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BUILDING  YOURSELF  UP

7/29/2019

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July 29, 2019                                  BUILDING  YOURSELF  UP
Jude 20-21, 24-25 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.     Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now forever. Amen.”
We can live the Christian life only by the working of the Spirit of God in us, but that does not mean that we do not have a part, or responsibility in the process. We often hear the admonition to ‘wait on God,’ and generally speaking, that is good advice; however, it is possible to use the idea of waiting on God as a reason or excuse for not doing what God has called us to do. Growing in the faith is proactive; we must work with God as He works in us. Throughout the scriptures we find clear instructions and commands that God has given for our good, and He desires, and expects us to put into action what He has said. For example, we do not need to ‘wait on God’ before being patient or loving, etc. because that is who we are in Christ. Jude tells us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith. The foundation for building ourselves up is genuine faith in God and all that He has said and done. Faith in God is not stagnant; faith expresses itself in some way. (James 2:14-26) If my faith in God is for real, it only follows that I would read and study His word, and that I would pray to God knowing that He hears my prayers. Another aspect of building ourselves up is to keep ourselves in the love of God. Meditating on and experiencing His love, receiving His love, worshiping Him, and expressing His love is a sure way of building ourselves up in the faith. Even in the most difficult times, we can know His love for us; His love is an anchor for our soul. When we know His love, we love others. Spending time with other believers and sharing the life of Christ in us is certainly needed and is beneficial for our own spiritual health. A key facet of having faith in God is understanding that we have been redeemed and restored to our Father, BUT, there is more to come-one day, our redemption or transformation will be complete. Keeping focused on what is to come impacts the life we live today; there is a day coming when we will give an account of our life on earth and will be rewarded or not rewarded-that’s real motivation! The good news is that we do not have to live with fear of missing God; our part is to walk in His ways, respond to His love and His work in us, and to remember that He is the potter and we are the clay. When we are about building ourselves up in the faith, He will keep us from stumbling, and He will allow us to stand in His presence with great joy!
Colossians 2:6-7 “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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EVERYTHING  PERTAINING  TO  LIFE

7/26/2019

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July 26, 2019                                    EVERYTHING  PERTAINING  TO  LIFE
2 Peter 1:3-4, 10-11 “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His magnificence promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.         Therefore brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”
Peter Parris once made the statement that “Our salvation is greater than we think.” Some think of our salvation as our ticket to heaven-and that it is-but it’s so much more; we can spend our lifetime learning more about this ‘so great salvation.’ Hebrews 2:3.  We may at times find life overwhelming and we may be uncertain of the choices we must make, but in those times, we must remember that God has indeed “granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” which becomes a reality to us through the “true knowledge of Him.” This ‘true knowledge’ is knowing God according to who He says He is in the scriptures instead of defining Him according to our own understanding and preferences. It is a huge mistake to think that we can gain a true knowledge of God apart from reading and studying His written word. The written word of God is not just good advice-His word is super-natural and it goes beyond mere intellect. We cannot separate the Holy Spirit from the word of God because it takes the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of God’s word and how it applies to our day-to-day life circumstances. In the scriptures, we find ‘magnificence’ promises. One of the promises is that we can ‘partake’ of the divine nature of God and thereby escape the corruption that is in the world-what a promise! 1 John 4:17 tells us that “as He is, so also are we in this world.”  His word is life; His word guides us; corrects us: encourages us; trains us for life; reveals truth to us; and gives us confidence and hope. Because His word   is super-natural, it takes us out of living according to our very limited human understanding and reasoning. There is a warning in the above scriptures that we need to hear; in order for us to experience the power of God’s word, we ‘must practice these things.’ Reading God’s word and not obeying-not practicing-ensures that we will not experience the promises that are for those who hear and obey. Let us take to heart and be diligent to make certain of His calling and choosing us by practicing what God has said in His word; by doing so, we will not stumble. God has done everything necessary in order for us to experience the abundant life that is found only in Him.
James 1:25 “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-they will be blessed in what they do.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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GODLINESS  IS  PROFITABLE

