Colossians 3:1-17 (Click on reference to read text)
You know that race you are running in right now? Guess what? You are going to win! That is the power of Christ in your life, that is the promise found in the Word... it is time to claim the victory.
Paul writes to the believers, "Since you have been raised with Christ..." (vs.1). I stopped here because it is time we lay hold of what the words are saying. You have already been raised! You are no longer dead, you have the power and victory of the Resurrection in your life from the moment that you chose to accept Christ as your Savior.
Instead of living in victory, putting on the full armor of God and going to war against Satan on behalf of your family, church and community, so many Christians are cowering in fear. We find ourselves often immobilized by the unknown, by the future, by fears that we cannot control. Satan has caused us to breeze right over the first few words of this chapter. WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN RAISED! According to the Word of God, we can "overwhelmingly conquer" tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword (Romans 8:35-37). According to the Word of God "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Believe in the power of God at work in your life, you have already been raised with Christ!
Once we embrace this victorious truth, we can begin to act in a manner worthy of the Gospel we have received (Phil 1:27). Paul continues to exhort us to set our hearts and minds on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set our minds on things above, not on the things that are on earth (vs.1 continued). We know from Jesus that the things of the earth are all temporary, can be taken away, or eventually will perish, but the Heavenly things will last for all eternity (Matthew 6:19-20).
Now the magic question, how? How do I live in victory, how do I build things for eternity? It is as simple as getting dressed. We are to put off the old (anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech, immorality, impurity, evil desires and greed) (vs. 5-8) and put on the new self (vs. 10). As you get dressed each morning pray verse 12 to God and "clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." If someone needs forgiveness, then forgive (vs.13). If someone needs love and kindness, show the love of Christ (vs.14). If you are stressed and worried about life in general, put on the peace of Christ (vs. 15). If you are confused and unsure of how to handle a situation, let the Word of Christ that dwells in you be your guide (vs. 16). If these things were not hard enough, Paul sums it all up in verse 17: "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
A race is not run by sitting on the sidelines and thinking about the course. You cannot win in life by doing this either. The victorious Christian life is putting on Christ and taking small little steps for His kingdom. You can be victorious by winning the little battles in your life everyday. What ways is He asking for your obedience? Is it to turn off the tv or computer and spend time with him? Is it to get out of the car and go talk to your neighbor instead of just shutting the garage door behind you? Is it to be patient and kind to the cashier who is struggling even though you have screaming kids with you? Is it to greet your children with a smile and express delight, even when you are hoping to have a few moments to yourself? Is it to praise God for the blessings you have been given in those moments you want to complain? There are 100 different ways to bring glory to God today and to have victory. You have already been raised, you have the power... it is time to walk it out!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
A Glimpse into the Father's Heart...
Acts 17:24-31 (Click on reference to read text)
As Father's day approaches, I have found myself continually seeking my Heavenly Father's face. As my heart longs to mourn the death of my earthly Daddy, my spirit has been grasping to the heart of my Heavenly Daddy. As I have been seeking His face, He has reminded me of who He is.
My God, my Heavenly Father, is not far off and unapproachable. Paul describes Him in verse 24 as the "God who made the world and all things in it, since He is the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." He is with me always (Ps 73:23-28). He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). God actually desires to be with us so much, that we are His temple... He, the God of the universe chooses to dwell within us! (1 Cor 6:19) Paul later writes in Hebrews that we are to approach God's throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). When Jesus died on the cross, He became our intercessor, the veil was torn in two and we have full access to the throne of God (Mark 15:38, Hebrews 4:14-16).
Second, we are reminded that God gives us all we need and He chose us! He is the one who gives us breath and life and all things (vs. 25). Ephesians 1:3-5 teaches us that God chose us before the foundation of the world, to be adopted as His children because He wanted to, and it gave Him great pleasure! God loved us before we loved Him (1 John 4:10). We know that He has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). God, our Heavenly Father, wants us! He chose us! He desires us!
Third, we see that God is in control. This truth is sometimes hard to believe when we look at the world around us and just see chaos. However, we have to choose to believe that God is in fact working out everything to accomplish His purposes. We are constantly reminded of God's sovereignty in Scripture: God appoints the time for people to live and the exact place where they should live (vs. 26), God sets up and disposes of kingdoms and changes times and seasons (Daniel 2:20-21), all of our days have been ordained before one of them came to be (Ps 139:16), and these are just a few examples. Our Heavenly Father is sovereign, He is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7), He has always been on the throne and He always will be on the throne. I can rest that my Heavenly Father is watching over me and my security can be found in Him.
