transform into a huge truck. The idea was that these robots were not trapped in only 1 form, they could transform as situations arose that called for alternate strategies. Other people must have liked the show when they were kids too, because the 3 movies that came out in the past 5 years made millions of dollars.
Here at the start of Romans 12 we see a similar challenge thrown out by Paul. "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Now, those of you reading this probably realize that physically, you look the same both before and after you accept Christ. I'm still "Will" when someone looks at me. Believing in Christ doesn't make me transform like the transformers did - on the outside. The truth is that we are transformed by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and we continue to transform as we receive the truth of the Word of God into our hearts and begin reflecting that truth in our actions - in outward transformation. In general, we are transforming first on the inside, and then on the outside to match. This makes sense because we are transformed by the "renewing of our mind." If what our mind thinks is not being made new, then we cannot transform. This is a continuous snare that can trip up anyone - especially someone who believes that they are sure of anything. I'm not saying that you can't be sure of anything - I'm just saying to be careful about becoming prideful and so set in your thinking that you are not open to a new look at something. It might just be the renewing agent you need to transform in that "difficult" area of your life.
It would be enough if these 2 verses were just about transformation, however there is much more there. Paul answers the question of why we transform, "So that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." We transform so that we can prove (in some translations this is interpreted as "approve"), what the will of God is. This transformation process (and it is a process), starts to throw open doors in your life that you didn't see through before. I should say throws open "some" doors. Other doors creep open, and some remain shut and you just glance at them every once and awhile and wonder if they'll ever open. Renewing our mind begins when we accept Christ, and the Holy Spirit is unhinged and given license to lay waste to the dreadful state that is our hearts (and minds). Remember, we were (are) sinners that need(ed) a savior. So the Holy Spirit goes to work. This work sometimes brings us long-awaited relief from pain, guilt, shame, and things that did not belong destroying the fabric of our lives. Things then begins to heal, and on from there. We begin to think differently about ourselves, our world, others, etc (now thinking under the influence of the "renewing process" that is at work).
Sometimes though, the work of the Holy Spirit to enact renewal is greeted with resistance. We may willfully resist, or we may be a slave to some kind of evil that we cannot hope to do battle with on our own. Either way, whether it is us resisting or the "evil in us" resisting, the resistance is going to lose because it's up against God now. However, we must remember this. Sin and evil parade around in our hearts and claim a sense of power which they do not have. We were once slaves to sin and death, but in Christ we are not slaves to that - we are slaves to Him; and thus we are set free from sin. Therefore, it is not us that does battle with the sin left trying to hold onto us - it is the Holy Spirit that begins battle. Some battles take years, others take days. Some depends on you and your willingness to surrender to God, some depends on God alone and His "perfect" will. God may have plans for how He will deal with things in your life and they may be (and often are) different than your plans for that. "Working out our salvation", and this renewing of our mind process is part of that, always builds our trust in God. Put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6), get ready to do battle, and trust Him. One caution - do not show indifference toward the sin you recognize in your life. Tell God you see it, and continue to cry out to Him. He knows - but tell Him anyway. He wants to hear from us on these things, and it goes a long way to pray with vulnerability to a God who is trustworthy. He loves that.
Through all this new-found dependence, trust, and renewing, we then offer the result of our lives to God as "living sacrifices". "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship." Here is one of the many places where worship is revealed as much more than song and praise on Sunday's. Here worship is simply how we live - a sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. In the Old Testament when the Lord is communicating the law to Moses (see Exodus 19 - Numbers), there is a set of verses when the Lord communicates about all of the offerings. In each type of offering (sin, burnt, fellowship, food, etc...there are more) the description includes "an aroma pleasing to the Lord."
Considered together with Revelation 5:8 (The Lamb-Jesus taking the scroll):
"And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people."
Catch that? "Golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people." Incense (at least the kind we know of) provides aroma. I could be wrong here, but I'm going out on a limb and taking a guess that whatever aroma those bowls are giving off in heaven is "an aroma pleasing to the Lord." If that's true, then these verses (Romans 12:1-2) scream to us that we are truly living sacrifices, an aroma pleasing to the Lord." That's the point of this verse. Our lives are to be shaped and lived in service to God - sacrificially pouring ourselves out for His glory and according to His leading.
There was once a time in history when things had to die to appease and create an aroma pleasing to the Lord. In the new covenant in Christ, the pleasing aroma to to the Lord is created by living things - those who believe in Christ and are living Romans 12:1-2. Praise God that He saw fit to flip the script on death and give life freely, so that we may receive that life and live it in honor of His glory...offered back as a sacrifice that is pleasing to Him.
Oh, and remember - don't get stressed out about "living for God." Trust Him and do your best. He doesn't expect you to be perfect, He makes you perfect in Christ through this process in His perfect timing. Surrender, depend on Him, and fall into His grace. Talk about Majesty...
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Sunday, February 12, 2012
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Divorcing God
Greetings to the all the Verse-A-Day users. I found this post in my other blog from a few years ago and wanted to share it with you here regarding the topic of divorce; more specifically in the framework of Divorcing God. We considered addressing divorce within the Verse-A-Day app and web site, however we did not feel they could stand alone per day without some additional background. Writing the below commentary, my over-arching point is that when divorce exists between people, there must first be divorce from God in some way. I do not mean divorce like a permanent separation from God - however there is a break in communication, in going the same direction, that can be caused by any number of things. Let me be clear - God loves you - this is not dependent upon your marital state or whatever decisions you have made or not made. The truth is that God hates divorce, He exists always and infinitely in relationship within the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). The breaking apart of what God has joined together is not the desired outcome.
If you are struggling through a divorce currently I beg you to pray and seek God. I don't know your situation. Do not be ashamed and if you already feel shame do not hide it in your heart. Seek help going through this difficult time in your life and surrender you heart to God and allow His hopes for you to fill you up. He is good and will not abandon or forsake you no matter what the outcome of your current situation. And, know that He has the power to change hearts, that includes your own heart and the heart of your husband or wife. While what God will do in your situation is a mystery, what He can do in anyone's situation is anything He chooses. Believe God for your situation and trust in Him.
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My parents are divorced, they separated when I was about 13, and divorced when I was about 17. For most of my younger childhood though, I grew up with both parents. It was when I started to define who I was going to be that I had more time on my own.
If you are struggling through a divorce currently I beg you to pray and seek God. I don't know your situation. Do not be ashamed and if you already feel shame do not hide it in your heart. Seek help going through this difficult time in your life and surrender you heart to God and allow His hopes for you to fill you up. He is good and will not abandon or forsake you no matter what the outcome of your current situation. And, know that He has the power to change hearts, that includes your own heart and the heart of your husband or wife. While what God will do in your situation is a mystery, what He can do in anyone's situation is anything He chooses. Believe God for your situation and trust in Him.
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My parents are divorced, they separated when I was about 13, and divorced when I was about 17. For most of my younger childhood though, I grew up with both parents. It was when I started to define who I was going to be that I had more time on my own.
Let's
move up to approximately 4 years ago. It was the day before my
wedding. I felt an extremely deep sense of fear. I reluctantly, and in
a very frustrated fashion, poured out my feelings about this fear to my
wife-to-be late that night (the night before we were getting married).
Just for a moment, let's talk about the word covenant before I digress too much.
Near the beginning, at least in the bible, God made a covenant with Noah. (Genesis 6:18)
There was a covenant made with Abram (Genesis 15, Genesis 17)
Much
later, God continues to communicate the same covenant through Moses to
Israel when saving them and bringing them out of Egypt (Exodus 6, Exodus
19)
Covenant where Jesus is concerned?
