FAILED THE TEST

 

FAILED THE TEST

Dan. 5:27 Tekel means “weighed”---you have been weighed on the balances and have failed the test. NLT

This verse first spoke to me very early in my Christian walk. The Lord spoke to me about how I was doing in my faith walk. I had to take a serious look at myself and examine whether or not I was living a life that pleased the Lord or was I failing the test? I still look inward when I read this verse. I want to live a life that pleases the Lord. I want Him to look down upon me with a smile on His face and proclaim me to be His child. I don’t want to ever be found wanting and in danger of failing the test of God’s examination. But, how can we ever be sure that we are not failing the test?

We can live in confidence that we are pleasing the Lord. It, of course, all begins at Calvary. We must turn to Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. We have no chance whatsoever with God unless we do. We then must be living submissively and obediently to Him. We accomplish this by taking His Word seriously and spending daily time in it to study it and meditate on it. We need daily time fellowshipping with God in prayer. We then need to take our faith with us wherever we go in the world. We must not ever let ourselves be ashamed of our faith. We must let our faith shine through us so that others will know we are Christ’s by our love and righteous living.

I believe there should be a healthy fear of how we stand before God. Sin is an abomination to God and we should be concerned about whether or not we are harboring it in our hearts. Can we excuse our sins because we live in grace and not under the law? Will God shrug His shoulders and overlook sin because we proclaim Jesus as our Savior? If He could, then He would not be the holy God we profess Him to be. We should always strive to stay sin free so that we would not be weighed in the balances of God’s holiness and fail the test.

Are you so transparent that others can readily see Christ in you? Are you doing your best to live a life that is consistent with your profession of faith? Are you striving to be the holy person God created you to be in Christ? If you are, then you are passing the test. God is well-pleased with you. Keep it up! Run the race with your eyes glued on Christ. Fight the good fight of faith and never slack off. Great is your reward in heaven, both now and eternally.

IN THE FIRE!

 

IN THE FIRE!

Dan. 3:25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire. They aren’t even hurt by the flames! And the fourth looks like a divine being!” NLT

I can only imagine what Nebuchadnezzar must have thought when he saw four people walking around in a fire that he had made seven times hotter than normal. A lot of fearful things must have gripped him. It just did not happen! People do not walk around in the middle of any kind of fire without being consumed by it. Period. Yet, there they were! Not only did he see the Hebrews he had thrown into the fire walking around, there was an extra person with them! Where in the world did He come from? How is it even possible? He had to just appear because no one lives in a fiery furnace! He saw these men walking around unbound, and he had made sure that they were tightly bound before they were cast into the furnace.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were seemingly just out for a stroll in the flames. They weren’t being affected by the fire whatsoever! They apparently were deep in conversation with the other man, oblivious to what was going on around them. It was a strange sight indeed. I know that I would have been scared of what I was seeing and more than curious as to how it could be and what it meant. The king didn’t know it, but God was with them in the furnace.

Isn’t it comforting to know that we serve a God who knows when we stand up for Him regardless of what others may think or do? We serve one who cares about the situation we are in and is able to help us through it. He never leaves us hanging. He is always with us as we go through our difficult circumstances of life. He doesn’t promise to change what we are going through, but He does promise to go with us through it.

The wonderful thing about it is that when we walk with the Lord through our difficult circumstances of life, things change for us. Our faith grows stronger, our confidence in God’s love for us grows stronger, our awareness of His ability to help us grows, our ability to let go of our own power lessens, and our gratitude for the God we serve grows. Adversity is a good thing when you go through it with the Lord at your side.

GOD WILL SAVE US

 

GOD WILL SAVE US

Dan. 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power. Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” NLT

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew God well enough to know that for them there was no other God. They would not bend to the pressure of the king to bow down and worship another god, even if it were to cost them their lives. They knew what God was capable of. Would God deliver them? They didn’t know, but they were willing to trust Him with their lives. They had gotten to know the Lord well enough to know that they could not put their allegiance anywhere but in Him. They knew Him well enough to know that He was worth dying for.

It is imperative that we too get to know the Lord well enough to trust Him with our lives. We live in a world that has many different understandings of God. People try to force their understanding on others. People chide those who stand strong on Biblical principles. We need to work hard at developing a relationship with God that will keep us anchored in Him regardless of the circumstances we are in.

When we really know and love the Lord, we do not need to defend ourselves, but we do it don’t we? We tend to be defensive when things don’t go our way or others don’t see things as we do. We tend to feel like we have to win in this life.

We need to discover that it’s not about us; it’s about the Lord. We don’t need to fear what others may be able to do or what they think. We put ourselves in the Lord’s hands and accept whatever may happen. There is no power on earth that can defeat a soul whose God is the Lord. Jesus is the way and there is no other way.

Work hard on your salvation so that you will be able to stand up strong in the faith regardless of whatever circumstance you may find yourself in. The stronger your faith is, the less fear will grip your soul. The Lord will be with you to help you always when you are totally committed to Him, even in the face of certain death.

DETERMINED CHOICES

 

DETERMINED CHOICES

Dan. 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official for permission to eat other things instead.

Daniel did not wait until he was faced with temptation before he decided whether to yield or not; he made up his mind before the temptation to sin ever came. What a powerful lesson for us to learn! In order to live victoriously, we must decide the course of our lives and stick to it.

We must determine that we are not going to put ourselves into tempting situations in the first place. We can’t avoid all temptations to sin, but we can help ourselves out a lot by choosing to not put ourselves into temptation’s way. Daniel knew that the way of the king was wrong for him. He knew that there was a better way and he chose it for himself, in spite of the consequences that may come from it. He knew that the king was in control and you obeyed him, or else, but that did not keep Daniel from choosing to do what was right before God.

