So many people express that they have encountered disillusionment with the church in general. It is usually with some specific church, somewhere. It usually has to do with people. They were a part of things but they left, for whatever reasons they identify. Some work through their issues and find shelter and comfort elsewhere and that is good. Relocation can be a blessing from God. What saddens me is when people take the next step and not only reject God’s people but reject Jesus too. They get bent out of shape with people created in God’s image but flawed, and therefore conclude that God must be like that too. They throw the baby out with the bathwater. I want to say “People, what did you expect? Sinners sin and hurt and disappoint. Please deal with that reality and then reengage.” The fact that people are sinful is not an excuse to run away nor an excuse to lash out, just a statement of fact that we must grapple with.
Many churches and believers, out of compassion and love, have a desire to reach people who are in that state. Shouldn’t we all. Praise God. Others just do what they are called to do faithfully, year in, year out, hoping people will gravitate towards a healthy model of what it means to love Jesus and live in community with His people. We are called to be loving all the things that last forever: Jesus, the Book and people. Jesus never changes or let's you down. His Word never fails. Some people have been truly hurt and we are called to comfort the afflicted, bind up the broken, bring back the scattered and search for the lost. Will they see Jesus in us? I surely hope so. May we love all people, especially those who love Jesus (Gal. 6:10) so others will recognize those whom God has chosen (John 13:35). May we be infectious and contagious for Christ. May people catch what we have.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Find Your Identity in Christ
How many times do we need to be burned by the deceptive nature of sin before we guard ourselves more fully in God's Word and godly influences? Why do we try to prop ourselves up with anything and everything that we can find, even things deceptive and even destructive to our well-being? Many things work against growth in Christ. Many times we find ourselves reaching for such fool's gold that when we come to our senses we feel like fools. That's what sin does to us, it blinds us to reality. So why do I reach for what ruins and distances and obliterates? Trying to fill a void only God can fill. Trying to identify myself when I am already identified with the King of kings and Lord of lords, my only God and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am deeply rooted and built up in Him. God can clear our vision and refocus us on what is true. Allow the Book to sink in deeply to your soul...
Col. 1:27 "Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Col. 3:4 "Christ, who is your life"
Ephesians 6:10 "Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might."
There is ample proof in the Word of God, our identity is truly rooted in Christ. And those indwelt by the Spirit have that truth impressed upon them.
Col. 1:27 "Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Col. 3:4 "Christ, who is your life"
Ephesians 6:10 "Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might."
There is ample proof in the Word of God, our identity is truly rooted in Christ. And those indwelt by the Spirit have that truth impressed upon them.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Forgiveness
"There is forgiveness with You."
"If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins"
"Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness"
"Having overlooked our times of ignorance."
"Forgive us our trespasses."
We all crave being let off the hook, having our sin not held against us, to be freed from the anxious longings of unresolved issues. Forgiveness is letting it go, not dredging up the past, resting in mercy, choosing to relate in kindness rather than hatefulness. Forgiveness gives back life to those who are undone by sin, those who are relationally, mentally and spiritually on the sidelines. Forgiveness revives the as good as dead.
"If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins"
"Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness"
"Having overlooked our times of ignorance."
"Forgive us our trespasses."
We all crave being let off the hook, having our sin not held against us, to be freed from the anxious longings of unresolved issues. Forgiveness is letting it go, not dredging up the past, resting in mercy, choosing to relate in kindness rather than hatefulness. Forgiveness gives back life to those who are undone by sin, those who are relationally, mentally and spiritually on the sidelines. Forgiveness revives the as good as dead.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Showered with Mercy, and Saved
This is a poem about God's sovereign electing grace, that in His perfect timing broke through my hardened heart sometime in 1982, and to this day keeps me safe and secure in Christ, and will throughout all eternity.
---
Trapped in shackles, not free
Enslaved, because of me
I deserved what I got
A prison of my own making
I chose to do what ashames me now
I broke the bonds that protected me
I fought to keep my master hidden
I alone, immensely deceived
No reprieve, no rescue for me
Alone in loneliness, surrounded
Dying inside, unable to see
I was helpless, I'd failed miserably
I was a wreck, nowhere to go
Dismantled, my pride finally broke
Bankrupt, no resources, no hope
I hung my head and cried
Agonizing through residual pain
Slogging in the driving rain
The blood came and washed away the stain
I awoke and found my chains were gone
Unfaithful, I, the one undone
Wracked by my pride, God brough me low
Jesus, Righteous Lover of my soul
Showered me with His mercy
Freed by amazing loving hands
Pierced for my sin, He tasted God's wrath
Goodness believed, new live received
By grace, through faith, wonderfully saved
---
Trapped in shackles, not free
Enslaved, because of me
I deserved what I got
A prison of my own making
I chose to do what ashames me now
I broke the bonds that protected me
I fought to keep my master hidden
I alone, immensely deceived
No reprieve, no rescue for me
Alone in loneliness, surrounded
Dying inside, unable to see
I was helpless, I'd failed miserably
I was a wreck, nowhere to go
Dismantled, my pride finally broke
Bankrupt, no resources, no hope
I hung my head and cried
Agonizing through residual pain
Slogging in the driving rain
The blood came and washed away the stain
I awoke and found my chains were gone
Unfaithful, I, the one undone
Wracked by my pride, God brough me low
Jesus, Righteous Lover of my soul
Showered me with His mercy
Freed by amazing loving hands
Pierced for my sin, He tasted God's wrath
Goodness believed, new live received
By grace, through faith, wonderfully saved
Saturday, March 26, 2011
God's Mercy Rules
Reading Hosea 2-5. Mercy is a theme, ala Romans 9:25-26.
In Christ, the guilty go free. It's due to God's Mercy.
In Christ, the guilty flourish. It's due to God's Grace.
In Christ, the guilty live. It's due to God's Righteousness.
In Christ, the guilty remain. It's due to God's Faithfulness.
In Christ, the guilty go free. It's due to God's Mercy.
In Christ, the guilty flourish. It's due to God's Grace.
In Christ, the guilty live. It's due to God's Righteousness.
In Christ, the guilty remain. It's due to God's Faithfulness.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Parables, Part 1: The Teacher, the Teaching, the Taught
Matt. 13:1-9 teaches that those who hear Jesus' teaching need His wisdom to understand it. In this passage we see something about the Teacher in vv. 1-2; something about His Teaching in vv. 3-8; and something about the response of those Taught in v. 9.
