"Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection." Heb 6:1
Beloved, it is expected that when we first come to Christ, there are many things we will not know. We have need of being taught of his ways. This is why the pattern set forth by Christ in Matt 28:19-20 (the Great Commission) follows the model of teach, baptize and teach more. Our education in the Lord never ceases, however, our ungodly behaviors should.
I'm sure that many of our mothers have told us that "when you know better, do better." Having been introduced to the elementary principles of the faith, it is incumbent upon us to grow from them. As children who learn not to stick objects in electric sockets, run out into the street without looking both ways and not to touch a hot iron, there are things that we have been taught that should prevent us from doing the same things we once did.
Our charge is to reach for and attain higher learning. Once we have understood and performed according to our need to hear the word of God, believe those things that are contained therein, repent of past wrong doings, confessing Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior and submit to baptism for the remission of our sins, we must build on that foundation and learn and perform what the Lord says about even larger things.
It may not occur to us to love our enemies for example, but when we learn that before He saved us WE were His enemies, that should make us more compassionate toward others. It may not occur to us to help out a person in need, but when we learn that He supplies all of our needs, even though we have been strangers to Him, it should make us more giving. And whereas we may begin our lives of worship as pew sitters who remain silent as we are taking it all in, we must move to a life of service, using the gifts that God has given in order that others might be moved to worship and then to become servants.
In short, we are expected by God, even as we expect of our children, to grow. If our teenagers continued to need bottle feeding and diapers (barring any developmental issues of course), we would be more than alarmed. Then let us not continue to live in the basics of Christianity, but let us grow into maturity in the Lord.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
God's Gift to Men II: Loving Our Wives-9/9/2011
"She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: “Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." Prov 31:27-31
It is elsewhere asked, "A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies." There are many things that a man values. We value our homes, cars, boats and other toys. These are all material things. If we are indeed truly blessed, we have been given something that exceeds fleeting objects. After life, God's first gift to man was a "helper suitable for him." Made from his own rib, the Lord prepared her and brought her to him, not as a possession but as a completion of his own self.
Beloved we so often take for granted this glorious gift. It is amazing that we spend so much time, effort and money attempting to woo the one who has captured our attention and stolen our hearts, but just as often relegate her to a status unbecoming of the part of us she truly is. Too often we think of her as someone meant to provide for our needs and to leave us alone when ESPN is on. That is not God's design. The Spirit reveals that we are to love our wives as we do our own bodies and that those of us who love them are truly loving ourselves.
Let us remember that without them, there would be no us, no sons, and no daughters. In our wives we have built in counselors, collaborators, advisers, co-creators, consciences, motivators, inspire-ers, co-producers, beauty outside of ourselves and best friends. Boats and cars are just recreation and conveyances. Homes are just houses without her. Toys can never take her place because they cannot aspire to what she is inherently made to be.
Guys, I'm sure we love and appreciate our wives, but every now and then, we need to be reminded of who she is, how important she is, how valuable she is and the gift of God that she is. Let us never lose sight of the qualities and value that caused us to make everything in life a distant second when we first met them. Put down the toys, turn off ESPN and let her know that without her, there is no you.
**Happy Birthday Michelle. I love you!**
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
It is elsewhere asked, "A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies." There are many things that a man values. We value our homes, cars, boats and other toys. These are all material things. If we are indeed truly blessed, we have been given something that exceeds fleeting objects. After life, God's first gift to man was a "helper suitable for him." Made from his own rib, the Lord prepared her and brought her to him, not as a possession but as a completion of his own self.
Beloved we so often take for granted this glorious gift. It is amazing that we spend so much time, effort and money attempting to woo the one who has captured our attention and stolen our hearts, but just as often relegate her to a status unbecoming of the part of us she truly is. Too often we think of her as someone meant to provide for our needs and to leave us alone when ESPN is on. That is not God's design. The Spirit reveals that we are to love our wives as we do our own bodies and that those of us who love them are truly loving ourselves.
Let us remember that without them, there would be no us, no sons, and no daughters. In our wives we have built in counselors, collaborators, advisers, co-creators, consciences, motivators, inspire-ers, co-producers, beauty outside of ourselves and best friends. Boats and cars are just recreation and conveyances. Homes are just houses without her. Toys can never take her place because they cannot aspire to what she is inherently made to be.
