August 31, 2015                                          RADICAL  GOSPEL

Philippians 1:27: “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,…”

Philippians 2:3-5: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely lookout for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,”

Philippians 2:12-13: “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

The gospel of the kingdom of God is indeed radical when compared to this world’s system and this world’s philosophy; and even the believer may see the gospel as being radical. If a believer is not aware of the fact that he has been made new, that he has been transformed, he may find the gospel to be radical because he is by his own self effort, trying to live out the gospel only to discover that he cannot do it. The gospel stands in stark contrast to the message we hear from the world. For example: are we actually to regard others more important than ourselves? Are we to look out for the interest of others?  Is it really true that we are to have the same attitude that Jesus had? Is it true that the creator God, the God who rules the universe, the all- knowing God is at work in me-in you? And, is it true that the work that God is doing in me is for the purpose of bringing Him pleasure? Wow! When  we understand what God is after, when we come to know that He has a plan that He is developing in us, then you can “bet the ranch” that we will with “fear and trembling” work out our  salvation.  This “fear” we are to have is not as the world defines fear-but indicates a heightened awareness of the seriousness of working and cooperating with God and realizing how tragic it would be to hinder His  work in us. Our salvation is more than going to heaven; it involves every aspect of our lives and the working out of our salvation is to be our first priority in life. You could rightly say that in the scriptures we find a “code of conduct”, and the good news is that God has made it possible for us to conduct ourselves in “a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” We may get caught up in the routines of life- getting the oil changed in the car- taking out the garbage- going to work-paying the bills, etc., but in the midst of all the routines let us not forget that God is at work in us, steadily moving toward His goal of our lives bringing Him pleasure, and it is our responsibility to work with in as He works in us.  By the way; we will discover that there is nothing more pleasurable than bringing Him pleasure. Less we miss-understand, it is clear in the verse above that we are to look out for our personal interest, but we are to look out for the interest of others as well. We are both stewards and servants. May each of us be about daily working out our salvation and let our conduct be “worthy of the gospel of Christ”-in so doing, we will bring pleasure to our Father.

Blessings,

Buddy

August 29, 2015                                               KNOWING  RESULTS IN  KEEPING

1 John 2:3-6: “And by this we know that we have come to know Him; if we keep His commandments.  The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him: but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God, that we ought to keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

The scriptures have a wonderful way of simplifying truth, or as they say; “hitting the nail on the head.” I’m convinced that man, even with good intentions, tends to complicate and over-analyze what is clearly presented in the scriptures. God has revealed Himself and has spoken to man; now it is our place to hear what He has said and obey. Contrary to popular belief, our “feelings” are not the main issue; our obedience is the issue, and the fact is that “good feelings” follow obedience. Keeping the commands of God becomes our delight once we come to know Him for who He is. If we struggle with keeping His commands or if we do not desire to obey His commands, we simply have not come to know Him.  (One may be saved but have a limited knowledge and understanding of God-there is a maturing process in our journey with the Lord that should be taking place.) God’s word is indeed our instruction book for life and we know that when we keep His word, His love has been perfected in us. Some may struggle with not being sure of their salvation, but the assurance of salvation is based on our “walking in the same manner as He walked.” In verse three above, we find that we can be assured that we know Him when we keep His commandments. Knowing Him is the key to keeping His commandments. Our perception of God must be based on what the scriptures say about Him. God is a God of love and compassion, God is all-knowing, God forgives, God is the giver of Life, God is creator, God is sovereign, God saves those who put their trust in Him, God makes us new, God gives hope, God rescues those who call on Him, God chastens those who belong to Him, God calls us to be stewards, God sent His Son to die for us so that we might know Him…….and He is so much more. When we truly know Him, it is a no-brainer; it’s only natural to obey what He says-who wouldn’t obey such a God? I realize that there are times when we forget who we are and we may not be quick to obey; but because of His mercy, He calls us back to Himself where we obey His promptings. In this life, we do not reach a plateau where we have no need for further growth spiritually; we are always being transformed-growing in the faith. One of the surest ways to grow in our walk with the Lord is to be quick to obey whatever God says to us through His word or through His Spirit who lives in us. God does look at our heart, and when He finds that we have a desire to know Him and to obey Him, He is pleased. May we know Him, and then “walk in the same manner as He walked.”

