“Sorry I Missed You”

Today's blog has been contributed by David Trotta:

 

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me. (Revelation 3:20)

Have you ever missed an important package because you didn’t hear the doorbell or knock at the door by the mail courier only to find a note attached to your door saying “sorry we missed you?”  Some packages contain valuable contents and can’t just be dropped off at your doorstep or in your mailbox.  You have to sign on the dotted line showing proof that you did indeed receive the package.

This has happened to me before, so now when I am expecting an important package, I try to stay close to home and listen more intently for the doorbell or knock at the door.  I even find myself constantly looking out the window for the delivery truck to pull up so I can greet the person at the door.

As we have learned this week, God is always speaking.  He is always knocking on the door of our hearts looking to have fellowship with us and tell us “great and unsearchable things” (Jer. 33:3).  But, before we can enjoy His company, we have to listen for His voice and heed it by opening the door.

Imagine waiting for my package, listening for the knock, hearing it, but then not opening the door.  Sounds pretty silly, but we often do that with God.  We earnestly desire him to speak to us, but we fill our lives with so much clutter, noise, and busyness we often don’t hear him knocking, and when we do, we are too busy, so we don’t open the door, thereby sending Him away with the rationalization we’ll catch Him later.

God has a package he wants to deliver to you and me today.  It is filled with very precious gifts, like encouragement, wisdom, guidance, insight, and truth.  Don’t force God to leave a “sorry I missed you” note.  Remove the unnecessary distractions from your life, be attentive to His knock, and be sure to open the door.  Better yet, leave the door open for Him so He has constant access.  He will quickly fill your heart with packages from above.

Framing Our Prayers in Hope

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great

and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Jeremiah 33:3

 

 

There are some ‘promises’ in life we have come to be skeptical about.

There are even some more humorous than factual.

We have learned to doubt rather than believe when we here things like:

“The check is in the mail.”

Or

“I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

Why?

Because those so called ‘promises’ have proven false time and time again.

But as we explore this topic of hearing from God there is one promise we can rely on.

Why?

Because it is no less than God Himself who makes that promise!

It is found right in the middle of today’s verse.

“…and I will answer you…”

The I AM says I will!

What a remarkable and precious promise from Him to anyone who calls to Him.

The promises of man sometimes leave us disappointed.

The promises of God never will!

So what is our obligation?

Call to me!

Call to your heavenly Father.

Believe enough to lift your voice to Him in prayer.

Expecting, knowing confidently that He will answer.

What a wonderful hope to frame our prayers with!

 

Moment-by-Moment

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

Psalm 32:8

 

 

Did you have a particular subject in school that was more difficult to learn?

For me it was math.

I could understand it but it did not come easy.

I needed more time and more instruction than many.

I dreaded those word equations, where a train left Chicago at 10:00 a.m. and another one left New York at 1:00 p.m, etc…

Remember those?

I was particularly grateful for the teachers who took the time, had the patience and talked me through those problems until I got it.

Imagine if you were in a class of your most challenging subject.

It just didn’t come easy and you knew the only way you would get through it was with a teacher’s assistance.

Now imagine that teacher never uttered a word once they had given the assignment.

No help, no encouragement, no further assistance.

How hard would that be?

Pretty difficult, I’d say!

And yet that is exactly how some believe God responds to us.

He created us and then left us on our own.

No instruction, no guidance, no talking!

Like we are in some grand universal library and God is the Librarian shushing us to silence!

That is not who are heavenly Father is.

He loves us dearly and wants to guide us through life by His Holy Spirit.

He wants to speak to us.

He is speaking to us.

He will help you through every part of your life – difficult or not.

Do you have ears to hear?

 

Lord

Help me to understand that you are not a distant, remote God.

You are my loving heavenly Father.

You love me with an everlasting love.

It is your heart to speak to me.

Not once in a lifetime.

Not only at the rough patches, but moment-by-moment throughout my life.

Help me to hear your voice.

In Jesus Name.

Amen.

“Let God be truth…”

“since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—

his eternal power and divine nature—

have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,

so that people are without excuse.”

John 16:13-14

 

 

Many have said this far more eloquently than I ever could hope to but the truth is that God is plainly evident in all of His creation.

