Ephesians 6
10 Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies,
but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world,
against mighty powers in this dark world,
and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (dan note: boy, howdy!)
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.
Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
14 Stand your ground,
putting on the belt of truth
and the body armor of God's righteousness.
15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News
so that you will be fully prepared.
16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
17 Put on salvation as your helmet,
and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.
Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
some ?'s
Ephesians 5:1 Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are His dear children.
Everything we do? Everything? If we believe this, what would that look like in our lives?
2 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you & gave Himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins.
If we allow ourselves to be a channel through which God can love others, sometimes that's not a pleasant experience, especially when the others are so loveable.
5b ...a greedy person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world.
Oops! so much for the shop-a-holics! But, seriously, how many of us worship "the things of this world" way too much? I'm guilty of it. How about you?
10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.
what are some ways to find out this kind of thing?
16 Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.
so how would you describe the ways we could flesh this out?
18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill & control you.
In a culture & country that seems more & more alcohol infused, what's the practical application here?
20 And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
in the last couple of years it seems I read a lot in the Bible about being thankful, no matter what happens - can you tell me what that means to you, how you would interpret that mandate?
Everything we do? Everything? If we believe this, what would that look like in our lives?
2 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you & gave Himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins.
If we allow ourselves to be a channel through which God can love others, sometimes that's not a pleasant experience, especially when the others are so loveable.
5b ...a greedy person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world.
Oops! so much for the shop-a-holics! But, seriously, how many of us worship "the things of this world" way too much? I'm guilty of it. How about you?
10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.
what are some ways to find out this kind of thing?
16 Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.
so how would you describe the ways we could flesh this out?
18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill & control you.
In a culture & country that seems more & more alcohol infused, what's the practical application here?
20 And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
in the last couple of years it seems I read a lot in the Bible about being thankful, no matter what happens - can you tell me what that means to you, how you would interpret that mandate?
Monday, October 29, 2012
so much stuff
Here's some stuff that stood out in Ephesians 4 this morning - if you
haven't read Ephesians, or read it lately, read it - good stuff - wow!
After working on this, there just wasn't anything I thought I should cut out - sorry it's so long - go get a cup of coffee, then read it ;-)
Ephesians 4
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
2 Always be humble and gentle.
Be patient with each other,
making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.
3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
5 There is one Lord,
one faith,
one baptism,
6 and one God and Father,
who is over all
and in all
and living through all.
7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift* through the generosity of Christ.
8 That is why the Scriptures say,
"When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people."
9 Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church:
the apostles,
the prophets,
the evangelists,
and the pastors
and teachers.
12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
17 With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.
18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.
19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn't what you learned about Christ.
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies.
Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.
26 And "don't sin by letting anger control you."* Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
29 Don't use foul or abusive language.
Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness,
rage,
anger,
harsh words,
and slander,
as well as all types of evil behavior.
32 Instead, be kind to each other,
tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
After working on this, there just wasn't anything I thought I should cut out - sorry it's so long - go get a cup of coffee, then read it ;-)
Ephesians 4
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
2 Always be humble and gentle.
Be patient with each other,
making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.
3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
5 There is one Lord,
one faith,
one baptism,
6 and one God and Father,
who is over all
and in all
and living through all.
7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift* through the generosity of Christ.
8 That is why the Scriptures say,
"When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people."
9 Notice that it says "he ascended." This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world.10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.
11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church:
the apostles,
the prophets,
the evangelists,
and the pastors
and teachers.
12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
17 With the Lord's authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.
18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.
19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn't what you learned about Christ.
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies.
Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.
26 And "don't sin by letting anger control you."* Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
29 Don't use foul or abusive language.
Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness,
rage,
anger,
harsh words,
and slander,
as well as all types of evil behavior.
32 Instead, be kind to each other,
tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
infinitely more
Ephesians 3
16 I (the Apostle Paul) pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.
Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should,
how wide,
how long,
how high,
and how deep his love is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
16 I (the Apostle Paul) pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.
Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should,
how wide,
how long,
how high,
and how deep his love is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
made alive
Ephesians 2:
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.
He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. (dan note: that explains a lot about some people who are so anti-God)
3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.
By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.
(It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)
(dan note: iow, we can't & don't "work our way into heaven" or into a relationship with God. It's a gift)
6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us,
as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can't take credit for this;
it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,
so none of us can boast about it.
