"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4
Okay... today I was thinking we might dig a little bit into some of the practical application aspects of joy. But first, thank you to all who left comments in response to my request from yesterday's blog. I was greatly encouraged to know that there are in fact other people trying to cultivate these things in their lives. If you did not get a chance to leave a comment, please feel free to do so at any time. Also, please read the comments from yesterday in order to get some other people's thoughts on joy. I found it quite amazing, some of the insight that was displayed! Again, thank you!
Now, for some practical applications of joy... well... actually joy is about one of the most impractical things according to the standard of this world. Look at what Paul says here in Philippians 4:4... "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" That "always" is the part that most of us have trouble with. I know I do! However, I have been trying to focus my entire week on rejoicing in the Lord, no matter what the circumstance is. So, here is an example that came up just yesterday...
I own an old pick-up truck, and yesterday I decided I would change the oil before I had to go to work... Well, the oil-change went fine, except that my truck wouldn't start afterwards! So, I had about a half-hour until I had to be at work... I had two choices: get frustrated and start grumbling, or realize that this is really God's truck anyways... and if He wants to break it, that's His choice, I'm just going to be glad that He has allowed me to use it for as long as He has! So, I decided, being that we're studying joy and all, to try this second concept. I simply prayed, "All right, Lord, this is your truck! If you want to break it, then that's fine. Thank you for allowing me to use it for the amount of time that I have!" And with that I had to quickly ask my mom... yeah... to give me a ride to work. Thankfully it's not that far, and my mom's pretty much the coolest mom ever so she was fine with that idea and I got to work on time. However, I then struggled throughout the day to focus on having joy in the Lord, rather than focusing on my current problem. However, I have found that there is a growing trust in my heart and that I am not as easily torn from my Lord by simple issues in life. I had finally begun to learn to have joy in times that would usually have called for worry.
To make a long story short, I worked a long, hot day in the sun... got home from work, and my dad said he would take a look at what was wrong with my truck. We found a wire that I had apparently pulled out of the starter, when I was changing the oil. And there you have it! The problem was solved, and I was given even more reason to rejoice in Jehovah-Jireh, "The Lord will provide."
Let's take a look at the problem again... I had disconnected the power from my starter. What does a starter do? It starts the entire engine that runs my vehicle! Do you see where I'm going with this?
Our relationship with Christ is very much like the connection from the battery to the starter on a car. Without that connection... we can't function properly. Without learning to have love, joy, peace, patience... we cannot function properly as children of the Almighty God. Let's take it one step further. You are in fact the car that I speak of, the battery is the Living Word of God... If you do not keep yourself plugged into His Word, you cannot maintain a well-running relationship with the Father. Plain and simple! How can you learn to have joy unless you spend time reading what God says about joy and seeing how it has been displayed through His servants?
Friends, if you read and understand nothing else, please understand this... It is of the utmost importance that you maintain a growing and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. I have no other word for you today, that I might not lessen the importance of this fact.
Please, take some time to evaluate your relationship with Christ. Do you even have a relationship with Him? If not, I hope that this study has convinced you of your need for Christ and that you will not delay in finding someone whom you could talk to about giving your life to Him. It is the most sweet and freeing surrender that there ever was! To rest in the Shadow of the Almighty.... there is no greater joy!
Friends, today is the day! Make the decision in your heart, that you will follow Christ, and keep plugged into the source that brings life into your soul!
Those of you who are already in that relationship with Christ... What steps can you take to increase your joy in the Lord? What can you give up to God, so that you will not be disappointed when you no longer have it? The Lord gives and He takes away... will your joy be defined by which one He decides to do? Or will you learn to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"? Stay plugged in to the Word of God, and remember to check your connection from time to time. You know... it can sometimes become loose when you go over a few bumps! Maintain...
Grace and Peace!
Note: as an aside, here is a link to a sight called, "Hannah's Cupboard," in which there is a list of some of the names of God. It is amazing what you can learn about the character of God through His different names! I have only used the "Names of God" portion of this website and therefore cannot claim any of the other content as being the same or different in view or belief. If you do decide to check out the site and have any questions about what you come across, please, leave a comment on this blog and I'll check it out and get back to you! Thanks again! http://www.hannahscupboard.com/names-of-god.html
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Joy in Times of Trial
"I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth." - 3 John 1:4
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." - James 1:2-6
"Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction." - 2 Corinthians 7:4
Joy in affliction and trials... are these not the very testing grounds of our faith in God? You can always tell if a person is truly trusting God by how they react to tragedies that occur in their lives. Paul most often was writing his letters from a prison cell... the content of his letters would almost lead you to believe that he was sitting in some library of no small means and writing from the comfort of a large chair by the fire. But, you see, Paul's joy was not found in the monetary comforts of life. He found his greatest joy in his loving Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh, that we might too be found faithful in our Lord... that we would "consider it all joy" when we face trials in our lives. Quite simply, joy comes down to the matter of trust... I was greatly encouraged by a comment left on yesterday's blog entry. In it was a reference from the life of George Mueller, when his wife was dying... He held her hand as she died and said, "somehow this is good for me. Thank you Father". He got it! He understood the greater things of God! That God has a plan that is higher and more grand than anything we could ever imagine! And therefore he trusted God, and his joy was found in something greater than even his own wife. What a legacy to leave for those of us who struggle with the small things...
Friends, I so often fail to find the joy of the Lord when small things are in front of me. Instead of looking heavenward... I find my eyes glued to the tiniest details of a microscopic problem in light of a God who is so GREAT! What a pity... Oh, that I might have a faith and understanding like George Mueller... Oh, that I could rejoice in trials like Paul!
Again we come to the issue of trust... In what or whom do we place our trust? Unfortunately if we place our trust in people or physical objects, they are bound to fail us. Anything other than the immutable God of creation will not last us through trials... He alone is faithful to His promises... that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you, Lord!
If we can grasp this concept of trust and faith in God, then can we learn to have joy in the less-than-joyful circumstances of life. I have no doubt that it was the intention and purpose of God for James and Paul to write these words in their letters. Christ said that following Him would come at a price. Some have paid the ultimate price! What can cause a man or woman to die for the cause of Christ? The joy that they have in knowing their Lord, Jesus!
Do you, Christian, truly understand what Christ has saved you from? It takes knowing that you are completely unworthy of being saved to understand how great a gift our salvation really is.
Am I becoming redundant in my speech? It may be because I too am learning these truths as I study each day. Where is my joy? Friends, this is one of the areas I struggle with the most... my joy is too often found in other things. But I have found myself praying to God, throughout these past few days, for Him to be the center of my life and the object of all my joy. He is faithful! He alone will comfort you in your times of trial. When everyone else has gone home for the night, He is still there... right beside you. "What a friend we have in Jesus!" I long for Him to be my joy and my comfort. Listen to these words of Christ.... "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." - John 16:24
When we ask in accordance with the will of God, He is faithful to provide what we need. Right now I am seeing the deficit of joy in my life and recognize that it must come from the Father. Friends, this is what we need to be praying for... that Christ would develop in us these fruits of the Spirit. We cannot attain them on our own! That is why they are called the fruit of the SPIRIT! Only by the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives can we ever hope to attain these attributes of God.
If you have learned what it means to have joy, please, share with me your findings. I would be greatly encouraged by any feedback that you might have. If you can leave it as a comment on the blog I would greatly appreciate it! Friends, may you find joy in Christ, the Hope of our Salvation, on this blessed day!
Grace and Peace!
