Always and for Everything

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20)

It’s easy to give thanks when things are going good.

I remember exiting my car in the parking lot of a nearby store and finding $60 on the ground. I was so grateful for my small windfall of money that I wasted no time in acknowledging it was from God and giving Him thanks.

Yet, during another time when I when I took my car in for repairs and discovered it would take $500 to fix ($500 I didn’t have), the thought of giving thanks never even entered my mind.  To me, it was a hardship and inconvenience and definitely not something to be thankful for.

We are quick to give thanks when we find a front row parking spot, but not so much when we have to walk half way across the parking lot in the rain.

We shout thanks from the rooftop when someone we care about gets a good report from doctors, but when we get news of a bad report, we get discouraged and question God.

We stand up and give a testimony of God’s faithfulness when we get that promotion at work, but we lose our job and ask why a loving God would allow such a thing to happen.

You get my point.

Isn’t God on the throne all the time, in all situations?  Isn’t His love for me the same during times of plenty, as well as during times of difficulty and challenge?

God loves to bless and give us the desires of our heart, but if that’s the only time we give thanks, then we come to appreciate the gift and not the giver.  Our happiness becomes dependent on our external circumstances, instead of an internal assurance that God is in control.

But, when we give thanks in a difficult situation, we shift the focus on God instead of our circumstances.

If you are in the midst of a trying time, choose to give thanks to God. It will give you the strength to endure the season you’re in and fill your heart with incredible peace.

Sound Counsel

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

I Peter 5:8,9

 

 

There are certain animals, when encountered in the wild, we are told to play dead too.

This takes away the challenge and often will cause them to leave.

The advice Peter offers in this letter, when it comes to the enemy of our souls, could not be more different.

We are not to ‘roll over and play dead’ when it comes to the devil.

Rather we are to be alert and sober minded, resisting him and standing firm in the faith.

There are probably many more who do not believe in a literal devil than confess to not believing in God.

If you do not believe in the devils existence you certainly will not resist, through prayer and spiritual warfare, the advancing of his agenda into your life.

Ignorance or denial does not change the reality.  

The temptation is often this: “If I leave him alone, he will leave me alone.”

While he delights in our believing that, it is a lie.

I am not advocating that our focus be on the enemy.

Our focus is on the Lord.

But neither should we fail to recognize that the enemy is real and he is not a cute little cartoon character with horns and a tail that we can safely let run loose one night a year.

When it comes to him:

Be alert.

Be sober minded.

Resist him.

Stand firm in the faith.

That is sound counsel!

The Invisible Target

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesians 6:12

 

 

We prefer a tangible target.

Something we can see with our natural eyes.

Think of an archer and the bullseye he is aiming for.

An enemy we cannot see with our natural eyes – that is a tough one!

Maybe that’s why we are so quick to go after flesh and blood.

It’s a target – the flesh and blood or brick and mortar if you will – that is so much easier to strike out at than the elusive, invisible enemy.

But the ‘easy way’ seldom wins the battle.

Hitting the ‘apparent’ target but missing the real one can only intensify the battle.

Your spouse is not your enemy!

Your children, your pastor, the boss you name it – they are not your enemy.

There is one who hides behind each of these working to convince you they are the ones you should strike out at instead of him.

And the news headlines prove how many have fallen for that lie.

Don’t fight your battles against phantom targets.

Strike at the real enemy through prayer, through humble submission to God and with all of your armor in place.

Then stand back and see the salvation of the Lord!

Only

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10

 

Interesting words Jesus spoke to be sure!

Not only did He say that the enemy comes only to steal and kill and destroy but He identifies him as a thief.

Now I don’t know about you but that verse alone makes it clear who is for you and who is against you.

It should also make it clear who you would benefit most from being around.

If you spend your time around a thief, you better hold onto everything.

He may present himself as your friend in order to gain access but once he has that access, he is not going to bring you abundant life!

There is a friend, scripture tells us, who sticks closer than a brother.

The Lord, we are also told, in Psalm 72:18 only does wondrous things.

