I've heard it said all my life that we are to take our life and conform it to the Bible versus taking the Bible and conforming it to our life. We've all at some point in our life made our wants and desires the final authority instead of the Word of God. We however are supposed to take our life and transform it to what the Word of God says. When we make our feelings, wants, and desires the final authority over the Bible we start to tread on very dangerous ground.
We must take the Bible as a whole, and not just one scripture here and there out of context. When you start picking and choosing what you want to believe out of the Bible you can form all kinds of evil unrestrained beliefs. Let's think for a minute, How did the devil start tempting Jesus? He started using the Word of God out of context. I think the enemy knows the Bible better than we do, and he can use it to twist, distort, and decieve many.
In Galatians Ch.1:6-8, Paul puts it perfectly. "Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
We have to be aware of false teachers of the Word, but how to we know if a teacher is false or not!
2 Peter 2:1-3 helps us to recognize false teachers that would decieve His people. "But there were also false teachers among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow there destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgement has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber."
"For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption." 2 Peter 2:18-19
"Therefore beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation...You therfore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led astray with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter:3:14,17-18
The false teacher or false prophet is led by the flesh, seeking to obtain power or gain for himself from the ministry. Initially, his message may not be false, but his motivation in ministry is fleshly, so he appeals to the fleshly in others, offering them some carnal or soulish satisfaction. He will ultimately introduce some doctrine contrary to the Bible. Each of us must use the Word of God to measure the words any preacher speaks, and any variation or imbalance in what is taught must be questioned. We also need to be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in this judgement. We are to judge ONLY the teaching. God will judge the teacher!
Reject any teaching that denies the Lordship of Jesus. Know that the false teacher brings about distrust in true ministers of God. Judge the words of every teaching. Let God judge the teacher!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
You are not alone!
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
"Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." 1 Peter 5:5-10
The word "care" in the first scripture above means a divided mind. It means distractions, anxieties, burdens, and worries. It means to be anxious beforehand about daily life. Such worry is unnecessary, because the Father's love provides for both our daily needs and our special needs.
I know sometimes I feel beat down and discouraged, but it seems God always brings me back to these verses. When I think about a lion on the prowl, he is always looking for the weakest one in the pack seeking who is easiest to catch. He's not looking at the pack, but the one alone apart from the pack. The Bible says, the enemy is roaming around like a lion seeking whom he may devour.
I believe a great tactic of the devil is to get us to feel alone and discouraged, and that we're the only one battling with our current life struggles. The bible clearly states above that our same sufferings, battles, worries, and anxieties are experienced by everyone. I'm here to tell you that you are not alone in your situation. You're not the only one dealing with the same sin, thoughts, cares, and worries. Cast it all upon Jesus for He deeply loves and cares for you. He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
God is perfecting His character in you. You are being built up as a spiritual house. The old saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day" well neither were deep rooted Christ followers. Be encouraged He loves you, and knows exactly what you need. We're all living in deeply depraved world, and all are battling similar battles. Don't listen to the enemy when he tries to get you alone and separated from the pack-Church folk. You can't say, "I just need Jesus, and don't need the Church" that's a lie from the pit of hell. You are not alone! The body of Christ needs you. God is not finished with you!
"Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." 1 Peter 5:5-10
The word "care" in the first scripture above means a divided mind. It means distractions, anxieties, burdens, and worries. It means to be anxious beforehand about daily life. Such worry is unnecessary, because the Father's love provides for both our daily needs and our special needs.
I know sometimes I feel beat down and discouraged, but it seems God always brings me back to these verses. When I think about a lion on the prowl, he is always looking for the weakest one in the pack seeking who is easiest to catch. He's not looking at the pack, but the one alone apart from the pack. The Bible says, the enemy is roaming around like a lion seeking whom he may devour.