10 For we are God's masterpiece. (dan note: anybody besides me have trouble thinking of themselves as a masterpiece?!)
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
(dan note: it's hard for me to comprehend that the God of the universes planned good things for me "long ago" - I'm less than a nanospeck in the history of the cosmos!)
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.
He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. (dan note: that explains a lot about some people who are so anti-God)
3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.
By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.
(It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)
(dan note: iow, we can't & don't "work our way into heaven" or into a relationship with God. It's a gift)
6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us,
as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can't take credit for this;
it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,
so none of us can boast about it.
10 For we are God's masterpiece. (dan note: anybody besides me have trouble thinking of themselves as a masterpiece?!)
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
(dan note: it's hard for me to comprehend that the God of the universes planned good things for me "long ago" - I'm less than a nanospeck in the history of the cosmos!)
Friday, October 26, 2012
think about this stuff
Psalm 73:24 You will keep on guiding me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
26 My health may fail,& my spirit grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
& I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do.
I love Ephesians - it is a kick-butt epistle - here's some INCREDIBLE stuff from chapter 1 - think about it today, will ya?
Ephesians 1:
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure.
10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,
for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12 God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.
13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you.
And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms.
So, lemme get this straight - the same power that the Holy Spirit used to raise Jesus from the dead is the same power active in our lives?!
26 My health may fail,& my spirit grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
& I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do.
I love Ephesians - it is a kick-butt epistle - here's some INCREDIBLE stuff from chapter 1 - think about it today, will ya?
Ephesians 1:
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure.
10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,
for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12 God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.
13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you.
And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms.
So, lemme get this straight - the same power that the Holy Spirit used to raise Jesus from the dead is the same power active in our lives?!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
don't give up
Galatians 6:9 So don't get tired of doing what
is good. Don't get discouraged & give up, for we will reap a harvest
of blessing at the appropriate time.
I remember one time when this verse jumped out at me...
A few years ago I was having a tough go with a particular person in my life. Our relationship was a train wreck. I didn't know what to do about it.
I was at staff prayer at Christ Chapel one morning. I was walking around the grill, just listening out for whatever God may say about this person. (God talks to me a lot when I'm in a listening mode.) This thought dropped into my head... "go read Galatians 6"
Galatians 6? I wondered what in the world Galatians 6 had to do with this person. I don't think I'd read it recently, so I wasn't certain where this could lead.
But hey, what have I got to lose?
So I went over to where my stuff was, flipped open to Galatians 6 & started reading.
Now, I'll tell ya, there wasn't a whole lot goin' on there that seemed to relate or help me with this person & our relationship.
Until I got halfway thru verse 9...
DON'T GET DISCOURAGED & GIVE UP
Whoa!
I stopped & reread the verse.
Ok...
So, I'm supposed to keep on keeping on, doing good with this person, caring, walking slowly with them, not giving up, & a "harvest of blessing" will eventually come?
Interestingly enough, the storm of worry & frustration quieted down inside me after reading this verse - and that quieting didn't come from me. ;-)
So, I just slowed down my walk with this person, took things as they come, love this person as best I'm allowed to, & always have remembered that giving up is not an option.
And trust me, I would have given up LONG AGO if it hadn't been for this verse.
But I continue to love & care about & for this person, even though there's not a lot comin' back in return.
I've accepted the fact that the "harvest of blessing" may not come until we both get to heaven.
So if it comes before then, well, that's just a gift.
I've said all that to say this...
Many of you may be like me - you've got a person or a situation that you just don't know what to do about.
Don't give up.
Walk gently as you can with your person or situation, let God be in control of it & the outcome, & just wait. (my life seems to be about waiting a lot ;-)
The harvest of blessing will come at the appropriate time - and it prolly won't be what you expected.
I remember one time when this verse jumped out at me...
A few years ago I was having a tough go with a particular person in my life. Our relationship was a train wreck. I didn't know what to do about it.
I was at staff prayer at Christ Chapel one morning. I was walking around the grill, just listening out for whatever God may say about this person. (God talks to me a lot when I'm in a listening mode.) This thought dropped into my head... "go read Galatians 6"
Galatians 6? I wondered what in the world Galatians 6 had to do with this person. I don't think I'd read it recently, so I wasn't certain where this could lead.
But hey, what have I got to lose?
So I went over to where my stuff was, flipped open to Galatians 6 & started reading.
Now, I'll tell ya, there wasn't a whole lot goin' on there that seemed to relate or help me with this person & our relationship.
