Author: Timothy Sullivan

Welcome to this Bible Study Blog. It is my desire to encourage your reading of the Word of God each day and to encourage you along the journey of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ....

Verse of the Day – 01/31/19

Psalm 86:5 (NIV)

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

This verse is a great reminder to us!  God really does love us … despite our sins and failures!  As God declared in Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.  Why?  Because He remembers His covenant forever … the promise He made … for a thousand generations. (Psalm 105:8) Yes, the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God … slow to anger … abounding in love and faithfulness. (cf. Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15; Psalm 103:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2)  Do you see the diversity of biblical writers who share this same truth?

Psalm 103:13-14 (NIV)

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; 14 for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.

God desires us to be holy.  He wants us to be perfect … yet He knows how we are formed and remembers that we are but dust.  In our human state, we will not fully attain the holiness that God requires.  But in His love … in His compassion for His children (those who fear Him) … God provides His salvation for us.  God gave us His Son … that through Him (Jesus) we might be saved and hidden in Him … covered in His holiness … and beneficiaries of His righteousness. Yes, His righteousness is imputed to us through faith!  Why?  Because we would never be able to attain these things for ourselves.  If salvation were possible within ourselves or through our own deeds, then there would be no need of a Savior…. 

For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Someone reading this blog needs to know these truths!  Someone needs assurance that God truly loves them.  My child; my friend; my brother or sister in Christ … I can assure you … through the truth of the Word of God … you are loved!  You ARE loved! The Lord God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3) Only I caution you, I urge you, to not dismiss or forsake the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience; rather, understand that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance. (cf. Romans 2:4) Seek His heart!  Ask Him to create a clean heart in you.  For who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin? (Proverbs 20:9) But what does the Scripture say?

1 John 1:8-10 (NKJV)

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

I am reminded of the Prayer of Repentance and the Prayer for Reconciliation that King David offered before God … and recorded for us in Psalm 51.  I encourage you to read the entire Psalm, but I have reprinted Verses 1-12 here for us to consider:

Psalm 51:1-12 (NKJV)

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— that You may be found just in Your words, and blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Yes, sin has separated us from God … for He is Holy!  And though God hates the sin in our lives … He still loves the sinner.  So He gave His life … the life of His Son, Jesus, for sinners. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).  That is how much He loves you and me!  God provided His own sacrifice for our sins … one not offered by us for ourselves – (inadequate and insufficient) …  but one offered by Himself and for Himself and for our sakes that would be the “propitiation for our sins”.  (cf. 1 John 2:2)

1 John 4:7-16 (NKJV)

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected (completed) in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

If you think about it, our sin(s) is usually rooted in the absence of love … whether the absence of love for God or the absence of love for other people.  Our sin stems from the lack of deep compassion … the lack of sincere respect for others (or ourselves for that matter).  And when we fail to love other people who we can see … we fail to love the God who created them that we cannot see. (cf. 1 John 4:20) The question, really, is not whether God loves you.  He does! The question here is whether you love God.  I pray that you will not confuse the remorse for your sin … the conviction of the Holy Spirit that your sin separates you from our Holy Father … as some sort of confirmation that God cannot and does not love you.  He does love you with an everlasting love.  But He wants you and I to respond to His love.  He wants us to fellowship with Him.  He wants His love for us to be completed in us … to come full circle … and that is accomplished when we love one another as He has loved us! I firmly believe that the sin in our hearts and lives can be distilled down to one issue: The absence of sincere love for other people!  We have this commandment from God: that he who loves God MUST love his brother also. (1 John 4:21)

So go back and read 1 John 4:7-16 again.  Now consider that if you want to live a sinless life … a holy life … then determine in your heart that a life of love (love as God has demonstrated it towards us) is the key to the accomplishment of your desire.  If we love one another, God abides in us! What was the sin the David confessed and repented from in Psalm 51?  Was it not for the lustful desire and willful violation of Bathsheba (a married woman); and the willful murder of her husband Uriah on the battlefield; and the ultimate death of the infant born to them out of wedlock?  Where was the love of others in the heart of David when all these events occurred? There was no love! There was only the evil intent and inclinations of his heart …  sin manifesting itself as the absence of love for others, and therefore, the absence of love for a gracious and loving Creator!  And if we honestly evaluate our own hearts and lives – are we any more innocent than David?  Are we any more righteous than a man who sought after God’s own heart?  If we fail to love one another – we sin and fall short of the commandment of God:

1 John 3:23 (NKJV)

23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave commandment.

