Thursday, July 26, 2012

Show The World

Remove the barriers that keep people from Jesus.


Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  

15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  

16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

As followers of Jesus we will probably agree that Jesus is the most important thing in our lives, it is a popular idea but there are a lot of ways that we lose our focus and forget what is important. It is easy to put stumbling blocks in the way and making it difficult for people to see Jesus.It is hard to imagine but here in the U.S.A. there are people that have never heard the name Jesus in a positive way.

Our lifestyle can get in the way. 


The world will watch those that claim to know Jesus and they will try to see Jesus in your life, will they see him in your life? Are there things in your life that get in the way and block their view of Jesus?

Jesus stood up for what is right and he ruffled some feathers when he opposed people that were against him but for the most part Jesus was known for love.

Our teaching can get in the way.


When Jesus came to earth he found that his people had lost their focus and the religious leaders were probably the worst of them. They had taken the law to the extreme and used it as a weapon to oppress the people.

We may teach people that they are not good enough, not the right nationality, not the right upbringing or not the right something else but Jesus put us all in the same category. We are all sinners that need a Savior as far as he is concerned.
John 14:6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Showing Jesus to the world is a matter of obedience, Jesus didn't tell us that we had a choice or that we should shy away from telling others because we may offend them, he told us to go and make disciples. Tolerance is the name of the game today and there is a growing belief in the idea that Jesus can't be the only way, but if we really believe that he is God's son then there isn't a choice, he must be the only way because he told us that he is.

We need to show Jesus to people, it needs to begin in our own lives as individuals, they need to see that Jesus makes a difference and that he is worth checking out. If we are salt and light in this desperate world then we will make a difference in the lives around us.

Monday, July 23, 2012

God's People Are Blessed

We should never take God's blessings in our life for granted.


Genesis 28:15 What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you."

Genesis 28:20-22 Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything He gives me."

Genesis 35:1-3 Then God said to Jacob, "Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau." 2 So Jacob told everyone in his household, "Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. 3 We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone."

Jacob was in big trouble with his brother Esau and had to leave the security of his home, it was another battle between brothers, it reminds me of Cain and Abel. In both stories there was one brother that was accepted as better than the other, one brother tried to please God and the other brother decided to hate him for it instead of changing their ways so that God would accept him too.

Esau wasn't living a lifestyle that was deserving of God's blessing, a couple of things that the Bible mentions that he did that displeased God were the day that he sold his birthright for some lunch and his marriages to Hittite women. (Genesis 25:27-34, 26:34-35, 27:46)

Jacob wasn't perfect, in these verses from Genesis he was on the run after tricking his brother, he was scared and his mom told him that he needed to get out of town. In the midst of Jacob's fear God shows up with a message of protection and a promise of prosperity. God told Jacob that he would be a part of the covenant that he had made with Abraham and Isaac. (Genesis 28:10-19)

Even though Jacob had the promise from God he still has his doubts and worried about God's protection but no matter the situation God was still there living up to his end of the promise that he had made. Jacob went through some trials and difficulties but ultimately he was very successful and had great wealth. The Lord had blessed Jacob just like he promised and now it was time for Jacob to remember his promise and go back to Bethel to worship God.

Which will you choose?

Deuteronomy 11:L26-28 “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! 27 You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. 28 But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.
Jacob lived a lifestyle that was "blessable," he made his share of poor choices but ultimately his heart was right for God to use. God blesses the people that he is pleased with, the people that honor and worship him, those that don't make the right choice will be cursed.

I need to be careful to always be aware of the source of every blessing that I have, thank you Lord for my faith, my family and for providing for my needs.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Who Is Your Hero?

Here He stands with scars in His hands, the Savior of the world.