We can avoid so many sins by determining in our hearts beforehand that we will do what we know God wants us to do regardless of what may happen. Others may not understand our choices, they may mock us, they may pressure us to back down, or they may try to make our lives miserable for us, but we must stand strong on our commitment to obey God and not man. We must be willing to give up the pleasures of the world and chose to obey God.

Don’t be wishy washy in this. Choose to be like Daniel and make up your mind right now that you will always do what is pleasing and acceptable to God. Before temptation strikes, determine in your heart that you will do what is right before God. It does not matter what others may think; it matters what God thinks. It does not matter what others may do; do what is right before God. It does not matter if it’s convenient for you or not. Nor, does it matter if it is a popular decision or not. You will stand before God someday and give an account for the choices you make.

TO SIN OR NOT

 

TO SIN OR NOT

Dan. 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official for permission to eat other things instead.

But Daniel made up his mind. We all must choose whom we will serve and obey. We are constantly choosing to either do what is right in God’s eyes or what is right in our own eyes. Sinning is never a neutral act and neither is obedience. You will be called upon to decide many times today whether or not you are going to live for Christ or for yourself. Sinful choices will haunt you wherever you may be at. The issue is, “Are you determined to let God help you to not sin against Him?” The mindset you have right now will set the course of your day. You will either live in victory or defeat.

Why not make up your mind to do what pleases the Lord? Why not make up your mind to seek Him first and foremost in your life? Why not make up your mind to daily read and meditate on God’s Word? Why not make up your mind to pray often to the Lord and worship Him daily? Phil. 4:8

Why not ask the Lord to set your mind on Him and His truth so that you can avoid the pitfalls of sin today?

MAKE UP YOUR MIND

 

MAKE UP YOUR MIND

Dan. 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official for permission to eat other things instead. NLT

Daniel did not wait until the challenge was put before him to make up his mind what he was going to do. He had predetermined that he would not defile himself by eating the food and drinking the wine of the king. He had his mind and heart made up that he was going to do what was right before God no matter the circumstances.

We can spare ourselves a lot of indecision and perhaps wrong decisions by determining in our hearts beforehand that we will do only what we know is right in God’s eyes. It is a good thing to make a commitment to ourselves that we will not compromise our faith in God. When we have an attitude of total allegiance to God it keeps us out of a lot of the sin we so easily fall into.

We can also set an example for others to follow by how we stay true to our faith in challenging times. Circumstances should never dictate our response. When others see us do what is godly in all circumstances, they will know that they too can do it.

I ask you today, “Have you made up your mind not to defile yourself?” Are you watching carefully over your soul? Are you avoiding those situations that could cause you to defile yourself? Are you determined in your heart that you are going to do only those things which are good for your soul? If you can’t honestly say that you are doing these things, you need to make a covenant with the Lord today about them and seek His help so you can.

IN GOD'S LOVE 4

 

IN GOD’S LOVE 4

Eph. 1:6 So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. NLT

In God’s love, because of God’s love, andt through God’s love, we praise God. Praise is becoming of God’s children; in fact, praise comes naturally to those living in Christ. If praise does not flow from the heart of the redeemed, there is something wrong with their hearts before God. There is an endless supply of reasons to praise the Lord.

We praise the Lord for His glorious grace. Grace is the gateway into living in fellowship with God. Eph. 2:8,9 It is God giving us what we don’t deserve. It is God’s kindness towards us. It is God doing for us what we can’t do for ourselves. It is His blessings upon our lives. And, God’s grace is glorious. There is nothing that can compare to it. We praise God for His amazing grace.

We praise God for His giving spirit. God gives. He gave us a wondrous world to live in, perfectly suited to support and sustain human life. God gave us Jesus who came into our world as a human being so He could die on the cross as a sinless human for our sins. John 3:16 God gave us the Holy Spirit who actively works in our lives to affirm our salvation, helps us to live in our salvation, works to make us holy, and works to make our salvation complete so we can enter into heaven. The Spirit teaches us the things of God from the things created, from God’s Word, and from what we glean from others. We praise God for His giving spirit.

We praise God for his great love. God is love. I John speaks often and deeply about our God of love. Everything that God does flows from His loving heart. But one thing we must all remember is that God is holy love. God’s love does not negate His holiness; in fact, holiness defines His love. I Cor. 13:4-8a The well of God’s love never runs dry. It spans all generations and reaches out to all people. There has never been anyone who is beyond the reach of God’s love. No matter what a person does in life, God loves him and will forgive him if he opens his heart up to Christ. Sin hardens the heart and can become so entrenched in one’s life that God’s love can’t penetrate it. It is why one should never continually spurn God’s love. We do reap what we sow. If you know God loves you, love Him back. Show Him daily that you love Him. Do all you can do to grow your love for Him. If you love Him, you will spend lots of time alone with Him, and you will share your love for Him with others. Praise God for His great love. Jesus loves me, this I know! Praise God for His great love!

IN GOD'S LOVE 3

 

IN GOD’S LOVE 3

Eph. 1:5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. NLT

In God’s love, we are predestined by God. What this means is that God determined, designed, and designated a place for us to be in His kingdom. I am not going to dwell on our freewill here. I think it is a waste of our time to argue over points of doctrine that . we disagree on while we leave the world alone to go into a godless eternity. It is an ego thing for us to have to be right. We must set aside our egos and stay focused on our mission, to go into the world and make disciples for Christ.

We are predestined to be adopted into God’s family. Acts 4:12 God’s plan for mankind always has been to have a personal relationship with Him. He planned a way whereby we could be set free from our sinful hearts and enter into fellowship with Him. He planned for Jesus to come in the fulness of time to our righteousness and holiness before God.

In Christ, our hearts are made pure. We are then given an amazing position—children of God! We become a part of the family of God, co-heirs with Jesus of all of heaven’s blessings and glory. In Christ, we are now a part of the privileged. We are citizens of heaven. This world is no longer our home, we are just passing through.