1 John 4:21 (NKJV)

We have this commandment from God: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

1 John 5:1-5 (NKJV)

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves Him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—your faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

2 John 1:4-6 (NKJV)

4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

I really do not know how the message of God … the commandment of God could be made clearer to us than what the Apostle John has shared with us.  Again, I challenge you, that the question we should ask ourselves is not whether God loves us; but rather, we should ask ourselves if we truly love God.  And the answer is not something we can just verbalize.  Remember, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar.” No, love is something we actually do!  When we love one another … we will not give into temptation … we will not pursue the sin that so easily ensnares us.  When we love one another, God abides in us and His love is completed in us.  Yes, this is how we know He abides in us.  He has given us of His Spirit … and the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such there is no law. (cf. Galatians 5:22-23) As the Apostle Paul wrote:

Romans 8:3-4 (NKJV)

3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 

Romans 13:8-9 (NKJV)

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:13-14 (NKJV)

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

God has declared and demonstrated His love for us.  There is no question or doubt about it!  What He wants to see is our love for Him!  His love for us was demonstrated through the sacrificial death of His Son.  Our love for Him is demonstrated through our sacrificial love for one another.  We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices … holy and acceptable to God … which is our spiritual worship.  (cf. Romans 12:1) So, I pray that each of us (just as our merciful, compassionate God and Savior) will be forgiving and good; abounding in love to all those God has placed in our lives.  May we in truth fulfill His commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves.  For this is how we will know, and will experience, His love for us and in us.  Amen.

So Now You Know….

Have a Blessed Day!

Verse of the Day – 01/30/19

Ephesians 4:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Our Verse of the Day continues on the theme of “servant leadership” that was introduced during our last lesson.  As you recall, after their Passover Meal in the upper room, Jesus was teaching and instructing His disciples to practice an attitude of humility and servanthood like His own.  If you desire to be first … in a position of leadership … then you need to put yourself last and be a servant to all. (Cf. Mark 9:35) Then we looked at some practical ways to exercise humility and a servant’s heart that Paul offered in Philippians 2 and 1 Corinthians 9.  Here is this verse, we find some additional instruction from Paul.  I will reprint it along with the surrounding context of the passage for your reference:

Ephesians 4:1-7 (NIV)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

So what we find in this passage are several key points related to servant leadership:

  1. Servant Leadership may come with a high price … for Paul is was imprisonment for his devotion and loyalty to Christ Jesus.
  2. Servant Leadership is inherent to living a life worthy of the election to salvation and eternal life that we have received as a gift from God.
  3. Servant Leadership requires our conduct to be completely humble; gentle; patient; longsuffering; loving; etc.  Sounds like the fruit of the Spirit to me…. (cf. Galatians 5:22-23)
  4. Servant Leadership is concerned about unity … making every effort to encourage unity and the bond of peace among believers.

Paul will continue to explain how servant leaders are equipped according to His grace as He determines to apportion it to us:

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)

11 So Christ Himself gave (the offices or roles of ) the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip His people for works of service, so that the Body of Christ (the Church) may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

What Paul is saying here is that Christ Jesus determines (selects and ordains) who HE places as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers over HIS people.  These are roles or offices … leadership positions … that Christ GAVE for the benefit and edification of HIS people (the Church). Their purpose is to equip believers for ministry in order for the Church to grow, AND to bring unity in the faith and in the knowledge of Jesus in order for believers to mature and to attain the fullness of Christ. And the leaders that He has placed in these positions are not to seek being “first” or being “the preeminent” in His Body; rather, they are to be humble and to consider themselves “last” by being “servants to all”. So beware of those who appoint themselves to positions of leadership in the Church. 

There is only one FIRST … our Lord Jesus!  He is the First and the Last!  The Alpha and the Omega.  The Beginning and the End.  He is the head of the Body, the Church. (cf. Colossians 1:18) According to the grace of God, all of us who have been saved through faith, have been created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. (cf. Ephesians 2:10) But those Christ Jesus has GIVEN to leadership over His Church are to be “ servants to all”.  And those who are given specific roles as leaders to the Church should seek to fulfill their responsibilities with all humility and excellence – keeping in mind that leaders are to build up His people and equip them for works of service….

If you have been given by Christ Jesus to a leadership role within the Church, then let Ephesians 4:2 be the quick guide on how to conduct yourself in the “position” you are to fulfill.  Remember, Christ Jesus GAVE YOU to His Church for a reason. If that thought does not humble you, I am not sure what will.  Being given to minister to the Church does not make you the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  It is exercising the humility that comes with your appointment that will exalt you:

Matthew 18:1-5 (NKJV)

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Mark 9:33-37 (NKJV)

Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you discussed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Luke 9:46-48 (NIV)

46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside Him. 48 Then He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”

Being a leader at the appointment of Christ Jesus will require you to be the least and a servant to all … but in doing so, you will produce much fruit to the glory of God the Father and our Lord Jesus.  I pray we will always remember the words Jesus spoke: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:5-8) Amen.

So Now You Know….

Have a Blessed Evening!