1. The Teacher...initiating and engaging. Jesus, on the same day as the blasphemous accusations and the visit of His mother and brothers, went and sat by the sea. Large crowds gathered, He got in a boat and sat down, the crowd stood on the beach. Sitting was the posture of a teacher. It was an invitation to come and learn from Him. He initiated, they engaged. The crowd stood, showing respect for the Teacher.
2. The Teaching...mysterious to some & clear to others. He spoke many things to them in parables. Besides His authority, the most distinctive style of Jesus’ teaching was His use of parables. The word Parable comes from two words: to throw, & by the side of. It is a form of teaching in which one thing is thrown beside another to make a comparison. There are 8 parables in ch. 13: the Sower, Weeds, Mustard Seed, Leaven, Treasure, Pearl, Net, & Householder – all have to do with the Kingdom of God. The 1st sets the tone.
The parable of the Sower (Jesus explains it in Matt. 13:18-23), is about a man who sowed seeds in a field and the results of the seeds landing on different soils. The 4 kinds of soil on which the seed fell reflected the common experience of farmers back then, they did not place seed in a single place or a long furrow dug out - they practiced broadcast sowing— scattering seeds in all directions by hand as they walked up and down the stony paths that divided their fields. Some seed falls on “good soil”, it germinates, matures and yields a crop ranging from 100, 60 or 30 times what was sown, a good harvest blessed by God, like Isaac in Gen. 26:12, he planted crops and reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed Him.
Parables are...
One of the ways Jesus taught. Not the only way as some suggest but a very engaging way He often taught. 1/3 of His teaching in Matt, Mark and Luke was done using parables.
Stories from daily life designed to teach a spiritual truth. Jesus used parables to teach some powerful lesson about God and His will for our lives. Earthly stories with heavenly meanings.
A way to both hide and reveal truth. Hide it from those who reject Jesus and cannot handle further revelation, and reveal deeper truths to the believing. To one group a very clear illustration, to another a frustrating puzzle.
3. The Taught...some would understand, some would misunderstand. Jesus tells this parable with no explanation, just a word of challenge at the end: “He who has ears, let him hear.” He says, if you can understand it, understand it. He is challenging them to find the spiritual meaning in it. I see it as an invitation to seek Him and ask Him what it meant, if they dared.
What are the implications for us?
1. Jesus as Teacher is all-authoritative and we need to listen to Him. Failure to hear or acknowledge or respond favorably to what God says results in judgment. We need to submit rather than argue with what He has to say. That applies to everything in His Word. We are to reject man’s opinions, no matter how persuasive, and accept God’s verdicts on life and death, heaven and hell, marriage, family, singleness, business, pleasure and everything else.
2. Some things about the teaching are hard to understand and we need Christ’s wisdom even more. Each parable communicates one main point; everything in it serves that point. We need to engage in careful interpretation or we may miss or twist what He is saying. Parables may illustrate some point of theology, but don't build your theology from parables. When we come to the Book together, with our households, or alone, we submit ourselves to what it says.
3. Sometimes it is merciful for those taught that things are unexplained. Jesus veiling the truth from unbelievers showed both judgment & mercy. Judgment because it kept them in darkness they loved (John 3:19); mercy because for all who reject Jesus, exposure to more truth will only increase their guilt before a holy God. Those who hear Jesus' teaching need His wisdom to understand it. Only those who believe have Jesus' wisdom (1 Cor. 2:1-16). The key to understanding the parables (and making sense out of life) is knowing Jesus, which means being saved by grace, through faith in Christ.
Soli Deo Gloria
1. The Teacher...initiating and engaging. Jesus, on the same day as the blasphemous accusations and the visit of His mother and brothers, went and sat by the sea. Large crowds gathered, He got in a boat and sat down, the crowd stood on the beach. Sitting was the posture of a teacher. It was an invitation to come and learn from Him. He initiated, they engaged. The crowd stood, showing respect for the Teacher.
2. The Teaching...mysterious to some & clear to others. He spoke many things to them in parables. Besides His authority, the most distinctive style of Jesus’ teaching was His use of parables. The word Parable comes from two words: to throw, & by the side of. It is a form of teaching in which one thing is thrown beside another to make a comparison. There are 8 parables in ch. 13: the Sower, Weeds, Mustard Seed, Leaven, Treasure, Pearl, Net, & Householder – all have to do with the Kingdom of God. The 1st sets the tone.
The parable of the Sower (Jesus explains it in Matt. 13:18-23), is about a man who sowed seeds in a field and the results of the seeds landing on different soils. The 4 kinds of soil on which the seed fell reflected the common experience of farmers back then, they did not place seed in a single place or a long furrow dug out - they practiced broadcast sowing— scattering seeds in all directions by hand as they walked up and down the stony paths that divided their fields. Some seed falls on “good soil”, it germinates, matures and yields a crop ranging from 100, 60 or 30 times what was sown, a good harvest blessed by God, like Isaac in Gen. 26:12, he planted crops and reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed Him.
Parables are...
One of the ways Jesus taught. Not the only way as some suggest but a very engaging way He often taught. 1/3 of His teaching in Matt, Mark and Luke was done using parables.
Stories from daily life designed to teach a spiritual truth. Jesus used parables to teach some powerful lesson about God and His will for our lives. Earthly stories with heavenly meanings.
A way to both hide and reveal truth. Hide it from those who reject Jesus and cannot handle further revelation, and reveal deeper truths to the believing. To one group a very clear illustration, to another a frustrating puzzle.
3. The Taught...some would understand, some would misunderstand. Jesus tells this parable with no explanation, just a word of challenge at the end: “He who has ears, let him hear.” He says, if you can understand it, understand it. He is challenging them to find the spiritual meaning in it. I see it as an invitation to seek Him and ask Him what it meant, if they dared.
What are the implications for us?
1. Jesus as Teacher is all-authoritative and we need to listen to Him. Failure to hear or acknowledge or respond favorably to what God says results in judgment. We need to submit rather than argue with what He has to say. That applies to everything in His Word. We are to reject man’s opinions, no matter how persuasive, and accept God’s verdicts on life and death, heaven and hell, marriage, family, singleness, business, pleasure and everything else.