Luke 22:20
"In
the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is
the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."
2 Corinthians 3 (The glory of the new covenant)
Hebrews 7:18-25
"The
former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19(for
the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which
we draw near to God.
20And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.' " 22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
20And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.' " 22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."
The
dictionary defines covenant as an agreement between 2 people that they
will, or will not, do something. It also defines it as the bible does
as an alternate definition, that it is God's agreement with people.
See,
here's the thing, when you get married, you stand before the person you
are marrying, and you stand before God. You stand before both and
basically say, "No matter what happens, I'm going to stick with you
until death." When you do this, you enter into a covenant that God is
involved in. You stand before God whether you believe in him or not. If you are married, you stood before God. Marriage is a
covenant relationship. It is a relationship that is between a husband, a
wife, and God.
Pastor's or priests sometimes say, "by the power vested in me..."
Who
do we think is doing the "vesting of power"? The only thing that can
"vest true power in you" is God. God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Spirit. If you don't believe in God, take it as a lesson. If
you do believe in God, take it as a reminder.
Matthew 5:31
""It
has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a
certificate of divorce.' 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his
wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an
adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."
This is Jesus speaking. He makes a statement about what should be the past.
There is a clear offense, and a clear exception in his statement. The
offense of a husband that divorces his wife, except for marital
unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress. Not only that, but
anyone who marries that divorced woman commits adultery." Which makes
sense. Why does it make sense? Because of the covenant. Without the
idea that marriage is a union between 3 entities (2 people, 1 God), you
can argue this all you want and I can't refute it.
To
everyone that believes in Christ, the Bible is your rulebook. You
should not, although you have the choice to, divorce God from your daily
stuff. If divorce is happening in your marriage (like paperwork and
legally) - divorce from one another has already been going on for
awhile. Not only divorce from each other, but also divorce from God.
In the covenant...there were/are 3. You can't really divorce one
without divorcing the other in your decision. I'm not saying God
doesn't forgive you or go with you (as you already read) - but you
divorced God from your decision. There is a separation, a
compartmentalization that went on. You locked God out of your world,
and made the decision on your own (like we do so often with so much
sin).
Read the Bible and follow it. Sometimes, we
mess up, because we're human. If you made a decision to get divorced
after you became a Christian (without adultery or death in the mix), you
made a choice that doesn't reflect your faith. I know what you're
thinking. What about abuse? My husband / wife hit me! He/She hit my
kids! My life was in danger!
I
don't understand it either. Neither did the disciples. What Jesus
said to them was extremely hard to hear - but even harder to live.
Matthew 19:1-12
"1When
Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into
the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2Large crowds
followed him, and he healed them there.
3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' 5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
7"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
10The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
11Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' 5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
7"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
10The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
11Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
That being said, God is good.
Here's what I mean by that.
Romans 8:10
"8But
what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in
your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you
confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with
your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth
that you confess and are saved."
If
you have divorced, and also believe in Jesus, God is with you. I know
thus far, it sounds like I'm beating up on those of you who are divorced
for any reason, and that is not the case. My point is not to "beat up"
on anyone here. The truth is the truth, but it must be spoken in love.
I needed to lay some groundwork above before writing what the deal is.
The deal is this, if you know
Christ and are in, or ever encounter a situation of difficulty or
challenge with your spouse...you need to seek Christ (together
preferably) to provide power, guidance, reconciliation, joy, peace. God
is love, and it is the only love that lasts forever. Without seeking
Christ and letting your relationship be led by the Holy Spirit, be
covered always in the grace of God, and full of forgiveness, a
"Christian" marriage is doomed to fail. Period. The truth is that
everything you need to succeed in a marriage "under God" comes from God.
You cannot do it on your own, like so many other things that go on
with the life of a Christian.
If
you do not know Christ. It is better for you to know Christ. Without
Christ in my life, I would not have a marriage. I would not have ever
had the strength to stand there and promise to love someone until death.
My parents couldn't do it, why should I even try? I was so scared, I
was terrified of failing at it. I was sure I'd screw it up somehow (and
I was right). My marriage is held together because of the power of
God; plain and simple. I find stuff to love my wife with I never knew
was available because God is gracious and lets me borrow some stuff He
knows she will like. The same is true for my wife toward me. He is the
center; He is the hope; He is the all in all. I'm getting better at it
(at least I hope), but without His help I would have nothing to go
on...nothing that worked anyway.
You may
very well live this life in happiness, but without the knowledge of
Christ you will not be saved from an eternity in hell, absent of the
presence of God. I say this to you so that you might share in the joy
and the peace and the everlasting life that is Christ Jesus for those
who believe in Him. Jesus Christ died for your sins, he sacrificed
himself as the Son of God to become payment for the sins of all people.
All sins all people have committed have been paid for. This is not a
permission slip to continue sinning (which Paul says in the New
Testament) but it is a special gift of God that we may receive his rich
mercy and infinite supply of grace through Christ Jesus and be ushered
with him into the presence of God covered by His blood that is without
sin. I have no right to stand before God of my own accord. I should be
in hell, just like all people except for Jesus Christ. But that was
not the plan. God had a plan for redemption, for reconciliation to
himself; and that is only Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:1-4
"Therefore,
there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free
from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in
that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he
condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements
of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the
sinful nature but according to the Spirit. "
These verses are supposed to change how we live. They are designed so that we remember who we are in Christ toward right action. Live according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh alone, the mind alone, or the emotions alone. The Spirit was designed to trump all of these things, not be picked up and set down like a toy that serves us whenever we want. We are in service to One who is infinitely greater, and full of love. Doesn't One like that deserve your obedience?
I beg all of you...do not divorce God in your daily lives. When you can't, He can.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Will of God - 10/10/2011
This post is to further discuss the "will of God" as mentioned in the October 10th Verse-A-Day (VAD) post on Matthew 7:21-23. These verses are listed below:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The commentary for this verse was the following:
Today’s question is, “What is important to God?” In at least some cases, it is clearly not prophesying, driving out demons, or performing miracles in His name. Only those who do the will of the Father in heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven. Why is this thought placed separate from the acts of righteousness listed? It is possible to be focused on the wrong good things in this life. Seek God for His will for your life and focus on the good things He has laid before you.
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A question came to us: "What is the Will of God?"
This is not an easy question to answer, nor do I believe it has a clear - straightforward answer. In order to attempt a response for this question, I'm going to mention some things that Jesus said, and then go on to give some scenarios of life and how I believe the will of God functions there. My initial statement about this question is this: doing the will of God is, in any situation in your life, doing and being what God would want you to do and/or be. Obviously, you can't always do exactly what God would do, because you are not God. However, our goal is to be like Christ - to carry ourselves as Christians, stewards of the gospel message of hope to all people. God had a cup that could not pass from Christ (see scripture for Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prays that the cup would pass from Him if there was any other way). I believe that in the same way, God has a cup that is for you alone. It is uniquely designed for you to do His will and finish that work.
Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish the work." (John 4:34) He also said to His disciples, "I have food of which you do not know." The disciples didn't know of the food that Jesus spoke of because Jesus had not yet died and conquered death, rising to be seated at the right hand of God the Father. After this, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the disciples received Him. I believe that because of this, the disciples then had the ability to understand what it is Jesus was talking about, because through the conviction and leading of the Holy Spirit they could experience what it is like to have God's will be a kind of food to them.
(1st Cor 6:13)
"You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."
