Why and What For??

Colossians 1:15-17  "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."


         Sometimes, we get a little too self-focused in our lives.  Maybe we are frustrated with our circumstances, our failings or feel lost without direction in our lives.  God knew our mind struggles would come, so He gave us an answer in Colossians 1 to our common questions of... 'Why am I here?' and 'What am I here for?'  Today's blog will focus on these two questions.
      "Christ is the eternal wisdom of the Father, and the world was made in wisdom. He is the eternal Word, and the world was made by the word of God. He is the arm of the Lord, and the world was made by that arm."  [M. Henry]

      Why am I here?

       Someone once said, 'I didn't ask to be born!'  That's right, but God thought of you before the world began and loved you into creation. His thoughts and ways are far greater than our own.  Psalm 139: 13-16  "For you created my inmost being; knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."   "I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born." ISAIAH 44: 2A (CEV)  "God’s motive for creating you was his love. The Bible says, 'Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love.'  "You were created as a special treasure of God’s love! God made you so he could love you. This is a truth to build your life on." [R. Warren]
       "Our heavenly Father’s desire is for us to develop Christlike character and grow in intimacy with Him. He wants us to experience the richness of His love and wholeheartedly show Him devotion. He will use trials and difficulties to accomplish His good purposes for us." [intouch.org]


      What am I here for?

       As the verse above states, 'all things have been created through him and FOR him.'  We are here to fulfill God's will here on Earth.  "It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. Every other path leads to a dead end." [R. Warren]  The best way to discover your purpose in life is to look to and ask your Creator, God Almighty.  Turn to God's Word, not the world.  "The Bible says, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”

       "God created us to live in heaven with him for eternity. Heaven is our home, not Earth. That’s why we sometimes experience discontentment and dissatisfaction in life. We’re not completely happy here because we’re not supposed to be! Otherwise, we might think we can live without God. He created us to long for something much better — a home is heaven with him.You will never feel completely satisfied on Earth, because you were made for more. You will have happy moments here, but nothing compared with what God has planned for you. This is also why some of God’s promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some circumstances seem unfair. But this is not the end of the story. Realizing that life on Earth is just temporary should radically alter your values."  [R. Warren]

May your mind be focused on your Creator and His purposes as you start each God-given day of your life.  You are no accident, but a part of God's purposeful plan.

True Freedom

        Memorial Day is a day of remembrance to the brave and heroic military persons that gave it all for us.  Today, we honor those who have served and sacrificed their lives, so that we may live freely and enjoy the freedom that America offers in our every day lives. 
        As great as our freedom is here in America, many are still bound by the chains of sin.  They do not know the freedom that is gained by knowing and accepting Jesus Christ, as their sin redeemer.  "The greatest freedom we can experience is the forgiveness of our sins, liberation from the strongholds that have held us captive, and the restoration of our relationship with our Maker and His creation."
        According to the Bible, men and women are either slaves of God or slaves to sin.  Rom. 6:16-18  " Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness."  There is no middle ground. The latter serve Satan by feeding their own selfish impulses. Meanwhile, the “slaves of God” enjoy true freedom. They honor the Lord by keeping away from those things that imprison the body, emotions, or thoughts.  [intouch.org]
        "Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive." Isaiah 52:1-2
        When I read the verse above, it encourages me to fully rely on God's love and words of encouragement.  It frees me from the hurtful words from the world.  Jesus leads my life, not people or their opinions.  Do you know how liberating that is?  It's a confirming feeling that I am on the right path in my life.  Psalm 56:11  "In God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?"
        "Christ came to set us free from the prisons we have lived in for far too long. When we clothe ourselves in the strength and splendor of our great God, no weapon forged against us will prosper. When we envelop our souls with his brilliance and power, we put on the armor of God–and his gleaming garments of light will push back the darkness of defeat. Instead of wallowing in the dust, we rise up as a royal priesthood, seated with Christ in the heavenly realms."
        The truth of God’s Word can set you free from the prison of shame, fear and defeat. Whenever you sense those lies creeping back in, remind yourself that you are covered, clothed, and surrounded by the strength and splendor of your Father.  