2. Some things about the teaching are hard to understand and we need Christ’s wisdom even more. Each parable communicates one main point; everything in it serves that point. We need to engage in careful interpretation or we may miss or twist what He is saying. Parables may illustrate some point of theology, but don't build your theology from parables. When we come to the Book together, with our households, or alone, we submit ourselves to what it says.
3. Sometimes it is merciful for those taught that things are unexplained. Jesus veiling the truth from unbelievers showed both judgment & mercy. Judgment because it kept them in darkness they loved (John 3:19); mercy because for all who reject Jesus, exposure to more truth will only increase their guilt before a holy God. Those who hear Jesus' teaching need His wisdom to understand it. Only those who believe have Jesus' wisdom (1 Cor. 2:1-16). The key to understanding the parables (and making sense out of life) is knowing Jesus, which means being saved by grace, through faith in Christ.
Soli Deo Gloria
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Blood is Necessary
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. In other words, we can experience the reality of sins forgiven only because of Christ's shed blood. The redeemed are redeemed not with perishable things, but with the precious blood of Christ.Christ died for our sins. All who believe love the blood shed because of God's love. We exist because of Jesus and we remain because of His blood.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Jesus Wins, Plain and Simple
The Cross is central. "...we preach Christ crucified..." (1 Cor. 1:23). "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Cor. 2:2)
Reading Rob Bell's book "Love Wins" on Kindle was, needless to say, a frustrating, maddening, saddening exercise. One that intensified my desire to "Preach the Word" (2 Tim. 4:2) and engage in "rightly handling the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). Imposters and deceivers will be exposed in the light of day, one day. Bottom line is this...some truth + much error + scripture twisting + engaging writing + persuasive arguments + arrogant assumptions + leading questions + truth undeclared = deceptive heresy.
The true Jesus wins.
Jesus is True, Truth, Truthful.
Jesus is Savior, Lord, King.
Jesus is God, Sovereign, over all.
Jesus is our Substitute, payment for sin, our Deliverer.
Jesus is the Word, God incarnate, Lover of my soul.
Jesus is my only hope, the anchor of my soul, the Author and Perfector of faith.
Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the Bright Morning Star, Faithful.
Why do people insist on discrediting Jesus and His followers? Pride.
Why the need to try to be seen as the one with the definitive questions and answers? Pride.
Why the need to be "cool" and not with the "establishment"? Pride.
Why the need for "new", "hidden", "secret" knowledge that refutes Scripture's clear teaching? Pride.
Someone asked me in 1983 what I would do if I could do anything. My answer? "Tell people about Jesus".
Tonight I was thinking, what do I want to do more than anything? Call people to Jesus.
Hear the words of 2 Tim. 2:8, "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead."
Reading Rob Bell's book "Love Wins" on Kindle was, needless to say, a frustrating, maddening, saddening exercise. One that intensified my desire to "Preach the Word" (2 Tim. 4:2) and engage in "rightly handling the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). Imposters and deceivers will be exposed in the light of day, one day. Bottom line is this...some truth + much error + scripture twisting + engaging writing + persuasive arguments + arrogant assumptions + leading questions + truth undeclared = deceptive heresy.
The true Jesus wins.
Jesus is True, Truth, Truthful.
Jesus is Savior, Lord, King.
Jesus is God, Sovereign, over all.
Jesus is our Substitute, payment for sin, our Deliverer.
Jesus is the Word, God incarnate, Lover of my soul.
Jesus is my only hope, the anchor of my soul, the Author and Perfector of faith.
Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the Bright Morning Star, Faithful.
Why do people insist on discrediting Jesus and His followers? Pride.
Why the need to try to be seen as the one with the definitive questions and answers? Pride.
Why the need to be "cool" and not with the "establishment"? Pride.
Why the need for "new", "hidden", "secret" knowledge that refutes Scripture's clear teaching? Pride.
Someone asked me in 1983 what I would do if I could do anything. My answer? "Tell people about Jesus".
Tonight I was thinking, what do I want to do more than anything? Call people to Jesus.
Hear the words of 2 Tim. 2:8, "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead."
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Hope in the Midst of Failure
For you who have failed and feel like rejects consider this...the Bible is full of people who believed but messed up royally at times as they tried to figure out the will of God for their life—Jacob took advantage of his brother and deceived his father; Moses killed a man; David numbered the people; Peter refused to sit at table with Gentile Christians. If God restored David after his adultery with Bathsheba and set up of the murder of Uriah, if Jesus recommissioned Peter after he denied Him three times, then He can and will and wants to restore you when you admit you have sinned and failed badly in missing, or neglecting to obey or discern His will.
View the will of God like He views His will...it is His heart desire for people near to His heart...not a commodity to pursue and attain, but a state of being in conformity to His desires, dwelling in Him, as God draws you deeper into relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
View the will of God like He views His will...it is His heart desire for people near to His heart...not a commodity to pursue and attain, but a state of being in conformity to His desires, dwelling in Him, as God draws you deeper into relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Knowing the Will of God
Col. 1:9-12 is a prayer that believers would know God's will. Paul wrote to a church in danger due to false teaching that had sprung up. A mixture of gnosticism, which said you needed secret, hidden knowledge above scripture in order to be saved and please God; and Jewish legalism which said you had to follow their set list of do's and dont's. Paul and Timothy had heard of their love in the Spirit, and they knew of the spiritual dangers present in that church, so they prayed. What did they pray for? Things that can't happen unless God does it and we cooperate.
How do you know what God wants you to do? How do you know who to marry, where to move, what career to choose? Col. 1:9 shows three things God does so His people can know, and do, His will.
1. God fills us with knowledge of what He wants. Knowledge is knowing what to do. To know exactly, to recognize. Knowing what to do. 2 Pet.3:18 grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2. God gives us ability to know how to do what He wants. In all spiritual wisdom. The Greek word is Sophia, skill, awareness coupled with ability, given by God's Spirit. Wisdom is knowing how to do what we are called to do. James 1:5 God gives wisdom.
3. God enables us to cooperate with what He wants. In all spiritual understanding. Knowing the reason why, the purpose behind it. God wants to fill you with His understanding. Understanding is actually doing what you know to do. Applying it to life. 2 Tim.2:7 the Lord gives understanding.
Why does God want to fill us with the knowledge of His will? So that we might do His will and glorify Him. The process by which we discern the will of God is of utmost importance.
