Opinion, Opinion, Who’s Got an Opinion?

“Fools find no pleasure in understanding

    but delight in airing their own opinions.”

Proverbs 18:2

 

 

 

Seems like everybody has an opinion.

Just ask them.

Doesn’t matter the topic, give them enough time and you will know where someone stands.

God doesn’t ‘form’ opinions or shift His views.

He is Truth.

Truth does not change with the times.

It remains eternally true.

Read a newspaper, turn on the network news and you will hear the latest polling results.

Then, I suppose the expectation is that you will change to align yourself with those results.

If you are a believer polls, opinions, culture and what the ‘majority’ says should never dictate your beliefs.

Gods’ truth stands sure.

That is the safest place to be.

“God is not human, that he should lie,

    not a human being, that he should change his mind.

Does he speak and then not act?

    Does he promise and not fulfill?”

Numbers 23:19

We are in a time now where the truth is ignored, mocked and rejected.

Why?

Because ‘our’ opinions matter more – or so we think!

So what do we do?

We stand firm in His truth.

All of it.

Not just the parts we like at the moment.

We stand in His grace, loving and praying for those in darkness.

We stand in His truth remembering that “…such were some of you…”

We stand in His truth ready to forgive, extend compassion and mercy to others.

We are not lukewarm but are passionate in our love for Him and for others.

…if You Are the Son of God

“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying,

“You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!

Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”

Matthew 27:39-40

 

 

Have you ever been taunted by someone?

They may challenge you to do something you would

 not do had they not been there to taunt you.

Responding to a taunt can be very foolish.

As believers, specifically, and as the church generally, we can be taunted in such a way that our response takes us out of the will of God and damages our testimony in the process.

The enemy, often veiled in a culture far withdrawn from God, comes to taunt.

It’s not as if he says – “Go ahead, I dare you to respond in the flesh.”

He is far too subtle for that but that is his motivation.

He will attempt to draw out of us a response that then allows others to point their fingers and say: “See, I told you that’s what all Christians were like!”

Well, we don’t always present Christ in the best way.

But let us grow wiser in our response to taunts.

Let’s learn to respond as Christ responded on the cross.

What did He do when the insults were hurled at Him?

How did He respond when taunted to come down of the cross?

The answer is – nothing!

Nothing, that is, would move Him from responding outside of the will of God.

At that moment, the will of God had Him nailed to the cross.

Love caused Him not to flinch at the taunts, the insults the “I dare you” of the enemy.

You and I will be taunted to step out of His will and respond in the flesh.

When that happens remember these words –

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

II Corinthians 10:4

“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

Wage war humbly prostrated before the Lord in prayer!

Confession, not Concealment

An important lesson shared by David Trotta today -

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16)

When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. (Psalm 32:3)

Confession of sin leads to healing.  Concealment leads to erosion.

When we confess our weaknesses and struggles to a confidant, someone we trust to walk along side us and pray for our healing, something wonderful happens.  The sin we struggled with loses its tight grip on our lives.  It diminishes in power because we have brought the struggle to light where it can be dealt with.

God operates in the light, because He is light, but when we keep our struggles concealed, we empower Satan to keep us bound and deceived in darkness where we slowly waste away.

In addition, confession provides a companion to stand with you in battle, while concealment forces us to walk through our struggle alone where we are vulnerable to repeated defeat.

Ecclesiastes 4: 12 says “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.”

Confessing a sin or weakness can take a great deal of courage, but the benefits far outweigh the risk of keeping it hidden.

For those of us who are marriage relationship, the practice of confessing our sins is even more powerful because of the spiritual oneness between a man and woman.  Marriages that consistently demonstrate trust, transparency and forgiveness tend to be the strongest and healthiest relationships.

Are you struggling in an area of your life?  First and foremost, confess it to God.  That is most important.  Then, find a trustworthy confidant and make healthy confession, not concealment a regular practice in your life.

Don’t Fast, It’s Not Good For You!

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:4

 

 

 

Did the title today get your attention?

Good, I meant every word of it.

Jesus had fasted 40 days prior to the temptation by the devil in the wilderness.

He fasted the food that fuels the body, He did not fast the food that fueled His spirit.

Too often, we do the opposite.

We over indulge our flesh but starve ourselves of spiritual food.

After all, isn’t it the Pastors’ job to feed us?

Yep, and if that is your belief I wonder if you are sitting in a high chair with mom or dad spoon feeding you as you read this.