Today’s verses speak to that truth.

Those who deny the existence of God have a much harder time explaining His ‘non-existence’ than those of us who believe in and love Him.

While their voices may be louder and greater in number that alone has never

been a legitimate measurement of truth.

Truth sometimes stands alone.

That does not change truth.

When the twelve spies went into the Promised Land it was the ‘minority report’ that carried the truth even when it failed to ‘carry the nation’.

The Children of Israel chose the ‘majority’ report and it cost them dearly.

Don’t ever be swayed simply because of the ‘many’ versus the ‘few’.

Remember that when it comes to truth – one with God is a majority!

Hold fast to the Truth.

Hold fast to Jesus Christ.

Hold fast to His Word.

Hold fast to the understanding that He speaks to His sheep and His sheep know His voice.

Have you heard the voice of truth today?

Have you listened to know the Fathers Heart?

Have you heard and are you walking in the steps He has ordered for you today?

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Numbers 23:19 (KJV)

 

Lord

Help me to hold fast to you today.

Help me to listen and obey.

Help me to walk in the truth even when it is contrary to so many others.

I listen for your voice.

In Jesus Name

Amen!

http://youtu.be/KwsvqVmFV6Y

Take Your Hand off the “Pause” Button!

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.”

John 16:13-14

 

 

God delights in speaking to you and me.

He is always speaking. But are we always listening?

Do we sometimes get so wrapped up with the ‘affairs of life’ that we cannot hear Him?

I believe we do.

We may even blame God at those times asking: “Why is God so silent”.

In fact, He is not silent.

We have our finger on the “pause” button as it were.

Through our own busyness, indifference or distractions we can silence the voice of God in our lives.

That is never His desire.

Employing the “silent treatment” is manipulative in marriage and it is also not something God uses with His children.

We create the barriers, we put our finger on the pause button by our actions and not the other way around.

Scripture is abundant with examples of God speaking to His people.

It is also abundant with examples of a silent heaven.

But the heavens are silent, not at God’s choosing, but through our own disobedience and unbelief.

Do you belong to God?

He wants to speak to you!

In eager anticipation, listen for His voice today.

 

Lord:

I come as your child.

You have said that your sheep know your voice.

Speak to me that I might know you better.

Help me to listen with that eager anticipation.

Like a young child waiting for their father at the end of the workday, I wait and I listen for your voice.

Thank you Lord.

I pray this in the matchless Name of Jesus

Amen!

 

You Are What You Eat

Today's blog is contributed by David Trotta:

“You are what you eat.”  That is a pretty popular phrase that is based on the notion that to be fit and healthy you need to eat good food.  The phrase was reportedly first coined in the early 1800s as “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.”  The early individuals who coined the phrase, and those who have used it over the years, believed strongly that the food we eat has a bearing on our state of mind and health.

Did you know that God actually first introduced this “you are what you eat” principle in the bible, only it pertained to our inner man instead of our outer man.  In Proverbs 23:7, God said “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”  The thoughts you “feed” your mind will have a direct impact on who you are.

If we constantly allow our minds to feed upon the things of this world, our focus will be on satisfying the desires of our flesh, which will hinder our ability to grow strong and mature in the Lord.  We will become spiritually malnourished and remain “spiritual babies.”  1 Corinthians 14:20 says “Brethren, do not be children [immature] in your thinking; continue to be babes in [matters of] evil, but in your minds be mature [men].”

However, if we continually allow our minds to feed on things from above, such as scripture and the presence of God in our lives, our inner man will grow strong and we will find it easier to have victory over the daily struggles in our lives.  Our spiritual walk will cease being so difficult, because it will be His strength that carries us, not ours.

It is no coincidence that God, writing through the apostle Paul, first instructed us to “set your minds on things above, not earthly things” (Colossians 3:2) before he asked us to “put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (Colossians 3:5).  Feeding our minds with things from above will empower us to have victory over our sinful nature.

Let’s take an honest health assessment of our spiritual lives by asking ourselves this question – Am I growing in spiritual maturity or do I continue to struggle with the same weaknesses?  If the latter, consider changing your “spiritual” eating habits.  It will define who you are.

A Show Me Attitude!

“Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your

right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.”

Psalm 17:7

 

 

The State of Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state.

Perhaps the state’s residents would feel right at home with this verse.

The Psalmist asks for God to “show me” the wonders of His great love.

Perhaps there was a time in your life when you had tasted of God’s great love but you have, through busyness or some other distraction, found that God now seems so distant.

Don’t remain in that state. (It’s not a location but a state of the heart bty!)

Move to the place where you ask God to show you the wonders of His great love.

Position yourself to receive it.

How do you do that?

 You ask, just as the Psalmist did!

I once wrote a lesson plan on the topic of faith and titled it: “All the Pagans Live in Missouri.”

I did this, with tongue in cheek, because by their state’s slogan they seemed to be declaring that they walked by sight and not by faith.

The old “I have to see it to believe it” statement appeared to be implied in their slogan.

Yet when we look at today’s verse the Psalmist is asking God to show him His love, not because of His unbelief, but just the opposite.

It would make no sense to petition one in whom we did not believe.

You believe in God.

You love God.

Ask Him to reveal His love to you.

But the Psalmist request had one more component.

It was ‘wrapped’ in a declaration of what God is to those who take refuge in Him.

It was ‘wrapped’ in praise and worship!

Ask God to show you His love.

Wrap that petition with worship.

Expect the answer!

 

http://youtu.be/d8ful0cmPNQ

 

 

 

 

A 100 Year Orientation

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God

has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:14

 

 

Let me ask you something.

What are you looking forward to most in heaven?

Some may answer: “I can’t wait to be reunited with loved ones.”

Still others will say: “To live in the mansion prepared just for me.”

And of course: “I can’t wait to walk and talk with Jesus!”

I’ve always found that question hard to answer.

In some ways, I used to think there might be something like a 100 year orientation.

Think about this: what are the dearest and most precious moments you have spent with the Holy Spirit in Gods’ presence?

Multiply that by 10,000 times and imagine it not ending – that is what heaven will be.

To be with the Lord, in His very presence, through eternity!

 So here’s another question – Do you think God wants to walk with us now in unbroken fellowship?

I believe He does.

You might call that ‘heaven on earth’.

We don’t have to wait for the ‘sweet bye-and-bye’.

As a matter of fact His desire is that we might be His image in the earth.

The more time you and me spend in fellowship with Him the clearer His image shines through us.  

Now certainly heaven is a very real place and a very real reward for those who love Him.

But that is in no way diminished when we draw ever nearer to Him while here on earth.

If you agree that it will take eternity to know Him, then why wait?

Spend some time in His presence today.

Not only will you be blessed but so too will everyone you interact with.

That is how life-changing it is to be in His presence!

You can start working on that 100 year orientation today.

What Matters Most?

“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead.

The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;”

I Corinthians 15:42

 

 

What did Jesus look like when he walked the earth for 33 years over 2,000 years ago?

George Eastman wasn’t around to capture a “Kodak moment”.

It would be hundreds of years after Jesus ‘in the flesh’ that DaVinci, Michelangelo and the

other masters of the Renaissance were picking up a paintbrush

so they certainly couldn’t capture His image either.

Maybe there’s some significance to the fact that Jesus’

words were captured and not His image?

Maybe, just maybe, those words are eternal but the body He inhabited was a temporary home.

Why do you suppose our bodies exist?

Our bodies exist to house the spirit of a man, giving our spirit a place to dwell on the earth in order to accomplish God’s purposes.

That is not to say that we ought not to care about our bodies.

After all, God created our bodies out of the dust of the earth and it was part of His good creation.

We are to be good stewards of our bodies but our flesh was never meant to rule our spirit.

“The Word became flesh and dwelled among us…”

He didn’t come as a Super Hero.

He didn’t fly, bend steel in His bare hands or have x-ray vision.

His purpose in coming wasn’t about the flesh.

It was all about restoring what was surrendered in the Garden.

It was all about restoring fellowship with God through the spirit of a man.

His earthly tent, which was created as a dwelling place for His spirit, was crucified on the cross.

He was the innocent Lamb of God who shed His blood for you and me.  

But when He rose from the grave His mortal put on immortality.