In order to know God's will...
1st, You need to Love Jesus above all. v. 10 says to "Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects." Walk means live. Worthy means you live in a way that is consistent with what you believe. Live in a way that identifies you as someone Jesus has saved.
2nd, Saturate yourself in God's Word. v. 10 speaks of "increasing in the knowledge of God." Marinate. Most people who claim to believe in Jesus aren't soaking in God's Word, they are not immersed, they are sprinkled, they have a little on them, enough to be dangerous, but they are not flavored by it. They expect God to speak but they won't listen to what He says in His Word.(Ps.119:130; 2 Tim. 3:16)
3rd, Devote yourself to prayer. v. 9 says "We have not ceased to pray for you." Be a prayer warrior. Talk with God. Epaphras prayed, Col. 4:12 that they would "stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." Some people have no clear direction from God. Some can't see clearly spritually due to unconfessed sin in their life. There is direct connection between confessing sin and receiving direction from God. (Ps.25 and 32).
4th, Seek Godly counsel. v. 12 says God has "qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light." Know anyone you really trust, they are humble and gentle like Jesus,they humble-bold, gospel-changed, servant-leaders? Ask their advice. We are not independent contractors. We are a part of a body, a family. We need one another.
5th, Exercise wisdom. v. 11 speaks of being "Strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience." As you walk in, or live by, wisdom, you will do what God requires...confess sin, repent, love, forgive, serve, show compassion. v. 10 says Bearing fruit in every good work. This is the result of being rightly aligned with God. Doing His will, doing the things He wants.
If you are doing the first 5, you can freely do the next thing. If not, don't even think about it, you can't handle the truth. You will use it for your own benefit and not the glory of God. If these things are true and real in your life, you can't go wrong.
6th, Do whatever you want. v. 12 says "Joyously giving thanks to the Father." Free in Christ to do God's will because you are not weighed down with stuff that blocks it. Clear reception. The Spirit of God will guide you in accordance with the Word of God to know and do the will of the Father. Psalm 37:4 delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Love God and do as you please. (Ps. 37:4)
Jim Elliot wrote, "wherever you are be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe is the will of a God." Prov. 3:6 in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path, make your paths straight. Trust God every step of the way. God wants us to know His will so that we might do His will and glorify Him.
How do you know what God wants you to do? How do you know who to marry, where to move, what career to choose? Col. 1:9 shows three things God does so His people can know, and do, His will.
1. God fills us with knowledge of what He wants. Knowledge is knowing what to do. To know exactly, to recognize. Knowing what to do. 2 Pet.3:18 grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2. God gives us ability to know how to do what He wants. In all spiritual wisdom. The Greek word is Sophia, skill, awareness coupled with ability, given by God's Spirit. Wisdom is knowing how to do what we are called to do. James 1:5 God gives wisdom.
3. God enables us to cooperate with what He wants. In all spiritual understanding. Knowing the reason why, the purpose behind it. God wants to fill you with His understanding. Understanding is actually doing what you know to do. Applying it to life. 2 Tim.2:7 the Lord gives understanding.
Why does God want to fill us with the knowledge of His will? So that we might do His will and glorify Him. The process by which we discern the will of God is of utmost importance.
In order to know God's will...
1st, You need to Love Jesus above all. v. 10 says to "Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects." Walk means live. Worthy means you live in a way that is consistent with what you believe. Live in a way that identifies you as someone Jesus has saved.
2nd, Saturate yourself in God's Word. v. 10 speaks of "increasing in the knowledge of God." Marinate. Most people who claim to believe in Jesus aren't soaking in God's Word, they are not immersed, they are sprinkled, they have a little on them, enough to be dangerous, but they are not flavored by it. They expect God to speak but they won't listen to what He says in His Word.(Ps.119:130; 2 Tim. 3:16)
3rd, Devote yourself to prayer. v. 9 says "We have not ceased to pray for you." Be a prayer warrior. Talk with God. Epaphras prayed, Col. 4:12 that they would "stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God." Some people have no clear direction from God. Some can't see clearly spritually due to unconfessed sin in their life. There is direct connection between confessing sin and receiving direction from God. (Ps.25 and 32).
4th, Seek Godly counsel. v. 12 says God has "qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light." Know anyone you really trust, they are humble and gentle like Jesus,they humble-bold, gospel-changed, servant-leaders? Ask their advice. We are not independent contractors. We are a part of a body, a family. We need one another.
5th, Exercise wisdom. v. 11 speaks of being "Strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience." As you walk in, or live by, wisdom, you will do what God requires...confess sin, repent, love, forgive, serve, show compassion. v. 10 says Bearing fruit in every good work. This is the result of being rightly aligned with God. Doing His will, doing the things He wants.
If you are doing the first 5, you can freely do the next thing. If not, don't even think about it, you can't handle the truth. You will use it for your own benefit and not the glory of God. If these things are true and real in your life, you can't go wrong.
6th, Do whatever you want. v. 12 says "Joyously giving thanks to the Father." Free in Christ to do God's will because you are not weighed down with stuff that blocks it. Clear reception. The Spirit of God will guide you in accordance with the Word of God to know and do the will of the Father. Psalm 37:4 delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Love God and do as you please. (Ps. 37:4)
Jim Elliot wrote, "wherever you are be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe is the will of a God." Prov. 3:6 in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path, make your paths straight. Trust God every step of the way. God wants us to know His will so that we might do His will and glorify Him.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Certain Certainties
There are things you can be sure of when you seek God's will with a pure heart: Certain certainties.
God will give you...Direction. He will lead you. Ps. 32:8 I will lead you in the way you are to go. J.I. Packer wrote, "The Holy Spirit is given to all Christians to transform them by his teaching, making them into God-focused thinkers and equipping them to discern his will and make decisions accordingly. They do this by rational reflection on their life-situation, helped by wise and godly advice, within the parameters that the Word of God establishes. The idea that the superior path in matters of guidance is to wait passively before God for direct promptings to action to come into one’s mind is a mistake. So is the superstitious notion that failure to discern the specifics of God’s vocational guidance sentences one irrevocably to a second-best life, with no restoration possible."
God will also give you...Confirmation. He will confirm it to you. Is. 32:21 your ears will hear a word behind you, this is the way walk in it, whenever you tuen to the right or left. You will have peace. Phil. 4:6-7.