The Word of God holds many promises of freedom for those who put their trust in Jesus. For example, we have freedom: [intouch.org]

• In Christ (John 8:36; Rom. 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:17; Gal. 5:1).

• From sin (Acts 10:43; Rom. 6:6-7; 1 Cor. 10:13).

• From fear (Rom. 8:15; Phil. 4:6-7; 2 Tim. 1:7 ).

A Confident Hope

      Sometimes, events in life cause me to be at a loss for words on what to blog about.  When I turn to God's Word, I am overwhelmed because I feel like every verse is a comfort or a leading passage to my heart and it's hard to choose.  So today, I choose what helps me to persevere... the Hope I have in Jesus Christ.
      Confident hope is different than hope that could go either way, like 'I hope it doesn't rain today.' God is Hope.  It is based on His promises that do not and will not fail.  ''Confident hope is based on the full assurance that God is trustworthy, reliable, and able to fulfill His promises.  That He will keep His word.''
      'Hope is looking forward with expectation and anticipation of something we believe will happen.  Confident hope does not waver even when rough times come.  Confident hope does not let circumstances diminish its power or boldness.  Confident hope believes every circumstance, no matter how unpleasant at the time, is working on our behalf to grow us, mature us, and cement our hope.  Challenges give us the opportunity to give God the opportunity to prove His power, His might, His ability, and His willingness to come to our aid.  Confident hope relies on God.  Given the opportunity, God answers and gives us more reason for confident hope.'
     
HOPE:

1] Along with faith and love, hope is an enduring virtue of the Christian life (1 Corinthians 13:13)

2] Love springs from hope (Colossians 1:4-5).

3] Hope produces joy and peace in believers through the power of the Spirit (Romans 12:12; 15:13)." 


      Charles Spurgeon said, "What mercy it is that it not your hold of Christ that saves you, but His hold of you." 
      R. C. Sproul said, "We are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because He holds tightly to us."
     My prayer for you is that, if you do not know this Hope, you will seek the Word of God and let it speak to you through study and worship time alone with God.

Lord, I Need You

Psalm 40:17  "But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay."

Philippians 4:19  "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."

Hebrews 4:16  "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."


       Saturday night, five of us had a girl's night out and attended Worship Night Out at Verizon Arena.  What an evening of worship and praise!  As this week has been a hard one to fathom, this concert had perfect timing to remind us where our focus, praise and attention should always be--on God.  I want to share a few points, that I can remember, from last night that were from song or spoken word.  These are just to provoke your thoughts individually, there is no group theme, except God calling us to Him.

Points to Ponder:
1] Love has a name- Jesus, Hope has a name- Jesus, Victory has a name- Jesus

2] When the church starts praying, the world starts changing

3] One of the biggest hindrances to revival is the hindrance of expression to God in worship

4] Your affection to God can only be expressed by you, no one else can do it for you

5]  Your comfort does not trump God's commands... follow, trust and obey

6]  God's grace is enough for me...He is my hope and stay, my Deliverer

7]  The book of Psalms is full of the word 'praise', but there are 7 Hebrew words for praise that have different meanings:

       a] Yadah-- to worship with the extended hand-It carries the meaning of absolute surrender as a young child does to a parent - "pick me up, I'm all yours".
       b] Tehillah-- to sing a spontaneous new song
       c] Barak-- to kneel or bow in adoration to God
       d] Halal-- to be boastful in praise - where the word 'hallelujah' comes from
       e] Towdah--  a thanksgiving of what has been received and for what is to come by His will
       f] Zamar-- to sing with instruments
       g] Shabach--  a loud adoration or shout of praise
       

    I share this with you today to remind you that you are never alone because God is always with you.  He is our Rock and Cornerstone that never fails.  He deserves our highest praise--unashamed glory for all the love, grace and mercy He gave on the cross and continues to give today.  Hallelujah and Amen!


