4 I
solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will
someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his
Kingdom:2 Preach
the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not.
Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
3 For
a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and
wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for
teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5 But
you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of
suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully
carry out the ministry God has given you. 6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.8 And
now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize
is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his
appearing.
When I wrote my previous blog post on October 2, I could not have predicted what the next two months would hold. On October 15, I suffered an aneurysm, and the doctors told my husband that aneurysms are usually fatal. Today, I am a living testimony of the healing power of the Most High God. It is only by His grace that I am able to compose this blog entry today. He is urging me to continue preaching the Word of Truth, even in the face of rejection.
The tag line in the footer of my blog says,
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the
floor in the morning, Satan shudders & says.."Oh no....she's
awake!"
Well, guess what, Satan...I am awake and armed for battle against your attempt on my life!
After 21 days in ICU and 5 days in inpatient therapy, I finally arrived at home. At first, I was upset with God for not letting me step straight into heaven. He knows I am ready to cross the finish line, and I have tried to remain faithful to His call on my life. The lesson God is teaching me is that He still has an assignment for me here on earth. He is challenging me to continue to press on toward the goal, to continue the fight, because there are still people I can invite to join me in the race.
Do you fall into the group who "will follow their own desires and will look for
teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear?" Please ask God to help you break free from the lies of the devil who is deceiving you. God loved you enough to send his Son to die in your place. You deserve to suffer for your sins, but God longs for a relationship with you. Stop resisting His offer. Accept His gift of forgiveness today and receive His promise of eternal life.
Father God, I wish I could have a glance at your Kingdom calendar so I could understand where we are on your timeline. Are we in the last days?
I have been alive 49 years as of this week, and I cannot remember a time when people were not saying, "Jesus could come back any moment now." Times are difficult, but haven't they always been? People are "selfish, greedy, boastful, and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to parents, and ungrateful" (2 Timothy 3), but have they not always been this way since the time of Cain and Abel? Nothing is sacred in our day and time, but didn't Moses face that same attitude when Aaron built the golden calf for the Hebrew people? Every day we encounter people who are unloving and unforgiving; we hear slander and we witness the effects of those who have zero self-control. But these words describe humanity from the dawn of time. People are cruel and hate what is good, but there are examples of this in every century. Betrayal, recklessness, pride, and the love of pleasure are evident in every part of our world, but these have been in existence since the great accuser was kicked out of heaven along with all of his demons. Is there anything that distinguishes our day and age from every age before this? The only cure for the wickedness in our world is the coming reign of Christ when he comes and defeats the enemy and casts him into hell for eternity.
What can we do until then?
It concerns me that as believers, we read these verses as though they only apply to people outside the church. We point our fingers and say, "All you people are heathens, and you're going to hell if you don't come to Jesus!" and we blame the evil of this world on all those sinners out there.
The book of 2 Timothy was written to a pastor. Paul was helping Timothy understand how to work with his church members. Let that sink in for a moment. The church has no one to blame for the chaos in this world but themselves. "They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" (2 Timothy 3:5) This verse strikes terror in my heart!
Are we only playing church, or are we stepping out in the power of the Mighty Name of God our Master and Savior? Are we carrying our shields of faith and waging war with the sword of the Spirit, or are we sitting in our pews and casting stones at all those evil sinners?
It's time to get up off that thing, church. We have to live our purpose and stop running scared from persecution and suffering, which are the only things that will purify us from evil and form us into godly servants. We must become inspired by the Holy Scriptures and preach the Word of Truth that teaches us to do right and equips us for every good work. Are you equipped? Time is short. Get to work!
Can you REALLY know that you are saved? Peter encourages you to "make your calling and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10), and he explains how you can know that you know that you know you have eternal life in his book of 2 Peter.
Have you received faith from God? (v. 1) You cannot come to God unless God himself enables you and gives you the gift of faith. (John 6:44, 65) If your faith is weak, ask Him to strengthen it!
Is your faith precious to you? Are God's promises precious to you? (v. 1, 4) If your faith and God's promises are truly precious to you, then your life WILL be changed.You will purify your life from everything that contaminates your body and spirit, and you will give it your all to live a perfect and holy life. You will revere God. (2 Cor 7:1)
If none of this describes you, then you are NOT saved. If you DO revere God, and your faith IS precious to you, then God's divine power has given you "everything you need for life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3) Does this mean the race is over and your work is done? No. Peter says you will want to "make every effort to add to your faith." Receiving salvation through faith is the basic model. Now you can receive the upgrades: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love. And these are not one-time upgrades; you can have all of them "in increasing measure" when you keep on growing in your faith and knowledge of God and his righteousness. (2 Peter 1:5-9) Why would anyone settle for the basic package? Who would want to be ineffective and unproductive in their Christian life? Not me! And I don't think you want to either.
What are some practical ways to insure that you are saved and that you are effective, productive, and increasing your upgrade potential?
Stop right now and ask God to fill you with his divine power. Ask others to pray with you. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16) When you ask in faith, God answers this prayer!