God is also going to give you... Assurance. He will reassure you. If you doubt you should do something, don't do it. If you think you shouldn't do something, don't. How do you counteract doubt? Depend On Unchanging Biblical Truth. How do you really know you are supposed to do something? We always want to know the 'right' thing to do. Sometimes it is a toss-up, especially when you see sincere, intelligent, thinking, prayerful, Biblically- based, gospel-saturated Christians doing something other than we think is the 'right' thing? Trust God and act.
God wants us to know His will so that we might do His will and glorify Him.
God will give you...Direction. He will lead you. Ps. 32:8 I will lead you in the way you are to go. J.I. Packer wrote, "The Holy Spirit is given to all Christians to transform them by his teaching, making them into God-focused thinkers and equipping them to discern his will and make decisions accordingly. They do this by rational reflection on their life-situation, helped by wise and godly advice, within the parameters that the Word of God establishes. The idea that the superior path in matters of guidance is to wait passively before God for direct promptings to action to come into one’s mind is a mistake. So is the superstitious notion that failure to discern the specifics of God’s vocational guidance sentences one irrevocably to a second-best life, with no restoration possible."
God will also give you...Confirmation. He will confirm it to you. Is. 32:21 your ears will hear a word behind you, this is the way walk in it, whenever you tuen to the right or left. You will have peace. Phil. 4:6-7.
God is also going to give you... Assurance. He will reassure you. If you doubt you should do something, don't do it. If you think you shouldn't do something, don't. How do you counteract doubt? Depend On Unchanging Biblical Truth. How do you really know you are supposed to do something? We always want to know the 'right' thing to do. Sometimes it is a toss-up, especially when you see sincere, intelligent, thinking, prayerful, Biblically- based, gospel-saturated Christians doing something other than we think is the 'right' thing? Trust God and act.
God wants us to know His will so that we might do His will and glorify Him.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Seeking God's Wisdom
Jesus is more interested in your holiness than your happiness. Your consecration to Him not your relevance in the world. His desire to reveal His will exceeds your desire to know it. He is not so much concerned with your performance, your bottom line, your grades, your accomplishments, your net worth. He is less concerned than we are about us getting everything done and succeeding. His timetable is not the same as ours. He wants you to thrive and survive in life so that He gets maximum glory. He is most concerned with your heart. He is most concerned with where you are at with your worship of Him. Jesus declared war on sin at the cross, and He doesn't want you to be a casualty of war. The victory is won. No need to cave under the pressure of a godless society or others expectations. Make sure your heart is right with Him.
Jesus cares supremely about His glory. He has a plan and it is in process. He wants you to be like Him. If you are a Jesus-loving, gospel-changed, God's Word-obeying, Spirit-filled person, aka a Christian, He is making you like Him. We are so worried about what is next for us. We are focused on whatever catches our eyes, like a little baby learning to focus and see. Stimulated by anything that moves. Jesus wants your supreme worship. To be the delight of your heart. He wants you to cherish what is true and right and good. He wants you to choose to love Him above all and reject the magnet pull of the world, the flesh and the devil.
He is coming back, in glory. Ask Him for wisdom and knowledge and understanding, but know that it's intent is not to make you more of whatever you want to be, it is for God to receive more glory. Knowing God's will is about being content in Christ. It is about being the person God wants you to be, not doing all the things we want to do. We need some perspective building. There was a massive earthquake in Japan last week. Tsunamis, floods carrying people away to a Christless eternity. Storms threaten our shores. Every minute people are dying and going to hell and we are looking at our belly buttons. We need to get a life. Get some perspective. Eph. 5:17 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Jesus cares supremely about His glory. He has a plan and it is in process. He wants you to be like Him. If you are a Jesus-loving, gospel-changed, God's Word-obeying, Spirit-filled person, aka a Christian, He is making you like Him. We are so worried about what is next for us. We are focused on whatever catches our eyes, like a little baby learning to focus and see. Stimulated by anything that moves. Jesus wants your supreme worship. To be the delight of your heart. He wants you to cherish what is true and right and good. He wants you to choose to love Him above all and reject the magnet pull of the world, the flesh and the devil.
He is coming back, in glory. Ask Him for wisdom and knowledge and understanding, but know that it's intent is not to make you more of whatever you want to be, it is for God to receive more glory. Knowing God's will is about being content in Christ. It is about being the person God wants you to be, not doing all the things we want to do. We need some perspective building. There was a massive earthquake in Japan last week. Tsunamis, floods carrying people away to a Christless eternity. Storms threaten our shores. Every minute people are dying and going to hell and we are looking at our belly buttons. We need to get a life. Get some perspective. Eph. 5:17 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Knowing God's Will: The Bottom Line
Are you sincerely seeking to know God's will in some area of your life?
Are you a Jesus-loving, gospel-changed, Bible-obeying, Spirit-filled person, aka a Christian?
Are you following and obeying what God has clearly said and shown you?
Are you fervently praying for God to reveal His will?
Are you seeking godly counsel and willing to accept it, whether you asked for it or not?
Are you seeking God's wisdom and trying to discern what is right and wrong?
Are you busy in the work of the Lord? Have you found something good to do and are doing it. (God moves the moving, He guides those who are moving in His direction, who are confessing sin, repenting, loving, serving.)
If these things are true about you, then you are ready to hear the bottom line on knowing the will of God. If not, don't even think about it, you can't handle the truth. You will use it for your own benefit and not the glory of God. But if these things are true and real in your life, you can't go wrong, you will be so free in the Spirit of God, your life will be changed forever. So what is the bottom line on knowing the will of God?
I'll tell you tomorrow.:)
Are you a Jesus-loving, gospel-changed, Bible-obeying, Spirit-filled person, aka a Christian?
Are you following and obeying what God has clearly said and shown you?
Are you fervently praying for God to reveal His will?
Are you seeking godly counsel and willing to accept it, whether you asked for it or not?
Are you seeking God's wisdom and trying to discern what is right and wrong?
Are you busy in the work of the Lord? Have you found something good to do and are doing it. (God moves the moving, He guides those who are moving in His direction, who are confessing sin, repenting, loving, serving.)