Got the point?

We are responsible, as mature (or maturing) believers to learn to find nourishment in His Word.

Fasting from food for our body can be a good thing when our motivation is right.

Fasting from His Word is never a good thing.

Sometimes our bibles can collect dust.

Our dinner dishes never seem too.

Jesus told the devil that:

“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

But His Words were spoken to a larger audience as well.

We are not merely physical beings.

We are spiritual beings who need to feed our spirit with good things.

There is life for our spirit in the Word(s) of God!

We are on a 40 day journey (11 days into it now) of reading Matthew Chapters 4-7 each day.

It’s not too late to join us.

There is nourishment for your Spirit in what is found there!

Do you hear the dinner bell?

You are being called to a spiritual feast!

Rarified Air to the Bogs of Despair

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

 

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”

Matthew 3:16-17; 4:1-2

 

 

Has this been your experience –

A mountaintop experience with God is followed by a walk through a valley?

So often that can be the case.

I think of Elijah with a great victory over the pagan priests on Mt. Carmel followed by his hiding in fear for his life from Jezebel.

In today’s text we find Jesus having endured 40 days of fasting followed by the devil coming to him in the wilderness to tempt Him.

This was after the wonderful words of His Father declaring His love for His Son and His pleasure in Him.

Too often we believe – or are led to believe – that life is one mountaintop experience after another with God.

But it is also in the valleys where trust in the Lord can truly be strengthened.

As we walk in the valleys, we learn a reliance on the Lord we may feel we do not need on the mountaintop (though that would be a wrong assumption).

As we continue to walk with the Lord don’t run from those valley experiences.

Learn to draw even nearer to the Lord in these seasons.

We know the words David penned in Psalm 23 but they are worth remembering here –

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me”

The ‘valleys’ of life will surely come.

Do you walk through them with the assurance of God by your side or do you wallow in a sense of abandonment and self-pity?

Jesus moved from His baptism in the Jordan and those wonderful words of encouragement to a time of testing in the wilderness.

He knew the Father’s love as surely in that time of testing as He knew it coming up out of the waters of the Jordan.

That same assurance is ours!

Walk in that assurance today whether that walk has you on the top of a mountain or in a valley!

Fortified for the Day of Temptation

“The tempter came to him and said,

“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Matthew 4:3

 

Military leaders know this ‘secret’ of the battlefield:

When you want victory over your adversary you attack them at their weakest point.

Coaches employ this same strategy on the playing field.

No wonder then that the first temptation of the Lord in the wilderness concerned food.

We read this concerning the tempting of Jesus:

“After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”

Is it any wonder that the first temptation the devil tried was to appeal to Jesus to satisfy his physical hunger (his momentary weakness at that point)?

But as weak as Jesus may have been in His body, His Spirit remained firm as He rejected surrender to the tempter and ultimately won the victory.

It is no different in our lives.

As sure as the enemy was in the wilderness taking notes of Jesus’ fast and certain hunger, he also notes our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, and works to exploit them.

Jesus knew the Word of God.

Jesus was the Word made flesh.

His victory came through His knowledge of the Word and His desire to please the Father.

We too can find victory through reliance on the Word of God and the desire to please God.

This was not simply a good story line that Matthew recorded.

It was, and still is, a powerful example Jesus gave us.

Surrender your weaknesses to the Lord and not to the tempter.

In your weakness you will find the Lords’ strength working in you.

 Hide His Word in your heart and in so doing you fortify yourself in the day of temptation.

When You are Tempted…

“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

 

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,…”

 

 “If you are the Son of God,…”

 

Matthew 3:17; 4:3, 6

 

 

We always focus on what Jesus said in the exchange recorded in the verses above.

That is a right emphasis and a good thing to do.

But maybe, just maybe, there is also some value and insight to be gained

from looking at what He didn’t say.

What do I mean?

“If Y-O-U are the Son of God…”

Twice the devil challenged Jesus’ divinity.

Those challenges certainly sound personal to me!

But Jesus didn’t take the bait.

He did not defend with an “I am too!” rebuttal.

Rather, He responded with the Truth of the Word.

Lesson learned?

We can engage the enemy on a personal level (where he loves to attack) or we can respond as Jesus did – with the truth.

One response will bring defeat, while the other – His Word – will bring victory!

When you are tempted, do as Jesus did.