Finally, in this passage, we are reminded that God draws us to Him (vs. 27). If we come near to God, He will come near to us (James 4:8). He desires for all nations and all people to come into His presence and be His child (2 Peter 3:9). I think that often times when we feel far away from God, it is because we are the one that moved. I want to remind you of a parable that Jesus told. Luke 15 talks of the prodigal son that practically robbed his father and disowned him. When he was in despair, he came crawling back to his father just asking to be a servant, never believing the father would want to call him son. Instead of denying the child's son ship, he threw a party and threw his arms around his son welcoming him home. Max Lucado says it so well, "Though the boy is willing to stop being a son, the father is not willing to stop being a father" (The Great House of God). What was the point of this story? God is not willing to stop being our Father. He draws us to Him and gives us rest. He offers forgiveness and promises to remember our sins no more (Ps 103). Don't let Satan convince you to stay away, God is welcoming you with open arms.
You see, these simple truths are a reminder of things I already knew. My Heavenly Father loves me, He chooses me, He is near, and He draws me to Him when I wander away. You know what? He is all of those things to you too. If on this Father's day you too find yourself without a Dad to celebrate, choose to celebrate our precious Heavenly Father. I know He is choosing to spend that day with you, and me, too.
As Father's day approaches, I have found myself continually seeking my Heavenly Father's face. As my heart longs to mourn the death of my earthly Daddy, my spirit has been grasping to the heart of my Heavenly Daddy. As I have been seeking His face, He has reminded me of who He is.
My God, my Heavenly Father, is not far off and unapproachable. Paul describes Him in verse 24 as the "God who made the world and all things in it, since He is the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." He is with me always (Ps 73:23-28). He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). God actually desires to be with us so much, that we are His temple... He, the God of the universe chooses to dwell within us! (1 Cor 6:19) Paul later writes in Hebrews that we are to approach God's throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). When Jesus died on the cross, He became our intercessor, the veil was torn in two and we have full access to the throne of God (Mark 15:38, Hebrews 4:14-16).
Second, we are reminded that God gives us all we need and He chose us! He is the one who gives us breath and life and all things (vs. 25). Ephesians 1:3-5 teaches us that God chose us before the foundation of the world, to be adopted as His children because He wanted to, and it gave Him great pleasure! God loved us before we loved Him (1 John 4:10). We know that He has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). God, our Heavenly Father, wants us! He chose us! He desires us!
Third, we see that God is in control. This truth is sometimes hard to believe when we look at the world around us and just see chaos. However, we have to choose to believe that God is in fact working out everything to accomplish His purposes. We are constantly reminded of God's sovereignty in Scripture: God appoints the time for people to live and the exact place where they should live (vs. 26), God sets up and disposes of kingdoms and changes times and seasons (Daniel 2:20-21), all of our days have been ordained before one of them came to be (Ps 139:16), and these are just a few examples. Our Heavenly Father is sovereign, He is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7), He has always been on the throne and He always will be on the throne. I can rest that my Heavenly Father is watching over me and my security can be found in Him.
Finally, in this passage, we are reminded that God draws us to Him (vs. 27). If we come near to God, He will come near to us (James 4:8). He desires for all nations and all people to come into His presence and be His child (2 Peter 3:9). I think that often times when we feel far away from God, it is because we are the one that moved. I want to remind you of a parable that Jesus told. Luke 15 talks of the prodigal son that practically robbed his father and disowned him. When he was in despair, he came crawling back to his father just asking to be a servant, never believing the father would want to call him son. Instead of denying the child's son ship, he threw a party and threw his arms around his son welcoming him home. Max Lucado says it so well, "Though the boy is willing to stop being a son, the father is not willing to stop being a father" (The Great House of God). What was the point of this story? God is not willing to stop being our Father. He draws us to Him and gives us rest. He offers forgiveness and promises to remember our sins no more (Ps 103). Don't let Satan convince you to stay away, God is welcoming you with open arms.
You see, these simple truths are a reminder of things I already knew. My Heavenly Father loves me, He chooses me, He is near, and He draws me to Him when I wander away. You know what? He is all of those things to you too. If on this Father's day you too find yourself without a Dad to celebrate, choose to celebrate our precious Heavenly Father. I know He is choosing to spend that day with you, and me, too.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Show a Little Love...
Matthew 10:24-39 (Click on Reference to read text - focus on vs. 37-38)
I recently watched John Piper commenting on his book, "Don't Waste Your Life." He made a comment that has impacted me greatly (this is probably not word for word, but the basic gist): "Love is not helping people feel good about themselves, love is showing a dying soul the life giving beauty of the glory of God so that they forget about themselves."
We as a church are great at not making people feel bad about themselves. We try to show the world the "love of Christ" and dance around the Gospel so that we don't offend anyone. We want people to feel good about themselves so that they can feel good about Jesus too. Satan has used this watered down philosophy so much in our life, in my life, that I forget about God. I forget about eternity. I care more about a person's present comfort and world view, then where they spend eternity. This is not showing the love of Christ.