If these things are true about you, then you are ready to hear the bottom line on knowing the will of God. If not, don't even think about it, you can't handle the truth. You will use it for your own benefit and not the glory of God. But if these things are true and real in your life, you can't go wrong, you will be so free in the Spirit of God, your life will be changed forever. So what is the bottom line on knowing the will of God?
I'll tell you tomorrow.:)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Knowing God's Will: How to View it
Jesus cares supremely about His glory. He has a plan and it is in process. Nothing surprises Him. He wants you to be like Him. If you are a Jesus-loving, gospel-changed, God's Word-obeying, Spirit-filled person, aka a Christian, then He is making you like Him. Through many tribulations we shall enter the kingdom of God. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life, He says. He rules, He reigns, absolute authority is His. The owner of the house is coming back and He has an appointment to keep. We are so worried about what is next for us. It is like we are so focused on whatever catches our eyes, like a little baby just learning to focus and see. Stimulated by almost anything that moves. Jesus wants your supreme worship. To be the delight of your heart. He wants you to cherish what is true and right and good. He wants you to choose to love Him above all and reject the magnet pull of the world, the flesh and the devil. Because He is coming back, in glory.
Ask Him for wisdom and knowledge and understanding, but know that it's intent is not to make you more of whatever you want to be, it is for God to receive more glory. It is not for our sole benefit, it is for His magnification. Chaos reigns on earth, evil rules many realms, but Jesus is on the throne, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. If you truly want to love Jesus above all, you want to worship Him alone, then love God and do as you please. Don't be so worried you might make a life-altering mistake. Walk by faith.
I want you to view the will of God like God views His will...not as a commodity to pursue and attain, but a state of being in conformity to His desires, dwelling in Him, as God draws us in to a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verdict...we need to know God's will, we need to know, so that we can please and glorify God.
Ask Him for wisdom and knowledge and understanding, but know that it's intent is not to make you more of whatever you want to be, it is for God to receive more glory. It is not for our sole benefit, it is for His magnification. Chaos reigns on earth, evil rules many realms, but Jesus is on the throne, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. If you truly want to love Jesus above all, you want to worship Him alone, then love God and do as you please. Don't be so worried you might make a life-altering mistake. Walk by faith.
I want you to view the will of God like God views His will...not as a commodity to pursue and attain, but a state of being in conformity to His desires, dwelling in Him, as God draws us in to a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verdict...we need to know God's will, we need to know, so that we can please and glorify God.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Knowing God's Will: Jesus' Concern
God wants us to know His will so that we might do His will and glorify Him. He is more interested in your holiness than your happiness. Check your moive for seeking your consecration to Him not your relevance in the world. His desire to reveal His will exceeds your desire to know it. He is not so much concerned with your performance, your bottom line, your grades, your accomplishments, your net worth, even your relationships with others. He wants you to glorify Him through it all, but many things wither and become rotten to the core. He is not so much wrapped up in you getting everything done and succeeding. His timetable is not the same as ours. He wants you to thrive and survive in life so that He gets maximum glory.
He is most concerned with your heart. He is most concerned with where you are at with your worship of Him. Jesus declared war on sin at the cross, and He doesn't want you to be a casualty of war. The victory is won. There is no need for us to cave in under the pressure of a godless society. Things are not getting better. They will proceed from bad to worse. Deceivers will even be decieved. So make sure your heart is right with Him.
He is most concerned with your heart. He is most concerned with where you are at with your worship of Him. Jesus declared war on sin at the cross, and He doesn't want you to be a casualty of war. The victory is won. There is no need for us to cave in under the pressure of a godless society. Things are not getting better. They will proceed from bad to worse. Deceivers will even be decieved. So make sure your heart is right with Him.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Doing the Will of God
Matthew 12:46-50 is not about knowing the will of God but doing it. It bluntly says that doing the will of the Father shows that you are related Jesus the Son. God's family does what God wants.
Jesus was speaking to the crowds and His mother and brothers wanted to speak to Him. Jesus answered the person who told him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers ?” It seems kind of odd or even harsh for Jesus to respond with this question. He was not undermining or rejecting His family, but putting things in proper perspective, making a big point about the nature of the spiritual family of God in the world, characterized, as he was, by doing the will of God.
With a dramatic wave of the hand towards his disciples He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers!" Jesus loved his mother and brothers, but they were not to interfere in his Messianic work. The real spiritual family of Jesus included all who follow him. How hard for Mary to go back to Nazareth and leave Jesus with the excited crowds with needs so great He was not even stopping to eat. Then Jesus said, "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
This leads us to ask some crucial questions.
1. What is "the will of the Father"?
The Bible speaks of the will of God in more than one way. There are two words translated will, and each has different usages. The first is boule, a rational, conscious desire. A plan based on careful deliberation. Indicates a predetermined, unchanging plan, Acts 2:23 Jesus was delivered up according to the predetermined plan, boulevard, the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, and was crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Boule refers to the resolute plan of God that no human can stop. It is God's unalterable will. The other word is thelema, which can refer to what is agreeable, desired, intended, chosen, or commanded. The meaning of thelema is determined by the context in which it appears.
The will of the Father is what God does and desires. It has 2 primary aspects. It is hidden and revealed. Some things are hidden until God chooses to reveal it in His time, and some are revealed clearly, and it is what He wants us to do. What God does is the ultimate, hidden, unchangeable reason some things happen and what God desires is the perfect, revealed basis for everything we do that pleases God. God's hidden will points to God determining to have happen what He wants to have happen in exactly the timeframe He orders it. All the stuff God does that we don't know until it happens. Things God sovereignly decides will happen and nothing can prevent from happening. When we speak of His revealed will we mean it is what God desires but knows that some will not do. Stuff He wants us to participate in. We have a will and we act, choose and respond. Still there is a God who is sovereign, whose will is greater than ours. His will restricts ours. My will cannot restrict His. When He wills a thing sovereignly, although hidden to me, it will come to pass and become evident. He is sovereign, we are accountable to Him. But when the Bible speaks of the will of God it is not always His unbreakable will that is being referred to.
2. What does it mean to "do" His will?
Doing God's will means to do what you know God wants or desires. To act in accord with what you know pleases Him. Many people go around seeking the will of God for their life as if it is only this mysterious unknown secret that only God knows. Many Christians are fixated only on trying to figure out His secret, hidden will and as a result they forget about His revealed will. Doing the will of God has to do with what He has already made clear. God's objective Word must rule in our hearts, not our subjective feelings or assumptions.
