December 29, 2014                                LIVING  AND  ACTIVE

Hebrews 4: 12-13: “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. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are laid open and bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”                                                                                                                                                                        This is another passage of scripture that when believed, will impact our lives in a powerful way. It’s easy to read these verses in a casual manner and thus miss the astonishing truth presented. As we read this scripture with our “antenna up”, and as we begin to meditate on what is being said, we will be amazed at what we read. Does the word of God, the Bible, actually have the power to do what it says it does in the above verses?  If it does-and indeed it does- then every thought, every action and even every intention is “laid open” before God.  The word of God is living and active and sharp and it pierces to the deepest part of man. Reading the word of God is unlike reading any other book in that the bible is not just for information, but transformation from the inside out. The Bible is a book of history, but it is much more than history in that it is living and active. Being living and active, it speaks to the current- the need of the moment- and it reveals present thoughts and intentions and motives of the heart. Reading the word of God as more than a history book, we come face to face with the fact that God is all- knowing and nothing is hidden from Him. And as we read the word of God, we come face to face with the truth of who we are and we discover that He not only knows the words we speak, but He even knows the intents of our heart! It is indeed a sobering thought to realize that every aspect of our life is “laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” As our life is “laid bare before Him” we may discover things about ourselves that neither we nor God likes. Even though it may be an unpleasant experience, God lays our life bare before Him for a good purpose and that purpose is all about transforming us to His image. God is not angry with us and He is not out to punish us, but is out to cause us to resemble Him. To achieve His purpose of transforming us, He goes right to the intentions of our heart because the intentions of our heart are the determining factor of who we really are-how we live life. The scriptures teach that we, as Christians, will one day have to give a full account to God of the life we lived on earth. God paid the ultimate price in order for us to be born again, to be transformed, and thus we will be held accountable for how we dealt with His invitation and His provision to be transformed. Not to be transformed by the life of Jesus is really an insult to God (if God could be insulted) and it greaves Him greatly. The good news is that “the day of accounting” can be a glorious day because it is possible to hear Him say to us “well done, thy good and faithful servant.”  Whether or not we hear “well done” is dependent on the life we live here on earth. Whether or not we hear “well done”, is up to us because we must choose to respond to His drawing us to Himself and we must choose to work with Him as He works out His plans in us. So, the fact that our life is laid bare before Him is a good thing and it is sure proof of His love for us. It can be that when the intentions of our hearts are revealed, we will find that they are pleasing to the Lord-and that’s the way it should be. God is committed to having us transformed into His likeness, and to do this, He is in the process of exposing the intentions of our hearts and at the same time, giving us a new heart that resembles His heart. He is rooting out the old and putting in the new and it is our part to work with Him as He is about this work.