In the Bible we see countless examples of the Biblical view of love: "See how great a love the Father has lavished on us, that we might become children of God" (1 John 3:1), "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the atonement for our sins" (1 John 4:10), nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:32-39), Love is patient, kind, not jealous, does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take in account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails (1 Cor 13:4-8).
The Biblical view of love is complete self sacrifice. That God gave everything so that we may be reconciled to Him. That without His love we would spend eternity away from our Heavenly Father. Satan wants us to believe and act upon the idea that it is not loving to preach the Gospel straight. That the Gospel is too narrow, to restricted, that since it does not allow all permissive behaviors, it is hateful and unkind. However, we know differently. We know that God gave everything so that we can be reconciled to Him, that the permissive behaviors the world likes to lift up are harmful, destroy the body and the soul. We know that true self worth can only be found in the lasting identity of being a child of God. We know that true peace can only be found in the eternal hope of His kingdom.
John implores the church, "do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who does the will of God lives for ever" (1 John 2:15-17). Don't give in to the lies of Satan regarding the definition of love. We know that Satan is a deceiver and a liar, that love is not found in him but that he is out to kill, to steal and to destroy life (John 10:10, John 8:44). Love your lost family, your lost friends, people who cross your path with the love of Christ and share the Good News! Aren't you glad that someone loved you enough to make you feel a little uncomfortable at first, but with the end result of eternal salvation?
It is not our job to make people feel good about themselves. Anything we do is only temporary. It is our job to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) and to be God's witnesses "both in Jerusalem (your city), and in all Judea and Samaria (your country), and even to the remotest parts of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Who does God want you to love today?
I recently watched John Piper commenting on his book, "Don't Waste Your Life." He made a comment that has impacted me greatly (this is probably not word for word, but the basic gist): "Love is not helping people feel good about themselves, love is showing a dying soul the life giving beauty of the glory of God so that they forget about themselves."
We as a church are great at not making people feel bad about themselves. We try to show the world the "love of Christ" and dance around the Gospel so that we don't offend anyone. We want people to feel good about themselves so that they can feel good about Jesus too. Satan has used this watered down philosophy so much in our life, in my life, that I forget about God. I forget about eternity. I care more about a person's present comfort and world view, then where they spend eternity. This is not showing the love of Christ.
In the Bible we see countless examples of the Biblical view of love: "See how great a love the Father has lavished on us, that we might become children of God" (1 John 3:1), "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the atonement for our sins" (1 John 4:10), nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:32-39), Love is patient, kind, not jealous, does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take in account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails (1 Cor 13:4-8).
The Biblical view of love is complete self sacrifice. That God gave everything so that we may be reconciled to Him. That without His love we would spend eternity away from our Heavenly Father. Satan wants us to believe and act upon the idea that it is not loving to preach the Gospel straight. That the Gospel is too narrow, to restricted, that since it does not allow all permissive behaviors, it is hateful and unkind. However, we know differently. We know that God gave everything so that we can be reconciled to Him, that the permissive behaviors the world likes to lift up are harmful, destroy the body and the soul. We know that true self worth can only be found in the lasting identity of being a child of God. We know that true peace can only be found in the eternal hope of His kingdom.
John implores the church, "do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who does the will of God lives for ever" (1 John 2:15-17). Don't give in to the lies of Satan regarding the definition of love. We know that Satan is a deceiver and a liar, that love is not found in him but that he is out to kill, to steal and to destroy life (John 10:10, John 8:44). Love your lost family, your lost friends, people who cross your path with the love of Christ and share the Good News! Aren't you glad that someone loved you enough to make you feel a little uncomfortable at first, but with the end result of eternal salvation?
It is not our job to make people feel good about themselves. Anything we do is only temporary. It is our job to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) and to be God's witnesses "both in Jerusalem (your city), and in all Judea and Samaria (your country), and even to the remotest parts of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Who does God want you to love today?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Just a Little Balance Please!
(A post that is just about being real... no real devotional... just honesty.)
I am selfish. There. I said it. I know I am not alone, but that doesn't matter. Jesus commands me to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but to always consider others as more important than myself (Phil 2:3 f). It was time I listened and time I got my priorities correct.
All of this came to a head about two weeks ago. A month before I had started an extreme exercise program. The commitment was 6 days a week, at least an hour a day. The only time I had to do it was while the kids were napping, which was when I usually did my quiet time. So then my quiet time got pushed to right before bed (you can imagine how productive that time was!). After exercising, I was wiped out and had little energy to keep up with the house, play with the kids, take care of my husband, stay up on errands, etc. I was doing nothing well. In fact I found myself getting angry and defensive about not getting more help from others. I wasn't even losing the weight I was hoping for. I was incredibly discouraged, not because of the weight, but because I was watching the breakdown of the relationships I care about the most.
