October 6
Most Biblical concepts are quite clear. The law of God is emphatic and immutable. We who are willing to read the scriptures understand the principles contained within the law and the prophets and the literature and the gospels. There is no wiggle room for sin, nor is there a stumbling block for confusion.
On one matter, however, there is much dispute and that regards the topic of predestination. Some believers think the scriptures are quite clear in the matter while others consider the topic to be extremely contradictory. John 6:44, for example says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
This verse seems to state that our Heavenly Father draws certain men to Himself through Jesus while others do not feel His compulsion to come. We can counter that verse with another that says, “Whosoever will may come,” Revelation 22:17. In fact, the wording is quite emphatic: “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him that is athirst come.”
The Holy Spirit is drawing men. The bride (the church of the Living Christ) has been witnessing His salvation message through the Church Age. Anyone who hears is invited to join the chorus of those inviting the lost to come. And anyone who thirsts for the peace and salvation Jesus brings is invited to come and “drink of the water of life freely,” Revelation 21:6. The One who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, has Himself extended the invitation to all of us.
Romans 3:11-12 says, "There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one." This affirms that all men are candidates for salvation. Nobody who has ever walked the planet is worthy of Heaven. None of us can make it to the realm of glory on our own merits. Because all are sinful, all need the Savior.
II Peter 3:9 states, “God’s desire is that no one should perish but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth and the power of God.” I Timothy 2:4 says virtually the same thing, “Our God wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
So how can it be that some are destined for damnation? Jesus Himself gives great insight into the reason behind the fact that “broad is the gate that leads to perdition but narrow is the way that leads to life,” Matthew 7:13, 14. In John 5:39-40 He says, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."
This brings us back to the original premise of man’s free will. God who knows the heart of everyone who has ever lived may have foreknowledge of each man’s decision regarding the Salvation that Jesus offers, but that in no way precludes each man from the right he has to make that decision.
We must accept the freedom He has given us to claim Christ’s “unspeakable gift” (see II Corinthians 9:15) in order that we may be cleansed from sin and restored to right fellowship with the God who fashioned us to dwell with Him eternally. May we allow no doctrines of man or confusion of the enemy of our souls to rob us of the reality that none should perish but all should come to a knowledge of truth as Peter stated so clearly in the third chapter of his second book.
Monday, October 6, 2014
The Peril of Secret Sins
October 5
The Peril of Secret Sins by Dr. Jim Denison
A famous pastor continues to generate headlines. Last Sunday, a local newspaper ran a long article called “The Rise and Fall (of his church)" According to the writer, the pastor "used his edgy, blue-jeaned, hip-preacher charisma and combativeness to barrel through turmoil and build up a membership of a staggering size." But a growing chorus of critics has accused him of plagiarism and egotism. Recently, 21 former assistant pastors filed charges of abusive conduct against him.
Especially damaging was the revelation that the leader in question also made dozens of website posts several years ago under an alias. Many of his comments were too crude for me to reproduce here. Since he began his leave of absence, attendance and giving at his church have dropped as much as 40 percent, and the future of the church seems to be in question.
When we think our private sins will stay private, we are being deceived by the enemy. Preachers, politicians, athletes, celebrities—no one is immune. Ray Rice probably thought he and his wife were alone in an elevator when he hit her, but cameras told the world. Mark Sanford was governor of South Carolina when his adulterous sin was discovered and his marriage ended; further litigation with his former wife has put him back in the news this week. Scripture is clear: "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).
Why are hidden sins sometimes undetected for so long? I have a theory: Satan allows Christians to climb the ladder of success while continuing in private sin so that when we inevitably fall, our failure will be even more public and dishonoring to the cause of Christ.
How do we avoid the deception of secret sin? First, know that God knows. The Lord once asked the prophet Ezekiel, "Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark?" They claimed that "the Lord does not see us," but they were wrong (Ezekiel 8:12).
David was right: "O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you" (Psalm 69:5). Your private sins are grieving the heart of your Father today.
Second, know that the devil plans to use your sins against you and your Lord. "Satan" means "accuser" (see Revelation 12:10). He wants to damage your witness as much as he can, and delights to use your secret sins for his nefarious purposes.
