Be Loving Anyway
It can be very difficult to be loving to someone who is not being loving to you. Maybe they have insulted you or something like that and now you want to verbally retaliate. But ask yourself, does that honor God? If you are trying to figure out how you can insult someone in a round about way, then you are not focused on being loving. You are focused on revenge or vengeance. All we do is to be God honoring, even toward those that do not know or care for Jesus.
Remember that time they said/did that thing that hurt you? I mean it really hurt. You may have an emotion scar or even a physical one. The life of Jesus says for us to still love them. WHAT?!?! Yes, still love them. That does not mean you let them in your house and trust them. But it does mean get right in your heart and head (over and over again if need be) and forgive them. You may think, how am I supposed to do that? Well, ask God how he does it with you for those times you did people wrong or hurt someone? I struggle with looking at the words of others and think "that's not the Christian response" and then I think of the several things I said that day/week that are also not the Christian response. I need to repent and not just keep sinning. I need be loving like Jesus said in John 13:34.
PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!
Examine Yourself
In 2 Corinthians 13:5 Paul tells the church in Corinth to examine and test themselves. He asks them if they know that Christ is in them. Paul also tells them if they test themselves they will know that Christ is in them, unless they are disqualified from the test. Disqualified? That was Paul's way of saying you cannot take a test to see if Christ is in you if you are worldly and not one with Christ. So ask yourself today, am I one with Christ?
How does one then test themselves? One way is through reading the various parables and experiences of Jesus and apply the lessons of learned/taught whether they are temptation (the wilderness), faithfulness (mustard seed and power drained), forgiveness (prodigal son) or the young rich ruler (worldly thinking). If you aren't studying Christ's life and his words, then how will you know if you are one with Christ? How will you know if the Holy Spirit is leading you? Do you say things like "It's just the way I am and I won't change" even though that something you do is not of God? Read the scripture in the right context and be Spirit led.
Also, in reading through Ephesians 5:5-7 and also Romans 1:28-32 we see a lists, if you will, of what is not God honoring. Paul calls out the sexually immoral or impure and says that they have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. He also points out that those did not see fit to acknowledge God were given up by God to their own devices. Paul says there unrighteousness, evil, covetousness,
malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness, gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. It is one thing to slip up and make a bad decision. There is grace for that from God upon repentance. But, when you accept sin into your lifestyle, that is not of the Holy Spirit. That is not passing the test of Christ likeness. That sin acceptance disqualifies you from taking that test. Look at what loves is and what is in the fruit (evidence) of the spirit. When you are led by that which is of Christ there will be evidence, likewise the opposite.
PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!
Forgiveness, Grace, and Prayer
Wednesday's message was on turning worry into prayer. As stated previously, we worry about many things and try to figure out problems in our lives. There is nothing wrong with problem solving, but we have to remember to go to God too, first even, as we ask for guidance. But, what about that person who hurt you the most? That person who broke your heart. That person who did something so devastating that it occupies your thinking more often than it should. I ask you this, did you forgive them? You may say "They don't deserve forgiveness." That is not a thought of Christ, He would not say no one deserves forgiveness or grace. No one is saying you cannot feel hurt, but free yourself by graciously offering forgiveness knowing that God forgave you for your sins and that we are to forgive others their sins too (Matthew 6:14-15), whether they are sorry or not.
Have you ever heard that not forgiving is like drinking poison in hops to kill the other person? We are all imperfect. We have all done things that have done damage to others, ourselves and our relationship with God. That feeling of regret is needed in order to seek reconciliation of a relationship and to repent and not sin in that way again. Paul teaches us in Ephesians 4:32 that we should be kind to one another. He teaches that we should tenderhearted. He also says that we should forgive others as God in Christ forgave us. God forgave you and you never asked. God still forgave you. Your friends stole from you, broke your heart, and ruined the friendship. You have to forgive them. God commands it in Matthew 18:21-22. There was no limit to forgiveness, but continued forgiveness which give the allowance of grace.
One way that I heard Pastor Rick Warren say is a good way to learn to forgive is to pray for people. Yes, pray to God for Him to work in that person. It is VERY difficult to be mad at someone when you are praying for God to use them. In 2008 I was having an issue with a couple of people, two different situations. The relationships had faltered or were getting worse. My heart grew bitter and angry. I began praying for each of them. Initially, the prayers were quick. I made sure to do it during times I was not distracted. Eventually the prayers grew in length and strength. I also felt a change in myself where that bitterness was not there anymore. I was following what is found in James 5:16. We are not not only confess our sins to our brethren in Christ (I was doing that), but also pray for them so that we can be healed. Hanging on to bitterness breaks us and we need to heal from that. If you want to heal, forgive someone. Pray for them, consistently. When you start to get bitter at them, pray for them again. Know that Satan attacks all of us. Don't let Satan win.
PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!
Forgiveness and Triumph
Forgiving the sinner is one lesson to learn from 2 Corinthians 2. Paul opens up by discussing that he didn't want to make another painful visit because if he did the only one there to comfort him would be the one he had hurt. His hurt is not coming from being mean, but from his chastisement of the church members. He continues and speaks on forgiveness. There is no specification of who the man was and what was done, but Paul urged them to forgive their brother. His punishment of not being forgiven was punishment enough. In verse 7 Paul says that he should be forgiven because if not then he will be overcome with excessive sorrow.
Paul closes out Chapter 2 by setting it straight that he and others (Titus) were not trying ti make money off of the gospel of Christ, but was a man commissioned by God and as a man of sincerity they in the sight of God speak in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:17). Paul was real about it. He didn't just say it and not live it. That is why he was commissioned by God.
PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!
Just Because You Can....
I'm sure you have heard of that saying "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." We can apply that saying to so many different areas of our life, but there is one area it needs to apply to. It needs to apply to our walk with Christ. In Christ we have freedom from condemnation and from the death of sin (death in connection to God), but that does not mean that just because we can seek forgiveness we should just go and sin anyway? I was confronted a couple of different times by an atheist and by an agnostic and they both said that since I can be forgiven by God, I should just go an sin intentionally or else I am wasting what Christ did on the cross. Wow. Seriously? What a ridiculous statement.
First,
I needed new people to hang out with. I needed new people to hang out
with and as a Christ follower, I needed to be around other Christ
following men. That didn't mean that I no longer spoke to those guys,
but I need men in my corner who also follow Christ. If we look at
Proverbs (great book) but specifically the wisdom contained within
Proverbs
13:20, then we see we need to be around those who are wise. Not
so much worldly wise, but also wise in the Holy Spirit so that he can
assist me in my growth and I can assist him as well. If I am attacked
by a man (or sin in this case) a brother in Christ can help me up if
I fall and stand with me as we fight with the Holy Spirit against
Satan's temptations (Ecclesiastes
4:12).
Man
understands things a certain way and outside of the Holy Spirit they
will not know what God has for them in life. Proverbs
14:12
tells us people think a certain way and think it is okay, yet they
have no idea that death is inevitable in that way. Maybe you are so
accustomed to being isolated. In isolation, no one can keep you
accountable about the sinful ways that you succumb to. No one can
love you in isolation. No one can hold you in isolation. While
isolation may seem like it is "drama free" it is also void
of love, accountability and growth. Just because it seems okay for
you doesn't mean that God wants that for you.
A
common thing I see is people who control others. They are always
taking charge and always the boss. If they don't get their way they
become the take my ball and go home type or the "it's my way or
the highway." Not everyone, but there are those that feel like
they should control what is going on. Why? It seems right to do so,
but why? Is it a lack of faith in others to do their part? Is it to
hard to trust others? Or maybe the faith that God isn't going to
provide you with what you need? If we read the word we know that God
provides for those doing His will (Philippians
4:19). It doesn't mean life will be perfect. There will be some
bumps. That's life. But just because you are comfortable controlling
everything doesn't mean that is how it needs to be or even what God
wants from you. If you aren't asking for His guidance before and
during a task, then that is part of the problem (Psalm
32:8). You need to submit to God's will and let Him show you what
it is that needs to be done. Not just on the surface, but also on the
inside of you. Your spirit is important and it needs to be in
conjunction with God's will.
PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!
Stephen's Last Words
Stephen's was arrested in Acts 6 for spreading the word of Christ. They brought false witnesses against him and claimed he was doing things that Jesus did when he was accused by Pilate.
Stephen retells the stories of Joseph and Moses and explains afterwards how they always resisted the Holy Spirit. At this time, full of the holy Spirit, Stephen was able to see into heaven and see Jesus seated at the right hand of God. They didn't want to hear what Stephen saw when he began to see them. Many people would crack under pressure in situations like this. Many would denounce Jesus on the spot, but Stephen continued to speak of God and speak through the Holy Spirit.
In verses 59-60, Stephen does something amazing to me. Now, he is being stoned to death for his "crimes" and his last words before he died were "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit...Lord, do not hold this sin against them." This is very similar to what Christ said as he was dying on the cross for our sins. Jesus said Luke 23:34 "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." I admire Stephen's obedience to God and will to not denounce Jesus in the face of adversity. He sought to be Christ like and spirit filled regardless of the circumstance.
PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!
Remember Why
John 19's focus is on Jesus and his crucifixion. I cannot say that there is a parable or words of wisdom from Jesus. I cannot say that he performed another miracle. This chapter is a huge reminder. This is a reminder of the prophecies coming true and of why Jesus died.
In John 19:24, we see a prophecy fulfilled from Psalm 22:18. When Jesus was on the cross soldiers gambled for his clothing. How is it possible a reference from generation before could come true?
In John 19:36-37, we see another prophecy fulfilled from Psalm 34:20. Once again, how is it possible a reference from generation before could come true? God's power is bigger than we can even fully explain.
Jesus's death on a cross was the ultimate example of God's grace for us. Remember John 3:16 and "for God so loved the world?" If God not love us then He would not have come down in Heavenly human form to reunite us with Him. Think about it this way, for all that we did wrong and all that we still will do, God still loves us. God didn't send Jesus just for 5 or 6 people who lived at that time. Jesus's sacrificial death was for all of us who accept him as the son of God and want to receive that redemption. The next time someone upsets you or breaks your heart, think of the God sized forgiveness in the size of Jesus.
PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!
Peter is Like Us, Jesus is Our Example
We know Jesus knew that Peter would deny that he knew him three times (Matthew 26:30-34).
Then we know that Peter said he would not deny Jesus (Matthew 26:35).
When Jesus was captured, he did not cure Peter's name or talk about him as if he was the worst person ever (John 18).
What does this say about Jesus? He knew he would be denied and essentially left alone in a time of crisis, yet he still loved Peter anyway. He was still compassionate to Peter any way. He forgave Peter in advance.
God's love is not finite. It is infinite. It is not conditional like human love. Jesus knew what Peter would do and did not condemn him. Since Christ is our example we must see and apply the knowing that we must forgive others and forgive our selves. We mess up. Others mess up. We need forgiveness as others do. No one deserves forgiveness, it is a gift. That gift comes from the power from God's gift of redemption to us through Christ.
PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!
Temptation and Forgiveness
Temptation is an issue everyone is going to deal with. Whether the temptation is sexual, financial, or even violent, we all have temptations. One of my biggest temptations is food. I like sweet food. I have had a sweet tooth for a long time and find it very hard to stop. But, my will power isn't strong enough to change that (Philippians 4:13).
In Luke 17:1-2, Jesus shows that it would be better to have a stone around our necks and be thrown into the sea than to cause a child to sin. So, even if we mess up, that stinks, but to cause a child to sin is even greater in God's eyes. Children depend on us to teach them what is right and wrong from God's perspective. If we stray off of God's path and teach a child to fight and resort to violence, is that setting them on the path to being Christ like? What about our words? How do we talk about people we are not fans of? Do we make fun of them and call them names? Kids pick up on things that we don't always think we are teaching them. A parent may not teach a child to drink underage but the parent could have a very liberal system at home that allows for the children to be influenced by the parents usage of alcohol. We have to watch ourselves.
A
s a matter of fact, the next thing Jesus says in (verses 3-4) is to "pay attention" to ourselves. Not just pay attention to who we are and how we are around children, but also how we are when people come to us and seek forgiveness from us. He tells us that if our brother sins, we rebuke him (expression of sharp disapproval or criticism). And if he repents we forgive him. We cannot hang on to the past hurt and not forgive. If we do that then that is like saying God shouldn't forgive us for our trespasses against Him and no one else should forgive our sins against them. Jesus is speaking about a community here. We are not just individuals with no affect on each other. We are all connected which is part of why we are commanded to love one another.
PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!
Matthew 20:13-14 " But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go...'"
commentary- A land owner hires extra workers late in the day and promises to pay them. When the end of the day came, the men who started work early got their share that they agreed upon. Yet, the ones who only worked an hour due to being hired later also received the same pay as those who worked a full day.
Those that worked longer were upset thinking that they should have more than the other who came late. The landowner made no extra promises, he only followed what he said he would do.
I compare this to the kingdom of Heaven. I have heard numerous arguments from unbelievers who think that it isn't "fair" that one can live a life of sin and still get their sins forgiven when others asked for forgiveness a long time ago. God doesn't operate on what's fair, but He operates on being true to His word. If he says it, it is true. It is not a scale that we use to rank who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven (see Matthew 18:1-6). God forgives and knows your heart, it is not up to you to try to take on a role (God or in this chapter's case the landowner) that is not assigned to you. Do your part.