In 1st Cor 6:13, Paul makes a statement that transitions our understanding of the body from the physical to the spiritual or supernatural. Paul's claim here is that the body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. This echoes of another place in scripture where the body is referred to as "the temple of the Holy Spirit." This is like the Old Testament Tabernacle, a place where meeting with God was possible. In Christ, God has made His home with you in sending the Holy Spirit to live within you. This is how God accomplishes writing his laws on your heart; through the Holy Spirit. Only God can change hearts. Jesus and God are not inside of you physically. The Holy Spirit is not physical, meaning it is not seen with physical eyes. Think of the Holy Spirit as a facilitator of God's Will for your life. I use the term loosely, and as used from our perspective. The Holy Spirit is one part of the Triune God. God would not be God without the Holy Spirit. It is no small thing that the Holy Spirit lives within you. In essence, it is the same thing as "God with us."
What does all this have to do with the Will of God?
Jesus also said,
Matthew 28:18-20:
God's will is sort of like the waves of the ocean. Waves are constantly happening, coming into the shore. They come in all shapes and sizes, and in seasons (storms, calm, etc) This shows that God is always active in and through our lives. Sometimes you see the wave coming, and can decide whether or not to ride it and plan how you're going to get on. Sometimes you don't see it coming, and need to make a split second decision on whether to try and ride the wave, or sit this one out. Sometimes you are caught completely off guard, and the wave breaks on top of you, bringing you to your knees. What I'm about to say is a hard truth to accept - but each one of these scenarios could just as well be God working in your life as another. Consider Job, consider Peter (who denied Jesus), consider Judas (the one who betrayed Jesus), and consider Paul.
For example, after I graduated from college, I became part of a young adult group. There was about 30 of us, and I was the new kid on the block. A few months after I started going there, they were going on a missions trip to Chicago doing urban ministry. I hesitated on going, because I really didn't feel a strong desire to specifically go to Chicago. I wasn't scared, and it wasn't that I didn't care - just wasn't on my radar. About one week before the date they were going to leave, it hit me and I all of a sudden wanted to go. I had also thought it through (though not much), and thought it might be a good way to get to know the people that I was new friends with.
So we went. The first night there, we went to where we were going to stay, and a representative from the school where we were sleeping came to greet us. As she was going over what we were going to do the next day, the first thing she said was, "Does anyone have any computer experience?" I was an IT guy by profession, and the only IT guy on our team. I raised my hand in the air, and that's what I did for 3 days of our trip.
I would say this is an example of "making a split second decision and trying to ride the wave". Many times when this happens, you find out that God had something special planned for you along the way, and getting on that wave was the right thing to do. The will of God is always perfectly designed by Him for His glory and purposes. To us, it looks like anything from foolishness, to completely logical decisions. More often than not though, it looks like foolishness with a hint of preparation. For all those people out there that pride themselves on being prepared, I want to be sure to mention that preparedness is just as biblical as the courage to dive in head first with complete trust that God will provide direction and all you need. God works in preparation just like He work in our weakness or in our shortcomings. The bible says that the power of God is perfected in weakness, and whether you are prepared or not, there's plenty of weakness to go around giving God the opportunity to perfect His power in you.
I will say this: discerning the will of God is at the discretion of God. He has revealed Himself to us in His Word, and that plays a part in His will for your life. Another part of this process is ongoing, consistent relationship with God (via the Holy Spirit, prayer, and community). I'll call this the "experience" side of the will of God. The Holy Spirit is looking for opportunities to use both of these vehicles in your life to lead you the way you should go (to live a life in God's will). Your obedience is necessary in order to go that way. While God is sovereign, He has allowed us a choice. We can choose not to follow Him, not to obey the Holy Spirit when He prompts us, and fool ourselves into a life of satisfied complacency that does not engage God in response to the work of Christ.
There's plenty more scripture where this came from relating to the will of God and proof that He is with us. I would encourage you to look at the Bible as "God's Redemptive History." God's in the business of revealing Himself, and redeeming us to right relationship with Him. History has unfolded to redeem us and reveal who God is. The more you know Him, the more you will find yourself in the will of God.
Finally, let me close with this statement. You cannot be in the will of God without experiencing grace. You need to recognize your weakness and be willing to allow God to fill that in and forgive you. You will make mistakes. Try to do your best, but mistakes come to us all. Cast them upon the throne of grace and let the only One who can turn that around for His glory. You've never had a better teammate than Jesus.
I encourage any who read this to continue praying, reading the word of God, and seeking Him in everything. This is the path to living out God's will for your life. Engage other believers at your church or that you know. Start discussions about how you desire to make an impact in this world for Christ. Be able to forgive yourself and receive forgiveness from God during the times in your life when you do not feel much of anything, and it's all you can do to get through the day. Tomorrow is a new day, and joy comes in the morning. God promises to be your rock, your fortress, your strong tower. Depend on Him.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The commentary for this verse was the following:
Today’s question is, “What is important to God?” In at least some cases, it is clearly not prophesying, driving out demons, or performing miracles in His name. Only those who do the will of the Father in heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven. Why is this thought placed separate from the acts of righteousness listed? It is possible to be focused on the wrong good things in this life. Seek God for His will for your life and focus on the good things He has laid before you.
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A question came to us: "What is the Will of God?"
This is not an easy question to answer, nor do I believe it has a clear - straightforward answer. In order to attempt a response for this question, I'm going to mention some things that Jesus said, and then go on to give some scenarios of life and how I believe the will of God functions there. My initial statement about this question is this: doing the will of God is, in any situation in your life, doing and being what God would want you to do and/or be. Obviously, you can't always do exactly what God would do, because you are not God. However, our goal is to be like Christ - to carry ourselves as Christians, stewards of the gospel message of hope to all people. God had a cup that could not pass from Christ (see scripture for Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prays that the cup would pass from Him if there was any other way). I believe that in the same way, God has a cup that is for you alone. It is uniquely designed for you to do His will and finish that work.
Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish the work." (John 4:34) He also said to His disciples, "I have food of which you do not know." The disciples didn't know of the food that Jesus spoke of because Jesus had not yet died and conquered death, rising to be seated at the right hand of God the Father. After this, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the disciples received Him. I believe that because of this, the disciples then had the ability to understand what it is Jesus was talking about, because through the conviction and leading of the Holy Spirit they could experience what it is like to have God's will be a kind of food to them.
(1st Cor 6:13)
"You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."
In 1st Cor 6:13, Paul makes a statement that transitions our understanding of the body from the physical to the spiritual or supernatural. Paul's claim here is that the body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. This echoes of another place in scripture where the body is referred to as "the temple of the Holy Spirit." This is like the Old Testament Tabernacle, a place where meeting with God was possible. In Christ, God has made His home with you in sending the Holy Spirit to live within you. This is how God accomplishes writing his laws on your heart; through the Holy Spirit. Only God can change hearts. Jesus and God are not inside of you physically. The Holy Spirit is not physical, meaning it is not seen with physical eyes. Think of the Holy Spirit as a facilitator of God's Will for your life. I use the term loosely, and as used from our perspective. The Holy Spirit is one part of the Triune God. God would not be God without the Holy Spirit. It is no small thing that the Holy Spirit lives within you. In essence, it is the same thing as "God with us."
What does all this have to do with the Will of God?
Jesus also said,
Matthew 28:18-20:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
After reading this verse, would you say that "making disciples of all nations" is the will of God? I think it is. What I mean is this: If you were making disciples and Jesus walked up behind you and caught you doing it, He'd probably say something like "Well done!" I don't mean that only making disciples is the Will of God. God wants all people who know Him to make disciples wherever they go. Whether they go to a particular place for the explicit purpose of making disciples is less of an issue. This reveals a character and integrity that should be evident in our lives whenever the opportunity arises, so that Christ can be evidenced through our lives, and the gospel can be taken to every corner of the world.