So here is your choice when it comes to who to spend time with:

One who only comes to steal, kill and destroy

Or

One who only does wonderful things and gives us life to the full!

  I never said it was a hard choice.

Any questions?

Benefitting Others!

“A gentle answer turns away wrath,

But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Proverbs 15:1

 

 

Have you ever tried to whisper and shout at the same time?

A dumb question, I know.

It can’t be done.

Maybe that’s the ‘secret’ behind today’s verse.

A ‘soft’ answer is an answer given by a person who is able to control their emotions.

A raised voice can be evidence of someone whose emotions are out of control.

No, it’s not merely a question of raised volume in your voice.

Scripture is replete with admonitions to “Shout!”

The walls of Jericho fell at with the obedient shout of the children of Israel.

Perhaps you’ve met or know someone who is ruled by their emotions.

We all have our moments…but the man or woman of God is learning to rule those emotions and not to be ruled by them.

An angry response has consequences.

So does a controlled one.

The soft answer turns away wrath.

The soft answer takes control of the situation.

But that same verse adds – “…but harsh words stir up anger.”

That is when we utter words we later regret.

That is when we take unwise and sometimes even a dangerous course of action.

Don’t let emotions ‘get the best of you.’

Let the Spirit of God rule in your spirit.

Let emotions come under His influence and control.

When you submit to that course of action you will learn the lessons of a soft answer.

Others will benefit from your lesson learned!

You’re a Masterpiece

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10)

Masterpiece?  Me?  When I read that verse, I’m tempted to turn around to see if God is talking to someone standing behind me.

But, that’s exactly what God called you and me.  A masterpiece.  A “most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman; an outstanding achievement” as Webster’s would define it.

But wait, I don’t feel like a masterpiece.  That’s because we are looking at the outer man, instead of the new creation inside. What’s inside you, the real and eternal you, is the masterpiece that God created.

God took something dead and broken and restored it to incredible beauty.

I’m sure you seen those before and after pictures of a worn and beat up piece of furniture that was brought back to life by a craftsman with some sweat, sandpaper, and fresh coat of paint.

Or, take a painting for example.  Every masterpiece that was ever painted started out as a blank canvas, something of no value, but once the painter was finished, it went from worthless to priceless.

That’s you and me after surrendering our life to God, the master craftsman.

But, as God declared above, His masterpieces are not meant to sit on a shelf and collect dust.  They are meant to be enjoyed by the world.  So, go advancing His Kingdom on the earth and let the world see God’s masterpiece called you.

Take No Thought

“Therefore take no thought, saying,

What shall we eat? or,

              What shall we drink? or,

                                         Wherewithal shall we be clothed?”

                                   Matthew 6:31 (KJV)

It’s a familiar verse found near the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

It is one of those verses that seems simple enough but very tough to do.

“Take no thought…” Jesus says.

With those words I am reminded of Paul’s admonition in II Corinthians 10:5

“…and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Do we harbor thoughts of worry and fear concerning food, clothing and shelter?

Yes we need them and, just as Jesus said, our heavenly Father knows that!

Planning, working and providing for those needs for ourselves and our family is essential.

But when we entertain thoughts of worry and fear concerning them; it moves us to the area of unbelief.

We do not trust our Father as we should; that He will take care of us.

Are you disciplining your thought life?

Do you take these thoughts of fear and worry captive and make them obedient to Christ?

Do you exchange thoughts of worry for trust and thoughts of fear for courage?

Think about this…

He is worthy of your trust.

He can be trusted with your needs.

It is easy to believe otherwise based on your circumstances.

…but we are never told to trust in our circumstances…

Instead of focusing your thoughts on your circumstances how about focusing them on Him who is above all circumstances!

Simple Truth

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what

the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the

Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

Romans 8:5

 

 

As plain as the nose on your face!

That is how I would describe the obviousness of today’s text.

To me there is nothing subtle or nuanced in how the Apostle Paul wrote it.

If Paul were a mathematician he might have expressed the verse this way:

Flesh mindset = Minds set on what the flesh desires

While

Spirit mindset = Minds set on what the Spirit desires

Sometimes we make things too complicated or too deep.