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." - James 1:2-6
"Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction." - 2 Corinthians 7:4
Joy in affliction and trials... are these not the very testing grounds of our faith in God? You can always tell if a person is truly trusting God by how they react to tragedies that occur in their lives. Paul most often was writing his letters from a prison cell... the content of his letters would almost lead you to believe that he was sitting in some library of no small means and writing from the comfort of a large chair by the fire. But, you see, Paul's joy was not found in the monetary comforts of life. He found his greatest joy in his loving Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh, that we might too be found faithful in our Lord... that we would "consider it all joy" when we face trials in our lives. Quite simply, joy comes down to the matter of trust... I was greatly encouraged by a comment left on yesterday's blog entry. In it was a reference from the life of George Mueller, when his wife was dying... He held her hand as she died and said, "somehow this is good for me. Thank you Father". He got it! He understood the greater things of God! That God has a plan that is higher and more grand than anything we could ever imagine! And therefore he trusted God, and his joy was found in something greater than even his own wife. What a legacy to leave for those of us who struggle with the small things...
Friends, I so often fail to find the joy of the Lord when small things are in front of me. Instead of looking heavenward... I find my eyes glued to the tiniest details of a microscopic problem in light of a God who is so GREAT! What a pity... Oh, that I might have a faith and understanding like George Mueller... Oh, that I could rejoice in trials like Paul!
Again we come to the issue of trust... In what or whom do we place our trust? Unfortunately if we place our trust in people or physical objects, they are bound to fail us. Anything other than the immutable God of creation will not last us through trials... He alone is faithful to His promises... that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Thank you, Lord!
If we can grasp this concept of trust and faith in God, then can we learn to have joy in the less-than-joyful circumstances of life. I have no doubt that it was the intention and purpose of God for James and Paul to write these words in their letters. Christ said that following Him would come at a price. Some have paid the ultimate price! What can cause a man or woman to die for the cause of Christ? The joy that they have in knowing their Lord, Jesus!
Do you, Christian, truly understand what Christ has saved you from? It takes knowing that you are completely unworthy of being saved to understand how great a gift our salvation really is.
Am I becoming redundant in my speech? It may be because I too am learning these truths as I study each day. Where is my joy? Friends, this is one of the areas I struggle with the most... my joy is too often found in other things. But I have found myself praying to God, throughout these past few days, for Him to be the center of my life and the object of all my joy. He is faithful! He alone will comfort you in your times of trial. When everyone else has gone home for the night, He is still there... right beside you. "What a friend we have in Jesus!" I long for Him to be my joy and my comfort. Listen to these words of Christ.... "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." - John 16:24
When we ask in accordance with the will of God, He is faithful to provide what we need. Right now I am seeing the deficit of joy in my life and recognize that it must come from the Father. Friends, this is what we need to be praying for... that Christ would develop in us these fruits of the Spirit. We cannot attain them on our own! That is why they are called the fruit of the SPIRIT! Only by the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives can we ever hope to attain these attributes of God.
If you have learned what it means to have joy, please, share with me your findings. I would be greatly encouraged by any feedback that you might have. If you can leave it as a comment on the blog I would greatly appreciate it! Friends, may you find joy in Christ, the Hope of our Salvation, on this blessed day!
Grace and Peace!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Joy In The Lord
"Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'The LORD be magnified!' " -Psalms 40:16
"Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice; and let them say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns.' " - 1 Chronicles 16:31
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." - Matthew 13:44
"...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." - Romans 14:17
"...and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." - 1 Peter 1:8-9
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4
I cannot help but think of a popular song that says, "We stand and lift up our hands, for the joy of the Lord is our strength!" How great a truth that is! Our joy must be first and foremost in Christ, for if it lies anywhere else it is a false hope. I spent a good portion of the day, yesterday, pondering what it means to have my joy be made complete in God alone... I wrestled with the thought that it means I should not put so much emphasis on my friendships or relationships with other people, because they are not and should not be my primary source of joy. How often, friends, we fall into the trap of the world which says, "Your joy will be found in the acceptance of others!" ...I have been held captive by these thoughts for long enough! I have, indeed, decided to follow Jesus! How many times have we sung that faithful hymn without a second thought of even attempting to actually apply such a wonderful principle to our lives? "I have decided to follow Jesus! I have decided to follow Jesus! I have decided to follow Jesus! No turning back! No turning back!" ...So simple, yet such a revolutionary idea! NO TURNING BACK! What does that mean to you?
Anyways, all of that to say: I want my joy to be in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I could tell you many stories from my own life of just how wrong things can go when you put too much emphasis on the things of this world... When my joy has been in people, and let me tell you it has been very much in people, I find that they are not as reliable as I had hoped. But thanks be to God! He is faithful to be my Comforter and my Strength... I am beginning to realize that joy in Him can actually change your entire outlook on life. If we can learn to find joy in Christ, then we will not become depressed when we are not "happy" because we would understand that joy in Christ is not about our happiness, but it is the ability to rest in His promises to, "not fail you or forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6).
I love the parable that Jesus gives about the man finding a treasure in a field... What if we truly understood what it meant to have so much joy in the Lord that we were actually willing to sell everything that we owned in order to obtain it? To chase after the kingdom of God with all of our might... How noble an endeavor!
I am convinced that if we truly understood what it means to have joy in the Lord, then we would have no problem replicating what we see in Acts... Where all of the believers were working together to supply each other's needs.
Joy is satisfaction in the necessities of life, with the understanding that they are a blessing from God. The "American Dream" is really a lack of joy and, instead, a mindset of happiness... When we are told that, no matter how much we already have, we will never quite have enough, we by into the happiness mindset and forfeit the joy of the Lord in our lives.
What am I saying? I am saying that it is of absolute importance that we learn to have joy in the Lord above all else in our lives. Think about the order of the fruits of the Spirit... love, joy, peace, patience... This was no idle order in which they were put... Am I saying that some are less important in our lives? No, but we do see in 1 Corinthians that love is the most stressed point that God places for growth in our lives. From love comes all other fruit in our lives. You cannot have the joy of the Lord, without first having a love for God... it just isn't possible. Not only that, but without a love for God you would have no desire for Him... What then would make you rejoice in Him, if you didn't love Him?
I may be going in circles, but for me it is almost necessary to do so in order to truly grasp this concept of joy. Joy is born in us when we love God with all of our heart, soul, and might. (Deut. 6:5) Joy is, in fact, the overflow of our love for God. It is what causes us to witness to those whom we meet and who are in our workplaces. Have you ever met someone with so much joy that they seemed almost incapable of containing it? I have! And let me tell you something, those are the people who are so saturated with the words and promises of Scripture that you cannot carry on a conversation with them without Christ coming up somewhere in the mix. I want, with all of my heart, for that to be the same with me... for Christ to be on my tongue at all times!
I hope this hasn't been too confusing of a blog entry for all of you, but I'm afraid that I'm quite new to the study of joy and I'm having trouble putting everything into understandable sentences... If you understand nothing else, please understand this... Having joy in Christ is the most important thing, next to having love in Christ, that we can ever learn to do! For from that joy will come the desire for all of the other things of God.
Friends, may God's Grace and Peace be with you all! Rejoice in the Lord, as you go throughout this day!
"Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice; and let them say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns.' " - 1 Chronicles 16:31
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." - Matthew 13:44
"...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." - Romans 14:17
"...and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls." - 1 Peter 1:8-9
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4
I cannot help but think of a popular song that says, "We stand and lift up our hands, for the joy of the Lord is our strength!" How great a truth that is! Our joy must be first and foremost in Christ, for if it lies anywhere else it is a false hope. I spent a good portion of the day, yesterday, pondering what it means to have my joy be made complete in God alone... I wrestled with the thought that it means I should not put so much emphasis on my friendships or relationships with other people, because they are not and should not be my primary source of joy. How often, friends, we fall into the trap of the world which says, "Your joy will be found in the acceptance of others!" ...I have been held captive by these thoughts for long enough! I have, indeed, decided to follow Jesus! How many times have we sung that faithful hymn without a second thought of even attempting to actually apply such a wonderful principle to our lives? "I have decided to follow Jesus! I have decided to follow Jesus! I have decided to follow Jesus! No turning back! No turning back!" ...So simple, yet such a revolutionary idea! NO TURNING BACK! What does that mean to you?
