The Reality of Grace is ....ACCEPTANCE...."warts and all"
Describing the reality of Grace can be difficult ....but this morning I am struck by the reality that Grace has ACCEPTED us WHOLESALE !! Being accepted is the single most compelling need of our lives...His Grace accepts us at the depth of our being....warts and all !!
Eph. 2:8 ; II Cor. 12 ; James 4:8
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
The Lord is my light and my salvation....
"The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear ?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple. For in the time
of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be
Lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His
Tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing
praises to the Lord..."
Psalm 27: 1- 6
Whom shall I fear ?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple. For in the time
of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be
Lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His
Tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing
praises to the Lord..."
Psalm 27: 1- 6
Sunday, October 30, 2011
God The Breaker
" The one who breaks open will come up before them; they will break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it, their king will pass before them, with the LORD at their head." ~ Micah 2:13
Friday, October 28, 2011
The Gospel: Food or Medicine
The current stress and strain of making a living has given rise to new levels of nervous, fussy, neurotic temperaments in our society. We are showing signs of increasing instability in our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual equilibrium. We are played out with business, pleasure and fatigued with formality & fashion.
In order to cope & combat we seem to be reaching out for some five hour like stimulant to spice us up and whip our jaded nerves into line just to make it through the day or week. I am concerned that we are not turning to Christ and the Gospel as our source of wholesome thinking & living but instead we are looking for the new religious "pick-me-up" get us by.
Recently I taught a series on The Lords Prayer. During this time I was deeply moved & convicted that this was far more than a prayer teaching but an actual model of the way Christ lived out His life. He said that we are to pray to the Father, "give us this day our daily bread". There is something very powerful about the daily bread... Jesus said that He was the "bread of life" in John 6:48 and He went on to say "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of he world".
And on the night He was betrayed, "...when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me". In remembrance involves more than just memory; the word suggests an "active calling to mind".
As we "actively call to mind" Christ death, burial & resurrection we are living by the Gospel.
The Gospel to the hungry becomes food, daily bread and a way of life rather than a medicine for temporary pain and pick-me-up.
"...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel"
~ Mark 1: 15
In order to cope & combat we seem to be reaching out for some five hour like stimulant to spice us up and whip our jaded nerves into line just to make it through the day or week. I am concerned that we are not turning to Christ and the Gospel as our source of wholesome thinking & living but instead we are looking for the new religious "pick-me-up" get us by.
Recently I taught a series on The Lords Prayer. During this time I was deeply moved & convicted that this was far more than a prayer teaching but an actual model of the way Christ lived out His life. He said that we are to pray to the Father, "give us this day our daily bread". There is something very powerful about the daily bread... Jesus said that He was the "bread of life" in John 6:48 and He went on to say "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of he world".
And on the night He was betrayed, "...when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me". In remembrance involves more than just memory; the word suggests an "active calling to mind".
As we "actively call to mind" Christ death, burial & resurrection we are living by the Gospel.
The Gospel to the hungry becomes food, daily bread and a way of life rather than a medicine for temporary pain and pick-me-up.
"...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel"
~ Mark 1: 15
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Lord Willing
Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power. ~ Psalms 110:3
By nature, God's people have wills as stubborn as have the rest of the sons of Adam. But when God's grace reaches us, the will surrenders and yields the sweet fruit of the spirit. The formerly self- willed rebel soon begins to cry, "What will You have me do, Lord? May Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
By nature, God's people have wills as stubborn as have the rest of the sons of Adam. But when God's grace reaches us, the will surrenders and yields the sweet fruit of the spirit. The formerly self- willed rebel soon begins to cry, "What will You have me do, Lord? May Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Authentic Christian Peacemaking
"The incentive to peacemaking is love, but it degenerates into appeasement whenever justice is ignored. To forgive and to ask for forgiveness are both costly exercises. All authentic Christian peacemaking exhibits the love and the justice--and so the pain of the cross" -- John R.W. Stott
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Harvesting Hope
Hope produces confidence, safety and security. Hope is the expectation of salvation, deliverance, restoration and healing.
I Timothy 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope"
The Apostle Paul not only acknowledges Christ as our Savior, and our Lord but also our Hope. The word Hope as it is found in the third chapter of Joel verse 16 literately means "a place of repair".
