 On My Heart - A
Weekly Devotional by Bob Krepps
2002's On My Heart
Devotional Messages Current Devotionals
December 26, 2002 - "In those
days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken
of the entire Roman world. (this was the first census that
took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And
everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went
up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the
town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married
to his and was expecting a child. While they were there, the
time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her
firstborn, as son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in
a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And
there were shepherds living in the fields nearby, keeping watch over
their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I
bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is
Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will
find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly
a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and an earth
peace to me on whom His favor rests.' When the angels had left
them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let
us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the
Lord has told us about.' So they hurried off and found Mary
and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When
they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been
told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what
the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these
thing and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and
seen, which were just as they had been told." Luke 2: 1 -
20 (NIV)
This was the most historic birth that has
ever taken place. Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, veiled His
eternal majesty and humbled Himself by becoming a baby. Jesus
was born in a stable, in the humblest of circumstances. His
bed was a feeding trough. Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah,
had entered the world. God made His announcement of this
amazing event to a group of shepherds, not the rich and powerful or
religious. Shepherds where not known as respectable members of
the community. They had no fixed residence and they had a
reputation for loose living and dishonesty. They were
considered so untrustworthy that they were forbidden by law to
testify in court. Their occupation also kept them from
participation in religious ceremonies. An angel of the
Lord appeared to these lowly shepherds and God's glory shone around
them. They were terrified at this angelic appearance and
by the spectacular display of the glory of God (not the angel's
glory). The angel's message was an amazing and a personal one;
"a Savior is born to you." God loves shepherds!
The Messiah would be their Savior! Then a multitude of the
heavenly host appeared with a glorious chorus of praise. These
shepherds would never be the same. After they saw him,
they spread the good news about this child and returned to the
fields glorifying and praising God.
The shepherds' testimony was worthless in a
court of law, but it was valued by God. They heard the good
news, came to Christ, believed and then proclaimed with joy all that
they had experienced. Reflect on the fact that God humbled
Himself and took on human flesh so that you could experience peace
with God. Praise and thank God for all He has done for you.
Then talk about the great things God has done for you.
Proclaim the good news. God greatly values your
testimony.
December 19, 2002 - "In the sixth
month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to
a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant
of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to
her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord
is with you.' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and
wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel
said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give
him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the
Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of
his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever;
his kingdom will never end.' 'How will this be,' Mary asked
the angel, ' since I am a virgin?' The angel answered,
'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High
will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called
the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have
a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her
sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God' 'I am
the Lord's servant,' Mary answered, 'May it be to me as you have
said.' Then the angel left her." Luke 1: 26 - 38 (NIV)
Try to put yourself in Mary's place, what
would of it been like to have received a visit like this? Mary
is "greatly troubled", fearful and then of course astonished
by the message the angel Gabriel gives her. She was to give
birth to a son, the one who would be the Son of the Most High with an
everlasting kingdom. She would be the mother of the promised
messiah! But how could this be possible? She was a
virgin. The angel revealed that God Himself would miraculously
bring this about by His Spirit. What an amazing promise and
privilege! But she would have to pay a price, she would
suffer. Mary, a virtuous woman, would have to endure the shame
and scorn of her family, friends and community. She would be
in the position of trying to explain what happened to Joseph.
She would have the awesome responsibility of protecting, caring for
and raising this holy child. Then she would eventually
experience the pain of watching Him be crucified and die. Mary
responds in humble submission and trust to God's will for her life;
she doesn't argue with the angel when her calling to be the mother
of the Christ is revealed. Her response to God is a great
example for us to follow.
How easy is it for you to submit to the
Lord in obedience and trust? Is there an area of your life
where you need to believe that "nothing is impossible with God"?
(I have some things I need to trust God for right now!) What
is keeping you from trusting Him? Do you really
believe that "nothing is impossible with God"? Spend
time getting to know the God who is faithful; ask Him to increase
your faith.
December 12, 2002 - "In the time
of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who
belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was
also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the
sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations
blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was
barren; and they were both well along in years. Once when
Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before
God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the
priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled
worshipers were praying outside. Then the angel of the Lord
appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
But the angel said to him: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your
prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a
son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy
and a delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,
for the will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to
take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the
Holy Spirit even from birth. And he will go on before the
Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the
fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the
righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.'
Zechariah asked the angel, 'How can I be sure of this? I am an
old man and my wife is well along in years.' The angel
answered, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I
have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this
happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true
at their proper time.' Meanwhile, the people were waiting for
Zechariah and wondering why he had stayed so long in the temple.
When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he
had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them
but remained unable to speak." Luke 1: 5 - 22 (NIV)
God had not spoken through a prophet in 400
years. Yet, Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth had not forgotten
the promises of God, they still believed. They followed the
Lord faithfully. To serve in the temple and offer up prayers
for the people at the altar of incense was a once in a lifetime
opportunity. It was an awesome privilege for Zechariah.
Zechariah had probably given up and stopped praying for a child long
ago. This day he was probably praying for the redemption of
the people of God and for a Messiah to come. As he was at the
altar praying an angel of the Lord appeared to him.
Zechariah was terrified (I would be too!). The angel's first
words were do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been
heard. The message the angel came to bring was that
Zechariah and Elizabeth would become the parents of a prophet who
would prepare the way for the Messiah. The angel quotes
Malachi 4: 4 -5, the last promise God had made in the Old Testament.
God had not forgotten. Zechariah's prayer for the redemption
of God's people would be answered! But Zechariah, this
faithful man of God, doubts this messenger sent from the very
presence of God. He does not believe, even when God clearly
and dramatically speaks to him.
How do you respond to God's promises?
Like Zechariah? When was the last time you doubted God?
What caused you to doubt? We live in a world of unbelief, it
not easy to believe God's Word. God graciously did not base
the fulfillment of His promise to Zechariah on Zachariah's faith.
God showed His faithfulness to His people and to Zechariah by
fulfilling His promise. Zechariah's prayer was answered!
Go to God in prayer often, confident that He is faithful.
December 5, 2002 - "Finally, be
strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full
armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's
schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so
that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and when you have done everything, to stand. Stand
firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with
the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted
with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In
addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you
can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take
the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all
kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and
always keep praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:
10 - 18 (NIV)
We are involved in a cosmic struggle.
It is a spiritual struggle. It is a struggle against Satan and
demonic forces. Because of this, Paul describes the Christian
life in the dramatic terms of warfare. We definitely need
strength for this struggle. The strength we need to fight this
lifelong battle is only found in and through Jesus Christ. We
are to "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power".
We also have to be fully equipped for battle. Our
equipment and weapons are spiritual. Paul takes the gear and
weapons of a Roman soldier and gives a spiritual application to each
piece. There is the belt of truth. In order to move into
battle we must know the truth and live the truth. The
breastplate of righteousness; we need to rely on the grace of God
and be clothed in Christ's righteousness, not our own.
Confession, repentance and resting in the grace of God as a way of
life are vital. Feet fitted with the gospel. "How
beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" The
shield of faith protects us from Satan's attacks. We are
protected from accusations that we are unworthy by our trust in the
living God and by the fact that we are saved by grace and justified
by faith; not our own goodness. The helmet of
Salvation is our protection. Our offensive weapon is the living word
of God.
We are to "pray in the Spirit on all
occasions". Our struggle must take place in the context of
unceasing and constant communication with our commander, the Lord
Jesus Christ. We are at war; a consistent life prayer is not
optional. We are to pray for all kinds of things, but we are
not just to pray for ourselves.
Are you relying of the Lord for your
strength? When you encounter temptation or other spiritual
challenges, which pieces of your armor are weak? Which are
strong? Remember our battle is very real; it is a serious cosmic
struggle. Make sure to put on the full armor of God.
Take some time to reflect on the resources God has given us.
Thank Him because "His divine power has given us everything we
need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called
us by His own glory and goodness." (II Peter 1: 3)
November 28, 2002 - "Be very
careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the
most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead,
be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart
to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5: 15 -
20 (NIV)
We live in a world of spiritual crisis.