Until I got halfway thru verse 9...
DON'T GET DISCOURAGED & GIVE UP
Whoa!
I stopped & reread the verse.
Ok...
So, I'm supposed to keep on keeping on, doing good with this person, caring, walking slowly with them, not giving up, & a "harvest of blessing" will eventually come?
Interestingly enough, the storm of worry & frustration quieted down inside me after reading this verse - and that quieting didn't come from me. ;-)
So, I just slowed down my walk with this person, took things as they come, love this person as best I'm allowed to, & always have remembered that giving up is not an option.
And trust me, I would have given up LONG AGO if it hadn't been for this verse.
But I continue to love & care about & for this person, even though there's not a lot comin' back in return.
I've accepted the fact that the "harvest of blessing" may not come until we both get to heaven.
So if it comes before then, well, that's just a gift.
I've said all that to say this...
Many of you may be like me - you've got a person or a situation that you just don't know what to do about.
Don't give up.
Walk gently as you can with your person or situation, let God be in control of it & the outcome, & just wait. (my life seems to be about waiting a lot ;-)
The harvest of blessing will come at the appropriate time - and it prolly won't be what you expected.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
living by the Spirit's power
Let this just roll over you - absorb it - think about it...
Galatians 5
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.
Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.
17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.
And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.
These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear:
sexual immorality,
impurity,
lustful pleasures,
20 idolatry,
sorcery,
hostility,
quarreling,
jealousy,
outbursts of anger,
selfish ambition,
dissension,
division,
21 envy,
drunkenness,
wild parties,
and other sins like these.
Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:
love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
23 gentleness,
and self-control.
There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
Galatians 5
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.
Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.
17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.
And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.
These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear:
sexual immorality,
impurity,
lustful pleasures,
20 idolatry,
sorcery,
hostility,
quarreling,
jealousy,
outbursts of anger,
selfish ambition,
dissension,
division,
21 envy,
drunkenness,
wild parties,
and other sins like these.
Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:
love,
joy,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
23 gentleness,
and self-control.
There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Father
Galatians 4:4 when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.
5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father."
7 Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
"Abba" is the familiar term from that time for a father, much like we would call our fathers "papa". There are those who feel it is closer to "daddy", but for some reason that seems to me to be a little too trivial a term to use for the God of the universes.
In any event, the important thing to remember is that God wants to operate on the most intimate, familiar level with us.
I know that many of you don't have a good role model when it comes to a father. I understand.
I would suggest this: think of all of the things you would want a father to be - our God is that, and infinitely more.
Maybe that can help you identify with the kind of Father God wants to be to you.I seen that kind of reasoning help many,many people connect with God on that level.
Just a thought...
5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father."
7 Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
"Abba" is the familiar term from that time for a father, much like we would call our fathers "papa". There are those who feel it is closer to "daddy", but for some reason that seems to me to be a little too trivial a term to use for the God of the universes.
In any event, the important thing to remember is that God wants to operate on the most intimate, familiar level with us.
I know that many of you don't have a good role model when it comes to a father. I understand.
I would suggest this: think of all of the things you would want a father to be - our God is that, and infinitely more.
Maybe that can help you identify with the kind of Father God wants to be to you.I seen that kind of reasoning help many,many people connect with God on that level.
Just a thought...
Monday, October 22, 2012
children
Galatians 3:26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.
28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile,
slave or free,
male and female.
For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham.
You are his heirs,
and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.
It's all about belonging.
We live in a day when divorce runs around 50%.
We marry, divorce, live together w/o being married, have sex & have children in & out of wedlock, remarry, blend fams, break up, unblend fams, ignore our children, abuse our children, abandon our children, are indifferent to our children, & a host of other things that assault the very core of our culture, the family.
And for many, this is the new normal.
So belonging is a tenuous commodity.
We belong to God. We are His children, with all the rights & privileges of children.
Not because we deserve it.
But because He wills it.
Just a thought for those who feel they don't belong to anyone.
27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.
28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile,
slave or free,
male and female.
For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham.
You are his heirs,
and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.
It's all about belonging.
We live in a day when divorce runs around 50%.
We marry, divorce, live together w/o being married, have sex & have children in & out of wedlock, remarry, blend fams, break up, unblend fams, ignore our children, abuse our children, abandon our children, are indifferent to our children, & a host of other things that assault the very core of our culture, the family.
And for many, this is the new normal.