The temporary dwelling had served its’ purpose.

You and I will one day trade in the temporal for the eternal.

 What matters most is the spirit of a man.

Are you strengthening and nourishing your spirit?

Are you growing in Him?

Imagine how silly it would be if somehow we had a photograph of Jesus and people had plastic surgery to ‘look more like Him’!

That would be missing the mark to be sure.

But still we can ask the question:

Do you look like Him?

Is His image growing in your spirit?

Do people recognize Him in you?

Certainly food for thought!

 

 

 

 

“…for those who love Him…”

“However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived”—

    the things God has prepared for those who love him—

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”

I Corinthians 2:9-10

 

 

We often teach and talk about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit or the Fruits of the Spirit but ignore another significant aspect of the Spirit in our lives.

The Holy Spirit reveals the deep things of God to those who love Him.

What does it mean to reveal?

Or asked another way, what is revelation?

Revelation is truths of the spiritual realm that are hidden, concealed and unable to be learned through the intellect of the mind but has now been given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus once said:

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you,

the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

John 17:3

We can only know God as He is revealed to us by His Spirit.

And that knowledge of God is revealed to us throughout eternity.

That is the ‘enormity’, the ‘unsearchable riches’ of who God is.

I suppose if I really applied myself (and had a very good teacher) I could learn very difficult subjects given enough time.

God cannot be ‘known’ by my intellect.

I cannot study to know Him.

I may be able to learn about Him but truly knowing Him happens – not through intellect – but through revelation from His Spirit to my spirit.

That man or woman who is not born again does not have the capacity to know God.

His spirit remains dead.

When my spirit is made alive through the new birth, God now communes with me through my spirit.

An eternal relationship has begun.

Will you continue to walk in that relationship?

As you do, His Holy Spirit continues to reveal the things of God to you.

What an awesome privilege and blessing that is!!!!

 

http://youtu.be/Ry6bzm7K8K4

 

God’s Offer of Rest

Today's blog has been contributed by David Trotta:

Imagine I’m digging a hole in the ground.  I’ve been digging for quite some time.  My clothes are soaked with perspiration.  I’m out of breath and my arms are tired.  Then, you come along.  You see my plight, feel bad for me, and offer to give me a rest.  You jump in the hole and take the shovel from my hands and begin digging.

Only, instead of vacating the hole, I keep one hand on the shovel and proceed to help you dig.  Or, better yet, I help you dig while giving you instructions on the most efficient way to use the shovel.  Sounds pretty silly, doesn’t it?  Of course it does.  Any clear thinking person would jump out of the hole as fast as possible and take full advantage of the offer to rest.

Matthew 11:28-30 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Rest, easy, light.  Do those words describe your spiritual walk?  If not, maybe you are trying to “dig yourself out of a hole” by constantly trying to do more and work harder to earn God’s love and acceptance.

If that describes how you feel, Jesus might be offering you rest today.  Stop striving for God’s acceptance, and instead, rest in His unearned and unconditional love.  His love and acceptance isn’t based on anything you or I can do.  Jesus did the work for us.  Through His sacrifice on the cross, God said once and for all “I love you,” so lay down your shovel and rest.

“In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor.” (Ephesians 1:7)

Verses Worth Repeating

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”

Acts 1:4

 

 

Nope, there is no mistake here.

The verses above are the same ones from yesterday.

I want you to notice, in particular, both the beginning and the end of these verses.

What do you note?

There is a command that opens the verses and a command that closes them.

“Be very careful, then, how you live…be filled with the Spirit.”

I am paraphrasing here but someone once wrote:

The unexamined life is not worth living.

Do you ever examine how carefully you are living your life?

Are you wise or unwise in how you live?

Are you filled with the Spirit?

All questions worth asking.

All answers worth knowing.

I hope it does not take a lot to convince you of the truth that the days are evil.

Read your paper, watch the news, and open the internet.

Each will provide ample evidence of a world steeped in evil excesses.

So we need to be the contrast to what current culture offers.

Salt and light Jesus would say.

Life holds little value to most?

We need to treasure Gods’ gift of life.

A world filled with self-centered gratification?

Be one who puts Jesus Christ first.

“Be very careful, then, how you live…Be filled with the Spirit.”