God's kingdom is being attacked by the powers of darkness, sin is
present everywhere in our culture, the days are evil. We who
are Christians are called to use our time wisely. We are not
to waste our time but to be productive, making the most of every
opportunity. Drunkenness is foolishness because we lose
control, in contrast we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
God is the one who is to direct and control our lives. When we
are filled with the Spirit one result is that we will be speaking
words of praise, encouragement and thanksgiving to one another.
We will have hearts overflowing with thanks to God.
Those of us in the Untied States are
celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday today. This Thanksgiving
Day consider this quote from E. M. Bounds "Thanksgiving is just what
the word itself signifies - the giving of thanks to God. It is
giving something to God in words that we feel at heart for blessings
received. Gratitude arises from contemplation of the goodness
of God. It is bred by serious meditation on what God has done
for us. Gratitude and thanksgiving both point to and have to
do with God and His mercies. The heart is consciously grateful
to God. The soul gives heartfelt gratitude to God in words or
acts."
How's your heart today? Is it
overflowing with praise and thanksgiving to God? If not, spend
some time meditating on God's goodness and mercy.
November 21, 2002 - "But among
you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any
kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's
holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or
coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy
person - such a man is an idolater - has any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with
empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those
who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in
all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the
Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,
but rather expose them. But everything exposed by the light
becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible.
This is why it said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and
Christ will shine on you.'" Ephesians 5: 3 - 14 (NIV)
Christians are people who have been
transformed by the Spirit of God. We are now God's beloved
children, holy (set apart for Him) and children of light. We
are to imitate God by living a life characterized by holiness and
purity. That is not easy to do in the world we live in.
Too often, we have the disturbing tendency to flirt with temptation;
we even try to gratify our sinful desires without sinning. The
Apostle Paul makes it clear that the exact opposite should be true
of us - there must not be even a hint of immorality, impurity or
greed. Even our speech needs to reflect God's character
and give thanks to God. The misuse of language is not
appropriate in the life of the believer. (Paul is not
condemning joking but coarse joking and filthy or rude speech.)
We are now children of light and should live as children of light,
walking in the light. This high standard of holiness and
purity comes from a deep desire to please the Lord and express to
our love for our heavenly Father.
Are you living as a child of light?
Is your tongue under the control of God's Holy Spirit? Is
there an area of secret sin or impurity in your life that needs to
be exposed to God's light? Do you continue to flirt with
temptation or are you feeding your soul with things that are good,
pure, right, and holy? Take time to pray and ask God whether
you are keeping some area of your life in darkness. "If we
confess our sins (bring it out of darkness into God's light),
He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purifies us
from all unrighteousness." I John 1: 9. When we
allow Christ to shine His light on us we experience God's grace,
transformation and freedom to live as children of light. When
we are reflecting Christ's light we can glorify Him by following His
command in Matthew 5:16 to "let your light shine before men, that
they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
November 14, 2002 - "Be imitators
of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love,
just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant
offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5: 1 - 2 (NIV)
Because we are dearly loved children of the
living God, the Apostle Paul admonishes us to reflect (or copy)
God's character. We are to imitate God who is good, holy,
pure, righteous, just, merciful and loving. We imitate God by
imitating and following the example of Jesus Christ.
Self-sacrificing love was the main characteristic of Jesus Christ's
life. He came to serve and not to be served, He healed
the sick, ministered to the poor, loved the unlovable and then He
gave His life for the sin of the world. When we live
lives of love we are imitating God and pleasing Him. Our love
for the people around us is also a reflection of the love we have
for God, just as Christ's love was a reflection of the love He had
for His heavenly Father. His sacrifice was a fragrant offering
to God.
Imitating Jesus is not easy (In fact, it is
impossible without God's transforming power and grace.). I am
much better at loving myself than I am at loving God and others.
There are some people who are easy for me to love, others that are
hard for me to love. But we are to follow the example of Jesus Christ,
who loved the unlovable and even loved those who hated Him. It
is impossible to love like Jesus loved without relying on God's
power and grace. Take time today to meditate on the fact that
you are a dearly loved child of God and think about the amazing love
Jesus Christ has for you.
Are you imitating Christ by living a life
of love? Ask God for the strength and grace to love even those
people you have a hard time loving.
November 7, 2002 - "Do not let
any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is
helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may
benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get
rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along
with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one
another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Ephesians 4: 29 - 32 (NIV)
Words are powerful. We can do a great
deal of damage or an immeasurable amount of good by what we say.
Words can build a person up or they can destroy a person.
Often we are very careless in the way in which we talk to one
another. The Apostle Paul says that we should not let any
unwholesome talk come out of our mouth. That's a very high
standard. Our speech should be Christ centered and others
centered. The words we say should build others up, meet their
needs and benefit them. Our model for forgiveness is Jesus
Christ. Christians are forgiven people. If God were as
reluctant to forgive me as I am to forgive those who sin against me,
I would be in big trouble. Sometimes it is very hard to
forgive. Yet, we are called to be forgiving. Those
of us who have experienced the grace of God and have been forgiven
so much should be quick extend grace to others.
Characteristics of uncontrolled anger and lack of forgiveness are
bitterness, brawling, slander and malice. The opposite is
kindness, compassion and forgiveness.
Apart from the grace and power of God
transforming my tongue and giving me the ability to forgive it would
be impossible to follow the teaching of Paul in Ephesians 4: 29 -
32. Think about the conversations you have had this past week?
Have your words benefited others? Is there someone that you
are having a difficult time forgiving? Ask God for the grace
and power to do what you can not do on your own. Spend some
time today thanking God for how much grace and forgiveness He has
extended to you.
October 31, 2002 - "But to each
one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This
is why it says: 'When He ascended on high, He led captives in His
train and gave gifts to men.' (What does "He ascended" mean
except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions?
He who descended is the very One who ascended higher than all the
heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was He who
gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be
evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's
people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built
up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the
Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed
back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind
of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their
deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we
will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is,
Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by
every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as
each part does its work" Ephesians 4: 7 - 16 (NIV)
I have to admit that I was very tempted to
skip these verses and not include them in this devotional.
First, as I started thinking about this passage and other verses in
the New Testament on spiritual gifts this week I found myself asking
again, "What gift(s) do I have?" I soon realized that my focus
was very self-centered, not centered on glorifying God and serving
others. What I was really asking is, "Do I have one of the
better spiritual gifts?" or "Am I more or less gifted than the
average Christian?" Then I came verse 15 which says,
"Instead, speaking the truth in love...", a verse that has been
used on me as an excuse to deliver some of the most unloving and
painful personal attacks I have ever received. Some of
the most insensitive, unloving and hurtful words ever said to me
began with the phrase, "I want to speak the truth in love to you."
This verse brings up painful memories, memories I want to avoid or
forget.
What does God want to teach me through
these verses? Jesus Christ, the One who humbled Himself by
descending to earth and taking on human flesh, then died to destroy
our sin and set us free from captivity, has poured out His Holy
Spirit as a gift to every believer. God gracefully gives us
spiritual gifts so that the body of Christ will be built up.
All the parts are vital and essential for the healthy functioning of
the body. Every person in Christ's body is significant, no one
is unimportant. No one is a misfit. Christ Himself, the
Head of this body, is fitting us together and building us up in
love, as each part does its work. My focus needs to be on the
giver of the gifts, our Lord Jesus, and on serving Him by building
up His body - the Church.
Are you thankful that God has given His
people diverse gifts so that the body of Christ can grow and mature?
Do you understand and appreciate the fact that everyone in Christ's
body is significant? Is your focus on the gifts (or yourself)
or on Jesus Christ (the gracious giver of the gifts)? Spend
some time thanking God for the ways He has uniquely gifted His
people.
October 24, 2002 - "As a prisoner
of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling
you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be
patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort
to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one
hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is over all and in all."
Ephesians 4: 1 - 6 (NIV)
God has called us out of darkness into the
body of Christ (the Church). In Ephesians 1 Paul states that
God loved us so much that He adopted us into His family. He
loved us so much that He brought us, his former enemies, into His
family. We are now children of the living God! Not
because we are worthy, but because of what Christ has done. I
have to admit that sometimes I do not feel like I am God's beloved
child or a new creation in Jesus Christ. But God's Word is
truer than how I feel on any given day. As believers in Jesus
Christ, God has called us to be His children and in response we are
to live lives worthy of our calling. What does it mean to live
a life worthy of our calling? The Apostle Paul gives us the
answer; be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with
one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of
the Spirit through the bond of peace. These sound a lot
like the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22 - 23). This is
spiritual fruit that we have to rely on God to produce in our lives.
