January 30, 2015                                    SIMPLIFY

Ephesians 5:10 “…trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”

Most people I talk to would like to see life more simple-and so would I. We were told at one time that the new advances we were making technology would enable us to work less and give us more free time-(ha ha!) I know that we can’t turn the clock back to the “good old days”, but I believe that we can attain a greater sense of “simplicity” in a chaotic world. To live a life of purpose and direction and enjoy a sense of simplicity, we have to have some motivating force or goal within that determines and directs our life. For example, if I am committed to working in my workshop on Saturday, then other distractions or possibilities or eliminated. Having a pre-determined plan or goal will reduce or eliminate a lot of distractions. This principle is especially true in our walk with the Lord. As in the above verse, if our goal, our ambition in life, is to learn the things that are “pleasing to the Lord”, we will indeed discover purpose in all that we do. The words “trying to learn” implies that we are not robots and that everything is not automatic in life; but rather we are individuals who can learn, who can make choices and who can discover truth. This verse also points out that our God is personal and that we can actually have interaction with Him; and that we can please Him and we can displease Him as well. Just the fact that we have the opportunity to please God-the creator of everything-should be the great motivation in our life. The goal of pleasing Him cannot be just mental on our part, but has to be the desire of the heart as well. It’s possible for us to please Him in everything we do-even washing the dishes, mowing the grass, etc. We see this truth in Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” When our heart is to please Him, nothing is mundane - everything has purpose! I believe that the one big thing that God desires is that our hearts be turned to Him which results in our worship of Him. What we have as the desire of our heart is the most critical issue in all of life. Just one of many verses dealing with the heart is Proverbs 4:23: “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” May we take the advice of Paul and continue to learn, and then do the things that are pleasing to the Lord.

Proverbs 3:6 “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

1 John 3:21-22 “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”

Ephesians 5:8-10 “for you were formally darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consist in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 5:9 “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 26, 2015                              FORGINENESS  =  LOVE

Luke 7:47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

In a previous blog, I referred to this verse but I think that this verse is so vital to our being healthy spiritually; I think it is worth revisiting. One of the foundational stones of spiritual health is that of realizing how much we have been forgiven and that we are to be a forgiving person. It is also critical for us to forgive ourselves for our own sins and failures. Not being able to forgive ourselves indicates that there is an issue of pride in that sin or failure is difficult to accept when pride is in the picture. The first time that we come face to face with forgiveness is at the time of our salvation because to the very essence of salvation is acknowledging our sin and receiving God’s forgiveness. Romans 3:23 says that “we have all come sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” After being a Christian for some time, we may forget just how much we were forgiven. It is true that God does not remember our sin any longer, but on the contrary, we do remember the sins of our past, but it is vital to remember that God forgave us. In our eyes, some sins may be “bigger” than others, but in God’s sight, sin is sin. Whether the sin is that of stealing a company pen or that of committing murder; we stand in need of forgiveness. The truth to realize is that there is a connection or correlation between forgiveness and love. The one that realizes he has been forgiven much has no problem loving others. There is something about forgiveness that is humbling. Someone once said that we all should have a “hall of shame”; making the point that we have no bragging rights and we too needed forgiveness. When we realize how much we have been forgiven, we are much less likely to judge others. In the Old Testament, the scriptures give the account of Jacob wrestling with God (or an angle of God) and at the end of this interesting encounter, God “touched Jacobs thigh” and from that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp. When Jacob met God, his pride was dealt with and he was humbled. As we realize the extent of our forgiveness and as we are humbled before God, we too will “walk with a limp.” Walking with a limp does not mean we live in sorrow for past sins but in means living with a grateful spirit for the forgiveness extended to us. God’s forgiveness cleanses and makes us clean, it renews hope, and it opens the door for a new beginning in life. On occasion, either the devil or some particular circumstance, will remind us of some past sin, and when this happens use it as a springboard to thank God for His forgiveness. Jesus’ death and resurrection broke the power of sin and we are no longer held captive by sin. Because we too have been forgiven much, let us love much—today!