I believe a great tactic of the devil is to get us to feel alone and discouraged, and that we're the only one battling with our current life struggles. The bible clearly states above that our same sufferings, battles, worries, and anxieties are experienced by everyone. I'm here to tell you that you are not alone in your situation. You're not the only one dealing with the same sin, thoughts, cares, and worries. Cast it all upon Jesus for He deeply loves and cares for you. He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
God is perfecting His character in you. You are being built up as a spiritual house. The old saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day" well neither were deep rooted Christ followers. Be encouraged He loves you, and knows exactly what you need. We're all living in deeply depraved world, and all are battling similar battles. Don't listen to the enemy when he tries to get you alone and separated from the pack-Church folk. You can't say, "I just need Jesus, and don't need the Church" that's a lie from the pit of hell. You are not alone! The body of Christ needs you. God is not finished with you!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Bought Back
"Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Peter 1:18-19
"Redeemed" means "bought back" The redeemer pays a worthy price to reclaim something previously owned. Mankind was once God's by creation, but became lost through sin. The blood of Christ is the price of our purchase, or redemption. God offers Christ's blood to us as our substitutionary sacrifice and accepts it when we offer it back to Him. Our transaction with God is therefore not a gold-and-silver economy; it is a life-and-death economy. Christ gave His life's blood to buy us out of sin and death. His blood is a worthy price and provides an imperishable bond between God and man.
HUMAN WORTH???
The value of the human being can be inferred from the price paid to redeem the man. God the son, the Divine one through whom the worlds were created, became flesh and died for the sins of humanity. That He willingly shed His blood and died for us reveals not only the value fo the human personality, but also the importance of salvation. Through Christ, believers are forgiven, reckoned to be righteous, and by New Birth are renewed in the image of God. Fallen men and women can only produce the works of the flesh. Only by the Spirit, by the New Birth, can renew and recover that which was destroyed by the Fall.
"Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever" 1 Peter 1:23
We owe our new birth to the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit's activation of it's power. God's intent for our created being is only completely fulfilled when our spirits are alive toward Him. As sin produced spiritual death in people, so salvation in Jesus Christ provided spiritual life. The power of God's word - the Holy Scriptures - is in no way more manifest than this: it's power to bring spiritual life to all who open to its truth.
God's will to save us has been effectively expressed in His Word, which accomplishes that work.
"But as many as recieved Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood,, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13
"Redeemed" means "bought back" The redeemer pays a worthy price to reclaim something previously owned. Mankind was once God's by creation, but became lost through sin. The blood of Christ is the price of our purchase, or redemption. God offers Christ's blood to us as our substitutionary sacrifice and accepts it when we offer it back to Him. Our transaction with God is therefore not a gold-and-silver economy; it is a life-and-death economy. Christ gave His life's blood to buy us out of sin and death. His blood is a worthy price and provides an imperishable bond between God and man.
HUMAN WORTH???
The value of the human being can be inferred from the price paid to redeem the man. God the son, the Divine one through whom the worlds were created, became flesh and died for the sins of humanity. That He willingly shed His blood and died for us reveals not only the value fo the human personality, but also the importance of salvation. Through Christ, believers are forgiven, reckoned to be righteous, and by New Birth are renewed in the image of God. Fallen men and women can only produce the works of the flesh. Only by the Spirit, by the New Birth, can renew and recover that which was destroyed by the Fall.
"Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever" 1 Peter 1:23
We owe our new birth to the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit's activation of it's power. God's intent for our created being is only completely fulfilled when our spirits are alive toward Him. As sin produced spiritual death in people, so salvation in Jesus Christ provided spiritual life. The power of God's word - the Holy Scriptures - is in no way more manifest than this: it's power to bring spiritual life to all who open to its truth.
God's will to save us has been effectively expressed in His Word, which accomplishes that work.
"But as many as recieved Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood,, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13
Thursday, August 23, 2012
HE IS ABLE
"Now to Him who is ABLE keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory
With exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen." Jude 24-25
I was reading this morning in Jude, and the greek word for "able" stuck out to me...Dunamai.
When you pronounce the word it kind of sounds like a japanense martial arts explative. I have this picture in my mind of Mr. Miagi throwing a wirlwind of punches at Daniel-san saying, "Dunamai Daniel-san, Dunamai!!!"
BUT, that's not the real picture of the word as you can probably guess. It literally means to be able, and have power. It combines power, willingness, inherent strength and action. God has the power to keep us from stumbling and He is willing to present us faultless despite of ourselves. We must trust in the ability of God to bring us blameless into His presence. We must also fully acknowledge that only by the working and grace of God is anyone able to come joyfully into His presence in blameless worship. He is the lawful ruler of every life. Our God is King of the Universe. How blessed we are to serve Him.