3. What has God specifically revealed in His Word that He wants us to do? The will of God is for all He has chosen to...
Be Saved. Saving relationship to Jesus comes by believing in Him and receiving the free gift of eternal life. Acts 4:12.
Be Strong. Sound. Solid in the faith. Growing in Christlikeness, becoming like Jesus, transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Be Serving. Ps. 100:2 serve the Lord with gladness. Sometimes it's hardest to do with those you are related to by blood, as well as God's family, those you are related to by the blood of Christ. Interacting in a godly way with the family of God. Speaking the truth in love. Confessing. Forgiving. Coooperating. Being like-minded. Intent on one purpose...glorifying God.
Be Sent. Not on our agenda but on the mission of Christ. See Matthew 10.
Be Secure. Certainty, assurance, security, forever. Eternal security. John 10:27-29. Glorification...Eternal blessedness in Christ, being with Christ, entering into the joy of the Father.
The response of all who believe needs to be to TRUST the sovereign, hidden aspect of God's will and OBEY the revealed will as found in His Word. Trust God's sovereign orchestrating and obey His specific directing. All who are related to Jesus by faith do the will of God, empowered and enabled by God, so that He would get maximum glory. While we tend to focus most on His hidden will, it is His revealed will that He is most concerned about us following. He has given us marching orders and wants us to be dialed in, leaving the hidden things to Him, revealed when He chooses.
Soli Deo Gloria
Jesus was speaking to the crowds and His mother and brothers wanted to speak to Him. Jesus answered the person who told him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers ?” It seems kind of odd or even harsh for Jesus to respond with this question. He was not undermining or rejecting His family, but putting things in proper perspective, making a big point about the nature of the spiritual family of God in the world, characterized, as he was, by doing the will of God.
With a dramatic wave of the hand towards his disciples He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers!" Jesus loved his mother and brothers, but they were not to interfere in his Messianic work. The real spiritual family of Jesus included all who follow him. How hard for Mary to go back to Nazareth and leave Jesus with the excited crowds with needs so great He was not even stopping to eat. Then Jesus said, "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
This leads us to ask some crucial questions.
1. What is "the will of the Father"?
The Bible speaks of the will of God in more than one way. There are two words translated will, and each has different usages. The first is boule, a rational, conscious desire. A plan based on careful deliberation. Indicates a predetermined, unchanging plan, Acts 2:23 Jesus was delivered up according to the predetermined plan, boulevard, the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, and was crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Boule refers to the resolute plan of God that no human can stop. It is God's unalterable will. The other word is thelema, which can refer to what is agreeable, desired, intended, chosen, or commanded. The meaning of thelema is determined by the context in which it appears.
The will of the Father is what God does and desires. It has 2 primary aspects. It is hidden and revealed. Some things are hidden until God chooses to reveal it in His time, and some are revealed clearly, and it is what He wants us to do. What God does is the ultimate, hidden, unchangeable reason some things happen and what God desires is the perfect, revealed basis for everything we do that pleases God. God's hidden will points to God determining to have happen what He wants to have happen in exactly the timeframe He orders it. All the stuff God does that we don't know until it happens. Things God sovereignly decides will happen and nothing can prevent from happening. When we speak of His revealed will we mean it is what God desires but knows that some will not do. Stuff He wants us to participate in. We have a will and we act, choose and respond. Still there is a God who is sovereign, whose will is greater than ours. His will restricts ours. My will cannot restrict His. When He wills a thing sovereignly, although hidden to me, it will come to pass and become evident. He is sovereign, we are accountable to Him. But when the Bible speaks of the will of God it is not always His unbreakable will that is being referred to.
2. What does it mean to "do" His will?
Doing God's will means to do what you know God wants or desires. To act in accord with what you know pleases Him. Many people go around seeking the will of God for their life as if it is only this mysterious unknown secret that only God knows. Many Christians are fixated only on trying to figure out His secret, hidden will and as a result they forget about His revealed will. Doing the will of God has to do with what He has already made clear. God's objective Word must rule in our hearts, not our subjective feelings or assumptions.
3. What has God specifically revealed in His Word that He wants us to do? The will of God is for all He has chosen to...
Be Saved. Saving relationship to Jesus comes by believing in Him and receiving the free gift of eternal life. Acts 4:12.
Be Strong. Sound. Solid in the faith. Growing in Christlikeness, becoming like Jesus, transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Be Serving. Ps. 100:2 serve the Lord with gladness. Sometimes it's hardest to do with those you are related to by blood, as well as God's family, those you are related to by the blood of Christ. Interacting in a godly way with the family of God. Speaking the truth in love. Confessing. Forgiving. Coooperating. Being like-minded. Intent on one purpose...glorifying God.
Be Sent. Not on our agenda but on the mission of Christ. See Matthew 10.
Be Secure. Certainty, assurance, security, forever. Eternal security. John 10:27-29. Glorification...Eternal blessedness in Christ, being with Christ, entering into the joy of the Father.
The response of all who believe needs to be to TRUST the sovereign, hidden aspect of God's will and OBEY the revealed will as found in His Word. Trust God's sovereign orchestrating and obey His specific directing. All who are related to Jesus by faith do the will of God, empowered and enabled by God, so that He would get maximum glory. While we tend to focus most on His hidden will, it is His revealed will that He is most concerned about us following. He has given us marching orders and wants us to be dialed in, leaving the hidden things to Him, revealed when He chooses.
Soli Deo Gloria
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Stay in Your Position!
I have been coaching my five kids in soccer since my eldest was five. That's almost 14 years of coaching, often two teams per season. A funny thing to me, seeing that I did not grow up playing the sport. I like to say that while I may not be able to give them all the skills more knowledgable coaches can, I can encourage them well.
I don't know how many times I have told a player to stay in their position. When they don't they miss a chance to defend, or to receive a pass, or to score. It is somewhat counterintuitive, to not chase the ball but let it come to you. It is kind of like the way we often seek the will of God. We want to know what we do not know so we fixate on finding out the mysterious, and all the while God's revealed will is waiting for us, undone. We miss what He has for us now because we are looking too much to the future.
The idea is this: Do His revealed will found in His Word, stay where God has you and obey what He has already shown you, engage with Him there, and it will put you in the right place to receive His hidden will, to be revealed in His perfect time.