1 Peter 2:1-3: “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”

Blessings,

Buddy

December 25, 2014                            A  SAVIOR  BORN  FOR  US

At the birth of Jesus, the multitude of angels erupted in praise to God and they announced peace on earth because the Savior had been born. Up until the birth of Jesus, the future of man looked rather bleak because man could not keep the commandments of a Holy God and the sin of man was THE problem for all. The birth of a Savior was prophesied in the Old Testament but the prophets did not understand in detail how are when the salvation of sinful man would be accomplished. The birth (and death and resurrection) of Jesus is the pinnacle, the climax of all history and everything revolves around His birth, and His later resurrection. One day in history approximately 2000 years ago, God became a man! Jesus chose to lay aside His existence in heaven with His Father and all of its glory and splendor and take on the form of man. In my own mind, I can envision Jesus taking off His royal robe and saying to His Father; “I will go and I will pay the price to redeem my brothers and sisters-those that we love.” I cannot totally comprehend the fact that Mary held God in her arms-cuddled Him, kissed His cheek, fed Him and dressed Him! God coming to earth through His Son Jesus was and is the most awesome plan ever executed. Jesus was all man and He was all God. Because Jesus was all man, He understands the frailty and weakness of man. Jesus worked a job, ate meals, and I’m sure He played in the yard at times; yet never committed even one sin. As God’s plan unfolded, Jesus knew that He was destined to be crucified on a cruel Roman cross as THE sacrifice for all sins once for all. The holiness of God requires a sacrifice for sin and Jesus was the sacrifice-the perfect Lamb. God so loved the world-that’s you and I-that He was willing for His own Son to be the sacrifice that would usher in salvation for His people. If Jesus had not been born, then you and I would have never experience life as God planned and we would have hell as our destiny. I heard a song lately and one of the lines is: “Satan never counted on the resurrection” and “Satan never counted on the love that God had for me”, and certainly that is true. All of the plans of our enemy to kill and destroy us in effort to get back at God who cast him out of heaven because of his pride, was derailed-Satan was disarmed when Jesus came! Because we become so familiar with the story of the birth of Jesus we may find ourselves taking it for granted and missing the full impact of the indescribable gift of the birth of our Savior. I would imagine that if we saw the birth of Jesus from the angels’ perspective and from God’s perspective, we would forever be in awe of Jesus coming in the flesh to save us from our sins. There is scripture that says that; “those who are forgiven much, love much.” If and when we realize how much we have been forgiven by the coming of Jesus to earth, we will forever be grateful for the birth of our Savior. May we take time to once again contemplate as well as be freshly impacted by the miraculous birth of our Savior.

Luke 2:10-14: “And the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you great news of a great joy which shall be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in clothes, and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’

Blessings,

Buddy

December 23, 2014                               EVERYTHING  GRANTED  TO  US

2 Peter 1:2-4: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 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 precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is the world by lust.”                                                                                                                                                                                     This is another one of those sections of scripture that may be hard to believe once you begin to digest what is being said and the implications of such a promise.  We know that Peter would not have prayed this prayer or made this statement if it were not from the very heart of God; the God who loves His people and has the best desires for them. Only as we desire to know God in a personal way, as we draw near to Him and as we seek Him first will we experience the blessings and promises we find in this passage. As we come to know Him, the grace of God and the peace of God are multiplied to us because He is a God of grace and peace. We may find life to be a challenge and we may feel like the world around us is out of control and we may face tremendous battles, but the truth is that God has given us “everything pertaining to life and godliness” and we have been given this by His divine power-it’s a gift! This is where being a son or daughter of God, where being a Christian, takes us out of this world so to speak into another reality-the Kingdom of God. In the natural it may not appear to be true, but no matter our circumstances at the present, we have everything we need pertaining to life and we have everything we need to be godly (to be like Him). Again, these promises are real to us only “through the true knowledge of Him who called us”. It is essential that we hear the true message of the Gospel of God as there are many false messages being presented, and sad but true, there are false teachings and false messages coming from some who profess to be ministers of the gospel. The New Testament writers had to constantly warn the followers of Christ not to be derailed by those preaching false doctrines. It is true, that as Peter Parris has said, we have been exposed to a “sub-standard gospel” for many years in the western part of the world and in light of this, we must be diligent in seeking out the true message of the gospel.                                                                                                                             Another tremendous promise in this passage is that by the promises of God and by the work of God we might “become partakers of the divine nature”!! We all know too well our human frailty, our failures; so to think of ourselves as taking on His divine nature may appear to be out of the question. However, the truth is that God has called us to Himself, and He has, and is making it possible for us to be like Him; He is transforming us, and yes, He has given us a new nature-a new nature that is divine! We sin only when we stop walking in our new identity-when we choose to walk according to the flesh. If we don’t believe, if we do not know that we have been given a new nature, then we settle for living beneath His promises. The passage says that “we may become partakers”, which implies that we have a part in the process-that of believing the promises of God and walking in our true identity. In 2 Peter 1:5-8 Peter gives some details as to what our part is in the process of “partaking of the divine nature” looks like and it includes such things as “applying all diligence”, having faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, brotherly kindness and love. In verses 8-9 we read: “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless or unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.” Peter is saying that it is possible for the believer not to have the qualities we see in verses five through eight and as a result be blind or short-sighted.  So, God has made it possible for us to partake of His divine nature, but He does not force it on us, but we do have a part to play in the process of putting on the new nature. The gospel is all about revealing what God has done on our behalf and all about revealing our new identity in Him. God chose to love us, to redeem us, to make us new, to make us like Him. In light of all He has done; what can we do other than love Him and worship Him and live our life in accordance to His plans and His desires?

