December 31, 2020                           THE  WORK  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT
John 14:16=17 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you and forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak of His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
Romans 8:11,14 “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
1 Corinthians 12:7 “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
When we read verses that deal with the role of the Holy Spirit in us, it becomes obvious that we cannot live the Christian life apart from the work of the Spirit. As Jesus was about to ascend back to the Father, He promised that He would send the Holy Spirit-the Comforter-the Helper- and He made that promise because He knew that His followers could not live according to His instructions and His example apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. Because there have been some who present an unbiblical view of the Holy Spirit, many have been ‘turned off’ and simply put the subject of the Holy Spirit ‘on the back burner.” Even though there has been some error and misunderstanding in teaching on the Holy Spirit, we must not let that distract us from knowing and welcoming the work of the Spirit in us. In one sense, there is a mystery about the Holy Spirit because He is super-natural, and yet, His role and His work in us is clear and discernable. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us “Trust in God with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Our Father has made provision for us know the way we should go, and to have His wisdom for all of life’s decisions; we are not left alone to figure life out on our own. “But when He, the Holy Spirit comes, He will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13a.  Not only does the Holy Spirit give us direction in life, He is also about transforming us into God’s image. One of the primary roles of the Spirit is that of revealing the Father to us and our identity in Him. The Spirit speaks to us in many ways, primarily through His word, but will also give us thoughts or impressions in our spirit, He can and will speak through circumstances, and He may speak through others. Because it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can live the Christian life, let us embrace His work in us and be quick to respond to His promptings.
John 14:26 “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.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 “in whom ye also, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, unto the praise of His glory.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
December 28, 2020                                    IMATATORS  OF  GOD
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 a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”
You may be thinking-“You are kidding!---me?---imitate God?” As shocking as it may sound, not only is it possible, but we are instructed to imitate God. In Ephesians 4, the scriptures go in to great detail describing how believers are to live in this world and what life looks like when we imitate God. If believers were to take to heart this call to imitate God, the world would be a different place. We see in this verse that we are “beloved children” of God, our heavenly Father, and just as a child often imitates his earthly father, we have within us a desire to be like our heavenly Father. The problem is that many believers have for a long time been exposed to a ‘deficient’ gospel and have not known or experienced the blessings and freedom that come as a result of knowing that we have been made new creations with new hearts, new minds, and new hearts. As believers, it is no longer our nature to sin; bondage to sin has been broken, and now we can live as unto God.  Imitating God becomes a reality when we is live under the banner of love-the kind of love that originates from God, as described in 1 Corinthians 13. It was the love of God that led Jesus to give His life for us as a sacrifice to God that we might be born again. A hallmark of love is that of preferring others over ourselves; we say we love, but all too often, we are focused on ourselves first and foremost. The attempt to prefer others first, to love others, is a frustrating experience if our love is limited to human, selfish love. The good news for the believer is that God has poured His love into our hearts, and now, we can love because our hearts are full of His love. Romans 5:5. When we experience His love, it becomes natural for us to love others-we no longer have to ‘try’ to love others. Loving others with the love of God is a sure sign that the gospel has impacted our lives. As said above, Ephesians 4 describes what imitating God actually looks like in the nitty-gritty of life. Imitating God would include, but not limited to, being gentle, patient, bearing with one another, speaking the truth in love, putting off the old man and putting on the new man, working so that we may be able to give to those in need, speaking only words that edify and build up, getting rid of all bitterness and anger, being kind to one another, and forgiving one another. Who would not like to live where this is the norm?? This is not, as they say, a ‘pipe dream’ but is a picture of the life that we have the ability to live in the here and now because Christ lives in us. We have the opportunity to actually bring some of heaven to earth-right to where we live! Don’t give in to the idea that life on earth is hopelessly miserable and difficult and that only in heaven will we find the reality of God’s love being expressed. Start this very moment, put on your new self and go about today imitating God-you will be glad you did-and so will others!