Colossians 2:13-14 “And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

2 Corinthians 14-15 “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 23, 2014                               WHO  HINDERED  YOU ?

Galatians 5:7: “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?”                                                                This verse serves as a reminder to us that it is possible for us as believers to err from the truth.  In Galatians, Paul is addressing the fact that some of the believers had stopped walking in the Spirit and were walking according to the flesh. Obviously, for a believer to walk according to the flesh is contrary to all the desires and plans of God and Paul was encouraging the believers  to realize that they were putting  themselves back under the law. In the last two verses of chapter four of Galatians, we learn that we are not “children of the bond woman, but of the free woman”; meaning that we are no longer under the law. As Peter Parris once said, referring to these two verses; “we do not have to co-habit with who we use to be.” By the grace of God, we can walk according to the Spirit-we can walk in freedom. By His grace and by His doing, we have been set free of living under the law. In Galatians 5:1 we read: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” To go from this freedom we have in Christ back to living under the law is no small issue and is contrary to the gospel. The particular issue in Galatians had to do with circumcision, which was practiced under the Old Covenant. Even though Jesus fulfilled the Law and set believers free from the Law, some were teaching that circumcision was a requirement even for believers. In verse four, Paul goes on to say: “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” From Paul’s day to our day there have been those who would lead believers back under the law due to their misunderstanding of the New Covenant. It seems that man wants a part or have something he must do in order to earn his salvation as well have this freedom Paul is talking about, thus making him susceptible to this false teaching of keeping the law.  Paul makes it clear that if we are trying to keep the law, then we are living according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit. As Paul said, there is a need for believers to “stand firm” in the freedom that we have in Christ. When Christ died on the cross, He fulfilled the law once for all, and we can add nothing  to what He accomplished by His death and resurrection.  There are countless ways that one can put himself or herself back under the law. As example, one may go to church with the motive of gaining God’s approval, or tithing to gain His approval, or even studying the bible to gain His approval. It is a good thing, and we should attend church, give financially, and study the bible, but we are to do so because these activities come as a result of who we are in Christ.                                                                                                  The freedom we have in Christ is absolutely awesome; however, there is a great warning  or admonition that comes with this freedom and it is found in verse thirteen: “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another.” We are indeed free from the law of the Old Covenant, however, we are not free to do whatever we please because we have been bought with a price and we now belong to Christ. Belonging to Christ sets us free. As new creations-as new people, we are now free to love, to serve, to forgive, and from the heart, walk in all the commandments of our Father. We now live under the law of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 9:21 and Galatians 6:2). There is an ongoing battle between the flesh and the Spirit, but when we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Let us stand firm, let us live in the freedom that Christ purchased for us and let us fulfill the law of Christ.

Romans 8:2: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 20, 2015                                          OPENED  EYES

Luke 24:31: “And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.”

Following the crucifixion of Jesus, two of the disciples were walking to Emmaus, a village approximately seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were discussing the crucifixion of Jesus and all the events that had taken place. These two disciples had been with Jesus and had heard His teachings, and had witnessed the miracles He performed. These two disciples were perplexed and full of sadness because the one that they believed in had been crucified. But then, in the midst of their sadness, someone approached them and began walking with them and was asking what their conversation was about. The two disciples were shocked that this person did not know about the crucifixion of Jesus so they proceeded to tell him what had taken place. According to verse 21, these disciples were hoping and believing that Jesus was the one who would at last redeem the nation of Israel from the rule of the Romans. These disciples had heard that some of the women among their group had found that the tomb where Jesus was buried was empty. Amazingly, this person, that had joined them (they did not know it was Jesus) began to explain all the things concerning Himself in scripture. The two invited this traveler who had joined them to stay with them since it was now night. As they sat down to eat, the guest broke the bread and gave it to them; their eyes were open and they realized that it was Jesus!                                                                                                                                                                                               The disciples knew a lot, but their eyes needed to be opened. We can read the scriptures, we can listen to sermons and we can participate in the worship service, but we also need our “eyes opened” if we are to see Jesus. It is possible for our traditions, our routines, our preferences and our own understanding to cause us not to see Jesus for who He is. We are quick to say we “believe” everything that Jesus said and did. To “believe” means to buy in to, or to act on whatever I say I believe. Just as with these two disciples, we may not recognize Jesus for who He truly is. It is basic, but we do need to ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes as we read and study scripture. We should read the scriptures with an open mind, willing for our preconceived thoughts to be changed or altered by what the Holy Spirit is revealing. The Bible is not just another book; it is the actual, recorded word of God! Hebrews 4:12 describes the word this way: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” We must “handle with care” the word of God, we must hear its message and we must let it be the foundation for all of life.                                                                                                    

