Why Hard to Believe June 30

Why Hard to Believe

If an artist can make beautiful art out of a piece of old drift wood, why is it so impossible to believe that God can carve something beautiful out of any believer?

“And this is the testimony—that evidence: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”  [1John 5:11, AMBT].

“And this is the confidence . . . that if we ask anything . . .  according to His will . . . He listens to and hears us.” [1John 5:14, AMBT].

Do All We Can June 29

Do All We Can

When we do all we can---then what?

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” [Acts 20:32, NIV].

Grab hold of your inheritance in God and pray.

Fruit of Spirit (continued) June 28

Fruit of Spirit [Continued]

Gal.5:22

6. Goodness: includes sowing, reaping, and receiving generosity.

7. Faith: Belief in the resurrection and obeying truths.

8. Gentleness: Practice community and how we touch others.

9. Self-control: Ability to wait, but still freedom in Christ to choose.

Strung all together, the fruit of the Holy Spirit results in rescue, save, and improve.

Fruit of the Spirit June 27

 Fruit of the Spirit

In Galatians 5:22, there are listed nine spiritual fruits that come under the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

1.   Love, which includes- - -trust to stay in the pattern of love.

2.   Joy, fulfillment to live as if heaven is already here.

3.   Peace, able to let go worry of future and experience peace.

4.   Longsuffering, patience to remember who is in control.

5.   Kindness, harmonizing one’s essence with unity of Spirit.

[Last four continued next day.]

What Should Be First? June 26

What Should Be First?

Often, in our modern culture, we try to escape stress and anxiety by disguising it. Or, we try to reduce stress by some other method.

Entertainment, chemicals, diversions are used to reduce stress. When we can’t reduce it, we simply change the sensation by trying to disguise it.

These are spinoffs of our fear of failure.

What should be the first combatant of fear?

Verse 12:“that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory,

Verse 13: In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” [Eph.1:12-13, NKJV].

Missing the Point June 25

Missing the Point

“. . . Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do. . .” [Luke 23:34, NKJV].

These were some of the last words Jesus said on the Cross. Was he asking that people should be forgiven for ignorant action of some sin?

If so, then those Roman soldiers and others could claim to be not guilty. But other scriptures indicate we are guilty and have missed the point.

So, what was Jesus saying? He was not saying that Judas, Pilate, Romans or even us can claim ignorance of wrong doing as an excuse.

I think he was saying that humanity knows what it’s doing wrong, but cannot or will not realize just how severe the wrong and guilt. Therefore, we NEED a Savior.

Maybe that’s a clearer definition of evil: it knows it’s wrong when it thinks it’s right.

Sitting in the Balcony June 24

Sitting in the Balcony

“. . . continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. [Phil.2:12-13, NIV].

As active Christians, we can no longer sit in some balcony of life and make ourselves unavailable for God’s working kingdom on earth.

God will not force us but challenges our availability.

God's Affirmation June 23

God’s Affirmation

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” [1 Jo.4:10, NKJV].

The startling truth of this scripture is God the father and His Son Jesus sought us first.

In addition, the Father didn’t send His Son for us to use him only to go through and reach the Father.

Jesus was sent to actually go through us. That’s one reason the Holy Spirit came.

He is our mediator [our propitiation] as well and reaches out to invite us to His connection. We just have to give affirmation to His already affirmative position.

Baptism Testimony June 22

Baptism Testimony

What shows the world, and even Satan himself, that the believer has left the service of the negative, sinful approach to life?

“buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” [Col.2:12, NKJV].

Admonish One Another June 21

Admonish One Another

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” [Col.3:16, NKJV].

What in the world is admonish?

In the Nestle’s Greek translation of text, the word is from Noutheteo, meaning to gently confront or warn.

So we are to do Nouthetic sharing.

1.   Nouthetic confrontation always implies a problem and suggests an obstacle in one’s life.

2.   Nouthesis is always done by verbal approach as a word of encouragement or reproof.

3.   Nouthetic encounter is always motivated by Christ’s love. Any correction should be of tender concern to benefit the person. [1Cor.4:14].