These are also characteristics we observe in the life of Jesus
Christ. He humbled Himself by becoming a man and by serving
others and dying on a cross for us. He was gentle, patient and
loving.
Are you living a life that reflects that
you are a child of the living God? Do humility, gentleness,
patience and love characterize your life? Do you make every
effort to keep the unity of the Spirit with other believers, even
those you have a hard time getting along with? Read Galatians
5: 22 - 23, meditate on the fruit of the Spirit and ask God to
produce the fruit of His Holy Spirit in your life. Ask God to
enable you to live a life worthy of your calling as a child of the
Living God.
October 3, 2002 - "For this
reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in
heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His
glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit
in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through
faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in
love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how
wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know
this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the
measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to
do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His
power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
Amen." Ephesians 3: 14 - 21 (NIV)
God is powerfully at work in the lives of
His people. He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask
or imagine. Paul's prayers for people were deeply rooted in
his knowledge of his glorious Lord Jesus Christ. When the
Apostle Paul prayed for other believers he prayed that God would
strengthen them with spiritual power. He prayed that they
would fully comprehend the love of Christ and be filled with God's
fullness. Paul had a deep desire that the Lord Jesus Christ
would be glorified and exalted through His people.
Are your prayers rooted in a deep
understanding of God and a desire that Jesus Christ be honored and
glorified? When you pray are you confident that God is rich,
glorious and powerful? Do you know that God can do
immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine? Do you
understand that God's love for you surpasses knowledge? Ask
God out of His glorious riches to strengthen you with His power.
Pray that you will be able to fully grasp how wide and long and
high and deep the love of Christ is. Pray that you will be
filled with all the fullness of God. Then pray the same things
for other believers that you know.
(Special note: On My Heart
Devotionals will resume on October 24 after NMSI's Tri-annual
conference in Myanmar.)
September 26, 2002 - "I became a
servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through
the working of His power. Although I am less than the least of
all of God's people, this grace was given to me: to preach to the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to
everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was
kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was
that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be
made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ
Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may
approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you,
therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings because of
my sufferings for you, which are for your glory."
Ephesians 3: 7 - 13 (NIV)
The value of the message of the gospel is
so high we can't use words to describe it. The riches of
Christ are unsearchable. Paul knew that he was totally
dependent on the grace of God. He calls himself a servant
and less than the least of all God's people. The fact
that Paul, an avowed enemy of the Church, was now God's servant
demonstrates the mighty power and grace of the Living God.
Paul was very aware that nothing in him qualified him to preach
the message of the gospel. He was profoundly grateful and
amazed God had given him the privilege of being a servant of God.
Paul goes on to say that it is though His church, made up of sinful
people redeemed by Jesus Christ, that God is now making known the
manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly
realms. Now that's even more amazing! God uses us to
make His plan of salvation and glory known even to heavenly beings.
God has entrusted an amazing message of
inestimable value to us. None of us by our own righteousness
or goodness is qualified for this task of ministry. We are all
people who have to depend on the grace of God as we proclaim the
message of the gospel. Take time today to meditate on the
inestimable value of the gospel of God's grace. Spend time
thanking God that you now, through faith, can approach God with
freedom and confidence.
September 19, 2002 - "But now in
Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near
through the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who
has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing
wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its
commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in
Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this
one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by
which He put to death the hostility. He came and preached
peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow
citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus
Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is
joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
And in Him you too are being built together to become a
dwelling in which God's lives by His Spirit." Ephesians 2:
13 - 22 (NIV)
Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled all the
requirements that had to be fulfilled in order for us to be
reconciled to God. He destroyed the barrier that existed
between us and God by shedding His blood in our place. Jesus
Christ established peace between us and God. God now wants us
to be reconciled to other people. In Paul's day there was
often hostility between believers of Jewish origin and Gentile
Christians. Paul states that it is by the cross that
this hostility can be put to death. Jesus Christ is our peace
and our redeemer. We are now reconciled into one body, one
family of God in Jesus Christ. All who embrace Jesus Christ
have peace with God and have access to God the Father though the
Holy Spirit. We are fellow citizens of God's kingdom and
members of His family. This is the basis of our unity.
Paul also says that Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone. In
other words, the whole structure of the building rests on Jesus
Christ. Take away Christ and the building will fall.
Is Jesus Christ the real cornerstone of
your life? Ministry? Are you grateful that Jesus Christ
established peace between you and God? Because of what Christ
has done you have now have access to God, you can come near to Him,
you are a citizen of God's kingdom and a child of the living God!
Spend some time thanking Jesus Christ for what He accomplished for
you. Are there barriers in any relationships in your life that
the reconciling grace of Christ still needs to break down? Ask
God to reveal any attitudes you have toward other Christians that
need to change. Then ask Him for the power and grace to love
those He loves.
September 12, 2002 - "As for
you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you
used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler
of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those
who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one
time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its
desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects
of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is
rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God
raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him the heavenly realms
in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the
incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in
Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not
by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2: 1 - 8 (NIV)
When a doctor carefully examines a patient
and then declares the patient dead, we know there is absolutely
nothing else that can be done for them. There is no hope for
recovery. The Apostle Paul declares that all of us were once
in this very hopeless situation - we were dead - spiritually dead.
Although we were physically alive, we were dead to the things of
God. Things could not have been worse. There was no
possible way the situation could be salvaged. We were
under the power and influence of Satan and sin. We rightfully
deserved God's wrath. Now comes one of my favorite phrases in
the entire Bible, "But because of His great love for us, God, who
is rich in mercy, made us alive..." God intervened
and did what only God could do, bring the dead to life. Our
relationship with God is supernatural. There is no other way
to explain it! It is entirely by God's incomparable
grace and mercy that we, who were once dead, have been given new
life in Jesus Christ. God not only raised us from spiritual
death to life, but He "raised us up with Christ and seated us
with Him in the heavenly realms..."! There is nothing you
or I did (or could do) to deserve God's mercy and grace, it is His
amazing gift of love to us.
How often do you think about all that God
has done for you? Take some time to read this passage from
Ephesians again and think about the words used to describe God and
His actions towards us - great love, rich in mercy, incomparable
riches of His grace, made us alive, gift of God, etc.. Ask
God to help you better understand and appreciate His incomparable
love and grace.
September 5, 2002 - "For this
reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and
your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for
you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order
that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of
His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great
power for us who believe. That power is like the working of
His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him
from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly
realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and
every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also
in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet
and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which
is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way."
Ephesians 1: 15 - 22 (NIV)
Unfortunately, I don't naturally pray for
others in the same way that the Apostle Paul prayed. Too
often, my prayers are focused only on the physical needs of my
family, friends, coworkers and myself. When Paul prayed for
people he constantly thanked God for them. He prayed that they
would understand the incredible future hope and the rich blessings
promised to them as believers in Christ. Then he prayed that
they would know, understand and experience Jesus Christ in all His
fullness and power. He prayed that they would fully understand
that the same power of God, the Holy Spirit, which raised Jesus
Christ from the dead and then raised Him up to a place of supreme
authority as King and Ruler of the universe, is at work in us and for
us who believe. Jesus Christ now, at this very moment, reigns
as supreme Lord and ruler of everyone and everything. He is
the head of the Church.
When you pray for yourself and for others,
what do you ask God for? Do you pray the kind of prayers that
Paul modeled in the book of Ephesians? If you prayed this way
and God answered your prayers, what would you expect to happen?
Paul knew that when God answered this prayer lives would be
transformed. The people he prayed for would be more aware of
God's presence, grace, love and power. They would have God's
strength, endurance, confidence and power to serve, face trials,
endure suffering, overcome temptation and love each other as Christ
loved. Using this prayer in Ephesians 1 as a guide, take time
every day this coming week to praise God, to thank Him and to pray
for yourself and for others.