So belonging is a tenuous commodity.
We belong to God. We are His children, with all the rights & privileges of children.
Not because we deserve it.
But because He wills it.
Just a thought for those who feel they don't belong to anyone.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
following
Galatians 2:20 I myself no longer live,
but Christ lives in me.
So I live my life in this earthly body trusting in the Son of God,
who loved me & gave himself for me.
There are levels of trust, obedience, & servanthood seldom fathomed by most because it costs so much.
We here in America have somehow equated the life of a Christ follower as a success story - the very embodiment of the "American Dream."
After 62 years of living on earth, I don't believe that's true.
Being a Christ follower is all about trust & obedience - 2 things most of us are short on these days.
God didn't promise us success - He promised us the truth.
He certainly didn't send His Son to die for us so we could have the American Dream.
We're here to be & do 2 things - love Him, & love others.
We express that through trusting Him as He guides along "the best pathway". (psalm 32:8)
We show our trust by being obedient to what we believe He wants us to be & do.
And that obedience is shown in how we serve others around us who live lives of quiet desperation.
Just a thought...
but Christ lives in me.
So I live my life in this earthly body trusting in the Son of God,
who loved me & gave himself for me.
There are levels of trust, obedience, & servanthood seldom fathomed by most because it costs so much.
We here in America have somehow equated the life of a Christ follower as a success story - the very embodiment of the "American Dream."
After 62 years of living on earth, I don't believe that's true.
Being a Christ follower is all about trust & obedience - 2 things most of us are short on these days.
God didn't promise us success - He promised us the truth.
He certainly didn't send His Son to die for us so we could have the American Dream.
We're here to be & do 2 things - love Him, & love others.
We express that through trusting Him as He guides along "the best pathway". (psalm 32:8)
We show our trust by being obedient to what we believe He wants us to be & do.
And that obedience is shown in how we serve others around us who live lives of quiet desperation.
Just a thought...
Saturday, October 20, 2012
iow...
Here's some of the verses, & promises, I hold on to these days. It's some of what keeps me going.
The best thing is these promises aren't just for me - they apply to you, & everybody else you know.
Think about it...
Psalm 139:5a You both precede & follow me. (dan note: iow, God is our in front of us, preparing the way, while following up behind us, tsaking care of the consequences of our obedience.)
Matthew 6:25 Don't worry about your life. (dan note: iow, God's got us. We don't need to worry.)
Matthew 10:39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you let go of your life for Me, you will find it. (dan note: iow, if we let go of our life, God will be able to freely express & implement the life He dreamed for us eons before we were born.)
Matthew 6:33 (The Message) Steep your life in God-reality, God initiative, God provisions.
Don't worry about missing out.
You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34 Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,
& don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.
God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Proverbs 3:5 (The Message)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure everything out on your own.
Listen to God's voice in everything your do, everywhere you go.
He's the One who will keep you on track.
Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens.
Remember the great reward it brings you.
36 Patient endurance is what you need now,
so that you will continue to do God's will.
Then you will receive all that He has promised.
The best thing is these promises aren't just for me - they apply to you, & everybody else you know.
Think about it...
Psalm 139:5a You both precede & follow me. (dan note: iow, God is our in front of us, preparing the way, while following up behind us, tsaking care of the consequences of our obedience.)
Matthew 6:25 Don't worry about your life. (dan note: iow, God's got us. We don't need to worry.)
Matthew 10:39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you let go of your life for Me, you will find it. (dan note: iow, if we let go of our life, God will be able to freely express & implement the life He dreamed for us eons before we were born.)
Matthew 6:33 (The Message) Steep your life in God-reality, God initiative, God provisions.
Don't worry about missing out.
You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34 Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,
& don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.
God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Proverbs 3:5 (The Message)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure everything out on your own.
Listen to God's voice in everything your do, everywhere you go.
He's the One who will keep you on track.
Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens.
Remember the great reward it brings you.
36 Patient endurance is what you need now,
so that you will continue to do God's will.
Then you will receive all that He has promised.
Friday, October 19, 2012
keeping on
On Mar 31 of this year I woke up at 2am, thinking about our
situation. I thought at that time that it was time to be realistic about
our situation, so I thought I'd have a sit down with Lynn & talk
about moving back to Macon.
Now, I read sequentially in the Bible - iow, I read the Psalms from 1 thru to 150, one after another,each day - I don't jump around.