     

Authenticity

Proverbs 12:22  "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy."
1 Peter 2:1  "Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind




        Have you ever pretended to be something you're not?  Were you trying to be accepted by, pleasing to, or like.. the world around you?  Romans 12:2  " Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."  The devil plants thoughts into our minds that we are not enough just as we are.  With and through the blood of Christ, we are enough.  Christ in us needs no additions.  His gift of grace is enough.  The world will never be satisfied with who and what we are, but His mercy sees each of us, as beautiful and enough.  "Not what I was, but who I could become thru His blood."
       "The qualities God wants in His people further reveal His concept of beauty. The beatitudes reveal some of God’s standards of beauty. An awareness of one’s spiritual poverty, sorrow for wickedness, hunger and thirst for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, and being a peacemaker are all qualities of beauty. The epistles also stress attributes valued by God: keeping a living faith while enduring physical hardships, controlling the tongue, enduring personal harm to protect the church’s influence, making sacrifices for the good of others, and living by Christian convictions in the face of ridicule. All these are beautiful to God.  We must remember that just as it is possible to be one of society’s most impressive people and be ugly in the eyes of God, it is also possible to be an unknown in society and to be radiantly beautiful in His eyes."  [gotquestions.org]
        E.E. Cummings said, "To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing it's best, night and day, to make you everybody else_means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."
       As for myself, I've not always embraced my authentic self.  In my teenage years, I would lie about my soft voice saying 'I was hoarse from yelling at the football game.'  It's taken me many years to embrace my physical weaknesses as part of God's will for my life.  I now have the courage to be vulnerable and imperfect because I am who God made me to be, just as He wanted and designed.
        C.S. Lewis addresses the authenticity of God by saying, "I want God, not my idea of God."  God clearly states who He is and what He stands for in the Bible.  Sin twists our thoughts of God into who we want Him to be, not who He really is.  A common phrase is "God is love"..yes, but finish the sentence.."God is love and just."
        Exodus 15:11  "Who among the gods is like you, Lord?  Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?"  God is incomparable to anything or anyone.  He is never changing. He is authentic and trustworthy in all things, beyond our capability and thoughts.  "In Christ we are loved, forgiven, and secure. In Christ we are adopted, justified, redeemed, reconciled, and chosen. In Christ we are victorious, filled with joy and peace, and granted true meaning in life. What a wonderful Savior is Christ!"


May we embrace and grow into who God intended us to be.  Be true to yourself and to God  personally, publicly and privately.



       O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart. —Chisholm

Pride

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall”
Proverbs 16:18

“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”  Micah 6:8

Why is pride so destructive? [thoughts-about-god.com]

– Pride blinds us to who we really are.

– Pride tells us we’re better than we really are; so there’s no need to repent or to change.

– Pride cuts us off from God, and also from others.

– Pride puts us above others, which makes us look down on others,
and cuts us off from them as a result; and we feel we don’t need God.

   Today, let's talk about the sinfulness of pride.   We are all sinners of pride, because we think too much of ourselves, we rely on ourselves too much, and we value ourselves above others.  When we truly humble ourselves, we acknowledge that we can do  nothing apart from God.  Psalm 10:4 "In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God."  

   "If self-centeredness controls our thinking, we’ll seek ways around divine commands in order to serve ourselves. When caught, we may try to justify our disobedience.  When we are willing to confront our pride actively, God will replace it with a spirit of humility that fits who we are in Christ."  [intouch.org]

    There are many examples of pride's destructive aftermath in the Bible to warn us from falling victim to it.  2 Chronicles 26:16 "But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall."  2 Chronicles 32:25 "But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem."  Isaiah 16:6 "We have heard of Moab’s pride— how great is her arrogance!— of her conceit, her pride and her insolence; but her boasts are empty."  In Daniel 5:20-21 regarding Nebuchadnezzar, "But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.  He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes."  In Isaiah 13:11, "I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.

