Tag: #howtobehave

LORD  I’m Yours To Count On

Am I?

Are you?

Faith, diligence, discipline, self control, moral excellence, virtue – do I practice these things?

“To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.” 2 Peter 1:1‭-‬7 NASB

Verses 1-4 outline the riches we receive in Christ; for those who have received FAITH …. {in} Jesus Christ – receiving, believing, trusting; these are all gifts from God. Everything follows faith.

To apply “all diligence” (one writer said “true Faith sweats”), it takes discipline to pursue Christ and our spiritual growth. There is no time to be idle in our pursuit of Christ. We should be – must be – earnest, and give it intense effort. Philippians 2:12-16 we are to “work out [y]our salvation…”; not work to be saved but to work with the LORD to do His Will. In your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge – these qualities require hard work, and maximum effort on our part. “For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” Colossians 1:29 NASB

What is moral excellence? The effort to clean our life; to gets rid of the “rocks” and “weeds”, the trash and detritus of a sinful life. We do this through knowledge – it’s how we grow, it is essential to a healthy spiritual life, by learning and knowing God; and it must be applied and lived out in our lives. We gain knowledge through Bible studies, meeting with small groups of fellow believers, by reading and studying God’s Word with a daily quiet time. All of these things sustain us, both in good times and in times of conflict. Through moral excellence and knowledge, we gain self control: we learn to rein in passion and desire, and controlling ourselves rather than being controlled by outside sources. Proverbs 16 is a great chapter on self control. No one and no thing should control me other than the Master. “For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.” Proverbs 24:16 NASB

Can you say “LORD, I’m Yours to count on” ….. ?

Remembering Dr. King

Today we celebrate the life of a good man, a great man, Dr. Martin Luther King. It troubles me deeply that many will use this day to promote racism, because that is precisely what Dr. King was against. Many others will use it to push THEIR agenda of privilege – we live in a world of agendas, it seems. The color of your skin (red or yellow, black or white, we are ALL equal in God’s eyes) does not give you the right to have and do things that are unjust to others, and it shouldn’t give an economic edge or bias. There was a show on PBS a few years ago that was set during the Civil War, and a Union Doctor chastised a Union nurse about not tending to the Confederate soldiers who were in their hospital. He told her that among the wounded, there was no Blue or Gray – all blood is the same color. Red. To me, that speaks volumes, and it is a message I have preached for many years. God created ONE race, the HUMAN race. He saw fit to create a rainbow of colors, from the palest albino to the darkest black; we all bleed the same and we all – ALL – share same DNA and we all share the same ancestry in Adam and Eve.

Instead of celebrating or emphasizing our differences, wouldn’t it be awesome if we would emphasize our sameness?

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
Genesis 1:1, 26-28 NIV

That verse is worth repeating, over and over again! “GOD created {ALL} human beings in His OWN Image.”

Especially today, let’s celebrate life and our likeness to Jesus, and let go of the differences. Let’s stop demanding special treatment for different colors – or for having a different take on life. Oh, how I wish I were as eloquent as Dr. King! He preached equal treatment, not special treatment. He preached equality, humility, and love. Something all of us would do well to emulate. Like Dr. King, I, too, I have a dream.

Living On The Incline

“Christianity is lived on an incline, and if you’re not moving forward, you’re slipping backwards.” – Tauren Wells, God’s Not Done With You, a 10-day devotional on Bible.com.

“Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.” Matthew 26:69‭-‬74 NASB

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:17 NASB

It’s a slippery slope we live on; so easy to fall into envy, greed, jealousy, lust, gluttony, pride, anger, laziness…..

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He [Jesus] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8‭-‬9 NASB

Now is a good time to concentrate on the positive. It’s also a time when many of us make resolutions for the new year. I quit making them, at least publicly, because I never kept them. Actually, there is one that I have made, and it is the same one as this year comes to an end and we go into a new year. Spend as much time as possible in study, prayer, and meditation. I believe that when we put God first, everything else will fall into place. Not always how we want, or think it should be, but according to God’s Will.

“The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalms 34:17‭-‬18 NASB

Pray always. Whether in your quiet place, or a church building, or walking down the street, it’s simply having a conversation with the LORD. He always hears us.

Of Love and Justice

A Psalm of David.

“I will sing of Your Love and Justice, LORD. I will praise You with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will You come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the LORD from their grip.” – Psalms 101:1‭-‬8 NLT

Sounds pretty harsh, right? There aren’t any people today who could honestly say that they are blameless, and we know that David was far from being blameless himself. He was a murderer and an adulterer…. I wonder how many people younger than the Baby Boomer generation even know what being an adulterer means.

Reading these verses, it’s difficult to imagine many business people can say that they apply these principles to their business. In corporate offices, even in Christian-led companies, I can bear witness to to all of those things that David was against occurring on a constant basis. Coworkers and management alike using gossip and slander to get ahead; dishonestly taking credit for someone else’s work, and accepting rewards and kudos for it. “In my own home …” Whether in my house or my vehicle or my office or my cubicle; at the movie theatre or amusement park …. it is a struggle to live these words.