 

 

 

 

Our Greatest Defense

Today's blog post was contributed by David Trotta:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:1-4)

My grand daughters are taking a karate class.  In the class, the instructors teach them how to fend off would be attackers by using strategically placed kicks, punches and other maneuvers that are aimed to hurt the attacker and provide an avenues for escape.

The Lord has given us a tool to fend off attacks from the enemy of our souls.  It’s the Word of God.  In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus repeatedly used the truth of God’s Word to silence the enemy and keep from falling into temptation.

His weapon of defense was “No! The Scriptures say….”

Now, you can’t use what you don’t know.  Imagine trying to do a couple karate moves without practicing them.  You will most likely hurt yourself instead of the attacker.

Make it a habit of memorizing the promises in God’s word, so you are always armed with the truth on how God feels about you and all the provisions He has made available to you, both spiritually and physically.  Then, confess them out loud whenever you feel discouraged or when you feel tempted to pursue something that is contrary to God’s best for your life.

I find it interesting that Satan did not show up to tempt Jesus until after he had fasted for 40 days in the wilderness and was “very hungry.”

Satan will often come and distract us when we are weakest and most vulnerable.  It is especially important for those times in the wilderness that we stand on the Word of God and say “No! The Scriptures say…”

After failing to trip up Jesus, the bible says “then the devil went away.”  Satan is no match for the Word of God.  It’s our greatest defense.

…Whom I Love…

“And a voice from heaven said,

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:17

 

Do you mind if I go backwards today?

No, I am not talking about backsliding.

Rather, I am talking about moving back from Matthew Chapter 4 which we have been looking at, to the last verse of Chapter 3.

It is often noted that the ‘public’ ministry of Jesus began after his baptism in the Jordan River by his cousin, John the Baptist.

I point this out because I want you to particularly note the timing of the Father’s comments concerning His Son.

The Father loved the Son long before the water was turned into wine.

He loved His Son before a single blind eye or deaf ear was healed.

God loved His Son for who He was and not what He did.

God loves you for who you are and not what you do.

Jesus did not ‘earn’ the Father’s love through the miracles He performed.

You and I can never ‘earn’ the Father’s love through multiplied good works.

He loved us long before we returned that love.

I don’t think it is happenstance that this statement of the Father is made when it is made.

Sure, Jesus had lived a sinless life and that includes His life up until this point but I take great encouragement that God was showing us His love for His Son was not predicated on what would take place over the next three years.

He loved His Son long before Jesus hung on the cross and paid the ultimate price for our sins.

He loved you and me, scripture reminds us, while we were yet sinners.

Not after we finished 100 hours of Community (or should I say ‘Kingdom’) service.

Sometimes, when we can easily get caught up in ministry, it is important to remind ourselves of that fact.

Good works should flow out of a life surrendered to God.

But good works will never be the reason God loves you and me.

He loved us long before He knit us together in our mother’s womb.

How many good works did you accomplish in there?

Silly question but one worth considering when we think we can ‘earn’ His love.

Go ahead and remind yourself today of the Fathers’ love!

 

 

Our God is No Prima Donna!

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

Matthew 4:1

 

 

“…to be tempted by the devil.”

Surely God could have kept His Son from being tempted by the devil, right?

Of course He could have.

So why didn’t He?

Hebrews 4:15 supplies the answer for us:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

Temptation is not sin.

Jesus was tempted in every way, just as you and I are.

Jesus never surrendered to those temptations.

When I come to God and pour out my heart in prayer I am coming to one who knows what it is to struggle.

He knows what it is to face temptation.

He knows what I am facing.

Our God is no ‘prima donna’.

We can never point an accusing finger at God and say:

“You just don’t know what it is like!”

Because the truth is, He does.

And He put Himself in that position for you and me.

That is the mercy, the compassion of God revealed in a very concrete way.

He is not a “Do as I say, not as I do” God.

Does that strengthen you?

It should reinforce our faith in moments of temptation.

Jesus leads the way for us out of temptation and out of the wilderness we find ourselves in.

 

 

Are you joining us for the next 40 days in reading Matthew 4-7 each day?

 

You Want Me to Go Where?

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

Matthew 4:1

 

 

 

Are you still having trouble with the sentence above?

Yesterday we looked at our own resistance to being ‘led’ by anyone but ourselves.

But Matthew 4:1 holds much more that we often find difficult to deal with.

For instance…

“…into the wilderness…”

STOP RIGHT THERE.