The Prophet Isaiah says that God is " ...the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in..." The Lord longs to repair the breaches in our life and heal the breaches in our soul. The God kind of Hope actually restores and gives back the losses in our lives.
False hope is hope that is based on human promise, pride and power. Human hope always disappoints unable to deliver and keep its promises. Read the following account of the God kind of Hope in the middle of hopeless circumstances found in Lamentations 3:13-24;
"He has caused the arrows of His quiver to pierce my loins. I have become the ridicule of all my people--Their taunting song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has make me drink wormwood. He has also broken my teeth with gravel, and covered me with ashes. You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
And I said, My strength and my hope Have perished from the Lord.
Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and gall. My soul still remembers and sinks within me.
But this I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassion's fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him!"
I Timothy 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope"
The Apostle Paul not only acknowledges Christ as our Savior, and our Lord but also our Hope. The word Hope as it is found in the third chapter of Joel verse 16 literately means "a place of repair".
The Prophet Isaiah says that God is " ...the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in..." The Lord longs to repair the breaches in our life and heal the breaches in our soul. The God kind of Hope actually restores and gives back the losses in our lives.
False hope is hope that is based on human promise, pride and power. Human hope always disappoints unable to deliver and keep its promises. Read the following account of the God kind of Hope in the middle of hopeless circumstances found in Lamentations 3:13-24;
"He has caused the arrows of His quiver to pierce my loins. I have become the ridicule of all my people--Their taunting song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has make me drink wormwood. He has also broken my teeth with gravel, and covered me with ashes. You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
And I said, My strength and my hope Have perished from the Lord.
Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and gall. My soul still remembers and sinks within me.
But this I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassion's fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him!"
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Every Christian
"Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it." John R. W. Stott
Monday, October 3, 2011
For Thine Is The Kingdom
This coming Sabbath we will conclude our teaching on the Lord's Prayer at Fernvale Community Church. "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever," are the final words of instruction from Christ to His disciples regarding prayer. (Matt. 6:13) As we examine the Lord's Prayer from the beginning to end, we discover that it opens and closes with praise, beginning with "Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy name"...and concluding with "For Thine is the Kingdom, and power and the glory forever". Praise is the most dynamic commandment in God's Word and it is evidence here in the model prayer of our Lord.
In the Old Testament, seven levels of praise are expressed by seven Hebrew words.
Todah - "to extend hands in thanksgiving."
Yadah - "to worship with extended hands, to throw out the hands, enjoying God."
Hallal - "to be vigorously excited, to laud, boast, rave, celebrate."
Zamar - "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to praise with song."
Barak - "to bless, to declare God the origin of power for success, prosperity, and fertility, to be still."
Tehillah - "singing in the Spirit" or "singing psalms".
Shabach - "to commend, to address in a loud tone, to shout."
Praise has always been a mark of the people of God. Clearly, there are many acceptable ways to express our love, gratitude, and worship of God.
In His teaching on prayer, Jesus instructs us to return to praise after we have brought our petitions before the Father. But there is also significance in the words he uses: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and glory forever."
Jesus said, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom," (Lk. 12:32). The Apostle Paul encourages us in Colossians 1:13-14, that God our Father has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has brought us into the Kingdom of His Son. When we pray, "For thine is the Kingdom," we should praise God because he has invited us to be participants in His Kingdom. We can declare: "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom," ( II Tim. 4:18)
The Lord has also made us participants in His power. He gives power to the faint. (Isaiah 40:29) He gives us power to attain wealth. ( Deut. 8:18) We are kept by the power of God. (I Pet. 1:5) He will raise us up by His mighty power. (I Cor. 6:14)
Jesus promised:
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy:and nothing shall by any means hurt you, " (Lk. 10:19)
"But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me," (Acts 1:8)
We can praise God because He has invited us to be participants in His power. Jesus also taught us to pray, "For Thine is....the glory." God's glory is the manifested perfection of His character, especially His righteousness. All men fall short of God's glory, but Jesus, through His suffering for the sins of mankind, brought many sons unto glory. (See Romans 3:23 and Hebrews 2:9-10)
As believers behold the glory of the Lord -- the character and ways of God exhibited through Christ--they are changed into His image, and the character and ways of the Father and Son are formed within them. (II Cor. 3:18) Is it any wonder that Apostle Paul charges believers to "walk worthy of God, who hath called you into His Kingdom and Glory"? (I Th. 2:12) We should also praise God because He has invited us to be participants in His glory.