Study the Bible daily. How else can you grow in your knowledge of Him?
Find a godly mentor and ask him or her to help you add to your faith. Whose Christian walk do you admire? Ask that person to help you learn to be effective in God's Kingdom.
Be a mentor to a new believer. Making disciples is the only way you will be productive in your faith walk. If you don't know how to make disciples, refer to point #3, and ask your mentor.
Are you tired of living a mediocre faith life? Then read God's Word and put it into practice. The life improvements are 100% guaranteed!
Most pastors today would much rather preach about the love of God than the wrath of God. However, if you mess with their people, you better watch out! When Jude sat down to write his letter, he had every intention of focusing on the positives so he could encourage the believers to enjoy the rewards of their salvation. Instead he was compelled to write a scathing letter condemning the men who were dividing the church. If you want to make your pastor angry, do something to stir the pot and try to divide the church body.
Jude's anger and frustration is evident in the way he described his opponents. He said their condemnation was certain, and he called them sneaky, godless, immoral, dreamers, slanderous accusers, abusive, ignorant, blemished, self-centered, ungodly sinners, grumblers, fault-finders, evil, braggarts, flatterers, and scoffers. Jude compared the divisive men to Cain, Balaam, and Korah, all men who were judged for their rebellion against God. He said they were like "shepherds who feed only themselves, clouds without rain, trees without fruit and uprooted--twice dead, wild waves, and wandering stars." In a nutshell, Judge considered these divisive men to be good for nothing and headed to hell in a hand basket!
Jude began and ended his short letter with encouraging words for believers. He called them dear friends and told them they were called, loved, and kept by God in Jesus. He wanted them to build up their faith, to contend for their faith, and to pray in the Holy Spirit. He wanted them to keep themselves in God's love and to wait for God's mercy and eternal life. He told them to show mercy to some but to fear those who would divide their fellowship. Jude packed such wisdom in his brief 25 verses. I wish he had kept writing!
What can we learn from Jude? Do not be divisive. (It makes your pastor really angry!) Stand up for your faith. Stay faithful and wait for God's mercy. Jude concluded his writing with this beautiful doxology.
"24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
"I'm telling you, it's never been this bad."
"It wasn't like this when we grew up."
"Kids today . . . ."
Please forgive me for offering my opinion here, but I am growing weary of these comments. I agree that times are hard, but I must remind you that there is nothing new under the sun. We are living in times of economic hardship and political unrest, but every era has been impacted by catastrophic circumstances. The Great War. The Great Depression. Slavery. Child Labor. The Holocaust. The Civil War. The Crusades. We must admit that our world is under the influence of evil forces, but there have always been tragic periods of history.
photo credit: https://imgflip.com/i/120trj
So, my question is, "What are you gonna do about it?" I can assure you that standing around complaining is not helpful. It may seem overwhelming to think about changing our world, but if we each do our part, we can make a difference. You may have heard the analogy of the boy throwing starfish into the ocean when he found them washed up on the beach. He was questioned by an old man who told him he could never make a difference, but the boy tossed another starfish into the water and said, "It made a difference to that one." The moral of the story is that we cannot become discouraged by the vastness of our mission. Instead, we must focus on the positive difference we can make in the life of one person at a time, one day at a time. One of my current mantras is, "I can only do what I can do, one day at a time."
Again, my question is, "What are we doing about it?" We find a positive example in the book of Titus, Chapter 2. Paul instructed Titus to teach others, to mentor them in wise living. Did Paul expect Titus to teach the whole world? No. He challenged him to teach the people he knew. The people Titus taught were then expected to teach others. Titus was charged with training the trainer. And that my friend, is where we fall short in our churches today. We sit in our comfy chairs on Sunday mornings and soak up the teaching of the lead pastor. Then we go our merry ways and come back to sit and soak the next Sunday. We sit. We soak. We sour. Our current church model is that it's the preacher's job to study the Word and distribute it to the masses. We are missing the point! It's okay to enjoy a great sermon, but if you never pass it on, then you are like the sour sponge sitting by the sink that never gets "squoze." (Squoze is a word coined by my sweet husband in one of his most memorable sermon illustrations.)
Paul told Titus to teach the old men and women, who could then pass on the teaching to the young men and women. Be teachable and then teach others the lessons God is teaching you. As Dave Ramsey says, "It's not rocket surgery." The trouble is that Satan convinces us that we do not have anything valuable to pass on to the next generation. We know we don't have life figured out; so we feel inadequate to tell others how to do life. That's baloney! Young people need to hear your stories. They need to know that life was hard for you too, but that God is faithful and will bring them through tough times.
Instead of complaining about "these kids today," will you choose a kid to mentor? You just might be surprised at how much you will learn from each other.
I was going to skip this topic. Church conflict makes everyone uncomfortable, especially the preacher's wife! I really thought God was going to let me off the hook, but the Holy Spirit caught my attention in my morning quiet time. So, here goes. If you disagree with anything in the following blog, please share your thoughts with me. I like a healthy debate.