Guys, I'm sure we love and appreciate our wives, but every now and then, we need to be reminded of who she is, how important she is, how valuable she is and the gift of God that she is. Let us never lose sight of the qualities and value that caused us to make everything in life a distant second when we first met them. Put down the toys, turn off ESPN and let her know that without her, there is no you.
**Happy Birthday Michelle. I love you!**
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Monday, August 8, 2011
We Need Each Other-8/8/2011
"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Heb 3:13
Beloved, we need each other. Each and every one of us knows what is like to go through this life and have trials, tribulation, troubles and turmoil. Though not the whole of life, it is an inescapable part. All of scripture prioritizes love of God first and immediately thereafter, love of one another. Even the 10 commandments can be broken down into these two critical categories.
God gave us each other in order to help one another. There are times that one may feel mighty in the Lord and therefore then be able to strengthen another. By the same token, that same mighty soldier may suffer a lapse that requires the encouragement of someone who is feeling strong on that day. If we are not there for each other, we could easily find ourselves taking our eyes off of God and the solutions (or patience)He designs and seek our own remedies. Not only is this a recipe for failure, but it displays a lack of faith in our Maker and constitutes sin.
Let us seek opportunities to encourage another. There is always something good, positive and uplifting that can be shared. One never knows when the right word will be spoken at the right time that will make all the difference in someone else's life. Certainly, that person in need could be you.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Beloved, we need each other. Each and every one of us knows what is like to go through this life and have trials, tribulation, troubles and turmoil. Though not the whole of life, it is an inescapable part. All of scripture prioritizes love of God first and immediately thereafter, love of one another. Even the 10 commandments can be broken down into these two critical categories.
God gave us each other in order to help one another. There are times that one may feel mighty in the Lord and therefore then be able to strengthen another. By the same token, that same mighty soldier may suffer a lapse that requires the encouragement of someone who is feeling strong on that day. If we are not there for each other, we could easily find ourselves taking our eyes off of God and the solutions (or patience)He designs and seek our own remedies. Not only is this a recipe for failure, but it displays a lack of faith in our Maker and constitutes sin.
Let us seek opportunities to encourage another. There is always something good, positive and uplifting that can be shared. One never knows when the right word will be spoken at the right time that will make all the difference in someone else's life. Certainly, that person in need could be you.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Friday, August 5, 2011
Don't Fool Yourself-8/5/2011
"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was." James 1:22-24
One of the saddest things in life is for those who were once enlightened to fall back into darkness. The loving Father has taken every necessary step to create a path back to Him from original sin. That path is paved with the blood of Jesus. Though many of us stumble from time to time, with the help of the Spirit, we get back up, brush ourselves off and keep moving forward. The tragedy is that there are those who wander off the path, head in the opposite direction or just wallow on the ground to which they have fallen. Sadder still, we will often rationalize our actions and decisions and somehow make God alright with the wrong we are doing because He is such a forgiving God. This is the essence of deluding ourselves.
There is a sobering bit of scripture for those who refuse to walk in the newness of life: "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame" Heb 6:4-6. Beloved can any of us imagine being the soldier that nailed Christ to the cross. In essence, we are doing just that when we leave the faith and leave the Father for the alluring yet false promises of sins pleasures.
Still not getting the message? If one decides that this is the course of action that they wish to pursue, God will grant you an assist: "For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." 2 Thess 2:11-12
Let us all endeavor to keep our eye on the prize, our nose to the grindstone and our feet on the path to glory.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
One of the saddest things in life is for those who were once enlightened to fall back into darkness. The loving Father has taken every necessary step to create a path back to Him from original sin. That path is paved with the blood of Jesus. Though many of us stumble from time to time, with the help of the Spirit, we get back up, brush ourselves off and keep moving forward. The tragedy is that there are those who wander off the path, head in the opposite direction or just wallow on the ground to which they have fallen. Sadder still, we will often rationalize our actions and decisions and somehow make God alright with the wrong we are doing because He is such a forgiving God. This is the essence of deluding ourselves.
There is a sobering bit of scripture for those who refuse to walk in the newness of life: "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame" Heb 6:4-6. Beloved can any of us imagine being the soldier that nailed Christ to the cross. In essence, we are doing just that when we leave the faith and leave the Father for the alluring yet false promises of sins pleasures.