Third, ask God to reveal private sin to you before it becomes public. Take time today for a spiritual inventory—get a sheet of paper and pen, and ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind anything in your life that grieves your Father. Write down what comes to your thoughts, and confess each sin specifically with a repentant spirit. Do this often.
If we would be culture-changing Christians, we must be so godly that God can use us and the culture cannot condemn us. The ultimate answer is to stay so close to Jesus that his character and strength become ours.
"Blessed are the people . . . who walk, O Lord, in the light of Your face, who exult in Your name all the day and in Your righteousness are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength" (Psalm 89:15-16).
Oswald Chambers said, "True surrender" is being so close to Jesus that "nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him." Are you surrendered to Him today?
The Peril of Secret Sins by Dr. Jim Denison
A famous pastor continues to generate headlines. Last Sunday, a local newspaper ran a long article called “The Rise and Fall (of his church)" According to the writer, the pastor "used his edgy, blue-jeaned, hip-preacher charisma and combativeness to barrel through turmoil and build up a membership of a staggering size." But a growing chorus of critics has accused him of plagiarism and egotism. Recently, 21 former assistant pastors filed charges of abusive conduct against him.
Especially damaging was the revelation that the leader in question also made dozens of website posts several years ago under an alias. Many of his comments were too crude for me to reproduce here. Since he began his leave of absence, attendance and giving at his church have dropped as much as 40 percent, and the future of the church seems to be in question.
When we think our private sins will stay private, we are being deceived by the enemy. Preachers, politicians, athletes, celebrities—no one is immune. Ray Rice probably thought he and his wife were alone in an elevator when he hit her, but cameras told the world. Mark Sanford was governor of South Carolina when his adulterous sin was discovered and his marriage ended; further litigation with his former wife has put him back in the news this week. Scripture is clear: "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).
Why are hidden sins sometimes undetected for so long? I have a theory: Satan allows Christians to climb the ladder of success while continuing in private sin so that when we inevitably fall, our failure will be even more public and dishonoring to the cause of Christ.
How do we avoid the deception of secret sin? First, know that God knows. The Lord once asked the prophet Ezekiel, "Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark?" They claimed that "the Lord does not see us," but they were wrong (Ezekiel 8:12).
David was right: "O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you" (Psalm 69:5). Your private sins are grieving the heart of your Father today.
Second, know that the devil plans to use your sins against you and your Lord. "Satan" means "accuser" (see Revelation 12:10). He wants to damage your witness as much as he can, and delights to use your secret sins for his nefarious purposes.
Third, ask God to reveal private sin to you before it becomes public. Take time today for a spiritual inventory—get a sheet of paper and pen, and ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind anything in your life that grieves your Father. Write down what comes to your thoughts, and confess each sin specifically with a repentant spirit. Do this often.
If we would be culture-changing Christians, we must be so godly that God can use us and the culture cannot condemn us. The ultimate answer is to stay so close to Jesus that his character and strength become ours.
"Blessed are the people . . . who walk, O Lord, in the light of Your face, who exult in Your name all the day and in Your righteousness are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength" (Psalm 89:15-16).
Oswald Chambers said, "True surrender" is being so close to Jesus that "nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him." Are you surrendered to Him today?
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Are You Surrendered to Him?
October 5
The Peril of Secret Sins by Dr. Jim Denison
A famous pastor continues to generate headlines. Last Sunday, a local newspaper ran a long article called “The Rise and Fall (of his church)" According to the writer, the pastor "used his edgy, blue-jeaned, hip-preacher charisma and combativeness to barrel through turmoil and build up a membership of a staggering size." But a growing chorus of critics has accused him of plagiarism and egotism. Recently, 21 former assistant pastors filed charges of abusive conduct against him.
Especially damaging was the revelation that the leader in question also made dozens of website posts several years ago under an alias. Many of his comments were too crude for me to reproduce here. Since he began his leave of absence, attendance and giving at his church have dropped as much as 40 percent, and the future of the church seems to be in question.