Paul's letters to Timothy are an effort to guide a young church leader who was faced with division in his congregation. Hymenaeus and Alexander were two of Timothy's church members, and they were causing the preacher grief. (Read the details in 1 Timothy 1:3-7, 19-20; 2 Timothy 2:16-18, 23-26.) These guys were teaching false doctrine that was "spreading like gangrene," leading people astray, and causing some to lose their faith. Paul told Timothy not to mess with these guys, not to quarrel with them, but to "hand them over to Satan." That's tough love! Some may argue that we should always agree to disagree in a church family, but sometimes that lets the problem get out of hand. We live in a culture where we protect the rights of one person at the expense of the rights of the masses. That is unhealthy in a church family. One of the hardest decisions my husband had to make years ago as a new pastor was to ask a man to leave our church fellowship because the man was trying to teach false doctrine. It gives me shivers to remember the heartache. So, in my morning Bible study of 1 & 2 Timothy, I asked God why He would ever allow a church body to be split in two. I firmly believe that this is not God's plan for spreading the Gospel. Division hurts the Kingdom, and it usually affects an entire community, not just the church leaders or members. The Holy Spirit answered my question with three things that cause churches to split. 1. Churches are comprised of imperfect humans who are sometimes selfish, mean, and argumentative. If you have ever sat through a business meeting where there was a fight over the color of the carpet, you know exactly what I am talking about. The Bible reminds us repeatedly that no one is perfect, and when we forget this, we say hurtful and judgmental things. Words cannot be taken back, even with a sincere apology. It breaks relationships that sometimes cannot be mended, and church bodies become divided.
2. Satan hates church families, and he will infiltrate and divide any way he can. I do not believe that Satan can possess a true believer, but he can sway our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Anytime that I "get all up in my feelings," I need to do a heart check and make sure that my thoughts and actions are being led by the Holy Spirit and not by my own selfish desires. None of us would purposefully cause division in a church family, but our enemy knows our hot buttons, and he will use them against us to split a church. One of my former pastors taught often about "familiar spirits" in churches, and division is one of those. I continually pray against the spirit of division in my church family, and heaven forbid that it be the preacher's wife who causes the division! Help me, Lord Jesus! I am fallible. I shoot my mouth off when I am passionate about something. We all do. Satan uses it against church families to cause division. 3. Sometimes a church split is the only way God can get a church off high center and to move in the direction He wanted in the first place. Ouch. This is the point I wanted to omit. Again, I will emphasize that a church split is not the best way to spread the Gospel, but God uses ALL things for good to accomplish HIS purposes. (Romans 8:28) I can think of several examples of churches that were started by people who were unhappy with the church body they left. The church my husband pastors was founded over 80 years ago as a result of a church split. God still uses his church to impact the world. Is it easy to start a new church with a group of unhappy church members? Nope. Does a group like that have a lot to overcome? Yep. Is there a better way to plant a new church? Absolutely! However, with the healing of the Spirit, God still uses broken churches and broken families. Don't let the enemy disqualify you. Get up, dust yourself off, and share the Gospel of grace and forgiveness. I wish that God did not need to make things uncomfortable in our current circumstances to get us to move. I wish we were not such stubborn creatures so we would answer His promptings in the beginning before things get so difficult. Starting new churches can be a happy celebration instead of a heartbreak. If God is leading you to start a new work, ask Him to help you make a smooth transition instead of making it a knock-down-drag-out church fight. There are plenty of lost and dying souls who need the Good News. Let's work together and go share it with them!
So, what is the answer to the heartache of church dissension? Love. Forgive. Resolve conflict. Mend relationships. Apologize. Admit that no one is perfect. We all need a Savior. His name is Jesus. I love you, my friends! Go spread some peace today!
When my mom was a little girl, she asked God to give her a godly husband and children. So, I grew up under that blessing in a loving, Christian family. My parents and my brother are faithfully serving Jesus today. My husband, my children, and my nieces and nephews are all followers of God as well. What a blessing!
When I was 8 years old (1977), we had a city-wide revival in Keyes, OK. One of my friends went forward at the revival; so I began asking lots of questions. One night while helping set the table for supper, I asked my mom when I would be able to ask Jesus in my heart. We sat down on our blue and green velvet couch, and I asked God to forgive me of my sin and for Jesus to be my Savior. I was baptized then at the Methodist church, and then about a year later, our family was baptized together at the Baptist church.
I am more in love with Jesus today than I ever could have imagined. I want to be known as a lover of the Word! My greatest desire is to glorify God and to invite others to join me. Psalm 34:3 is my life verse, "Come, glorify the LORD with me. Let us exalt His Name together!" God placed a call on my life at Falls Creek in 1986, the summer before my senior year in high school. It thrills me to be answering His call as a pastor's wife, as a teacher, a counselor, and as a missionary everywhere He leads me.
If Jesus came back tomorrow, would you be ready to meet Him? How did you come to know Jesus as your Savior? Do your friends and family know the story of how you decided to become a God follower? Have you ever written it down on paper? If not, then why not now?
