"For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ." Gal 1:10
How much of our daily lives are driven by what other people think? Does it affect what we wear, where we go, who we associate with or what we say? What affect does it have on our Christian lives (which should be indistinguishable from our "daily lives")?
The apostle Paul is making the case that there are those in the Galatian church who have turned away from the true gospel he shared with them in favor of a corrupted gospel shared with them by others with questionable motives. They were called Judaizers and they taught that it was necessary to commit to Jewish custom and law to become a Christian. These same people are the ones who caused Peter to turn away from eating with Gentiles with whom he was sharing the gospel because he did not want to be known for associating with them. Paul publicly chastised him for this behavior because he was more interested in pleasing certain people than in doing the work of the Lord.
Beloved, the gospel message and the Christian life it espouses is not going to be popular with everyone. There are those who look with derision on people of faith. This can be a challenging thing for those who are not yet strong in their faith. So called friends and associates attempt to lead them back into the darkness from which they were saved. Even those who are strong in the faith can be subject to pleasing man rather than God. We must remain ever vigilant in setting the example of godliness rather than following the example of ungodliness. To do anything less would mean that we would "not be a bond-servant of Christ."
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The Benefits of Godly Living-4/24/2012 (rp)
"When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Prov 16:7
When we think about the distinguishing characteristics of the faith to which we are called, we must surely realize the transformative effects it has on lives truly immersed in it.
First, we become more loving. Love in its most important aspects involve action. Its expression is manifest in the eyes of all who both participate in it and observe it. Love causes us to think less and less of ourselves and more and more of others. We give when we used to hold. We seek when we used to hide. We sacrifice when we used to gather for ourselves.
Then, we live our lives according to the will of One greater than us all. God has given us His commands and laws and they are not burdensome. When we live our lives according to the godly code and are obedient to those things He requires, we have order, protection (from internal and external threats), provision and peace. With this comes, among other things, morality and an understanding of right and wrong.
Finally, we are blessed with optimism and the ability to rise above our circumstances because of our long term view. Our God has promised us an eternity with Him. Believing this deeply within our hearts gives us an indescribable hope and resilience in the face of trials and tribulations. We know that whatever the circumstance, things will be greater later.
Beloved, when we embody these and many other beneficial qualities of being a child of God, there is little for anyone to hate and so much to love. The light of the Lord can be seen in our lives and this light calls to those who are trapped in darkness. The benefit of living lives pleasing to the Lord is the expansion of the body, even as it was when your addition accomplished this.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
When we think about the distinguishing characteristics of the faith to which we are called, we must surely realize the transformative effects it has on lives truly immersed in it.
First, we become more loving. Love in its most important aspects involve action. Its expression is manifest in the eyes of all who both participate in it and observe it. Love causes us to think less and less of ourselves and more and more of others. We give when we used to hold. We seek when we used to hide. We sacrifice when we used to gather for ourselves.
Then, we live our lives according to the will of One greater than us all. God has given us His commands and laws and they are not burdensome. When we live our lives according to the godly code and are obedient to those things He requires, we have order, protection (from internal and external threats), provision and peace. With this comes, among other things, morality and an understanding of right and wrong.
Finally, we are blessed with optimism and the ability to rise above our circumstances because of our long term view. Our God has promised us an eternity with Him. Believing this deeply within our hearts gives us an indescribable hope and resilience in the face of trials and tribulations. We know that whatever the circumstance, things will be greater later.
Beloved, when we embody these and many other beneficial qualities of being a child of God, there is little for anyone to hate and so much to love. The light of the Lord can be seen in our lives and this light calls to those who are trapped in darkness. The benefit of living lives pleasing to the Lord is the expansion of the body, even as it was when your addition accomplished this.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Monday, April 23, 2012
Living in Denial-4/23/2012
"Jesus said to him, 'Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' Peter said to Him, 'Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.' All the disciples said the same thing too." Matt 26:34-35
Peter's denial of Jesus is one of the most sobering and tragic narratives in the New Testament Scriptures. The argument could easily be made that Peter was the Lord's closest companion and most staunch supporter. He was always one who seemed to take the lead among the apostles, the one whose faith allowed him to walk on water and the one who used violence to defend him in the Garden of Gethsemane. How then could it be that he would be the one whose denial is graphically documented for all time?
Beloved a better question is "Have I denied Jesus?" Our knee jerk reaction is "No!" We may, however, need to rest our knees and give the question some serious thought. Denials can take many forms. Have you ever taken a position contrary to what the bible teaches? Have you ever said or done anything that is counter to your faith. Have you failed to stand up for what you know is right or looked the other way when you saw someone in obvious need? Do your friends know you as one person and your church family knows you as another? Peter is certainly the poster child for such denial, but all of the other apostles made the same claim of fidelity and each of them, except John, abandoned him in his greatest our of need.