Abandon - Hero

He walked the dirty streets famous for nothing
He said, "Come follow me" and they came
A face like all the rest, but something was different
The Son of God would lead the way

And soon they all would say:

There He goes, a hero, a Savior to the world
Here He stands with scars in His hands
With love He gave His life so we could be free
The Savior of the world

He spoke with clarity, walked across the sea
A single word would calm the storm
His touch could heal the sick, but He was called a hypocrite
Laid behind the stone, his death was shortly mourned

He left the curtain torn

He chose to take the cross, shed tears for the lost
The broken and the needy, forgiving those who were and will be
The angel made it clear, he told them, "Have no fear
He's not here, He's not here"

Isaiah 53:2-5  There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected,a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole.He was whipped so we could be healed.


Friday, July 20, 2012

Be Careful Church, The World Is Watching You

How much do we really care about what the world sees in God's people?


Colossians 4:5-6  Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

6  Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

The world is hungry and thirsty for something, they look all around and try different avenues to find peace and a reason for life, it doesn't know what the answer is. As they try and figure out what is missing from their life and how they can get it most of them will consider the church as an option, that sounds like a good idea but the problem is that they have a lot of options and some of the options can look a lot better than God's people do.

Living with integrity is so important for the Christ follower, the world is watching us to see what we believe, they know that if we really believe the teachings of Jesus then we will live the way that he told us to live. They judge Jesus and decide if he is valuable for them by looking at the life of his people, the world judges religion and it's worth, not from preaching, or from books, but from what they see in the daily walk and conversation of the people that say that they believe. They understand enough about our religion that they can tell when we are not living it out.

Honesty and integrity are more important than your churches mission statement and your devout church attendance and strict observance of religious ceremonies, your daily prayer time and the amount of knowledge that you have of the Bible have no value unless you have an upright life.

I am an ambassador

2 Corinthians 5:20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!"
If you are going to talk to somebody about the value of Christ in your life then you better represent him well. If you want to talk about Christ forgiveness then you better forgive the people that have wronged you. If you want to talk about the awesome love that God has for you then you better be loving like Jesus did.

With the modern conveniences that we have available, the size of the world has shrunk down and we can easily see people from around the world, the idea of an ambassador isn't as meaningful to us as it was in the past. When an ambassador went to a foreign country he was probably one of a few that those people had ever seen from that country and as their official representative he was expected to accurately depict what kind of people that they were back in his country and what they believed.

The world is looking at me to see what kind of kingdom Jesus has and what his people believe, I am the only Jesus that the world can put their eyes on, I need to be an ambassador that truly represents my Lord.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Christ Gave Us A New Nature

Putting on your new nature is like putting on new clothes.


Colossians 3:10-17  Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.  11  In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.   

12  Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  13  Make allowance for each others faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  14  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.  15  And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

16  Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  17  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

It is difficult to imagine what life would be like as a slave and to live without freedom to make your own decisions. God didn't create man to live that way, he had every right to, he could have created us so that we had no choice but to do things exactly the way that he says that they should be done, after-all his way is the right way.

The Bible tells us to become like him, we are told to clothe ourselves with the character traits that will help us do that, which outfit will you put on? Will you wear your old clothes of selfishness, envy and greed or will you put on the bright new clothes that Jesus put in your closet?

You get to decide what to wear, it is your choice to do things God's way and to take on the characteristics that please him, God doesn't force himself on us. God and Jesus have given us instructions on how to live a rewarding and fulfilling life, they have told us what the best way is but we don't have to live that way, we get to make our own decisions.

It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what your past looks like or where you come from or who your parents are, we all have the same opportunity to make the choice to live to please him. We all get to decide whether Christ is all that matters or if we are going to continue to live to please ourselves.

Jesus is our example

1 Peter 2:21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
Have you every wondered why Jesus spent thirty-three years on this planet if he really only came so that he could be crucified for our sins? Couldn't he have come down and been killed a lot faster and paid the price for my freedom?

Jesus didn't only come to save me from my sins but he also came so that he could show me a new lifestyle. Jesus was the perfect example , he showed me what it looks like to live with mercy, humility, gentleness, and patience. Jesus showed me how to suffer and how to forgive those that are responsible for your suffering.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Second Chances

The cross changes everything for us.