That being said, it might be God's will for you to go to one of those corners of the world and make disciples. The real question is, "How do you know whether it is God's Will for you to do something like this?" I can't say for sure. I can give you some suggestions, and my own opinion from experience:After reading this verse, would you say that "making disciples of all nations" is the will of God? I think it is. What I mean is this: If you were making disciples and Jesus walked up behind you and caught you doing it, He'd probably say something like "Well done!" I don't mean that only making disciples is the Will of God. God wants all people who know Him to make disciples wherever they go. Whether they go to a particular place for the explicit purpose of making disciples is less of an issue. This reveals a character and integrity that should be evident in our lives whenever the opportunity arises, so that Christ can be evidenced through our lives, and the gospel can be taken to every corner of the world.
God's will is sort of like the waves of the ocean. Waves are constantly happening, coming into the shore. They come in all shapes and sizes, and in seasons (storms, calm, etc) This shows that God is always active in and through our lives. Sometimes you see the wave coming, and can decide whether or not to ride it and plan how you're going to get on. Sometimes you don't see it coming, and need to make a split second decision on whether to try and ride the wave, or sit this one out. Sometimes you are caught completely off guard, and the wave breaks on top of you, bringing you to your knees. What I'm about to say is a hard truth to accept - but each one of these scenarios could just as well be God working in your life as another. Consider Job, consider Peter (who denied Jesus), consider Judas (the one who betrayed Jesus), and consider Paul.
For example, after I graduated from college, I became part of a young adult group. There was about 30 of us, and I was the new kid on the block. A few months after I started going there, they were going on a missions trip to Chicago doing urban ministry. I hesitated on going, because I really didn't feel a strong desire to specifically go to Chicago. I wasn't scared, and it wasn't that I didn't care - just wasn't on my radar. About one week before the date they were going to leave, it hit me and I all of a sudden wanted to go. I had also thought it through (though not much), and thought it might be a good way to get to know the people that I was new friends with.
So we went. The first night there, we went to where we were going to stay, and a representative from the school where we were sleeping came to greet us. As she was going over what we were going to do the next day, the first thing she said was, "Does anyone have any computer experience?" I was an IT guy by profession, and the only IT guy on our team. I raised my hand in the air, and that's what I did for 3 days of our trip.
I would say this is an example of "making a split second decision and trying to ride the wave". Many times when this happens, you find out that God had something special planned for you along the way, and getting on that wave was the right thing to do. The will of God is always perfectly designed by Him for His glory and purposes. To us, it looks like anything from foolishness, to completely logical decisions. More often than not though, it looks like foolishness with a hint of preparation. For all those people out there that pride themselves on being prepared, I want to be sure to mention that preparedness is just as biblical as the courage to dive in head first with complete trust that God will provide direction and all you need. God works in preparation just like He work in our weakness or in our shortcomings. The bible says that the power of God is perfected in weakness, and whether you are prepared or not, there's plenty of weakness to go around giving God the opportunity to perfect His power in you.
I will say this: discerning the will of God is at the discretion of God. He has revealed Himself to us in His Word, and that plays a part in His will for your life. Another part of this process is ongoing, consistent relationship with God (via the Holy Spirit, prayer, and community). I'll call this the "experience" side of the will of God. The Holy Spirit is looking for opportunities to use both of these vehicles in your life to lead you the way you should go (to live a life in God's will). Your obedience is necessary in order to go that way. While God is sovereign, He has allowed us a choice. We can choose not to follow Him, not to obey the Holy Spirit when He prompts us, and fool ourselves into a life of satisfied complacency that does not engage God in response to the work of Christ.
There's plenty more scripture where this came from relating to the will of God and proof that He is with us. I would encourage you to look at the Bible as "God's Redemptive History." God's in the business of revealing Himself, and redeeming us to right relationship with Him. History has unfolded to redeem us and reveal who God is. The more you know Him, the more you will find yourself in the will of God.
Finally, let me close with this statement. You cannot be in the will of God without experiencing grace. You need to recognize your weakness and be willing to allow God to fill that in and forgive you. You will make mistakes. Try to do your best, but mistakes come to us all. Cast them upon the throne of grace and let the only One who can turn that around for His glory. You've never had a better teammate than Jesus.
I encourage any who read this to continue praying, reading the word of God, and seeking Him in everything. This is the path to living out God's will for your life. Engage other believers at your church or that you know. Start discussions about how you desire to make an impact in this world for Christ. Be able to forgive yourself and receive forgiveness from God during the times in your life when you do not feel much of anything, and it's all you can do to get through the day. Tomorrow is a new day, and joy comes in the morning. God promises to be your rock, your fortress, your strong tower. Depend on Him.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Fearsome Love - Psalm 111:10 & 1 John 4:15-18
This is my attempt at the impossible - at least I think it's impossible. Throughout His-story we see that people have tried again and again to put words to the infinite, immeasurable, amazing love that God has for us, and what that means for our lives as Christians. This post is simply me taking my turn at doing just that in hopes that you find it encouraging and engaging. Whatever I end up writing below, please know that you will receive more from God through your relationship with Him than you ever can reading another person's take on this subject. It's one of those things where a picture truly is worth 1,000 words - probably more.
Also, as a note - I see the Bible as a love story. I think about how everything in it points to how much God loves us; all the parts where He comforts and all the parts where He disciplines just the same.
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Definition of Fear:
1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Synonyms: foreboding, apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm. Antonyms: courage, security, calm, intrepidity.
2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights. Synonyms: phobia, aversion; bête noire, bogy, bogey, bugbear. Antonyms: liking, fondness, penchant, predilection.
3. concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety.
4. reverential awe, especially toward God: the fear of God. Synonyms: awe, respect, reverence, veneration.
5. something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of: Cancer is a common fear.
Definition of Fearsome:
1. causing fear.
2. causing awe or respect.
I included the definition of Fear above to give you background and to be fair. I don't want it to seem like when I define a term, that I limit it to only the "God" definition. In most cases that is what applies to the topics best, however sometimes various definitions of words can reveal how that word has evolved over time. Over time, words might take on a completely different meaning through culture's influence.
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Now that we have that out of the way, let's consider the fearsome love of God for us and how perfect love casts out fear.
Also, as a note - I see the Bible as a love story. I think about how everything in it points to how much God loves us; all the parts where He comforts and all the parts where He disciplines just the same.
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Definition of Fear:
1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Synonyms: foreboding, apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm. Antonyms: courage, security, calm, intrepidity.
2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights. Synonyms: phobia, aversion; bête noire, bogy, bogey, bugbear. Antonyms: liking, fondness, penchant, predilection.
3. concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety.
4. reverential awe, especially toward God: the fear of God. Synonyms: awe, respect, reverence, veneration.
5. something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of: Cancer is a common fear.
Definition of Fearsome:
1. causing fear.
2. causing awe or respect.
I included the definition of Fear above to give you background and to be fair. I don't want it to seem like when I define a term, that I limit it to only the "God" definition. In most cases that is what applies to the topics best, however sometimes various definitions of words can reveal how that word has evolved over time. Over time, words might take on a completely different meaning through culture's influence.
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Now that we have that out of the way, let's consider the fearsome love of God for us and how perfect love casts out fear.
John 3:16-18
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."
I start here because it is the first thing that comes to mind. John 3:16 tells us plainly that God loves the world. The result of this Love is a decision to send His one and only Son into the world to save. Whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life. Whoever does not believe in Jesus stands condemned.