In my time, I have acted in all of those ways. In my last job, I was in a close working relationship with people claiming to be Christian, yet seeming to take delight from gossiping and spreading lies in order to promote themselves over their coworkers, and who were full of conceit. Again, I must emphasize that I have also been full of conceit and lies in my past. I am far from perfect; I am guilty of many sins. It is difficult to miss the vulgarity in today’s society with billboards and signs proclaiming it in large format, and with television and radio, social media and the movies rampant with it. Clothing styles shout out perversions and prejudice and lack of modesty, and we just follow the crowd – instead of the cross.

Yes, I’m preaching again!

“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” – Galatians 1:10 NLT

This verse from Paul’s letters to the Galatian church is how I struggle to live. I say “struggle” because it isn’t easy for me. I am a people pleaser from my childhood; a classic codependent whose life revolved around whoever I was with. A few years ago, I began to understand this about myself through a church program called Celebrate Recovery. Many people think/assume that because it’s a 12-step program, you must be an alcoholic or drug addict if you participate. Not true. In fact, one of the leaders said this: “There are 2 types of people in this world. Those who are in recovery, and those who need to be in recovery.” I absolutely agree! Being a codependent isn’t something you just shake off, any more than you can shake off any other addiction, and there are lots of addictions. Shopping, eating, sports, work, animals, and even our children can all be addictions.

It’s something for us to think about.

I Am Strong

From God’s Not Done With You, a devotional by Tauren Wells, on http://www.Bible.com:

“When we admit that we are prone to failure, that our strengths aren’t strong enough to save us, we find the power to live righteously through Christ….. When sin affects our opportunities to use our strengths, a perfect situation can become a perfectly wrong situation.”

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:12‭-‬13 NASB

Did that hit you like it did me? It’s when I stand on my strength, and rely on my abilities, that I fall. It’s that old “I can do it” attitude. When I rely on me, I fail. I’m a “fix-it” person. If there’s a problem, let’s fix it. Don’t wait, don’t take time to pray about it, just get it done. I’ll do it if it kills me.

Sound familiar?

I’ve known so many people with that attitude. Then there’s the opposite: those who sit back and do nothing, expecting God (or man) to step in and take care of the problem with no effort from them.

In my opinion, both attitudes are equally wrong. The Bible doesn’t say that God takes care of those who take care of themselves. It also doesn’t say to be lazy and expect others to take care of you. God gives us our strengths, our talents, to use in conjunction with Him and His Will. Do I do that? Unfortunately, no, not like I should. Sometimes I’m determined to do whatever it is on my own. No help. Other times, I give up, and want someone to to do it for me. I’ve turned many opportunities into disasters with these attitudes. Even Peter, the Rock, loved by Jesus, fell when he tried to stand on his strength over the Lord’s.

“And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” Matthew 26:75 NASB

We need to weep for the many times we have denied Christ by trying to stand on our strengths rather than His. I weep for all those times, past, present, and future that I stand on my own. I’m human, I will continue to fail, but I am also a child of the King, forgiven for my failure.

Lord God, help me get rid of that stinkin’ thinkin’ that I can stand without You; help me to take heed of Your Will so that I will not fall. I know that no temptation has ever overtaken me, or will ever overtake me, but such as is common to man; and I know that You are faithful. You will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able as long as I depend upon You, and with the temptation, You will provide the way of escape also, so that I will be able to endure it. Amen.

Love Someone

“Jesus replied, ‘My Light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the Light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.’ ” John 12:35

Where is the Light? How do we find it?

There is ONE source for the Truth; one source for Light. That source is made available to anyone – ANYONE – who wants it.That source, the Handbook for life, is called the Bible. God-breathed, God inspired, God given.

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.” Romans 12:9

It’s all about Love, Light, and freedom from an eternity in hell – and yes, Virginia, there IS a hell, an actual physical place that bleeds over into the world. I have seen glimpses, and it almost destroyed me. “HATE what is wrong.”

The one thing that God is adamant about is the LOVE Him. To accept Jesus Christ as the One Way to true contentment in this world. If we love Him, and give HIM the priority in our lives, we are more likely to recognize evil. If we read His Instruction Manual, we are more likely to recognize the “wrongs” in our life.

Are you willing to turn your back on the things the world deems acceptable? Are you ready to have friends and family tell you that what they are doing is all in fun, and not at all sinful, in order to justify their actions?

Loving God and following His Word is often difficult because of people around us, but the joy and contentment He provides is well worth it!