We are predestined according to God’s pleasure. Nothing pleases God more than for a lost sinner to come to Christ for the forgiveness of his sins and to be adopted into His family. There is great rejoicing in heaven when someone is saved from the pit of hell. God’s longing is for everyone to be saved, although He knows most won’t. John 3:16 The only reason why Christ has not come back yet is so that as many people as possible will come to a saving knowledge of Him. II Pet. 3:8,9

We are predestined according to God’s will. His will is that we make it to our heavenly world. He works tirelessly to help us stay focused on those things that will get us into heaven. He does not give up on us and will always pursue us, even when we go astray. He won’t force His will on us, but He will help us if we will but let Him.

In God’s love, we are part of the family of God. All who live in Christ are our kinfolks. We will spend eternity with each other so we better learn how to get along together here on earth. Forget those things which divide us; let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation.

IN GOD'S LOVE 2

 

IN GOD’S LOVE 2

Eph. 1:4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. NLT

Reread today’s verse. God loved us and chose us in Christ. Isn’t that amazing? The God of the universe took a personal interest in us and chose us. I will never fully grasp why God would seek me out and chose me to live in Christ and for Him, but I am so glad He did!

God chose us in Christ. Acts 4:12 There is no other way for God to claim me as

His own. There is no other way for God to straighten up my life. There was no other way for God to use me for His glory. There was no other way for God to have an eternal relationship with me. Jesus is the way. John 14:6 If it weren’t for Jesus, I would be among the outcasts of the world, lost and dying in my sins.

In God’s love, we are chosen by Him. He chose us to be His children. He chose us to be the objects of His love. Before the foundation of the world was laid, He planned our existence, essence, and escape. Gen. 1:26,27; Gal. 5:22,23; Heb. 9:26-28

God chose us to be a holy people. His plan for us is to be holy; in fact, He demands it. I Pet. 1:13-16 If we love God, we will obey Him and live holy lives. Heb. 7:23-28 We have to look at ourselves through the eyes of our Lord. Do we see someone who is living above reproach? Do we see someone who is meeting God’s expectations for his life? Do we see someone who chooses godliness over sin? Do we deliberately not sin against God?

God chose us. There is a lot of varied understandings of what this means, and I am not going to try and satisfy everyone with my understanding. I think we miss the point when we focus on whether or not we have a choice whether we will be saved or not depending on God’s choices. The point that we must all agree upon is that we are chosen by God to be like Jesus in holiness of character. Rom. 8:28-29 Our concern must be our living up to God’s standards, not trying to determine who can or cannot be saved. Our concern must be to tell everyone about the Lord whom we can and leave the rest in the Lord’s hands. We must humble ourselves before God if we are His children and thank Him for choosing us. We must humbly beseech the Lord on behalf of the lost that they might be saved. Pray that the lost will hear and be given opportunities to be saved. What happens between them and the Lord is their business, not ours to decide.

God chose us to be His hands and feet on earth. We are the Christ people see. Let us always strive to attract people to Christ by the way we love Him, represent Him, and serve Him. Let us strive to not let anyone go to hell because of the way we represent Him on earth.

IN GOD'S LOVE

 

IN GOD’S LOVE

Eph. 1:3 How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. NLT

In God’s love, we are blessed. We are blessed out of the goodness of God’s heart. Matt. 7:11 We are blessed in the heavenly realms. II Cor. 6:17 All of the goodness and blessings of God flow to us from heaven above. It is a place of absolute holiness. It is a place filled with glory and grace.

Notice that Paul praises God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a mystery of God we can never grasp, but God is the Father of Jesus as well as being one in essence with Jesus. They are one along with the Holy Spirit, yet fill different roles in our lives. Jesus is God in the flesh. John 1:1,14 Someday it will all make sense to us, but in the meantime we praise God from whom all blessings flow through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Notice as well that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. God does not withhold from us any good thing He has for us. What we must never do is confuse the physical with the spiritual. God promises us spiritual blessings; physical blessings may come, but they are not guaranteed.

In Christ, we are fit to enter into the heavenly realms. I Cor. 1:30; Heb. 1:3 What little we know of heaven, you may wonder how is it possible that we are fit to approach God in heaven. Jesus is our righteousness and holiness before God. Only on the merits of Jesus’ life can we approach God and linger there. He stands before us and presents us as acceptable to God. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

In Christ, we are privileged to be in the heavenly realms. John 14:3 Not only do we have access to God now through Christ, we will be ushered into the very presence of God someday. When we live in, through, and for Christ, we are guaranteed a place in heaven for all of eternity. We can only imagine what is in store for us. All I know is that it will be far more than the very best that I can ever imagine it to be. Jesus is there today preparing a place for us! Seeing what He has already created by the mere utterance of His word (Col. 1:18-23), I am sure that I will be overwhelmed by the grandeur, glory, and greatness of heaven. Is it any wonder that Jesus told His disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid”?

With our eyes fixed on Jesus and the wondrous life He has in store for us, let us press onward with all the gusto we have until we finish the life He has given us to live. Phil. 3:12-16 Let us not grow weary in well-doing. Let us not be intimidated by those who would oppose us. Let us run and not be weary; let us walk and be afraid. Is. 40:31

KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE IN CHRIST

 

KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE IN CHRIST

Eph. 1:2 May grace and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

In Christ, we find grace for our souls. Grace is God giving me what I don’t deserve while mercy is God withholding from me what I do deserve.

Grace is God offering me a way out of my sin problem, John 3:16 He does not force anyone to be saved, He just offers it freely to all who want it.

Grace is God giving me an opportunity to get rid of my sin problem. Isn’t it amazing that the Lord invites us to come to Him? Matt. 11:27, 28 It’s an open invitation to all. Whosoever will may flee to Jesus and be saved.