Rend Collective Experiment - Second Chances

My future hangs on this
You make preciousness from dust
Please don't stop creating me

Your blood offers the chance
To rewind to innocence
Reborn, perfect as a child

CHORUS:
Oh Your cross, it changes everything
There my world begins again with You
Oh Your cross, it's where my hope restarts
A second chance is Heaven's heart

When sin and ugliness
Collide with redemption's kiss
Beauty awakens by romance

Always inside this mess
I have found forgiveness
Mercy as infinite as You

Countless second chances
We've been given at the cross

Fragments of brokenness
Salvaged by the art of grace
You craft life from our mistakes
Black skies of my regrets
Outshone by this kindness
New life dawns over my soul

Our world needs change that's for sure but the part that confuses people is where the change needs to begin. There are all kinds of man made ideas about how to change things, everything from politics to social reform, the same things that man has been trying for centuries but the source of change that we need is found in the Bible.

God's word tells us about the real change that we need, the change that gave me a bright future, it also changed the way that I live and how I treat others, these are the kind of changes that the world is longing for.

Thank you Lord for your kindness that changes everything.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Stop Playing With Sin

We need to kill off the lusts of the flesh and the love of the world.


Colossians 3:5-9  So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.

Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6  Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.  7  You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.   

8  But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.  9  Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

It is time to take action, those old ways of living need to go, if you are a Christ follower then you should realize that you can't follow him very far unless you agree with him about which direction that you are going in. Too often we try to keep one foot in the mud on the old path of sin and try to reach the straight and narrow path with the other foot.

We have to decide that our old sinful ways are holding us down and they are not worth carrying around anymore. It takes a deliberate act of obedience to combat our old sin nature, too many times we don't make up our minds about sin, we need to agree with what God says about our sin and get rid of them. My will and my desires for my lifestyle should come into alignment with what God says about my desires and my lifestyle.

Nail your old sin nature to the cross

Galatians 5:16, 24-25 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
It is sad that so many people that claim to be Christ followers don't seem to be following, instead of behaving like he would, they are holding on to the lusts of the flesh and the love of the world. God wants us to get serious with about the way that we behave and the things that we think.

God knows that we can't do it on our own, we have been living in the way that comes natural to us, we will need to have help from the Holy Spirit to overcome our natural tendencies. That is the work that the Holy Spirit does if we submit to him and give him control, with his help you can take on a new way of life successfully.

When the Holy Spirit is in control I can be sure that I am on the way down the right path, he will help me to overcome my natural human tendencies, my walk with God will not be complete without my submission to his guidance. 

Thank you Lord for the assistance from the Holy Spirit that helps me to live to please you.

Friday, July 06, 2012

I Am Dying To Have A New Life

Death is a beautiful thing in God's eyes.


Colossians 2:12  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Colossians 3:1-4  Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand.  2  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  

3  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  4  And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory.

Most of us like babies, seeing a new life is exciting, it doesn't matter if it is a new addition to the human race or if it is a new addition to the animal kingdom, we all like a new life. We usually get anxious as the due date gets closer and we try and see the baby as soon as possible.

There is so much potential with new life but as the years go by the new wears off and we see how imperfect the new creation turned out to be, this could make us wish for a do over so that we could change some things. You may feel like you are stuck with a life that isn't much to celebrate. There is a solution to the problem, it is so simple, the Bible tells us that all we have to do is die.

We see death as such an ugly thing, it brings sadness and heartbreak, but God sees death from a different point of view. God asked his Son to die and he also wants us to die. The biggest game changer ever came about because of death, God used something so ugly to make something so beautiful for our benefit.

Jesus died to give me a new life

2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 17  Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.  15  He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
I can start a new life with God in control, Jesus death provides the do over that many of us have longed for, we have the chance to start again. I can no longer live for myself, I must live my life with my sights set on the things of heaven, I must allow God to have control.