2 Peter 1:10-11: “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.”

Blessings,

Buddy

December 20, 2014                                BETTER  THAN  GOLD

1 Peter 1:6-7: “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”                               Nobody said it was going to be easy, right?  We have heard statements like; “give your life to Jesus and everything will be wonderful.” If you have lived very long at all, you have learned, or you are learning, that being a Christian does not guarantee a life free of trials. If one begins his Christian journey believing that all will be rosy now that he or she is a Christian, is set up for disappointment and confusion. Trials come in all shapes and sizes and severity but we must remember in the midst of the trials that God has purpose in in the trials we face and this is where faith comes in. Peter says that the “proof of our faith” is more precious than gold and when we begin to believe this in our innermost being, we can indeed rejoice. It’s not that we should pray for trials to come our way and God does not expect us to “enjoy” the trials, but we can rejoice in the fruit that the trial produces, a faith proven to be healthy and strong, a faith that stood the test of fire-this is what God is after. Another blessing of rejoicing in the midst of trials is that it will bring praise and glory and honor to Jesus when he returns for His bride. It is a blessing to our Father when those who have not seen Him, love Him and believe Him, and by loving Him and believing Him we “greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your (our) faith, the salvation of our souls.” It is health to our souls to rejoice and to love God and to believe God! The truth is that we cannot help but rejoice when we come to really know Him. If for some reason we find ourselves not rejoicing in our spirit, something is broken in us and we need to ask God to show us what is hindering the rejoicing that comes just by knowing Him. Our Father is a God of joy, a God who rejoices, a God who is good, a God who gives life, a God who forgives, a God who comes to our aid, a God who gives a second chance and a God who loves us personally!                                                                                                                                                                                         Yes, we will face trials, but we must remember that their days are numbered! In God’s timing, He will bind up the enemy that is behind the trials and He will wipe away every tear and we will reign with Him forever. Our life, our journey here on earth is all about preparation for reigning with Him, about learning how to be an overcomer in enemy territory. (The earth belongs to the Lord, but he is allowing Satan to roam about for a season and He is using Satan for His purposes.) Trials can be difficult and can bring much hurt and we are not expected to take trials as if they were not burdensome. In the trial, our posture is to be that of having a vibrant faith-trusting God- and also that of learning whatever we may need to learn in the midst of the trial.  It is possible that some trials may come as a result of personal sin or wrong choices we make, while some of the trials are not a result of sin or wrong choices. No matter the origin of the trial, God will use it for good and for His glory if we respond in a way that pleases Him.  Let us be reminded that God is reigning and everything that happens around us, God promises to use it for good to those who follow in His ways. When He returns, may we be found with a faith that has been proven.

James 1:12: “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who live Him.”

1 Peter 4:19: “Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

Blessings,

Buddy

December 16, 2014                            WHO  AMONG  YOU IS  WISE ?