7/23/2019

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July 23, 2019                              GODLINESS  IS  PROFITABLE
1 Timothy 4:8, 12, 15-16: “for bodily discipline is only for a little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, shown yourself as an example of those who believe. Take pains with these things, be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching, persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
In our culture, there is high value placed on the physical body, whether it is frequent trips to the gym, being super conscience about what we eat, or making sure we are in style in how we dress. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with staying physically fit, or having a good diet, and dressing appropriately, but if these things take priority over the condition of our spiritual health, then we are in error. We don’t hear very often the admonition to be godly in thought and conduct, and perhaps it is because we as a society are not focused on godliness. We seem to think that if we highlight or point out our sin, or ungodliness, and how we often do not please God, we are being humble and we are more apt to get an audience. If we find it is difficult for us to say that we are living a godly life, then we have misunderstood the call to godliness. To be godly simply means to live way that looks like God. “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” 1 Peter 1:15. For sure, it is right to confess when the Holy Spirit convicts of something that we do that displeases the Lord, but at the same time, we should communicate how the Lord has given us not only the desire, but the power to be godly. There is also a tendency for us to segment or view godliness as a ‘high and lofty’ concept, and not see godliness as something we are to walk out daily. We may relate godliness to going to church, praying, or doing something of a spiritual nature. However, because we have been set apart and because we have been joined to God, we are to be holy, or godly in all that we do. Although we are to act in a godly way, being godly is more about who we are. To be godly in conduct is not something we can do in our own strength, but because we have been made ‘godly’, we can now live godly; we are not ‘ungodly’ people trying to be godly. The verses above tell us to be an example to all believers in how we conduct our lives. Just as diligent as we may be to be physically fit, we are to be even more diligent, and attentive to living in godliness. Paul tells Timothy to “take pains with these things,” “be absorbed in them,” and to “pay close attention to yourself,” and to “persevere in these things.” Even though God has set us apart and made us holy, it is our responsibility to respond to His work in us and to walk in the provision He has made in order for us to live in a godly way. It sounds so simple, but it is a matter of reading the scriptures and then actually putting into practice what the scriptures teach as the Holy Spirit leads. Of course, one must have the Holy Spirit living in them and they must have a desire to know and to walk in the ways of the Lord if they are to be godly. So, let us take care of our physical bodies as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, but let our highest priority in life be that of disciplining ourselves for godliness. After all, godliness is profitable in this present life, and the one to come. May we obey the plain teachings of scripture.
2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”
James 1:25: “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-they will be blessed in what they do.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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KEEPING  IT  SIMPLE

7/20/2019

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July 20, 2019                                        KEEPING IT  SIMPLE
1 John 4:10, 16-17 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”       “And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgement; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”
1 John 5:20: “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
1 John is a great book to read if we should we find ourselves struggling with doubt and confusion concerning our salvation. The word of God is just that-the word of God, the all-powerful and all-knowing God; yet the truths of His words have a beautiful simplicity that give life and hope, and are easily understood by the one who has a hunger to know God. A foundational cornerstone of the Christian faith is that we did not love God, but He loved us first and demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son who died for us that we might be forgiven and have a relationship with Him. A most important question for you and I is, have we come to know and do we believe the love that God has for us. Until we know and experience His love, we will not be satisfied in our walk with the Lord and we will find ourselves trying to earn His love and His approval. Knowing His love is the key that opens the door to fellowship with our Father. When we know His love, His word becomes our pleasure and His word gives us light and life; knowing His love sets us free. When we abide in love, we are abiding in Him because He is love. The Son of God has come and He has given us understanding in order that we might know Him who is true. Not only can we know God, the amazing truth is that we are in Him and He is in us! If we think of God as being ‘out there’ or outside of us instead of being in us, we miss a vital truth of scripture and our relationship with Him is not what He desires. In the verse above there is an amazing statement: “as He is, so also are we in this world.” When our hearts are fully turned to the Lord and when it is our desire to walk in His ways and when we know our true identity in Him, we become like Him! Our thoughts change, our motivations change, our view of life changes, and our actions change. The truth that should be the cornerstone of our life is that God loves us and has placed us in His family and has made us new creations.
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
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NOW  IS  THE  TIME