Well, that morning, the Bible just blew up with things that God used to speak directly to my state of mind & my decision to talk to Lynn about moving back to Macon.
The Isaiah 46 reference from yesterday's blog came from that reading on March 31. There were 9 sections from the places I was supposed to read that morning that spoke specifically to what I was thinking.
Was it a mere coincidence? Some may say so - I think NOT. I've lived too long, seen to much, to think that was just a mere coincidence.
I get the feeling there are some of you out there who need to read these verses this morning. I hope they give you the direction you need today. I'd say God's trying to tell you to not give up? Anyway, maybe they're for you,like they are for me today, & back on March 31 ;-)
2 Corinthians 4:1 Since God in His mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up.
vs 7 this precious treasure - this light & power that shine within us - is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies, so everyone can see that our glorious power is from God & not our own.
vs 8 we are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed & broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up & quit.
vs 9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again & keep going.
Now, I read sequentially in the Bible - iow, I read the Psalms from 1 thru to 150, one after another,each day - I don't jump around.
Well, that morning, the Bible just blew up with things that God used to speak directly to my state of mind & my decision to talk to Lynn about moving back to Macon.
The Isaiah 46 reference from yesterday's blog came from that reading on March 31. There were 9 sections from the places I was supposed to read that morning that spoke specifically to what I was thinking.
Was it a mere coincidence? Some may say so - I think NOT. I've lived too long, seen to much, to think that was just a mere coincidence.
I get the feeling there are some of you out there who need to read these verses this morning. I hope they give you the direction you need today. I'd say God's trying to tell you to not give up? Anyway, maybe they're for you,like they are for me today, & back on March 31 ;-)
2 Corinthians 4:1 Since God in His mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up.
vs 7 this precious treasure - this light & power that shine within us - is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies, so everyone can see that our glorious power is from God & not our own.
vs 8 we are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed & broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up & quit.
vs 9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again & keep going.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
guidance & protection
Isaiah 41:9b For I have chosen you & will not throw you away.
10 Don't be afraid,
for I am with you.
Don't be dismayed,
for I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
I will help you.
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 46:3b I created you & have cared for you since before you were born.
4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age.
I made you & I will care for you.
I will carry you along & save you.
Psalm 32:8 The Lord says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you & watch over you.
10 Don't be afraid,
for I am with you.
Don't be dismayed,
for I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
I will help you.
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 46:3b I created you & have cared for you since before you were born.
4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age.
I made you & I will care for you.
I will carry you along & save you.
Psalm 32:8 The Lord says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you & watch over you.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
His children
I'm not gonna try to come up with something clever or wise about these following verses. Just read 'em & absorb 'em ;-)
1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God.
And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.
2 We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments.
3 Loving God means keeping his commandments,
and his commandments are not burdensome.
4 For every child of God defeats this evil world,
and we achieve this victory through our faith.
5 And who can win this battle against the world?
Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 And Jesus Christ was revealed as God's Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross...
not by water only, but by water and blood.
And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.
7 So we have these three witnesses - 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood - and all three agree.
9 Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God.
And God has testified about his Son.
10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true.
Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son.
11 And this is what God has testified:
He has given us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever has the Son has life;
whoever does not have God's Son does not have life.
1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God.
And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.
2 We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments.
3 Loving God means keeping his commandments,
and his commandments are not burdensome.
4 For every child of God defeats this evil world,
and we achieve this victory through our faith.
5 And who can win this battle against the world?
Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 And Jesus Christ was revealed as God's Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross...
not by water only, but by water and blood.
And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.
7 So we have these three witnesses - 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood - and all three agree.
9 Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God.
And God has testified about his Son.
10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true.
Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son.
11 And this is what God has testified:
He has given us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever has the Son has life;
whoever does not have God's Son does not have life.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
loving
1 John: 7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another,
for love comes from God.
Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
8 But anyone who does not love does not know God,
for God is love.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world
so that we might have eternal life through him.
10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
12 No one has ever seen God.
But if we love each other, God lives in us,
and his love is brought to full expression in us.
13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him
and he in us.
14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them,
and they live in God.
16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love,
and all who live in love live in God,
and God lives in them.
17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect.
So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment,
but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
18 Such love has no fear,
because perfect love expels all fear.
If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment,
and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
19 We love each other because he loved us first.
20 If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister,* that person is a liar;
for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.
for love comes from God.
Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
8 But anyone who does not love does not know God,
for God is love.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world
so that we might have eternal life through him.
