Galatians 5:13 NLT
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
We are proud to live in the land of the free. This country was founded by settlers who came to be free from the bondage they were experiencing in their homeland. They came here to be able to worship God as they desired; as He was leading them.
Then as a nation we broke free from the country that claimed this land was theirs. We became the United States of America. Each July we celebrate that freedom. And on this Memorial Day we celebrate the men and women who have fought and are fighting for us to keep that freedom. But that is not the freedom this verse is all about.
We who have asked Jesus to be Lord of our life have been called to live in freedom because of what Jesus did for us when He was crucified on the cross. He died so we could be free. He died taking with Him all our sin--past, present, and future.
Jesus paid the price so we could be free of the guilt of sin. You see, we are human beings and as such continue to do wrong even though we want to only do right. We have an enemy that continues to tempt us to take the wrong path; to make the wrong choice.
We are no longer sinners. We were saved by grace. But we do sin as we live and learn along this transformation walk we are all on. As we become more Christ like the incidences of sin Holy Spirit has to convict us of lessens.
Our Lord stands in the gap between us and our Father God. Jesus forgives our sins as Holy Spirit convicts us and we confess them and the Father never sees them. No sin, no punishment.
However, this does not mean we have a license to sin. No, we are called to live a righteous life, but our human nature and an enemy desirous of tripping us up make it impossible to not fall into sin as we live this life.
So we cannot do whatever we like. We are to follow the Holy Spirit's lead and live a Christ like life daily knowing that when we do make a wrong choice, Holy Spirit is there to correct us and Jesus is there to forgive us.
Each day is a series of choices. Lord, help us make them in line with your will and not our own.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
Time for Slow
James 1:19 NIV
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Have you ever known someone who seemed to spend more time constructing a response then really listening to what you were saying? They are only interested in what they have to say or at least that is how you feel when you leave them.
Perhaps you are that way. I know I used to be guilty of that. While they were talking my mind was spinning through my response to what they were saying. I never really heard all they had to say.
And the angry part. It is so easy to be quick to listen and then be quick to be angry at what we heard. You see we hear based on our experiences in life. What they say might mean something entirely different from how we hear it. Becoming angry solves nothing.
Even worse today is the fact that most of our conversations are in code. What do I mean by that? We send and receives messages in text with abbreviated phrases like LOL, PTL, IJN, LMBO and the list goes on and on.
And responses are short and often not sweet. We can take offense and never even hear their voice or see their face! Not good.
"Lord help me to take the time to really listen. Help me to make my text and email messages clear so nobody gets the wrong interpretation of what I say. Help me to think before I respond and above all to not let any words or emails or text messages get me angry. Let all that I do and say be in love. In Jesus name, I pray."
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Have you ever known someone who seemed to spend more time constructing a response then really listening to what you were saying? They are only interested in what they have to say or at least that is how you feel when you leave them.
Perhaps you are that way. I know I used to be guilty of that. While they were talking my mind was spinning through my response to what they were saying. I never really heard all they had to say.
And the angry part. It is so easy to be quick to listen and then be quick to be angry at what we heard. You see we hear based on our experiences in life. What they say might mean something entirely different from how we hear it. Becoming angry solves nothing.
Even worse today is the fact that most of our conversations are in code. What do I mean by that? We send and receives messages in text with abbreviated phrases like LOL, PTL, IJN, LMBO and the list goes on and on.
And responses are short and often not sweet. We can take offense and never even hear their voice or see their face! Not good.
"Lord help me to take the time to really listen. Help me to make my text and email messages clear so nobody gets the wrong interpretation of what I say. Help me to think before I respond and above all to not let any words or emails or text messages get me angry. Let all that I do and say be in love. In Jesus name, I pray."
Monday, May 12, 2014
Acceptance
Romans 15:7 NIV
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
It is so easy to look at how others are running their household and even raising their kids. We think if they are not doing it just like us they must be wrong. It is so easy to judge others instead of accepting them for who they are.
We are each different. As couples we become one with our spouse and create our own unique family unit. That unit moves and thinks alike, but not like other family units do. We can learn from other family units when what they do looks like it will work for ours. But we are not to judge what another unit does differently.
What others do in their family unit is for them and not necessarily for us. They do not have the right to tell us what to do nor do we have the right to tell them. And yet by being friends and associating with each other we can learn from what we see working in others.
Christ accepted each of us and none are worthy; none were walking as He walked when He accepted us. We are to do the same for others. We are to accept one another at whatever place in life they are. And that brings praise to God.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
It is so easy to look at how others are running their household and even raising their kids. We think if they are not doing it just like us they must be wrong. It is so easy to judge others instead of accepting them for who they are.
We are each different. As couples we become one with our spouse and create our own unique family unit. That unit moves and thinks alike, but not like other family units do. We can learn from other family units when what they do looks like it will work for ours. But we are not to judge what another unit does differently.
What others do in their family unit is for them and not necessarily for us. They do not have the right to tell us what to do nor do we have the right to tell them. And yet by being friends and associating with each other we can learn from what we see working in others.
Christ accepted each of us and none are worthy; none were walking as He walked when He accepted us. We are to do the same for others. We are to accept one another at whatever place in life they are. And that brings praise to God.
Monday, May 05, 2014
Planning
Proverb 16:9 (NIV)
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the lord establishes their steps.
Plan, plan, plan. We grow learning that the only way to success is to make a goal, make a plan, and then carry out the plan. It is all about our own understanding and working the plan, our plan.
And this works well to propel us forward in this world system we have grown up in. Some actually follow the steps and make it big. Most never get around to it; never get past wishful thinking. Then a few just seem to be successful no matter how much stuff gets in the way, plan or no plan.
Humans planning their course and executing that plan on their own has nothing to do with whether they are believers or not. Anyone can follow the steps. Anyone can reach their goal if they stick with it. Just think about the young children that train for the Olympics since they were a few years old and go on and years later come home with gold medals.
It is when we let the Lord establish our steps that we not only succeed, but we reach the goal He has for us. It is His plan for us that is of primary importance, not our plan. As believers the Holy Spirit speaks to us and helps us form the plans. And then He guides our steps daily to obtain the gold medal on our way to eternity with Him.
"Father God, show me the plan for the rest of my life. Reveal it to me. Holy Spirit, teach me, encourage me, and guide me each day. Order my steps. Let all that I do glorify You. In Jesus name I pray."
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the lord establishes their steps.
Plan, plan, plan. We grow learning that the only way to success is to make a goal, make a plan, and then carry out the plan. It is all about our own understanding and working the plan, our plan.
And this works well to propel us forward in this world system we have grown up in. Some actually follow the steps and make it big. Most never get around to it; never get past wishful thinking. Then a few just seem to be successful no matter how much stuff gets in the way, plan or no plan.
Humans planning their course and executing that plan on their own has nothing to do with whether they are believers or not. Anyone can follow the steps. Anyone can reach their goal if they stick with it. Just think about the young children that train for the Olympics since they were a few years old and go on and years later come home with gold medals.
It is when we let the Lord establish our steps that we not only succeed, but we reach the goal He has for us. It is His plan for us that is of primary importance, not our plan. As believers the Holy Spirit speaks to us and helps us form the plans. And then He guides our steps daily to obtain the gold medal on our way to eternity with Him.
"Father God, show me the plan for the rest of my life. Reveal it to me. Holy Spirit, teach me, encourage me, and guide me each day. Order my steps. Let all that I do glorify You. In Jesus name I pray."
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