If I have my world view shaped by what the Bible teaches me is important then I will live a life that matters and I will live the most beautiful life possible. Striving for holiness and running from wicked worldly pleasures should be my standard operating procedure. The Bible makes it clear that if you are a child of God then your life will be a new creation that has been transformed through Christ. If your life still looks like the rest of the world then maybe you have never become a child of God.

I am so thankful that I have a new life in Christ, I am not perfect but thanks to Christ and the new life that he gives, I can never be the same again. I have a new way of thinking, a new world view and a Savior that did so much for me that I can never go back to living by the worlds philosophy.

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Christ + Nothing = Everything

God doesn't need me to do anything else to earn grace.


Colossians 2:11-15 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Colossians 2:20-23 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. 

Could anything be added to Christ work in the new believer? What else could I do that would make me more worthy of God's saving grace?

My achievements and following of the rules are no good, I am already in the family through Christ work and I cannot add anything of value to the work that Jesus has done. What a relief! My old life and the pressure of trying to be good enough are over, I couldn't possibly be good enough or worthy of Jesus sacrifice, I have been set free.

The Jews and the Gentiles that were converted in the church of Colossae were being told that they needed to follow the law or some other set of religious rules. Other religions had these rules and the Jews had strict rules in the Old Testament so it was easy to think that this teaching was correct.

Not so after Jesus came, he made a way to God that wasn't based on performance, Jesus went against the logic of man that said that you have to do something to be forgiven and you must be a certain way in order to have a pleasant after-life. I have been liberated from worldly rules and I don't have to worry about judgement.

A rigorous devotion to Christ can be seen as a means to obtain God's grace, while spiritual discipline is a good thing, we must keep our focus on the reason that we are motivated to the disciplines. Are we trying to become more like Christ because his is the best way of living or are we still trying to obtain what has already been given to us for free?

Rule keeping is usually an illusion

Matthew 23:27-28  "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity.  28  Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Spiritual disciple was a way of life for the religious leaders of Jesus day, few people could claim to be as disciplined as they were and yet they totally missed the point, all of their rule keeping was just an illusion. They believed that they were better off than the common people and that they deserved to be in heaven someday because of their own good deeds but Jesus told them that they could never do enough to earn salvation.

I must live in a manner that pleases my Savior, his way of life is far superior to the way of this world, but I can't allow myself to think that successfully adhering to spiritual discipline makes me any better or more worthy of grace.

Monday, July 02, 2012

Grow In Christ

Putting your roots down deep in Jesus.


Colossians 2:6-8  And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.

7  Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

8  Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

Difficult times are guaranteed for any Christ follower. After you have become a Child of God the devil knows that he cannot have you, but he does know that he needs to keep you from realizing your full potential in Christ and he wants to stop you from being an effective disciple maker. You made a decision to follow Christ and if you are like so many other Christ followers then you too will be tempted to do something that he just can't stand; you just might help create another Christ follower. The devil can't let that possibility go unchallenged.

There will be "new" teachings that will try and trick you and uproot your faith. The best way to safeguard against the winds of the latest philosophies that blow in is to have a deep root system that will keep you anchored. (John 15:4, Ephesians 4:14-15)
Psalms 1:1-4  Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
The advantages of being a Godly man are seen in the beginning of the book of Psalms. The Godly man is to be different in his thoughts and his behavior.

The Godly man's life finds strength and nourishment in the Bible, he puts his roots down deep into the word and enjoys a stability and fruitful life that the wicked can only dream of. (Jeremiah 17:7-8, 1 Timothy 4:8)

If we realize that these false teachings come from spiritual forces that we cannot stand against on our own then we should also realize that we cannot survive without the help that comes from having our roots planted by the source of nourishment that will keep until the day of Christ return. (Ephesians 6:12)

I must spend time with God everyday so that I can live with authenticity, spending time with him is the only way to keep on track and living without compromise.