Not so with Romans 8:5

It makes clear how we can change our thought life.

Maybe you’ve struggled in the past with your thoughts and you’ve convinced yourself that it was an attack from the devil but now you can clearly see that it is a product of whether you are living according to the flesh or according to the Spirit.

That’s not to say that the enemy can’t take the mind of someone living only to satisfy their flesh and bring all sorts of confusion, fear, doubt and torment.  

  He exploits our weaknesses.

He is out to destroy us.

The good news is that God strengthens us in our weakness.

He has come to bring us abundant life and has given us a sound mind.  

When we discipline that mind according to Philippians 4:8, which we looked at previously, a transformation is under way -

You are on your way to a renewed mind!

 

 

 

Feed Me!

“For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the [a]sinful nature; for these

[two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other

[continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always]

do whatever [good things] you want to do.”

Galatians 5:17 Amplified

 

 

It is a fool who courts temptation putting themselves in harms’ way thinking that they are immune to the flesh’s strong desires.

The Message translation states Proverbs 6:27 pretty directly by asking:

“Can you build a fire in your lap

    and not burn your pants?”

Now that would be a fool!

We do well to remember that our fleshly, sinful nature and our spirit are in

a constant struggle for domination.

Think of it this way:

If they both have a capacity for hunger which one are you feeding?

If I sow to the sinful nature guess what grows?

Likewise, sowing to the spirit reaps spiritual growth.

Too often our spirit man goes hungry while our sinful nature sits down to a banquet.

Let’s determine to feed our spirit with nourishing food.

Let’s change our reading, viewing and thinking habits so that in every way we feed our spirit and starve the sinful nature.

Does that book build up my faith?

Will that TV program draw me closer to the Lord?

Do I think on the things Paul counseled in Philippians 4:8?

Things that are true, right and pure to name just a few.

Become a discriminating believer who refuses to allow junk into your life.

God: strengthen us to follow after you!

…Are Being Transformed…

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory,

are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory,

which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

John 1:35-42

 

 

Our Pastor offered this definition today –

Spiritual Transformation:

A radical reorganization of your identity, your values,

your beliefs and your life’s purpose on earth.

I appreciate the clear understanding that definition brings to the fact that transformation is a process. It is accomplished over time.

Unlike being born again which happens in a moment,

transformation seems, at times, painstakingly slow.

Our instant culture craves instant everything and that includes the radical changes our new life in Christ brings.

We would prefer that we were saved and sanctified in the speed of light.

Oh, and make it painless too!

Look back at that definition though.

Things like identity, values and beliefs are pretty personal.

Radical reorganization of those things does not happen without some significant resistance from the old man.

Change is never easy.

But changing my identity,

my values, beliefs and life purposes?

Well, lets’ talk about that!

We’re good at engaging the Holy Spirit in diversionary conversation to forestall the changes He wants to bring.

But if we understand that all of Gods’ plans for us are goo, if we truly comprehend that revelation resistance is not futile, resistance is non-existent.

But that revelation is part of the transformation as well.

Ask God to open your eyes to what He is doing and to who you are becoming in Christ.

He longs to partner with you in the work of transformation.

Are you ready?

 

 

 

What Drives You?

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

What drives you to do the things you do?

Is it your search for acceptance?

Is it your search for approval?

Is it your striving for accomplishments?

If your answer to any of these is yes, then God has one answer for you – rest!

Your soul was designed to rest, but apart from Jesus, it can’t. Only when you surrender to Jesus and chose to allow Him lead you will you find rest.

There’s very little rest in the church today.  Many churches are filled with tired and weary Christians who never feel like they measure up.

If that’s how you feel, God is calling you to stop striving and pick up His yoke of eternal love and acceptance.

How do you do that?  Ask the Lord to show you what motivates you.  Then, use the litmus test – do I do it for Jesus or myself?  Is my motivation for doing things to be accepted and approved by man or God?

If your motivation is to gain man’s approval, you will never be satisfied.  The approval of man will always demand more.