Let's make something clear: God's love is not conditional, it is unconditional. This verse is not saying that God only loves those who believe in Christ. No, God loves all people. This is the message of hope, that God loved the world (everyone in it) so much that He provided everyone hope through Jesus Christ. Because of God's nature, He exists without time. So as a side effect of being God, He already knows who will be saved and who will not.
This is a difficult truth, and it is not widely accepted anymore (the part about if you do not believe in Jesus, you stand condemned). Anyway, that's a side-note right now. The point is this: today, God loves everyone everywhere in the world. He loves everyone enough to offer them salvation through Jesus. Witness this message and boldly share it with love!
1 John 3:16-18
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
This is amazing! In John 3:16 there's a love verse - then in 1 John 3:16 it's another love verse! How do we know what love is? "Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." That is how we know. It's right here in the Bible. We should lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, children and parents. Jesus had been given all authority on heaven and on earth and He laid it down so that we could be saved through Him. Who are we to say that we are entitled to something more? Who are we to not follow suit with our lives and lay them down for Christ!? This is one of those verses that truly says it all. Laying down our lives implies that we are taking right action to love others; meeting their needs as we see them and can do so. The early church would share all of their possessions that none were left wanting! None were left wanting because everyone shared all that they had. Everyone. My opinion is that churches today have a great opportunity to show others the love of Christ by laying down their lives in this way for one another as needs are revealed. Others will notice this and they could turn to the Lord and praise Him because of it! That's not a bad side-effect of showing love...it's wonderfully amazing!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."
I start here because it is the first thing that comes to mind. John 3:16 tells us plainly that God loves the world. The result of this Love is a decision to send His one and only Son into the world to save. Whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life. Whoever does not believe in Jesus stands condemned.
Let's make something clear: God's love is not conditional, it is unconditional. This verse is not saying that God only loves those who believe in Christ. No, God loves all people. This is the message of hope, that God loved the world (everyone in it) so much that He provided everyone hope through Jesus Christ. Because of God's nature, He exists without time. So as a side effect of being God, He already knows who will be saved and who will not.
This is a difficult truth, and it is not widely accepted anymore (the part about if you do not believe in Jesus, you stand condemned). Anyway, that's a side-note right now. The point is this: today, God loves everyone everywhere in the world. He loves everyone enough to offer them salvation through Jesus. Witness this message and boldly share it with love!
1 John 3:16-18
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
This is amazing! In John 3:16 there's a love verse - then in 1 John 3:16 it's another love verse! How do we know what love is? "Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." That is how we know. It's right here in the Bible. We should lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, children and parents. Jesus had been given all authority on heaven and on earth and He laid it down so that we could be saved through Him. Who are we to say that we are entitled to something more? Who are we to not follow suit with our lives and lay them down for Christ!? This is one of those verses that truly says it all. Laying down our lives implies that we are taking right action to love others; meeting their needs as we see them and can do so. The early church would share all of their possessions that none were left wanting! None were left wanting because everyone shared all that they had. Everyone. My opinion is that churches today have a great opportunity to show others the love of Christ by laying down their lives in this way for one another as needs are revealed. Others will notice this and they could turn to the Lord and praise Him because of it! That's not a bad side-effect of showing love...it's wonderfully amazing!
1 John 4:15-18
"Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in
him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God
has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and
God in him.
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness
in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear
involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
Along with the confession for Jesus, we are offered a union - a new covenant in the blood of Christ (Luke 22:20). Then we see the use of a very powerful word - "abide."
The definition of abide as it relates to this context is as follows:
1. To remain; continue; stay; Abide with me.
2. To have one's abode; dwell; reside;
3. To continue in a particular condition, attitude, or relationship; last
If we use the definition, we should do things like "remain in love" and "remain in God" in order to abide in God. This verse changes how we can relate to love. It implies that we can only relate to love through being with God - because God is love. What do we have to go on to love if we do not know God? How is it that God abides in us?
The answer is the Holy Spirit. Jesus thought it was necessary for Him to return to heaven so that the Holy Spirit could come. Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection from the dead and returning to heaven unlocked the ability for the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts and "have His abode" in us. God now dwells within us and has made His home with us. The Holy Spirit is like God wrapping His arms around you never to let go again. He seals you in Christ to share in the love relationship that He experiences in relationship with Himself as the Trinity. That's right - you, me, and all those who believe have been brought in to share in a perfect love relationship in God's midst that casts out all fear. We have nothing to fear because if God is with us, then who can be against us? (Romans 8:31-32)
We see in this verse fear placed up against boldness. How has love been perfected in us? (Verse 17 says) "That we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." When fear exists, boldness usually does not. Panic may parade as courage when we are afraid, however boldness is something grounded that stands firm in the face of any adversary or falsehood. It's as if courage and faith collided at the command of the Holy Spirit in your heart to create right action and right words.
Along with the confession for Jesus, we are offered a union - a new covenant in the blood of Christ (Luke 22:20). Then we see the use of a very powerful word - "abide."
The definition of abide as it relates to this context is as follows:
1. To remain; continue; stay; Abide with me.
2. To have one's abode; dwell; reside;
3. To continue in a particular condition, attitude, or relationship; last
If we use the definition, we should do things like "remain in love" and "remain in God" in order to abide in God. This verse changes how we can relate to love. It implies that we can only relate to love through being with God - because God is love. What do we have to go on to love if we do not know God? How is it that God abides in us?
The answer is the Holy Spirit. Jesus thought it was necessary for Him to return to heaven so that the Holy Spirit could come. Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection from the dead and returning to heaven unlocked the ability for the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts and "have His abode" in us. God now dwells within us and has made His home with us. The Holy Spirit is like God wrapping His arms around you never to let go again. He seals you in Christ to share in the love relationship that He experiences in relationship with Himself as the Trinity. That's right - you, me, and all those who believe have been brought in to share in a perfect love relationship in God's midst that casts out all fear. We have nothing to fear because if God is with us, then who can be against us? (Romans 8:31-32)
We see in this verse fear placed up against boldness. How has love been perfected in us? (Verse 17 says) "That we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." When fear exists, boldness usually does not. Panic may parade as courage when we are afraid, however boldness is something grounded that stands firm in the face of any adversary or falsehood. It's as if courage and faith collided at the command of the Holy Spirit in your heart to create right action and right words.
Psalm 111:10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise."
Flipping the Script on "Fear"
Above in 1 John 4:15-18, we saw a reference to love casting out a type of fear. That type of fear is different than the fear mentioned in Psalm 111:10. This verse mentions the "fear of the Lord" which absolutely continues to exist in a love relationship with God. This is a vital point I want to make with regards to loving God. In our relationship with God, fear of the Lord is right, good, and necessary. If we are not experiencing "the fear of the Lord" then we are not seeing the Lord for who He fully is. There's something about God that is separate, other, and awesome even though He has made His home with us in sending the Holy Spirit. So do not be afraid, but fear the Lord and seek wisdom from Him.
This holy fear of the Lord is what drives reverence and awe. These are right responses to the present and miraculous God who IS. In Christ our relationship with God is repaired, so we are able to enter into His presence without the "fear of wrath." An appropriate term to describe God then would be the terribly overused word, "Awesome."
Delighting in the Word / Lord - a product of true love relationship with God
It would haunt me if I failed to mention that people are created to "delight in the Lord."
Psalm 119:92-94
"If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts."