Grace is God forgiving me of my sins, all of them, even though they put Him on the cross. Eph. 2:8,9

Grace is God forgetting I ever sinned against Him. Ps. 139:12 As far as east is from the west. Gone, gone, yes my sins are gone!

Grace is God not giving up on me no matter how bad I may be.

In Christ, we have peace. Peace from Christ is not fickle. It does not depend on circumstances. It is a deep abiding sense that God is with us and in us to guide us through the maze of life.

Peace is the knowledge that God has indeed taken away my sins from me. It is knowing that my burdens were lifted at Calvary. It is knowing there is now therefore no condemnation for my soul. Rom. 8:1

Peace is the knowledge that God is in control of my life.

Peace is the knowledge that God has a greater plan and purpose for my life than I ever had before.

Peace is the knowledge that the battle has already been won. We are overcomers in Christ. We have victory in Jesus!

Peace is the knowledge that the best is yet to come. John 14:1-4 I don’t know what all heave will be, but I do know it will be glory for me.

We have grace and peace in Christ Jesus our Lord and so much more. Feast on this great salvation and let you heart be blessed today.

WHERE YOU ARE IN CHRIST

 

WHERE YOU ARE AT IN CHRIST

Eph. 1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of our position in Christ. We take for granted this wonderful relationship we have with our Lord. Let us pause for a few moments today to just think about these things.

When we let Jesus into our lives, we are positioned in Christ, God’s Anointed One. God ordained Christ to be the sacrifice for our sins before the foundation of the world was ever laid. God did not provide any other way for us to be saved. Only Christ is worthy of God’s honor. God anointed Christ for His sacred office and role in our lives.

We are positioned in Jesus. In the Old Testament, He was known as Jehovah, which means avenger, liberator. Jesus is the one who saves us from our sins. He sets us free from all that keeps us away from God. He once for all broke the death grip sin had over us. He is our Savior. He, and He alone has the power, authority, and right to declare us free from sin’s grip.

We are in Christ Jesus: God’s anointed Son who sets us free!

Has Jesus set you free from all that hinders you from knowing God as your Heavenly Father? Is God more to you than some vague reality? Can you honestly say that God is the influencer of your life, that He has a profound impact on who you are and how you live?

Has Jesus set you free from your worries and fears? Are you able to live your life resting in His peace that never goes away? Are you trusting in His goodness regardless of what circumstances you find yourself in?

Has Jesus set you free from your loneliness? Are you aware that He is with you all the time? Do you sense His presence daily? Do you talk to Him often? Do you tell Him that you are glad He is with you and loves you?

Has Jesus set you free from the attachments and desires of this world? Are you living for Jesus, or the things that the world offers you?

Jesus, God’s Son, has come to set you free, and when He sets you free, you are free indeed! John 8:32,37

WHAT YOU ARE IN CHRIST

 

WHAT YOU ARE IN CHRIST

Eph. 1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

Know what you are in Christ. Are you a saint, or are you an ain’t? A saint is one who is set apart for the sole usage of God. He is one whose life is the Lord’s. He is a work in progress striving to become holy before God. How can we know if we are a saint or not?

A saint is physically pure. Ps. 119:9-11 He strives to live a life of faithfulness. He strives to live by the Word of God. A saint strives to always represent Christ in a positive light. He lives righteously and pursues holiness in every part of his life.

A saint is morally blameless. Rom. 8:1,2; I Cor. 1:30 He is one who not only talks the talk of purity, but lives it. He does not conform to the ways of the world. Rom. 1 He strives to do what is right in God’s regardless of what the crowd believes and tries to get him to believe. He lives by God’s standards no matter how much pressure is put on him to compromise.

A saint is ceremonially consecrated. What I mean by this is that he is washed in the blood of the Lamb. He has opened up his heart to Christ, confessed his sins, asked for forgiveness, accepted Christ’s forgiveness, and lives like he is forgiven. A saint lives submissively and obediently to Christ.

Are you faithful to the cause of Christ? Be honest with yourself. Can you look at yourself in light of God’s Word and declare that you are being faithful to the Lord? Does your daily life measure up to what you profess to believe? Do you let your faith guide your thoughts and voice? Do you let your faith be seen and known by those you rub shoulders with every day?

What are you in Christ? Are you a fruit bearer (Gal. 5:22-23), or are you a non-factor in the world? If you are not salt and light in the world, you are not living in Christ. It’s that simple.

WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST

 

WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST

Eph. 1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.

Know who you are in Christ. Ps. 139:13-16 God created you to be you. 13 You are not someone else, nor can you ever be. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to be someone you’re not. You are a person of great value. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are worthless, a nobody. God created you. His thumbprint is all over you. He made you exactly how He wanted you to be. You are not an accident that nobody wanted. God created you because He wants you.

God has created you with purpose and design. 14 You are fearfully and wonderfully created. You may not think or feel so, but you are. God declared it and I believe it. Consider God’s design; He made you with a body, mind, and soul. They are all intricately woven together to make you, you.

Consider God’s purpose in making you, you. God’s purpose for you is to love you, save you, indwell you, and use you. Paul grasped these awesome truths. He knew that he was an apostle of Christ by God’s set design and purpose. He did not seek to be who he became. He was on a totally different track of life. He thought he was serving God, but then He met Jesus who forever changed his heart, mind, and soul. He discovered not only who God is, but God’s purpose for his existence. He was created and called to serve the Lord, and the Lord filled in the details.

What is the purpose for your existence? Has God given you a specific role to fill in the church? Outside the church? Are you doing it? If you know deep down in your soul what God wants you to do with your life and you are not doing it, you will never be content doing what you are doing. If you are doing what God has given you to do, are you doing the best that you know how to do for the Lord? Don’t put off for tomorrow what you know you should be doing today. Tomorrow may come, but it may be too late for you to fulfill God’s calling on your life.