Anyways, all of that to say: I want my joy to be in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I could tell you many stories from my own life of just how wrong things can go when you put too much emphasis on the things of this world... When my joy has been in people, and let me tell you it has been very much in people, I find that they are not as reliable as I had hoped. But thanks be to God! He is faithful to be my Comforter and my Strength... I am beginning to realize that joy in Him can actually change your entire outlook on life. If we can learn to find joy in Christ, then we will not become depressed when we are not "happy" because we would understand that joy in Christ is not about our happiness, but it is the ability to rest in His promises to, "not fail you or forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6).
I love the parable that Jesus gives about the man finding a treasure in a field... What if we truly understood what it meant to have so much joy in the Lord that we were actually willing to sell everything that we owned in order to obtain it? To chase after the kingdom of God with all of our might... How noble an endeavor!
I am convinced that if we truly understood what it means to have joy in the Lord, then we would have no problem replicating what we see in Acts... Where all of the believers were working together to supply each other's needs.
Joy is satisfaction in the necessities of life, with the understanding that they are a blessing from God. The "American Dream" is really a lack of joy and, instead, a mindset of happiness... When we are told that, no matter how much we already have, we will never quite have enough, we by into the happiness mindset and forfeit the joy of the Lord in our lives.
What am I saying? I am saying that it is of absolute importance that we learn to have joy in the Lord above all else in our lives. Think about the order of the fruits of the Spirit... love, joy, peace, patience... This was no idle order in which they were put... Am I saying that some are less important in our lives? No, but we do see in 1 Corinthians that love is the most stressed point that God places for growth in our lives. From love comes all other fruit in our lives. You cannot have the joy of the Lord, without first having a love for God... it just isn't possible. Not only that, but without a love for God you would have no desire for Him... What then would make you rejoice in Him, if you didn't love Him?
I may be going in circles, but for me it is almost necessary to do so in order to truly grasp this concept of joy. Joy is born in us when we love God with all of our heart, soul, and might. (Deut. 6:5) Joy is, in fact, the overflow of our love for God. It is what causes us to witness to those whom we meet and who are in our workplaces. Have you ever met someone with so much joy that they seemed almost incapable of containing it? I have! And let me tell you something, those are the people who are so saturated with the words and promises of Scripture that you cannot carry on a conversation with them without Christ coming up somewhere in the mix. I want, with all of my heart, for that to be the same with me... for Christ to be on my tongue at all times!
I hope this hasn't been too confusing of a blog entry for all of you, but I'm afraid that I'm quite new to the study of joy and I'm having trouble putting everything into understandable sentences... If you understand nothing else, please understand this... Having joy in Christ is the most important thing, next to having love in Christ, that we can ever learn to do! For from that joy will come the desire for all of the other things of God.
Friends, may God's Grace and Peace be with you all! Rejoice in the Lord, as you go throughout this day!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Joy: The Overview
"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me." - Philippians 4:14-18
"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." - Psalm 51:12
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." - James 1:2-5
So... Joy! Hmmmmm.... this is one of the fruits that I looked forward to studying because it's one of several that I struggle the most with.
You know, you can't have joy without having the love of Christ. That's why it's so important to first understand love. You don't have to have mastered love, but you must at least understand what true love looks like so that you can then learn what true joy is all about.
Joy is entirely different from happiness. It is displayed through, apparently, the same emotions but is an entirely different mindset than happiness. Happiness is all about comfort and circumstances being exactly as we would have them to be. Joy, on the other hand, is understanding who we are in Christ, and that He will supply everything that we need.
Happiness is easily lost when tragedy arises. But have you ever seen a person who walks with confidence through seemingly the most horrific of tragedies? That is what Joy is all about. It's the hope we have, through salvation, and the confidence in our Savior, no matter what the circumstances are!
I will be the first to admit that I don't always display the joy that should be seen in the life of a follower of Christ. I too constantly fool myself into thinking that this life is all about my personal happiness. I might not say these exact words to myself, but the idea behind it is still there.
Take a look at what James said in chapter 1 verses 2-5... "Consider it PURE JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." Pure joy... Christ set the example for us of what true joy looks like:
"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:2
The joy that Christ had was in pleasing His Father. This too should be our joy.... That we would please God in everything that we do! I am excited to go more in-depth into this topic in the next few days. Let us pray that God would reveal to us true joy and what it means to life a life that counts trials sent by Him to be the joy of our lives. "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6
Friends, I'm afraid this is all that I have for today. I encourage you to earnestly seek after the joy of your salvation, that is Christ, and to hold tightly to the promise and the hope that is found there!
Grace and Peace, dear friends and fellow believers!
"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." - Psalm 51:12
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." - James 1:2-5
So... Joy! Hmmmmm.... this is one of the fruits that I looked forward to studying because it's one of several that I struggle the most with.
You know, you can't have joy without having the love of Christ. That's why it's so important to first understand love. You don't have to have mastered love, but you must at least understand what true love looks like so that you can then learn what true joy is all about.
Joy is entirely different from happiness. It is displayed through, apparently, the same emotions but is an entirely different mindset than happiness. Happiness is all about comfort and circumstances being exactly as we would have them to be. Joy, on the other hand, is understanding who we are in Christ, and that He will supply everything that we need.
Happiness is easily lost when tragedy arises. But have you ever seen a person who walks with confidence through seemingly the most horrific of tragedies? That is what Joy is all about. It's the hope we have, through salvation, and the confidence in our Savior, no matter what the circumstances are!
I will be the first to admit that I don't always display the joy that should be seen in the life of a follower of Christ. I too constantly fool myself into thinking that this life is all about my personal happiness. I might not say these exact words to myself, but the idea behind it is still there.
Take a look at what James said in chapter 1 verses 2-5... "Consider it PURE JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." Pure joy... Christ set the example for us of what true joy looks like:
"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:2
The joy that Christ had was in pleasing His Father. This too should be our joy.... That we would please God in everything that we do! I am excited to go more in-depth into this topic in the next few days. Let us pray that God would reveal to us true joy and what it means to life a life that counts trials sent by Him to be the joy of our lives. "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6
Friends, I'm afraid this is all that I have for today. I encourage you to earnestly seek after the joy of your salvation, that is Christ, and to hold tightly to the promise and the hope that is found there!
Grace and Peace, dear friends and fellow believers!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Love: A Closer Look
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her... So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." -Ephesians 5:25, 28-31
"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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:10-11
"If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also." - 1 John 4:20-21
Loving Family... what a subject! I don't think that it's one we could spend just one day and cover everything. I don't think we could cover what it means to love your family in a week's time! I mean, sure, you could read all of the information in about one week, but to truly understand it to the point of application... not so much.
Let's just take a look at a couple of things really quickly, though... Husbands love your wives... This one's important! You know, I've seen so many studies and heard so many conferences about this subject alone. Wives have a God-given need and desire for love from their husbands, just as husbands have a God-given need and desire for respect and the feeling of being needed. When a husband does not feel that he is a vital part of what's going on, he loses his sense of self-worth. In the same way, the wife loses all sense of self-worth when not treated with the love that she deserves. And she certainly deserves to be loved!
Look at the verse from Ephesians again... "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her..." JUST AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH!!! There's a whole lot of love there! To the point of death. Not only so, but also with the way that He spent His whole life in service to those whom He was going to save, through His death and resurrection.
