Reading the Bible daily…why do we make every excuse known to man about why we can’t? The Lord not only wants us to read His Word daily, but He wants us to sit and think about how it relates to our life after we’re done reading. God wants us to reflect and contemplate what the scriptures are saying to us personally…and in doing so, the His plan for our life will be revealed with clarity and certainty.
Tag: theology
Luke 9: 1-2 ” When Jesus had called them together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
The Lord gathered the disciples together, laying out a game plan of what He wanted them to accomplish. He sent them out as ambassadors to proclaim the Gospel to others…But Jesus specifically gave them power to cast out demons and heal the sick. When God commissions you to go out into the world on His behalf, it will be with specific goals He wants you to attain, but He will never send you out without first endowing you with the power, physical capacity, and authority to carry it out. Each of His callings are unique, although there is one overlying mission for all…that is to proclaim the Good News where ever you go.
I Peter 1: 8-9 ” Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
The literal definition of faith is believing, having not yet seen. We step out in trust even though we can’t see around that corner in our life. We move confidently ahead, knowing that the Lord is always there…right beside us, guiding, prompting, and always encouraging us. And so it is with gladness of heart that can not be expressed by mere words, that we look forward to the finish line, to the thing we cherish most…eternal life with our Heavenly Father.
I Corinthians 10:13 ” No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are temped, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
Temptation is temptation…it may have many different faces, and it may be something completely different for you as it is for me. But regardless, Satan uses enticement on everyone, everyday, hoping to cause us to fall. The Lord however, will not allow us to be entangled in sin beyond what we can handle…and in doing so, will also give us an “out”. This may be as simple as saying “No”, or walking away, or just standing there, doing nothing. God is faithful…He will always do His part…so the next time you’re lured in by sin, look for His “out.”
Revelation 3: 15-16 ” I know you deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of My mouth.”
Lukewarm Christianity is like a very limp handshake…it’s there, but not very effective. The Lord has some harsh words about lukewarm Christians…He’d rather have us totally cold towards the Gospel, than to ruin it with our mediocrity. Sometimes it just takes remembering our first love, to reignite that zeal and spiritual fervor we once had to serve Him.
Acts 15:11 “No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved just as they are.”
The most wondrous thing about coming to Jesus is that we don’t have to do anything but accept His unearned and unmerited grace. We don’t have to get to a certain point of “goodness” in our lives, or do a certain amount of “good works” before He’ll accept us…No, rather, as the old familiar hymn goes, “Just as I am, I come.” It is truly by grace we have been saved…the only thing we have to do is say…Yes.
I Samuel 15:22 ” But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.’ “
The Old Testament Prophet Samuel had told King Saul that God wanted the Israelites to go to battle against the Amalekites and completely destroy and annihilate them and everything they owned…but Saul and his men disobeyed and brought back the best livestock, which Saul tried to justify, by saying they were going to “sacrifice them to the Lord”. God’s reasoning behind the total destruction of a people group and everything they owned was, first… obedience, and secondly, to remove the lure towards idolatry by decimating the source. What the Lord wants more than anything from us is a relationship with Him…not a religious act.
Hebrews 1:3 ” The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word.”
Another beautiful word for radiance is effulgence…God’s splendor was emitted through Jesus, showing us a perfect expression of God’s Divine essence. In John this is spoken about…Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” And John wrote, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The Lord came to uphold all things by the strength of His spoken Word. Jesus was fully divine…and fully human, giving us just a glimpse at what our Heavenly Father was like.
Exodus 20: 17 ” You shall not covet.”
The final Commandment talks about covetousness…the excessive, uncontrolled, and selfish desire or greed for something. When we covet something or someone it’s usually forbidden or unrighteous in God’s eyes…and we have forsaken Him to satisfy our desires. Jesus spoke of this in Luke 12:15 when He said, ” Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” In other words, we need to be content with what we have…not in what we think we must have.
Exodus 20: 16 ” You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
The ninth Commandment deals with slander…giving a false statement maliciously that damages a person’s reputation. But this Commandment can also include something as insidious as a simple bit of gossip that gets out of hand and smears someone’s good name and reputation in the process. The Lord would want all our dealings with friends and associates to be above-board and without fabrication. Rebuilding a reputation after it’s been maligned falsely is sometimes almost an impossible task.
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