The Kingdom, power, and glory all belong to our Father. They're all His, yet He shares them with us, because of the provision of His Son. The lifeblood of Jesus has made all blessings possible. May we never enter or leave the Lord's presence without humbly bowing before Him and offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
In the Old Testament, seven levels of praise are expressed by seven Hebrew words.
Todah - "to extend hands in thanksgiving."
Yadah - "to worship with extended hands, to throw out the hands, enjoying God."
Hallal - "to be vigorously excited, to laud, boast, rave, celebrate."
Zamar - "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to praise with song."
Barak - "to bless, to declare God the origin of power for success, prosperity, and fertility, to be still."
Tehillah - "singing in the Spirit" or "singing psalms".
Shabach - "to commend, to address in a loud tone, to shout."
Praise has always been a mark of the people of God. Clearly, there are many acceptable ways to express our love, gratitude, and worship of God.
In His teaching on prayer, Jesus instructs us to return to praise after we have brought our petitions before the Father. But there is also significance in the words he uses: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and glory forever."
Jesus said, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom," (Lk. 12:32). The Apostle Paul encourages us in Colossians 1:13-14, that God our Father has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has brought us into the Kingdom of His Son. When we pray, "For thine is the Kingdom," we should praise God because he has invited us to be participants in His Kingdom. We can declare: "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom," ( II Tim. 4:18)
The Lord has also made us participants in His power. He gives power to the faint. (Isaiah 40:29) He gives us power to attain wealth. ( Deut. 8:18) We are kept by the power of God. (I Pet. 1:5) He will raise us up by His mighty power. (I Cor. 6:14)
Jesus promised:
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy:and nothing shall by any means hurt you, " (Lk. 10:19)
"But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me," (Acts 1:8)
We can praise God because He has invited us to be participants in His power. Jesus also taught us to pray, "For Thine is....the glory." God's glory is the manifested perfection of His character, especially His righteousness. All men fall short of God's glory, but Jesus, through His suffering for the sins of mankind, brought many sons unto glory. (See Romans 3:23 and Hebrews 2:9-10)
As believers behold the glory of the Lord -- the character and ways of God exhibited through Christ--they are changed into His image, and the character and ways of the Father and Son are formed within them. (II Cor. 3:18) Is it any wonder that Apostle Paul charges believers to "walk worthy of God, who hath called you into His Kingdom and Glory"? (I Th. 2:12) We should also praise God because He has invited us to be participants in His glory.
The Kingdom, power, and glory all belong to our Father. They're all His, yet He shares them with us, because of the provision of His Son. The lifeblood of Jesus has made all blessings possible. May we never enter or leave the Lord's presence without humbly bowing before Him and offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Put On the Whole Armor of God
This Sunday October 2nd I will be teaching on the armor of God. The armor of God is our major defense against the wiles of the devil. Speaking to the Church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul admonishes them to arming themselves against the enemy by believing and applying the promises of God. (Ephesians 6:14-17) Below is a brief outline of our armor and the significance of applying each piece.
Each day we need to prepare ourselves to stand against Satan by girding our lions with truth.
Truth: He is "...the way, the truth and the life" ( John 14:6) and we gird our lions with truth each day.
We also put on the breastplate of righteousness, by confessing that Jesus became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ. ( II Cor. 5:21)
When we shod our feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, it brings a readiness and awareness in our spirit that can walk out our day with confidence and courage. (Philippians 4:13)
The shield of faith is how we extinguish the fiery darts and missiles of the evil one. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. The shield of faith is the victory that overcomes the world. (Gal. 2:20)
The helmet of salvation covers my head/mind through the day as I declare that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation. (Heb. 5:9 & Psalms 140:7)
Our final piece of armor we apply is the sword of Spirit, which is the word of God. Jesus was the word made flesh and dwells among us even now. (John 1:14)
As we put on the armor of God each day we are readying ourselves to fight the good fight of faith. In case you may not have noticed, all the amour described in Eph. 6 is on the front side of the believer. In other words, God intends for us to be on the offensive not defensive warfare. "The gates of Hell will not prevail against us...". We are marching everyday and possessing the gates of the enemy. So lets suit up in His provision and strength. No more waiting on the other shoe to drop. Go forth and conquer, Go forth and conquer !!
Each day we need to prepare ourselves to stand against Satan by girding our lions with truth.