August 29, 2002 - "Praise be to
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy
and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be
adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His
pleasure and will - to the praise of His glorious grace, which He
has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance
with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all
wisdom and understanding. And He made known to us the mystery
of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in
Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their
fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together
under one head, even Christ." Ephesians 1: 3 - 10 (NIV)
For the next few weeks we will look at and
meditate on the book of Ephesians. The Apostle Paul starts
this letter overflowing with praise to God for blessing us in
incredible ways. God has blessed with every spiritual
blessing in Christ. Our forgiveness was purchased at cost of
the life of Jesus Christ, He became sin for us and willingly
experienced God's wrath for our sin. If forgiveness of our sin
was the only gift we ever received from God, that alone would
be enough for us to praise God for the rest of eternity. But,
in Jesus Christ, we have been given much more - every
spiritual blessing in Christ. Because we are now identified
with Christ, God views us as holy and blameless. God has also
chosen us and adopted us into His family. He loved us so much
that He brought us, his former enemies, into His family.
We are now children of the living God! That is extravagant
love and grace! Paul goes on to say that one day everyone and
everything will be brought under the complete authority of our
Savior, Jesus Christ.
How is your praise life? Is praise a
natural part of your prayer life or is it difficult for you to spend
much time praising God? If you are like me, then you
need develop your praise life. Meditate on the amazing
blessings you have as a believer in Jesus Christ. Take some
time today to follow the example of the Apostle Paul by putting
praise first and making praise and thanksgiving a significant and
natural part of your daily time with God.
August 25, 2002 - "We accept
man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the
testimony of God, which He has given about His Son. Anyone who
believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart.
Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar,
because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His
Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he
who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write
these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so
that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the
confidence we have when approaching God: that if we ask anything
according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He
hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of
Him." I John 5: 9 - 15 (NIV)
John ends his letter where he began, with
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He reminds us again that eternal
life is given as a gift from God and is found only in Jesus.
God Himself has left us with a clear testimony. When we have
Jesus Christ we have eternal life. Eternal life is only
possible because Christ Jesus loved us enough to die in our place to
pay for our sin. What an amazing gift! What lavish and
extravagant love! There is no doubt that God loves us.
Because of our fellowship with the living God we now can have
confidence in approaching God in prayer. John assures us that
if we ask anything according to God's will He hears us and answers
us. That should motivate me to get to know God better and
study the Word of God in order to understand what His will is.
This should motivate me to pray frequently.
Neglecting to pray is a major cause of
stagnation in the Christian life. How is your prayer life?
How often do you pray? Do you confidently approach God knowing
that He hears you? Are you getting to know God's character
through His Word so you can confidently pray according to His will?
Make it a daily practice to set aside time to pray.
Start by thanking God that He has given us Jesus Christ and through
Him eternal life.
August 15, 2002 - "Dear friends,
let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who
loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not
love does not know God for God is love. This is how God showed
His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world
that we might live through Him. This is love: not that
we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins. Dear Friends, since God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God;
but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made
complete in us." I John 4: 7 - 12 (NIV)
The Apostle John points out that love
should characterize the person who knows Jesus Christ. We have
been loved by God in an amazing and sacrificial way. He loved
us first, when we didn't love Him. He gave the one person most
precious to Him, His beloved Son, as an atoning sacrifice for our
sin. Jesus willingly became sin and endured God's wrath for
us. If God loved us so much, shouldn't we love each other?
It is easy to love people who love us or love people we enjoy being
with. It is much harder to love those who we just don't like,
who irritate us, have hurt us, have disappointed us or sinned
against us. God's love for us was not natural. He didn't
love us because we were lovable. He loved us and redeemed us
in spite of our sin. God had no reason to love us, but He did.
That's the kind of love that should now characterize those of us who
are the objects of that extraordinary love. John goes on to
say that no one has seen God; but if we love each other He will be
made very evident in and through our lives. Love is a powerful
witness to the world around us.
Reflect on God's extraordinary love for
you. Spend some time praising and thanking God that He sent
His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the atoning sacrifice for your sins.
To love people in the way God loved us requires His grace and power.
Ask God to give you the supernatural power and ability to love the
people He brings into your life.
August 8, 2002 - "How great is
the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called
children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the
world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear
friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet
been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be
like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this
hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." I John
3: 1 - 3 (NIV)
The marvelous love God has shown to those
of us who know Him is an extravagant love! When we place our
faith in Jesus Christ we experience much more than the forgiveness
of our sins. God actually adopts us into His family! We
are now children of God! That puts the love of God for us on a
much higher level! God could have just rescued us from the
penalty of sin or treated us like a benevolent King. But God
loved us so much that He brought us, His former enemies, into His
own family. This amazing love is a love I will
never fully understand. But it is a love that is transforming.
The apostle John reveals something else that is amazing - "when
He (Jesus) appears, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He
is." We were created in the image of God. God's
intent is that we should reflect God's character. But, because
of our sin, instead of reflecting God's image we demonstrate
what God is not. The hope of the Christian is that we will one
day see Him, all defilement of sin will be cleansed from our hearts,
we will be purified, we will then truly reflect God's image and
experience the love of our Heavenly Father face to face.
Are you amazed that you are now a child of
the living God? We are not worthy to be called a child of God,
only God's extraordinary love has made this possible. Take
some time meditate on how much God loves you and thank God for
loving you so much. Ask God to enable you to better reflect
His image through your life.
August 1, 2002 - "Do not love the
world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world
- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting
of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the
world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who
does the will of God lives forever." I John 2: 15 - 17 (NIV)
Many things compete for our attention and
devotion. The real problem is that too often they begin to
take the place of God and draw our heart affection away from Him.
When they do, they become idols. In these verses the Apostle
John sums up what worldliness is in three categories:
the cravings of sinful man or lust of the flesh - the selfish
gratification of our physical nature; the lust of the eyes -
materialism, the striving for things we want but don't need; and
boasting of what he has or does - egotism or pride. Christians
have often defined worldliness by an external code of do's and
don'ts but what really eats away at our spiritual life are the
attitudes, motives or values that can capture our hearts like pride,
jealousy, loving the approval of others, lust, or loving a life
filled with comforts. The Apostle John reminds us
that the world and its desires are not eternal - they will not
last. God is eternal.
Where does love for the world and what it
offers compete with love for God in your life? Money?
Relationships? Ambition? Time? Things? Is
there something in the "world" that has ensnared your heart and
drawn your affection away from God? Take some time today to
focus your heart's affection on Jesus Christ.
Quote: "Let temporal things serve
your use, but the eternal be the object of your desire."
Thomas a Kempis
July 25, 2002 - "Anyone who
claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the
darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and
there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates
his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he
does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded
him." I John 2: 9 - 11 (NIV)
Love is another characteristic of someone
who is "walking in the light". It is not always easy to love.
Life is full of misunderstandings; we are sinned against, harmed,
criticized, treated unfairly and experience many disappointments.
Often it is the people who are closest to us to hurt us the most.
And unfortunately we hurt others. Jesus Christ loved us even
while we were His enemies. As followers of Christ we are to
imitate His love and grace. When we are walking in the light,
living honestly before God, allowing God to search our hearts,
freely acknowledging our sin to God; then we realize how much we
have been forgiven. Love is patient, kind and not
self-selfish. Love forgives.
Do you have the kind of love that forgives
much because you have been forgiven much? To love like Jesus
loved requires God's grace and power. Is there someone that
you are having a difficult time loving today? Ask God to give
you the ability to love them. Has someone sinned against you
or hurt you? Ask the Lord for the strength to forgive them.
Take some time today to praise and thank Jesus Christ for His
mercy and grace.
July 19, 2002 - "My dear
children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if
anybody does sin, we have One who speaks to the Father in our
defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning
sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours only but for the sins
of the whole world. We know that we have come to know Him if
we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does
not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in Him.
But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in
him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims
to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." I John 2: 1 - 6 (NIV)
These few verses in I John reveal a lot
about Jesus Christ and His work. He is our advocate (our
defense attorney) when we sin, He fully satisfied the demands of a
holy and just God by giving His life as an atoning sacrifice for our
sins. When we come to know Christ, He also
regenerates us by His Holy Spirit, transforming our heart so that we
can walk as He did. In I John 1: 8 it says, "If we claim to
be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."