My Personal Trainer

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”

Acts 1:4

  

 

 “Jesus on the inside

Working on the outside

Oh, what a joy in my life!”

 

So goes a part of a chorus we used to sing many years ago.

Some might hear that and ask – “Is Jesus a personal trainer?”

Well, not really – unless you broaden the definition of what a personal trainer does.

We have an over-emphasis in our culture with what our ‘outside’

looks like while we often neglect our spirit and our soul.

A personal trainer is interested in developing the shell of a man, i.e., the body.

As a believer we know our body houses that which is eternal – our spirit.

The Spirit of God works with us to make us fruitful for the Kingdom of God.

This work is primarily done in the ‘inward man’ or the spirit of a man.

We are to reflect Christ in the world.

When I embrace what the Holy Spirit wants to do in me it might be compared to the man or woman who carefully follows every instruction the personal trainer gives at the gym.

They want to see results!

The world needs to see the results in us of the Holy Spirit’s work.  

That can’t happen when we do not embrace that work;

when we do not surrender our will to obey His will.  

Like the physical workout in the gym, the spiritual ‘workout’ may not always be easy.

But it is always worth it!

Will you say ‘Yes!” to the Holy Spirit as your personal trainer?

 

A Gift For You

“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.”

Acts 1:4

 

 

 

We tolerate, we accept or we embrace the Holy Spirit.

Let’s look at all three of those words.

Tolerate is defined as:

To allow something that is bad or unpleasant to exist, happen or be done.

Hardly a ringing endorsement, is it?

Yet that is how much of the church ‘handles’ the Holy Spirit.

We tolerate only because we ‘have too’!

Accept is defined as:

To receive or take something offered.

Acceptance of the Holy Spirit sounds a tad better than tolerating Him wouldn’t you agree?

And yet…

Embrace is defined as:

to take up especially readily or gladly.

Now we may be on to something.

There is gladness and eagerness evident when we embrace the Holy Spirit.

It is beyond tolerance, beyond acceptance all the way to an eager gladness and anticipation.

Jesus told the disciples:

“…wait for the gift my Father promised…”

The Holy Spirit is a gift from the Father to each and every believer.

 With that in mind I would ask the same question I asked in closing yesterday’s blog.

Will you tolerate, accept or embrace this gift from the Father?

Tolerate, Accept or Embrace?

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,

who is in you, whom you have received from God?

You are not your own;”

I Corinthians 6:19

 

 

When you talk about the Holy Spirit in the church today there are three common responses most people have.

Some will tolerate the Holy Spirit.

After all, He is mentioned an awful lot in scripture!

Some will accept the Holy Spirit.

In much the same way they ‘accept’ a tetanus shot.

Finally, there are those who embrace the Holy Spirit.

In the Kingdom of God those who embrace the Holy Spirit have a distinct advantage.

Where do you think you are?

Be careful; don’t answer too quickly.

No, it’s not a question of ‘Pentecostal’ or ‘Charismatic’ or any other label we put on one another.

We seem to be very good at that.

If we are to be a people filled with God’s spirit we must be a people who move beyond mere tolerance or anonymous acceptance.

We must be a people fully embracing all that the Holy Spirit desires to do in us and through us.

We must surrender our wills and allow God to have His way in us.

It’s much easier to just suit up with the label, isn’t it?

Ouch!

Funny thing is God never said:

By their labels you shall know them!

He did say we would be known as His by our fruit!

What fruit?

The Fruit of the guess who?

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit!

Embrace the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Make room for Him and then make more room!

Who Are You Relying On?

Today's blog has been contributed by David Trotta:

We’ve all done it.  We receive a gift from someone with a warm smile and a “thank you” only to put the gift on a shelf or in a drawer somewhere to collect dust.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, at the time, we received it with joy and went on to think about all the ways we were going to use the new gift, but life got in the way.  We became busy with other things, and soon forgot we even had the gift.  (On a personal note, I have tools that were given to me over a year ago and are still in the box, unopened.)

Now imagine I have a job in front of me that requires cutting a lot of wood, and I proceed to manually cut the wood with a hand saw forgetting that I had this nice shiny power tool on the shelf and still in the box.  Pretty foolish, uh?