7/17/2019

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July 17, 2019                                      NOW  IS  THE  TIME
Hosea 10:12 “Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you.
2 Corinthians 9:10-11 “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to the Lord.”
Just as we may go for an annual physical exam, it’s wise for us as believers to have a spitirual life check-up on a regular basis.  We need to examine and determine what is our basic motivation in life; why do we do the things we do; are our thoughts healthy; is it our heart desire to know God more fully; and is the life we live in harmony with the gospel, and in general, how is our spiritual health.  We are prone to live in a routine way, and it is ever so easy to find ourselves living on auto-pilot. If not careful, we can live our life and then one day look back over the years and find ourselves asking where did the years go and did our life make any lasting difference. The verses above are an antidote to living life in the routine, on auto-pilot. (Don’t misunderstand-all routine is not unhealthy.) There are times when we as believers need this check-up to be reminded of who we are-that we are sons and daughters of God who have been called to be about His business here on earth. And, there are times when we need to break up our fallow (uncultivated) ground and be renewed in our spirit. Just as the farmer must sow the seeds if he is to have a crop, we also must be about sowing if we are to experience the blessings that come from the Lord. There are countless ways in which we can sow, and sowing as unto the Lord is a way of life. We sow when we hear and obey what God has said in His word; when we invest time in others as the Lord leads; when we give of our time and resources; when we pray for one another--the list could go on. Let us be reminded that this present day-today-is important; it’s the choices we make throughout the day-the small things that matter; it’s how we set the tone for the day; it’s about being proactive in the things of the Lord; it’s realizing that sowing the kingdom of God is the greatest thing we can do. And the good news is that God will multiply the seeds He gives us to sow, and as we sow, righteousness will increase, and we will be enriched in every way so that we may be generous in every way!! So-say good- by to living on auto pilot-go ahead and start sowing-sow a lot of seed-you will never run out of seed. Stop asking ‘what if,’ ‘will it work,’ ‘is now the time,’ just start sowing and let God bring about the harvest. There is no place we cannot sow: we can sow at home, at work, at church, at play, at the store or coffee shop-anywhere. We get blessed as we sow, but the reason for sowing is to produce thanksgiving to the Lord-it is for His honor and His glory.
Galatians 6:8 “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 “Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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GOD  ALWAYS  LEADS  US

7/13/2019

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July 13, 2019                                       GOD  ALWAYS  LEADS  US
2 Corinthians 2:13-14 “I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifest through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in everyplace.
Paul hit a ‘bump in the road’ when he went to Troas and was unable to locate Titus, his brother in the Lord, and not being able to locate Titus, Paul had no rest for his spirit. Paul evidently had plans for this mission trip that included Titus. Sometime we may think that Paul was the perfect Christian and that he never struggled with anything; Paul’s confession that he had ‘no rest for his spirit’ lets us see that he was just as human as we are and that sometimes things did not go as he planned-and it troubled him; surely, we can all relate to things not going as we had hoped or planned for. Even though there was this ‘bump in the road,’ Paul continued on in what God had called him to do and left Troas, and headed for Macedonia.  The lesson for us is to know as Paul did, that God is bigger than our interrupted plans and that nothing can hinder or interrupt the plans that God has.  God is able to use our ‘bumps in the road’ to further His plans; God is marching on and He is accomplishing His purposes-whether we realize it or understand it or not.  The good news for believers is that even though God’s purposes never fail, He invites us to be a part of what He is doing-to partner with Him. Partnering with God is man’s greatest privilege in life. There is a word of warning for us: even as believers, we can choose to be about our own life, not focused on the things of God, and miss the opportunity of partnering with God. However, when our heart is turned to the Lord and we work with Him as He works in us, we walk in His victory and we are victorious in all we do-even in the trials and the bumps in the road. ‘In every place’-everywhere we go and in all that we do-we are reflections of Christ, demonstrating His love, His grace, and His power. Rather than being frustrated when things do not go our way, let us keep our focus on what God is doing and walk in the path that He has for each of us, being His ambassadors.
Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”
1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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July 10th, 2019