10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
12 No one has ever seen God.
But if we love each other, God lives in us,
and his love is brought to full expression in us.
13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him
and he in us.
14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them,
and they live in God.
16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love,
and all who live in love live in God,
and God lives in them.
17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect.
So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment,
but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
18 Such love has no fear,
because perfect love expels all fear.
If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment,
and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
19 We love each other because he loved us first.
20 If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister,* that person is a liar;
for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
obeying = trusting
John jams a lot into his chapters. Here's just some highlights from chapter 2...
1 John 2
1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father.
He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.
2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins...
...and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.
4 If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.
5 But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him.
That is how we know we are living in him.
6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning.
This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.
8 Yet it is also new.
Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it.
For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
9 If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness.
10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.
11 But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness.
Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.
12 I am writing to you who are God's children
because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.
13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith
because you have won your battle with the evil one.
14 I have written to you who are God's children
because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
because you are strong.
God's word lives in your hearts,
and you have won your battle with the evil one.
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you,
for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.
16 For the world offers only
a lusting for physical pleasure,
a lusting for everything we see,
and pride in our achievements and possessions.
These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.
But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
1 John 2
1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father.
He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.
2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins...
...and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.
4 If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.
5 But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him.
That is how we know we are living in him.
6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning.
This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.
8 Yet it is also new.
Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it.
For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
9 If anyone claims, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness.
10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.
11 But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness.
Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.
12 I am writing to you who are God's children
because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.
13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith
because you have won your battle with the evil one.
14 I have written to you who are God's children
because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
because you are strong.
God's word lives in your hearts,
and you have won your battle with the evil one.
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you,
for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.
16 For the world offers only
a lusting for physical pleasure,
a lusting for everything we see,
and pride in our achievements and possessions.
These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.
But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
no darkness
I think the Apostle John will be interesting to get to know. He doesn't write like anyone else in the New Testament.
We live in a sin-soaked world that sometimes can be pretty scary. Read this slowly & let it sink in...
1 John 1:5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you:
God is light,
and there is no darkness in him at all.
6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness;
we are not practicing the truth.
7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (dan note: boom!)
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
We live in a sin-soaked world that sometimes can be pretty scary. Read this slowly & let it sink in...
1 John 1:5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you:
God is light,
and there is no darkness in him at all.
6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness;
we are not practicing the truth.
7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (dan note: boom!)
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
Friday, October 12, 2012
for someone(s) out there
I feel like I'm supposed to share this section from 2 Peter that I
read this morning. Don't know why, don't know who it's for - but here it
is...
2 Peter 3:3 ...in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created."
5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.
14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
15 And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him — 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.
2 Peter 3:3 ...in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created."
5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.
14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
15 And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him — 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
it's all about trust
Yesterday, I got to thinking about something my son, Kevin Eakins, said one time. I thought I'd share what I remember of it.
We were sharing what was going on in our lives in a combined staff meeting of all the different churches in the Christ Chapel network. I was sitting next to Kevin.
While others were sharing, I looked over at Kevin & noticed he was flipping through pictures of his son, Trey, that are in an album on his Facebook page. I thought, "what in the world...?!!!"
When it came time for him to share, here's what I remember he said. I've carried it around in my heart & mind ever since.
********
I was just looking at the pictures on Facebook of my son, Trey.
In every one of them, he's looking at me.
He's not looking around, he's not looking ahead.
He doesn't know where we're going, or when we're gonna get there, or what we're gonna do when we get there.
He's just with me - that's all that matters to him.
I wanna be like that again with Jesus.
When I first became a Christian, I didn't care what I was doing, where I was going, when I'd get there, or what we'd do when we got there - all I knew was that I was with Jesus now.
I'm not like that anymore. I gotta have all the answers to where we're going, when we'll get there, & what we'll do when we get there.
I wanna be more like the way Trey is with me in the way I walk with Jesus.
********
Yeah...
I need to get back to walking with Jesus like that, like Trey used to walk with Kevin.
It's all about trust.
Psalm 32:8 The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you & watch over you."
We were sharing what was going on in our lives in a combined staff meeting of all the different churches in the Christ Chapel network. I was sitting next to Kevin.
While others were sharing, I looked over at Kevin & noticed he was flipping through pictures of his son, Trey, that are in an album on his Facebook page. I thought, "what in the world...?!!!"