Verse of the Day – 01/29/19

Mark 9:35

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Our Verse of the Day is a call to humility….  Jesus taught that if you want to be the leader … if you want to be first … then you have to put yourself last.  A leader is expected to be a servant … a servant of all.  And Jesus role-modeled this “unorthodox” approach to leadership to make a spiritual point with His disciples.  We can find it the Gospel of John:

John 13:1-17 (NIV)

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For He knew who was going to betray Him, and that was why He said not every one was clean.

12 When He (Jesus) had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than His master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent Him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Think about this scene for a moment.  Jesus has just humbled Himself like an ordinary servant to make an important point with His disciples.  Jesus had taught that He and God the Father are One … of One essence … and yet Jesus demonstrates that He is willing to serve out of reverence to the Father who sent Him into the world.  Servants are not greater than their masters.  Messengers are not greater than the ones who send them.  And that is what His disciples (students or followers) were to become … ones sent on a mission (or Apostles).  And that is what we are … ones sent on that same mission to share the good news of Jesus Christ.  We are not greater than the One who has called us and sent us on this mission.  Therefore, we are to follow the example of Christ – and be servants of all!

In his Letter to the Philippians, Paul testifies to the humility of Jesus Christ and the power of servitude for the glory of God:

Philippians 2:1-11 (NIV)

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; 7 rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He Humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

And Paul, as usual, shares some very practical advice on HOW to be a servant to all in his Letter to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV)

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Are you and I willing to wash feet?  Are you and I willing to become all things to all people so that by all possible means we might effectuate their coming to faith in Jesus Christ … and therefore be saved … bringing glory to the God who saved us?  What are we willing to do for the sake of the Gospel? I am reminded again of how any one of us came to faith in Christ:

Romans 10:14-17 (NIV)

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (cf. Isaiah 52:7) 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” (cf. Isaiah 53:1) 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Everything we do as believers … as those who God has chosen to be conformed to the image of His Son (cf. Romans 8:29) … we are called to be “servants to all”.  This is our job description as followers of Christ.  We are to be ambassadors of the good news found in Jesus Christ … as though God were making His appeal through us. (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20) Paul did the most incredible work in this regard, and he urges us to follow in his footsteps.  God has called as many as He has chosen to be given to His Son for salvation (cf. John Chapter 17) … but we have to realize that we who have been granted salvation received it through the service of people of faith who lived before us.  My point being … God uses people to accomplish His work.  We were saved because another person was obedient to God and ministered the Gospel to us … just as God had ordained for them to do according to His own plan and purpose.  The work of salvation did not end with them … nor should it end with us who now believe because of their testimony.  It is an amazing thing to consider that God chose to save us in order to save others through us….  But that is a very humbling thing to consider as well.  The God who created the universe … who created me … wants me to be an instrument of His grace?

Consider what Jesus prayed:

John 17:1-10; 20-24 (NIV)

After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those you have given Him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. 6 “I have revealed you (your name) to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

Wow!  Such wonderful, inspiring, prayerful words to receive from our Lord Jesus!  First, we come to know that we were GIVEN by God the Father TO Jesus Christ to receive salvation and eternal life through Him. If nothing else, that should humble us into reverent fear and worship! But do you see the greater theme going on here?  Jesus is praying for those who will believe … who will come to faith through sharing the Gospel with them.  It is the message of sharing the truth of God to the world that unites us with all believers!  God knows who He has chosen to give to His Son, and He knows who will believe His report.  BUT WE DO NOT!  So in the absence of this specific knowledge, we are called to share the report … the Gospel … with everyone.  Yes, and we are to battle in prayer for everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth!  As Paul wrote to Timothy:

1 Timothy 2: 1-7 (NIV)

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

We, as believers, were “predestined” to join the “legacy of witnesses” who have testified to the truth that is found in Christ Jesus! We came to faith because of hearing the message of Jesus Christ that was preached to us and we received it in our hearts.  We were born again of imperishable seed through the living and enduring Word of God. (cf. 1 Peter 1:23) And like the Apostles before us, we have been “sent” to serve those who are being born now and will come to faith (as God foreordained). The question is: “Will we be obedient to His call to share the Gospel with those God has chosen for salvation.” When I asked myself this question, my thoughts raced back to the Book of Ephesians, and here is what God reminded me:

Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV)

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.4 But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Note Verse 10.  We who have been saved by the grace of God are HIS handiwork.  God created us in Christ Jesus to do good works – which He prepared in advance for us to do!  That work is serving others. That work is ministering to others.  That work is proclaiming the kindness of God expressed in Christ Jesus.  For it is the kindness of God that is intended to lead people to repentance. (cf. Romans 2:4) Oh how I pray that each of us will understand this call to humility … to servant leadership! By its definition …. by its very nature … it is how we serve God and His Kingdom.  I pray that our lives will be “living gospels” to draw the lost to the Lord Jesus.  I think that is the heart of His message to the disciples.  This is what the call to be “servants of all” truly means….