When we think our private sins will stay private, we are being deceived by the enemy. Preachers, politicians, athletes, celebrities—no one is immune. Ray Rice probably thought he and his wife were alone in an elevator when he hit her, but cameras told the world. Mark Sanford was governor of South Carolina when his adulterous sin was discovered and his marriage ended; further litigation with his former wife has put him back in the news recently. Scripture is clear: "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).
Why are hidden sins sometimes undetected for so long? I have a theory: Satan allows Christians to climb the ladder of success while continuing in private sin so that when we inevitably fall, our failure will be even more public and dishonoring to the cause of Christ.
How do we avoid the deception of secret sin? First, know that God knows. The Lord once asked the prophet Ezekiel, "Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark?" They claimed that "the Lord does not see us," but they were wrong (Ezekiel 8:12).
David was right: "O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you" (Psalm 69:5). Your private sins are grieving the heart of your Father today.
Second, know that the devil plans to use your sins against you and your Lord. "Satan" means "accuser" (see Revelation 12:10). He wants to damage your witness as much as he can, and delights to use your secret sins for his nefarious purposes.
Third, ask God to reveal private sin to you before it becomes public. Take time today for a spiritual inventory—get a sheet of paper and pen, and ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind anything in your life that grieves your Father. Write down what comes to your thoughts, and confess each sin specifically with a repentant spirit. Do this often.
If we would be culture-changing Christians, we must be so godly that God can use us and the culture cannot condemn us. The ultimate answer is to stay so close to Jesus that his character and strength become ours.
"Blessed are the people . . . who walk, O Lord, in the light of Your face, who exult in Your name all the day and in Your righteousness are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength" (Psalm 89:15-16).
Oswald Chambers said, "True surrender" is being so close to Jesus that "nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him." Are you surrendered to Him today?
The Peril of Secret Sins by Dr. Jim Denison
A famous pastor continues to generate headlines. Last Sunday, a local newspaper ran a long article called “The Rise and Fall (of his church)" According to the writer, the pastor "used his edgy, blue-jeaned, hip-preacher charisma and combativeness to barrel through turmoil and build up a membership of a staggering size." But a growing chorus of critics has accused him of plagiarism and egotism. Recently, 21 former assistant pastors filed charges of abusive conduct against him.
Especially damaging was the revelation that the leader in question also made dozens of website posts several years ago under an alias. Many of his comments were too crude for me to reproduce here. Since he began his leave of absence, attendance and giving at his church have dropped as much as 40 percent, and the future of the church seems to be in question.
When we think our private sins will stay private, we are being deceived by the enemy. Preachers, politicians, athletes, celebrities—no one is immune. Ray Rice probably thought he and his wife were alone in an elevator when he hit her, but cameras told the world. Mark Sanford was governor of South Carolina when his adulterous sin was discovered and his marriage ended; further litigation with his former wife has put him back in the news recently. Scripture is clear: "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).
Why are hidden sins sometimes undetected for so long? I have a theory: Satan allows Christians to climb the ladder of success while continuing in private sin so that when we inevitably fall, our failure will be even more public and dishonoring to the cause of Christ.
How do we avoid the deception of secret sin? First, know that God knows. The Lord once asked the prophet Ezekiel, "Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark?" They claimed that "the Lord does not see us," but they were wrong (Ezekiel 8:12).
David was right: "O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you" (Psalm 69:5). Your private sins are grieving the heart of your Father today.
Second, know that the devil plans to use your sins against you and your Lord. "Satan" means "accuser" (see Revelation 12:10). He wants to damage your witness as much as he can, and delights to use your secret sins for his nefarious purposes.
Third, ask God to reveal private sin to you before it becomes public. Take time today for a spiritual inventory—get a sheet of paper and pen, and ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind anything in your life that grieves your Father. Write down what comes to your thoughts, and confess each sin specifically with a repentant spirit. Do this often.
If we would be culture-changing Christians, we must be so godly that God can use us and the culture cannot condemn us. The ultimate answer is to stay so close to Jesus that his character and strength become ours.
"Blessed are the people . . . who walk, O Lord, in the light of Your face, who exult in Your name all the day and in Your righteousness are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength" (Psalm 89:15-16).
Oswald Chambers said, "True surrender" is being so close to Jesus that "nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him." Are you surrendered to Him today?