When it came time for him to share, here's what I remember he said. I've carried it around in my heart & mind ever since.
********
I was just looking at the pictures on Facebook of my son, Trey.
In every one of them, he's looking at me.
He's not looking around, he's not looking ahead.
He doesn't know where we're going, or when we're gonna get there, or what we're gonna do when we get there.
He's just with me - that's all that matters to him.
I wanna be like that again with Jesus.
When I first became a Christian, I didn't care what I was doing, where I was going, when I'd get there, or what we'd do when we got there - all I knew was that I was with Jesus now.
I'm not like that anymore. I gotta have all the answers to where we're going, when we'll get there, & what we'll do when we get there.
I wanna be more like the way Trey is with me in the way I walk with Jesus.
********
Yeah...
I need to get back to walking with Jesus like that, like Trey used to walk with Kevin.
It's all about trust.
Psalm 32:8 The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you & watch over you."
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
think about this...
2 Peter 1:3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.
We have received all of this by coming to know him,
the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises.
These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises.
Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence,
and moral excellence with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with patient endurance,
and patient endurance with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have received all of this by coming to know him,
the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises.
These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises.
Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence,
and moral excellence with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with patient endurance,
and patient endurance with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
holding on
Psalm 56:3 when I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries & cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you.
1 Peter 5:10b After you have suffered a little while, He will restore,support, & strengthen you, & He will place you on a firm foundation.
These were for me today.
But these were for others, too.
If they are, will you lemme know how & why?
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries & cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you.
1 Peter 5:10b After you have suffered a little while, He will restore,support, & strengthen you, & He will place you on a firm foundation.
These were for me today.
But these were for others, too.
If they are, will you lemme know how & why?
Monday, October 8, 2012
coincidence
Psalm 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord,
& He will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip & fall.
1 Peter 4:19 If you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right,
& trust yourself to the God who made you,
for He will never fail you.
I'm presently reading in Zachariah (weird!), Psalms (me & Billy Graham), & in 1 Peter. It's always interesting to me how sometimes God helps me find the very thing I need to hear that morning in the normal sequences of reading His Word.
I've been wondering lately if there is ever gonna be an end to this season of waiting, abiding,& trusting. It's one thing if God speaks in 1 book I'm reading in. But He gets my attention a little more if it's in 2,or more.
I know, I know - it would be easy to say that this is a mere coincidence.
Maybe it is.
But in the law of averages, how often should that coincidence happen? It happens a lot to me.
I'm gonna include a lot of 1 Peter 4 below - I've got lots of peeps in my life who are trying to leave behind their old lives & be a serious Christ follower. I thought these selected verses would be helpful to someone out there.Lemme know if they are, will ya?
1 Peter 4
1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.
7b ...be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
12 Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
14 So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God* rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! 17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God's household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News? 18 And also,
"If the righteous are barely saved,
what will happen to godless sinners?"
19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
& He will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip & fall.
1 Peter 4:19 If you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right,
& trust yourself to the God who made you,
for He will never fail you.
I'm presently reading in Zachariah (weird!), Psalms (me & Billy Graham), & in 1 Peter. It's always interesting to me how sometimes God helps me find the very thing I need to hear that morning in the normal sequences of reading His Word.
I've been wondering lately if there is ever gonna be an end to this season of waiting, abiding,& trusting. It's one thing if God speaks in 1 book I'm reading in. But He gets my attention a little more if it's in 2,or more.
I know, I know - it would be easy to say that this is a mere coincidence.
Maybe it is.
But in the law of averages, how often should that coincidence happen? It happens a lot to me.
I'm gonna include a lot of 1 Peter 4 below - I've got lots of peeps in my life who are trying to leave behind their old lives & be a serious Christ follower. I thought these selected verses would be helpful to someone out there.Lemme know if they are, will ya?
1 Peter 4
1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.
7b ...be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
12 Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
14 So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God* rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! 17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God's household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God's Good News? 18 And also,
"If the righteous are barely saved,
what will happen to godless sinners?"
19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
do what?
1 Peter 3:8 all of you should be of one mind.
Sympathize with each other.
Love each other as brothers and sisters.
Be tenderhearted,
and keep a humble attitude.
9 Don't repay evil for evil.
Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you.
Instead, pay them back with a blessing.
That is what God has called you to do,
and he will bless you for it.
10 For the Scriptures say,
"If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil."
In a day when it seems that Christians are defined as polarizing, entitled, superior, judgemental, intolerant, cranky, proud, arrogant...