Now in I John 2: 4 says, "The man who says, "I know Him," but
does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in
Him." Both statements are true - believers in Jesus Christ
are both saints and sinners. The One who fully paid for our
sin by dying for us is now in the process of sanctifying us by His
Spirit. God is in the process of transforming us! The
evidence in my life that God is at work is that I am more sensitive
to sin in my life and I want to and do obey God.
God's grace always transforms the person who comes to know Him.
We naturally want to please the One who loved us so much by obeying
His righteous commands.
Do you love Jesus Christ? Do you know
Him personally as your Lord and Savoir? Does your love for Him
show itself in obeying God and doing what He commands? Is your
life characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
gentleness and self-control (the fruit of the Spirit)? Take
some time today to thank Jesus Christ for becoming sin for us and
perfectly satisfying the demands of God the Father for us.
Thank Him for His amazing grace and love.
July 11, 2002 - "This is the
message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is
light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have
fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live
by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus,
His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without
sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have
not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place
in our lives." I John 1: 5 - 10 (NIV)
God is light. When I turn on a light
in a dark room, the darkness disappears and I can see what is in the
room. When God's light shines on my hearts I can see what is
really there - sin. When we are "walking in the light" we are
sensitive to sin, we confess our sin, we don't hide it or avoid it
or rationalize it away. As a result of confessing sin we
experience God's cleansing and forgiveness. We experience
close fellowship with Jesus as we live honestly in His light.
But, if I am "walking in darkness", then I avoid admitting my sin,
confession is an infrequent discipline and I tend to view myself as
much more righteous than I am. I am not fooling God (He knows
my heart), I am deceiving myself.
Confessing sin as soon as God reveals it
too you is very basic and vital to walking with God. If you
want to have a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, then
confession and repentance are an essential part of your life.
It is also can be one of the hardest and most humbling things to do.
Do you have a regular habit of confessing your sin? Do you
allow God to shine His light on your heart? Or do you avoid
confessing? Do you rationalize you sinful actions or attitudes
as "not really sin" or "not that bad"? Allow God to shine His
light on your heart. Do not walk in darkness, you cannot hide
your sin from God. Experience the joy of God's gracious
forgiveness and enjoy His fellowship.
July 6, 2002 - "That which was
from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we
proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we
have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal
life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We
proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may
have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father
and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy
complete." I John 1: 1 - 4 (NIV)
For the next few weeks we will look at and
meditate on I John. The writer of this book is the apostle
John, the disciple who probably had the closest relationship with
our Lord Jesus. John knew Jesus better than anyone else.
He tells us in these verses that Jesus Christ is a real person.
They actually saw Him, heard Him and even touched Him - before and
even after His resurrection. But the most amazing point John
makes here is that the fellowship that He had with Jesus continued
after Jesus physically left the earth. And that we, too, can
enjoy intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ! And because of
our fellowship with God, we can have fellowship with one another.
How well do you know Jesus Christ?
How would you describe your relationship with Him? Second hand
knowledge? A casual acquaintance? or is He your intimate
friend? When you share your faith in Christ, are you sharing
first hand experiences? Like any other relationship, it is
impossible to get to know Jesus without spending time with Him.
Be sure to set aside time every day to get know Jesus Christ more
intimately. He is eternal life, the one who existed from the
beginning of time and the one who loves us more than anyone.
This is the One who actually desires to have fellowship with us.
There is no one I'd rather get to know and enjoy fellowship with
than Jesus Christ.
June 28,2002 - "Dear friends,
this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of
them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I
want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets
and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers
will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They
will say, "Where is this 'coming' He promised? Ever since our
fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of
creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's
word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and
by water. By these waters also the world of that time was
deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens
and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of
judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget
this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord
is not slow about keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.
He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone
to come to repentance." II Peter 3: 1 - 9 (NIV)
Peter states that the reason he wrote his
letters was to remind his readers of the truth they already knew and
to stimulate them to wholesome thinking. Peter wants his
readers to remember and never forget the words of the prophets and
of Jesus Christ Himself. He want our thoughts to be influenced
by the Word of God. One reason that people scoff at the truth
and ridicule those who believe and follow Christ is that they
deliberately forget what they know to be true. In fact, their
reaction would not be as intense if our message was false.
God's Holy Spirit is still at work convicting people of sin,
righteousness and judgment. That conviction is never
comfortable. God's promises are true and His coming and
judgment is certain. God is also a patient God of mercy and
grace who does not delight in judgment but wants us to come to Him
in repentance so that we can experience His grace.
How is your thought life? Is it
wholesome? Are there unwholesome things that you are allowing
to influence your thoughts? How can you help stimulate others
to wholesome thinking? Take some time today to evaluate your
thought life and take some steps stimulate it with God's Word and
other wholesome influences.
June 20, 2002 - "And we have the
word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay
attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the
day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all
you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the
prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had it origin
in the will of men, but men spoke from God as they were carried
along by the Holy Spirit." II Peter 1: 19 - 21 (NIV)
How important is the Bible to you? Do
you pay careful attention to it? Do you study it? Do you
apply it's principles to your life? Peter reminds us that the
Bible is actually God's Word. The Bible is like a light that
shines in our hearts; it lights our way, gives us direction,
corrects us, gives us hope and encourages us. Most
important of all, it shows us our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the
"morning star" (Greek - phosphoros - literally, "light-bearer").
God's Word came through words of men (the prophets) but the Holy
Spirit was the source, guiding the process. Since it is
actually God's Word, we should take the time to study it, know it
and understand it well. Do you need to change your Bible study
habits given the importance of God's Word? Or like me, do you
need to pay more attention to what God is telling you through the
Bible?
The following meditation is from The Valley
of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, Arthur
Bennett, Editor
Thy Word is full of promises,
flowers of sweet fragrance,
fruit of refreshing flavour
when called by faith.
May I be made rich in its riches,
be strong in its power,
be happy in its joy,
abide in its sweetness,
feast on its preciousness,
draw vigour from its manna.
Lord increase my faith.
Are you thankful that God has given us the
Bible? Thank God today that He has
given us His Word!
June 13, 2002 - "So I will always
remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly
established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to
refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,
because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus
Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see
that after my departure you will always be able to remember these
things. We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you
about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were
eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from
God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory,
saying, 'This is my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.'
We ourselves heard this voice that come from heaven when we were
with Him on the sacred mountain." II Peter 1: 12 - 18 (NIV)
Are you ever tempted to say or think, when
you hear a sermon or read a passage from the Bible, "I have heard
that before! Tell me something that I don't already know."? The
Apostle Peter has no problem reminding his readers about the truths
that they already know and are practicing. Too often the things I
don't want to be reminded of are the truths that I most need to
remember. I don't want the reminders because if I really consider
what is being said I will have to come face to face with the fact
that there are things in my life that need to change. At other
times, I fail to really appreciate how amazing these truths about
our Lord really are and boredom replaces thanksgiving and praise.
Peter was an eyewitness of the majesty and glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. His message was not just a nice made up story. He never got
tired of telling about what he had seen and heard. Peter was
transformed by Jesus Christ and he wanted those he came in contact
with never to forget the vital, life changing message of the gospel
of his Lord. What are the truths that you need to be reminded of?
(Even though you know
them.) Are you constantly amazed by the
message of the Bible or is your attitude "I've heard that before."?
Spend some time today thinking about some of the familiar truths in
God's Word and then thank and praise God for each one of them.
June 6, 2002 - "For this
reason, make every effort to add to you faith goodness; and to
goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control and to
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to
godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness,
love. For it you possess these qualities in increasing
measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive
in you knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does
not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that
he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my
brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election
sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you
will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 1: 5 - 11 (NIV)
This passage seems a little overwhelming, I
need to add all these qualities to my life and grow in all of this
areas. How is that even possible? Just getting a good
handle on one of these areas seems impossible. Then I am
reminded that Peter has just told us in verse 3 that "His
divine power has given us everything we need for life and
godliness...". As new creatures in Christ, our Lord
Jesus has captured our hearts. We are regenerated, changed, no
longer the same. I have now have a God given me the desire to
love, obey and please God. I have also been given the power,
through the Holy Spirit to love, obey and please God. God
desires to produce the fruit of His Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control) in us. As we
yield our hearts to the Lord, battle sin in our life and walk with
Jesus, God produces His fruit in us. He works powerfully in us
to transform us by His Spirit. Peter also reminds us that our
welcome into God's eternal kingdom will be a rich one, beyond
anything we can imagine. Our loving Father, who has adopted
us; and our Savior, who loved us so much He died for us; will be
there to welcome us with open arms.