I am not a quitter, I loved the exercise, but how could I justify putting everything second to that program? I made a hard decision. I cut back. Instead of working out 6 days a week, I now work out 3 days a week. I am doing the same program but it is just taking me twice as long. Guess what, I am now losing weight, my kids are getting my attention and we are playing together, I am keeping the house clean, my husband gets a hot meal on the table, and I NEVER replace working out with my quiet time. It is all about priorities.
Ecclesiastes 3 talks about the different seasons of life. In every season there are times we are going to be called to certain things. I know that this season of my life is to be the best mom to my preschool children that I can be. To love them unconditionally, give them the attention and instruction they deserve. If I am so busy with other things that I am not able to be the consistent parent I need to be, something is wrong. I need to love my husband well by respecting him and caring for him. To love him as the Bible commands: to demonstrate to the world that how I love him is how we should love the Lord (wow, that is convicting!)(Eph 5:22-33).
It is hard putting off something that we want to do for the good of those around us and for my own spiritual health. I know that anything that causes me to be to busy to spend time with the Lord is an idol and NOT from Him (even good things, even some Godly things). God is looking at my heart. Was losing weight and being physically fit worth the sacrifice I was asking my family to make? Easy answer, no.
My Dad passed away suddenly almost 6 months ago. It was completely unexpected. It happened to him, it could happen to me, to those I love around me. What if it did? Would the way I am living my life now, managing my time now, cause me to have regrets? Would I feel guilty and convicted of wasted time and a wasted life?
Anyway, I know this post is completely random. Not super deep and not the usual explication of Scripture, but this is real. This is what I am going through, this is what the Lord is teaching me. Time will come that I will have the time to serve in a particular ministry, work out at my leisure, lay in a hammock and read to my hearts content... but now I know where the Lord is convicting me. I know where I need to change, and if you are being honest with yourself, you know the areas in your life that need to change too. The time is now. It is time to listen and obey. Trust that the Lord will handle the details and let go.
As I sang to my precious toddler tonight, "Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey."
I am selfish. There. I said it. I know I am not alone, but that doesn't matter. Jesus commands me to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but to always consider others as more important than myself (Phil 2:3 f). It was time I listened and time I got my priorities correct.
All of this came to a head about two weeks ago. A month before I had started an extreme exercise program. The commitment was 6 days a week, at least an hour a day. The only time I had to do it was while the kids were napping, which was when I usually did my quiet time. So then my quiet time got pushed to right before bed (you can imagine how productive that time was!). After exercising, I was wiped out and had little energy to keep up with the house, play with the kids, take care of my husband, stay up on errands, etc. I was doing nothing well. In fact I found myself getting angry and defensive about not getting more help from others. I wasn't even losing the weight I was hoping for. I was incredibly discouraged, not because of the weight, but because I was watching the breakdown of the relationships I care about the most.
I am not a quitter, I loved the exercise, but how could I justify putting everything second to that program? I made a hard decision. I cut back. Instead of working out 6 days a week, I now work out 3 days a week. I am doing the same program but it is just taking me twice as long. Guess what, I am now losing weight, my kids are getting my attention and we are playing together, I am keeping the house clean, my husband gets a hot meal on the table, and I NEVER replace working out with my quiet time. It is all about priorities.
Ecclesiastes 3 talks about the different seasons of life. In every season there are times we are going to be called to certain things. I know that this season of my life is to be the best mom to my preschool children that I can be. To love them unconditionally, give them the attention and instruction they deserve. If I am so busy with other things that I am not able to be the consistent parent I need to be, something is wrong. I need to love my husband well by respecting him and caring for him. To love him as the Bible commands: to demonstrate to the world that how I love him is how we should love the Lord (wow, that is convicting!)(Eph 5:22-33).
It is hard putting off something that we want to do for the good of those around us and for my own spiritual health. I know that anything that causes me to be to busy to spend time with the Lord is an idol and NOT from Him (even good things, even some Godly things). God is looking at my heart. Was losing weight and being physically fit worth the sacrifice I was asking my family to make? Easy answer, no.
My Dad passed away suddenly almost 6 months ago. It was completely unexpected. It happened to him, it could happen to me, to those I love around me. What if it did? Would the way I am living my life now, managing my time now, cause me to have regrets? Would I feel guilty and convicted of wasted time and a wasted life?
Anyway, I know this post is completely random. Not super deep and not the usual explication of Scripture, but this is real. This is what I am going through, this is what the Lord is teaching me. Time will come that I will have the time to serve in a particular ministry, work out at my leisure, lay in a hammock and read to my hearts content... but now I know where the Lord is convicting me. I know where I need to change, and if you are being honest with yourself, you know the areas in your life that need to change too. The time is now. It is time to listen and obey. Trust that the Lord will handle the details and let go.
As I sang to my precious toddler tonight, "Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey."
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