James 3:13: “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.”  Obviously, there are some that have wisdom and there are some who do not have wisdom and it’s possible for one to be brilliant in mind but lack wisdom. Wisdom may be difficult to define but it is easily recognizable as true wisdom is reflected in action and speech. James goes on in verses fourteen through sixteen to say what wisdom is not: “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” These three verses are powerful verses to say the least and may we be wise and digest the message presented in these verses. Jealously and selfish ambition is no small issue but in fact have great consequences. If not careful, we can become jealous of others success or others “having it made” in areas where we struggle. Perhaps selfish ambition is even a more common than jealously. We live in a culture where self is on the pedestal and where selfish ambition is the norm.  The culture does not call it “selfish” ambition but that really is the message of the culture. The culture says that “if it makes you happy-do it”.  Selfish ambition leads to “disorder and every evil thing.” The truth is that jealously and selfish ambition are not just some issues that need adjusting but are in fact demonic according to this verse and they have no place in the life of believers. Ambition itself is not wrong, and in fact we should have ambition for the right reasons. On the surface, it may appear to be a fine line between healthy ambition and selfish ambition. For example, walking or running two miles every day could be motivated purely by a “selfish ambition” to “look good” physically or it could be motivated by a desire to maintain good physical and mental health since the body is the temple of God. There is nothing wrong with “looking good” if the motive is right.  Because we are created in God’s image and because we are new creatures in Christ, we should have great ambition. In fact, the scripture says that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”; so for the believer, the sky is the limit for what we can do. Life is full of opportunities to be either selfishly ambitious or to be ambitious in the right sense of being ambitious and true wisdom directs us away from selfish ambition and towards ambition that honors our Father. Our action, our deeds, should reflect wisdom and understanding. God gave King Saul the opportunity to ask for anything he desired and he asked that God would give him wisdom and because of this, God blessed him abundantly. True wisdom comes from God and He promises to give us wisdom if we ask. Let us ask for the wisdom that comes from God and let us demonstrate wisdom and understanding by our words and deeds.                                                                                           James 3:17: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”                                                                                                                                            James 1:5: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach and it will be given to him.”                                                                                                                                    Psalms 111:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”

Blessings,

Buddy

December 13, 2014                                 REVEALING  WHAT’S   ON  THE  INSIDE

Mark 7:20: “..That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.”                                                     James 3:2: “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.”                                                                                                                                               Scripture has a lot to say about the words we speak and the power of the tongue and we all have witnessed first- hand  the  healing, encouraging power of words spoken and we have witnessed the destructive, damaging  power of words spoken as well.  We must understand the foundational truth that the words we speak reveal what is in our heart at the time we speak.  In Mark, chapter seven, Mark makes the point that it is not what we eat, or what goes in that defiles a person, but rather what comes out in the words that we speak. I am sure that all of us have on some occasion spoken words we later regret and as much as we wish it were possible, we could not retrieve or call back the words we regret speaking. Words have incredible power; power to build up or power to tear down. In chapter three of James, James is making comparisons of the tongue and points out that a bit in the horses’ mouth can direct the whole body and a very small rudder can direct a large ship even though it is driven by strong winds. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body and “yet it boast of great things.” As we see in the verse above; if one does “not stumble in what he says”, then he can bridle, or control his whole body and James says this man is perfect. We may commit not to speak wrong words, we may make the best effort to guard our words (and that is a good thing) but if the heart is not right, we will find ourselves speaking wrong words. In James 3:9-10 we read: “With it (the tongue) we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these ought not to be this way.” With this verse, James is saying that we are not doomed with a tongue that is beyond our control by saying that it “ought not be this way.” In the book of Mark and in other scriptures, we discover the cure for the tongue that so easily speaks damaging words and this cure is basic and simple, but nonetheless true; if the heart is right, then the words will be right. God has given us a new heart and out of this new heart we speak words of life, words that edify, words of healing, words that build up and encourage, and words that are wholesome and true. Because of this, it is critical that we understand in our spirit  what God has done on our behalf in the New Covenant and that we come to know in our inner person that we are not a just a “reformed” person, but a new person with a new heart, a new mind and a new spirit! If and when we do find ourselves speaking unhealthy words, let us ask for forgiveness if need be, and then renew our hearts and walk in the new person that God has created us to be. In my previous blog, I talked about us being light in a dark world and one aspect of being light is in the words we speak.  So once again we find that the good news of the gospel is not complicated or burdensome. The simple truth is that when our heart is right, when we are living out of our new heart; the words we speak will be words of life and healing and our words will be a reflection our Father in heaven. By speaking the right words, our families and other relationships will be blessed and even those we do not know personally will be blessed by what comes out of our hearts through the words we speak. Even though the tongue left to itself is unruly and “sets the world on fire”, it can come under the power and influence of our new heart that God has given, causing the tongue to speak words that are in keeping with the heart of our Father.                                                                                                                                                          John 7:38: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.”    Proverbs 16:23-24: “The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Blessings,