So Now You Know!

Have a Blessed Evening!

Verse of the Day – 01/28/19

John 4:24

God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in Truth.”

I love this Verse of the Day because it addresses two great points about worship.  Jesus taught that our worship of God must be specific and intentional.  Specific addresses that worship must be spiritual.  Intentional addresses that worship must be sincere.  To explain spiritual matters in practical terms, I always look to the Apostle Paul for insight.

Romans 12:1 (New International Version)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Romans 12:1 (English Standard Version)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your (rational) spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1 (New American Standard Version)

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your (rational) spiritual service of worship. 

Romans 12:1 (New King James Version)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable (rational) service.

I reprinted several translations of Romans 12:1 because I wanted you to get a diverse since of how the Greek is translated in this passage.  Regardless of how the relationship to worship is presented (i.e. true and proper worship or spiritual worship), all the passages agree that acceptable worship to God is the presentation of yourself … your body as a living and holy sacrifice.  In other words, true and rational worship in bodily action is how your spiritual worship is manifested. And Paul indicates to us that true worship is sacrificial in conduct and holy in nature.  Acceptable worship means we have set ourselves apart (consecrated ourselves) to serve God and His Kingdom in these vessels He has given us – that is our human bodies….

Perhaps easier said than done, but spiritual worship … true worship is ultimately a sacrificial offering of our “surrendered” selves to God.  It means everything we are in our inner being … our souls… is focused on pleasing Him and doing His will. That requires submission not to religious rites or human constructs; rather, it requires a reverent fear of the holy God who saved us and calls us to be holy just as He is holy. (Cf. 1 Peter 1:16) It means that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Jesus. (Cf. Luke 9:23) It means to do what is right and just … which is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifices. (Cf. Proverbs 21:3) And it is because of His mercy toward us that we feel compeled to do so.

Isaiah 29:13-14 (NIV)

13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.  14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”

You see, worship is not something we can pretend. It is not merely following a prescribed set of rules or rituals taught by organized denominations or hierarchies.  Worship is ultimately the sincere, rational expression of the personal relationship you have with Jesus Christ.  The closer you draw to Him … the more you submit to His authority … the more you will abide in Him (and He in you).  Worship then becomes a natural expression of your life in Christ. Everything you do in your body, as a living sacrifice, is Spirit led, so it will not be contrived or feel unnatural.  It will be an outpouring of the wellspring of living water within you…. 

So Now You Know.

Have a Blessed Day.

Verse of the Day – 01/25/19

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

It has been busy for me the past several days, but I have not forgotten about our Verse of the Day.  It was interesting because when I read them each morning, I was surprised to see verses we had already covered in the commentaries on temptation and holiness earlier in the week . So I thought that it would be redundant to the send them on….  For your reference:

Verse of the Day                    January 23, 2019

James 1:5       If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Verse of the Day                    January 24, 2019

Galatian 6:1   Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

This brings us to our current verse – which to me is related to our continuing theme of personal consecration, but moves us to another “strategy” in the pursuit of holiness.  Up to this point we had looked to prayer and spiritual empowerment … and taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5) But here Paul encourages us to take a proactive approach with our thought life – the wellspring which drives our behavior. He says: whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  What thoughts in this list do we need to take captive to make it obedient to Christ?

True:              Conformable to an essential reality.                                       Sanctify them by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. (John 17:17)

Noble:             Having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.  A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (Proverbs 31:29)

Right:             Being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper.             If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7)

Pure:              Unmixed with any other matter; spotless; absolute.              Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

Lovely:           Delightful for beauty, harmony, or grace; attractive.             How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! (Psalm 84:1)

Admirable:    Deserving the highest esteem; praiseworthy; excellent. I will make known the Lord’s faithful love and the Lord’s praiseworthy acts, because of all the Lord has done for us— even the many good things He has done for the house of Israel, which He did for them based on His compassion and the abundance of His faithful love.

Paul asserts that we are to meditate on these types of thoughts.  Meditate on what is true; moral; good; pure; attractive; and praiseworthy.  But we all have to remember that our thoughts come from our inner being … our hearts … yes, our souls.

Genesis 6:5 (NIV)
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 

Matthew 15:18-20 (NIV)
But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

And therein lies the challenge for us to think about the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable .  The attributes of these thoughts have to come from our hearts as well.  So it is imperative that our hearts are changed.  Yet only God can change a person’s heart.  And here is how God does it:

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Interesting!  The Word of God has been declared by Christ Jesus as the Truth!  And it is the Word of God (Truth) that changes the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts!  Jesus, who is the Word of God, said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) If you want the Truth to fill your life … to transform you and renew your mind … then you need Jesus!  He is everything that is true; He is noble and exemplifies the highest moral principles; He is righteous and His judgements are true; He is pure, holy and sinless; He is altogether lovely, full of compassion and grace; and He is admirable, praiseworthy, and the most excellent of men!  If you need something; or rather, someone to adjust your thinking … to reset your mindset … just look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (cf. Hebrews 12:2) Let Jesus captivate your thoughts and meditate on Him!  Then you will discover the “way out” God promise:s to you and me to endure temptation….)