One Extension of Christ June 20

One Extension of Christ

Even our faith remains a gift from God.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God . . .” [Eph.2:8, NIV].

What Matters Most June 19

What Matters Most

What happens TO us in our circumstances does not matter the most.

How we react to what happens to us matters because of what can happen IN us.

Are we willing to be overlooked, humbled, lonely, misunderstood, and even made a fool for Christ’s sake?

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. [Col.1:27, NIV].

Genuine Traits June 18

Genuine Traits

“Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” [Mt.18:4, NKJV].

What are some traits of a child?

1.   Loving

2.   Energetic

3.   Curious

4.   Playful

5.   Teachable

6.   Transparent

7.   Trusting

8.   Questioning

9.   Experimenting

Reflect Before Speech June 17

Reflect Before Speech

There are really three stages when talking to someone.

1.   Inclination. A person gets a thought or impulse to say something.

2.   Reflection.  A person mentally investigates what is about to be said.

3.   Expression. A person initiates talking and verbalizes the thought idea.

Unfortunately, too many move from inclination to expression and leave out the stage to give proper consideration and reflection as to what is about to be spoken.

“There is one who speaks like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.” [Prov.12:18, NKJV].

Words Matter June 16

Words Matter

One day a young boy went to a rodeo. The next day at school, he told the teacher he saw a bowlegged cowboy. The teacher said, “You should not use the word bowlegged to refer to someone.” Next day, the boy told teacher that the principle was bowlegged also. Teacher told him to think of another word and she made him miss recess.

Next day the boy said to the teacher, “what kind of men are the cowboy and principle that walk around with their legs in parenthesis?”

How we speak matters.

James 1:19, “My dear brothers, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak . . . “

Too Much Me June 15

Too Much Me

Some study proclaimed that the most used letter on the computer key board is the letter “I”.

As Christians, work to change that to the letter “U”.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will find it.” [Mt.10:39, NIV]. 

Honor the Holy Spirit June 14

Honor the Holy Spirit

“Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” [1Thess.5:19, NIV].

“Do not quench the Spirit.” [1Thess.5:19, NKJV].

Guide me close Holy Spirit,

Let me feel you take my hand,

For I need you as I stand,

In this hard, but promised land.

More Believer Disrupters June 13

More Believer Disrupters

Mt.6:24      Confused finances.

Mt.6:25      Status Burden.

Mt.7:1-5     Negative Criticism.

Mt.7:6       Personal Divided Desires.

Jesus teaches these interferences because all the disrupters are subtle forms that can injure health and may even lead to one’s death.

The Disrupters June12

The Disrupters

Is there anything that can disrupt the loyalty of a Christian believer?

Mt. 6:1-4     Misplaced motives.

Mt.6:5-6      Prayer Bragging.

Mt.6:16-18   False Righteousness.

Mt.6:19-21   Fake Values.

Mt.6:22-23   Misleading Perspective.      

Some Ambition June 11

Some Ambition

“And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” [Mt.20:27, KJV].

 And yet in competition, when ambition stays linked with collective right doing as to who might out-give the other for purposes of the collective right doing, then ambition becomes useful for the Kingdom because it stays directed toward the right results.

You can be an ambitious servant.

Disappointment June 10

Disappointment

“Oh Jerusalem. Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

[Mt.23:37, NKJV].

Jesus was not upset over Jerusalem because He was disappointed. The idea of disappointment is based on missing the mark (sin) which Jesus did not experience. His statement shows more a sorrow of lost innocence and of missed potential of what the people could have had.

God is not so much disappointed in us as He has a kind of sorrow based on Grace, when we are unwilling to understand Him and go our own way.