I don't know how many times I have told a player to stay in their position. When they don't they miss a chance to defend, or to receive a pass, or to score. It is somewhat counterintuitive, to not chase the ball but let it come to you. It is kind of like the way we often seek the will of God. We want to know what we do not know so we fixate on finding out the mysterious, and all the while God's revealed will is waiting for us, undone. We miss what He has for us now because we are looking too much to the future.
The idea is this: Do His revealed will found in His Word, stay where God has you and obey what He has already shown you, engage with Him there, and it will put you in the right place to receive His hidden will, to be revealed in His perfect time.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Giving God Glory
All the things we are supposed to do, decisions we make in order to pease God, don't have their origin in us. We are dependent on God for everything. We need to rely on Jesus to do everything we are called to do. As Jesus said "Apart fom Me we can do nothing." (John 15:5). We need to believe, cooperate, and rest in Him. We come to faith because God gives us the faith to believe and lovingly draws us to Himself. Jesus is the Author of our faith. We are able to continue in the faith only due to Him, our choices enabled by the Perfector of our faith. It is not ultimately about us and what we do, even though we must make deliberate, real choices. Our subsequent God-inspired actions of living, preaching and sharing the gospel and loving people are not about us but God's glory. All who are related to Jesus by faith do the will of God, empowered and enabled by God, so that He would get maximum glory.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
What God wants Most
What does God want more than for "all to come to repentance" (1 Tim.2:4)? To glorify Himself. What glorified Him most? The salvation of some but not the salvation of all. We know this is true because of Romans chapters 1, 8 and 9. How is God exalted? The cross (Phil. 2:1-12), which highlights the depths of mankind's depravity and the superabundance of the God's grace.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Frustrated?
The amazing thing about life in Christ - do not miss this or you will live frustrated - is we are dependent on Jesus for all of it. John 15:5, Phil. 4:13. I know many people feel like they can't figure life out. I have felt that way many times. It's true we can't. But God can. I have found that when I walk close to Jesus things work out. We cannot claim anything as coming from ourselves. Our adequacy is God.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Praying for God's Will
In Matt. 6:9-10, Jesus instructs us to pray, "Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." That is a prayer that people would obey God's will revealed in His Word, as it is in heaven, fully and completely. It will revolutionize your life, to realize as you pray "Your will be done", you are not asking God to reveal what He has yet to reveal, but for Him to help you do what you are supposed to do. You are praying for grace to obey what He has already shown to be His will for you. Do that, and it, daily.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
What the Gospel is
The gospel of the grace of God in Christ is universe exploding stuff. The gospel is the good news of God invading time and space and setting up residence on earth. Incarnational is a word because of it. No other conclusion can be reached but that God did what man could not, would not, did not dare to undertake. Jesus died for sin, sacrificed Himself, substituted Himself, taking the place of hell bound rebels thumbing their noses and shaking their fists at Him.
The gospel is good and it is news. Qualitatively good in the sense that nothing can compare with the unfathomable riches of Christ. Newsworthy in that nothing of greater significance can ever be told. Paul, in Romans 1:16, said he was "not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation." That sums it up well. It is power (Greek word dunamis, meaning explosive power,where we get our word 'dynamite') without limit. God, the all-powerful One, has unleashed His power in a big way upon sin and death and evil, and uses it to transform people into Jesus-loving, Bible-believing, gospel preaching, Jesus-inspired people of The Way in such a way that it has culminated in more glory to God. The gospel is beyond amazing.
The gospel is good and it is news. Qualitatively good in the sense that nothing can compare with the unfathomable riches of Christ. Newsworthy in that nothing of greater significance can ever be told. Paul, in Romans 1:16, said he was "not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation." That sums it up well. It is power (Greek word dunamis, meaning explosive power,where we get our word 'dynamite') without limit. God, the all-powerful One, has unleashed His power in a big way upon sin and death and evil, and uses it to transform people into Jesus-loving, Bible-believing, gospel preaching, Jesus-inspired people of The Way in such a way that it has culminated in more glory to God. The gospel is beyond amazing.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
What does God want?
Every Christian I know is seeking the will of God in some way, in some fashion. They may be praying about whom they are to marry, or what job they are to have, or what school to attend, or how to deal with a difficult person, or dealing with a tough health situation. They want to know what God wants. It is obvious to ask Him to reveal His will in big things like marriage and career decisions. We are people who are dependent on God and it is seen in the fact that we seek to know what God wants. It is good, right and appropriate that we pray as Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-10)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Doing the Will of God
What does it mean to do the will of God? Jesus instructed us to seek the will of God in the Lord's Prayer. In Matthew 12:46-50 He says we should do the will of God. What what does doing God's will mean? It means to do what you know God wants or desires, to act in accord with His revealed will.
Many people go around trying to figure out the will of God when He has already made the big things clear. People need to do those things first and the hidden things will then become more evident. Sometimes when we don't take care of first things first, the things beyond those that we seek just don't seem to jell. There is a reason. Life is linear in some respects. The Christian life begins by grace through faith in Christ. Miss that step and nothing will be right. It continues by faith to sanctification, God at work in the life of a believer to conform them to Christ's image (Rom. 8:29). That is where we must begin, doing the things Scripture makes clear God wants. Do those, like loving your brothers and sisters in Christ and seeing to the spiritual and overall welfare of your household, and forgiving, and the things that are not clear will come into focus in due time.
It is important to know that we do not make ourselves a part of Jesus' family by doing the will of the Father. Doing His will identifies us as a member of Christ's family by faith.
Many people go around trying to figure out the will of God when He has already made the big things clear. People need to do those things first and the hidden things will then become more evident. Sometimes when we don't take care of first things first, the things beyond those that we seek just don't seem to jell. There is a reason. Life is linear in some respects. The Christian life begins by grace through faith in Christ. Miss that step and nothing will be right. It continues by faith to sanctification, God at work in the life of a believer to conform them to Christ's image (Rom. 8:29). That is where we must begin, doing the things Scripture makes clear God wants. Do those, like loving your brothers and sisters in Christ and seeing to the spiritual and overall welfare of your household, and forgiving, and the things that are not clear will come into focus in due time.
It is important to know that we do not make ourselves a part of Jesus' family by doing the will of the Father. Doing His will identifies us as a member of Christ's family by faith.
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