Saturday, October 4, 2014
With What Shall I Come Before The Lord?
October 4
“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O, man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:6-8
Notice carefully the comparisons Micah uses to illustrate the value of humility in God's eyes, especially the ascending value of each illustration. Calves for sacrifices are in the plural, indicating more than one sacrifice at a time when even one calf would have been an offering of considerable monetary value.
A thousand rams might be what a king would offer. Obviously, so many rams are a very valuable gift, but we should already be asking ourselves, "Is this the right way to impress God?"
Ten thousand rivers of olive oil would equal the value of the offerings of many kings of many nations. Does that meet the standard God sets?
One's own firstborn is without doubt the most precious gift of all. Yet, again, the implication is that this is not what God wants.
What follows is one of the truly great statements in the entire Bible. Micah names three great acts of love for God and fellow man that pave the way for a good relationship with Him: 1) To be righteous and absolutely fair to all regardless of their status in life. 2) To show kindness freely and willingly to others. 3) To live humbly in conscious fellowship of the greatness and sovereignty of God. These three actions will work to glorify God so that He enables those acting thus to neutralize their pride.
Our service to God should not be given to Him with the primary purpose to "get" things selfishly from Him. Our purpose should always be to honor and glorify Him through what He is doing in our lives. Nevertheless, God is most certainly not against providing us with wonderful gifts as we humbly submit to Him with pure motives. — John W. Ritenbaugh
“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O, man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:6-8
Notice carefully the comparisons Micah uses to illustrate the value of humility in God's eyes, especially the ascending value of each illustration. Calves for sacrifices are in the plural, indicating more than one sacrifice at a time when even one calf would have been an offering of considerable monetary value.
A thousand rams might be what a king would offer. Obviously, so many rams are a very valuable gift, but we should already be asking ourselves, "Is this the right way to impress God?"
Ten thousand rivers of olive oil would equal the value of the offerings of many kings of many nations. Does that meet the standard God sets?
One's own firstborn is without doubt the most precious gift of all. Yet, again, the implication is that this is not what God wants.
What follows is one of the truly great statements in the entire Bible. Micah names three great acts of love for God and fellow man that pave the way for a good relationship with Him: 1) To be righteous and absolutely fair to all regardless of their status in life. 2) To show kindness freely and willingly to others. 3) To live humbly in conscious fellowship of the greatness and sovereignty of God. These three actions will work to glorify God so that He enables those acting thus to neutralize their pride.
Our service to God should not be given to Him with the primary purpose to "get" things selfishly from Him. Our purpose should always be to honor and glorify Him through what He is doing in our lives. Nevertheless, God is most certainly not against providing us with wonderful gifts as we humbly submit to Him with pure motives. — John W. Ritenbaugh
Friday, October 3, 2014
Excerpt from COMPELLED BY LOVE
October 3
Excerpt from COMPELLED BY LOVE by Heidi Baker, copyright 2008, published by Charisma House
God has told me that I could always pray for one thing: to expand our hearts to love more.
One day Jesus showed me a vision. He said, "I want to take you up the mountain to a low place because the river flows to the low places." If you are in a low place and not concerned about your position, whatever trickling presence of God is in the room, you will be low enough to receive it.
First Peter 5:5 says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Perhaps we must be low enough to live in God's glory love.
You should want to be immersed in, and live inside, the very heart of God. From there, all fruitfulness flows. In Ezekiel 47, one of my favorite passages, we read that the trees planted by the river bear fruit 12 months of the year. True apostolic ministry only flows from being immersed in the presence of God. This creates continuous supernatural fruitfulness.
I am not sure that I completely understand the whole "apostolic ministry" concept. However, I have heard a man named Randy Clark speak about apostolic authority and being sent-out ones. When Randy preached, it seemed that the Holy Spirit stood me up on my head. I like to be low, not high. I like to be hidden under the wings of the Lord, away from the gaze of man. I am not into standing on my head in front of thousands of people. I was so thankful I had on my trousers. It felt as through I was thrown from my head onto my back time after time by the awesome power of God.
It was as though I was bruised from head to toe. And I was completely humbled!