God created you with limited time to fulfill your your purpose in life. 16 Our days are numbered here on earth. Life goes by so quickly. It seems like in a blink of an eye we are old and no longer able to do what we once were able to do. We get caught up in life without ever learning how to really live. We figure that someday we will have the time to serve the Lord, but that day never comes. What are you doing with your life? Are you actively serving the Lord? In your home? On your job? In your church? In your spare time? Is your life defined by your service to the Lord? If not, why not? Today may very well be your last day on earth; don’t pass up opportunities to serve the Lord.

OUR NINE-FOLD BLESSINGS

 

OUR NINE-FOLD BLESSINGS

Eph. 1

The Apostle Paul gives us nine blessings that are ours as children of God. Some of our blessings were listed as part of our gift of salvation, yet I believe that it is essential for us to always remember just how great our salvation is. In Phil. 4:8, he reminds us to think about these things. We must never take for granted our life in Christ. We must always live in gratefulness for what Jesus has done for us.

We are positioned in Christ. 3,4,13 Notice that we have a heavenly place. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing of heaven in Christ Jesus. We are chosen by God to be holy in Christ Jesus. We are known in heaven as God’s children through Christ. We have a heavenly position, therefore, let is live victoriously in Christ while on earth.

We are predestined in Christ. 5 God loves us unconditionally. He loved us before we were ever born. Ps. 139 His eternal plan was to create us to be loved and to love Him in return. God loves us purposely; His plan has always been to adopt us as His own. He loves us sacrificially; He gave us Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. John 3:16 He loves us freely and gladly, for God is love.

We are participants in grace. 6 Grace is God’s kindness towards us even though we don’t deserve it.

We are participants in God’s will. 9,19 God’s will is always found in Christ. It is God’s will for us to be one in Christ. Broken fellowship is always rooted in Satan; Christ unites, never divides. It is God’s will for Christ to be the Lord of every child of God.

We are promised an inheritance. 11,12 We have hope in Christ. Our hope is in the completion of God’s plan for us. God does not start a project without completing it. All we have to do is let Him complete what He began in us at Calvary. If we do, we will be with Him eternally in heaven.

We are possessed by the Holy Spirit. 13,14 The Spirit is our possessor; we are sealed by Him in Christ. He is our promise. He is our preparer; He prepares us for the work God gives us to do, and He prepares us for heaven.

We are participants in prayer. 15-19a Prayer is an expression of our love for God and one another. It is an exciting release of God’s power through the church. And it is an exercise of a living faith.

We are powered by the Holy Spirit. 19b-23 Without the Spirit in control of us, we have no power to live the Christian life, we have no power to produce godly fruit (Gal. 5:22-23), we have no power to resist Satan, and we have no power to serve the Lord. In fact, without the Holy Spirit actively working in us, we have no connection to Christ.

We are blessed in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus! Feast on the blessings that are ours in Christ, and live like you are indeed blessed.

GIFTS OF SALVATION

 

GIFTS OF SALVATION

Eph. 1:9-23

In Ephesians 1, we notice at least nine different gifts that are ours because of our salvation.

We have a promise. 9-12 God promises us that He is going to bring all things together under the lordship of Christ. Now, we are a divided people, but one day the Lord is going do away with all that divides us. We have the promise of an inheritance. We are enjoying some of what the Lord gives us now, but one day we will get all that is ours in Him. We also have the promise of the Holy Spirit. 13

We have a position. 13 When we let Jesus be our Savior, we are positioned in Christ. We become His and He becomes ours.

We have a pledge and promise. 14 God’s Spirit guarantees that we will receive all that God has promised to give us in Christ.

We have a prayer. 15-16 Prayer is an awesome gift of salvation. What a comfort and joy it is to know others pray for us. What a privilege it is to pray for others.

We have plenty. 17-18 Jesus came to not only have life, He came to give us an abundant life. John 10:10 The abundant life Jesus gives is the fullness of Christ’s life in us. It is not measured by our wealth or health. It is the joys of salvation being developed and lived out in us.

We have power in Christ. 19 There is no greater power in existence than the power of Christ in us. He is the creator and sustainer of the universe. Col. 1:18-23. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. Rom. 8:31-38 We have in Christ overcoming power. I John 3

We have a potentate. 20-22 Make no mistake about it, Jesus is Lord of the church. Many pastors act like they are the CEO of their church, but Jesus is the head of the church. Jesus has not retired as the Lord of His church. He has not surrendered His lordship to anyone. Jesus is Lord. He does not co-pastor His church. He needs no advice on how to rule over the church. He is Lord. He rules over all that He has created. God has put all things under His authority. Jesus is Lord and there is no other.

We have a partnership. 23 We, the church, is His body on earth. We are His hands and feet. We are His voice on earth. We are the living presence of Christ on earth.

Oh, what a wondrous and mysterious gift is our salvation! Oh, the joys of being saved from our sins! Feast on the riches of our salvation and let your soul be blessed.

PONDERING: THE CHURCH

 

PONDERING: THE CHURCH

Psalm 119:59 I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes. NLT

Most professing believers still believe that attending church on a regular basis is important for their spiritual life. Many don’t see it as all that important and are okay with staying home and watching services on TV, their computer, or listening on the radio. While there are certainly justifiable reasons for not being able to attend church, we cannot avoid the importance the Scriptures place on being a part of the local church. Heb. 10:23-25 Being a part of a local church provides fellowship with other believers that you can’t get anywhere else. Yet, there are some concerns we ought to have about the church that ought to cause us to pray much for her and her leaders.

The church is moving closer to the world in belief and practice. Some churches have wandered so far away from Biblical truths that the Bible is no longer accepted or taught in them. They have bought into the culture of the day and see no problem with embracing sin in the name of love.