If someone asked you why you believe in Jesus, could you tell them? Please don't give the Sunday school answer, "Because the Bible tells me so." It has to be more personal than that. Who is Jesus to you? Where in the Bible can you find Scriptures that confirm that Jesus is LORD of your life? When did you answer the door and let Jesus into your life? Why did God choose you, and what did He call you to do for His glory? Please stop right now and write your story. People need to hear it, and your faith will grow stronger as you share it.
Paul shared his story with Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:12-19. He told a part of Timothy's story too. Paul began his story by telling what he used to be: a blasphemer, persecutor, and ignorant unbeliever. Paul did not deserve God's forgiveness, yet he was shown mercy. God gave Paul strength and chose him to serve in the Kingdom. Paul confessed he was the worst of sinners, yet he was given grace, faith, and love when he came to Christ. Jesus will also show patience to you if you will believe in Him and receive eternal life.
In 1 Timothy 1:2, 18, Paul told part of Timothy's story too. Paul called Timothy his "true son in the faith." This indicates that Paul may have been the one who led Timothy to faith in Christ. We know for certain that Paul was a mentor to Timothy. Who have you led to Christ? Who are you mentoring now? I guarantee your faith will grow if you will commit to share your faith with others. Paul also encouraged Timothy to recall the prophecies once made about him so he could fight the battle well. When I was in high school, my best friend's grandmother prophesied that I would be a preacher's wife. Girl, I took that word and ran with it, and I am living that dream today! What is the prophecy over your life? I dare you to seek God's call and purpose for your life and to chase Him with passion.
"Why am I so awkward and lonely? I just want to be normal." In my past year as a counselor, I have found that some of the more comforting and calming words I can share with people are these: "You are normal. You are not crazy or weird. Anyone in your circumstances would feel like you do. You are not the only one who feels this way. You are not alone. Everyone feels awkward sometimes. I say, embrace the awkward!"
Our Scripture reading is from 1 Peter 5:5-14 today, and Peter addresses the topics of humility, anxiety, and thinking of others who are suffering.
God created us for relationship; so it brings comfort knowing we are not alone. Satan uses the tool of isolation to make us feel lonely, hopeless, and without confidence. In a culture where we pride ourselves on building our kids' self-esteem, we have instead created a generation that is incredibly self-conscious and lonely. We brag on every kid, tell them how super special they are, and give everyone a trophy. Kids see right through our flattery, and they start comparing their talents with those of others. Deep down they may know they were not capable of being a star soccer player, but we gave them an award anyway. So we force them into this feeling of false humility, knowing they are undeserving of the applause. People feel so much more accomplished when they work for their rewards. Self-esteem comes from helping our kids recognize and excel in their God-given talents and passions. Our kids do not have to grow up to be professional baseball players or famous musicians. We can encourage them to be kind and compassionate and to think of others instead of always wanting to be the winners.
Our goal is to raise decent human beings, not arrogant, spoiled brats. Teaching our children to be confident and humble is difficult, but not impossible. You see, humility is not thinking that we are not good at anything. Humility is knowing we are good at something without being arrogant. Humility is knowing we can win the race but choosing to stop and help someone up who has fallen instead. One of Zig Ziglar's motivational quotes is, “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.” True self-confidence leads to genuine humility, because a self-confident person has no need to brag or to prove themselves. Instead, they have the ability to put the needs of others before their own.
One of my favorite Christian songs right now is "Hills and Valleys" by Tauren Wells. It reminds us that we did not arrive on the mountain on our own, and we are never alone in the valleys. When we are self-confident, we are able to recognize that we did not get here on our own. So, we can give back by helping others achieve their goals. In turn, we get to enjoy the blessings of humbly putting others before our own needs.
Not only are we raising a generation that lacks self-confidence, but they are riddled with anxiety. And no wonder! We run them from activity to activity, and we hand them a digital device to keep them quiet in the car. Their brains are continually over-stimulated, and their human interaction is limited. Our kids are adrenaline junkies, and they flip out with anxiety if they do not have their digital device or if they are required to talk to another human face-to-face. We must teach them how to feel calm, to rest, to be still. It is okay if our children feel bored at times. We can let them use their creative imaginations instead of rescuing them from a moment of silence. We must teach our children to cast their anxiety on God, because He cares for them even more than we can imagine! (1 Peter 5:7)
The answers to your feelings of awkwardness, loneliness, anxiety, and selfishness can all be found in the Bible. Stop looking to find all the answers on social media or in the busyness of life. Stop. Be still. Humble yourself before the God who loves you without measure. Read His Word, and find peace for your soul.
Our reading today is from 1 Peter 5:1-5. Just because these verses are addressed to the elders of the churches, please do not skip over them. If you are growing in your faith, then God will also give you a flock of people to shepherd.