Remember that even in our frailty and humanity, that God has unconditional love for you. I'm thankful that He doesn't hold my past, present, and future sins against me. As David said in Psalm 130:3-4, "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O LORD who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that you may be feared."
Now to Jesus Christ who has the power, and is willingly ABLE!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Drought and Famine
"Do not persuade me to leave you or go back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Yahweh punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death seperates you and me." Ruth 1:16-17
"Have faith in God." Mark 11:22
The story of Ruth should be an encouragement to us is any difficult season. You may be going through a dry time. Your life may be overwhelmed by drought and famine. Maybe you're in a financial drought, or a spiritual drought. Don't lose heart! Ruth encourages us that there is hope in our darkest hour.
The selfless response of Ruth to Naomi is the key to unlocking the story of Ruth. What might seem like two insignificant women and one insignificant decision became one of the most pivotal moments of redemption history.
When life hits you with the unexpected, you can choose to respond like Naomi or Ruth. Naomi felt God had treated her unfairly, and she blamed him and accused Him for all the bad that happened to her. Although no blessings had been promised that she could cling to, Ruth refused to spend the rest of her life wallowing in grief and self-pity.
Faith demands courage. It takes risks and acts according to God's Word. We can face an uncertain future or great loss or unexpected tragedy and grief with courage, knowing our heavenly Father cares for us and brings life out of death.
He is a God of resurrection power! He hasn't changed, and He hasn't fallen off the throne! He can turn your situation around in a moment with one touch of His hand and one word from His mouth.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Heb. 13:8
"Have faith in God." Mark 11:22
The story of Ruth should be an encouragement to us is any difficult season. You may be going through a dry time. Your life may be overwhelmed by drought and famine. Maybe you're in a financial drought, or a spiritual drought. Don't lose heart! Ruth encourages us that there is hope in our darkest hour.
The selfless response of Ruth to Naomi is the key to unlocking the story of Ruth. What might seem like two insignificant women and one insignificant decision became one of the most pivotal moments of redemption history.
When life hits you with the unexpected, you can choose to respond like Naomi or Ruth. Naomi felt God had treated her unfairly, and she blamed him and accused Him for all the bad that happened to her. Although no blessings had been promised that she could cling to, Ruth refused to spend the rest of her life wallowing in grief and self-pity.
Faith demands courage. It takes risks and acts according to God's Word. We can face an uncertain future or great loss or unexpected tragedy and grief with courage, knowing our heavenly Father cares for us and brings life out of death.
He is a God of resurrection power! He hasn't changed, and He hasn't fallen off the throne! He can turn your situation around in a moment with one touch of His hand and one word from His mouth.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Heb. 13:8
Monday, June 25, 2012
Humble Hero
"The LORD turned to him and said, 'Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the power of Midian. Am I not sending you?'" Judges 6:14
"Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world-what is viewed as nothing-to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presense." 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Most people we call heroes never view themselves that way. Gideon was a young man who was totally convinced he was a nobody. Gideon didn't run up and volunteer to lead an army. He was hiding, a coward who would eventually lead the 'original 300' to defeat an army over of 120,000 troops. At the beginning, he responded with words like if, why, where, but, and how. Fearful people are often indecisive, and this seemed to be the case with Gideon. I know this is something I deal with on a daily basis, and God is still working in me.
BUT GOD, raises up people to achieve His purposes. God is not looking for talent or personality; He's looking for someone He can trust with great responsibilities. He looks for those who will give Him glory.
Humility is not thinking poorly of oneself, rather it means not thinking of oneself at all. Don't let others tell you what you can be; let God tell you.
Fear focuses on the obstacles; courage focuses on the opportunity. Fear sees with eyes of flesh; courage sees with eyes of faith.
The true humble hero was Jesus Christ. Who left the palace of heaven, and humbled Himself to death on the cross. Have faith in Christ, and there is nothing you can't do through His mighty power.
"Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world-what is viewed as nothing-to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presense." 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Most people we call heroes never view themselves that way. Gideon was a young man who was totally convinced he was a nobody. Gideon didn't run up and volunteer to lead an army. He was hiding, a coward who would eventually lead the 'original 300' to defeat an army over of 120,000 troops. At the beginning, he responded with words like if, why, where, but, and how. Fearful people are often indecisive, and this seemed to be the case with Gideon. I know this is something I deal with on a daily basis, and God is still working in me.