As I referred to earlier in this study, when John talks about "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13), he is not talking specifically about dying for someone else, he is talking about DAILY surrender of your own desires and, instead, serving those whom you love. This is the type of love that husbands must have towards their wives, as well as verbal re-assurances of their love. Wives need to hear these kinds of things from their husbands, whether they already know them or not is NOT the point! Verbalize and re-affirm your love for your wives. The unspoken sometimes becomes the unknown... there must be communication in order for there to be a love that lasts!
As an aside, wives... it is imperative that you also show your love to your husbands through the respect that Paul also talks about in Ephesians 5. Paul absolutely knew what he was talking about when he gave these two commands to the church in Ephesus... there is a God-given need in each of us, either for love or for respect, and when those needs are neglected... you get the messed up society we live in today! Congratulations! We've once again distorted the God-ordained order of things and, once again, declared our independence from God... What a wicked and depraved generation we have today... Friends! If only we would follow half of what we know to be true in God's Word... we would have finished the work of the Great Commission and the Gospel would have already reached the farthest ends of the earth! But, instead, we sit and listen to what is preached about love, and about laying down your life... then we return to our 21st century American lives and don't give a second thought to the whole thing!
Our marriages would not be falling apart if we could follow the simple commands that God has given! Our children would not stray from an upright path and from godliness if we just taught them a genuine love for God and for things that are of HIM! Why am I saying this??? Why do I mention such things in a study about love? ...because that's the problem... We don't love enough to make ourselves care enough about anything other than ourselves. If we could grasp these concepts of loving others and loving God then we would be able to begin to understand why it's so important to follow His commands! It would begin to make sense... if only we knew how to love like Christ loved us.
Friends, this is why I bring to light these things that we're doing wrong... because they are simply the result of selfishness, instead of love...
If you loved your children with the same love that Christ loves your children... how closely would you monitor what they watch and what they hear? How quick would you be to correct the behavior that does not exemplify godliness in their lives? How much would you stress the importance of loving God? How much emphasis would you put on loving them and laying down your own desires so that they might know that you love them?
Husband... if you loved your wife as Christ loved the church "...and gave Himself up for her..." how would you spend your time? Does watching television exemplify the love of Christ being manifested in you, and then that love being shown towards your wife? Do all of the projects and activities? All of the time spent away from home? How often do you call and tell her, "Hey, I was just calling to see how you're doing... I love you!"? How often do you help her out around the house and show that you care about how much time and effort she puts into making it a place that can be called home?
Am I saying that I have accomplished all of these things? Far from it! But I see the need and I plead with God, that He might give me the strength and fortitude to uphold these things in my life. I'm not even married yet! But I know that marriage is not an easy, blissful, thing that you just float through for the rest of your life... I have parents too!
Unmarried folks... this is the time to prepare your hearts and to understand what true love looks like so that you don't walk into a marriage and hit a brick wall! It's not all fun and games! It WILL be hard! I don't care what you feel when you're around him or her right now... it will NOT be easy. If it were easy... it wouldn't be called life.
I am sorry if this seems like a depressing message to you... but what's so depressing about true love? The fact that it's hard? The fact that you have to work at it? Here's something that always encourages me: Christ never asks us to do something that He himself didn't do! Jesus didn't tell Peter, "Get out of the boat and go walk on the water!" while He stood by on the shore or in the boat. No! He was already treading on the water and Peter came out to where Christ was already standing! Therefore, fix your eyes on Jesus, He's already standing there, on the other side! "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13 "...for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." - Philippians 2:13
Friends this is what God-honoring love looks like! Let us strive to love and act as Christ so modeled for us. My hope is that this study of love has stirred in your heart a desire to please God in how you love Him and others.
On today's subject, I assure you, there are many, more qualified, people who could tell you more in-depth how to develop this love in your life, but I preach Christ and for that I am not ashamed! I would encourage you to speak with a godly and mature fellow believer about any questions or possibly the steps that you need to take in developing the fruit of love in your life. I will say it again, IT'S NOT EASY, but is is definitely worth it! To love like Christ... what greater thing is there that we could accomplish in this life? If you would like some resources on today's topic, please leave me a comment on today's posting and I will try to find some biblically sound books that might help you!
God bless you, my friends, and may His Grace and Peace be with you all!
Next week I will begin the study of Joy... and that is something I'm looking forward to, very much! Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
P.S. - I would like to clarify a point about my reference to the meaning of John 15:13 as written in this blog... I, no way, meant that the actual sacrificing of one's life is not to be considered one of the greatest sacrifices and greatest displays of love that a person can make. My heart especially goes out to our beloved and brave troops that are currently defending the very freedom of speech that we have! Without their love displayed through the blood that has been shed, our freedom would not exist... plain and simple.
That being said... the literal translation of John 15:13, from the Hebrew language, would read as I have noted in my blog. So, I am not relinquishing my point on daily sacrificing of personal desires in exchange for a life devoted to the service of love, but am also not ruling out the power of love displayed through the literal sacrifice of one's life for another. Am I above God that I could nullify the power of Christ's death on the cross as the ONLY way for us to be saved from our sins? May it never be! Just to be clear, I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life and that no one comes to God except through HIM. Let it never be misunderstood as otherwise.
Thanks for the clarifying comment, Nick! God Bless!
"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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:10-11
"If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also." - 1 John 4:20-21
Loving Family... what a subject! I don't think that it's one we could spend just one day and cover everything. I don't think we could cover what it means to love your family in a week's time! I mean, sure, you could read all of the information in about one week, but to truly understand it to the point of application... not so much.
Let's just take a look at a couple of things really quickly, though... Husbands love your wives... This one's important! You know, I've seen so many studies and heard so many conferences about this subject alone. Wives have a God-given need and desire for love from their husbands, just as husbands have a God-given need and desire for respect and the feeling of being needed. When a husband does not feel that he is a vital part of what's going on, he loses his sense of self-worth. In the same way, the wife loses all sense of self-worth when not treated with the love that she deserves. And she certainly deserves to be loved!
Look at the verse from Ephesians again... "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her..." JUST AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH!!! There's a whole lot of love there! To the point of death. Not only so, but also with the way that He spent His whole life in service to those whom He was going to save, through His death and resurrection.
As I referred to earlier in this study, when John talks about "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13), he is not talking specifically about dying for someone else, he is talking about DAILY surrender of your own desires and, instead, serving those whom you love. This is the type of love that husbands must have towards their wives, as well as verbal re-assurances of their love. Wives need to hear these kinds of things from their husbands, whether they already know them or not is NOT the point! Verbalize and re-affirm your love for your wives. The unspoken sometimes becomes the unknown... there must be communication in order for there to be a love that lasts!
As an aside, wives... it is imperative that you also show your love to your husbands through the respect that Paul also talks about in Ephesians 5. Paul absolutely knew what he was talking about when he gave these two commands to the church in Ephesus... there is a God-given need in each of us, either for love or for respect, and when those needs are neglected... you get the messed up society we live in today! Congratulations! We've once again distorted the God-ordained order of things and, once again, declared our independence from God... What a wicked and depraved generation we have today... Friends! If only we would follow half of what we know to be true in God's Word... we would have finished the work of the Great Commission and the Gospel would have already reached the farthest ends of the earth! But, instead, we sit and listen to what is preached about love, and about laying down your life... then we return to our 21st century American lives and don't give a second thought to the whole thing!