Delighting in the Lord requires fellowship. This fellowship with God can take many different forms. It can happen in bible study or devotions, it can happen while dancing or singing, playing piano or guitar, or it can happen on a basketball court or baseball diamond. Do not make the mistake that God is a stranger to the desires that He placed in your heart. We all connect with God in a customized way. The thing is, the way that we connect with Him is customized by Him...and part of the customization is that we delight in the Lord. God is not looking for the person who truly loves music to quit that and go on retreat and give everything up except for meditation. Don't get me wrong, a person can do that and can connect with God as well! However, these kind of things are not the only ways to connect and fellowship with God. Trust me, God is not nearly confined that much. Part of "offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1) is figuring out these kind of things for us. I definitely believe there is truth to the idea that you can feel God's pleasure when you are doing some of these kinds of things: the things He designed for your delight in Him, and His delight in you.
Bearing Fruit - product of love relationship with God
Finally, experiencing God's fearsome love and sharing that kind of love with others produces "fruit." Remaining in the love of Christ keeps us connected to the true vine. Our obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit is also a way that we remain in Christ's love. The Spirit is ever etching God's law on our hearts just as fast as we can handle it. This is simply to say that we are being led by God in the way we should live our lives. Believers in Christ are not directionless, and are not alone. We have Christ as the head of the church, and the Holy Spirit constantly working with us to shape our hearts and renew our minds to live accordingly. All this is happening in the midst of a love relationship. Without the fearsome love of God, none of this could happen.
Another take on love - written to the Corinthians by Paul
1 Corinthians 13 paints love as the foundation for all other effort for Christ. Take a look:
"If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
I'm not going to critique these verses closely, because I feel that has been fairly overdone. Let me say though, that it has been overdone for a good reason; that is, that these verses are about love being a kind of foundation for all that we offer in this life to each other. If you do anything and do not have love, you might as well do nothing. Actually, doing nothing might be better than doing lots of things without love. The words in 1 Corinthians say it much better than I can.
The million dollar question then is, "How then should we live"?
See God for who He is. He is our all in all in Christ. We are loved without condition, by the God who makes it possible to love without condition. This kind of love is what we should be communicating to others through our lives. We sacrifice because Christ sacrificed and our hope is in Him alone. That is the example He showed us in washing the disciples feet and serving them. We are compelled to follow that example not because we fear the wrath of God, but because we recognize that we are loved in a miraculous, crazy way.
Become vulnerable and lay down your life at the feet of Jesus. Experience the fearsome love of Christ.
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise."
Flipping the Script on "Fear"
Above in 1 John 4:15-18, we saw a reference to love casting out a type of fear. That type of fear is different than the fear mentioned in Psalm 111:10. This verse mentions the "fear of the Lord" which absolutely continues to exist in a love relationship with God. This is a vital point I want to make with regards to loving God. In our relationship with God, fear of the Lord is right, good, and necessary. If we are not experiencing "the fear of the Lord" then we are not seeing the Lord for who He fully is. There's something about God that is separate, other, and awesome even though He has made His home with us in sending the Holy Spirit. So do not be afraid, but fear the Lord and seek wisdom from Him.
This holy fear of the Lord is what drives reverence and awe. These are right responses to the present and miraculous God who IS. In Christ our relationship with God is repaired, so we are able to enter into His presence without the "fear of wrath." An appropriate term to describe God then would be the terribly overused word, "Awesome."
Delighting in the Word / Lord - a product of true love relationship with God
It would haunt me if I failed to mention that people are created to "delight in the Lord."
Psalm 119:92-94
"If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. Save me, for I am yours; I have sought out your precepts."
Delighting in the Lord requires fellowship. This fellowship with God can take many different forms. It can happen in bible study or devotions, it can happen while dancing or singing, playing piano or guitar, or it can happen on a basketball court or baseball diamond. Do not make the mistake that God is a stranger to the desires that He placed in your heart. We all connect with God in a customized way. The thing is, the way that we connect with Him is customized by Him...and part of the customization is that we delight in the Lord. God is not looking for the person who truly loves music to quit that and go on retreat and give everything up except for meditation. Don't get me wrong, a person can do that and can connect with God as well! However, these kind of things are not the only ways to connect and fellowship with God. Trust me, God is not nearly confined that much. Part of "offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1) is figuring out these kind of things for us. I definitely believe there is truth to the idea that you can feel God's pleasure when you are doing some of these kinds of things: the things He designed for your delight in Him, and His delight in you.
Bearing Fruit - product of love relationship with God
Finally, experiencing God's fearsome love and sharing that kind of love with others produces "fruit." Remaining in the love of Christ keeps us connected to the true vine. Our obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit is also a way that we remain in Christ's love. The Spirit is ever etching God's law on our hearts just as fast as we can handle it. This is simply to say that we are being led by God in the way we should live our lives. Believers in Christ are not directionless, and are not alone. We have Christ as the head of the church, and the Holy Spirit constantly working with us to shape our hearts and renew our minds to live accordingly. All this is happening in the midst of a love relationship. Without the fearsome love of God, none of this could happen.
Another take on love - written to the Corinthians by Paul
1 Corinthians 13 paints love as the foundation for all other effort for Christ. Take a look:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
I'm not going to critique these verses closely, because I feel that has been fairly overdone. Let me say though, that it has been overdone for a good reason; that is, that these verses are about love being a kind of foundation for all that we offer in this life to each other. If you do anything and do not have love, you might as well do nothing. Actually, doing nothing might be better than doing lots of things without love. The words in 1 Corinthians say it much better than I can.
The million dollar question then is, "How then should we live"?
See God for who He is. He is our all in all in Christ. We are loved without condition, by the God who makes it possible to love without condition. This kind of love is what we should be communicating to others through our lives. We sacrifice because Christ sacrificed and our hope is in Him alone. That is the example He showed us in washing the disciples feet and serving them. We are compelled to follow that example not because we fear the wrath of God, but because we recognize that we are loved in a miraculous, crazy way.
Become vulnerable and lay down your life at the feet of Jesus. Experience the fearsome love of Christ.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Servants - Acts 1:6-7 & Matthew 24:36-51 8/18/2011
Acts 1:6-7
"6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority."
For hundreds of years the Jews have been waiting for God to "restore the kingdom to Israel." Jesus' response switches the core expectation of those who would believe in Him. The very question that so many people have been waiting for an answer to is now rendered obsolete. It's not that it's fruition is obsolete; however in this verse Jesus shows borderline indifference to times and dates and says it's not for them to know.
Therefore, the same will be said and re-enforced here. We are not to worry about times and dates for questions like this. The many in history who have tried to predict when events will happen before they do have most often been foiled by some element that is, and always will be, completely out of their control.
Other than the book of Revelation, which is full of prophetic and extremely visual and interpretive language, Matthew 24 gives us the most concrete information regarding what Christians most often refer to as "the end times." I bring this up for 2 reasons. First, to mention that I'm not entirely sure that what is being referenced in this Acts verse as "restoring the kingdom to Israel" is the same as what Christians often refer to as "the end times." I think it probably is, however I cannot be sure. While specific numbering exists in Revelation, I do not claim to know that the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel is the same Israel that is referenced in the first question.
The 2nd reason I bring up Matthew 24 instead of delving into Revelatory scripture is that it is Jesus speaking to his disciples about the events to come and nearing the end of Matthew 24, leaves them with some solid, concrete stuff relating to what all the information means to them.
Matthew 24:36-51
"36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
All of scripture is extremely valuable and full of truth and words that can give life alongside a relationship with Jesus Christ. For me, these verses paint a picture of how we should live every single day. If you live each day like the faithful and wise servant, you will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." The trouble with living the life of the faithful servant is sin. Without sin we would never consider what to do with our time if God - the master - was not present. We would simply take care of the household He left us as He would take care of it Himself! This is how it was in Eden before the fall - before sin and iniquity entered the heart of man.