7/10/2019

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July 10, 2019                                       UNVEILED
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 “But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
Logic tells us that in order to get what we want, we must put forth the required effort to get it. This is certainly a true principle, however, there are times that this principle does not hold true. In Christian circles, there are many who believe that our spiritual maturity and our being transformed comes as a result of our work-if we pray more, study the bible more, go to church more, give more, visit the sick, etc. then we will be a ‘good’ Christian who is earning God’s approval. All of these activities are good things to do, and we do have a part to play in our being transformed. However, these, and other things we do as believers, are to be the by-products, or the fruit of knowing God and knowing our new identity in Him-not things we do because we ought to do them or because we want to earn His approval. Everyone has a veil over their heart and cannot understand the scriptures or experience the truth of the scriptures until their heart is turned to the Lord. Once the heart is turned to the Lord, the veil is removed and the Spirit then gives understanding of the scriptures; those who deny or reject God, and those who oppose God, cannot understand the scriptures. The mystery, and the miracle of God is that as we behold Him and seek Him, as our heart and thoughts are turned to Him, we are transformed. Our transformation is a work of God-we do not transform ourselves. As we are transformed, our motives and our desires change, our thought patterns change, our actions change, our view of others change-our hearts are changed. All of the changes we undergo in this transformation process reflect the glory and the nature of God. The wonderful part of having our hearts turned to the Lord and being transformed is that we experience the liberty that only God can give. The greatest liberty is the liberty to be who God made us to be. Satan tries to rob us of the liberty we have in Christ, but he has been defeated and Christ has set us free. May we turn our hearts to the Lord and continue to discover our new identity as sons and daughters of God.
John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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THE  WORD

7/6/2019

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July 6, 2019                                               THE  WORD
2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.
Matthew 4:4 “But He answered and said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Psalm 19:7 “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”
It’s our tendency to take something for granted when we have been exposed to it for a long time and have become familiar with it. It is good for us to remind ourselves that the bible is not just a book; it is a book, but unlike any other book ever written, every word is inspired by God. That in itself is a miracle. Obviously, God wanted us to have a written word, or letter from Him that we might know Him and that we might find the path to life. In Gods’ word, we learn the way of salvation; we learn of the nature of God; we come to know His purposes and His plans, including His purposes for us. Another fact that sets the bible apart from all other books is that it takes the inspiration of the Holy Spirt for us to comprehend the true message of the scriptures. John 14:26 tells us: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” It is good to listen to teachers who have an accurate understanding of the word, but it is our responsibility to do as 2 Timothy 2:15 instructs: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Let us keep a deep appreciation for the word of God and let it be the sure foundation of our life.
Matthew 4:4 “But Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
1 Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.
Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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IT'S  IN  THE  DOING

7/3/2019

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July 3, 2019                                                   IT’S  IN  THE  DOING
John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.”
Luke 11:28 “He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
In our busy lives, it is easy to lose sight of simplicity; we seem tend to make things more complicated than they really are. This can hold true in our relationship with God. There are 66 books in the bible; seminaries exist for the purpose of teaching God’s word; countless books are written with the goal of explaining the scriptures; and countless sermons on the word of God are preached week by week. To complicate, there are varying, conflicting interpretations of the word of God, and as a result, there is not a unified, consistent message presented to the public. All of this can lead to a disconnect, or confusion, and a somewhat pessimistic attitude that says “Everyone has their own opinions-so who knows what is true or who is right.” Don’t get me wrong; the bible is an amazing book that is inspired by God; one can spend a life time studying and learning new insights things from Gods word. Now, for the subject of this blog. Every believer has a desire to have a viable, healthy, and enjoyable relationship with God and a desire to experience Him personally. This is where our human nature can get in the way-we may think it must be complicated to have such a relationship with God and that it requires much effort on our part. Wrong. The liberating theme found throughout the scriptures, the common thread and a plain simple truth is that taking to heart and obeying what God says in His word is the doorway to the relationship we desire to have with God. The ‘trick’ is; if we see keeping His commandments as something we must do in order to please Him or to gain His approval, we miss the point; obeying His word brings about good fruit when our obeying is based on our love for Him. Obeying His word should be a by-product of our love for Him. We can say that it simply boils down to being who God says to be and doing what God says to do! Again, we should be about studying God’s word-but do so with the intent to apply what we learn. There is a trap-we can become content with just learning new truth and yet not be changed. There is a principle that holds true; when we obey what God says, He shows us more. You can rightly say that the more we obey because we love Him, the more of Him we experience. So, read the New Testament, and when you see a command, do it! Reading the ‘one another’ commands and putting them into practice is a good starting place. Do you want Jesus and the Father to come to you and make their abode with you? If so, love Jesus and the Father, and obey their commands-their commands have your best interest at heart.
Matthew 7:24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on a rock.”
Blessings,
Buddy
 
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    Buddy Fitzgerald

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