Our marriages would not be falling apart if we could follow the simple commands that God has given! Our children would not stray from an upright path and from godliness if we just taught them a genuine love for God and for things that are of HIM! Why am I saying this??? Why do I mention such things in a study about love? ...because that's the problem... We don't love enough to make ourselves care enough about anything other than ourselves. If we could grasp these concepts of loving others and loving God then we would be able to begin to understand why it's so important to follow His commands! It would begin to make sense... if only we knew how to love like Christ loved us.
Friends, this is why I bring to light these things that we're doing wrong... because they are simply the result of selfishness, instead of love...
If you loved your children with the same love that Christ loves your children... how closely would you monitor what they watch and what they hear? How quick would you be to correct the behavior that does not exemplify godliness in their lives? How much would you stress the importance of loving God? How much emphasis would you put on loving them and laying down your own desires so that they might know that you love them?
Husband... if you loved your wife as Christ loved the church "...and gave Himself up for her..." how would you spend your time? Does watching television exemplify the love of Christ being manifested in you, and then that love being shown towards your wife? Do all of the projects and activities? All of the time spent away from home? How often do you call and tell her, "Hey, I was just calling to see how you're doing... I love you!"? How often do you help her out around the house and show that you care about how much time and effort she puts into making it a place that can be called home?
Am I saying that I have accomplished all of these things? Far from it! But I see the need and I plead with God, that He might give me the strength and fortitude to uphold these things in my life. I'm not even married yet! But I know that marriage is not an easy, blissful, thing that you just float through for the rest of your life... I have parents too!
Unmarried folks... this is the time to prepare your hearts and to understand what true love looks like so that you don't walk into a marriage and hit a brick wall! It's not all fun and games! It WILL be hard! I don't care what you feel when you're around him or her right now... it will NOT be easy. If it were easy... it wouldn't be called life.
I am sorry if this seems like a depressing message to you... but what's so depressing about true love? The fact that it's hard? The fact that you have to work at it? Here's something that always encourages me: Christ never asks us to do something that He himself didn't do! Jesus didn't tell Peter, "Get out of the boat and go walk on the water!" while He stood by on the shore or in the boat. No! He was already treading on the water and Peter came out to where Christ was already standing! Therefore, fix your eyes on Jesus, He's already standing there, on the other side! "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13 "...for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." - Philippians 2:13
Friends this is what God-honoring love looks like! Let us strive to love and act as Christ so modeled for us. My hope is that this study of love has stirred in your heart a desire to please God in how you love Him and others.
On today's subject, I assure you, there are many, more qualified, people who could tell you more in-depth how to develop this love in your life, but I preach Christ and for that I am not ashamed! I would encourage you to speak with a godly and mature fellow believer about any questions or possibly the steps that you need to take in developing the fruit of love in your life. I will say it again, IT'S NOT EASY, but is is definitely worth it! To love like Christ... what greater thing is there that we could accomplish in this life? If you would like some resources on today's topic, please leave me a comment on today's posting and I will try to find some biblically sound books that might help you!
God bless you, my friends, and may His Grace and Peace be with you all!
Next week I will begin the study of Joy... and that is something I'm looking forward to, very much! Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!
P.S. - I would like to clarify a point about my reference to the meaning of John 15:13 as written in this blog... I, no way, meant that the actual sacrificing of one's life is not to be considered one of the greatest sacrifices and greatest displays of love that a person can make. My heart especially goes out to our beloved and brave troops that are currently defending the very freedom of speech that we have! Without their love displayed through the blood that has been shed, our freedom would not exist... plain and simple.
That being said... the literal translation of John 15:13, from the Hebrew language, would read as I have noted in my blog. So, I am not relinquishing my point on daily sacrificing of personal desires in exchange for a life devoted to the service of love, but am also not ruling out the power of love displayed through the literal sacrifice of one's life for another. Am I above God that I could nullify the power of Christ's death on the cross as the ONLY way for us to be saved from our sins? May it never be! Just to be clear, I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life and that no one comes to God except through HIM. Let it never be misunderstood as otherwise.
Thanks for the clarifying comment, Nick! God Bless!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. " - Romans 8:35, 38-39
"For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." - Galatians 2:20
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
- Ephesians 5:1-2
"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." - 1 John 4:10
I apologize, friends, but I do not have much of a word today... I can only say that I am so grateful for the love of Christ! Without the love that He showed by dying on a cross for our sins...
If you really want a role-model of love, study the life of Christ. He demonstrated love towards God in all that He did, as well as the love that He showed towards those who would come to Him and listen or ask for healing.
Again I apologize for not having more to say... but the revelation of Scripture, by the Holy Spirit, is not something that I would attempt to mimic. If it isn't there.. it isn't there! I love the fact that the Bible is called the Living Word of God... because it's so true! I can't tell you how many times I can read the same passage over and over again, but then... I'll read it once more at a later date and, suddenly, it jumps off of the page and stares me in the face! It's in those times that I can almost hear God saying, "This is My Word for YOU! Take it and understand the love that I have for YOU! Apply it and grow in Me."
I would encourage you to take some time today and do some research about love, on your own. And whatever you come up with, please, leave a comment so that we may all be blessed by what is revealed in the Scriptures. I would be greatly encouraged to see what kind of stirring of hearts is going on through this study.
May God's grace and mercy be with you in abundance as you go throughout His day!
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. " - Romans 8:35, 38-39
"For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." - Galatians 2:20
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
- Ephesians 5:1-2
"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." - 1 John 4:10
I apologize, friends, but I do not have much of a word today... I can only say that I am so grateful for the love of Christ! Without the love that He showed by dying on a cross for our sins...
If you really want a role-model of love, study the life of Christ. He demonstrated love towards God in all that He did, as well as the love that He showed towards those who would come to Him and listen or ask for healing.
Again I apologize for not having more to say... but the revelation of Scripture, by the Holy Spirit, is not something that I would attempt to mimic. If it isn't there.. it isn't there! I love the fact that the Bible is called the Living Word of God... because it's so true! I can't tell you how many times I can read the same passage over and over again, but then... I'll read it once more at a later date and, suddenly, it jumps off of the page and stares me in the face! It's in those times that I can almost hear God saying, "This is My Word for YOU! Take it and understand the love that I have for YOU! Apply it and grow in Me."
I would encourage you to take some time today and do some research about love, on your own. And whatever you come up with, please, leave a comment so that we may all be blessed by what is revealed in the Scriptures. I would be greatly encouraged to see what kind of stirring of hearts is going on through this study.
May God's grace and mercy be with you in abundance as you go throughout His day!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Loving God
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." - Deuteronomy 6:5-7
"Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." - Joshua 22:5
"But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." -Matthew 22:34-40
Wow.... what a topic to deal with! Loving God! How do you love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind??? There are many, more qualified, people who could explain the idea of loving God... and yet, it's laid out in the scriptures everywhere!
Jesus said that it was the foremost commandment, that we should love God. If we take a look at how Christ lived His life here on earth I think we can get a pretty vivid picture of what loving God with all of ourselves looks like. I mean, seriously, who else could better personify a love of God than God in flesh? If we simply read through the Gospels and take a look at how Jesus lived His life, we can find what it means to love God in all that we say and do.
Also, take a look at the life of David... he was considered a man after God's own heart! It doesn't mean that he didn't mess things up every once in a while, but he was repentant and loved to please God in all that he did. You see the heart of David exposed in the Psalms. Oh, I love to read the Psalms just so I can know that, even such a long time ago, people used to struggle with their love for God and they would cry out and beg God to show Himself strong on their behalf.
Do we still do that today? Or is it just too humbling to admit that we don't truly know how to love God? Answer yourself, honestly, this question... Do you feel that it is below you to humble yourself and cry out to God to reveal Himself to you? Is there just too much pride in your life for you to admit such a need? Are you afraid of who might be watching? THAT'S WHAT LOVING GOD IS ALL ABOUT!!!