God spoke to me through this and said, "Apostolic is upside down." Unlike how people are often trying to exalt themselves, the apostolic is the lowest place. Apostolic is the place of laid-down love where we become possessed with the nature of the man Christ Jesus to become the servant of all.
This is God's desire for ministry: humility. In humility, Jesus became nothing. Even though He knew that He had rights to everything. He chose to stand mute before His accusers. Jesus constrained Himself to the will of the Father. He robed Himself in meekness.
Humility is considering others before you consider yourself. It is when you give way to and prefer the crippled man, the blind lady begging at your door, the arrogant preacher, or the one who cuts into the line in front of you. We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition. This does not mean that you never look out for your own interests. Rather, this means to look first at the interests of others. You think, see, hear and feel as you look around you. You stop, you listen, and you consider the interests of others before you consider yourself.
What was Jesus' attitude? It was the very nature of God. He did not consider equality something to be grasped. Jesus knew who He was at all times. A true son knows who he is because he has heard the voice of his father, and Jesus heard His Father as a "voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:17.)
A true son knows he has access to all that his father has. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father says, "'My son ... you are always with me, and everything I have is yours'" (Luke 15:31). It is not about proving something to someone. It is about becoming like Him in nature. Jesus freely gave Himself away for love's sake, and He invites us to do the same.
In Philippians 2, Paul exhorts us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. None of us should want to build our own ministries—that is the opposite of what God called us to. We are called in love and meekness to establish God's kingdom on earth.
Ask the Lord to expand your heart to love more. Pray that His love would permeate the church, bringing His people together in one accord, and propelling us to help the afflicted and bring God's kingdom to earth. Pray for those affected by recent natural disasters and the ravages of war and terrorism.
Lift up Israel and the Middle East. Pray for those tormented for their belief in Christ, and for the children held as slaves and hostages around the world. Continue to pray for revival, for our leaders and for the protection of our nation (1 Peter 5:5-11; Philippians 2).
Excerpt from COMPELLED BY LOVE by Heidi Baker, copyright 2008, published by Charisma House
God has told me that I could always pray for one thing: to expand our hearts to love more.
One day Jesus showed me a vision. He said, "I want to take you up the mountain to a low place because the river flows to the low places." If you are in a low place and not concerned about your position, whatever trickling presence of God is in the room, you will be low enough to receive it.
First Peter 5:5 says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Perhaps we must be low enough to live in God's glory love.
You should want to be immersed in, and live inside, the very heart of God. From there, all fruitfulness flows. In Ezekiel 47, one of my favorite passages, we read that the trees planted by the river bear fruit 12 months of the year. True apostolic ministry only flows from being immersed in the presence of God. This creates continuous supernatural fruitfulness.
I am not sure that I completely understand the whole "apostolic ministry" concept. However, I have heard a man named Randy Clark speak about apostolic authority and being sent-out ones. When Randy preached, it seemed that the Holy Spirit stood me up on my head. I like to be low, not high. I like to be hidden under the wings of the Lord, away from the gaze of man. I am not into standing on my head in front of thousands of people. I was so thankful I had on my trousers. It felt as through I was thrown from my head onto my back time after time by the awesome power of God.
It was as though I was bruised from head to toe. And I was completely humbled!
God spoke to me through this and said, "Apostolic is upside down." Unlike how people are often trying to exalt themselves, the apostolic is the lowest place. Apostolic is the place of laid-down love where we become possessed with the nature of the man Christ Jesus to become the servant of all.
This is God's desire for ministry: humility. In humility, Jesus became nothing. Even though He knew that He had rights to everything. He chose to stand mute before His accusers. Jesus constrained Himself to the will of the Father. He robed Himself in meekness.
Humility is considering others before you consider yourself. It is when you give way to and prefer the crippled man, the blind lady begging at your door, the arrogant preacher, or the one who cuts into the line in front of you. We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition. This does not mean that you never look out for your own interests. Rather, this means to look first at the interests of others. You think, see, hear and feel as you look around you. You stop, you listen, and you consider the interests of others before you consider yourself.
What was Jesus' attitude? It was the very nature of God. He did not consider equality something to be grasped. Jesus knew who He was at all times. A true son knows who he is because he has heard the voice of his father, and Jesus heard His Father as a "voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:17.)