Take a few minutes to list the people your faith can influence. Describe the flock under your care. What are your favorite things about this group of folks. Are you willing and eager to serve them? They need you to serve them well. God has entrusted them to you for His purposes. Are you setting an example of godliness and faithfulness for them? Who are you mentoring to shepherd his or her own flock? Recently, I have been able to encourage a fun group of young moms to spread their spiritual wings. It brings me joy to see them testing their spiritual gifts by serving their families and our church family. It's exciting stuff to watch seeds of faith sprout and grow into strong trees that are bringing shade and blessing to our community.
If you've never given this any thought, then you are missing out on some of the biggest blessings of serving God. You will find that helping someone else come to faith in Christ will bring more joy to your spiritual life than you ever imagined. It's like birthing a spiritual baby. Helping a new believer understand the truth of God's Word will challenge you to know God better. If you are not discipling someone else, then you are not obeying the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:18-20.)
Ask God to bless you with a flock to shepherd. Pray He will also give you someone to guide your spiritual growth. Your pastor or Bible study leader are certainly shepherding you, but I encourage you to seek a personal spiritual mentor who can give you individual encouragement too. Send a message to someone right now. Start a new relationship that will grow your faith and the faith of another Jesus follower.
What are you living for? Are you ready to face the judgment? Time's up!
Our Scripture reading today is 1 Peter 4:1-19. I'm telling you, Peter packs a powerful punch!
Are you living for evil, human desires, or are you living for the will of God? There's no gray answer here; it's pretty black and white. Either you are living for God, or you are living for yourself. You are chasing your own dreams, or you are chasing God's purpose for your life. Actually, I don't know why we waste our time dancing around answering this question. It's pretty clear based on how you talk. Your mouth is full of praise and thanksgiving and seeking after God, or it's not. Period.
If you are still doing what pagans do, then your time is up. God says enough is enough, and very soon you will have to give an account of your actions as you stand before His throne in judgment. Are you ready for that day? What if you had to face Him right now, this very moment? If you have any doubt that God means business when it comes to judging your sin, do a Bible search of these words: judge, judgment, justice, justified. The Bible speaks of God's judgment from Genesis to Revelation.
One of the biggest complaints our world has against Christianity is that we are too judgmental. I've lost count of how many times people have said they don't come to church because they don't want to be judged. Wake up! Your enemy, the devil, has blinded you and convinced you to run from God's judgment here on earth. Stop running! If you willingly confess your sin now, Jesus will forgive you and wipe your slate clean. Satan knows this. If he convinces you to resist God's grace now, the devil wins your soul for eternity. Face your judge now while there is still time to come clean. If you wait to bow at the throne of judgment, you have no hope. Confess your sin now and receive eternal life! The only people who need to fear God's judgment are those who keep running away from Him. Come to God and find grace and forgiveness.
Peter teaches us that the end of time on earth is near, and he gives us very clear instructions.
Be clear minded and self-controlled
Pray
Love each other deeply
Offer hospitality
Stop grumbling
Serve others with God's grace
Praise God and give Him glory
Be done with sin. Revere God. Judgment begins with the family of God (4:17) Are you ready?
Ya'll, I don't know about you, but I need me some hope! God bless you people who watch the daily news. I can't do it. It makes me too depressed. If I believe the mainstream media, or social media, I lose all hope.
Almost everyone I know is facing some sort of struggle. In the past two days, I have been made aware of at least six families who need a miracle. They need clothes, food, shelter, transportation, and health care. They need hope. It is overwhelming, and I feel powerless to help because the needs are so great. I need hope!
So, I opened God's Word, and I found hope in the book of 1 Peter Chapter 1. We can praise God for His mercy, which fills us with a living hope (1:3). We can set our hope on the grace to be given us when Christ is revealed (1:13). Our faith and hope are in God (1:21).
Our hope cannot be in the material wealth of this world. Even gold will perish in a fire (1:7). Our hope cannot be in people, because they will disappoint us and disappear when we need them the most (1:24). Our hope cannot be in our own good works, because even when we try to obey God's Word, our evil desires get the best of us (1:14).
Our hope is in our heavenly inheritance (1:4). Even when we suffer grief in all kinds of trials (1:6), we can have hope. Even though we cannot see Christ, we love Him. We believe Him. We are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy (1:8). Our goal, our hope, is in the salvation of our souls (1:9). Now, that's the kind of hope I've been looking for!
What does it mean to be blessed by God, to be chosen by Him to serve in the Kingdom? Peter addressed his letter to God's elect. What does that mean?
In American culture, we somehow equate prosperity with spiritual blessing. We look at our beautiful homes, campers, boats, motorcycles, sports cars, lawn tractors, gym memberships, and 2.4 children, and we say, "I am SO blessed!" Our intentions are good. In our western, Christian worldview, we are making an honest attempt to recognize that all we have is good, and we recognize that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. (James 1:17)
However, at the same time, we make a subconscious judgment of anyone we consider to be less wealthy than we are, and we deem them "less blessed," or even "judged by God." Come on now, we have to admit that deep down we live as though we are blessed because of our works. We may not say it out loud, but we judge others and think, "If only they would work harder.... If only they would serve God, then they could live the blessed life I'm living."