Buddy

December 9, 2014                                     WE  ARE  OF  THE  DAY      

Thessalonians 5: 4-6,9: “But you brethren, are not of the darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you all are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”                                                                                                                                                       What a blessing, what a privilege to live in the light and not in darkness. We live in a world of darkness; a world of war, terrorism, greed, crime, disease, addictions, immorality, lies, disillusionment and selfishness. We should not be surprised by the darkness around us because we know that when man chooses his own way and does not seek God; he lives in darkness. A non- believer may be well educated, gainfully employed, likeable, etc., but nonetheless he is in darkness because light is found only in God. We must keep alert to the fact that we are surrounded by darkness and that we “bump” into some aspect of darkness daily. The danger for us is that we can become insensitive, or become use to the darkness around us.   In Thessalonians, Paul is reminding the believers that they were indeed not in darkness any longer but were “sons of light.” In the midst of darkness, we can walk in the light because we are light! In Ephesians 5:8-10 we read: “..for you were formally in 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.  Because we are light, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility of being light in a dark world. Jesus is referred to as the “light of the world” and His coming to earth was all about bringing light to a world of darkness.  It is true that some prefer the darkness and they may reject the light, but some will be drawn to the light.  We, as children of light, can put on the “breastplate of faith” and our faith in God is a bulwark; knowing that God is reigning and ruling and that God is faithful is our weapon against the darkness .  Another integral part of our weapon is love. God is love, so we are people of love. Love is more powerful than any weapon the enemy has in his arsenal-nothing can defeat love. In addition to faith and love; we have hope. Hope sustains us in the battle-hope gives us the ability and the energy to persevere in what is right and what is true even in difficult times. Because we are light, when we are walking or living in our identity in Christ, we do not have to “try” to be light because being light is just part of the package of our living as God designed. It’s for sure that some believers do not understand just how great their salvation is and this misunderstanding can “dim” the light. Let it be our hearts desire, our commitment, to understand in a greater way what it means to be a new creation in Christ and may we live our lives in such a way that we reflect the light of God in a world that desperately needs to see light.

Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Blessings,

Buddy  

December 5, 2014                                       PUT  IT  ON

Ephesians 4:20-24: “But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”                                                               If we allow or entertain wrong actions, wrong words, wrong thoughts and wrong responses, we are living in the old self-the person we use to be before we were redeemed.  Unless we are deceived or have huge blind spots, we know that the actions and thoughts we have when living in the old self are not according to Christ. As we see in this verse, there is a need for learning-that is, learning Christ. It’s not so much about learning about Christ, but learning or coming to know Him for who He is. We can’t know Him without being changed and we can know truth only by knowing Him. The scriptures reveal that Christ and the Holy Spirit have been given to us enable us to understand the scriptures. Learning Christ and being taught in Him or non-optional if we are to know and experience the fullness of our salvation. The more we know Christ, the easier it becomes to lay aside the old self-the old ways. As we learn Christ, we are changed and what use to be important is no longer that important. Christ gives us new appetites and new desires. By laying aside the old self and putting on the new self proves to be the best trade or exchange we will ever make. The laying aside of the old self and putting on the new self happens at a point in time, but it is not a one- time deal, but a hourly or daily process. Because we live in a fallen world and are surrounded by darkness, there is a need to be renewed in our minds-in our thinking- in a continual sense. The believer can either walk in the Spirit, or he can walk in the flesh. The scripture teach that “there is a way that seems right to man, but it leads to death” and another scripture admonishes us “not to lean to our own understanding.” Putting on the new self, or walking in the Spirit is a must if we are to avoid walking in the flesh or leaning to our own understanding-both lead to spiritual death and we miss out on real life. The believer is a new creation and is no longer limited to a “natural” way of living, but rather lives a super-natural life if he or she is living life as God designed. We have to know that the ways of God or not the ways of unredeemed man. For example; the natural man hates his enemies while the believer can love his enemies or, the natural man has his own interest as a priority while the believer has the interest of others at heart. The entire New Testament is an example and an admonition for believers to walk in the Spirit-to put on the new self-to walk in their new identity and not fulfill the desire of the flesh. To walk in the Spirit is not a vague or mystical thing we do and it does not mean we are not involved with “practical” issues. When we put on the new self, when we walk in the Spirit, when we renew our minds, we have the power and the ability to do the things that we need to do and we do the things “heartily as unto the Lord”. Living in the “new self”, we find that life is no longer mundane and we find purpose in all that we do. There is nothing greater or anything that brings more fulfillment than knowing that we are actually partnering with God in life in all that we do. Our partnering with God enables us to demonstrate the very nature of God.  It is our privilege to be able to lay aside the old and put on the new-the new nature that is “in the likeness of God”-and to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. Let’s do it today-right now!      