If your motivation is to be accepted and approved by God, then you can rest in the fact that it was accomplished at salvation.  At your rebirth, God sealed you with His Holy Spirit and marked you as His.  You will never me more accepted and loved than you already are.

So, what’s driving you?

What a Difference a Day Makes!

“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).”

John 1:35-42

 

What a difference a day makes!

I know this is a longer portion of scripture in today’s blog but it is well worth the read.

These disciples would walk with Jesus for the three years of His earthly ministry.

In that time they would learn much.

They would be afraid on the sea and they would be amazed at the raising of Lazarus.

Yet in just 24 hours their revelation of who Jesus was changed from ‘teacher’ to Messiah.

The Lord has revelation to share with you today.

He wants you to know Him in ways you perhaps have not known Him in the past.

Perhaps you have known Him as Provider but not met Him as Deliverer.

Maybe He has been the Good Shepherd to you but today He will reveal Himself as the lover of your soul.

Will you take the time to be with Him?

Will you spend the day with Him?

 

 

What’s in a Name?

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,”

Philippians 2:9

 

 

How powerful is the name of the Lord?

Powerful enough that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Now maybe you have just stumbled onto this blog post and as you read these words you are vehemently disagreeing with them.

Perhaps you are offended by the truth I have presented.

There are some who attempt to rewrite history to make it fit their particular beliefs.

The truth is we can revise what we write about the past but we cannot change history.

Neither can we change the truth.

Denying it does not change it any more than denying that the holocaust occurred somehow wipes it from history’s record.  

I am always amazed at how offensive the name of Jesus Christ is to so many that they would try to block it from any public discourse.

Would a name void of any power wield such impact?

One day the power of His name will be evident to saint and skeptic alike.

God loves the saint but He also loves the skeptic.

It is His desire that the power of His name and the power of His love become real to all.

How does that happen?

It happens when His people demonstrate His love and the power of His name.

Lord:

Use me today to be that demonstration.

Not of hate, but of love.

Not of compromise but to live the truth in love before my neighbor, my friends and my enemies.

I can do this through your strength and the power of your Holy Spirit at work in me to make know your name and the power of your name.

So I pray and ask this in that powerful name of Jesus Christ!

Amen

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

What?

Why am I rushing the season?

Actually, I am not.

To wish you a holiday greeting at the wrong time of year can certainly seem out of place.

James talks about some other things that seem out of place.

Listen to his words:

  “Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?

My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

James 3:11-12

What was his point?

We find it in the verses preceding the ones we just read.

Listen to this:

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.

My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

James 3:9-10

Sure, it is out of place for me to wish you a Merry Christmas in October but how much more out of place is it for me to worship the Lord at one moment and in the next moment use that same tongue to backbite a neighbor or curse out a co-worker.

God wants to do a work in each of us and that includes sanctifying our tongues.

Some would measure it just by how many ‘cuss words’ you speak but Gods’ plans for our tongues is so much more than a tally of inappropriate words or off-color jokes.

We can strengthen and build others up with our words or we can tear them down.

Which do you choose today?

 

Brag on God!

“The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him.

They blindfolded him and demanded,

 “Prophesy! Who hit you?”

And they said many other insulting things to him.”

Luke 22:63-65

 

 

Have you been given a gift by God?

The Bible tells us that God gives gifts to men.

Those guarding Jesus demanded that He prophesy and tell them who it was that had just hit Him.

They were asking Him to pervert the use of the gifts of God.

Nothing changes in the enemy’s playbook.

Not only will the enemy counterfeit the gifts of God, he will temp you to use them in ways God never intended.

One of his favorite ways is to cause them to make you proud.

If he can get you to glory in what God accomplishes – in essence to steal the glory that belongs to God – as if it was you and not the power of God working through you, then he has succeeded in perverting the gifts of God in you.

How do you prevent that?

Stay humble before God.

When He accomplishes any marvelous thing through you be quick to give Him the praise.

Recognize that we carry a great treasure in earthen vessels.

Diamonds kept inside a simple clay pot, so to speak.