Case and point - do not become enraptured with the end-times or when they are coming. Seek first His kingdom and have a mind like the faithful servant. Focus on what God has given you to take care of and do that with Him! As you consciously choose to do these things as God would do them, your relationship with Him will grow into a dependable, immovable rock to hold onto at all times. The goal of the faithful servant is not to simply fit Jesus in, it's to recognize that Jesus is all there is.
The author of life wants to be involved and take the lead in writing your story. Whether you let him in or not in this life, He will write the final page.
"6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority."
For hundreds of years the Jews have been waiting for God to "restore the kingdom to Israel." Jesus' response switches the core expectation of those who would believe in Him. The very question that so many people have been waiting for an answer to is now rendered obsolete. It's not that it's fruition is obsolete; however in this verse Jesus shows borderline indifference to times and dates and says it's not for them to know.
Therefore, the same will be said and re-enforced here. We are not to worry about times and dates for questions like this. The many in history who have tried to predict when events will happen before they do have most often been foiled by some element that is, and always will be, completely out of their control.
Other than the book of Revelation, which is full of prophetic and extremely visual and interpretive language, Matthew 24 gives us the most concrete information regarding what Christians most often refer to as "the end times." I bring this up for 2 reasons. First, to mention that I'm not entirely sure that what is being referenced in this Acts verse as "restoring the kingdom to Israel" is the same as what Christians often refer to as "the end times." I think it probably is, however I cannot be sure. While specific numbering exists in Revelation, I do not claim to know that the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel is the same Israel that is referenced in the first question.
The 2nd reason I bring up Matthew 24 instead of delving into Revelatory scripture is that it is Jesus speaking to his disciples about the events to come and nearing the end of Matthew 24, leaves them with some solid, concrete stuff relating to what all the information means to them.
Matthew 24:36-51
"36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
All of scripture is extremely valuable and full of truth and words that can give life alongside a relationship with Jesus Christ. For me, these verses paint a picture of how we should live every single day. If you live each day like the faithful and wise servant, you will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." The trouble with living the life of the faithful servant is sin. Without sin we would never consider what to do with our time if God - the master - was not present. We would simply take care of the household He left us as He would take care of it Himself! This is how it was in Eden before the fall - before sin and iniquity entered the heart of man.
Case and point - do not become enraptured with the end-times or when they are coming. Seek first His kingdom and have a mind like the faithful servant. Focus on what God has given you to take care of and do that with Him! As you consciously choose to do these things as God would do them, your relationship with Him will grow into a dependable, immovable rock to hold onto at all times. The goal of the faithful servant is not to simply fit Jesus in, it's to recognize that Jesus is all there is.
The author of life wants to be involved and take the lead in writing your story. Whether you let him in or not in this life, He will write the final page.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Romans 10:9-10 - 7/10/2011
Let's start by looking at the verse:
Romans 10:9-10
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
There's so much in these 2 verses. There is much room for gleaning truth, and much room for misinterpretation relating to our salvation as Christians.
Believing with our hearts is the core of this scripture. If we believe with our hearts, we will confess that Jesus is Lord. Let's take a look at confessing for a moment, because we need to be clear. There are many ways in which I can confess something. I can say it in words, I can communicate it clearly using gestures, a look, or many other non-verbals that communicate what it is that I'm trying to say (or not to say). What about e-mail? If I type in an e-mail "Jesus is Lord" is that confessing that I believe? Because I type it, does that mean you can trust that I believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord? What about those who cannot speak? Can they not be saved because they cannot "declare with their mouth?"
Clearly to confess or "declare with your mouth" does not mean with your mouth alone. However, this does not mean that confession that Jesus is Lord is optional for the believer - the Christian. What we have here is a foundational truth that is linked together with an overflow outcome. The foundational truth is that in order to be saved, you need to believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. If you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, you validate and affirm every claim Jesus made to be God - and to be serving a Father in Heaven. In doing so, you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that the purpose for his death and resurrection was to save you from your own sin; sin that you could not save yourself from.
The overflow outcome of this belief is that you confess Jesus is Lord. This confession is through word or action of some kind; through some display that He is your God. If you truly believe in your heart, confession follows, and it is right and necessary for it to follow. The thing about overflow is that it's authentic. The action or fruit produced comes from the place of belief in the heart. It's not from obligation. You can confess "Jesus is Lord" out of obligation - and that's not what is meant here. There is recognition of truth, validated emotions toward a loving God, and a resulting life surrender. Part of that surrender is a desire to speak the truth when the opportunity arises, and sometimes making the opportunity to speak the truth that Jesus is Lord!
Consider Peter. Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him 3 times. Peter sort of shrugs this off and says that will never happen. Then, the time comes when Peter is actually approached 3 different times and asked if he was with Jesus, if he was one of the disciples. Peter responds that he was not with Jesus all 3 times. Does this mean that Peter wasn't a believer? Of course not. First of all, Jesus told Peter it would happen, so if it didn't Jesus would have been a liar, which would have broken down the character and integrity of Christ to something that could not be very God and very man. Second, Peter like many of us is allowed some bad days. I'm sure there was a variety of emotions running through Peter at the time he was asked this. I mean, his savior is going to a cross to be crucified. He was mixed up about stuff, and then this happens.
Perfection is not expected even though it is where the bar is set by the life of Christ. We will spend our lives becoming more like Jesus; becoming more like the person God has in mind for us to be for His glory. We'd like to believe that we'll never fail to confess that Jesus is Lord, but chances are we already have. This is one of the many reasons why a relationship with God and a relationship with other Christians is so vital. A relationship with Him provides an arena to work out things like this. To pray and ask forgiveness, to seek guidance and be emboldened in our faith.
Believe in the One who is worthy, Jesus Christ. Do your best, then empty yourself and ask God to direct you and to help you do better each day.
Romans 10:9-10
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
There's so much in these 2 verses. There is much room for gleaning truth, and much room for misinterpretation relating to our salvation as Christians.
Believing with our hearts is the core of this scripture. If we believe with our hearts, we will confess that Jesus is Lord. Let's take a look at confessing for a moment, because we need to be clear. There are many ways in which I can confess something. I can say it in words, I can communicate it clearly using gestures, a look, or many other non-verbals that communicate what it is that I'm trying to say (or not to say). What about e-mail? If I type in an e-mail "Jesus is Lord" is that confessing that I believe? Because I type it, does that mean you can trust that I believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord? What about those who cannot speak? Can they not be saved because they cannot "declare with their mouth?"
Clearly to confess or "declare with your mouth" does not mean with your mouth alone. However, this does not mean that confession that Jesus is Lord is optional for the believer - the Christian. What we have here is a foundational truth that is linked together with an overflow outcome. The foundational truth is that in order to be saved, you need to believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. If you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, you validate and affirm every claim Jesus made to be God - and to be serving a Father in Heaven. In doing so, you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that the purpose for his death and resurrection was to save you from your own sin; sin that you could not save yourself from.
The overflow outcome of this belief is that you confess Jesus is Lord. This confession is through word or action of some kind; through some display that He is your God. If you truly believe in your heart, confession follows, and it is right and necessary for it to follow. The thing about overflow is that it's authentic. The action or fruit produced comes from the place of belief in the heart. It's not from obligation. You can confess "Jesus is Lord" out of obligation - and that's not what is meant here. There is recognition of truth, validated emotions toward a loving God, and a resulting life surrender. Part of that surrender is a desire to speak the truth when the opportunity arises, and sometimes making the opportunity to speak the truth that Jesus is Lord!
