Think Soberly
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3 NIV
The fool studies himself and comes to the conclusion that there is only good. The person that thinks of him or herself as full of good will look at the cross-work of Christ in bewilderment for it has no point or purpose for them. The fool speaks to him or her self and says that, "Faith is foolishness. I've no need for God. He does not exist (Psalm 14:1)." For them, faith is something to exploit, not to embrace. They take no pleasure in the things of God.
A person that believes in God, that is, has accepted Christ as Lord, is a person of wisdom. A man or woman of wisdom may examine themselves and err by only looking at the bad, the things that need work. Such judgment is most certainly inebriated by the thinking-ways of this world. A sound and sober self assessment must always consider the things that God will repair and that which has been imputed by Christ.
When a Christian examines his or her life, that person must always consider the position one holds in Christ. Or in other words, try to look at yourself the same way that God sees you. He looks at you and me and sees a son or a daughter that He loves. He sees living stones that remind Him of Christ. When He observes us he sees "the chosen ones", a royal priesthood and people of praise (1 Peter 2). We have been endowed with courage, understanding, power and right standing with God. And you can't ignore that which God has given.
When you make a sober self assessment, you will most certainly find something uncomfortable. But you will also find that God has begun a great work in you. And God always finishes what He starts!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Dark Passenger
Dark Passenger
God sets the lonely in families... Psalm 67:6a NIV
I know of a person that suffered with depression for years. He took his own life a few months ago. I overheard a few friends discussing John (that isn't his real name). They remarked that, "John did the most selfish thing in the world. Didn't he think about his kids?" My other friend responded incredulously, "What an idiot! He killed himself because he was sad!"
I think my friends might have been justified in their anger, but they clearly did not understand that depression is a serious mental health issue to struggle with. I think all of us struggle with something. No matter if it is a besetting sin, an addiction, mental or physical health; we all have an affliction to struggle with… a dark passenger that travels with us. We all have that thing that tells us we would be better off dead or that we are unworthy in some way. And loneliness has a way of setting in when the dark passenger speaks its lies.
Take heart. God sees your condition and He plants us in the company of people that love us. In the family of God you get as many mothers as you can handle. In God's family you will get more bothers and sister than you can count. And most of all you get a Father whose love for you is unsurpassed. Believe me when I say that there is nothing (including your dark passenger) that can stop God from loving you!
God sets the lonely in families... Psalm 67:6a NIV
I know of a person that suffered with depression for years. He took his own life a few months ago. I overheard a few friends discussing John (that isn't his real name). They remarked that, "John did the most selfish thing in the world. Didn't he think about his kids?" My other friend responded incredulously, "What an idiot! He killed himself because he was sad!"
I think my friends might have been justified in their anger, but they clearly did not understand that depression is a serious mental health issue to struggle with. I think all of us struggle with something. No matter if it is a besetting sin, an addiction, mental or physical health; we all have an affliction to struggle with… a dark passenger that travels with us. We all have that thing that tells us we would be better off dead or that we are unworthy in some way. And loneliness has a way of setting in when the dark passenger speaks its lies.
Take heart. God sees your condition and He plants us in the company of people that love us. In the family of God you get as many mothers as you can handle. In God's family you will get more bothers and sister than you can count. And most of all you get a Father whose love for you is unsurpassed. Believe me when I say that there is nothing (including your dark passenger) that can stop God from loving you!
Friday, May 11, 2012
We're Still Here
We're Still Here
However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. Matthew 24:36 NLT
I have come to a few conclusions... Either Harold Camping was over zealous for the Lord's return or he needed to boost ratings for his radio and television programs. Harold has crunched the numbers and checked his Bible verses to come to a May 21st 2011 world expiration date, but he is wrong. We are still here.
I wish Harold would have just read Matthew chapter 24. In this chapter Jesus explains certain events surrounding of the end of the world (or the end of the age). As a side note, I believe Jesus means the end of the way things operate; that is, no more sin in this world.