Once the disciples’ eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus, everything changed drastically and immediately; sadness and gloom disappeared and they were totally energized. It is interesting to note that they returned to Jerusalem that very hour-at night time no less and without flashlights! Just as with these disciples, we too will see sadness and gloom disappear and we will have new energy when our eyes or opened and we see Jesus for all that He is, and we hear what He says. Jesus is alive and well and He is speaking to us today-we only need to have ears to hear. Jesus was crucified for us, BUT God raised Him from the grave and He lives again-for us!                                                                                                        Psalms 119:105: “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.”                                                                            Ephesians 1:18-19a: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.          

Blessings,

Buddy

January 15, 2015                                            PASSING  THE  TEST

1 Corinthians 3:12-14: “Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man works will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will tell the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.”

As we read this verse, we are forced to ask ourselves the question; am I building today with gold, silver, precious stone, or am I building with wood, hay, or straw? I know one thing for sure, and that is that wood, hay and straw do not survive fire. On the other hand, as I understand it, fire is used to purify gold and silver. How do we know if we are building with gold, silver, or precious stone or with wood, hay, and straw? A good question indeed and it deserves an answer. I think it has to do the lasting quality of our work. Whether we realize it or not, we are all in the process of building and what we are building will survive the fire or it will be burned up. If you have ever witnessed a house being destroyed by fire, it is a sad sight to behold for sure. It may have taken a long time to build the house and even longer to furnish and decorate and then build memories over many years; but then in just a few moments, a fire can destroy the house. The only lasting foundation to build on is that of truth; and truth comes only from God. In the written word of God we discover essential truths on which to build and we find direction for life. Building with gold, silver and precious stone begins by knowing that God is our Father; that Jesus was sacrificed on our behalf; that we have been made new; that we have the Holy Spirit living in us; that we have been called to represent God with our mortal bodies; and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. We find purpose in life when we realize that we have been equipped and we have been called to be “ambassadors for Christ”.  When we are honoring our Father in all that we do, we are building with the right material and it will stand the test of fire. On the other hand, those who live for themselves are building on a faulty foundation that is bound to crumble when the test comes. Building with gold, silver and precious stone is a way of life-it’s not sporadic. Even in our leisure activities, we can build with the lasting material if we do what we do with thanksgiving to our Father. The scriptures teach that Jesus is the chief corner stone and thus we are to build on the foundation that He laid. The word of God is the truth, it does not change and it is clear in what it says, making it a sure and steadfast foundation on which to build. We live in a time when there are many voices and many false philosophies competing with the truth of God but none can even compare. Building with gold, silver and precious stone is not laborious, but a privilege and a blessing; and building with such will be rewarded.  If we take the above verse to heart and put it into practice, we will one day hear those words that all believers want to hear: “well done thy good and faithful servant.” If there is any doubt about what building with gold, silver and precious stone looks like, then simply read the words of Jesus and the writers of the New Testament and you will see a clear picture of what it looks like. Building with the right material is both a privilege and a mandate for every believer. Our culture, as a rule, is one that places emphasis self and the here and now and does not focus on the long term. Building is an investment that takes time and resources and for the building to last and survive the storms, a proper foundation must be laid and the right materials must be used in the building. May we daily be about building with gold, silver and precious stone knowing that our work will survive the test and we will be rewarded.