Truth: He is "...the way, the truth and the life" ( John 14:6) and we gird our lions with truth each day.
We also put on the breastplate of righteousness, by confessing that Jesus became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ. ( II Cor. 5:21)
When we shod our feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, it brings a readiness and awareness in our spirit that can walk out our day with confidence and courage. (Philippians 4:13)
The shield of faith is how we extinguish the fiery darts and missiles of the evil one. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. The shield of faith is the victory that overcomes the world. (Gal. 2:20)
The helmet of salvation covers my head/mind through the day as I declare that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation. (Heb. 5:9 & Psalms 140:7)
Our final piece of armor we apply is the sword of Spirit, which is the word of God. Jesus was the word made flesh and dwells among us even now. (John 1:14)
As we put on the armor of God each day we are readying ourselves to fight the good fight of faith. In case you may not have noticed, all the amour described in Eph. 6 is on the front side of the believer. In other words, God intends for us to be on the offensive not defensive warfare. "The gates of Hell will not prevail against us...". We are marching everyday and possessing the gates of the enemy. So lets suit up in His provision and strength. No more waiting on the other shoe to drop. Go forth and conquer, Go forth and conquer !!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
"Lead Us Not Into Temptation"
This coming Sunday I will continue my teaching series on what is commonly referred to as “Lord’s Prayer”. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” Mt. 6:13. When Jesus instructed the disciples to pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” He was telling them to pray that forces beyond their control would not lead them into trials. He was also teaching them to watch and pray against entering into temptation through their own carelessness or disobedience.
As Jesus faced the prospect of the cross, He Himself, prayed, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt,” Mk. 14:36
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had cautioned the disciples to pray lest they enter into temptation. (seeLuke 22:40) But when He arose from a time of prayer , He found them not praying, but sleeping. (vr 45) Before the night was over, at least one of the disciples, swore he didn’t even know Him, and then wept bitterly because he had failed the Lord.
Jesus knows our potential weaknesses also, which is why He has instructed us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation”. As children of God, we do not have to learn everything the hard way . We can be instructed, warned, and trained by His Word and the examples of others. (See 1 Cor. 10:11) God desires for us to learn by example and revelation as well as by discipline and difficult personal experiences.
Jesus also taught His disciples to pray for deliverance from evil. Specifically, through prayer as we put on the whole armor of God, according to Eph. 6:14-17. When we do this we build a hedge of protection as it were around ourselves and stand firm in the victory Christ has already won. Likewise Psalms 91 gives us several reasons why we can claim God’s protection. For example in verse 9 we read from the Amplified Bible “because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,” We invoke God’s protection, when we make the Lord our habituation. Psalms 23:3 says “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.” As we sing and pray to the Lord He dwells among us, enthroned upon our praises and prayers.
Finally, we can claim protection “because he knows and understands My name,” (vr 14, AMP). We must know His name. Proverbs tells , “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run into it, and is safe,” (Pro. 18:10)
As we submit our lives daily to His will and acknowledge that His name is a strong tower, we can be certain in all knowing protective will. We can prayerfully declare “You are my refuge, my fortress, my God, In You do I trust.” We can stand secure in the victory Christ has won for us.
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Journey...As Hard As We Make It
The belief that life has to be hard and difficult is the belief that fosters and feeds a victim mentality. We can change our negative beliefs about life, and we do have the power to stop our pain and take care of ourselves.
We are not helpless. We can solve our problems with God's help. We have access to a great power source of change. True change, lasting change results from repentance.When we began to turn and receive God's love and forgiveness for ourselves and others things began to change. Humbling ourselves is the first step. God is attracted to the humble but He resist the proud.
When we use each problem that comes our way to prove that life is hard and we are helpless, we develop codependency. This is the victim's trap.
Life does not have to be difficult. In fact, it can be smooth. Life is good. We don't have to "awfulize" it, or ourselves. And the difficult times don't prove life is bad; they are just part of the ups and downs of life; and when we approach them with the attitude that "all things work together for the good, because we love Him and are called to His purpose" the journey becomes more of an adventure and not dead end road.
Sounds so simple doesn't it ? Well I personally get turned off by religious formulas and 1.2.3. approaches to life's problems. Life is fragile, we do hit times of turbulence that seem that they will never end but God is still there. He said He would never leave us nor forsake us.