Jesus I AM Statements June 9

Seven I AM Statements of Jesus

1.   Before Abraham I AM.   John 8:58

2.   Bread of Life.              John6:35

3.   Light of World.            Jo.8:12

4.   Good Shepherd           Jo.10:11

5.   The Resurrection.        Jo.11:25

6.   I Am the WAY.            Jo. 14:6

7.   I Am the True Vine.     Jo. 15:1

“And God said to Moses. I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.” [Gen.3:14, NKJV].

Sow Seed June 8

Sow Seed

When you behave with love, patience, faith, joy, service- - - you reveal a small glimpse of the heavenly Father and Kingdom principles to the world. This remains a seed sown. The Holy Spirit will nurture and grow the seed until someone gets the harvest.

“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” [Luke 8:8, NIV].

How Much Surrender? June 7

How Much Surrender?

When the mind is guided by the Holy Spirit and the emotions controlled by the physical, a person’s will remains confused. [The will contains the decision making function].

When the emotions are guided by the Spirit and the mind stays carnal, the will still becomes confused.

Mind, emotion and will must be submitted to the Spirit. All that we are needs to surrender.

“But for us, There is only one God, the Father. Everything came from him, and we live for him. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. Everything came into being through him, and we live because of him.” [1Cor.8:6, GWT].

True Surrender June 6

True Surrender

“Jesus replied, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” [Lk.9:62, NIV].

The key is in full surrender.

When God has begun the work of full surrender in us, and when God has accepted our surrender, then He holds Himself bound to care for the surrender to keep it.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy . . . “

[Jude 24, NKJV].

True Healing June 5

True Healing

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” [Ro.8:11, NIV].

The Holy Spirit maintains the potential to heal ANY situation.

1.   He may heal directly through another. (James 5:14)

2.   He can remove difficulties if person has faith.

3.   He can heal indirectly through another’s efforts.

Only our perspective limits the Spirit.

Keep Aware June 4

Keep Aware

“God, let me be aware.

Stab my soul fiercely with others’ pain.

Let me walk seeing horror and stain.

Let my hands, groping, find other hands.

Give me the heart that divines, understands.

Give me courage wounded, to fight.

Flood me with knowledge, drench me in light.

Please, keep me eager just to do my share.

God---let me be aware.”

        Miriam Teichner

Giving Self June 3

Giving Self

Jesus had just healed a man of an unclean spirit (Lk.9:42).

Then He said, “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”  [Luke 9:44, NKJV].

And yet, Christ was trying to teach the disciples that his real majesty was not in healing, but was going to be self-giving on a cross.

Suicide? June 2

Suicide?

Someone asked: Did Jesus commit suicide on the Cross?

The answer is NO.

When someone commits what we call suicide, they TAKE their own life, in a sense trying to relieve pain and glorify their last moments.

Jesus GAVE his life to conquer death not glorify it.

There is a difference in taking and giving.

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”  [John 15:13, NKJV].

Strategy Book of Acts June 1

Strategy of Book of Acts

The running strategy of the book of Acts in the Bible is:

Verses 1-8    Witnessing and testimony.

Verses 2-7    Jerusalem.

Verses 8-12   Judea and Samaria [opposing nations].

Verses 13-28  Involve the whole world.

Who Speaks Now? May 31

Who Speaks Now?

The Apostle Paul spoke to three distinct nations in 1 Co. 13: 1-2.

1.   Greeks who were viewed as great orators, spoke like angels.

2.   Hebrews spoke prophetic powers, interpreting God.

3.   Romans kept faith to action, willing to die for honor.

Who speaks for us Now?

True Christian Definitions May 30

True Christian Definitions

Philosophy uses language to define truth.

        Jesus is the Word of Truth.

Ethics use words for moral living.

        Jesus is the Way.

Religion tells how to live.

        Jesus is life.

“Jesus said to them, I am the way, the truth, and the life . . .” [Jo. 14:6, NKJV].

Death Conquered May 29

Death Conquered

“But we are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than the

 angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because

of His suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited

favor) of God [to us sinners] He might experience death for

 every individual person.”  [Heb.2:9, AMPBT].