1 Corinthians 6 12
Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims. (The Message)
We live in a world of rules and laws. Our society tells us what is right and wrong. Then we know what we know to be right and wrong, but this does not always line up with society. And even worse, our decisions about choosing right from wrong might not line up with God.
What do we do when decisions have to be made? In this day-to-day existence, the easy answer is to follow the letter of the law. We do it on the highway all the time. How fast should I go? Well the sign says 55 so that is how fast we go. Or do we? Technically we can go faster and our logic tells us we can push the envelope a little and not get pulled over so maybe we do 60 or even 65. We feel justified every time we aren't caught.
We know lying is a sin, but we skirt the truth at times because we don't want to get caught. How do I look says the friend as she tries on a new dress. Not wanting to make her feel bad, you avoid saying hideous and instead let different words escape tour lips. And you say "That dress makes you look so slim." It may not have been a total lie, but it was not the truth either.
The laws in some states tell us it is legal for any two persons to marry regardless of gender. This is a big debate across the land. Man says one thing and God's word says another. It is technically all right, but not spiritually appropriate.
God loves all His children. However, I believe His expectations for those of us professing to be believers and filled with His Holy Spirit are higher than those who have yet to meet Him. With the Holy Spirit to guide us in our every day decisions we should be led to follow the right path regardless of the direction society and the current laws of the land lead us to.
It is not about what we want to satisfy our desires. It is about what God has for us to do.
Did you follow your own whims today or His lead?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
God is Light
1 John 1:5-7
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
We are who we associate with. It does not matter how strong we are, we do pick up stuff from others. It might be something as simple as the local accent when visiting a friend in another part of the country. And it could be something that subtlety changes our core values. Satan is a subtle serpent.
Simply put, God is light. Take away light and you have darkness; take away God and you no longer have Truth. In the absence of Truth is found lies. Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
In your mind's eye, picture walking in an underground cave. Perhaps it is an abandoned gold mine in the Midwest. There are old small wattage light bulbs every thirty to forty feet along the way. It is interesting to see where people worked long and hard in the ninetieth century. Then the unthinkable happens. The lights go out! You are in total darkness unable to even see your own hands. You reach into your backpack for a flashlight and snap it on. Those feelings of confusion and fear leave instantly.
You begin to walk back to the surface thankful you have the light. Not quite to the surface your batteries get weak and the amount of light becomes less and less. But even with only a little amount of light, the darkness is gone. Then as you look to where you are heading, you see a dim light at the end of the tunnel. As you move forward toward the light it become brighter and brighter. As you reach the end you step out into daylight.
As believers, we carry the light of Jesus into a dark world. Wherever we go His light removes the darkness enabling those who are ready to take up their portion of light and continue the process. Those who are not ready, who are unknowingly too deep into a relationship with satan close their eyes and ears to the Truth. They block the light and fail to receive.
Like flashlight batteries, our light can become dimmer. The anointing leaks out a little each day.
Many believe it is on Sunday morning at a church service that we are refilled with a fresh anointing from God. This can be true depending on the church and the mix of attendees. Often there is a mix of light and darkness in a large gathering. Just because a person attends church does not make them a carrier of His light. We can come away refilled or even less full depending on what is happening and who we are with.
We need to be in constant relationship with others carrying His light. We draw on each other and our lights shine brighter. This is good, but not the true source of the light. It is our relationship with Jesus, our reading of the Word, and our praise to God that builds the anointing. We can be refilled daily. Then as we go into the world those we meet will see God's light shining bright in our words, actions, and even in our presence.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
We are who we associate with. It does not matter how strong we are, we do pick up stuff from others. It might be something as simple as the local accent when visiting a friend in another part of the country. And it could be something that subtlety changes our core values. Satan is a subtle serpent.
Simply put, God is light. Take away light and you have darkness; take away God and you no longer have Truth. In the absence of Truth is found lies. Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
In your mind's eye, picture walking in an underground cave. Perhaps it is an abandoned gold mine in the Midwest. There are old small wattage light bulbs every thirty to forty feet along the way. It is interesting to see where people worked long and hard in the ninetieth century. Then the unthinkable happens. The lights go out! You are in total darkness unable to even see your own hands. You reach into your backpack for a flashlight and snap it on. Those feelings of confusion and fear leave instantly.
You begin to walk back to the surface thankful you have the light. Not quite to the surface your batteries get weak and the amount of light becomes less and less. But even with only a little amount of light, the darkness is gone. Then as you look to where you are heading, you see a dim light at the end of the tunnel. As you move forward toward the light it become brighter and brighter. As you reach the end you step out into daylight.