James 1:25: “But one who looks intently at the perfect Law, the Law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

James 1:21-22: “Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

Blessings,

Buddy

 

 

August 25, 2015                                     WHAT  SORT  OF  PEOPLE                                               

2 Peter 3:10-12b: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…..”

2 Peter 3:14: “Therefore beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and 
What we believe affects our behavior. If we meditate on what is being said in the above verses and we truly believe what is said, it will have a profound impact on our lives. We tend to be very temporal in our thinking and our lives show proof of that.  For many, including Christians, Gods’ coming for His people will be a total surprise-and will be caught off guard. Several years ago, our home was broken into while we were away and when we returned home, we were totally shocked and surprise to find that a thief had indeed come when we least expected it. Peter is encouraging, and warning believers, not to be caught off guard-but rather be looking for and expecting His return. My view of life and my view of “things” is affected when I stop and am reminded that the earth and all of its works will one day be destroyed with intense-burned up! As believers, we must know that there is a “day of the Lord” on the horizon. The fact the Lord is coming again should have a profound effect on our daily lives just as Peter was expecting it to have on the believers of his day. Peter pointed out that expecting His return would have a definite impact on three areas of our lives. First, our conduct should be “holy”. Our actions, the things we do, should honor Him and should be done with a view that He is coming back. We should gauge any of the things we do on whether or not the Lord would be pleased if He were to return while we are doing what we are doing. Also, we are to be found living a “godly” life-that is, our life should reflect what God is like. Being “godly” is not something we have to strive at; being godly is a by-product of knowing God as our Father and because of our new heart, living life in a way that pleases Him. Because of the great blessing it will be, believers can actually hasten the day of His coming back for His people. Peter goes on to say that because we are looking for these things, we are to be “diligent to be found in peace spotless and blameless.” There are many things in the world- the cares of this life that would draw our attention away from the Lord and His return and because of that, we are to be diligent. If somehow, the Lord and His plans are not “on the front burner” of our hearts and minds, then we will be distracted and will not be ready when He returns. To anticipate, to look forward to His return, does in no way mean that we are to neglect the responsibilities we have in our present life and it does not negate enjoying life. In fact, if we are looking for His return, we will have a more fulfilled life here and we will have a healthy perspective of life, “seizing” each day and doing everything as unto the Lord. There is a balance-“a both and”-understanding that we need to have when it comes to living with purpose on planet earth and looking for His return. I heard an elderly pastor once say that “we should not be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good.” Certainly, we are to be good stewards of life here on earth and we are to be salt and light and we must be faithful in fulfilling our responsibilities. At the same time, we must realize that this world is not our home and we must remember that He is coming back for us to receive us to Himself. Our anticipation of His return can and should have a great impact on how we live our lives on a day to day basis. Let us remember that God is our Father, He has a purpose in our life on earth, and He has a grand plan to come at the perfect time to make our redemption complete. We have every reason to be overcomers in life because Jesus overcame death and the grave and He has joined us to Himself.

2 Peter 3:8 “But do not let this one fact escape you notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one

Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Blessings,

Buddy

August 25, 2015                       TECHNICAL  DIFFICULTIES

I have recently purchased a new computer and just this morning realized that the last to blogs did not post to the website.    I hope to have this resolved by tomorrow.

Thanks,

Buddy         As they say: “Make it a good day”.

August 20, 2015                                        THE  GOAL  OF  INSTRUCTION

1 Timothy 1:5: “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

2 Thessalonians 3:4-5: “And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”

We have just three things to attain: love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” The word of God is neither burdensome nor complicated, but rather it is liberating and not difficult to understand.  I don’t know about you, but I like to keep things simple and doable, and certainly the instructions in these three verses is just that. The Apostle Paul was a brilliant, highly educated man who could debate and stand his ground with the most educated of his day; however, Paul preached the message of  the simplicity that is found  in Christ  (2 Corinthians 11:3). Man, apart from God, is incomplete and is on a constant search for a sense of fulfillment, a fulfillment that is found only in Christ. Man’s search for completeness leads him down many dead end paths  and life becomes unfulfilled and complicated. The beauty of the gospel is that it brings to us what we could not find on our own. As much as he may try and as sincere as he may be, man by his own doings cannot gain a pure heart. However, when one is born again, God gives him or her a new heart and the heart He gives is a pure heart. The new heart we get resembles the heart of our Father and it’s a heart of love. Because of the new heart given to us, we can now express a love that is not based on selfish motives. When we live out of our new heart, the deeds we do and the thoughts we have are righteous,  and by living a life that expresses righteousness, we have a good conscience. Also, our new heart is grounded in a “sincere faith” because the new heart we have, has its trust in God. The sobering truth is that as believers, we can choose to not live according to our new heart and revert back to the old heart we use to have. In 1 Peter 1:14 we read: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lust which were yours in your ignorance.” The word “conformed” refers to the fact that we have been “formed” into something new; and the word “were” refers to the person we use to be. We can now live and walk in a new way as we see in Romans 6:4: “we too might walk in newness of life.” There is a connection between obeying God and knowing God as we discussed in my previous blog. With a heart to follow the teachings of scripture, God will continue to direct our hearts into the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. The gospel IS good news for you and I and by the gospel, we can live in peace, we can express love, we can forgive, we can have faith, we can experience joy, we can live free of doubt and fear—we can be all that God designed us to be- it’s not complicated.