The church is moving away from holy living. We can trace the weakening of the church to the church minimizing the importance of holiness. At the expense of a deeper walk with the Lord, love is embraced instead. What many fail to ponder is that God is holy love. You cannot have one without the other.

The church is moving away for serving others to a mindset of serving self. For many, it’s more about me than you. It’s more about what the church can do for me than what I can do for the church.

The church is moving away from the lordship of Christ over the church. Most churches are personality or power driven. Servant-leaders are becoming harder and harder to find. Churches are known more by their pastors than their doctrine. Many churches are more about entertaining than discipleship. Many are money-driven rather than Christ-driven. Many are more about making people feel comfortable than leading them to humility and brokenness before God.

The church will never be taken seriously by the world as long as she looks and acts like the world. Pray much for your church and her leaders. Stand in the gap on their behalf so that they will stand strong on the Word of God and provide the spiritual food needed for a deeper walk with the Lord.

PONDERING: JESUS CAME

 

PONDERING: JESUS CAME

Psalm 119:59 I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes. NLT

It is good for the soul to stop and ponder over why Jesus came. Yes, we know that Jesus came to go to Calvary and die for our sins. But, when He did that, so much more happened that we don’t often think about.

Jesus came to our way to God. John 14:6 Any other way to God concocted by man leads the soul to hell. Jesus is not one way to God, He is the only way to God.

Jesus came to be our truth source. He is all you will ever need to know about God. He is the perfect revelation of who God is. Heb. 1:1-4 We will never be able to comprehend the magnitude and glory of God, but in Christ, we can know the heart of God for us and what we need to be like in order to make it to heaven.

Jesus came to be our life source. There is no life with God apart from a personal relationship with Christ, There is absolutely nothing we can do to please God and be accepted by Him apart from Christ.

Jesus came to be a beacon of light in this dark world. He is the light of the world. Apart from Him, there is utter darkness. Apart from Him, the soul is desperately wicked. He is the only way out of the darkness that enshrouds the world.

Jesus came to the way for us to be made acceptable to God, our righteousness and holiness before God. I Cor. 1:30

Jesus came to be our advocate before God. He stands before God on our behalf and us His children. He stands between God and us so that there will be no more condemnation for our sins when we live in Him. Rom. 8:1

Jesus came to set us free from sin’s death grip. John 8:32,37; I Cor. 15:54-57 We are no longer slaves to sin and bound for hell. We no longer are compelled to sin. We are set free to live in God’s love with hearts filled with joy and peace!

Jesus came to give us not only life, but life more abundantly. John 10:10 Living in Christ on earth is but a little bit of a taste of what awaits us in heaven. He has so much to give us if we will but let Him give it to us with open and humble hearts before Him.

Jesus came. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

PONDERING: GOD WITH US

 

PONDERING: GOD WITH US

Psalm 119:59 I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes. NLT

God is with us, when no one else is. Matt. 28:20 People come and go in our lives. Some stay around for a long time while others hang around for only a short period of time. We all need someone who we can count on to be there for us no mater what happens in life. Jesus is the only one who can be counted on to never, ever, leave or forsake us. Jesus came to be with us now and forever. Praise His holy name!

God is with us in the loneliest times of our lives, when there is no love, joy, peace, or seemingly hope. No matter how dark things may be, you can rest in God’s promise to be there with you to help you. When you catch yourself focusing on your circumstances, ponder this wonderful truth. God has not abandoned you, no matter what your mind or emotions may tell you. He is but a prayer away.

God is with us when we lose our way in the maze of life. He is always with us to take us by the hand and get us back on track. John 14:6 Life can get pretty confusing at times, but Jesus will always help us to make sense of things and help us find our way to God.

God is with us when we are overwhelmed by the difficulties of life. Let us face it, life can be very difficult and unfair. We may go through life never enjoying the blessings that others have. We may go through extremely difficult times and long for the Lord to come and take us home. Yet, remember Job and follow his example. He did not let his circumstances dictate or ruin his faith in God. He did not understand why he had to suffer, but he understood that of far greater value was his faith in God than the comforts of life.

God is with us when we are faced with an all-out attack from Satan. There is power in the presence of Christ. Satan cannot stand up against our Lord. Resist Satan in Jesus’ name and he will flee from you. James 4:7-8; I Peter 5:8-9 Satan, too, will bow before the Lord one day and declare that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Never take off the armor God on you, and you will live in victory over him. Eph. 6:10-20

God is with us. God. Creator, giver, and sustainer of life is with us. He who created all things by the mere utterance of His word is with us. He who is our holiness and righteousness is with us. God with us, hallelujah! Praise His holy name.

PONDERING 2

 

PONDERING 2

Psalm 119:59 I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes. NLT

As you ponder about the Lord and your relationship to Him, you need to ponder as well over the world we live in, the church in the world, and the message of the church to the world.

A question that must be asked is, “What in the world is going on in the world today?” If you are a news watcher, you can’t help but be concerned. It seems like no matter where you are at in the world, it’s not good news. People in positions of power and authority are corrupt. People in the streets are angry and corrupt. Human life is deemed to be expendable. Law and order are in a mess. People think nothing of hurting others, taking advantage of them, and abusing them for their own pleasure. Things things should not surprise us because the Bible makes it very clear that these things were going to happen in the later days of life on earth as we know it.

What is going on in the church today? For the most part, it’s not good. We have wandered away from our roots. Jesus is no longer the Lord of most churches. Biblical truths have been watered down and compromised. Holiness has been discarded as a necessity for eternal life. Church leaders use the Gospel message for personal gain, and some use people of the church for their own pleasure. Far too many churches do not preach or teach against sin. Hell is not feared. The wrath of God against sin is seldom mentioned. Far too many churches are nothing more than a social club.