As believers, we carry the light of Jesus into a dark world. Wherever we go His light removes the darkness enabling those who are ready to take up their portion of light and continue the process. Those who are not ready, who are unknowingly too deep into a relationship with satan close their eyes and ears to the Truth. They block the light and fail to receive.
Like flashlight batteries, our light can become dimmer. The anointing leaks out a little each day.
Many believe it is on Sunday morning at a church service that we are refilled with a fresh anointing from God. This can be true depending on the church and the mix of attendees. Often there is a mix of light and darkness in a large gathering. Just because a person attends church does not make them a carrier of His light. We can come away refilled or even less full depending on what is happening and who we are with.
We need to be in constant relationship with others carrying His light. We draw on each other and our lights shine brighter. This is good, but not the true source of the light. It is our relationship with Jesus, our reading of the Word, and our praise to God that builds the anointing. We can be refilled daily. Then as we go into the world those we meet will see God's light shining bright in our words, actions, and even in our presence.
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Faithful Ones
Hebrews 10:38-39
And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away. But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. (NLT)
Have you ever been on a team or been part of a group of friends that were always together? I am sure you have. Maybe it was a team in High School. I was on the tennis team in school. That was not like being on a baseball team in that tennis is a one or two person sport. My teammate, the one I played doubles with is still a friend today although we have been apart for quite a few years.
Perhaps you were in a club of some kind. In school I was involved with a number of clubs, one of which was the Ham Radio Club. There were a bunch of us that had our Amateur Radio licenses from the FCC and that common interest brought us together. After many years one of my club members and I have finally got back together. It is fun catching up on the years in between.
Since school, I have been in other clubs or organizations from Sport Car Rallying, to Ham Radio, to a Stock Club, to Computer User's Groups, and more.
What about church? Is that a club or a team? For some it may just be a club. It is a place to gather on Sunday mornings like parents and grandparents have done for generations at the same building. The faces change and new leadership comes and goes, but the same families are still part of the club.
For others it is a team. Or at least the church within the church is a team. That is the remnant that gathers seeking God's face. The ones eager to hear His voice and step out of the boat to do His will.
When someone is part of a club or a team and they turn away from it, the team members no longer associate with them. They are not interested in the new direction the lost members are heading in. They may have tried to dissuade them from departing. But once gone, they have nothing in common any more.
The team we are on with our brothers and sisters in Christ are seeking a deeper relationship with Him. They are seeking His face and His word for them. They want His will in all they do. Those that turn away from the team, from the direction of the Holy Spirit, are lost to their own destruction. The remaining are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away. But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. (NLT)
Have you ever been on a team or been part of a group of friends that were always together? I am sure you have. Maybe it was a team in High School. I was on the tennis team in school. That was not like being on a baseball team in that tennis is a one or two person sport. My teammate, the one I played doubles with is still a friend today although we have been apart for quite a few years.
Perhaps you were in a club of some kind. In school I was involved with a number of clubs, one of which was the Ham Radio Club. There were a bunch of us that had our Amateur Radio licenses from the FCC and that common interest brought us together. After many years one of my club members and I have finally got back together. It is fun catching up on the years in between.
Since school, I have been in other clubs or organizations from Sport Car Rallying, to Ham Radio, to a Stock Club, to Computer User's Groups, and more.
What about church? Is that a club or a team? For some it may just be a club. It is a place to gather on Sunday mornings like parents and grandparents have done for generations at the same building. The faces change and new leadership comes and goes, but the same families are still part of the club.
For others it is a team. Or at least the church within the church is a team. That is the remnant that gathers seeking God's face. The ones eager to hear His voice and step out of the boat to do His will.
When someone is part of a club or a team and they turn away from it, the team members no longer associate with them. They are not interested in the new direction the lost members are heading in. They may have tried to dissuade them from departing. But once gone, they have nothing in common any more.
The team we are on with our brothers and sisters in Christ are seeking a deeper relationship with Him. They are seeking His face and His word for them. They want His will in all they do. Those that turn away from the team, from the direction of the Holy Spirit, are lost to their own destruction. The remaining are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Right and Wrong
2 Timothy 2:14
Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. (NIV)
Nobody wins an argument, ever. All that ever happens is one person gives in. Sometimes right is wrong and wrong is right. It all depends on which side you are on and what era you are from. What was acceptable behavior in the mid-twentieth century is no longer acceptable in the early twenty-first. That does not make either right or wrong, but what was right fifty years ago is now considered wrong by society.
God's truth was true in the beginning and is still true today. He is the same yesterday, today, and in the future. Truth is truth forever. Throughout history man has changed and society has matured into today's version. This has affected how we live with each other and how we handle what the current society considers wrongs. Even the punishment for wrong doings has been altered overt he centuries.