2 Corinthians 5:20b “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ,”
1 John 2:5-6 “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.”
Blessings,
Buddy
​

 
December 25, 2020                                         GOOD  NEWS
Luke 2:9-11 “And the angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shown around them; and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
It’s hard to imagine the events that took place surrounding the birth of Jesus. At a certain time, God instructed an angel to appear to certain shepherds-just ordinary shepherds watching over their flock-and announce the greatest news of all times. Can you even imagine being one of the shepherds-wow! The news that the angels had to share would forever change the course of history. We are blessed to have a God who brings us good news of a great joy. If not careful, we can lose the pure joy of the good news that God bought not only to the shepherds, but to all people-and that includes you and me; for us, a Savior was born. If a Savior had not been born for us, we would be forever separated from God and our sins not forgiven. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, restores us to the Father and assures us of spending eternity with Him. Jesus birth meant the defeat of Satan and his plans against us. I cannot get my mind around the fact that God humbled Himself, and through Jesus, came and was born as a man in a lowly stable. In referring to how Jesus humbled Himself to be born as a mam, someone said that “God allowed to have His diapers changed.” That is an amazing thought. Hebrews 2:14 tells us “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. The good news of our Savior being born supersedes our trials and difficulties, and all of the bad news we are bombarded with daily. Let us hear again the words of the glad tidings of the angel of the Lord-“I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Merry Christmas,
Buddy

 
December 22, 2020                              THE  MYSTERY  MADE  KNOWN
Ephesians 1:7-9 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intentions which He purposed in Him….”
Matthew 13:11 “And He answered and said unto them, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.”
The message of the gospel is not logical. No matter how educated or no matter how high the IQ may be, those who do not known the Lord cannot understand the word of God nor the kingdom of God; because it is not logical, it is rejected. (We should not be surprised when non-believers do not understand and reject God’s word.) God has designed it in such a way that only through a relationship with Jesus can the gospel be understood and experienced. There are mysteries surrounding the message of the gospel, and there are mysteries about God-BUT He has chosen to make known to us the mysteries. Following is just a brief listing of some of the mysteries of God and His kingdom. It is better to give that to receive. When we die to ourselves, we find life. It is better to prefer others over ourselves. The Holy Spirit of God indwells us. We have been made new creations. We have been given a new heart, a new spirit, and a new mind. We are super-natural beings. God has poured out His love into our hearts. God directs our steps. We have a hope that is not based on circumstances but on God-and His hope does not disappoint. Whoever has, to him shall more be given-Matthew 13. Whoever wishes to be great must become a servant. We return good for evil. We have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of light. There are many more mysteries concerning the things of God-but you get my point. There is a key point that we must not overlook. One can come to know God as Savior, but not be about maturing in the faith and not learning of his or her new identity as a child of God. We should be like Paul who said in Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The pursuit of knowing God more fully and learning more about His kingdom is the greatest pursuit we could ever be about. The good news is that God desires to reveal to us more about Himself and His ways; our part is to have a heart for Him and to seek Him first.
Matthew 16:19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
December 19.2020                             GOD’S  OWN  POSSESSION
Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own. For you have been bought with price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
Coming to the realization that we are God’s possession, and not our own, is a major spiritual breakthrough for us. We tend to see God as one entity, and ourselves as another entity trying to live our life in a way that pleases Him. The truth is that we have become one with Him, and have been joined to Him; we no longer belong to ourselves. That is major! At the very core of human nature is the motivation and desire to live OUR lives as WE see fit. The price God paid to ‘buy’ us, to make us His own, was enormous-the price was His Son crucified on the cross. For us to live or act independently of God grieves Him greatly and it also cost us dearly. If we think that giving our life up and taking own His life is costly and a bad deal, we are deceived. Nothing could ever be better than that of being God’s own possession. Think about it. God designed us and knows every intricate detail of our makeup; He knows exactly what brings us a sense of fulfillment; He is the provider; He is the God of creation; He loves us; and He has chosen to live in us. We are short-sighted if we primarily focus on the here and now. The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a PLEDGE-there is more to come! We have an inheritance yet to come-and it is greater that we can conceive, or even believe. “but just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9. Not only do we have an inheritance to look forward to receiving in the future, we also have as a present blessing, the Holy Spirit living in us. It’s true-our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given as a pledge of our future inheritance; the Holy Spirit reveals the truth of scripture; He gives wisdom; He gives us power to live as unto the Lord; He convicts us if we sin; and He guides us. Knowing that we are God’s possession and that we are temples of the Holy Spirit, gives us an entirely new view and understanding of life. It is liberating to be set free from the self life and ushered into our true identity in the Lord-only then will we experience lasting fulfillment. The decisions we make, the thoughts we have, the choices we make-all we do takes on new meaning. We are eternal beings who have been purchased by God, and we now have the opportunity to represent Him to all we encounter in the routines of life.
