O Be Careful

"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you"- 1 Peter 4:14 (NIV).

We watched the movie and heard the Lord's name used irreverently multiple times. The movie had been recommended, encouraged to watch, and had earned accolades in the film industry. When I explained our regrets over not giving a thumbs up for this movie, they were surprised...they had missed it, unaware of the dishonoring of God's name in the movie. Over time you can become desensitized to sin because you've been exposed to it so much. Tolerance leads to desensitization, which leads to more tolerance...and the cycle continues until you're no longer donning your spiritual armor each day, leaving you vulnerable. The well known children's song is profound: O be careful little eyes what you see, little ears what you hear, little hands what you do, little feet where you go, little mouth what you say. Children of God, O be careful.

Good For The Soul

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective"- James 5:16 (NIV).

You've heard the expression that confession is good for the soul. It's not only true, it's Biblical. We understand that we are to confess our sins to God and He will forgive His children through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, but James says we should confess our sins to each other, too. I don't think that means we are to sit down and share all of our past sinfulness with each other; a one stop confession. No, we should confess as we sin, on-going, because, brothers and sisters, the opportunity will be there everyday. We are sinners. Be quick to admit sinning against another and confess it to them; the act is not only freeing, but it's obedience to God. Then pray for each other; it's both powerful and effective. Once you've confessed to another, remember to confess to your Father; after all, when you sin, you are sinning against God. Then His healing will flow through your soul, beyond description and better than any medicine in your doctor's office.

Will of God

"For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever"- 1 John 2:16-17 (NIV).

What is the will of God? According to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, it is giving thanks in all circumstances. Tired of all the work it takes to survive in this world? Thank Jehovah-Jireh, your Provider. It is He who meets your needs. Tired of the stress in your life: Thank Jehovah-Shalom, your Peace, for holding you through the storms of life. Tired of accusations from others and from yourself? Thank Jehovah-Tsidkenu, your Justifier. He will defend you in this battle; you only need to show up. Tired of feeling all alone in this world? Thank Jehovah-Shammah, because He is forever near; you are never alone, never forsaken. Tired of losing the battles? Thank Jehovah-Nissi, your Conqueror. The war has already been won. Eternity is promised to those who do the will of God: Being thankful in all circumstances. The world and its desires are shaken by a thankful heart; which makes for a nice little treat as they pass away. 

Abide With Me

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus"- Romans 3:23-24 (NIV).

We are all sinners and had no way of redeeming our relationship with God after the fall of man. Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, Lamb of God, freely justified us and covered our multitude of sins. We are free from the punishment that we deserved. How could you ever be thankful enough, honor Him enough, praise Him enough. He only asks of us: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me" (John 15:4). Our Lord asks us to abide with Him and He will abide with us. Matt Redman sings Abide With Me. A portion of the lyrics are, "Walk with me and never leave, ever close God abide with me. Oh, love that will not ever let me go." That "abiding" relationship is the most important relationship you'll ever have in your life and for all eternity: you with Christ Jesus and He with you.. Because Jesus is the only way; the only way (John 14:6).  

Friend of the King

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go"- Joshua 1:9 (NIV).

Time and time again God has asked His children to step out of their comfort zone. The list is impressive: Noah, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Esther, Job, David, Nehemiah, the Judges, the Prophets, Jesus' disciples and friends. That last one includes His followers today. We are Jesus' friend if we obey Him (John 15:14). Jesus told us to go out into the world and to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15). Wherever God has placed you in this world, at this moment, is where you are commanded to proclaim the gospel. Our actions proclaim as strongly as our words; probably more so, because actions speak louder than words. When the Spirit's beauty rests on you He is undeniable. You will be noticed and garner mixed reactions: both approval and rejection. Do not be discouraged over rejection: pray for the lost souls. The world rejected Jesus before it ever rejected you (John 15:18). As Christ's living stone, you will be rejected by this world, but stand your ground, you are chosen by God and precious to Him (1 Peter 2:4). Are you lounging in a comfort zone? I implore you, as a friend of the King, to step out your comfort zone. 

Testimony of Fatih

"I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint"- Habakkuk 2:1 (NIV).

God told Habakkuk the Babylonians were coming to conquer the Israelites, taking everything and everyone as their own. Habakkuk complained to the Lord concerning the merciless droves who took pride in their own strength and lived in luxury, while conquered nations lay at their feet (1:16-17). Then Habakkuk took up his position to see what the Lord had to say about his complaint: Why was evil prevailing? God's answer: Live by faith and trust Him (2:4). Habakkuk, though his heart was pounding and lips quivering, said he would wait for the coming calamity, yet he would remain joyful in God his Savior saying, "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights" (3:16-19). Will we, like Paul and Silas, shackled and imprisoned unjustly, sing and worship God in the middle of the night (Act 16:25)? Are there not witnesses to our struggles? What encouragement is given, what faith is demonstrated, as others watch God's ambassadors-in-Christ? The people of Judah, like fellow prisoners hearing songs of worship in the middle of night, witnessed testimonies of faith. Jesus told us we would have trouble, but to take heart! He has overcome the world (John 16:33). What do witnesses see in your testimony of faith?

Time Well Spent

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day"- 2 Peter 3:8 (NIV).

Time can't be accurately measured when it comes to God. Could the creation have taken place over 7,000 years, instead of seven days? Did the three days Christ lay in the tomb feel like 3,000 years to Jesus? God can see time as a whole, from the beginning to the end. Time does not hold Him; He created time. Does time hold us? We measure it down to the second. It's brevity and length set every area of our lives: our goals, our birth, our death, our relationships, our work, our play. Yes, time holds us. What if we threw off the shackles of time and discarded the clocks, wouldn't the day still hold the same amount of hours? Certainly; therefore, we can't discard time. The sun rises and sets; the moon wanes and grows, our bodies reveal the effects of each passing year. Obviously God intended time to be an integral part of our lives. The message is that our life is the only "time" we have that will count towards our eternal reward, where "time" will no longer hold us. Our goal is to invest our time wisely; it's limited and the timer began the day you were born. Make your time well spent.    

Significance

"So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun"- Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NIV).

Three times, in Ecclesiastes, Solomon repeats the wisdom he has unearthed for each person "under the sun:" eat, drink, and find enjoyment, or pleasure, in the toil God has given each of us (2:24; 3:13). Solomon had everything, I mean every thing, but he laboriously searched for the significance of life. Much of our toil seems downright useless; most of our life we don't understand what's going on, can't control what's going on, nor can we predict what's coming our way. Solomon's final solution, his recommendation, is to enjoy the life, the toil, God has given you. God has given you life, your life; it's a gift. Fulfillment of life comes from centering our life on God, He is our meaning, and being obedient to His commands. Everything else is meaningless, a chasing after the wind (2:11).