Matthew 7:24: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 12, 2015                                       IT  IS  FINISHED

Luke 19:30: “When Jesus had therefore received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.”

The three words Jesus spoke from the cross, “It is finished”, have to be the most comprehensive, the most powerful, the most far reaching, the most dynamic, the most final, and the most victorious words ever spoken. In our sometime shallow thinking, we think that the words “it is finished” simply refers to our salvation and our going to heaven. That is certainly true, but there is so much more packed into those three words. When Jesus said “it is finished”, to what was He referring?  Jesus was saying that He had accomplished all that the Father had sent Him to do-He had fulfilled the mission perfectly and all had gone as planned. We must remember that while Jesus was all God, He was also all man. As man, he experienced life as a human-having joy and having pain, enduring trials and rejection, feeling the hurt of others, being tempted to sin-yet He never committed a single sin. So, He was the perfect Lamb that was sacrificed for us. Jesus fulfilled the Law and by doing so, grace was ushered in and forgiveness was extended and the power of sin was broken forever as Satan was disarmed. While living on earth, Jesus was the light and He demonstrated the Kingdom of God. Jesus cast out demons, healed the sick, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, set the captive free, fed the multitudes, forgave sins, rebuked, admonished, rejoiced, wept, taught—and much more. One of the overriding reasons of His coming to earth was that of redeeming His brothers and sisters-those that the Father had given Him. In order for Jesus to accomplish all that He did, He had to endure much; separation from His Father, rejection by His own people, encountering opposition, betrayal, and finally, being crucified. I don’t think we can fully comprehend just what all Jesus did accomplished through His life on earth, and His ultimate crucifixion, but what we do know should be the greatest life-changer for us. Because Jesus finished what the Father sent Him to do, we are blessed more than we can fathom. We have all sinned against God, but we have been forgiven-made clean. We have been set free from the power of sin. We have been transferred from darkness to His kingdom of light. We have been made new-given new hearts, new minds and a new spirit. We have a living hope. We have the Holy Spirit living in us. We have been made overcomers in life. We have been gifted and placed in the body of Christ. All of this, and much more, is ours only because Jesus came and finished what He set out to do. Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters and He has said that we have the same Father-and that is what it was all about all the time. The ultimate price has been paid-we are redeemed-there is no more that needs to be done because “It is finished”!  May we truly find rest in the finished work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-6: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him, In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise and glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”

Colossians 2:13-15: “And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 7, 2014                                    GAINING  APPROVAL