A true son knows he has access to all that his father has. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father says, "'My son ... you are always with me, and everything I have is yours'" (Luke 15:31). It is not about proving something to someone. It is about becoming like Him in nature. Jesus freely gave Himself away for love's sake, and He invites us to do the same.
In Philippians 2, Paul exhorts us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. None of us should want to build our own ministries—that is the opposite of what God called us to. We are called in love and meekness to establish God's kingdom on earth.
Ask the Lord to expand your heart to love more. Pray that His love would permeate the church, bringing His people together in one accord, and propelling us to help the afflicted and bring God's kingdom to earth. Pray for those affected by recent natural disasters and the ravages of war and terrorism.
Lift up Israel and the Middle East. Pray for those tormented for their belief in Christ, and for the children held as slaves and hostages around the world. Continue to pray for revival, for our leaders and for the protection of our nation (1 Peter 5:5-11; Philippians 2).
Thursday, October 2, 2014
May Our Inner Man Be Worthy
October 2
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." Matthew 15:18-20.
We teach our children to be aware of germs. We know how important it is to be cleanly in our habits and we endeavor to instill good hygienic practices into our young ones. But as important as it is to be aware of maintaining a clean, healthy environment in this day of Ebola and other dangerous pathogens, Jesus states clearly that neglecting proper hygiene is not the most detrimental thing to our well-being.
No doubt He who created all things, according to John 1:3 which says, “All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made,” is fully aware of the importance of maintaining good health practices; but the primary concern of the One who healed by His touch and by His word, was for the sin-sick soul of man, not for the mere physical body.
Jesus came to set us free. We know that everyone who accepts Him as Savior and Lord is delivered from bondage to sin. In this passage in Matthew 15, He is pointing out the origin of the sin problem. It originates within the heart of every one of us. If we allow it to fester there it will develop into not only thought patterns that are against our Holy God but into actions that defy His law.
Often the first expression we give to our sinful actions is the spoken word. If we allow ourselves to utter cruel or bitter or critical or unkind words to our fellow man, it will not be a great step to carry out those hostile words in antagonistic actions against him. If we entertain an illicit attraction in the recesses of our secret thoughts, it will require little provocation to carry out our lustful thoughts in adulterous action.
Because the mind that is in the grip of evil thoughts becomes the devil’s playground, he nurtures every seditious point of view that rears itself in rebellion against the stated will of our Holy God. To think the thoughts that contradict the law of the Lord is as grievous a sin as to commit the act, for as Proverbs 23:7 states clearly, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Unclean hands may cause physical illness, but an unclean heart can cause spiritual death. May we ever be mindful of the importance of guarding our hearts and allowing them to be pure by the washing of the blood of the Lamb. May we ever seek to allow the person we are in our inner-most being to be the person who is worthy to bow before the One who died to make us holy—and that can happen only if we allow Him full residence in our hearts and complete command of our minds.
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." Matthew 15:18-20.
We teach our children to be aware of germs. We know how important it is to be cleanly in our habits and we endeavor to instill good hygienic practices into our young ones. But as important as it is to be aware of maintaining a clean, healthy environment in this day of Ebola and other dangerous pathogens, Jesus states clearly that neglecting proper hygiene is not the most detrimental thing to our well-being.
No doubt He who created all things, according to John 1:3 which says, “All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made,” is fully aware of the importance of maintaining good health practices; but the primary concern of the One who healed by His touch and by His word, was for the sin-sick soul of man, not for the mere physical body.
Jesus came to set us free. We know that everyone who accepts Him as Savior and Lord is delivered from bondage to sin. In this passage in Matthew 15, He is pointing out the origin of the sin problem. It originates within the heart of every one of us. If we allow it to fester there it will develop into not only thought patterns that are against our Holy God but into actions that defy His law.
Often the first expression we give to our sinful actions is the spoken word. If we allow ourselves to utter cruel or bitter or critical or unkind words to our fellow man, it will not be a great step to carry out those hostile words in antagonistic actions against him. If we entertain an illicit attraction in the recesses of our secret thoughts, it will require little provocation to carry out our lustful thoughts in adulterous action.