We are not helpless. We can solve our problems with God's help. We have access to a great power source of change. True change, lasting change results from repentance.When we began to turn and receive God's love and forgiveness for ourselves and others things began to change. Humbling ourselves is the first step. God is attracted to the humble but He resist the proud.
When we use each problem that comes our way to prove that life is hard and we are helpless, we develop codependency. This is the victim's trap.
Life does not have to be difficult. In fact, it can be smooth. Life is good. We don't have to "awfulize" it, or ourselves. And the difficult times don't prove life is bad; they are just part of the ups and downs of life; and when we approach them with the attitude that "all things work together for the good, because we love Him and are called to His purpose" the journey becomes more of an adventure and not dead end road.
Sounds so simple doesn't it ? Well I personally get turned off by religious formulas and 1.2.3. approaches to life's problems. Life is fragile, we do hit times of turbulence that seem that they will never end but God is still there. He said He would never leave us nor forsake us.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Becoming Yourself
Screwtape clarifies the Enemy's intent:
Of course I know that the Enemy also wants to detach men from themselves, but in a different way. Remember always, that He really like the little vermin, and sets an absurd value on the distinctness of every one of them. When He talks of their losing their selves, He only means abandoning the clamour of self-will; once they have done that , He really gives them back all their personality, and boasts (I am afraid, sincerely) that when they are wholly His they will be more themselves that ever. Hence, while He is delighted to see them sacrificing even their innocent wills to His, He hates to see them drifting away from their own nature for any other reason. And we should always encourage them to do so.
~ from The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
Of course I know that the Enemy also wants to detach men from themselves, but in a different way. Remember always, that He really like the little vermin, and sets an absurd value on the distinctness of every one of them. When He talks of their losing their selves, He only means abandoning the clamour of self-will; once they have done that , He really gives them back all their personality, and boasts (I am afraid, sincerely) that when they are wholly His they will be more themselves that ever. Hence, while He is delighted to see them sacrificing even their innocent wills to His, He hates to see them drifting away from their own nature for any other reason. And we should always encourage them to do so.
~ from The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Our First Ministry
One of the main reasons for the "power failure" in the Christian Church today is our failure to "minister to the Lord". Biblically speaking, our ministry to the Lord must come BEFORE our ministry to people if we are to be effective.
Likewise if we come to receive ministry from men/clergy before we ourselves have ministered to the Lord and offered up our sacrifice of praise and worship then the ministry of man to us inappropriately attaches us to fleshy or earthly ministry which results in glory of man not Christ. The end result being, we will become what we behold.
When reading the account of early Church forming at Antioch in Acts 13:1-3 we discover that,
"as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them". The Greek word for ministered is described as: the discharging of a function, officiating as a priest, performing religious or charitable acts, fulfilling an office.
I Peter 2:9 says: "But you are a chosen generation , a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people , that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you our of darkness into His marvelous light".
The Lord has separated us to bring worship unto Him just as He did with the tribe of Levi in Deuteronomy 10:8 ; I Chronicles 5:11-14 and as He did with Samuel who was dedicated as a boy to minister unto the Lord in I Sam. 2:11,18 .
We need to be caught up in the wonder of the person of Jesus Christ and to worship Him deeply. When we become focused on our first ministry (vertical) as priesthood of believers we will discover a new freshness and power. This will translate into greater compassion for man (horizontal) because we have put Christ first and He now flows through us in love and power to the world.
Likewise if we come to receive ministry from men/clergy before we ourselves have ministered to the Lord and offered up our sacrifice of praise and worship then the ministry of man to us inappropriately attaches us to fleshy or earthly ministry which results in glory of man not Christ. The end result being, we will become what we behold.
When reading the account of early Church forming at Antioch in Acts 13:1-3 we discover that,
"as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them". The Greek word for ministered is described as: the discharging of a function, officiating as a priest, performing religious or charitable acts, fulfilling an office.
I Peter 2:9 says: "But you are a chosen generation , a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people , that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you our of darkness into His marvelous light".
The Lord has separated us to bring worship unto Him just as He did with the tribe of Levi in Deuteronomy 10:8 ; I Chronicles 5:11-14 and as He did with Samuel who was dedicated as a boy to minister unto the Lord in I Sam. 2:11,18 .