When our faithful God promised to not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear, He provided us a way out so that we could endure it.  That WAY is Jesus!  Meditating on Jesus (His character, attributes, and teachings) enables us to transcend and endure temptation WHEN it comes.  The closer we draw to Him … the more we submit ourselves to Him.  The more we submit ourselves to Him … the more we are empowered to resist the devil so that he will flee from us. (cf. James 4:7-8) Can you imagine that scene?  Satan running away from us?  That roaring lion seeking someone to devour in retreat?  All we have to do is meditate on Jesus. As Paul urged us: “Just think on these things” and let them drive your behavior.  My friend, I pray you will know that the God of peace is with you, and His peace will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (cf. Philippians 4:7) Yes, God has assured us victory in the midst of temptation.  We can endure it, and Jesus is the Way!  Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Verse of the Day – 01/22/19

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

This passage is probably quite familiar to you.  Jesus is speaking; or rather, teaching His “Sermon on the Mount” and imparting various spiritual lessons to those gathered and following Him.  The “Sermon on the Mount” actually begins in Matthew Chapter 5 and concludes in Chapter 7.  If you have the opportunity this week, I would encourage to take some time to read it again.  As usual, I want to reprint the passage in its surrounding context:

Matthew 7:7-11 (NIV)
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!

The passage is focused on our prayer time and quiet time before God.  The key principle is that we “ask” God for our needs, and that He is a loving and faithful Father and will give “good gifts to those who ask Him.”  Even the order of the action words in Verse 7 form an acronym of the word “ASK” as shown:

            A         Ask

            S          Seek

            K         Knock

I think Jesus is encouraging us to take “action” when in prayer. In prayer we are asking God for His help; seeking wisdom for our questions and concerns; and knocking on the doors of possibilities for answers to be provided.  But part of the deal is that we must believe God will answer prayer and do so in a manner that is “good” for us.  That might not always be what we think God should do or how He should answer our prayers…. The Apostles, as other inspired writers of Scripture, urge us to ask and seek God in prayer for our needs.  Note some of the insight surrounding prayer that James affords to us:

James 1:5-7 (NIV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

James 4:1-3 (NIV)
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Paul was not afraid to seek God and to ask Him for “good things”. Here are some examples of powerful prayers that serve as models for us:

 Ephesians 1:16-19 (NIV)
16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, 19 and His incomparably great power for us who believe.

Ephesians 3:15-21 (NIV)
16 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV)
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light.

And, of course, John encourages us to trust in the character of the Father and the Son to answer our prayers:

1 John 3:21-23 (NIV)
21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him. 23 And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He (Jesus) commanded us.

1 John 5:13-15 (NIV)
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.

What are some of your take-aways from these passages?  Mine are that we should ask in faith; ask according to His revealed will; and have confidence before God that we will receive IF we keep His commands and do what pleases Him.  God is generous and good as we know, but what we ask and how we ask and the intimacy of our personal relationship with God appear to affect answers and outcomes to our prayers.  I believe we need to examine ourselves in these areas more if we have come to the conclusion that “God does not hear me”.  Perhaps, the problem is not God at all….

For some final comments, I wanted to connect this Verse of the Day with our pursuit of holiness and living a consecrated life before God.  More specifically, our lesson on temptation from 1 Corinthians 10:13 comes to mind: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” My thought is this: Do we boldly ASK God for help when we are enticed by our hearts to indulge in sinful behavior or conduct?  Do we diligently SEEK His power to resist and flee? Do we KNOCK on the door of “escape” He promised in His Word to afford us?  The Apostle James wrote about this conflict within us:

James 1:12-15 (NIV)
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one.14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

To interrupt this process of temptation => sin => death, we need to ASK God for His power.  As Peter wrote: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)   We need to SEEK the way out of temptation.  As James concluded: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) And we need to KNOCK on the door of heaven for a place refuge.  As Jesus declared: “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:7-10)

So now you know … that Jesus instructed us to simply ASK.  If we will keep His commands; do what pleases Him; and ask according to His will – He will hear us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.  Let’s start asking for the conviction to consecrate our lives to God.  Let’s start praying for holiness to be the fervent and persistent passion of our hearts.  Let’s start resisting the devil who lies and deceives and urges us to act on the temptations we have in our hearts.  Let’s start submitting ourselves God wholly and completely … knowing that our gracious Father knows how to give good gifts (the anointing of the Holy Spirit) to those who ask Him.  Amen!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Verse of the Day – 01/21/19