Because the mind that is in the grip of evil thoughts becomes the devil’s playground, he nurtures every seditious point of view that rears itself in rebellion against the stated will of our Holy God. To think the thoughts that contradict the law of the Lord is as grievous a sin as to commit the act, for as Proverbs 23:7 states clearly, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Unclean hands may cause physical illness, but an unclean heart can cause spiritual death. May we ever be mindful of the importance of guarding our hearts and allowing them to be pure by the washing of the blood of the Lamb. May we ever seek to allow the person we are in our inner-most being to be the person who is worthy to bow before the One who died to make us holy—and that can happen only if we allow Him full residence in our hearts and complete command of our minds.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Conduits of His Love
October 1
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. (2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing,” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
This beautiful passage is an affirmation of the truth that we are to be, “doers of the Word, not hearers only,” James 1:22. The God we serve puts no stock in lip-service Christians. He admonishes against our pointing out the sins of others while overlooking the sins within ourselves.
As Jesus asked in Matthew 7:3, “Why do you behold the speck that is in your brother’s eye, yet you cannot see the moat that is in your own eye?” When we are searching for transgressions, our primary search should be within ourselves. In Matthew 23:27, the Lord goes on to say, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like to white washed sepulchers, ...”
He is very harsh regarding those who make a show of outward propriety while allowing the inner heart of who they are to be filled with hatred or lust or criticism of others. Jesus wants those who name His name to be overcomers—people who have truly placed the sin within themselves at His feet and allow it to be forever removed from them.
In I Corinthians 13:1-3, the Apostle Paul challenges even those who possess great spiritual gifts to assess themselves. The author of much of our New Testament literature makes a compelling point—the outward expression of our great faith and spiritual power is of no avail to us if we are void of love.
The scripture tells us that “God is love, and they who dwell in God, dwell in love, “ I John 4:16. If we are truly people who love the Lord Jesus and allow Him to dwell in our hearts and we abide in Him, there will be no darkness in us; rather, we will reflect the light of His love.
For us to go through the motions of Christianity without allowing the truth, the love, the light of Jesus to exude from our being is to be self-oriented vessels who project ourselves rather than our Savior to the lost and dying world around us.
If we will allow Him to supersede all else within us, we will indeed be conduits of His love and truth and power and faith and faithfulness to everyone within our sphere of influence. If we hope to hear those precious words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” Matthew 25:21, that is precisely what we must be.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. (2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing,” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
This beautiful passage is an affirmation of the truth that we are to be, “doers of the Word, not hearers only,” James 1:22. The God we serve puts no stock in lip-service Christians. He admonishes against our pointing out the sins of others while overlooking the sins within ourselves.
As Jesus asked in Matthew 7:3, “Why do you behold the speck that is in your brother’s eye, yet you cannot see the moat that is in your own eye?” When we are searching for transgressions, our primary search should be within ourselves. In Matthew 23:27, the Lord goes on to say, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like to white washed sepulchers, ...”
He is very harsh regarding those who make a show of outward propriety while allowing the inner heart of who they are to be filled with hatred or lust or criticism of others. Jesus wants those who name His name to be overcomers—people who have truly placed the sin within themselves at His feet and allow it to be forever removed from them.
In I Corinthians 13:1-3, the Apostle Paul challenges even those who possess great spiritual gifts to assess themselves. The author of much of our New Testament literature makes a compelling point—the outward expression of our great faith and spiritual power is of no avail to us if we are void of love.
The scripture tells us that “God is love, and they who dwell in God, dwell in love, “ I John 4:16. If we are truly people who love the Lord Jesus and allow Him to dwell in our hearts and we abide in Him, there will be no darkness in us; rather, we will reflect the light of His love.
For us to go through the motions of Christianity without allowing the truth, the love, the light of Jesus to exude from our being is to be self-oriented vessels who project ourselves rather than our Savior to the lost and dying world around us.
If we will allow Him to supersede all else within us, we will indeed be conduits of His love and truth and power and faith and faithfulness to everyone within our sphere of influence. If we hope to hear those precious words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” Matthew 25:21, that is precisely what we must be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)