Yet, as Christians we do that with the Holy Spirit.  We received the Holy Spirit with much joy and gladness from our heavenly Father, but then, somewhere along the way we stopped relying on Him, and instead started relying on our own strength.  We relegate Him to a back seat in our life.

We have this daunting task in front of us – living a life that honors God in a world that opposes us at every turn, but we forget that the Holy Spirit of God was given to guide, empower, and comfort us.  Instead, we go through our Christian walk struggling to do the right thing in our own feeble strength, which often leads to failure and feelings of discouragement and frustration.  We view the biblical promises of “peace that passes all understanding” and “joy unspeakable” as unattainable goals, rather than reality, as we drudge through life.

Listen to what the bibles says in John 14:26 about the purpose of the Holy Spirit in our lives – “But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.” (AMP)

What an incredible and powerful resource!  God gave us His very Spirit to lead us through life.  Today, let’s choose to rely on the Holy Spirit and not our efforts.  When we do, our sinful nature will be put to death (Romans 8:13), and our lives will be marked by repeated victories, rather than defeats.

Thank You!

“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

Ephesians 1:16

 

 

We are very close to completing a third year of writing this blog

and I want to take a moment and say thank you to those near and far who have read it.

I know we have some faithful readers in countries far removed from

His Place in Wayne County, here in Western New York.

We have now had page views from well over 80 different nations.

These include faithful readers in places like Russia,

Germany, Ukraine and Malaysia, to name a few.

Our prayer continues to be that wherever you are in your walk with God this blog helps to move you forward and help you grow.

I am truly blessed and honored to be a part of a church family

that is hungry for God and He continues to bless us with a wonderful Pastor who regularly brings us strong, sound biblical teaching.

I would love to hear from you if this blog has been a help and ministered to you in some way.

If you do share with all of us – one simple rule – To God Be the Glory!

You can respond by way of the ‘Comment’ section in the blog.

 

Milk or Meat?

“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!”

Hebrews 5:12

 

 

My son, who in a few weeks will be thirty years old, had joined my parents and I for a Saturday

morning trip out for breakfast when he was about three.

I am not sure exactly how the conversation wound up where it did but he began to cry when he was told (and shown!) that grandpa had no teeth.

His toothless grin was not a concern to my siblings and I because he had had his teeth removed in the early 1960’s and so we were simply accustomed to our toothless Dad.

It took some convincing on our part but Aaron finally accepted the fact that grandpa was not in great pain and was able to eat just fine.

There were some challenges for him though.

Apples, a thick steak, and similar foods were a tad bit rough for him to tackle.

When I recall that story I often wonder how God views us when we should be capable of handling solid food but must have the Word ‘pureed’ in order for us to receive it.

As we consider spiritual maturity there is indeed a time for a diet of only milk.

Any parent understands that.

But normal development means an infant eventually ‘graduates’ or ‘matures’ and moves from the “milk only” nourishment on to solid foods.

The writer of Hebrews speaks of this as it related to our spiritual development.

It is a measure we ought to take of ourselves as well.

Are you capable of feeding yourself or do you always and only need Gods’ Word fed to you?

You may still be on milk.

When you have a question or a problem is it always and only someone else who has the answer or can you dig in the Word and search it out for yourself?

Milk, meat or somewhere in-between?

It is a measurement we all need to review from time to time in our lives.

Milk or meat?

 

Road Trip!

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will

carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6

 

 

Pick a date on the calendar.

Well, maybe not just any date, pick a date that holds special meaning for you.

Maybe it’s your birthday or the birthday of your child.

Maybe the date you pick is your wedding date.

Perhaps you selected the date you surrendered your life to Christ.

Now, let me ask you a question.

What do all these dates have in common?

What they have in common is that they are singular dates on a calendar.

Certainly it is a date that holds special meaning to you but still it’s just a single 24-hr period.

That date represents an event in your life and not a process.

It represents a single point in time and not an extended journey over time.

One of the principles of spiritual maturity we must commit to is this:

We must commit to the process of spiritual maturity and not simply to the event of salvation.

Salvation is a single point in time while maturity ‘happens’ over the long journey of life while remaining in relationship with the Lord.