BUT GOD, raises up people to achieve His purposes. God is not looking for talent or personality; He's looking for someone He can trust with great responsibilities. He looks for those who will give Him glory.
Humility is not thinking poorly of oneself, rather it means not thinking of oneself at all. Don't let others tell you what you can be; let God tell you.
Fear focuses on the obstacles; courage focuses on the opportunity. Fear sees with eyes of flesh; courage sees with eyes of faith.
The true humble hero was Jesus Christ. Who left the palace of heaven, and humbled Himself to death on the cross. Have faith in Christ, and there is nothing you can't do through His mighty power.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Obedience or Excellence?
Why do we find it so easy to mix our standards of sexual sin and so difficult to firmly commit to true purity? Because we're used to it. We easily tolerate mixed standards of sexual purity because we tolerate mixed standards in most other areas of life.
OBEDIENCE OR EXCELLENCE?
Question: What's your aim in life-excellence or obedience?
What's the difference? To aim for obedience is to aim for perfection, not for "excellence," which is actually something less. "Wait a minute!" you reply. "I thought excellence and perfection were the same thing."
Sometimes they appear to be. But mere excellence allows room for a mixture. In most arenas, excellence is not a fixed standard at all. It's a mixed standard. Let me show you what I mean.
American businesses are in search of excellence. They could be in search of perfection, of course-perfect products, perfect service-but perfection is too costly and eats into profits. Rather than be perfect, businesses know it's enough to seem perfect to their customers. By stopping short of perfection, they find a profitable balance between quality and costs.
To find this balance, they often look to their peers to discover the "best practices" of their industry: How far can we go and still seem perfect? By how far can we stop short? Businesses find it profitable to stop short at the middle ground of excellence because perfection costs too much.
But is it profitable for Christians to stop short at the middle ground of excellence where costs are low, balanced somewhere between paganism and obedience? Not at all! While in business it's profitable to seem perfect, in the spiritual realm it's merely comfortable to seem perfect. It is never profitable. Clearly, excellence isn't the same as obedience or perfection. The search for excellence leaves us overwhelmingly vulnerable to snare after snare since it allows room for mixture. The search for obedience or perfection does not. Excellence is a mixed standard, while obedience is a fixed standard. We want to shoot for a fixed standard.
Like the buisnessman seeking the best business practices, I was asking myself, How far can I go and still be called a Christian? The question I should have been asking was, How holy can I be?
God's standard for sexual purity is found in Eph. 5:3-4.
"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be any obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place."
We can be holy because Jesus was holy, and His Spirit is inside us!
OBEDIENCE OR EXCELLENCE?
Question: What's your aim in life-excellence or obedience?
What's the difference? To aim for obedience is to aim for perfection, not for "excellence," which is actually something less. "Wait a minute!" you reply. "I thought excellence and perfection were the same thing."
Sometimes they appear to be. But mere excellence allows room for a mixture. In most arenas, excellence is not a fixed standard at all. It's a mixed standard. Let me show you what I mean.
American businesses are in search of excellence. They could be in search of perfection, of course-perfect products, perfect service-but perfection is too costly and eats into profits. Rather than be perfect, businesses know it's enough to seem perfect to their customers. By stopping short of perfection, they find a profitable balance between quality and costs.
To find this balance, they often look to their peers to discover the "best practices" of their industry: How far can we go and still seem perfect? By how far can we stop short? Businesses find it profitable to stop short at the middle ground of excellence because perfection costs too much.
But is it profitable for Christians to stop short at the middle ground of excellence where costs are low, balanced somewhere between paganism and obedience? Not at all! While in business it's profitable to seem perfect, in the spiritual realm it's merely comfortable to seem perfect. It is never profitable. Clearly, excellence isn't the same as obedience or perfection. The search for excellence leaves us overwhelmingly vulnerable to snare after snare since it allows room for mixture. The search for obedience or perfection does not. Excellence is a mixed standard, while obedience is a fixed standard. We want to shoot for a fixed standard.
Like the buisnessman seeking the best business practices, I was asking myself, How far can I go and still be called a Christian? The question I should have been asking was, How holy can I be?
God's standard for sexual purity is found in Eph. 5:3-4.
"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be any obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place."
We can be holy because Jesus was holy, and His Spirit is inside us!
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