“I’ll follow you anywhere Lord!”

That’s what we say.

But too often what we mean is I’ll follow you anywhere convenient and pleasant.

Mountaintops are o.k. but valleys and wilderness’ are strictly off limits.

That’s where I stop following!

We live as if every day of our lives ought to be spent in an amusement park.

I’ve been to our local amusement parks and still haven’t found the

 “Take Up Your Cross” ride.

It probably would be a short line anyway.

All kidding aside, sometimes we are led where we need to go but not where we want to go.

In those times, do you stop following?

The truth is whether we know the Lord or not our lives will face difficult seasons of loss, heartache and pain.

So ask yourself this question:

If I find myself in the wilderness is it a place I want to try to navigate on my own or would it be better to follow His lead?

Somehow phrasing it that way makes the question much easier to answer.

Jesus was led into the wilderness.

But it was not His flesh, His family or His fear leading Him.

He was led by the Holy Spirit.

Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and you will never be led astray!

Can You Follow His Lead?

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

Matthew 4:1

 

Do you have any trouble at all with the sentence above?

Most of us do, even when we don’t admit it.

For instance…

“Then Jesus was led...”

STOP RIGHT THERE.

Most of us don’t like to be led.

We want to lead.

Even when no one else is inclined to follow us!

It isn’t often framed this way but Jesus was a follower.

Sure He was.

We just read it – He followed the Spirit of God.

He followed His Father.

He knew what it was to be a leader but He also knew what it was to be a follower.

He trusted the leading of His Father.

He trusted the leading of the Holy Spirit.

There is an old hymn of the church and the words of the chorus declare in part:

Where He Leads me I will follow.

Jesus learned to follow His Father.

He is a trustworthy leader.

Will you follow where He leads you?

Do you trust Him to take you through?

We were given a homework assignment of reading Matthew Chapters 4-7 each day for the next 40 days.

I believe God is leading us into the teachings the scriptures have for us there.

Where He leads, will you follow?

 

The Answer is Always “Yes”

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

There’s a saying around my house – “Grandma always says “yes.”  Just ask my grandchildren.  Grandma (my wife) told them at a very young age that when they are at grandma’s house, whatever they want, the answer is always “yes.”

Whether it’s a piece of candy, extra glass of juice or a cookie, grandma always says “yes.”  Although the extra sugar intake is not always well received by their parents, my grandchildren love to take advantage of grandma’s promise when they come over.  And, they always ask confidently because they already know what the answer will be.  They have grandma’s promise.

When it comes to the many promises in God’s Word, He also always says “yes.”  We have His word on it.  And, it doesn’t just apply to a few of His promises.  2 Corinthians says every one of God’s promises is a “yes.”

Let your mind wander for a bit thinking about the many promises in God’s word.  Maybe Jeremiah 29:11 will come to mind - For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Or Matthew 11:28-29 – 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.

Or John 14:27 - “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Whatever the promise might be, believe boldly and ask confidently, because when it comes to God’s promises, the answer is always “yes.”

A Changed Mind

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:”

Philippians 2:5

 

 

You’ve heard it said or perhaps you know someone just like it: a couple who have been married so long that they can finish one another’s sentences.

How do they do that?

How is that possible?

Well, they’ve spent many years in one another’s company.

They know what their spouses like and dislike.

They know their opinions, routines and habits,

They know how to push the right buttons or the best way to encourage.

Having the same mindset as Christ Jesus comes in much the same way.

We spend time in His Word, in His Presence, in obedience to His direction and leading.

As we continue in this the Holy Spirit is doing a transformative work on our mind.

The Psalmist wrote:

Delight thyself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Perhaps, in reading that verse, you thought that God comes round to your way of thinking.

The opposite is true.

As I grow in my love and knowledge of Him, it is the desires of my heart that begin to change.

My desire is to please Him.

To do and say those things that bring Him honor and glory; just as Jesus desired to bring honor and glory to His Father in heaven.

That is the mindset of Christ Jesus we are to have!

Divine Humility

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”

Philippians 2:3

 

 

Have you ever experienced someone else disrespecting you?

Maybe you thought to yourself,

“Just who do they think they are?”

Perhaps the offender was someone much younger.

Maybe it was someone you far exceeded in job experience and longevity.

As difficult as that episode may have been there is no comparison to the pride of a human heart that rejects the work done on the cross by Jesus to restore us to a place of communion with the Father.