Isaiah 26:3 “Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work,”

1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

Blessings,

Buddy

August 17, 2015                                               KNOWING  RESULTS IN  KEEPING

1 John 2:3-6: “And by this we know that we have come to know Him; if we keep His commandments.  The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him: but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him; the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God, that we ought to keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

The scriptures have a wonderful way of simplifying truth, or as they say; “hitting the nail on the head.” I’m convinced that man, even with good intentions, tends to complicate and over-analyze what is clearly presented in the scriptures. God has revealed Himself and has spoken to man; now it is our place to hear what He has said and obey. Contrary to popular belief, our “feelings” are not the main issue; our obedience is the issue, and the fact is that “good feelings” follow obedience. Keeping the commands of God becomes our delight once we come to know Him for who He is. If we struggle with keeping His commands or if we do not desire to obey His commands, we simply have not come to know Him.  (One may be saved but have a limited knowledge and understanding of God-there is a maturing process in our journey with the Lord that should be taking place.) God’s word is indeed our instruction book for life and we know that when we keep His word, His love has been perfected in us. Some may struggle with not being sure of their salvation, but the assurance of salvation is based on our “walking in the same manner as He walked.” In verse three above, we find that we can be assured that we know Him when we keep His commandments. Knowing Him is the key to keeping His commandments. Our perception of God must be based on what the scriptures say about Him. God is a God of love and compassion, God is all-knowing, God forgives, God is the giver of Life, God is creator, God is sovereign, God saves those who put their trust in Him, God makes us new, God gives hope, God rescues those who call on Him, God chastens those who belong to Him, God calls us to be stewards, God sent His Son to die for us so that we might know Him…….and He is so much more. When we truly know Him, it is a no-brainer; it’s only natural to obey what He says-who wouldn’t obey such a God? I realize that there are times when we forget who we are and we may not be quick to obey; but because of His mercy, He calls us back to Himself where we obey His promptings. In this life, we do not reach a plateau where we have no need for further growth spiritually; we are always being transformed-growing in the faith. One of the surest ways to grow in our walk with the Lord is to be quick to obey whatever God says to us through His word or through His Spirit who lives in us. God does look at our heart, and when He finds that we have a desire to know Him and to obey Him, He is pleased. May we know Him, and then “walk in the same manner as He walked.”

James 1:25: “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the Law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

James 1:21-22: “Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

Blessings,

Buddy

 

 

August 13, 2015                                     GAINING  NEW  STRENGTH  AND  ENERGY

Isaiah 40:31: “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

Many no doubt experience a loss of energy and strength and they may assume that the “un-energized” life they are living is normal and may find themselves just trying to get through the day.  There are times that we will be tired as a result of work or activity, and as one ages, he will naturally lose some strength- but that is not what today’s subject is about. No matter what our age may be, we can experience an energy that comes from the Lord. We may even have real physical limitations, but we can be full of energy in our spirit and find energy for our body. This verse in Isaiah is a fantastic promise for the believer and may even seem too good to be true, or we may think it does not apply to us. The key for finding this strength and energy from the Lord is to “wait” on Him. Waiting does not imply inactivity. “Waiting on the Lord” is a matter of having our complete trust and hope in Him and having a desire to know Him above all else. When we wait on the Lord, we are acknowledging His Lordship over our lives and we find joy in serving Him. When we know in our inner man that God is our Father, it is only natural to wait for Him because we know that He is sovereign and that His love for us is steadfast. When we come to know that our life, our very existence, our purpose, our fulfillment is all wrapped up in Him, we will be strengthened. The life we live, the things we do, the things we think about-is to be an outflow of His life in us; thus in a very real sense all we do is “holy” and nothing is mundane. The very breath we breathe is a gift from God; to be able sleep and have our energy renewed is a gift from Him; to be able to work with our hands and be productive is a gift not to be taken for granted; to enjoy a meal with family and friends is a gift. The idea of believers engaging in “secular” activity or “spiritual” activity is foreign to the teaching of scripture. In Colossians 3:17, 23 we read: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;”  As our eyes are opened and we begin to understand that the Spirit of God lives in us, life takes on a totally new meaning and purpose. This does not mean that we will not experience trials and never see difficult days; however, even in the difficult times, we can experience His strength and find the energy to deal with whatever we may face enabling us to be overcomers.  As we see, waiting on the Lord does not mean we sit in our rocking chair doing nothing. Waiting on the Lord is a way of life-His way. If we are not waiting on the Lord, we will tire and become weary. Do you want to gain new strength?  Do you want to find new energy for life? Then wait on Him. Do not  buy into the lie that says it’s normal to be un-energized and tired; but buy into the truth that you can “gain new strength” by waiting on Him, and you can soar like an eagle-no matter your age.

Psalms 27:13-14: “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

Blessings,

Buddy