     Don't get dismayed, there is hope for all of us that is found in humility and repentance.  2 Chronicles 32:26  "Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah."   Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

3 Common Areas of Pride and How to Rethink Them  [intouch.org]

Possessions. Start giving things away. We can begin by honoring God with our tithe. He promises that our nine-tenths will go farther than ten-tenths. The next step is to give to someone in need who can give nothing in return. But don't parade your generosity around; keep it as secret as you can (Matt. 6:1-4).

Position. Acknowledge that whatever you have accomplished, God has done it for you (Isa. 26:12). Then ask Him to show you an area of service that has no rank or credit. Knowing that the Lord values every kind of service, we shouldn't hesitate to request a place that is lower than we're accustomed to. Our position in this world matters only to the extent that we use it to glorify God (James 1:9-11).

Privilege. Realize that many things you may take pride in come through privilege. None of us is truly "self-made"; no matter how hard you've worked, others have made sacrifices to allow you the opportunities and freedoms you enjoy. Remember, it is actually God's grace that has blessed you with whatever knowledge you may credit yourself for having.

The Error of Abusing God's Grace--Antinomianism by GuestWriter, Dale Foster

Last week we read that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, not of works, unless any of us may boast.  Ultimately there are only two religions in the world, salvation by faith, or salvation by works.  One is true and leads to Heaven.  The other is false and shall lead its followers to damnation. There is error in counting on your good works to somehow bribe God.  On the contrary, His grace is “unmerited favor”, and is our only hope of salvation. 

There is also error of the other extreme.  The perilous philosophy of living in the temporary “pleasures” of sin and abusing the grace of God while claiming the name of Christ is known as antinomianism, which simply means ‘against or contrary to law’—lawlessness.  A destructive philosophy of both ancient and modern popularity is the idea that a “Christian” need not abandon a sinful lifestyle, but instead considers the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as his license to behave as a libertine.  While considering this, be mindful of what James wrote, “The demons believe, and tremble.”  Paul addresses this dangerous idea in 1 Corinthians 3, by which passage many have supposed a special class of Christian known as “carnal Christians.”  A “Law” and “Grace” paradigm suggests that the Old Testament believers, the Jews, were under the Law, but that the world at large, as the New Testament applies to Jew and Greek, lives under grace (and not law).  In one respect, this is true.  All of mankind exists by the common grace of God; they live, they breathe, they enjoy life, no matter their sorrows.  In this life, none of us receives what all of us deserve—the wrath of God in a place of eternal torment.  We live under God’s common grace.  But in another respect, this ought not to be confused with God’s special grace, the calling of those believers who, by His grace, are walking in authentic faith (which is a gift of God {Ephesians 2:8b}).

This idea of antinomianism supposes that by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, those who “believe” in him possess a license of freedom to act as they please (it may be instructive on your own to research the etymology of the English word “believe”).  I know this philosophy very well.  Before Christ graciously saved me, my rationalization to sin was, in essence, “this is why Christ died, to pay for this sin {for which I had planned, accommodated, and used to enjoy)”.  Today even as I write these words, I am nauseated by my own corrupted justification of my sin.  Now I see antinomianism for what it is—the false convert drinks in the pleasures of sin while bathing in the blood of Christ.  The imagery is graphic, but no less is needed to illustrate the reality in which the carnal “Christian” lives.  (Remember that it was to this same church, the Corinthians, that Paul later wrote “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith, examine yourselves!” {2 Corinthians 13:5})

Is there such a thing as a false convert?  Jesus spoke of them often.  Many of His parables were warnings directed at those with a show of religion on the outside (whitewashed tombs), but on the inside were full of dead men’s bones.  Ten virgins, all similar in appearance, five prepared, five locked out.  One seed, four soils, same Gospel call.  One soil produced an amazingly robust-looking plant.  It sprung up tall, but the soil was weak, and it died out quickly.   And of course, who can ignore that ultimate pretender, Judas Iscariot.  Have you ever looked for him in the painting of The Last Supper?  He’s there.  He looks like all the others. 

Jesus called him a devil.  Judas was a false convert with a pretense of faith, but lived against the Law (he was stealing their money).