In Matthew 24:36 Jesus says, "No one knows about the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Then Jesus goes on in verses 38-42 to say that this end-time will come upon people by complete surprise. We will be going about our day, just like any other and WHAM! Jesus will have come back and snatched up his own in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52), which is about a billionth of a second. I think God has kept the return date a secret on purpose. If we all knew the date, we would plan our lives around that specific time. We would live life on our own terms until the last second, and then become believers (if that were possible). But with the date remaining a secret, we are compelled to look for God on a daily basis. We live out our lives with expectation that God could come at any moment. Our faith grows in such circumstances and our relationship with the Father is strengthened.
So don't worry about yesterday and tomorrow is a mystery. The only day we should focus on is today. Today is the gift that the Father has given. Today you can seek the Lord while He can still be found. Don't worry about when Jesus comes back; maybe consider when you will go to him?
However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. Matthew 24:36 NLT
I have come to a few conclusions... Either Harold Camping was over zealous for the Lord's return or he needed to boost ratings for his radio and television programs. Harold has crunched the numbers and checked his Bible verses to come to a May 21st 2011 world expiration date, but he is wrong. We are still here.
I wish Harold would have just read Matthew chapter 24. In this chapter Jesus explains certain events surrounding of the end of the world (or the end of the age). As a side note, I believe Jesus means the end of the way things operate; that is, no more sin in this world.
In Matthew 24:36 Jesus says, "No one knows about the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Then Jesus goes on in verses 38-42 to say that this end-time will come upon people by complete surprise. We will be going about our day, just like any other and WHAM! Jesus will have come back and snatched up his own in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52), which is about a billionth of a second. I think God has kept the return date a secret on purpose. If we all knew the date, we would plan our lives around that specific time. We would live life on our own terms until the last second, and then become believers (if that were possible). But with the date remaining a secret, we are compelled to look for God on a daily basis. We live out our lives with expectation that God could come at any moment. Our faith grows in such circumstances and our relationship with the Father is strengthened.
So don't worry about yesterday and tomorrow is a mystery. The only day we should focus on is today. Today is the gift that the Father has given. Today you can seek the Lord while He can still be found. Don't worry about when Jesus comes back; maybe consider when you will go to him?
Friday, May 4, 2012
Finding the Father’s Way
Finding the Father’s Way
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3 NIV
I think that the easiest and most difficult thing in the world is to follow God. God makes it possible (and sometimes) easy to follow him. God gave us Christ so that we have the right to call Him Father. He bestows righteousness on us from the cross, so that we have good standing with the Father. God even imparts the Holy Spirit so that we have direction and understanding. And not to be forgotten, God wrote it down on paper and upon the hearts of His children.
Man however, we seek to do well but sometimes unravel the work of Christ in men’s hearts. When we try to “help God along” we heap up rules and protocols on an already struggling fellow believer. We might say some thing like, “If you do this, I know God will keep His end of the bargain”. And God may have never offered such barter. Or we may say to someone, “If you follow these rules, you will be saved” and God may not have asked for anything other than to wholeheartedly follow Christ. In our zeal to help others, shouldn’t we let God speak for Himself? If we truly humble ourselves, He may choose to speak through us indeed.
But if we seek the Lord, seek the righteousness that is only found in Christ and humble our minds, perhaps we too will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s return. Perhaps we will find that we have found the Fathers way.
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3 NIV
I think that the easiest and most difficult thing in the world is to follow God. God makes it possible (and sometimes) easy to follow him. God gave us Christ so that we have the right to call Him Father. He bestows righteousness on us from the cross, so that we have good standing with the Father. God even imparts the Holy Spirit so that we have direction and understanding. And not to be forgotten, God wrote it down on paper and upon the hearts of His children.
Man however, we seek to do well but sometimes unravel the work of Christ in men’s hearts. When we try to “help God along” we heap up rules and protocols on an already struggling fellow believer. We might say some thing like, “If you do this, I know God will keep His end of the bargain”. And God may have never offered such barter. Or we may say to someone, “If you follow these rules, you will be saved” and God may not have asked for anything other than to wholeheartedly follow Christ. In our zeal to help others, shouldn’t we let God speak for Himself? If we truly humble ourselves, He may choose to speak through us indeed.
But if we seek the Lord, seek the righteousness that is only found in Christ and humble our minds, perhaps we too will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s return. Perhaps we will find that we have found the Fathers way.
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