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
December 16, 2020                               DO  NOT  LOSE  HEART
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but thought our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look  not at the things which are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
If our focus is on the temporal-the things that are seen-we will surely be disappointed, and experiencing happiness will be like a roller coaster ride with a series of ups and downs. With our physical eyes, we see the temporal-the things that will pass away. We ‘see’ a lot; we see wars, sickness, addictions, strife, brokenness, and we see some things we would call good. One harsh reality that is common to all (perhaps not yet recognized by the younger folks) is that our physical bodies are decaying-that fact alone can cause us to lose heart. The obvious message is that being primarily focuses on the temporal is a no-win situation. A starting place for us to become overcomers is to accept the fact that we will encounter difficulties in life and that our physical bodies are decaying. (Just to clarify-it is good to take care of our physical bodies, to eat properly, exercise, etc.-we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.) The good news is that in spite of all the difficulties, God has made a way for us not to lose heart. It is key for us to view our afflictions and difficulties as temporary or momentary. There are many things to ‘look at’ that are not seen with our physical eyes. That is what Paul and other writers on the New Testament were doing. In fact, our affliction actually works for our good-“producing an eternal weight of glory.” We can see with our spiritual eyesight, the goodness and mercy of God at work; the strength that God gives; we can see the truth of the scriptures; we can see things working for good for those who love Him; we can see the promises of the salvation yet to be revealed; we can see hope; we can see forgiveness in action; we can see the love of God being expressed. Indeed, the things that are not seen are for more important than the things that are seen. That is a vital truth we must embrace and act on. Let us examine what we are focused on, and if need be, make a correction and set our sights on what is not seen-the eternal things of God. No matter the circumstances, we can live without losing heart.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth.”
John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
December 13, 2020                               BE  ON  GUARD
Acts 20:28-30 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
Ephesians 4:11-12 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelist, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”
One general characteristic of those who live in the western world, is that of being independent and self-reliant. Those are good traits to have, but if carried over into our relationship with the Lord and other believers, they are counter-productive, and in fact, stuns our spiritual growth. The spiritual forces of darkness oppose us and oppose God Himself, and it is their desire to cause us to live contrary to the ways of God. You can rightly say that we, Gods created beings, are the focus point of the battle between the ways of God and the ways of Satan. For certain, God wins the battle and Satan and his demons will be destroyed in God’s timing. In the meantime, God actually uses the work of our enemy to further His purposes. In the grand scheme of things, God’s plans for us while we are on earth is to transform us into His image and to make us overcomers in life. This is where being independent minded can cause our demise. Simply said, and to the point, God designed it in such a way that believers need each other.  God places individuals within the body of Christ, the church, to watch over the flock because there will always be those who depart from the gospel that is found in God’s word. Within the body of Christ, there are those who have oversight roles, and there are those who have been given various gifts to benefit the body. There are many spiritual gifts, including teaching, exhortation, administration, words of wisdom, prophecy, healing, discernment, evangelism, faith, giving-and others. Spiritual gifts are an “endowment or extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit” for the benefit of the various members of the body. We must understand and accept the fact that we personally are not complete within ourselves-we need the input of others. Because there is much that would distract us from the true gospel, we must remain on guard and we must find our place in the body of Christ where we find truth, encouragement, care, encouragement, and correction when we need it. Not only do we receive from others in the body, we also give to others what God puts in our hearts. So, let us be on guard for anything or anyone who would take away from the gospel, and let us not be dependent minded when it comes to the things of God.
Romans 12:4-5 “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Blessings,
Buddy
​

 
December 10, 2020                                      BE  STILL
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Isaiah 49:31 “But they who wait the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.”