What kind of a message is coming out of the churches today? A popular theme you hear a lot about today is, “God is love.” It has become so popular that God is portrayed as an all-accepting God. He loves us and would never allow anyone to go to hell. He will eventually allow everyone into heaven. Another message that is popular is that God is good and will prosper people who believe in Him. If one has the faith to believe, he will be blessed here on earth with wealth and good health. Suffering is deemed to be God’s judgment on a person’s sinful living instead of the natural outcome of living in a sinful world. For many, Satan is disarmed and considered to be a non-factor if we only have faith in God. We have bought into the message of ease and comfort in this world.

We look around us at the world we live in and see all the evil there. We look at the church and see the lack of concern the world has for her and their souls. We look at the message of the church and see how far away from Biblical truth we have wandered. Could it be that all these things are related? Could it be that things are falling apart all around us because the church has forgotten her Lord and the Word of God? II Chron. 7:14

PONDERING

 

PONDERING

Psalm 119:59 I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes. NLT

To ponder is to mull, give thought to. It is to take the time to look deeper than the surface. It is a necessary discipline if we are going to understand the needed and deeper truths of God’s Word.

We need to ponder who Jesus is. There are numerous titles given to Jesus to help us better understand Him. Above all else, He is God. John 1:1, 14 He is Savior and Lord of life. He is Emmanuel, that is, God with us. He is Creator, Advocate, our eternal High Priest, King of kings and Lord of lords, Good Shepherd, etc. It would do us well to often ponder over what each of the titles we use means for us as we live out our lives.

We need to ponder why Jesus came. He came to die on the cross for our sins. He came to make it possible for us to be made righteous and holy before God. He came to show us the way to God. He came to set us free from the bondage of sin and its consequences. He came to give us purpose and meaning to life. He came to make God understandable and knowable.

We need to ponder what Jesus really means to us. How much does Jesus define who we are? When we look in the mirror, do we see someone who is at peace with himself, who can honestly say that his life is good? Can we say honestly that we reflect Christ in a positive way in the world? If we cannot say that Jesus makes the difference in us that He is supposed to be making, what needs to change with you to make it happen?

In what direction are you heading? You are either moving closer to the Lord or are moving further away from Him; there is no neutral ground. If you find yourself living not as close to the Lord as you know or want to, turn to Him right now and ask Him to forgive you and be your Lord.

HONOR GOD WITH YOUR LIVING

 

HONOR GOD WITH YOUR LIVING

Mark 7:15-16 “You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do!” NLT

What do you do for a living? What fills your day up? What do you put your time and energy into? What do you live for? Does your living line up with your worship? It does not honor God when we gather to worship with others while not living for Him the others six days of the week.

Many go to church to make themselves feel better about what they have done during the rest of their week. While it is good that they attend church, it does not honor the Lord to pay attention to Him just to make ourselves feel better. Confession is good for the soul, but if it doesn’t change our living, it’s merely a meaningless exercise. In fact, if the Gospel makes you feel good about yourself all the time, you are not listening to the Gospel.

Many go to church with no intention of letting the Lord change them. If nothing ever changes, why bother? I cringe when I hear about those who go to church, confess their sins, and then feel free to live like the devil the rest of their week. It is troubling to me when the church becomes nothing more than a social gathering. It is troubling when people come together to be entertained. It is troubling when God is more of an afterthought than the center of worship.

It does not honor God when we try to live for Him by our own efforts. Rules for righteousness are not the same as righteousness! I Cor. 1:30 Righteousness cannot be legislated or earned. It is the reality of Christ in us, nothing more and nothing less.

Rules without righteousness are vain in their effort to make us righteous. Any church that tries to push a bunch of rules on you in order for you to be right with God, is not teaching the Word of God correctly. Yes, living in Christ, changes us and we act differently than we did before. There are certain things that ought to be seen is un as children of God. Gal. 5:23 Yet, if we are not changed from the heart, it makes no difference how religious we may appear to be.

It does not honor God when we try to live by anything other than God’s grace. Eph. 2:8-9 Grace affects not only our standing with God, it affects our standing with others. It governs how we see and treat others. It is manifested through love. I Cor. 13:4-8a Grace molds and shapes us into a people after God’s own heart.

HONOR GOD WITH YOUR LIPS

 

HONOR GOD WITH YOUR LIPS

Mark 7:15-16 “You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do!” NLT

It does not honor God when our actions do not back up our words. Unless we live what we profess, what we profess doesn’t mean a thing or matter. Talk is cheap. No one wants to listen to someone they know is a hypocrite.

It does not honor God when we use His name in vain. Stop and think about it. How loosely do you use the Lord’s name? Many use His name as a curse word. Others instead may use it with little or no thought of respect. We need to be mindful and careful when we invoke the Lord’s name. His name is the name before whom every knee shall bow. Use His name with a reverent heart.

It does not honor God when we use the language of the world. I have heard coming from the lips of some believers things that make me cringe. How can it be? We speak what comes from the heart? How can we talk like the world talks and not be in heart like them?

It does not honor God when we speak down on others instead of building them up. A good rule of thumb is, if you don’t have anything good to say about someone, don’t say anything at all. Now, I know that we speak negatively about people in the public eye whom we have never met or more than likely ever will. We are opinionated and feel the need to express ourselves when they do or say things we object to. But, when it comes to those whom we know or is known by others we know, we must be very careful how we speak about them. Gossip is damaging and is not becoming of a child of God. Don’t be like those who tear others down; be like those who build others up.

It does not honor God when we take credit for what the Lord has done. We don’t deserve praise for doing well what the Lord allows us to do. The Lord deserves praise for giving us the abilities He does and the opportunities to use our giftedness. He is to be lifted up and honored amongst men, not us.

It does not honor God when we fail to speak to others about Him. We have mouths to speak and the Lord expects us to use them. If we don’t speak out, how else will people who need to hear the Gospel message hear it?