Our theology is wrong when it is not applicable around the world. Would you say to an Iraqi Christian who is running for her life to escape persecution, "If you would just give glory to God, He could rescue you and bless you with a boat and a camper"? The book of 1 Peter is addressed to people who were exiled because of their faith in Christ. They gave up their homes, businesses, land, and families to follow Christ. Peter deemed them God's elect and called them chosen and blessed because of their obedience. They were persecuted and scattered, but they had grace and peace in abundance. God knew in advance the hardships they would endure, and He chose them specifically for His service. They were blessed.
I urge you to pray for the persecuted church of our day. Pray they will know that God is near them. Pray they will stand firm and be obedient to God's call. Pray that God's grace and peace will surround them. Pray for their strength as they press on toward their heavenly prize. Pray for yourself that you could have even a mustard seed of faith.
One of the memes I've liked recently says, "I'm not that perfect Christian. I'm the one who knows I need Jesus." As humans, we are not perfect, and we will mess up. I will disappoint you. I apologize ahead of time.
As a Jesus follower, I am trying every day to do better than the day before. I hope I look more like Jesus this month than I did last month. If you are striving toward this same goal, let's take a look at some of the hidden gems in Philippians 3:17-4:23. We won't do any of them perfectly, but making an honest attempt to work on them will move us closer to our prize.
1. Follow the example of mature believers. With whom do you spend your free time? Are you spending your free time studying the teachings of Jesus with others, or are you crushing candy and sharing ridiculous videos?
2. Eagerly await the return of Jesus. He could show up or call you home at any moment. Are you waiting and watching, or are you scrolling through social media and complaining about politics?
3. Stand firm in the LORD. I know things get tough. It's easy to become discouraged. That's what the enemy is trying to do to you. The enemy makes us forget the promises of God and the faithfulness of our heavenly Father. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Stand firm.
4. Be faithful workers alongside Christian leaders, and stop arguing with fellow believers. As a pastor's wife, I could get on a soap box here. Instead, let me say how truly grateful I am that my church family is amazing.
5. Make certain your name is written in the book of life. This actually comes first on the list. If your name is not written in the book of life, then I'm pretty impressed that you are still reading my list of 20 secrets. If your name is not written in the book of life, I hope you will ask me lots of questions. I want to invite you to accept Jesus as your Savior this very moment. If you don't know how, contact me or another godly person who can explain salvation to you. Here is a great resource.
6. Rejoice in the LORD always. Choosing to have a positive attitude and to find joy in every day will solve the majority of our problems. When times are tough, we need the daily discipline of rejoicing in the LORD.
7. Be gentle to all. We live in a culture of cynicism and sarcasm where bullying abounds. As a follower of Jesus, dare to defend the weak and powerless. Be kind. Be gentle. Share the love of God with a lost and dying world.
8. Remember the LORD is near and will return again soon. When your days feel dark and dreary, encourage yourself and others with the reminder that Jesus promised never to leave you. He promised to prepare a place for you in heaven. He keeps His promises!
9. Do not be anxious about anything. I come from a long line of worriers. Anxiety is my default mode. Leaving my worries in the hands of Jesus takes a conscious effort. What a blessing it is when God fills my heart and mind with calm in the midst of the storm!
10. Be thankful as you present your requests to God. What do you need? Have you asked God to meet your need? He says we have not because we ask not. The secret is to have a grateful heart as you ask God to supply your needs. Be thankful that your Father knows exactly what you need, and that He has your best interest in mind.
11. Let the peace of God guard your heart and mind. This goes hand-in-hand with not being anxious about anything. God offers you peace that passes all understanding. Why would you cling to your anxiety when God is willing to trade it for His perfect peace?
12. Think positively! In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul asks you to think about things that pass the following tests. Is it true? Is it right? Is it just, pure, and lovely? Is it admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy? If your thought does not meet these qualifications, then put it out of your mind.
13. Put into practice what you learn from godly leaders. When you hear a good sermon or read a Christian book, does it move you to action? Who is your Christian mentor? Are you helping disciple a new believer? Passing the baton to another believer is the secret to energizing your Christian life.
14. Learn to be content, no matter the circumstances. Talk about a challenge! In our materialistic culture, our wish lists grow longer every time we turn on any type of media. We compare our cars, houses, and wardrobes with every person we know, and in our minds, we come up short every time. Paul taught his followers that godliness with contentment is great gain. (I Timothy 6:6)
15. Rely on Christ's strength. We usually quote Philippians 4:13 when we are attempting something we perceive as a physical impossibility. Paul wrote this verse in context of being content. He said he could be content only because Christ gave him the strength to do so.
16. Give to those in need, and give to support those who are sharing the Gospel. Sharing with others brings contentment that is beyond description. Generosity is a true secret of Christian living.
17. Give the kind of sacrifice that pleases God. Search for the word sacrifice on a Bible web site to learn about what pleases God. It will be a thought-provoking word study.