Still not getting the message? If one decides that this is the course of action that they wish to pursue, God will grant you an assist: "For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness." 2 Thess 2:11-12
Let us all endeavor to keep our eye on the prize, our nose to the grindstone and our feet on the path to glory.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Supporting the Cause-8/4/011
Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means. Luke 8:1-3
Many times when we think of Christ's ministry, we picture him and perhaps some or all of his 12 apostles going from place to place preaching, teaching, healing and feeding. What we do not often visualize is the contingent that actually accompanied him. It must have been like a modern day concert. Jesus was the main attraction and his words were the hit songs of the day. The crowds he attracted were both supporters and detractors. But there was also quite the supporting cast that facilitated the "performance" by arranging logistics, participating in food service (feeding the 4000 and 5000), marketing (72 sent out to preach), security (they even tried to keep the kids away) and various other functions.
Beloved, one thing that cannot be neglected is this was a non-profit enterprise. No one paid to hear Jesus. In fact, most, if not all left with more than that with which they came. It does not defy reason to understand that the whole operation had to be financed. Scripture reveals that among the entourage that accompanied him were financiers. It is interesting that the women are credited in particular with this role. More importantly however, is the fact that those who supported the cause where those who had benefitted greatly from it.
It stands to reason then, that we should contribute to that which we believe in and from which we have benefitted. Today many are participating in spiritual shoplifting, that is to say, taking away without contributing. It is not to be understood that Christians should pay for blessings because they are indeed the free gift of God, however, because we have been gifted, we should support the efforts to extend those blessings to others, particularly if we have been made able by the Lord. The administration of funds, the personalities involved in leadership and even the minute specifics of how contributions are used should not be the primary concern of the contributor (though we all have a responsibility to ensure God's funds are used responsibly), but instead, the giving to God out of love, faith and appreciation should be the focus.
Jesus' instructions to his apostles and by extension to us today are, “And as you go, preach, saying, ' The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Matt 10:7-8
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Many times when we think of Christ's ministry, we picture him and perhaps some or all of his 12 apostles going from place to place preaching, teaching, healing and feeding. What we do not often visualize is the contingent that actually accompanied him. It must have been like a modern day concert. Jesus was the main attraction and his words were the hit songs of the day. The crowds he attracted were both supporters and detractors. But there was also quite the supporting cast that facilitated the "performance" by arranging logistics, participating in food service (feeding the 4000 and 5000), marketing (72 sent out to preach), security (they even tried to keep the kids away) and various other functions.
Beloved, one thing that cannot be neglected is this was a non-profit enterprise. No one paid to hear Jesus. In fact, most, if not all left with more than that with which they came. It does not defy reason to understand that the whole operation had to be financed. Scripture reveals that among the entourage that accompanied him were financiers. It is interesting that the women are credited in particular with this role. More importantly however, is the fact that those who supported the cause where those who had benefitted greatly from it.
It stands to reason then, that we should contribute to that which we believe in and from which we have benefitted. Today many are participating in spiritual shoplifting, that is to say, taking away without contributing. It is not to be understood that Christians should pay for blessings because they are indeed the free gift of God, however, because we have been gifted, we should support the efforts to extend those blessings to others, particularly if we have been made able by the Lord. The administration of funds, the personalities involved in leadership and even the minute specifics of how contributions are used should not be the primary concern of the contributor (though we all have a responsibility to ensure God's funds are used responsibly), but instead, the giving to God out of love, faith and appreciation should be the focus.
Jesus' instructions to his apostles and by extension to us today are, “And as you go, preach, saying, ' The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Matt 10:7-8
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Be Careful-8/3/2011
“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" Matt 6:22-23
What indeed is clarity of the eye? It is submitted to you that it is at least a twofold consideration. First, it is pure way of looking at things. It is approaching what is observed without preconceived notions or questionable motives. For instance, some will look at a beggar at an intersection and think that he or she is a huckster trying to take advantage of the general public, while others will just see the need. Secondly, clarity (and purity) involve avoiding that which is detrimental to the relationship with God. An example of this is the all to ready access to pornographic and other immoral material via satellite, cable and the Internet. One need not even seek it in that it often shows up as spam in our email.
Beloved, we must, to the best of our ability, control what we take in through our eyes and other senses. Unrighteousness is as insidious as sugar ants that seem to somehow get in to your home and start showing up everywhere from the kitchen to the bedroom. It takes diligence and discipline to avoid that which is popularly accepted by the masses. Failure to do so desensitizes us and will ultimately lead to rationalizing behaviors that we previously would have considered just plain wrong.