If you loved a person so much that you just couldn't stand it, would you care what other people thought about the way that you expressed that love? Or would you show your genuine affection no matter what other people might think? I've seen couples who were lost within each other's gaze... there is no concern for whether or not the world around them disapproves. This should be the same in our relationship with God... we should say, "God, I love You and I don't care what it looks like to others. I'm gonna keep loving You, I want to humble myself before You and I ask that You would teach me what it means to love You with all of my heart, soul and mind. Father, I admit that I don't know how, but I know that You are faithful to reveal yourself, a loving God, through Your Word."
This is exactly what Jesus talked about when He said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)
If you look back at what Jesus said in chapter 6 about "...where your treasure is, there your heart will be also..." then you understand that He's not talking about all of the health and wealth preaching that is so common today. "God wants YOU to have that new car, God wants YOU to be happy!" THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS VERSE IS TALKING ABOUT!!! If you have a need, then please, ask of God and see that He is faithful to provide what you NEED. But what this verse is saying is that we should ask of our Father to show us His mercy, to show us His grace, and to reveal Himself to us in such a way that we're just completely saturated in our love for Him.
Seek God and Christ says that you will find Him... "I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me." (Proverbs 8:17) "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)
Knock and He says that the door will be opened to you! When you come eagerly to the door of God's love you will not be turned away! Come with a humble heart that says, "God, I want to know You more! I want to understand how to love You with everything that is within me!"
I would encourage you to ask, to seek, and to knock... Please pray that God would show you how to love Him! Loving God is essential before we can love anyone else. Otherwise we've got it all wrong!
I hope these words have blessed and challenged you as much as they have me! Until next time...
Grace and Peace!
"Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." - Joshua 22:5
"But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." -Matthew 22:34-40
Wow.... what a topic to deal with! Loving God! How do you love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind??? There are many, more qualified, people who could explain the idea of loving God... and yet, it's laid out in the scriptures everywhere!
Jesus said that it was the foremost commandment, that we should love God. If we take a look at how Christ lived His life here on earth I think we can get a pretty vivid picture of what loving God with all of ourselves looks like. I mean, seriously, who else could better personify a love of God than God in flesh? If we simply read through the Gospels and take a look at how Jesus lived His life, we can find what it means to love God in all that we say and do.
Also, take a look at the life of David... he was considered a man after God's own heart! It doesn't mean that he didn't mess things up every once in a while, but he was repentant and loved to please God in all that he did. You see the heart of David exposed in the Psalms. Oh, I love to read the Psalms just so I can know that, even such a long time ago, people used to struggle with their love for God and they would cry out and beg God to show Himself strong on their behalf.
Do we still do that today? Or is it just too humbling to admit that we don't truly know how to love God? Answer yourself, honestly, this question... Do you feel that it is below you to humble yourself and cry out to God to reveal Himself to you? Is there just too much pride in your life for you to admit such a need? Are you afraid of who might be watching? THAT'S WHAT LOVING GOD IS ALL ABOUT!!!
If you loved a person so much that you just couldn't stand it, would you care what other people thought about the way that you expressed that love? Or would you show your genuine affection no matter what other people might think? I've seen couples who were lost within each other's gaze... there is no concern for whether or not the world around them disapproves. This should be the same in our relationship with God... we should say, "God, I love You and I don't care what it looks like to others. I'm gonna keep loving You, I want to humble myself before You and I ask that You would teach me what it means to love You with all of my heart, soul and mind. Father, I admit that I don't know how, but I know that You are faithful to reveal yourself, a loving God, through Your Word."
This is exactly what Jesus talked about when He said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)
If you look back at what Jesus said in chapter 6 about "...where your treasure is, there your heart will be also..." then you understand that He's not talking about all of the health and wealth preaching that is so common today. "God wants YOU to have that new car, God wants YOU to be happy!" THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS VERSE IS TALKING ABOUT!!! If you have a need, then please, ask of God and see that He is faithful to provide what you NEED. But what this verse is saying is that we should ask of our Father to show us His mercy, to show us His grace, and to reveal Himself to us in such a way that we're just completely saturated in our love for Him.
Seek God and Christ says that you will find Him... "I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me." (Proverbs 8:17) "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)
Knock and He says that the door will be opened to you! When you come eagerly to the door of God's love you will not be turned away! Come with a humble heart that says, "God, I want to know You more! I want to understand how to love You with everything that is within me!"
I would encourage you to ask, to seek, and to knock... Please pray that God would show you how to love Him! Loving God is essential before we can love anyone else. Otherwise we've got it all wrong!
I hope these words have blessed and challenged you as much as they have me! Until next time...
Grace and Peace!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Love: Displayed Through Service
"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." - 1 John 2:15-17
As we see in this verse, not all love is good. We also know this because of what Jesus spoke about in Matthew 6... "...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also... ...No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
- Matthew 6:21, 24
John tells us that we cannot love the world and also have the love of God in us. The things of this world have such a perverted view of love that it is not possible for them to coincide with God's view of love. "The lust of the flesh" that he speaks of are not something we should long after, but rather we should find our fulfillment in God. This is easier said than done, and I hope to address this issue at a later date. For now, let's stick to the issue at hand...
In Matthew, Jesus said that where our treasure is there our heart will be also. This verse would be better translated to say, "there your hearts affections will be also..." This makes absolute sense when you consider that whatever your "treasure" might be, that is what all of your strength, time and resources are going to be put into. If I spend all of my time chasing after money... where are my hearts affections? Are they focused on God? Or am I forgetting what He has promised us, "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more htan food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather in to barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" - Matt. 6:25-26
I can testify to the Father's provision in my life, but that is a different story for a different time. For now let us remember that love must be focused correctly in order to be true love. Otherwise it is just lust, which doesn't develop very good fruit...
"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the bretheren. But whoever has the world's goods, and seet his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth." - 1 John 3:16-18
I once heard the most fantastic sermon about laying down your life... It's amazing how often this statement is misunderstood to mean dying for someone else, but rather it is the denial of self and the serving of other with your time and resources. Another well-known verse about laying down your life is found in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." The word "life" in this verse would be better translated "very existence." To not serve yourself, but to understand that love means serving others and putting them ahead of your own desires. Looking one verse before 13 it says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." Christ put the need of the whole world, for salvation, before His own life or comfort... How much more are we called to give up those small comforts that we claim as rights to be had! Oh that we could grasp the concept of true love!
So today's study is the service of love. Love gives of itself with no expectation of anything in return. To truly develop the fruit of love in our lives, we must first be able to give freely of ourselves and our time. If you live in the United States, today, in 21st century America, then you are among the richest people in the history of this planet. What do I mean? You wake up in a bed, inside of a house, and get up to eat your first of at least three meals for the day... You turned on your computer, using the electricity which has been wired to your house, and got onto the internet... the first two things alone would be considered a stately wealth in third world countries, but the fact that you are reading this blog means that you have access to a computer with internet, which puts you even further ahead of some people... and yet... this is considered a standard for the American family.
How freely do you use these blessings, that God has given you, to bless others? Or do we just go on, serving ourselves, and not considering the needs of others. James said, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." - James 1:27 Do you think that he means to just "visit" orphans and widows? I don't think so! We are to look after those who are in need and to bless them with the abundance with which God has blessed us. I promise you, when you give of yourself and of your time, especially, you will actually find more purpose and joy in life than if you just live for your own wants. Jesus spoke about "the least of these" and how when we serve them we are serving Him... what better way to show our love to our Father than by obeying His commands and loving those who need it the most?