18. Trust that God will meet all your needs. Make a list of all the times God has provided for you. He proves his faithfulness daily. One of my all-time favorite songs is "He's Never Failed Me Yet!"
19. Give glory to God! All you have comes from God. Give Him Glory!
20. Fellowship with other Jesus followers. Believing in Jesus does NOT make you a Jesus follower. Obeying Jesus, doing everything He asks of you, makes you a follower. Spend time with other Jesus followers. Learn from them. Be encouraged by them. Find joy in following Jesus together. Share your secrets for living this Christian life together. Your life will be full!
Most of us dream of being rich and famous. We want a successful career and a nice, fat bank account so we can buy whatever we want.
Paul lays out the pattern for the ultimate Christian life in Philippians 2. He begins by describing the humility and attitude of Christ, who made Himself nothing, even though He is equal with God. Paul ends the chapter with two examples of Christian servants. He said of Timothy, "I have no one else like him. Everyone else looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." Paul said of Epaphroditus, "Honor men like him. He almost died for the work of Christ."
Paul says we are to do everything without complaining or arguing. He said, "Even if I am being poured out like a drink offering...." Even when God calls us to sacrifice our life goals and material comfort, He fills our lives with the spiritual blessings of encouragement, unity, comfort, love, fellowship, tenderness, compassion, and joy. He gives our lives purpose.
So, you see, God's goal for your life is not that you will become rich and famous. He wants you to be humble and selfless, putting others first. God's goal is that you will make the Name of Jesus famous. Jesus is the Name above all names. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD. Why not do that today? Not for your glory, but for the glory of God, your Father.
Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16 (NKJV)
What does it mean to let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly? It means you sit and soak in the Scriptures and fully absorb the full meaning of God's love story written to mankind. Like a thick-cut steak soaks in the flavor of a tasty marinade, your life becomes rich and flavorful as you meditate on the Word of God and take time fully to comprehend the message of the Gospel.
Are you trying to survive on spiritual fast food? Do you grab a verse here and skim a brief daily devotional there? If you will make time to savor God's Word, the Holy Spirit will prepare a feast like you've never tasted.
The following chart comes from the Texas A&M Agriculture web site (http://meat.tamu.edu/beefgrading/). The USDA evaluates the quality of beef based on the amount and distribution of marbling in the ribeye muscle. This chart describes the grades of beef based on the marbling score.
What is the degree of marbling in your spiritual life? To what extent is the Word of God distributed in your heart, soul, mind, and spirit? When you stand before the judgment throne, will you receive the Grade of Prime+, which has an Abundant marbling score, or will the Father look upon your soul and judge it as Practically Devoid of His Spirit and give you the Grade of Standard-?
God does not want you barely to manage an existence in your spiritual life. Jesus died so you could have an Abundant life, a life beautifully marbled with grace and love and peace through the Holy Spirit. Will you aim for a Prime+ walk with Jesus?
You can enjoy your walk with Jesus when you live for Him, doing everything for the Lord, and not for men. (Colossians 3:17, 23-24).
Because my life is being renewed in the image of my Creator, I need a new wardrobe. The things that felt comfortable in my old life, before I became a child of the King of kings, are out of place and out of style.
Colossians 3:5-11 characterized my life before Christ and without the control and discipline of Christian living. Colossians 3:12-24 characterize how I can live because of Christ.
Because I am chosen by God and dearly loved by Him, I can clothe myself in these virtues:
Compassion
Kindness
Humility
Gentleness
Patience
Forgiveness
Love
Unity
Peace
Thankfulness
Singing
Gratitude
This upgraded wardrobe is much more fitting for a daughter of the King. My grandmother always said, "Pretty is as pretty does." I think these virtues would meet her criteria. I know I feel much more beautiful on the outside when I am thinking and behaving in beautiful ways on the inside. I'm certain my heavenly Father will approve of my new clothing. Which item(s) are you adding to your wardrobe?
Wait a minute! Hold the phone! I thought Paul said we had already died to our sin. Then why does he write at length about taking off the old self and putting our sinful nature to death in Colossians 3:5-11? Because our sin keeps resurrecting itself!
God commands us to put to death these things:
sexual immorality
impurity
lust
evil desires
greed (which is idolatry)
anger
rage
malice
slander
filthy language
lies
division
discrimination
These are the things of earth that need to be past-tense in our lives. Jesus died to see us free from all these evil desires. He wants to eradicate sin from our lives, but we keep a pet sin hidden in the closet. Let's bring it out into the light and let God destroy it.
Which item(s) on this sin list still have a hold on you? It is holding you captive to this world. Can you kill it in the power of the Holy Spirit? If you do not, it will be the death of you.
Father, I confess my sin of ____________________ (you fill in the blanks). I will NEVER acquire enough ____________________ to feel satisfied. ____________________ is a moving target, and I am a leaky vessel. My soul is starving because I am trying to fill it with ___________________ instead of with You. LORD, I confess that I have set up the idol of ______________________, and I bow down to it daily. I need You to topple this god and reign Supreme in my heart, mind, and soul. In the precious Name of Jesus Christ, my LORD and Savior, AMEN!