Galatians 6:7-8

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

This Verse of the Day is connected with the last few we have studied.  To me, the Spirit is trying to focus us on sincerity of heart … the genuineness of our faith. We will all stand before our Holy Father … at the judgment seat of Christ, and the truth of our lives (which have always been known by God) will require an account. His Light will expose every hidden thought and act of darkness within us on the Day!  What we often fail to remember is that “Day” will be the day of our passing or the day of our resurrection. And we do not know the day nor the hour when that will occur….(Cf. Matthew 25:13)

Therefore, the Apostle Paul admonishes us to consider our manner of life … what we do; how we interact with others; and to not deceive ourselves by comparing our hearts and lives with others.  As Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Paul is telling the Galatian Church (and us) to not deceive ourselves.  God sees and knows everything about us … what we say and what we do every moment we are breathing.  We are foolish if we think that He does see:

Genesis 16:13 (NIV)
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Job 11:11 (NIV)
Surely, He recognizes deceivers; and when He sees evil, does He not take note?

Job 31:4 (NIV)
Does He not see my ways and count my every step?

Psalm 33:13-15 (NIV)
The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.

Psalm 94:7-11 (NIV)
They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.” 8 Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? 9 Does He who fashioned the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? 10 Does He who disciplines nations not punish? Does He who teaches mankind lack knowledge? 11 The Lord knows all human plans; He knows that they are futile.

1 John 1:5-10 (NIV)
5 This is the message we have heard from Him (Jesus) and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.

And so the main point here is about self-deception.  We need to be honest.  We need to be transparent before both God and man.  God sees us even if we are able to hide the truth from others.  God knows us even if we are able to hide our actions from others. Paul warns us that whatever we sow … we will reap – both physically and spiritually.  That is the bottom line.  Everything we say or do has an effect on ourselves and most likely on those around us.  And God sees it all!  But I want to put our Verse of the Day into context so we can view it in a different light….

I think most of us read this verse and only look at its implications for ourselves.  For example, if I smoke (in order to please my flesh), I will reap the physical toll it does to my body.  Similarly, if I eat like a glutton or make poor food choices (in order to please my flesh), I might become overweight and reap the physical toll it does to my body. What about addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography or sexual desires? There are consequences to our bodies; and our souls are highjacked and return to bondage in the process. However, I wonder if Paul meant for us to more intentionally look at the impact of our conduct on the well-being of others when he states: “God cannot be mocked and that we will reap what we sow.”  When we are focused on “pleasing ourselves” do we consider the selfishness of what we sow to indulge our flesh?

Galatians 6:1-10 (NIV)

1Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

When I looked at our verse in its surrounding context, I began to see something different – something that I had not really considered before regarding sowing and reaping.  Most of the time I’ve only considered the outcome of what sowing to my own flesh would produce … how it would please me or the potential consequences which I would choose to dismiss. I might consider its impact on my own soul; but I did not think about the impact of what I sowed to my own flesh (sinful nature) on others.  For example, if I were to judge and broadcast the sins of another person, not only do I harm them emotionally and spiritually, I am reaping destruction within my own soul. Why? Because I am not loving that other person as Christ Jesus has loved me.  We are to comfort each other and edify (encourage) one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) We are to carry each other’s burdens. To do otherwise is to disregard the command of Christ to love one another … and to be filled with sanctimonious pride … and we know that God will oppose the proud. (Cf. James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5) I started to think about what Paul said about us judging others of their sin:

Romans 2:1-4 (NIV)
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things (see Romans 1:18-32) is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

When we sow to the flesh (our sinful nature), the consequences impact not only ourselves but those around us … often in ways we might not see … or deliberately or blindly ignore.  It is a road that leads to destruction and we are urged to forego the temptation.  Then notice that Paul asserts there is an alternative and that we need to “sow to please the Spirit”.  He suggests that our conduct … our thoughts and deeds … should be cultivated in a manner to please the Holy Spirit.  When we sow to please the Spirit, our objective is to bear the fruit of the Spirit.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Cf. Galatians 5:22-23) But here is the catch. Do you realize that this fruit is the product (outcome) of what we sow into the lives of other people?  Look at each of the nine fruits listed.  Every one of them is RELATIONAL! Of what value is the fruit or its harvest if there is no meaningful context for its manifestation! Love requires an object of affection. Joy and peace are to be shared. Kindness, goodness, and gentleness has no impact if these are not extended to another human soul….  I truly think Paul was writing with this in mind when discussing the concept of reaping and sowing.  Doing good … sowing the seeds of spiritual fruit into the lives of others is the harvest that the Lord is seeking from us.  In this way we fulfill what Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15) In this way we fulfill the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (James 2:8)