In truth, none of us are exempt from this great sin. Despite our occasional lack of faith, it is important to know that we serve a loving and forgiving Lord. Peter was famously restored to fellowship and standing among the apostles when Jesus asked him three times, "Do you love me?" His answer was in the affirmative then Jesus said, "Follow me."
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Peter's denial of Jesus is one of the most sobering and tragic narratives in the New Testament Scriptures. The argument could easily be made that Peter was the Lord's closest companion and most staunch supporter. He was always one who seemed to take the lead among the apostles, the one whose faith allowed him to walk on water and the one who used violence to defend him in the Garden of Gethsemane. How then could it be that he would be the one whose denial is graphically documented for all time?
Beloved a better question is "Have I denied Jesus?" Our knee jerk reaction is "No!" We may, however, need to rest our knees and give the question some serious thought. Denials can take many forms. Have you ever taken a position contrary to what the bible teaches? Have you ever said or done anything that is counter to your faith. Have you failed to stand up for what you know is right or looked the other way when you saw someone in obvious need? Do your friends know you as one person and your church family knows you as another? Peter is certainly the poster child for such denial, but all of the other apostles made the same claim of fidelity and each of them, except John, abandoned him in his greatest our of need.
In truth, none of us are exempt from this great sin. Despite our occasional lack of faith, it is important to know that we serve a loving and forgiving Lord. Peter was famously restored to fellowship and standing among the apostles when Jesus asked him three times, "Do you love me?" His answer was in the affirmative then Jesus said, "Follow me."
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Loving God-4/19/2012
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matt 22:37
We tend to use the word "love" in a lot of different ways and we apply it to a lot of different things. C. S. Lewis wrote that there are four different types of love: storge (a fondness due to familiarity, especially for family), phillia (that which is associated with strong friendships), eros (romantic emotions) and agape (unconditional, also known as the greatest love). There may not even be a word for the type of love we assign to objects, foods, songs, books, movies, places and instances ("I love it when a plan comes together").
There is no need to be coy about which of these applies to God's love for us or which of these the savior uses in this command. 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. He is the very embodiment, the very concept and that love is absolutely unconditional.
Beloved it is not a matter of whether we should love God. It is a matter of how. We should be consumed with it. It should be our essence. It should permeate every fiber of our being, every hope, every dream and every thought. We should pursue it mentally, emotionally and energetically. Our love for Him should never be relegated to a paper thin surface acknowledgement. It should resonate deep in our souls and govern everything we say, think and do. It should exceed the greatest love we have ever had for a human, be it parent, spouse, child or friend, in ways that stretch the bounds of imagination. As God is love, we should be love for Him.
God loved us so much that even as unrepentant sinners, He gave the life of His Only Begotten that we might have life we forfeited long ago. How do you live your love for Him?
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
We tend to use the word "love" in a lot of different ways and we apply it to a lot of different things. C. S. Lewis wrote that there are four different types of love: storge (a fondness due to familiarity, especially for family), phillia (that which is associated with strong friendships), eros (romantic emotions) and agape (unconditional, also known as the greatest love). There may not even be a word for the type of love we assign to objects, foods, songs, books, movies, places and instances ("I love it when a plan comes together").
There is no need to be coy about which of these applies to God's love for us or which of these the savior uses in this command. 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. He is the very embodiment, the very concept and that love is absolutely unconditional.
Beloved it is not a matter of whether we should love God. It is a matter of how. We should be consumed with it. It should be our essence. It should permeate every fiber of our being, every hope, every dream and every thought. We should pursue it mentally, emotionally and energetically. Our love for Him should never be relegated to a paper thin surface acknowledgement. It should resonate deep in our souls and govern everything we say, think and do. It should exceed the greatest love we have ever had for a human, be it parent, spouse, child or friend, in ways that stretch the bounds of imagination. As God is love, we should be love for Him.
God loved us so much that even as unrepentant sinners, He gave the life of His Only Begotten that we might have life we forfeited long ago. How do you live your love for Him?
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wake Up!-4/18/2012 (rp)
"Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt 26:41
Famously, Jesus is at his most emotionally tormented in the Garden of Gethsemane. The time of his Passion finally arriving, he took his closest friends with him to watch with him while he prayed. While he did so, however, his friends slipped into slumber. Since he had explained what he was about to do, they were aware of the significance of the time and desirous to support their Lord and friend but could not remain diligent.
Beloved we must examine our lives to determine whether we are sleeping when we should be watching. There are matters of great importance happening all around us. All that Jesus represents is under threat and we who are his own have been given a great charge. We must be awake to repel the influence of Satan. We must be awake to see that others are dying in their unrighteousness. We must be awake to protect each other from falling asleep. And we must be awake to avoid temptation.