But the Bible takes it even one step further and tells us of the humble nature of the Son in setting aside His divine nature and taking on the form of man.

God became man.

God, who created man, not only became a man we are told that he humbled Himself and became “…obedient unto death…”

He set aside His divinity.

He set aside His Honor, His glory, His power to die in our place.

No wonder we will live with Him in eternity.

All of eternity will be needed to begin to grasp that type of humility.

Do you understand that as we have become partakers of the divine nature – we too are to grow in that ‘divine humility’?

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. II Peter 1:4

What a promise!

Are you walking humbly with God and others?

Do you ask Him to refine you and remove all the pride that keeps you from doing so?

 

Father:

I ask for the help of your Holy Spirit to walk humbly before you.

May I put aside pride, arrogance and every ugly thing in me that would boast of my own flesh.

Continue you work in me to change me from glory to glory.

Let your hand so rest on me that I am quick to praise you for the change your Holy Spirit works in my life.  

This I pray in Jesus Name.

Divine Ambition

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”

Philippians 2:3

 

 

How much would your plans and goals have to change

if you took the admonition above to heart?

A little or a lot?

Ambition is defined as:

“a particular goal or aim : something that a person hopes to do or achieve”

Using that definition most would agree that goals, something to aim for, and achievements

can all be good things to aspire to.

Jesus came to earth with a particular goal.

It was to die on the cross for our sins.

As He accomplished that goal He uttered the words: “It is finished.”

Ambition – by that definition – was a very good thing!

Did you notice the qualifier in the scripture above regarding ambition?

We are told to do nothing out of selfish ambition.

Selfish ambition would never have led Jesus to the cross.

Selfish ambition has only one person’s interest in mind.

It cares not what other people’s needs are.

That is the toxin we are warned against.

Jesus, through His life and death on the cross,  showed us something we might describe as ‘divine ambition’.

Love motivated His actions, His goals and His achievements.

Love for His Father and love for us.

That sounds a lot like the ‘greatest commandment’ doesn’t it?

So perhaps another way of expressing what Paul wrote would be to phrase it this way:

Do everything out of divine ambition….

That is certainly a goal worth pursuing!

Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude

“rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,

and overflowing with thankfulness.”

Colossians 1:7

 

 

 

What overflows in your life?

Jesus, in teaching, uses a curious phrase – it says

“…out of the abundance of the heart…”

Our hearts overflow out of an abundance.

An abundance of what?

It could be gratitude or it could be grumbling and complaining.

How do we eliminate – or at least reduce – grumbling and complaining in our lives?

Cultivate a heart of gratitude.

Let your ‘overflow’ bless others and not weary them!

Let you ‘overflow’ be an overflow of gratitude and not grumbling.

Trust me, I know it is much easier to grumble.

That’s part and parcel of the nature of the ‘old man’ or the flesh.

Create a list if you need to and actually write down the blessing you have today.

If you are a grumbler that will be tough but ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes.

Don’t create a positive/negative list – just list the blessings.

Begin to thank God for those blessings.

As you do, you should begin to see a change in your attitude.

Recognizing the blessings becomes less difficult and grumbling becomes ‘unbecoming’!

Will you do it?

Don’t procrastinate.

Others need to be encouraged and encouragement can’t come from a grumbler!

 

 

Did you bring your lunch?

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (John 6:9)

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

Sometimes we measure our significance based on the size of what we have to offer.  We look at our gifting or physical resources and say “how can God use what I have to make an impact on the world?”

But, in reality, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you will allow God to use what He has given you, not its size. God can take even the smallest and most seemingly insignificant act of love or sacrifice and do incredible things with it.

Imagine that boy standing in the middle of five thousand hungry men with a bag of five small loaves and a couple fish.  Talk about insignificant!  Yet, that boy and his seemingly insignificant lunch fed thousands and fueled one of the greatest miracles ever recorded and one that is still celebrated thousands of years later and will continue to be until Jesus returns.

God can do the same with you. Your life in the hands of the Master can demonstrate God’s love and faithfulness to a hungry world.

We look at our lives and wonder what difference we can make in our small sphere of influence.  Don’t measure the significance of what you have to offer based on your limited resources or even the vastness of the need in front of you.  Instead, just make available any resources God has put at your disposal and allow Him to use them.