I pray each of us will thoughtfully consider what sowing to our own flesh really entails … and who it ultimately impacts.  Sin only diminishes your walk with Christ Jesus and it discredits your testimony with others … which ultimately dishonors the Savior who redeemed us and purchased us with His own blood.  Again, we have been called to holiness. We are called to be conformed to His image. (Cf. Romans 8:29) “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2) And Paul has warned us not to be deceived or to deceive ourselves … or somehow be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3) So I pray each of us will get serious … reset our mindset … and sow to please the Spirit so that our lives in Christ Jesus will bear the fruit of the Spirit for the benefit of one another and those around us.  In this way, we will reap eternal life….  Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Verse of the Day – 01/20/19

James 1:2-3 (NIV)

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Our Verse of the Day continues to focus on our theme of personal holiness.  Yesterday we examined 1 Corinthians 10:13 where Paul reviewed the issue of temptation (also translated ‘testing’) and how God is faithful to us … knowing what or how much we can bear as well as providing a way of escape from it so that we can “endure” it. Remember, this encouragement was given to the Corinthian Church which was had received the Gospel message and turned toward God from idol worship and pagan religious practices.  Paul used the history of the Israelites to illustrate to them the reasons they should persevere in their pursuit of holiness (separation unto God) and to not continue in their idolatry; sexual immorality; unseemly conduct; or testing the “grace” of God given to them in Christ Jesus.  Without holiness, no one will see God. (Hebrews 12:14)

The Apostle James approaches the same issue in his epistle, and his encouragement takes us a little deeper into our spiritual understanding of how temptation and testing works to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The “trials of many kinds” is quite broad, but the point here is that in our desire and zeal to attain holiness as Christians our faith is going to be tested. I think is has to do with the sincerity of our profession of faith.  I am reminded of what the Prophet Isaiah shared in his writings:

Isaiah 29:13-16 (NIV)13 The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is in vain because it is based on merely human rules they have been taught. 14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon       wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.” (Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:16-31; 2:1-14) 15 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” 16 You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me” Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”?

We need to understand something more here.  Hearing and understanding the truth of the Word of God is only the beginning of faith!  Receiving it … believing it arouses the spirit of a person to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior … for in truth He is! This is the born-again experience that Jesus explained to Nicodemus (Cf. John 3:1-12) But this is just that – the birth of a new creation.  There is a spiritual maturation process that must ensue after our birth in Christ just as we have experienced a physical maturation process after our physical births into the world.  As Paul taught and ministered to the Galatian Church on these matters, we observe his sense of frustration with their “turning back” from the truth they had received. (Cf. Galatians 4:8-20) As the writer of the Book of Hebrews put it: “1Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts (useless rituals) that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites (baptisms), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. (Cf. Hebrews 6:1-3)

Spiritual maturity is produced through the testing of our faith.  It comes through endurance of temptation and perseverance through trials. Both testing and temptation (trials of many kinds) are designed to strengthen our wills to attain the “obedience that comes from faith”. (Cf. Romans 1:5; 16:26) Therefore, trials can be opportunities for the suffering which we have learned can facilitate or produce obedience in our hearts.  So the perspective of James is to count this spiritual maturation process as “joy”.  He urges us to rejoice in the sufferings produced during trials because we should know this will produce perseverance in our faith.  We will not desire to go back to “Egypt” or the bondage of sin in our lives.  No, through this process our spirits will mature and our hearts will grow deeper in love for God … and we will desire to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Cf. Philippians 3:14)

A few final thoughts (Scriptures):

James 1:13-15 (NIV)

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)

 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

John 14:15-16

Jesus urged, “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate (the Holy Spirit) to help you and be with you forever.

John 15:9-11 (NIV)

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love.I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

I pray we will meditate on these things and grow in the obedience that comes from faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Verse of the Day – 01/19/19

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

No temptation (or testing) has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted (tested) He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Our verse continues with the theme of holiness we have undertaken … so the Spirit must want us to truly examine ourselves and focus on what it takes to consecrate ourselves to God.  I think He is looking for a holy people who desire more of Him to empower their lives for ministry. Fasting and prayer are key disciplines we can follow in this endeavor … but our verse today challenges and warns us to exercise self-control to a broader extent.  Let’s look at the context of our verse closer:

1 Corinthians 10: 1-13 (NIV)

1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” (Cf. Exodus 32:6) 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord (Jesus) as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation (or testing) has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted (or tested) beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted (tested) He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

What Paul is developing here is a parallel for NT believers to understand.  He observes that the Israelites, when led out of Egypt, were all saved from their life of bondage in Egypt. The “cloud” refers to the unique symbol of the presence of God – also known as the shekinah cloud of glory which meant “to dwell with”. We should easily recognize this parallel to Jesus (Emmanuel – God with us). They all passed through the Red Sea on dry land because God had parted the waters for them. It was a “baptism” in effect because the waters closed in behind them.  There was no going back to slavery of Egypt (symbolizing the bondage of sin). God was giving them a new life on this side of the divide.  They had been separated from Egypt (from sin) and chosen by God to be His people.   They all ate the same spiritual food which refers to the manna and to the quail – both supernatural provision by God. Likewise, Jesus is the Bread of Life. And they all drank the same spiritual drink – from a spiritual rock that followed them – refers to the supernatural provision of life-sustaining water.  Jesus said, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst; indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14) This use of “all” is a way to emphasize the inclusion of all Israelites in the experience of God’s grace and judgment during that time of “testing” called the “Wilderness Wandering Period”.