Hebrews 11:1-2: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it, men of old gained approval.”                                                                                                                                                                      It may be difficult to define faith, but we know that “without faith it is impossible to please God” as we read in Hebrews 11:6. Faith is certainly a key theme in both the Old and New Testament and faith, or the lack of, is a determining factor in what we see taking place in the lives of those in scripture.  Hebrews, chapter eleven, is known as the faith chapter and in this chapter we find numerous examples of faith that was evident in the lives of many Old Testament saints.  Obviously, God places a great value on faith. Since faith is so crucial for believers, it’s a timely question to ask where does faith come from, or how does one have faith. Also, we might ask; do some believers have more faith than other believers, and if so, why? I don’t propose that I can answer these questions fully, but I would at least like to cause us to examine our own faith.  Romans 10:17 is a foundational verse on faith: “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Faith is not something we can “muster” up in our own minds, but rather, faith is a result of something else. Faith is a result of “hearing the words of Christ” and thus, faith is a gift of God. This verse is not talking simply about hearing audible sounds of words, but by hearing and taking to heart what Christ has said, and is saying to us. I suspect that we may all be guilty at times of reading a section of scripture and five minutes later could not recite or recall what we just read. Jesus often would say: “Let those who have ears to hear, let them hear.” The obvious is that when we really hear, when we truly believe the words of Christ, faith comes as a result. Faith for the Christian is trusting God and all that He has done and said even though we cannot see Him with our physical eyes. Faith in God is what justifies us before God (Romans 5:1). You could put every person on earth into one of two groups: those that have faith in God and those that do not have faith in God. In my own life, my faith was greatly strengthened when God revealed in a very real way that He was my Father. When we in our innermost being, know that the Creator God is not only real, but He is our Father, faith in Him will be strong. It’s not enough to know in our mind only that He is our Father-we must know it at the core of our being. I believe that a key part of knowing Him as our Father is in hearing His invitation to “draw near to Him” because as we draw near to Him, He draws near to us! We have a loving Father who enjoys giving us good gifts and He will give us faith when we ask and when we follow His commandments-even His commandments are a good gift to us. God is looking for those whose faith is in Him. You could say that faith in God is the single, greatest issue in all of life. We live in a culture that is hostile to the gospel where there are many who not only deny the faith but openly oppose anything to do with God. Christians are branded as narrow minded, misguided, and Christians must be silenced- so the culture believes. However, the early believers also lived in a culture, including the religious culture, that was hostile to the gospel; nonetheless, their faith in the risen Lord “turned the world upside down.” Let us examine our own faith to make sure it is active and strong and let us not waiver in our faith in a living God who rules the universe-including those who oppose Him. God takes great pleasure in those who have faith in Him. We will face trials, but the trials are designed to prove our faith and to make us strong in the Lord. So, when difficult times come, rest assured that our God is faithful and be strong and be of good courage.

Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.”

Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Blessings,

Buddy

January 3, 2014                                   IN  THE  COOL  OF  THE  DAY

Genesis 3:8: “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”                                                                                  This is a scripture that most are familiar with as this is a verse dealing with the beginning of creation as we know it. Because this verse is so familiar, it’s easy to miss the awesome truth that is direct and the truth that is inferred as well. In the first two chapters of Genesis is the account of the creation and as we read the story of creation, we get a good glimpse into the nature of God. In these chapters we find several times the phrase-“and it was good”, referring to what God had created, pointing out the fact that our God is a good God and He is about “good” works. In the verse above we read where the Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day. The fact that Adam and Eve actually heard God walking in the garden is fantastic in and of itself. I also find it amazing that the creator God even mentioned “the cool of the day”, which to me says that God is not only high and lofty, but He is also aware even of the temperatures and He enjoyed the “cool of the day”-how awesome! When Adam and Eve sinned, everything was different-except God’s love for Adam and Eve which was not changed. Sin did disrupt the fellowship and enjoyment that Adam and Eve enjoyed with each other and with God before the fall. Before Adam and Eve sinned against God, life on earth was in perfect harmony with the environment and with God and life was as God intended. We also see the partnership of God and man at work, which included Adam naming all of the animals, gathering the harvest, and Adam and Eve being told to multiply and take dominion. As said above, sin changed everything. Now, for the first time, Adam and Eve were afraid and they hid themselves from God. Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve and sin is still having the same affect- that of being afraid and separated from God and still hiding. The wonderful, liberating truth; the truth we must hold on to is that God is in the process of restoring the relationship that man had with God before the fall. God has already dealt with the sin issue and as Christians, we can now stand before God forgiven, and we can enjoy fellowship with Him. We do not yet see all things restored, including the environment, relationships, and we still have “wars and rumor of wars”, sickness, pollution, crime and etc. Even though we do not see everything fully restored to what it was before the fall of man, we have every reason to be filled with hope and expectancy as God has made known to His followers His plans to restore man to Himself in every sense of the word. Our complete restoration is assured! In the meantime, do not be saddened; do not be discouraged; do not be overcome; and do not be distracted during the process of all things being restored. We have already been redeemed-we are now the sons and daughters of God and we can already enjoy the first fruits of restoration. God’s plan is perfect and it cannot be derailed. From an older song: “Lift up your head, your redemption draweth nigh”.

11 Peter 3:13: “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

Isaiah 11:6-7: “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them.

Revelation 21:3-4: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Blessings,

Buddy