As believers we were given a mandate to preach the Gospel to the four corners of the Earth. Back then this referred to the four rivers and the tribes of the known world. With today's knowledge of the Earth, we know that means the whole Earth. It means we have the responsibility to tell all we meet about Jesus.
We are to preach the Gospel; not argue the Gospel. We do not have to convince others to believe by manipulating them into agreeing with our words. The Truth stands on its own with no help from us. Those that hear it from us know we believe and will be moved toward us or away. That is their choice and no amount of arguing will change their mind. We can only present them a door. They have to choose to open it.
What Gospel do we preach? If we quote Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John we are quoting "the gospels", but all can be left to interpretation especially by the unbeliever we are confronting. But if we preach our Gospel how can it be refuted?
We tell the story of Jesus in our lives. We tell of the changes that have happened in our own lives as a result of the relationship we have with Him. This is the Gospel message and it is a personal message that lets them know why we know we are on a journey with God that will end in eternity with Him.
Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. (NIV)
Nobody wins an argument, ever. All that ever happens is one person gives in. Sometimes right is wrong and wrong is right. It all depends on which side you are on and what era you are from. What was acceptable behavior in the mid-twentieth century is no longer acceptable in the early twenty-first. That does not make either right or wrong, but what was right fifty years ago is now considered wrong by society.
God's truth was true in the beginning and is still true today. He is the same yesterday, today, and in the future. Truth is truth forever. Throughout history man has changed and society has matured into today's version. This has affected how we live with each other and how we handle what the current society considers wrongs. Even the punishment for wrong doings has been altered overt he centuries.
As believers we were given a mandate to preach the Gospel to the four corners of the Earth. Back then this referred to the four rivers and the tribes of the known world. With today's knowledge of the Earth, we know that means the whole Earth. It means we have the responsibility to tell all we meet about Jesus.
We are to preach the Gospel; not argue the Gospel. We do not have to convince others to believe by manipulating them into agreeing with our words. The Truth stands on its own with no help from us. Those that hear it from us know we believe and will be moved toward us or away. That is their choice and no amount of arguing will change their mind. We can only present them a door. They have to choose to open it.
What Gospel do we preach? If we quote Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John we are quoting "the gospels", but all can be left to interpretation especially by the unbeliever we are confronting. But if we preach our Gospel how can it be refuted?
We tell the story of Jesus in our lives. We tell of the changes that have happened in our own lives as a result of the relationship we have with Him. This is the Gospel message and it is a personal message that lets them know why we know we are on a journey with God that will end in eternity with Him.
Monday, August 02, 2010
The Band-Aid
Have you ever had a cut? Of course you have. It is easy to misjudge and find our skin cut and bleeding. After yelling ouch, we look for a Band-Aid. But first we clean the cut by pouring clean water in it and even some peroxide.
If left alone, the bleeding will eventually stop as the blood clots. If dirt was in the cut, it is likely an infection will occur and the area will be tender to the touch. Healing will take a while longer and may even require cutting the wound open again to force the results of the infection out. Until the infected area is cleaned out, full healing will not occur.
Isn't it the same in the spiritual? We accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and are now born again. God sent the Holy Spirit to live in us to comfort us to guide us to teach us. He forgave us of our sins, but does not unpack our bags. We have baggage no matter where we came from. That baggage is like an infection that stops the total healing.
Some of that baggage is unforgiveness. Things have happened to us in the past and we hold it against others. We need to rid ourselves of the baggage from our past. As we recognize it, we need to command it out for it is not of God. All this baggage comes between us and receiving from God. As we get rid of it, we close windows into error and allow more of us to be in touch with more of Him.
So let's clean out the wounds of our past so God can have full access to us and we can receive our complete healing and restoration.
If left alone, the bleeding will eventually stop as the blood clots. If dirt was in the cut, it is likely an infection will occur and the area will be tender to the touch. Healing will take a while longer and may even require cutting the wound open again to force the results of the infection out. Until the infected area is cleaned out, full healing will not occur.
Isn't it the same in the spiritual? We accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and are now born again. God sent the Holy Spirit to live in us to comfort us to guide us to teach us. He forgave us of our sins, but does not unpack our bags. We have baggage no matter where we came from. That baggage is like an infection that stops the total healing.
Some of that baggage is unforgiveness. Things have happened to us in the past and we hold it against others. We need to rid ourselves of the baggage from our past. As we recognize it, we need to command it out for it is not of God. All this baggage comes between us and receiving from God. As we get rid of it, we close windows into error and allow more of us to be in touch with more of Him.
So let's clean out the wounds of our past so God can have full access to us and we can receive our complete healing and restoration.
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