But notice Verse 5 states, “Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.”  This verse implicates the humbling of His people and the judgment for unbelief and rebellion as their bones were scattered along the wilderness route to the Promised Land (Cf. Numbers 14). Think about it.  They were God’s chosen people.  He had redeemed them from the land of Egypt. But He judged their unbelief and their rebellious attitudes. These OT believers saw the miraculous provision of God for their lives. They knew His will through their God-ordained leader, Moses. And yet, as we read through the narrative, they still acted in unbelief and rebellion….  Do you think there are Christians today who have a similar display of unbelief in their lives?  Do you think God is pleased with them?  Have you ever considered that there might be a parallel with Matthew 7:21-23?

In Verses 6-11, Paul implies that the Old Testament Scriptures continue to have spiritual relevance for us today. You can cross-reference the following passages regarding this applicability in Romans 4:23-24; Romans 15:4; and 1 Corinthians 9:10. We can readily conclude the revelations of God are eternal and the principles imparted are significant. So Paul points out how the redemptive history of Israel is applicable to us today … “so that we would not crave (set our hearts on) evil things as they did.”  The term translated “crave” is a strong compound Greek term epithumeō, which is made up of the preposition “upon” and “to rush.” It refers to a strong feeling or emotion overtaking and controlling the mind and heart of a person. Paul chooses specific issues for his contrast: idolatry; immoral sexual conduct; provoking or testing God to “prove” Himself; and grumbling in the sense of showing displeasure with God. These are all relevant examples and can be seen within the world and even the Church in our day….

Paul concludes that these things (judgments of God) happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us. The message is that the salvation effectuated for us through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ has been given to us – but if we do not receive it through faith in Him … if we wander into unbelief and rebellion … we will be judged as the Israelites were judged in the wilderness.  So Paul brings us to the point of self-examination in Verse 12, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (Cf. Romans 11:20-21; 2 Peter 3:14-17). God has and will judge His own people. Here are some great references for you to consider in this regard: Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:7-10; and 1 Peter 4:12-19.  I highly encourage you to read Hebrews Chapters 3 and 4.  The parallels to what Paul is preaching here are quite impressive.

This leads us to the Verse of the Day and its call to godliness in response to the salvation God has granted us in Christ Jesus.  Paul asserts that personal holiness is possible. We can overcome temptation. First of all, we have to realize that temptations or tests will happen. The text makes this clear: “But when you are tempted….”  Temptation in any form is common to the human experience. But God uses it to “refine” our souls and to perfect or complete our faith.  Remember, Jesus was tempted in all points as we are … yet He remained without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) So, Jesus is experientially familiar with our weaknesses as discussed in Hebrews Chapter 2. Of special comfort to me in this regard is Hebrews 2:18 which reads, “Because He Himself (Jesus) suffered when He was tempted (tested), He is able to help those who are being tempted (tested).” To me, this verse indicates that dealing with temptation is a form of suffering … and that Jesus is ever present through His Spirit to help me in that moment of temptation or trial.  It also reminds me that, like Jesus, my own obedience will be learned through the process of suffering. (Cf. Hebrews 5:8-9)

The key point from 1 Corinthians 10:13 is that God is faithful.  WHEN you and I are tempted (tested) … HE provides a way out so that we can endure the temptation or test.  It does not say that He will remove the temptation; rather, He provides an “exit” from the thought, feeling, situation, or circumstance that provides the platform or context for our temptations.  A specific temptation may not ever go away.  It may be a “thorn in the flesh”. Victory through one temptation, test, or trial does not assure the same outcome WHEN the next temptation comes.  But we learn obedience through the things we suffer; and that is achieved through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is praying in the Spirit … it is walking in His anointing … that gives us the strength to endure the temptations we will face. The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh. It means we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5) And these spiritual disciplines are sufficient because God will not let you or me be tempted beyond what we can bear.  No, there is an endpoint of victory for every temptation, test, or trial if we but persevere under the trial. God has assured that we can endure the hardship of discipline because He disciplines us for our good … in order that we may share in His holiness. (Cf. Hebrews 12:1-10)

Well, I hope that these thoughts and references I have shared will help you and encourage you in your times of temptation.  As Pastor Steve would say, “We need to reset the mindset!”

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!