Is your life characterized by goodness,
knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness
and love? Does this list reveal any sin that you need to
confess and repent of? Are their areas of your life that need
to be yielded to the Lord? Take time today to do this.
Spend some time praising God for His incredible love and
grace. Thank Him and depend on the fact that "His
divine power has given us everything we need for life and
godliness...".
May 30, 2002 - "Grace and
peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of
Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we
need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called
us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given
us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you
may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in
the world caused by evil desires." II Peter
1: 2 - 4 (NIV)
When you begin to think about all that God
has done for us, it is simply overwhelming! Through Jesus
Christ we have abundant grace and peace. Through His power we
have everything (not most everything) we need for life and
godliness. Too often we focus on what we think we lack instead
of remembering that God has provided everything we need for life and
he has provided the power we need to live godly lives. Jesus
Christ has provided what we need to grow in our faith. Think
about the promises of God, they are not minor promises but amazing
ones. We should be constantly praising God for the hope we
have in Him.
Do you take God's gifts and promises to us
for granted? Do you forget that God has already given us
everything we need for life and godliness? Take some time now
to thank God for all He has done for you and to meditate on God's
promises. Make today's focus on the grace you have been given
rather than on what you think you still need.
May 23, 2002 - "Be
self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him,
standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers
throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of
sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His
eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while,
will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and
steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
I Peter 5: 8 - 11 (NIV)
Peter issues a very strong warning in
today's passage. We need to be alert and ready because we have
a very real and powerful enemy, the devil. Satan is
called the accuser, the father of lies and the prince of
darkness. He is looking for someone who has their guard down
so that he can devour (destroy) them. This lion is not tame or
safely confined in a zoo. This lion is like the ones that tore
apart and killed the early Christians in the coliseum in
Rome. We dare not underestimate his strength.
Peter had first hand experience with Satan's power. In Luke
22: 31 Jesus warned Peter that "Satan has asked for you that
he may sift you like wheat." Peter ignored Jesus'
warning and ended up denying Christ. We don't want to
overestimate his strength either, because Jesus Christ is far
stronger. We can resist the devil because "greater is
He that is in you than he who is in the world." I
John 4: 4 James 4: 7 says "resist the devil and he
will flee from you." Even Satan's victory over Peter
was temporary. God's grace restored Peter, he became a rock, a
steadfast apostle. Now he leaves us with this powerful
lesson. We are to be alert, don't underestimate Satan.
But, Satan is no match for God. Look to Jesus Christ, resist
the devil.
What are you weak areas? How is the
devil seeking to devour you? What are way you can resist
him? Spend some time today focusing on the power of God, His
greatness and His grace.
May 16, 2002 - "Young men in
the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you,
clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God
opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble
yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you
up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares
for you." I Peter 5: 5 - 7 (NIV)
Too often pride raises it's ugly head in my
life. It happens in many ways. A reluctance to admit I
am wrong, comparing myself to others, selfishness, trusting in
myself instead of God, attempting to look better than I really am,
are just a few ways pride shows up in my life. Pride is the
cultivation, preservation, exalting or protecting of self. It
is a commitment to self. It is building up ourselves in our
own eyes or in the eyes of others. God is opposed to the
proud. (I certainly don't want God to oppose me. I'll
loose.) The proud person puts self in the place of priority
that God alone should occupy. We were created in God's image,
with great dignity and value. But everything we have and are
is given to us by God. We were created for God's purposes and
not our own. Jesus Christ humbled Himself by becoming a man
and submitting Himself to death on a cross. He came to serve,
not to be served. Peter in these verses is urging us follow
the example of Jesus Christ.
Think about your own pride. How does
pride manifest itself in your life? What prideful tendencies
do you have? Humbly confess these to God. How is casting
your anxiety on Him an act of humility? Spend some time in
prayer casting your anxieties on God. How can you cultivate
humility and combat pride in your life?
When we focus on Jesus Christ and the
greatness of God is easier to cultivate hearts of gratefulness and
humility. Spend some time thinking about, worshiping and praising
Jesus Christ.
May 9, 2002 - "Dear friends,
do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as
though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice
that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be
overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted
because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of
glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be
a a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even
as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be
ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." I
Peter 4: 12 - 16 (NIV)
Are you surprised when you experience
suffering or trials? Do you ever feel like giving up and not
continuing? Peter is writing to believer in Jesus Christ who
are going through some very trying times. This passage is
meant to encourage them to see that they are blessed because they
are actually participating in the sufferings of Christ. When I
see Jesus Christ suffering on the cross, it becomes very clear that
there is no suffering, no injustice, no indignity that Jesus has not
suffered already. No matter what my experience, Jesus has
suffered to a far greater degree than I have. He knows what we
are going through. Jesus knows what it is like to
suffer. God is greatly glorified when we respond to suffering
like Jesus did, with joy, patience, love, peace and self-control,
not returning evil for evil. God's grace, power and glory are
uniquely displayed and evident when we suffer as Christians.
If you are like me, you spend too much time
complaining or in self pity. None of us like suffering.
All of us will experience trials. But God has arranged it so
that the Son of God has suffered to a far greater degree than
anything we will ever suffer. Will we surrender our rights to
God and ask Him for the grace and power to respond to our
circumstances as Jesus would respond?
May 1, 2002 - "The end of
all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and
self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each
other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer
hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should
use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone
speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of
God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength
God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus
Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and
ever. Amen." I Peter 4: 7 - 11 (NIV)
Because God has loved us so much and given
us so much grace, our natural response should be to love one another
deeply and to serve one another in the power and strength God
provides. We won't be sensitive to the Lord or to the people
and needs around us unless our minds are clear and we are
praying. There are a lot of things that clutter up our lives,
a lot of noise that competes with God for our attention. I
need to daily take some time to clear my mind of the noise and
clutter so that I can seek God's face, pray and be strengthened by
the Holy Spirit of God. Then I will be able to use the gifts
God has given me as they were intended to be used, to serve others
as a instrument of God's grace.
What is cluttering up your life? Is
there something you need to eliminate so you can spend more time
with Jesus Christ? Do you need to get away from the TV,
computer, CD player or radio for a while so you can clear your mind
and focus on Christ? Are you serving others out of God's love
and strength?
April 25, 2002 - "But in
your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously
against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their
slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for
doing good than for doing evil." I Peter 3: 15 - 17 (NIV)
How do we "set apart" or "sanctify"
Jesus Christ as Lord in our hearts? What does this mean?
It means that Jesus Christ is to have first place in our life.
He is to be regarded as holy. We are to seek Him. Too
often we seek something other than Jesus Christ. We seek God's
blessings, like a deeper spiritual experience, healing, power,
peace, strength, wisdom or a better prayer life, instead of seeking
God Himself. We need to realize that in Christ we are complete
(Col. 2:10). Jesus Christ Himself is our power, our strength,
our wisdom, our peace and everything else we need. He is the
hope that is within in us. No one has done as much for us as
Jesus has done. When we humble ourselves by coming to Jesus
Christ and admitting our need, confessing our sins, repenting and
experiencing His cleansing and grace we are setting apart Jesus as
Lord. Take some time today to set apart Christ as Lord in your
heart.
April 18, 2002 - "Finally,
all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love
as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil
with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this
you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." I
Peter 3: 8 - 9 (NIV)
These two short verses say a lot about the
heart attitudes and actions that should characterize our
relationships with each other. We are to live in harmony
(literally be of "one mind") with each other, be
sympathetic (understand, enter into and share the feelings of
others), love, be compassionate (kind and tenderhearted) and be
humble. Then even when we are treated poorly, sinned against
or insulted we are to bless the very person who harmed us!
That is not our natural response. That is exactly what Jesus
Christ did for us when He loved and blessed us. Since we have
been given so much love and grace we are now called to be people who
give others grace and blessing. That is something I find
impossible to do apart from relying on God to give me the grace and
ability to be a blessing.