“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 NASB

GRACE and Miracles

(from Grace Awakening by Lead Pastor Jay Risner)

“17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights. 1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, 2 and he said, “I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. 3 “For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me. 4 “So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ 5 “Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head. 6 “I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God. 7 “While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. 8 “Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD.” 10 Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.” Jonah 1:17, 2:1-10 NASB

What differentiates between Christianity and th other world religions? C.S. Lewis said “It’s easy. It is GRACE and MIRACLES.” Because God gives us both, Jonah went from Fleeing the Lord’s Presence to Seeking the Lord’s Presence. Whenever we sin, w go through these steps to seek Him:

First, the AWAKENING – Fully realize the depths to which we have fallen. Being away from God means to ALWAYS be moving down ….. spiritual decline dulls our response to God. In verse 3, Jonah realizes that God threw him int the water by using the sailors hands. God often uses the hands of others – even the hands of unbelievers – to carry out His Plan. God’s divine wrath is like a divine flood; the sea is the equivalent of death to Jonah. In Luke 15 prodigal son “came to his senses.” What has awakened, or is awakening, our hearts to our desperate spiritual condition/situation with God?

BELIEVING comes after Awakening – verse 4 shows the consequences of our sin; the despair in looking at ourselves turns to Faith when we turn to God. [John 3 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness…..” Heb 12 “Lay aside every sin that entangles….”] Sin runs deep within us and Grace is not cheap. Belief; saving faith means acknowledging we need a substitutionary sacrifice, and that sacrifice is JESUS. Through Him we receive Grace. But what is Grace? Grace is favor to an undeserving receiver by an un-obligated giver. Colossians 1:6 God gives us salvation even when we don’t deserve it.

After Believing comes REPENTING – verse 8. Repenting does not require Faith, but Faith makes repenting possible…. When we repent, we show our gratitude through WORSHIPPING – verse 9. Thankfully, we are not required to offer sacrifices to show our repentance because Christ has covered our sins with His Blood: “Salvation is from the LORD.” God appointed the fish to swallow Jonah, and then He commands the fish to throw up Jonah. God orchestrates our lives…. look at His Grace and His Kindness.

“But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.” 1 Timothy 1:8‭-‬11 NASB

Hallelujah, my sins are gone!

FAITH BIBLE CHURCH – Edmond, OK
Believe. Grow. Connect. Serve.
http://www.FaithBibleOk.com

Examples?

I know I should be writing every day. Why don’t I? I have no excuse. God said it; I should obey. We as Christians are commanded….. so why don’t we obey? Isn’t that the age old question, from Adam and Eve until now? It isn’t like God is asking anything that requires a massive intellect, which is good since most humans don’t have that. We are intelligent; most of us are ‘smart’ enough that we think we know better than the God Who created us! (Spoiler alert: We aren’t!!) As Christians, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we don’t have a lot of rules to follow. Primarily, we have two. Shouldn’t be that difficult, right? Love GOD, and love others (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30). Lover, love, love; all the world needs now is love. We make it hard. God has equipped each of us to fulfill anything He asks, so I know it’s in there….. can we reach down and grab it?

Gentle: “having or showing a mild, kind, or tender temperament or character; moderate in action, effect, or degree; not harsh or severe.” (Similar to kind, tender)

Kind: “having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature; moderate in action, effect, or degree; not harsh or severe.” (Similar to goodnatured, kindhearted)

Humble: “having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance; of an action or thought) offered with or affected by a modest estimate of one’s own importance.” (Similar to meek, respectful)

Meek: “quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive.” (Similar to patient)

Patient: “able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.” (Similar to uncomplaining, tolerant)

Jesus tells us we need to demonstrate these traits to others in our lives. We are to be the example to the world with our behavior.

Fellow Christ-followers, how are we doing?

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” Colossians 3:12‭-‬14 NASB

How WONDERFUL I Am

“Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!” – 2 Corinthians 10:12 NLT

“God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” – Matthew 5:5 NLT

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1 NASB

“But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” – Matthew 23:11‭-‬12 NASB

“For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10 NASB

There’s a definite theme here. It’s human nature (i.e. sinful nature) to elevate ourselves and to be selfish. We want to be liked, admired, lifted up…. and I don’t think it’s wrong, necessarily, to want that. It’s when we begin to believe that we are better than others, superior to them, that we have conflict with the LORD. Jesus was a perfect example of humility. He acknowleged the political government, and He paid His taxes when due (Matthew 17:24-27). When accosted by the the authorities, He acquiesed. He was respectful of His parents, and the Rabbi’s in the Temple. He turned the other cheek when ridiculed and spat upon.

BUT. He defended His Father’s House when He came in to find it being defiled by the moneychangers and the sellers of oxen and sheep and doves (Matthew 21:12-13, John 2:13-17, Mark 11:15-17) by driving them out of the Temple.

Individually we must humble ourselves and follow the example of Jesus. Even collectively – or maybe even more so than individually – we must watch ourselves to ensure we don’t adopt a “holier than thou” attitude. I know I’m no better than anyone on this earth, but sometimes my brain forgets and I begin to think maybe I am. That’s the enemy, whispering lies. I’m not about to go about telling people I’m humble, because I’m not. I try, and fail, constantly. Thank GOD for sending His Son to redeem me; hallelujah! In my perfectly imperfect self, I am only confident of one thing, and that is the Salvation of Jesus Christ. Through Him, I gain real, true humility.

Have you opened your heart to the Saviour?