In our innermost being, we are all willing, but the creature is subject to spiritual fatigue and eyelids are us made heavy by the lulling effect of pleasure driven living. We must be on guard against those things that would cause to be unconscious to the commands of our living Lord. He is depending on us to watch.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Famously, Jesus is at his most emotionally tormented in the Garden of Gethsemane. The time of his Passion finally arriving, he took his closest friends with him to watch with him while he prayed. While he did so, however, his friends slipped into slumber. Since he had explained what he was about to do, they were aware of the significance of the time and desirous to support their Lord and friend but could not remain diligent.
Beloved we must examine our lives to determine whether we are sleeping when we should be watching. There are matters of great importance happening all around us. All that Jesus represents is under threat and we who are his own have been given a great charge. We must be awake to repel the influence of Satan. We must be awake to see that others are dying in their unrighteousness. We must be awake to protect each other from falling asleep. And we must be awake to avoid temptation.
In our innermost being, we are all willing, but the creature is subject to spiritual fatigue and eyelids are us made heavy by the lulling effect of pleasure driven living. We must be on guard against those things that would cause to be unconscious to the commands of our living Lord. He is depending on us to watch.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Living By Faith-4/17/2012
"Behold, as for the proud one,His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith." Hab 2:4
None of us are strangers to the word "faith." We have faith in something or someone. We "step out on faith." And of course we have faith in God. But are we strangers to what faith means? More to the point, do we understand what it means to live by that faith?
Beloved, most simply put, faith is belief and the actions that are taken or avoided because of it. The 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews outlines some amazing things that people have done because of their faith in God and His promises. The question is, how is it manifested in our daily lives? How do we "live by faith?" To be sure, the answer to such questions could be a list that is as long as the day. Everything on that list, however, can be summed up in one thought: live every moment of your life as if God is physically with you every step of the way. How would that change what you think about? How would that change what you do, where you go, who you see and how you interact with others? What would you learn from spending time with God? How much of a better person would you be? What would happen to your love and your peace of mind?
The righteous live this way and already know the answers to these questions.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
None of us are strangers to the word "faith." We have faith in something or someone. We "step out on faith." And of course we have faith in God. But are we strangers to what faith means? More to the point, do we understand what it means to live by that faith?
Beloved, most simply put, faith is belief and the actions that are taken or avoided because of it. The 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews outlines some amazing things that people have done because of their faith in God and His promises. The question is, how is it manifested in our daily lives? How do we "live by faith?" To be sure, the answer to such questions could be a list that is as long as the day. Everything on that list, however, can be summed up in one thought: live every moment of your life as if God is physically with you every step of the way. How would that change what you think about? How would that change what you do, where you go, who you see and how you interact with others? What would you learn from spending time with God? How much of a better person would you be? What would happen to your love and your peace of mind?
The righteous live this way and already know the answers to these questions.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Friday, April 13, 2012
Warning vs. Timing-4/13/2012
"So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD closed it behind him." Gen 7:15-16
Most everyone is familiar with the famous story of Noah and the ark. It serves as a cautionary tale for several subjects including the wrath of God, the power of God, the mercy of God and even the tender heart of God. What moved my spirit today, however, are the warnings of God and the timing of God.
Theories range from 40 to 120 years between the time that God instructed Noah to begin building the ark and the time that the rains came. Noah, also referred to as a preacher, used this time to let his neighbors know what was to come. In the end, only Noah and his family were inside the ark when the door was shut by God Himself.
Beloved, as the people of Noah's time were warned, so are we. None should be surprised when the Lord comes. Yes He is to come as a thief in the night, but we are told in Matt 24:43-44 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." As the saying goes, to be forewarned is to be fore armed.
Though we do not know the specific time, God has been gracious enough to warn us of the fact. Are we wise enough to be prepared?
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Most everyone is familiar with the famous story of Noah and the ark. It serves as a cautionary tale for several subjects including the wrath of God, the power of God, the mercy of God and even the tender heart of God. What moved my spirit today, however, are the warnings of God and the timing of God.
Theories range from 40 to 120 years between the time that God instructed Noah to begin building the ark and the time that the rains came. Noah, also referred to as a preacher, used this time to let his neighbors know what was to come. In the end, only Noah and his family were inside the ark when the door was shut by God Himself.
Beloved, as the people of Noah's time were warned, so are we. None should be surprised when the Lord comes. Yes He is to come as a thief in the night, but we are told in Matt 24:43-44 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." As the saying goes, to be forewarned is to be fore armed.
Though we do not know the specific time, God has been gracious enough to warn us of the fact. Are we wise enough to be prepared?
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
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