We would all prefer an ‘instant’ salvation and an ‘instant’ maturity too.

It doesn’t work that way.

The process of maturing takes time.

Sometimes it may move at a pretty good clip while at other times it seems agonizingly slow.

God has purposed it to be a journey.

Don’t grumble along the way.

Enjoy the road trip to maturity!

 

It’s Not about Fairness!

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Ephesians 4:17-24

 

“It’s just not fair, they get all the breaks!”

Have you ever heard someone make that or a similar statement?

Maybe it has even come from your own lips a time or two.

If so, then you have probably also heard this spoken:

“Who said life is fair?”

The truth is there are a lot of things that happen in life to us and to others that is not fair.

For us as believers, though, it’s not about fairness but is about becoming like Jesus Christ.

Every believer will mature through the same spiritual process.

I did not say the same circumstances or even the same methods.

But you cannot mature as a believer without surrendering self.

What brings that surrender in your life could be quite different than what is needed to bring it in my life.

  There were experiences and circumstances that brought about a surrender to the will of God in Joseph’s life that were not at all like what David experienced but you cannot deny that both were in pursuit of God.

We tend to judge by our own experiences and circumstances and so when we start comparing what another person ‘endures’ compared to us we immediately start crying “Foul!”

“I had to go through this – why don’t they?”

Maybe it’s because God knows best!

Did you ever consider that?

Yes, even when it comes to the process of maturing as a believer; God’s path, no matter how different it may seem to be for you compared to others, is still the best way.

Suppose I said to you, “Let’s all meet in Venice, Italy on August 1^st 2014 at 10:00 a.m.”

Do you think we would all travel the exact same route to get there?

Of course not!

Our destination may be the same but our starting point will be different and that will help to determine what we each have to do to arrive at that destination.

God knows what has to happen in your life in order that you might mature as a believer.

He make take you through some things that I never experience, not because He loves you more or less than me, but because He knows what it will take.

Do you trust Him with the process?

Let go of your recipe for your life and follow His lead.

His ways are perfect and His plans for you are good!

Dancing With the Holy Spirit

Today's blog has been contributed by David Trotta:

Dancing with the Stars has become a hugely popular show, watched by 20 million viewers each week. It is amazing to watch how perfectly in sync they dance as partners.

I remember taking dance lessons with my wife a few years back.  One of the first and most important things you learn about dancing is that in order to dance successfully there can only be one leader and both partners have to be in full agreement with the steps they are taking and the direction they are going.  If you don’t, your dancing may more closely resemble a WWF wrestling match with some toes being crushed in the process.

As Christians, we were given the perfect dance partner to guide us through life – the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 5:16 says “But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).”

When we choose to allow the Holy Spirit to control and guide us, he will empower and steer us away from fulfilling the cravings and desires of our flesh.  Our lives will remain in step with the Holy Spirit, becoming a beautiful dance where Jesus is glorified.  However, when we choose to take the lead and go our own way, we will trip and stumble through life, often stepping on the hearts of those around us along the way.

Let’s choose to fully surrender every area of our life to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead in this dance we call life.  After all, he’s the perfect dance partner.

He Was a Good Man!

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:20

 

Have you ever heard anyone speak of someone who has just died with words like these:

“He was a good man!”

Or

“If anyone made it into heaven, it was him.”

While those might sound like kind words to speak of someone or to someone’s friends or family left behind they can also carry some misconceptions about our own righteousness.

It is never our own goodness or righteousness that gains us entry into heaven.

It is only through the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

I wonder what thoughts were passing through the minds of some as they heard Jesus’ words that day.  

To most, in that day, there were none more pious, none more religious than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.

Their outward religiousness was not what God desired.

He desired, and still does, truth in the inward parts.

We cannot earn our way to heaven no matter how good we are.

God provided the sacrifice and only as we ‘put on’ Christ do we gain access to heaven.

I am certainly not advocating a life void of good works.

We have ample scriptures declaring the righteous are to be full of the fruit of good works.

But those good works flow out of a life into which His grace has flowed.

If it is ever said of me, “He was a good man!” let it be followed with the words:

“…because of Christ working in him!”

May that be said of all of us to His glory!