I encourage you to examine yourselves... How easily do you give to others? Do you find it to be a burden? Do you love the things of this world more than you love God and His commands, or more than you love others? In light of what we've read in 1 John, consider some ways to develop this type of love in your life... "... let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." Show your love by the way that you choose to spend your time. Again, "...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also..."
Developing this love in your life is crucial to understanding and modeling the love of Christ.
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2
Friends, let us run this race with endurance, and let us finish with the knowledge that we ran it to the best of our abilities. Let's strive for the growth of fruit in our lives, so that we may then know how to run in spirit and in truth. Amen
Grace and Peace...
As we see in this verse, not all love is good. We also know this because of what Jesus spoke about in Matthew 6... "...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also... ...No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
- Matthew 6:21, 24
John tells us that we cannot love the world and also have the love of God in us. The things of this world have such a perverted view of love that it is not possible for them to coincide with God's view of love. "The lust of the flesh" that he speaks of are not something we should long after, but rather we should find our fulfillment in God. This is easier said than done, and I hope to address this issue at a later date. For now, let's stick to the issue at hand...
In Matthew, Jesus said that where our treasure is there our heart will be also. This verse would be better translated to say, "there your hearts affections will be also..." This makes absolute sense when you consider that whatever your "treasure" might be, that is what all of your strength, time and resources are going to be put into. If I spend all of my time chasing after money... where are my hearts affections? Are they focused on God? Or am I forgetting what He has promised us, "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more htan food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather in to barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" - Matt. 6:25-26
I can testify to the Father's provision in my life, but that is a different story for a different time. For now let us remember that love must be focused correctly in order to be true love. Otherwise it is just lust, which doesn't develop very good fruit...
"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the bretheren. But whoever has the world's goods, and seet his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth." - 1 John 3:16-18
I once heard the most fantastic sermon about laying down your life... It's amazing how often this statement is misunderstood to mean dying for someone else, but rather it is the denial of self and the serving of other with your time and resources. Another well-known verse about laying down your life is found in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." The word "life" in this verse would be better translated "very existence." To not serve yourself, but to understand that love means serving others and putting them ahead of your own desires. Looking one verse before 13 it says, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." Christ put the need of the whole world, for salvation, before His own life or comfort... How much more are we called to give up those small comforts that we claim as rights to be had! Oh that we could grasp the concept of true love!
So today's study is the service of love. Love gives of itself with no expectation of anything in return. To truly develop the fruit of love in our lives, we must first be able to give freely of ourselves and our time. If you live in the United States, today, in 21st century America, then you are among the richest people in the history of this planet. What do I mean? You wake up in a bed, inside of a house, and get up to eat your first of at least three meals for the day... You turned on your computer, using the electricity which has been wired to your house, and got onto the internet... the first two things alone would be considered a stately wealth in third world countries, but the fact that you are reading this blog means that you have access to a computer with internet, which puts you even further ahead of some people... and yet... this is considered a standard for the American family.
How freely do you use these blessings, that God has given you, to bless others? Or do we just go on, serving ourselves, and not considering the needs of others. James said, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." - James 1:27 Do you think that he means to just "visit" orphans and widows? I don't think so! We are to look after those who are in need and to bless them with the abundance with which God has blessed us. I promise you, when you give of yourself and of your time, especially, you will actually find more purpose and joy in life than if you just live for your own wants. Jesus spoke about "the least of these" and how when we serve them we are serving Him... what better way to show our love to our Father than by obeying His commands and loving those who need it the most?
I encourage you to examine yourselves... How easily do you give to others? Do you find it to be a burden? Do you love the things of this world more than you love God and His commands, or more than you love others? In light of what we've read in 1 John, consider some ways to develop this type of love in your life... "... let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." Show your love by the way that you choose to spend your time. Again, "...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also..."
Developing this love in your life is crucial to understanding and modeling the love of Christ.
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2
Friends, let us run this race with endurance, and let us finish with the knowledge that we ran it to the best of our abilities. Let's strive for the growth of fruit in our lives, so that we may then know how to run in spirit and in truth. Amen
Grace and Peace...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Love: An Overview
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."
-1 Corinthians 13
Okay, so this is probably one of the most popular passages in Scripture, but does that make it any less relevant as far as looking at the picture of love??? Absolutely not! Look at the list of things that Paul gives that are completely useless without love... when we do things without the love of Christ in our lives, we are going about it the wrong way.
Love is what enables us to do something without expecting anything in return... How often do we do things with the intention of receiving something for our efforts, whether it be material or otherwise? But Christ says that love is NOT self seeking! It does not seek its own, but rather gives concern for others way before it considers itself.
Love is patient... Wow! Love is patient... That should really hit home with a lot of people. I say I love my family, but do I show that when I become short-tempered with them and make snapping remarks towards them? I am, in fact, speaking of myself here. I'll be the first to admit that I am not as patient with my family as I would like to be, and definitely not as patient as God would want me to be! Am I really showing my family how much I love them???
Love does not take into account a wrong suffered... Paul just keeps twisting the knife here! Ask yourself: How many times have I held a grudge against someone? How many times have I demanded justice in a situation in which I was wronged?
What does Christ say to do? I'll tell you what He said, He said turn the other cheek! He said, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Me! "Love keeps no record of wrongs" is how the NIV says it... Oh, but we love to keep records! Learn to let go of self, and instead, model the love of Christ. I know people have been running around. misusing this slogan for years, but ask yourself... "What would Jesus do?" Because I don't care how cliche' that might seem to you, it's as true a concept as anything else that the scripture teaches us. "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;" 1 Peter 1:15
Well, unfortunately I'm going to have to leave it at that for today. Please, take some time to reflect on all of the different aspects of love that 1 Corinthians 13 talks about. I look forward to going more in-depth as this week moves on.
Grace and Peace...
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."
-1 Corinthians 13
Okay, so this is probably one of the most popular passages in Scripture, but does that make it any less relevant as far as looking at the picture of love??? Absolutely not! Look at the list of things that Paul gives that are completely useless without love... when we do things without the love of Christ in our lives, we are going about it the wrong way.
Love is what enables us to do something without expecting anything in return... How often do we do things with the intention of receiving something for our efforts, whether it be material or otherwise? But Christ says that love is NOT self seeking! It does not seek its own, but rather gives concern for others way before it considers itself.
Love is patient... Wow! Love is patient... That should really hit home with a lot of people. I say I love my family, but do I show that when I become short-tempered with them and make snapping remarks towards them? I am, in fact, speaking of myself here. I'll be the first to admit that I am not as patient with my family as I would like to be, and definitely not as patient as God would want me to be! Am I really showing my family how much I love them???
Love does not take into account a wrong suffered... Paul just keeps twisting the knife here! Ask yourself: How many times have I held a grudge against someone? How many times have I demanded justice in a situation in which I was wronged?
What does Christ say to do? I'll tell you what He said, He said turn the other cheek! He said, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Me! "Love keeps no record of wrongs" is how the NIV says it... Oh, but we love to keep records! Learn to let go of self, and instead, model the love of Christ. I know people have been running around. misusing this slogan for years, but ask yourself... "What would Jesus do?" Because I don't care how cliche' that might seem to you, it's as true a concept as anything else that the scripture teaches us. "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;" 1 Peter 1:15
Well, unfortunately I'm going to have to leave it at that for today. Please, take some time to reflect on all of the different aspects of love that 1 Corinthians 13 talks about. I look forward to going more in-depth as this week moves on.
Grace and Peace...
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Weekend Thoughts...
I was thinking, yesterday, about a very troubling issue I have found within myself...
I have found that it is very hard for me to simply meditate on the character of God. I can always spend a long time praying about issues and things that I want, but I have found that I don't really know how to enjoy God as I should... To simply spend time contemplating His character and His holy attributes.