Once our eyes become compromised, so does everything within us. We were once in darkness but shown the light. Should we return to that darkness, the shades are infinitely deeper and the effect of the light is significantly diminished, tragically at times, so much so that we do not allow our darkness to be overcome. Perhaps it is best said in the truncated lyrics of a famous children's song:
"Be careful little eyes what you see
Be careful little ears what you hear
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful..."
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
What indeed is clarity of the eye? It is submitted to you that it is at least a twofold consideration. First, it is pure way of looking at things. It is approaching what is observed without preconceived notions or questionable motives. For instance, some will look at a beggar at an intersection and think that he or she is a huckster trying to take advantage of the general public, while others will just see the need. Secondly, clarity (and purity) involve avoiding that which is detrimental to the relationship with God. An example of this is the all to ready access to pornographic and other immoral material via satellite, cable and the Internet. One need not even seek it in that it often shows up as spam in our email.
Beloved, we must, to the best of our ability, control what we take in through our eyes and other senses. Unrighteousness is as insidious as sugar ants that seem to somehow get in to your home and start showing up everywhere from the kitchen to the bedroom. It takes diligence and discipline to avoid that which is popularly accepted by the masses. Failure to do so desensitizes us and will ultimately lead to rationalizing behaviors that we previously would have considered just plain wrong.
Once our eyes become compromised, so does everything within us. We were once in darkness but shown the light. Should we return to that darkness, the shades are infinitely deeper and the effect of the light is significantly diminished, tragically at times, so much so that we do not allow our darkness to be overcome. Perhaps it is best said in the truncated lyrics of a famous children's song:
"Be careful little eyes what you see
Be careful little ears what you hear
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful..."
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Appearances Can Be Deceiving-8/2/2011
"But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Sam 16:7
God had commissioned his servant Samuel to go and anoint a new king. Saul, God's first anointed turned out to be an utter failure due to his lack of obedience. One of Saul's features was that he stood head and shoulders in height above all the people of Israel. He turned out to be, however, quite small on the inside. In the house of Jesse, there was another tall and good looking man named Eliab whom Samuel thought surely to be the next king. Eliab was not God's choice and Samuel was mistaken.
Beloved, have we ever made the mistake of judging a book by its cover? Do we see the way a person dresses, or appreciate their dimensions or hear the resonance of their voice and begin making assumptions? Conversely, do we see those who are poorly dressed, of extreme dimensions or discordant voice and disregard them? Who among us likes to be judged out of hand? Inevitably our response is, "You don't even know me!" Certainly this is a cry to look past appearances and see the heart before making decisions about the whole person. It is an unfathomable blessing that God does just that.
Samuel was directed by God to choose the youngest of eight boys to be the next anointed king of His people. He was not a soldier like his older brothers, but a keeper of the sheep and still a youth, It was David who had a heart for God (that gave him confidence before Goliath) and was a man after God's own heart.
Let us all seek spiritual discernment that we may see each other's heart rather than just outward appearances.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
God had commissioned his servant Samuel to go and anoint a new king. Saul, God's first anointed turned out to be an utter failure due to his lack of obedience. One of Saul's features was that he stood head and shoulders in height above all the people of Israel. He turned out to be, however, quite small on the inside. In the house of Jesse, there was another tall and good looking man named Eliab whom Samuel thought surely to be the next king. Eliab was not God's choice and Samuel was mistaken.
Beloved, have we ever made the mistake of judging a book by its cover? Do we see the way a person dresses, or appreciate their dimensions or hear the resonance of their voice and begin making assumptions? Conversely, do we see those who are poorly dressed, of extreme dimensions or discordant voice and disregard them? Who among us likes to be judged out of hand? Inevitably our response is, "You don't even know me!" Certainly this is a cry to look past appearances and see the heart before making decisions about the whole person. It is an unfathomable blessing that God does just that.
Samuel was directed by God to choose the youngest of eight boys to be the next anointed king of His people. He was not a soldier like his older brothers, but a keeper of the sheep and still a youth, It was David who had a heart for God (that gave him confidence before Goliath) and was a man after God's own heart.
Let us all seek spiritual discernment that we may see each other's heart rather than just outward appearances.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)