Consider Peter. Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him 3 times. Peter sort of shrugs this off and says that will never happen. Then, the time comes when Peter is actually approached 3 different times and asked if he was with Jesus, if he was one of the disciples. Peter responds that he was not with Jesus all 3 times. Does this mean that Peter wasn't a believer? Of course not. First of all, Jesus told Peter it would happen, so if it didn't Jesus would have been a liar, which would have broken down the character and integrity of Christ to something that could not be very God and very man. Second, Peter like many of us is allowed some bad days. I'm sure there was a variety of emotions running through Peter at the time he was asked this. I mean, his savior is going to a cross to be crucified. He was mixed up about stuff, and then this happens.
Perfection is not expected even though it is where the bar is set by the life of Christ. We will spend our lives becoming more like Jesus; becoming more like the person God has in mind for us to be for His glory. We'd like to believe that we'll never fail to confess that Jesus is Lord, but chances are we already have. This is one of the many reasons why a relationship with God and a relationship with other Christians is so vital. A relationship with Him provides an arena to work out things like this. To pray and ask forgiveness, to seek guidance and be emboldened in our faith.
Believe in the One who is worthy, Jesus Christ. Do your best, then empty yourself and ask God to direct you and to help you do better each day.
Author and Bible Study 101
If you read the bible, you will run into 3 different schools of thought (in general). To explain these schools of thought, I'll use Romans 10:9-10 as an example.
Romans 10:9-10
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
First, that the literal interpretation of the bible is the only way to read it. That means that when Paul says, "declare with your mouth" you better believe that's what he meant, and anyone who doesn't do exactly that is lost without hope. Second, that the bible is largely left to interpretation - meaning that with verses like these, we basically use our best guess and have the freedom to interpret what Paul is saying. For example, it would be like me saying, "Paul's point is to say that your heart has to be in it." This statement is a vast generalization of the content of this scripture. The third and final approach lies somewhere in the middle of the other 2 schools of thought. This approach should mix the literal and interpretation with relationship with God and experience and knowledge of who He is.
It takes a relationship with God, the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit, and an open mind to be able to read scripture and come away with the truth. There will always be more to know and deeper truth to uncover about who God is. Your goal each time you read should not be to know Him fully yesterday. Each session, try to read to gain understanding of who He is in one or a few aspects. Some of these "shorter" term goals will have you searching scripture for weeks trying to come up with an answer that is the truth. It is on those journeys for truth that you get to know God and your relationship with Him is solidified.
My school of thought about how to approach the bible lies somewhere in the middle of literal and interpretation. Both schools of thought have merit, and I believe the truth of scripture is reckoned to our hearts by our relationship with God and our willingness to be open to the Holy Spirit's teaching. I believe that the bible is the authoritative, inerrant word of God on pages. It is "who Jesus is" spilled out on paper for our benefit as believers and to provide a tool to us to share the Gospel with those who do not know Jesus. And yes, I believe that everything in the bible is an unveiling of who Jesus is; both Old and New Testaments. Everything was created through Him and true life hinges on His life, sacrifice, death, and resurrection - the power of His blood to cover our sins. Jesus is everything. If you miss everything else I ever tell you - do not miss that Jesus is everything. From our line of sight as people, we cannot see God unless we are looking through Christ. If the Holy Spirit is working in you to know and understand God - it is doing so through the looking glass of Christ. He is the narrow path to eternal life and He is our only hope of salvation from sins. Praise and honor and glory and power are His and rightly so!
My prayer for you is that you build a solid foundation in Jesus Christ through any words that I write. Be discerning (this means that you decide together with God) about the information you accept and believe about Him and the information you leave aside. This world is filled with false teachers and prophets that will lead you astray - and that isn't going to change any time soon. Be on your guard. I pray that you would find men and women of God who have been entrusted with the Word and take the bible, Jesus, and your relationship with God seriously. Your leaders, mentors, pastors, teachers will answer to Christ for how they shape your faith. Knowing this they have charted their courses to get involved in your life. Unfortunately, not all leaders are trustworthy; not near as many as should be. Let your trust of others be born out of your trust in the Lord. We are commanded to love others as ourselves and love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love others with a discerning heart always cultivating truth so that you may not be deceived.
Finally, Christ offers us His peace. Life with Christ is a learning experience. You will always be learning. Terms you understand as one thing become something else entirely as you come to know the author and perfecter of our faith. The peace of God will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
I thank God for every person who comes across these words and is encouraged, blessed, challenged, or pressed toward a saving knowledge and belief in Jesus Christ. Be blessed as Christ leads you into true life!
Romans 10:9-10
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
First, that the literal interpretation of the bible is the only way to read it. That means that when Paul says, "declare with your mouth" you better believe that's what he meant, and anyone who doesn't do exactly that is lost without hope. Second, that the bible is largely left to interpretation - meaning that with verses like these, we basically use our best guess and have the freedom to interpret what Paul is saying. For example, it would be like me saying, "Paul's point is to say that your heart has to be in it." This statement is a vast generalization of the content of this scripture. The third and final approach lies somewhere in the middle of the other 2 schools of thought. This approach should mix the literal and interpretation with relationship with God and experience and knowledge of who He is.
It takes a relationship with God, the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit, and an open mind to be able to read scripture and come away with the truth. There will always be more to know and deeper truth to uncover about who God is. Your goal each time you read should not be to know Him fully yesterday. Each session, try to read to gain understanding of who He is in one or a few aspects. Some of these "shorter" term goals will have you searching scripture for weeks trying to come up with an answer that is the truth. It is on those journeys for truth that you get to know God and your relationship with Him is solidified.
My school of thought about how to approach the bible lies somewhere in the middle of literal and interpretation. Both schools of thought have merit, and I believe the truth of scripture is reckoned to our hearts by our relationship with God and our willingness to be open to the Holy Spirit's teaching. I believe that the bible is the authoritative, inerrant word of God on pages. It is "who Jesus is" spilled out on paper for our benefit as believers and to provide a tool to us to share the Gospel with those who do not know Jesus. And yes, I believe that everything in the bible is an unveiling of who Jesus is; both Old and New Testaments. Everything was created through Him and true life hinges on His life, sacrifice, death, and resurrection - the power of His blood to cover our sins. Jesus is everything. If you miss everything else I ever tell you - do not miss that Jesus is everything. From our line of sight as people, we cannot see God unless we are looking through Christ. If the Holy Spirit is working in you to know and understand God - it is doing so through the looking glass of Christ. He is the narrow path to eternal life and He is our only hope of salvation from sins. Praise and honor and glory and power are His and rightly so!
My prayer for you is that you build a solid foundation in Jesus Christ through any words that I write. Be discerning (this means that you decide together with God) about the information you accept and believe about Him and the information you leave aside. This world is filled with false teachers and prophets that will lead you astray - and that isn't going to change any time soon. Be on your guard. I pray that you would find men and women of God who have been entrusted with the Word and take the bible, Jesus, and your relationship with God seriously. Your leaders, mentors, pastors, teachers will answer to Christ for how they shape your faith. Knowing this they have charted their courses to get involved in your life. Unfortunately, not all leaders are trustworthy; not near as many as should be. Let your trust of others be born out of your trust in the Lord. We are commanded to love others as ourselves and love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love others with a discerning heart always cultivating truth so that you may not be deceived.
Finally, Christ offers us His peace. Life with Christ is a learning experience. You will always be learning. Terms you understand as one thing become something else entirely as you come to know the author and perfecter of our faith. The peace of God will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
I thank God for every person who comes across these words and is encouraged, blessed, challenged, or pressed toward a saving knowledge and belief in Jesus Christ. Be blessed as Christ leads you into true life!
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