That being said... my weekend challenge is to spend some time and just quiet yourself. Get away from all distractions and just take time to write out all of the characteristics of God that you can think of. How big of a list can you come up with? Spend some time in prayer, praising God for who He is and what He has done! This is what true worship is all about; it's an overflow of what is in our hearts...
A true relationship with Him will produce true and heartfelt worship.
I think it's important that we have a good understanding of who God is before we dive into what it looks like to model His character.
And with that... I hope you have a great weekend and I look forward to starting our study on biblical love on Monday.
Grace and Peace...
"Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day." Deut. 10:15
"Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock." Isaiah 26:4
"In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation." Exodus 15:13
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
I have found that it is very hard for me to simply meditate on the character of God. I can always spend a long time praying about issues and things that I want, but I have found that I don't really know how to enjoy God as I should... To simply spend time contemplating His character and His holy attributes.
That being said... my weekend challenge is to spend some time and just quiet yourself. Get away from all distractions and just take time to write out all of the characteristics of God that you can think of. How big of a list can you come up with? Spend some time in prayer, praising God for who He is and what He has done! This is what true worship is all about; it's an overflow of what is in our hearts...
A true relationship with Him will produce true and heartfelt worship.
I think it's important that we have a good understanding of who God is before we dive into what it looks like to model His character.
And with that... I hope you have a great weekend and I look forward to starting our study on biblical love on Monday.
Grace and Peace...
"Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day." Deut. 10:15
"Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock." Isaiah 26:4
"In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation." Exodus 15:13
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
Friday, July 18, 2008
Something To Consider...
Here's something Jesus said about our fruit...
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit...
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." John 15:1-2, 4-6
What a sobering thought... Any time that we try to produce fruit apart from Christ we fail! And not only that, but if we don't produce fruit at all than we are considered ineffective as a part of the kingdom of God. Look at what Christ says here, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away..." The emphasis that Christ puts on the fruit in our lives is absolutely emphatic!
Here's something else to consider: "...and every branch in Me that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." Just because you are striving to develop fruit in your life doesn't mean that you are exempt from pruning. Jesus says every branch that bears fruit will be pruned. You cannot escape the refining process of God's pruning in your life. Of course, as believers, we should look forward to these times of pruning, even though they are quite painful to endure. For there is nothing like the merciful pruning of our Father who loves us with an everlasting love. Know that He is only pruning from you the things that you do not need anyways. Thankfully, God is a much better vinedresser than I am! I can sometimes prune a bush with a bit too much vigor... and suddenly things look a little out of balance, but God takes who we are and prunes us to our fullest potential for growth!
I won't lie to you and say that being pruned is the most wonderful experience you will ever have. Anyone who has been through pruning knows that it is the exact opposite. The results of being pruned, though, are inexplicably greater than any pain it costs you to get there! Not to mention, if you consider what it cost Christ to save a wicked and depraved people... I think a little pain on our part is quite a reasonable sacrifice to be made!
Please, take some time to meditate on these verses and consider the areas in which you might need to be pruned. I assure you that if you pray and ask God to remove from you the things that are not from Him, He will do so! I challenge you to take that first step in being willing to be pruned... It takes faith in the love of our Father to ask such a thing, but He is indeed faithful to produce in us the greatest fruit we could ever bear!
Grace and Peace!
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit...
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." John 15:1-2, 4-6
What a sobering thought... Any time that we try to produce fruit apart from Christ we fail! And not only that, but if we don't produce fruit at all than we are considered ineffective as a part of the kingdom of God. Look at what Christ says here, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away..." The emphasis that Christ puts on the fruit in our lives is absolutely emphatic!
Here's something else to consider: "...and every branch in Me that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit." Just because you are striving to develop fruit in your life doesn't mean that you are exempt from pruning. Jesus says every branch that bears fruit will be pruned. You cannot escape the refining process of God's pruning in your life. Of course, as believers, we should look forward to these times of pruning, even though they are quite painful to endure. For there is nothing like the merciful pruning of our Father who loves us with an everlasting love. Know that He is only pruning from you the things that you do not need anyways. Thankfully, God is a much better vinedresser than I am! I can sometimes prune a bush with a bit too much vigor... and suddenly things look a little out of balance, but God takes who we are and prunes us to our fullest potential for growth!
I won't lie to you and say that being pruned is the most wonderful experience you will ever have. Anyone who has been through pruning knows that it is the exact opposite. The results of being pruned, though, are inexplicably greater than any pain it costs you to get there! Not to mention, if you consider what it cost Christ to save a wicked and depraved people... I think a little pain on our part is quite a reasonable sacrifice to be made!
Please, take some time to meditate on these verses and consider the areas in which you might need to be pruned. I assure you that if you pray and ask God to remove from you the things that are not from Him, He will do so! I challenge you to take that first step in being willing to be pruned... It takes faith in the love of our Father to ask such a thing, but He is indeed faithful to produce in us the greatest fruit we could ever bear!
Grace and Peace!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Welcome!
Hi! Welcome to "A Fruit-filled Life." AFFL is a ministry that has been laid on my heart just recently... as in YESTERDAY!
I was reading in God's Word during my devotions when I came across 2 Timothy 2:22 which says, "Now flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
From there my devotions took me to a very familiar passage in Galatians 5:22-24...
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
I have known for some time now that my fruit is nowhere near as lush and tasteful as it should be in a true and growning relationship with Christ. So, my goal is to take one of these fruits each week and do an in-depth study on each one. For example: Next week I will begin my study of love... I will take each day next week and explore God's Word for verses and examples of what God considers love to be in a believer's life. I will then post my findings here so that anyone and everyone might benefit from whatever I read.
My hope in doing this study is to grow in my relationship with Christ and with others. It is only natural that whatever we work on in our relationship with Christ should spill over into our daily lives, and thus be a testimony of our hope in Christ.
I will be taking the rest of this week to pray and prepare for the nine weeks to come. My hope is that you will do the same, and that you might dare to examine the fruit in your own life right along side of me. I know that I will not always like what I find, because a true relationship with Christ means a continual process of dying to yourself and taking up your cross daily to follow Him. It means that you will see things in yourself that need change, and I pray that you might have the courage to change these things.
Again, thank you for joining me in this endeavor to produce fruit that honors and glorifies God. I am so excited and look forward to whatever God might show me through this study.
Grace and Peace to you, fellow servants of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
"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 spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans:12:1-2
I was reading in God's Word during my devotions when I came across 2 Timothy 2:22 which says, "Now flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
From there my devotions took me to a very familiar passage in Galatians 5:22-24...
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
I have known for some time now that my fruit is nowhere near as lush and tasteful as it should be in a true and growning relationship with Christ. So, my goal is to take one of these fruits each week and do an in-depth study on each one. For example: Next week I will begin my study of love... I will take each day next week and explore God's Word for verses and examples of what God considers love to be in a believer's life. I will then post my findings here so that anyone and everyone might benefit from whatever I read.
My hope in doing this study is to grow in my relationship with Christ and with others. It is only natural that whatever we work on in our relationship with Christ should spill over into our daily lives, and thus be a testimony of our hope in Christ.
I will be taking the rest of this week to pray and prepare for the nine weeks to come. My hope is that you will do the same, and that you might dare to examine the fruit in your own life right along side of me. I know that I will not always like what I find, because a true relationship with Christ means a continual process of dying to yourself and taking up your cross daily to follow Him. It means that you will see things in yourself that need change, and I pray that you might have the courage to change these things.
Again, thank you for joining me in this endeavor to produce fruit that honors and glorifies God. I am so excited and look forward to whatever God might show me through this study.
Grace and Peace to you, fellow servants of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
"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 spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans:12:1-2
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