Most of us do not like waiting. We are a culture that wants it now. The idea of being still may sound like a good idea, but also seems more like a dream or something we will decide do someday-when we have time. Our schedules are full, our responsibilities are many, there are demands on our time, our energy, and our attention. I grew up in the country amongst farmers; I clearly remember folks sitting on the porch after the chores were done, and having conversation, maybe whittling on a stick with a pocket knife, and the kids playing in the yard. At the time, that seemed like no big deal, but as I look back on those days, I see how wholesome and how right those times were. But, we do not live back them-we live now, and the challenge for us is to in some way recapture the times of being still. We need to learn how to be still-just sitting down with nothing in our hands-simple listening for God to speak and meditating on life. However, being still or waiting on God does not mean that we are to be idle. Primarily, waiting on God is about trusting Him and seeking His direction instead of forging ahead with our own ideas and plans and then asking God to bless it. When our actions follow the heart of God and His ways, we find His strength and renewed energy for what we do. When we follow our own desires apart from God, we become weary. To be still is about taking time to contemplate and meditate on the things of God, to listen for His voice, to have an uncluttered mind; it’s about refocusing on what is truly important in life; it’s about reminding ourselves that He rules the universe, that He is sovereign and that nothing can hinder His plans-it’s about KNOWING that HE IS GOD. Knowing that He is God is half the battle. Habits are hard to break and it takes commitment and resolve not to be squeezed into the worlds mold, but whatever it takes, let us direct our hearts and our spirit to wait on God and let us make ‘being still’ a priority.
Psalm 62:5-6 “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Blessings, Buddy

 
December 7, 2020                             NOT  OUR  OWN
1 Corinthians 6:17, 19-20 “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”  “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
Romans 14:8 “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
We take pride in ownership. Much time and energy is spent in acquiring and maintaining the things we own. Certainly there is nothing innately wrong we owning material possessions, but if not careful, our possessions can come to own us. It is the way of the world for owners to be the boss, to be the ones in control, to be the ones who makes the decisions, and the one who is responsible for success or failure. This engrained mindset of ownership works against and is in opposition to the ways of God and our spiritual relationship with Him. A primary and basic truth of scripture is that when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we die to ourselves and are joined to Him-He becomes our Lord. That is a rather drastic reality-we go from owning our lives to dying to our lives and from our ways to His ways. That is a foreign concept and an undesirable concept to those who do not know the Lord-it makes no sense to them. It is a giant step forward for us spiritually when we not only acknowledge that we belong to Him, but live in such a way that the life we live reflects His ownership. A simple but basic truth is that those who are under the Lordship of Jesus make it a priority to do the things that please Him and to carry out His instructions and commands. It may come as a surprise, but putting ourselves under the Lordship of Christ is liberating and it also greatly simplifies life. It does not over-simplify to say that when He is Lord, we in turn have but one goal, and that goal is to follow Him and do as He says. (This is not saying that we are puppets who make no decisions and have no responsibilities; He has called us to be stewards and has given us power and authority to be about His business, and His business is all-inclusive, impacting every aspect of our lives.) As someone aptly said, “Let us go to our own funeral.” Nothing can compare to belonging to God; all who are under His Lordship receive abundant life from Him. It’s not a matter of His life and our life-when we join ourselves with the Lord, we become one spirit with Him.
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 gave Himself up for me.”
Blessings,
Buddy

 
December 4, 2020                          FREELY  WE  HAVE  RECEIVED
Matthew 5:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each of you just as he purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Acts 20:35 “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Proverbs 11:24-25 “There is one who scatters, yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.”
The nature of the man or woman who does not know God is focused on getting. The one who knows and trust God has been given a new nature that is focused on giving. However, not all believers are not givers in the truest sense; they may give out of a sense of duty or obligation. Only when a believer discovers his or her new identity-that they have been made new with a new heart, new spirit, and a new mind-do they become joyful givers. God is THE giver; He demonstrated giving when He gave His Son that we might be redeemed. Now, because God freely gave, we can freely give-what a blessing. Because of this new nature at work in us, we find joy and fulfillment when we give with no strings attached. The basis for the God-kind of giving is based on love. Some may give, but with wrong motives; one may give simply because they believe that is what they are supposed to do, or give to get recognition form others, or give to get God’s approval. God is an extravagant giver and He does indeed love a cheerful giver. Simply put, because our Father is a giver, we also give. Giving should not be something we do on occasion, but the very core of our being should be that of being a giver; having a giving nature becomes obvious to all. There are countless ways to give; we can give of our time, speak an encouraging word, help someone in need, pray for someone, visit, give financially-the list goes on. The Holy Spirit will tell us when and how we are to give-but look for opportunities to give. Scriptures instructs us not to give grudgingly, but to give bountifully. Let us welcome and embrace the encouragement from God to be givers at heart. The closing verse is an awesome promise from God that insures that we can spend the rest of our days giving with no fear of having lack.
2 Corinthians 9:10 “Now 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.”
Blessings,
Buddy