Galatians 5:16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”  Colossians 3:8-10: “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him….”         

Blessings,

Buddy

December 2, 2014                           KEEPING  IT  SIMPLE

Romans 2:7-8: “to those who by perseverance in doing good, seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”                                                                                                                 If anything is abundantly clear in scripture, it is that God is good. From Genesis to Revelation we see the goodness of God on display. In one aspect, God showers His goodness on all of the creation and all people. The scripture says that God sends rain on the “just and the unjust”.  With that being said, it is also true that God withholds good from those who are enemies of God and those who oppose Him. It is so important for believers to understand that when they are born again, they get a new nature-a new DNA-a new mind. If the believer does not come to understand that he or she is a new person with a new heart and mind by which they resemble their heavenly Father, then they are limited to living out of the old man, trying their best to please God. The simple-amazing-awesome truth is that because God is good and He does good, we too should be about doing good deeds. How we define or understand the nature of the goodness of God is important. God’s acts of goodness come out of His great love. God is simply good-no angles or catches-just pure good. Man was totally lost, without hope, but “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” whereby man could be saved. We read in scripture where Jesus went about doing good and His life on earth demonstrated the goodness of God. The greatest of all good deeds was when Jesus laid His life down for us! It is true that a lost person can do a good deed but his reward is that he simply may “feel” better by doing the good deed. When the believer does a good deed as a representative of the God who is love, the impact is far reaching both in this life and the one to come. As the believer is about doing good works just as his Father does, he not only receives blessings now, but will be blessed in eternity as well. As usual, it all boils down to the heart. Is it in our heart to do good works, to bless others with no strings attached? The enemy of good works is selfish ambition according to the verse above. Selfish ambition is the identity of the old man-who we use to be. The truth is that self cannot be satisfied apart from knowing the love of God that enables us to give of ourselves. No matter the circumstance, every person has the capacity to give. Giving may include the giving of time or resources, writing a letter or making phone call, leaving a generous tip for a waitress, serving in mission work, teaching a class, praying for the sick, giving a drink of cold water, etc., - all in the name of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 9:7 we read: “Let each do just as he purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.” If you want to be loved by God-be a cheerful giver! The key is that we give out of a cheerful heart-whatever we give. I am reminded of the verse that says that if we are to find life, then we must lose our life. By giving ourselves away, we find life. God has designed it in such a way that our true identity is found only in Him. We can either spend our lives trying to find whatever it is we think will make us happy, or we can take God at His word and dare become a cheerful giver and discover real life. Think about it-in what way can we be cheerful givers today-this week-this year?  Galatians 6:9: “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” Luke 6:38: “Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”    

Blessings,   Buddy