There were several examples in scripture where men attempted to worship the angels that brought a message from God.

They were quick to correct that knowing that worship belongs to God alone.  

One of my favorite scriptures is:

“But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.””

II Corinthians 10:17

Brag on God – not on yourself!

 

Are you ordinary or extraordinary?

You are still worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]? For when one of you says, “I am [a disciple] of Paul,” and another, “I am [a disciple] of Apollos,” are you not [proving yourselves unchanged, just] ordinary people? (1 Corinthians 3:3-4 AMP)

Todays blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

In the above verse, God is strongly exhorting us to not live an ordinary life.  The definition of ordinary is “the expected or commonplace condition or situation.”  Unfortunately, a common condition we see in the church is to be controlled by our sinful nature and live like the world does, but God doesn’t want us to be common.  He is calling us to something greater.

And, if God doesn’t want us to be ordinary, then it stands to reason He must want us to be the opposite – to be extraordinary!  The definition of extraordinary is “beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional.”

God is calling us from usual to unusual, from common to exceptional.

So, what’s the difference between an ordinary life and an extraordinary life?  One word – Jesus.  Jesus dwelling in us gives us the power to be extraordinary.  He is the “extra” in our “ordinary.”

Don’t get me wrong, being ordinary is not bad, unless you were given the power to be extraordinary and you still choose to live ordinary.  It’s like being given the power to have victory over sin, but instead, let sin continually have victory over you.  It’s like being given the power to love unconditionally, but instead, love with strings attached.

Through our born again experience, we have become a new creature with the life of Christ in us, so we should be anything but ordinary.

Growing or Groaning

“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!”
Hebrews 12:9

 

Submit!

Now there’s a word we resist.

But it is also a word essential to growth and maturity.

The childish adult is the one who has never learned to submit.

The carnal Christian, too, has not truly surrendered to the Lordship of Christ.

Submission is a vital part of every aspect of life.

A child submits to their parent; a student to their teacher; a citizen to his government and a believer to the Lord.

We only seem to address it in the marriage relationship but to limit it as to only apply between husband and wife is contrary to the scriptures.

We are all, in one way or another, under authority.

How we submit to those in authority over us impacts our growth.

You cannot simultaneously live in rebellion to His ordained authority and follow the course God has laid out for you.

Rebellion takes you off course.

Remember the Garden?

Life changed for Adam and Eve after they rebelled.

When we fail to submit to those God has brought into our lives, be it parent, teacher, boss or policeman we ‘stunt our growth’.

Are we sometimes asked to submit to someone less than perfect?

Of course!

Other than the Lord, have you met another perfect person?

Of course not!

As you submit, God honors that submission and teaches you through it.

 As we learned yesterday growth comes through relationship.

But growth also comes as we learn to submit to those in authority over us.

Do you grow or groan when called to submit?

Step, Fall, Step, Fall, Step, Step…

“The Lord makes firm the steps

    of the one who delights in him,”

Psalm 37:23

 

Are you a risk taker or are you all about playing it safe?

There was a time when we all took risks.

You probably don’t remember it well.

You were first learning to walk.

If you are like most people your parents held you with their hands and did everything possible to reduce or eliminate the risks from your little life.

Inevitably though the time came when either no one was around or they were fa enough away that you took a couple of steps alone and then plunk – down you went.

If you were fortunate you missed any furniture on the way down.

You had just taken a risk!

Our walk with Christ demands risk – we call it faith.

The first steps of faith can seem impossible.

Peter never got into the boat thinking that the next time he stepped out he would be walking on water.

But he did.

He also faltered but the Lord, like our parents when we took those few first wobbly steps, was right there and saw that Peter was safely back in the boat.

Peter took a risk.

He stepped out in faith.

He walked on water even if for just a few steps.

Like the child who is emboldened by those first steps taken Peter could look back and remember what it is to step out in faith.

His faith would grow.

Ours will to as we learn to walk by faith and not by sight.

Faith is essential to our walk and to our growth.

Look for those faith stretching opportunities today!

Stay Close and Grow!