We need to be caught up in the wonder of the person of Jesus Christ and to worship Him deeply. When we become focused on our first ministry (vertical) as priesthood of believers we will discover a new freshness and power. This will translate into greater compassion for man (horizontal) because we have put Christ first and He now flows through us in love and power to the world.
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Importance of Being True
This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. ~ William Shakespeare
To thine own self be true. This is a grounding statement for many of us who have the propensity to get caught up in the needs and feelings of others.
Sometimes the needs and the demands of other people and our confused expectations of ourselves can create a complicated mess. We can try to convince ourselves that people-pleasing, going against our nature and not being honest, is the kind, honest thing to do. NOT TRUE !!
When we discern this unrealistic drive to please and take on responsibility that is not ours we need to simply back off and return to basics. Let go of the confusion by honoring and respecting ourselves. Then we are able to break free of the hold of others and release the guilt and enjoy life.
Today seek to be true to yourself. God is speaking. Be still and listen to His voice and experience what it means to "labor to enter into His rest".
To thine own self be true. This is a grounding statement for many of us who have the propensity to get caught up in the needs and feelings of others.
Sometimes the needs and the demands of other people and our confused expectations of ourselves can create a complicated mess. We can try to convince ourselves that people-pleasing, going against our nature and not being honest, is the kind, honest thing to do. NOT TRUE !!
When we discern this unrealistic drive to please and take on responsibility that is not ours we need to simply back off and return to basics. Let go of the confusion by honoring and respecting ourselves. Then we are able to break free of the hold of others and release the guilt and enjoy life.
Today seek to be true to yourself. God is speaking. Be still and listen to His voice and experience what it means to "labor to enter into His rest".
Friday, November 5, 2010
Men and Bonding
"Our problem today as men (husbands) is not that we have failed to bond with a woman, but rather, with our own, manly selves. If indeed we have failed to bond with a woman, it is because we have not first bonded with our own manhood--recognized, accepted, celebrated, employed it."
~ Gordon Dalbey
~ Gordon Dalbey
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Are You in Denial ?
Recently it was brought to my attention that I was possibly in denial about a particular thing. How do you know if you are in denial ? One way is to take personal note of your behaviors. Some of those behaviors can be, controlling, focusing on others and neglecting yourself, frequent illness, and compulsive or addictive behaviors patterns. These among others have a tendency to emerge during denial.
Denial can be confusing. Many times we're not really aware we're doing it until we're done doing it. Forcing yourself or anyone else to see their denial doesn't help. We won't face the facts until we are ready. Neither will anyone else.
We need love, support, encouragement from people who really care about us in order to deal with denial.
The first step to move through denial is accepting that that we may be in denial. Sometimes if we have functioned in these negative behaviors for long periods of time they can develop into belief systems that literally control our lives. They become so familiar that it can be frightening to let go and or believe that there can be another way. We may admit to the truth for a moment , but we won't let ourselves know what we know until we feel safe, secure, and prepared enough to deal and cope with it.
"Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest". This is the loving secure invitation that Jesus extends to us. He cares and is waiting on our response to His invitation. The truth is that our soul is weary from carrying these burdens and only Christ can bring long lasting results and rest. Through the truth of His unconditional love we are set free and awaken from our denial and enter into His rest.
Denial can be confusing. Many times we're not really aware we're doing it until we're done doing it. Forcing yourself or anyone else to see their denial doesn't help. We won't face the facts until we are ready. Neither will anyone else.
We need love, support, encouragement from people who really care about us in order to deal with denial.
The first step to move through denial is accepting that that we may be in denial. Sometimes if we have functioned in these negative behaviors for long periods of time they can develop into belief systems that literally control our lives. They become so familiar that it can be frightening to let go and or believe that there can be another way. We may admit to the truth for a moment , but we won't let ourselves know what we know until we feel safe, secure, and prepared enough to deal and cope with it.
"Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest". This is the loving secure invitation that Jesus extends to us. He cares and is waiting on our response to His invitation. The truth is that our soul is weary from carrying these burdens and only Christ can bring long lasting results and rest. Through the truth of His unconditional love we are set free and awaken from our denial and enter into His rest.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Afraid of the Devil ?
"Christ in you, the hope of Glory". I'm not afraid of the devil. The devil can handle me--he's got judo I never heard of. But he can't handle the One to whom I'm joined; he can't handle the One to whom I'm united; he can't handle the One whose nature dwells in my nature.
AW Tozer
AW Tozer
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