...maybe if we were more like what Peter says, we would reflect more of Who we say we follow.
Just a thought...
Sympathize with each other.
Love each other as brothers and sisters.
Be tenderhearted,
and keep a humble attitude.
9 Don't repay evil for evil.
Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you.
Instead, pay them back with a blessing.
That is what God has called you to do,
and he will bless you for it.
10 For the Scriptures say,
"If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil."
In a day when it seems that Christians are defined as polarizing, entitled, superior, judgemental, intolerant, cranky, proud, arrogant...
...maybe if we were more like what Peter says, we would reflect more of Who we say we follow.
Just a thought...
Friday, October 5, 2012
a call to holy living
Psalm 52:13 So think clearly and exercise self-control.
Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
14 So you must live as God's obedient children.
Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.
You didn't know any better then.
15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.
16 For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy."
17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites.
He will judge or reward you according to what you do.
So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land."
18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors.
And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.
19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.
21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God.
And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.
Love each other deeply with all your heart.
23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end.
Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
24 As the Scriptures say,
"People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
25 But the word of the Lord remains forever."
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
14 So you must live as God's obedient children.
Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.
You didn't know any better then.
15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.
16 For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy."
17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites.
He will judge or reward you according to what you do.
So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as "foreigners in the land."
18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors.
And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.
19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.
21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God.
And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
22 You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.
Love each other deeply with all your heart.
23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end.
Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
24 As the Scriptures say,
"People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
25 But the word of the Lord remains forever."
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
all He wants
Psalm 51:17a The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken & repentant heart, O God, You will not despise.
The older I get, the more I think what God wants from us is someone who owns up to who he or she is, & someone who will trust Him & says yes to whatever, whoever, whenever, wherever, & however.
The older I get, the more I think what God wants from us is someone who owns up to who he or she is, & someone who will trust Him & says yes to whatever, whoever, whenever, wherever, & however.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
thankfulness
On Wednesday, December. 23, 2009, God very definitely spoke to me
thru 1 Thessalonians 5:18: No matter what happens, always be thankful;
for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
And thus began His leading & guiding that has brought Lynn & I to where we are, what we're about, & our life as it is.
He definitely spoke strongest in the "no matter what happens, always be thankful"
That hasn't been easy.
In a hundred years, I'll understand what these last 3 years meant. Until then, I must focus my find on what I can be thankful for. Judging from what I read this morning in Psalm 50, thankfulness seems to be a pretty big priority with God. I guess it's an outward sign of an inward trust level.
It's always about trust, isn't it?
Psalm 50
1 The LORD, the Mighty One, is God,
and he has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance.
14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
15 Trust in Me in your times of trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory."
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.
And thus began His leading & guiding that has brought Lynn & I to where we are, what we're about, & our life as it is.
He definitely spoke strongest in the "no matter what happens, always be thankful"
That hasn't been easy.
In a hundred years, I'll understand what these last 3 years meant. Until then, I must focus my find on what I can be thankful for. Judging from what I read this morning in Psalm 50, thankfulness seems to be a pretty big priority with God. I guess it's an outward sign of an inward trust level.
It's always about trust, isn't it?
Psalm 50
1 The LORD, the Mighty One, is God,
and he has spoken;
he has summoned all humanity
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
2 From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance.
14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
15 Trust in Me in your times of trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory."
23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path,
I will reveal to you the salvation of God.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
3 verses - who needs them besides me?
Psalm 49:15a But as for me, God will redeem my life.
Haggai 2:19 I am giving you a promise now while the seed it still in the barn,
before you have harvested you grain & before the grapevine, fig tree,pomegranate, & the olive tree have produced their crops.
From this day onward I will bless you.
Got this from next verse from"trust in the Lord", a group on Facebook...
Isaiah 41:13 For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand & says to you, "Do not fear; I will help you."
Haggai 2:19 I am giving you a promise now while the seed it still in the barn,
before you have harvested you grain & before the grapevine, fig tree,pomegranate, & the olive tree have produced their crops.
From this day onward I will bless you.
Got this from next verse from"trust in the Lord", a group on Facebook...
Isaiah 41:13 For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand & says to you, "Do not fear; I will help you."
Monday, October 1, 2012
a simple thought
Psalm 48:14 For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever & ever,
& He will be our guide until we die.
He is our God forever & ever,
& He will be our guide until we die.
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