Are these attitudes and character traits
hard for you to live by? Ask God for the strength to live out
these verses. Do you know someone who is hurting, grieving,
struggling with sin, is in need or is discouraged? How can you
show sympathy and compassion toward them? Have you been
insulted or sinned against? Ask God for the power to enable
you to be a blessing to the one who has hurt you.
April 11, 2002 - "For it is
commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering
because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit
if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if
you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable
before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered
for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His
steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His
mouth.' When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not
retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He
entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore
our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and
live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been
healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have
returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."
I Peter 2: 19 - 25 (NIV)
Jesus Christ was a perfect example to us of
how to respond to unjust suffering. Peter here describes both
Jesus actions and His character. Jesus entrusted Himself to
God, the righteous and ultimate judge. Jesus endured because
He kept His eyes on the goal, the ultimate purpose of His suffering,
paying for our sin. He didn't demand His rights, lash out in
anger or focus on the terrible injustice being committed. We
desperately needed a Savior and Jesus' focus was on providing
exactly what we needed.
Think about a time when you were treated
unjustly or experienced hurt from another person. How did you
respond? How would have Jesus responded if He were in your
situation? In this passage Peter states that Jesus' death is
not merely an example for us to follow, but that His death actually
empowers us to acquire the character of Jesus Christ. Because
of God's grace I can now respond as Jesus would to those who harm
me. Spend time today meditating on the character of Jesus
Christ and thank Him for enduring suffering for you.
April 4, 2002 - "But you are
a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful light. One you were not
a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends,
I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from
sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good
lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong,
they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits
us." I Peter 2: 9 - 12 (NIV)
In these few verses Peter describes our incredible
position as believers in Jesus Christ. In God's grace He has
chosen us, made us priests and placed us in a new kingdom. We
now belong to God! We have received incredible mercy! We
should be people who are consistently praising God for who His is
and thanking God for all He has done for us. Our natural
response should be to love God and obey His Word. We most need
to remember our identity in Jesus Christ when we are going through
difficult times, trials or when we are being tempted to give into
sin. Resting in God's grace and standing confident in our identity
in Christ will provide amazing strength and comfort.
Think about who God is and who you are (a
royal priesthood, holy, belonging to God, chosen, one who has
received mercy). Think about what each of these mean.
What practical implications do they have in your life? Do you
treat other believers like they are a royal priesthood, holy,
etc...? How would you describe the war going on within
yourself? Who is winning the battle? Take time today to thank
God for the grace, mercy and love He has shown you.
March 28, 2002 - "For what
I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried,
that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and
that He appeared to Peter, and to the Twelve. After that, He
appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time,
most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
I Corinthians 15: 3 - 5 (NIV)
"God made Him who had no sin to be
sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of
God." II Corinthians 5: 21 (NIV)
During the next few days we celebrate the
death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Apostle
Paul summarizes the essence of the gospel in these scripture
passages.
Without the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our faith would
we useless and empty. We do have much to celebrate because our
salvation has been secured by a living Savior, the one who has power
over our greatest enemy, death.
Our salvation flows from God. God is holy,
righteous and just. God does not lower His standards to
accommodate us. How can an unjust, unholy man stand before a holy
God and survive? Jesus was the only innocent man ever to be punished
by God. God would have been more than unjust, He would have been
diabolical to punish Jesus if Jesus had not first willingly taken
upon Himself the sins of the world. Once Christ did that, once He
volunteered to be the Lamb of God, laden with our sin, then He
became the most vile thing on this planet With the concentration of
sin He carried He became utterly repugnant to the Father. God poured
out His wrath on Him, God made Christ accursed for the sin He bore.
All this was done for us. He took the punishment justice demanded
form us.
Spend time this week meditating on the
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Praise and thank God
for all He has done for you.
March 21, 2002 - "Now that
you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have
sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the
heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed,
but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of
God. For "All men are like grass, and all their glory is
like the flowers in the field; the grass withers and the flowers
fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this
is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid
yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and
slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure
spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now
that you have tasted that the Lord is good." I Peter
1: 22 - 2: 3 (NIV)
Because we are new creatures in Jesus
Christ we are to love one another deeply. This love involves
action, not just a feeling of love or concern. It is a love
that shows itself in what we do. It is a self-sacrificing love
that serves. Do you love others in a way that is demonstrated
by your actions? Ask God to enable you to love those you have
a hard time loving. Look for ways to love and serve the people
you come in contact with this week.
The importance, value and lasting nature of
the word of God is another point Peter is stressing in this
passage. Everything thing else will perish, but God's word
lasts forever. It is our spiritual food. God's word is
vital to bringing the message of God's grace and essential for
spiritual growth. God's word reveals sin in our hearts, so we
can repent and turn to Christ. It point us to Jesus Christ and
life. The Bible provides the spiritual nourishment we need to
grow in our faith. Do you spend time daily reading God's Word,
the Bible? Do meditate on and apply what you read? Is
your Bible study merely and intellectual exercise or does it draw
you closer to the Lord and motivate you to worship, love and
service?
March 14, 2002 - "Therefore,
prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope
fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is
revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil
desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He
who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is
written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since
you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live
your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know
that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that
you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from
your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb
without blemish or defect." I Peter 1: 13 - 19 (NIV)
In these few verses the apostle Peter
issues several commands that believers in Jesus Christ are to take
very seriously. Think about what he means by each of these
commands. Ask yourself some questions. How can I prepare
my mind for action? Am I self-controlled? Is my hope
fully and completely set on God's grace? Am I relying on Jesus
Christ and His grace alone for my salvation? Are there evil
desires or sin in my life that I am still holding on to? To be
holy means to be set apart for God's purposes. Does my life
honor Jesus Christ? Or am I still conforming to the world's
habits and goals? For the Christian, the fear of God is not a
fear of punishment, but a sense of awe in the presence of an
all-powerful, holy, good, just and loving being. Do you fear
God in this way?
Our forgiveness and redemption from sin was
purchased at an incredibly high price. It is a price we can
never repay. Our response to the amazing grace and love of God
should be worship, thanksgiving, praise and living lives that
glorify our Lord. None of this is possible without humbly
depending on the Grace of our Lord Jesus.
March 7, 2002 - "Praise be
to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His mercy
He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can
never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through
faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation
that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly
rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer
grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your
faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though
refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise,
glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have
not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now,
you believe in Him and are filled with and inexpressible and
glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the
salvation of your souls." I Peter 1: 3 - 9 (NIV)
During March we will be looking at and
meditating on the book of I Peter. Peter starts this letter
focusing on God's incredible grace and mercy. God has given us
a new birth, not because of anything we have done - it is all
because of what God has done for us. We were dead in sin,
unable to reach out to God until He made us alive in Christ.
We now have a living hope through Christ's resurrection from the
dead. Because of that hope we can count on an inheritance that
is impossible to loose or even fade. We now have a lot to
rejoice about, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in we
have a constant hope within us. We can even rejoice in
suffering because we have God's presence and an eternal hope.
We can have a new perspective on trials, they are testing, refining
and developing our faith.
How is your praise life? Do you often
find yourself thanking God for His grace and mercy? To you
find your self rejoicing because of your salvation? Make
praise a lifestyle in good times and in bad. Our Lord Jesus
Christ deserves more praise than we can ever give Him.
February 28, 2002 - "Is any
one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone
happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you
sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him
and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the
prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the
Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be
forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray
for each other that you may be healed. The prayer of a
righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just
like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it
did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he
prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its
crops." James 5: 13 - 18 (NIV)
Prayer is vital and essential to the
Christian. Without prayer we can not have a relationship with
God. The Sovereign God of the universe not only invites us to
talk with Him, He commands us to pray. Prayer is powerful and
effective because our God is powerful, not because there is
something special about us or the way we pray. In this passage
James says that Elijah was a person just like us who prayed.
God answered Elijah's prayers, because He is God. We should be
praying no matter what circumstance in life we find ourselves.
Are you in trouble, happy, sick, or need forgiveness?
Then pray. Ask others to pray for you. If you have
sinned, humble yourself by confessing your sin to a trusted friend
who will pray for you.