According to Colossians 3:1-4 , those who are saved have already died to the old way of life. We have already been resurrected with Christ. Our lives are already hidden with Christ in God. These verses are written in past tense. Believer, you are already dead. So, why are we so consumed with the things on earth?
Paul says we can set our hearts on things above because our position in Christ sets us free from our old way of living, our worries, fears, and addictions. We can live free because Christ is LIFE to us. When He returns to earth, Christ will take all believers to dwell with Him in glory, in the very presence of God, our Father. Can I get an AMEN? If you and I could stay focused on our glorious future in heaven, all of our present worries would disappear.
Heavenly Father, we need Your help to stay focused on things above. Our flesh is stuck in the mire of this world. We want to trust You. We long to leave all our fears in Your hands, but we wake up every morning with our hearts pounding in panic. When we lay our heads on our pillows at night, our minds are racing and in turmoil. Help us look to You alone for our provision and peace. We long for Your glory! AMEN!!!
Too often, we get busy with life or distracted by things that don't really matter, and we miss the opportunity to go deeper with our conversations. I want to encourage you to ask God to make you aware of openings when you can turn your conversations toward spiritual topics. If you are not having spiritual conversations with your friends or family members, who will? Do you know what your friends and family believe about Jesus? Will you print or save the following list of questions and start asking the people you love if they know the God you love?
20 Spiritual Questions
1. What do you believe about Jesus and why?
2. What does it mean to you that you were created by Jesus and created for Him?
3. What was your life like when you were an enemy of God, separated from Him because of your evil thoughts and actions?
4. Tell your story of how and when you were reconciled to God through the death of Christ.
5. What makes it difficult for you to continue in your faith?
6. What responsibility has God given you? How can you serve Him?
7. How would you explain the mystery of the gospel to someone else?
8. Who are you teaching to know Jesus?
9. Are you depending on your energy or on God's?
10. Who are the holy and faithful Christian servants in your life?
11. For whom are you most thankful in your spiritual life?
12. Who shared the truth of the gospel with you?
13. For whom do you pray without stopping?
14. What do you pray for others?
15. Who prays faithfully for you?
16. What do you want others to ask of God on your behalf?
17. What are you doing currently to please God?
18. What evidence proves that you are bearing fruit for God's Kingdom?
19. Can you feed yourself spiritual food?
20. Who else are you feeding spiritually?
I doubt you would cover the whole list of questions in one sitting, and some of the questions may not apply to your friend or family member. Just imagine, though, the conversations you can have with your kids around the dinner table. This is discipleship. This is developing relationships that will continue for eternity. I want to spend my time talking about things that are going to last forever.
This list of 20 questions was inspired by the writings of Paul in Colossians 1. I encourage you to read this chapter and begin praying about the people God has placed in your life. What if you are the only one who loves them enough to ask them about their eternity? Do not delay. Have that spiritual conversation today.
Our next Scripture passage comes from Ephesians 6:10-20. I've been reading it several times a week all month, and I am wrestling with how to apply it in practical ways in my life. Girls, the struggle is real! However, our struggle is not against people, or money, or things, or schedules, or broken down vehicles, or bill collectors. Our struggle is against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The reason we never feel like we are overcoming our circumstances is because we are fighting an invisible enemy who is sneaky and mean. We need some fighting gear, and we need to put it on daily. We must be diligent, because we cannot fight this battle unprotected. While the armor of God is a metaphor, I need some practical applications. Will you do this free Bible study with me this week? Let's put on God's armor every day, because the spiritual battle is real!! I need to know I am not alone in my fight against evil. Will you let me know you are marching beside me? I sure could use the encouragement today!
Sharing my heart about parenting with my church family on Mom's Day was pure joy for me. The vote of confidence my husband gave me by allowing me to teach our congregation was a blessing.
The Scriptures I used were Ephesians 6:1-4 and Exodus 20:12. 1 Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,[a] for this is the right thing to do.2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise:3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”[b] 4 Fathers,[c]
do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.
Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes
from the Lord.
12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Here is the link to the slides I used. Parenting Tips (You do not have to create an account in Dropbox to view the slides. Just close the sign-in box to view them.)
Here is the Facebook live feed.
Thank you for all of the kind comments from my church family. I am so grateful you are raising your children to fall in love with Jesus as they follow your example!
It should not be that difficult to guess whether you are a Christian or not. Either you are a Jesus follower, or you aren't. You are living in obedience or disobedience. You are pleasing the Holy Spirit, or you are pleasing the sinful nature. (Romans 8:5-8)
The reading for our chronological study today comes from Ephesians 4 & 5, where Paul draws the stark contrast between children of light and children of darkness. In all honesty, a true Christian stands out in this dark world, because Christ's love shines through us. If you find it easy to blend in with the world, you are not saved. I beg you to choose to live as a dearly loved child of God!