Don’t forsake small beginnings.  Like a small seed in your hand, if you are faithful and obedient to sow love in situations where God leads you, He can multiply your faithfulness and provide nourishment to many.

Did you bring your lunch?

Are You Convinced?

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39

 

 

Are you convinced?

Or is it a maybe?

Paul was convinced.

There was no ‘perhaps’ in his heart.

Say it out loud…I am convinced…

We can be that certain of God’s love for us.

He loves us even when or if we do not love Him.

His love for us is not contingent on reciprocation.

God does not sit in heaven and say to us: “I’ll love you if you love me!”

(and only if you do!)

Maybe we feel He does because our love for Him can be so fickle.

Gimme this and I will love you…

Just let me….and I will love you.

We are the ones who attach the strings, not God.

God loves those who hate Him.

He didn’t send His one and only Son to die for His ‘fan club’ on the earth.

His love extends to all.

We are free to receive it or we are free to reject it.

I don’t know about you, but I am convinced…

…that nothing will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!

Because of Me…

“Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Mark 13:13

 

 

You love the Lord.

You know He loves you.

You have walked with Him and He has blessed your life.

Yours is not a problem free life but you know what it is to walk with God.

Perhaps, for all of those reasons, we sometimes miss the import of the words above.

Jesus said: “Everyone will hate you because of me…”

He was speaking to His disciples of the last days.

When you truly live for God, the animosity of others towards you is because in you dwells the Light of the World.

Scripture tells us that men love the darkness because their deeds are evil. (John 3:19)

In a world corrupted by sin, light is not welcome.

Jesus is not welcome.

It is not because of a ‘doctrine’ we hold.

It is not because of a position contrary to that held by the majority.

It is not our opposition to ‘this or that’.

Jesus said plainly, “…it is because of me…”

Now, to be sure, we haven’t always done a very good job of reflecting Jesus to the world.

But Jesus Himself certainly showed the Father’s love and most rejected Him, ultimately crucifying Him.

What is my point?

It is a spiritual war we are in and we do not war against flesh and blood.

We are to love those who persecute us.

We are to love our enemies.

How different is that from what often takes place?

Let’s personalize that question:

How different is that from what often takes place in our own life?

They don’t agree, we want to slug them!

They don’t ‘appreciate’ the Light – well they we can force or legislate the Light on them.

 Really?!!

How about we recognize the spiritual battle we are in and love those bound in darkness.

How about we pray for their eyes to be opened?

We know God loves them and wants them to be set free.

That is a prayer He would love to hear and answer.

We don’t pray that prayer often enough!

 

 

Oh Happy Day!

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21: 2-4

 

Having a rough day?

Do you need a little bit of encouragement?

Life a little too overwhelming for you right now?

Let the words John wrote and that we have for our text today lift your spirit.

The church has a very bright future.

Just think about these words:

“They will be His people and God Himself will be with them and will be their God.”

Do you ever read the Gospels and think to yourself:

“I would love to have been alive and with the Lord when He walked the earth!”

Well, that day is coming and you will be more alive in His presence than you or I can fully appreciate right now.

I have His promise for today that He will never leave me, never forsake me but I also have this great hope for tomorrow that I – that you – will be with Him for eternity.

Oh Happy Day!

 

 

Listen for His Voice

“Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”

Mark 13:11

 

 

When Jesus spoke these words to a few of his disciples was He discouraging study of Gods’ Word?

Was the message to them that they need never be prepared?

No, of course not!

There are plenty of scriptures that speak of preparation of the heart and mind with the Word of God.

Rather, He was encouraging them that they need not worry about what to say in moments they are called upon to defend themselves but learn to trust and rely on the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

We can over prepare, we can under prepare or, like Goldilocks in the story of the three bears, we can prepare ‘just right’.

But the success does not come from our skills in preparing, rather it comes through our surrendered obedience to the Lord.

Look at the Prophets in the Old Testament.

Before they spoke the Word of the Lord we do not find them pouring over the law to prepare a reasoned response.

They were in God’s presence and He spoke to them.

They delivered what He gave them to speak.

To be sure it required faith and courage to deliver that word but to imply that the Old Testament Prophets were astute theologians who spoke from their vast wisdom of the Law would just not be accurate.

They did, however, cultivate a relationship with God that allowed them to hear His voice and deliver His message.

Jesus’ words to His disciples emphasized that truth as well.

“…say whatever is given you…”

The ‘giver’ of those words remains in you!

Listen for His voice.