How is your prayer life? Take some
time today and every day to spend time with God in prayer.
February 21, 2002 - "Now
listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or
that city, spend a year there, carry on a business and make
money." Why, you do not even know what will happen
tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears
for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to
say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or
that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such
boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to
do and doesn't do it, sins." James 4: 13 - 17 (NIV)
Life is short. There are no guarantees
that we will live another moment. Our only confidence can be
that our lives are in the hands of a sovereign God who is in control
of the present and the future. Our confidence can never be in
ourselves. Our confidence for the future must be in Jesus
Christ. James is not condemning planning or earning money in
this passage. He is condemning boasting and not viewing life
from God's perspective. James also says that sin is not just
doing things we know are wrong, we also sin when we don't do what we
know we should do - when we fail to do what is right.
Do you look at life with an eternal
perspective? Take some time today to ask yourself, does my
life glorify God? Do you live life with confidence (instead of
fear), knowing that the sovereign God of the universe is in control.
Or do you just "play it safe" by not even doing what you
know you should do? All of us fail. Our only hope is to
rely on God's grace and mercy to redeem and transform us into His
likeness. Life is short, like a vapor that vanishes, eternity
is forever. It is vital that we place our life into the hands
of the one living, eternal, almighty, Savior.
February 14, 2002 - "But He
gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God
opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit
yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you
double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your
laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves
before the Lord, and He will lift you up." James
4: 6 - 10 (NIV)
God gives grace to the humble but opposes
the proud. To experience the grace of God we have to humble
ourselves before God, confess our sin. We must admit that we
deserve to be punished for our sin. We have to admit that we
desperately need forgiveness. When we do humble ourselves, God
will come near to us and we will experience His immeasurable
grace. If you want God to actively oppose you then cultivate
pride in your life instead of humility.
Are you actively submitting to God
today? What are ways you need to resist the devil today?
Take some time alone with God to draw near to Him. He will
draw near to you. Consider this meditation from The Valley
of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, Arthur
Bennett, Editor
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly
Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter the stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.
February 7, 2002 - "Who is
wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good
life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such
"wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly,
unspiritual, of the devil. Fore where you have envy and
selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil
practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of
all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy
and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in
peace raise a harvest of righteousness." James 3: 13
- 18 (NIV)
There are two kinds of wisdom. There
is a wisdom that comes only from God and is full of the Spirit of
God. The fruit of the Spirit is evident in those who who have
Godly wisdom. There is also a wisdom that comes from the
world. It may enable those who use it to gain what they
selfishly desire, but this is a wisdom that is earthly, unspiritual
and of the devil. It does not please God. Those who use
worldly wisdom find it easy to compromise their integrity for short
term gain. Instead of humbly confessing and repenting of sin,
they deny their sin.
Where do you need God's wisdom today?
Are you spending time reading the Bible, God's Book of Wisdom, and
asking the God of wisdom to give you His wisdom? Spend some
time now praying that God will give you heavenly wisdom and the
fruits of that wisdom - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
gentleness and self-control.
January 31, 2002 - "Not
many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you
know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all
stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he
says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in
check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them
obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an
example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong
winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot
wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body,
but it makes great boast. Consider what a great forest is set
on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world
of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole
person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set
on fire by hell. All kind of animals, birds, reptiles and
creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but
no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of
deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father,
and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's
likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.
My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water
flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear
olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring
produce fresh water." James 3: 1 - 12 (NIV)
The tongue is a very small part of the
human body, yet it is a very powerful force. This passage
tells us several things about the tongue. First, you can tell
a lot about your spiritual health by the condition of your
tongue. James says the person who controls his tongue is a
mature person. Second, the tongue is a powerful and influential
force. Just like a small rudder directs a large ship, your
words can have a powerful influence. Words can encourage
people, be an influence for good and bring the Gospel of God's grace
to people. Think about the most meaningful compliments you
have ever received. What were they? Who gave you the
compliment? What did it mean to you? How has that
compliment affected you? Third, James says that words can be
destructive. When I was a child I was told, "when someone
insults you or calls you a name just say; sticks and stones will
break my bones but words will never harm me." That
statement is not true. Broken bones do heal, but when a
person's soul is injured by brutal insults, criticism or slander the
scars can last a lifetime. What have been the most powerful
insults or criticisms you have ever received? How has that
affected you?
No one can tame the tongue. Pray
today for the grace to turn your tongue over to God's control.
Only He has the power to control what you can not control.
Pray that your words will be words of life, encouragement and
blessing to the people in your life.
January 24, 2002 - "What
good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no
deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or
sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says
to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but
does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the
same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is
dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have
deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show
you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one
God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and
shudder." James 2: 14 - 19 (NIV)
What is the relationship between faith and
works? In Ephesians 2: 8 it says "For it is by grace
you are saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
James is not contradicting the words of Paul. If we have a
faith that saves, our hearts are regenerated (transformed) by the
Holy Spirit and our lives change because God's grace is transforming
us into the image of Jesus Christ. True Christian faith is
always characterized by good works and obedience to God, but there
can be no true obedience of God or good deeds without faith.
Our actions are a natural result of our faith or lack of faith in
Christ. He alone has the power to save us. He alone has
the power to transform us.
Take a moment today to look at your
life. Is your faith evident to the people closest to
you? Ask God to forgive you for your sin and to transform you
into His image.
January 17, 2002 - "My
brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show
favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a
gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also
comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing
fine clothes and say, "Here's a seat for you." but
say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "sit on the
floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves
and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear
brothers: has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of
the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised
those who love Him?" James 2: 1 - 5
"If you really keep the royal law
found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you
are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin are are
convicted by the law as lawbreakers? James 2: 8 - 9
We can show favoritism and discriminate
without realizing we are doing it. It is very easy even among
Christians for us to show favoritism in our relationships with each
other. James here points out that this is clearly sin. "Love
your neighbor as yourself." is a royal law of the
Kingdom of God because is one of the primary laws of the
Kingdom. It is a law proclaimed and verified by the King of
Kings Himself, Jesus Christ.
Take some time this week to ask yourself
the question - how can I "love my neighbor as myself?",
then take some concrete steps to put God's royal law into
practice. Ask God to give you His strength and power to love
the people around you.
January 10, 2002 - "Do not
merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what
it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what
it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after
looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks
like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law
that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he
has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he
does." James 1: 22 - 25 (NIV)
James tells his readers that it is very
easy for Christians to deceive themselves by simply listening to
God's Word. We think we are walking with God because we are
attending Church, Bible studies and even active in ministry.
But we are deceiving ourselves if we are not being transformed by
the Word of God. Reading the Word of God is like looking into
a mirror. It reveals our flaws - our sin. This should
motivate us to humbly go to our Lord Jesus Christ, confess our need
for His grace and ask Him to transform us by His grace. He
does have the power to enable us to be doers of God's Word and not
merely hearers.
Do you meditate intently God's Word?
Do you recognize your sin, repent of it, and allow Jesus Christ to
transform your actions from the heart? If so, you will
experience true freedom and be blessed in what you do.
January 3, 2002 - "James a
servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes
scattered among the nations: greetings. Consider it
pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you
may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of
you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when
he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is
like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man
should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a
double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1:
1 - 8 (NIV)
Every Christian faces trials. Trials
come in many forms; persecution, illness, death, financial hardship,
relationship problems, family problems to name just a few.
They may be caused by no fault of our own or our own sin, the sin or
malice of others, a natural disaster, or life circumstances.
But over every trial is a sovereign God who loves us. James
tells us that God wants to use the trials we face to develop our
character. We can learn to persevere and learn valuable
lessons in prayer as the result of going through suffering.
Wisdom is something we desperately need when facing difficult
trial. James points out that if we ask God for wisdom He will
give it generously to us.
Are you wise? A wise person will not
become bitter as the result of trials. They will realize that
God wants to use trials to bring about our maturity and His
glory. Allow the Lord Jesus Christ to strengthen and sustain
you when you are suffering. Spend some time today asking God
to give you wisdom.
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2001's Devotional Messages from the Book of Hebrews
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A devotional
Bible study and commentary written by Bob Krepps © 2001, 2002
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