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,

so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,”

I Peter 2:2

 

Growth is all about relationship.

Just as a child bonds with their natural parents a child of God can bond with his or her heavenly Father.

God has made the way.

Ideally, that begins when our natural parents raise us in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Think about the progressive growth of a baby.

They are virtually 100% dependent on their parents as a newborn babe.

Slowly they begin to be able to hold their head up, sit up, crawl and walk.

They start out with mothers’ milk, then are introduced to other liquids, onto pureed or soft food and then finally ready for ‘real’ food.

An abandoned child would not grow.

Because they were abandoned, they would not have those to nurture and care for them at the time they needed it most.  

When we become children of God, through being born-again, we have care-givers provided by God, our parents (if we are still young), other believers and the pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets and apostles God has given to the church.

Most importantly God puts His Holy Spirit into us to teach us and to guide us into all truth.

 Just as it is normal for an infant to crawl and then walk, so too is it normal for the believer to crawl and then walk in their relationship with God.

As I learn to cultivate that relationship with my Heavenly Father I continue to grow.

Abandon the relationship and that growth ceases.

Our Heavenly Father will never abandon us.

That is a promise He has made.

Stay close and grow!

 

Grow Up!

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

II Peter 3:18

Suppose you had the ability to canvas everyone in your church for their age.

Now add up all those years and divide by the number of people.

That would give you the average age of your congregation.

Now suppose somehow we had the ability to do the same thing with spiritual age – measured not by the date of their new birth but measured by maturity.

So, would your sanctuary double as a nursery, a nursing home or something in between?

Aaaah, now we’re meddling!

There is something wrong with a child that does not grow.

It is true in the natural and it is true with followers of Christ.

God the Father expects His children to grow to maturity.

If I came home from work to find my wife spoon feeding my 31 year old son I would say something is wrong.

He is more than capable of feeding himself.

Yet our churches are filled with people insisting on being spoon fed (after all, isn’t that what we pay the Pastor for?!) who should be feeding themselves and others.

 I am thrilled every time God speaks to me from His word.

When He does, we grow in our ability to hear.

We grow in our ability to discern.

We grow in our ability to feed and lead others.

Most importantly, we grow in our relationship with Him.

Let’s look this week at how we ‘grow up’ in Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

Through and Through

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thessalonians 5:23)

What a testament to God’s grace and forgiveness.  He doesn’t just sanctify your spirit man at salvation, He sanctifies the entire you – spirit, soul and body – and keeps you blameless until Jesus returns.

What about my many weaknesses and failures?  Sanctified!  What about all that ugliness in my heart?  Yep, sanctified too!  What about my selfish “it’s all about me” attitude?  Still sanctified!

God was fully aware of what He was getting, but in an incredible act of love, He still sent Jesus to the cross. He knew you came as a packaged deal (spirit, soul, and body) with many flaws, but He still chose to purchase all of you.

So, the next time you are tempted to become discouraged at your shortcomings or at the sinful nature you have to drag around with you, remember that you are sanctified through and through – spirit, soul, and body.

 

 

 

I Press On

“Not that I have already obtained all this,

or have already arrived at my goal,

but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

Philippians 3:12

 

 

Beware the ‘already obtained’ person.

They may not speak those exact words but their attitude is such that there is an uncomfortable state between you when you are around them.

I am not speaking of the wonderful conviction of the Holy Spirit that can be evident when you rub shoulders with a mature believer in Christ.

Rather, we can sometimes be around others who look down on ‘sinners’ and less mature saints alike as if they alone were responsible for their position in Christ.

It is a dangerous thing to proudly claim for ourselves the work Christ wrought for us.

We received His grace.

 And we continue to grow in that grace.

“…and so let a man examine himself…”

It is a good thing to examine our attitudes toward others.

Do we exude a spiritual pride that dishonors God or is our life a sweet fragrance of humble service to Him and others?

When Paul penned the words above he was certainly not a new believer.

Yet he recognized the inestimable wisdom of God and that he was, and would continue to be, on a journey of growth and maturity.

Have you already arrived or are you still pressing on?