The Law of God serves many purposes.  Among other functions, it is meant to show the sinner he needs to be saved (Galatians 3:24, the law our tutor that brings us to Christ), to stop the sinner from self-justification (Romans 3:19-20), and to refresh the soul (Psalm 19).  Knowing its beautiful purposes, how could the true Christian who possesses authentic faith in Christ resist or despise the Law of God? 

Among numerous other passages, Paul gives us a glimpse of what our response to the idea of living against God’s Law ought to be in Romans 6:  “What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?  May it never be!”  (vv 1-2).   In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul argues that meat sacrificed to idols is nothing, yet eating it may damage a weaker believer’s conscience.  In fact, God through Paul takes it a step further and states that by exercising the liberty of grace and wounding the conscience of a weak brother, “you sin against Christ”  (verse 12), even when that activity is not expressly forbidden by Scripture.. 

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul states “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”  Old things like our desires, affections, worldview, paradigms, love of sin, and hatred of God’s Law.   Those things pass away.  The saint isn’t transformed to sinless perfection at justification, which he will not see until glorification.  No, the saint is not sinless, he just sins less.  His desire is for purity, holiness, and truth.  His desire is for the Law of God. 

The homework for this week is to read Psalm 119, and see how the author (who might have been King David, a man after God’s own heart) felt about God’s Law.  “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD.  How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.”

And remember gravely the warning of Jesus, as quoted in Matthew chapter 7, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” 

God's Grace IS Enough

Galatians 3:1-6  "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.  I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?  Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?  Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain?  So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?  So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Galatians 2:21  "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

 Galatians 3: 21-22  "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not!  For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.  But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe."


         In today's blog, I want to scratch the surface on the subject of  'grace versus works'.  I want to begin with 2 Corinthians 12:9  " “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  I don't think this verse only applies to our daily trials, but also lays a fundamental truth that, 'We cannot save ourselves but we are saved by God's grace alone.'    Ephesians 2:8-9  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."
        "God has rules. The problem is, none of us can or do keep them. But the point of God’s rules isn’t so that, in keeping them, we can be made right with Him. The point of His rules is to make apparent to us our glaring inadequacies and failure and sin. When we are left with no further claim to earning God’s favor through our own goodness we are finally ready to look to Jesus alone as Savior. The Bible says,  "The Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ." – Galatians 3:22 NLT  [B. Cox]
         Some people believe that without a certain 'work' being done in life that a person's belief in God as their Lord and Savior is invalidated.  Not True!  In John 3:16, it says 'whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life'.  It does not say 'whoever believes and ....[a list of works]'.  Is a death bed testimony of repentance and acceptance of Christ any less credible than any other profession of faith, according to Scripture?
         "Paul points out in verse 6 that Abraham was accepted by God not because he was circumcised, but because he trusted God’s promises and put his faith in him. (In Romans 4:10, Paul points out that God accepted Abraham as his son long before he ever got circumcised, so it would be pointless to argue from the life of Abraham that circumcision was necessary to be accepted by God!)" [willing2share.com]
         Works are an important aspect to the Christian life, but they are a loving response to Christ's saving grace. God's grace is inexhaustible.  We can never establish ourselves as good enough, according to God's rules and standards.  We can only look to Jesus' death and resurrection for our sin atonement, not any human effort.  "There is unbelievable relief in this truth. There is freedom and liberty. There is assurance and eternal security. There is adoption into God’s family. There is the promise of life in heaven someday and an abundant, fulfilling life today."
        "It is not enough to know the truth, and to say we believe it, but we must obey it too; we must heartily submit to it, and stedfastly abide by it.  Those are spiritually bewitched who, when the truth as it is in Jesus is plainly set before them, will not thus obey it. "  [M. Henry] 
       "Keep in mind that serving God in order to earn His favor or ensure that He continues blessing you amounts to thwarting grace. You can do nothing to deserve the Lord’s kindness! He pours it upon believers freely, so the only thing you can “do” is receive it." [intouch.org]

        The lyrics to 'Who Am I' by Casting Crowns sums it all up pretty well...
           'Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done
            Not because of what I've done, but  because of who You are!'