Are you honoring the Lord with your lips?

GOD'S MASTER PLAN: SERVANTS

 

GOD’S MASTER PLAN: SERVANTS

Prov. 19:21 You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. NLT

My wife wrote a song a few years ago which I believe says it well, “We are called to serve the Lord.” God does not want us to sit on our premises. We are to be in the world working for the Kingdom. We are to be doing what we can do to bring others to a saving knowledge of the Lord and a deeper walk with Him. God gives each one of His children gifts to us to serve Him. I Cor. 12;15 We have a mandate to go into the world to make disciples. Matt. 28:19-20 No one has an excuse for not doing something with their life for the Lord. It’s not that we can’t, it’s usually because we won’t.

It is normal for Christians to serve the Lord, Eph. 2:10 It is a sin to not be doing something for the Lord. Everything done out of love for the Lord is an act of service. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves and guilt-ridden when we fail to serve Him.

It is necessary for us to serve the Lord. John 15:1-8 Jesus gives us a stern wake-up call in this passage when He says that we are responsible for bearing fruit for Him. We are useless when we fail to produce godly fruit and are cut off from the Lord when we don’t do anything good for Him. It’s necessary for our souls, and it’s necessary for the sake of others.

It is needed for Christians to serve the Lord. Matt. 5L11-16 Paul says as much in Romans 8. He reminds us that others depend on us who know Him to tell others about Him. How can they hear if we don’t tell (or show) them the love of Christ? Jesus reminds us that the harvest field is ripe and ready. There are a multitude of people who are open to the Gospel message, but the laborers are so few. We are to pray for the Lord to raise up more laborers, and if we are able, to go ourselves. One of the greatest tragedies that there ever could be will be when people spend eternity in hell because no one was there to help them avoid it.

It should concern us that we may stand before God on Judgment Day and have to explain why we weren’t faithful to serve Him.

GOD'S MASTER PLAN: SANCTIFICATION

 

GOD’S MASTER PLAN: SANCTIFICATION

Prov. 19:21 You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. NLT

To sanctify is to make clean, to get rid of impurities, to set aside for greater use. Sanctification used to be the message of the church. The church preached and taught that people needed to not just talk about being saved, but they needed to live like they were. They were taught that one needed to fully surrender their lives to the Lord and strive to not sin against Him. They were taught that a person who was right with God lived a life in separation from sin. Some churches were very legalistic about it and defined in detail what a sanctified person did and wore. Others were more gracious and did not try to dictate what holiness was in details. Most of today’s churches emphasis God’s love at the expense of His holiness and demands for us to be holy.

Sanctification is separating ourselves from that which is unholy in our lives. It involves the people we hang with, places we go, pleasures we seek, pursuits we live by, power we seek, etc. II Cor. 6:14-18 It is taking seriously the command of God to live a holy life. I Pet. 1:13-16

Sanctification is surrendering our wills to the will of God’s Spirit within us. It is moving from Romans 7 to Romans 8. It is a commitment to be like Jesus in character who is our righteousness and holiness before God. I Cor. 1:30. It is letting Jesus be Lord of one’s life. It is striving to be and do what God wants for us above all else.

Sanctification is submitting to the authority of God over our lives. It is letting go of what we want and doing what God wants, going where He wants us to go and doing what He wants us to do there.

Sanctification is not living a perfect life. It does not mean that we no longer struggle with sin and never fall into it. It is not living on a much higher plane than anyone else free from temptations. It is not a purified mind that never has unholy thoughts. It is not a life that never loses control of one’s emotions or never says mean things. No one will live a perfect life on earth free from temptations and sin.

Sanctification is a process whereby one gets more able to live in victory instead of spiritual defeat. It is growing in maturity of faith. It is becoming more able to resist Satan. It is striving to please God by living submissively to God’s Word. It is letting God influence every area of our lives. It is striving to be the kind of person that reflects Christ in a positive light in the world. Gal. 5:22-23; I Cor. 13:$-8a, etc.

GOD'S MASTER PLAN: SALVATION

 

GOD’S MASTER PLAN: SALVATION

Prov. 19:21 You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. NLT

Planning is what most of us do. We plan out our meals, our vacations, our daily activities, our goals in life, our social lives, etc. Making plans helps us to have a sense of achievement as we go through our lives. We make many plans, but when it’s all said and done, God’s plan will prevail. We will see His good plans for us come to pass if we let Him have His way with us.

God’s master plan is that we would be saved. In order for that to happen, we must understand who God is. God is absolute holiness and is incapable of being in the presence of that which is unholy. If we don’t see ourselves in the light of who God is, we will not be saved.

We must understand that God is a personality who is capable of having a relationship with us. Gen. 1:26-27 God is love and has taken the initiative to having a with us. John 3:16; II Pet. 3:8-9 Everything God does is with the desire to see us saved.

We must understand what sin is before we can understand our need for God. Sin is whatever we say, think, or do that is not holy. James 4:17 Sin is what keeps us away from God. Sin is why Jesus had to die on the cross. Heb. 9:27-28

We must understand our need before we can a relationship with God. We must see ourselves as God sees us; we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Rom. 3:23; I John 1:8-10; Jeremiah 17:9-10 We normally paint a far too pretty picture of ourselves. We see ourselves as in much better shape before God than He does. We live in denial thinking that our good lives or deeds will be enough to take care of our sin problems. We tend to gloss over why Calvary had to happen. We don’t take sin nearly as seriously as we should and as God does.

We must accept our need for God’s help to deal with our sins. Acts 4:12 Jesus is God’s only solution for our sins. He is the only one who is qualified and has the authority to forgive us. But, in order for Jesus to forgive us, we must believe that He is the only one who is qualified and authority to do it, we must confess our sins, ask Him to forgive us, trust in His forgiveness, and then live like we are forgiven.