As Christians, we are called to live as 'Children of the Light'. The Word of God is truth and it instructs us in the way we should go. It is also profoundly countercultural. When Jesus intercedes for us to God the Father, He says, “14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth,” John 17:14-17.
Our obedience to the Word of God must cause us to be in enmity with the world, “...don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God,” James 4:4. We cannot serve two masters. “15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever,” 1 John 2:15-17.
Let us cling steadfastly to the Word of God for all teaching, exhortation and correction. The Psalmist says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You,” Psalm 119:11. In Proverbs 14:12 we are warned that, “12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Stay in the Word of God, and pray unceasingly. Resist the world's seducing 'inclusivity' of sin. God's Word does not change with every cultural shift. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ,” Colossians 2:8. I pray that today's post will encourage your hearts and spur you on to live boldly as 'Children of the Light'.
“8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:8-11
Showing posts with label Word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Word. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Talk Tuesday-No Word From God Shall Ever Fail
As I began reading the Christmas story in the gospel of Luke, chapters 1 to 2, I was impressed with one sentence, written in the various translations either as, 'No word from God will ever fail' or 'For with God nothing will be impossible', found in Luke 1:37.
The gospel of Luke opens up with an account of Zecharias' encounter with an angel, heralding the birth of his own son, John the Baptist. Zecharias' wife, Elizabeth, had been barren. The angel Gabriel appeared to him and said:
"Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth," Luke 1:13-14.
The promise included the fact that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb (Luke 1:15), that he would turn the hearts of the people back to God (Luke 1:16), and that he would go before Jesus in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17), to prepare the way. Imagine how Zecharias felt! His doubt, awe, fear, shock and joy all came crashing together in a statement of hesitant hopefulness, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years," Luke 1:18.
The angel Gabriel then visits Mary, in the Galilean city of Nazareth and says to her:
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, " Luke 1:30-32.
Imagine Mary's complete and utter shock! She asks the question, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" Luke 1:34
It is at this point that the angel responds with the words, 'No word from God will ever fail' or 'For with God nothing will be impossible', Luke 1:37.
What dream has the LORD spoken into your heart lately? What promise has He made? What kingdom purpose has He called you to fulfill? As we ponder the Christmas story, may the gift of faith rise up in our own hearts, so that we eventually boldly declare:
"Let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38
The gospel of Luke opens up with an account of Zecharias' encounter with an angel, heralding the birth of his own son, John the Baptist. Zecharias' wife, Elizabeth, had been barren. The angel Gabriel appeared to him and said:
"Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth," Luke 1:13-14.
The promise included the fact that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb (Luke 1:15), that he would turn the hearts of the people back to God (Luke 1:16), and that he would go before Jesus in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17), to prepare the way. Imagine how Zecharias felt! His doubt, awe, fear, shock and joy all came crashing together in a statement of hesitant hopefulness, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years," Luke 1:18.
The angel Gabriel then visits Mary, in the Galilean city of Nazareth and says to her:
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, " Luke 1:30-32.
Imagine Mary's complete and utter shock! She asks the question, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" Luke 1:34
It is at this point that the angel responds with the words, 'No word from God will ever fail' or 'For with God nothing will be impossible', Luke 1:37.
What dream has the LORD spoken into your heart lately? What promise has He made? What kingdom purpose has He called you to fulfill? As we ponder the Christmas story, may the gift of faith rise up in our own hearts, so that we eventually boldly declare:
"Let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Talk Tuesday-Discipline...Ouch!
This week before service began, the worship team did a devotional on Colossians 3:1-17. As each member shared what the Word of God revealed to them, someone spoke on verses 8-14, noting that the responsibility is ours to actively 'put on' and 'put off' certain godly and ungodly characteristics:
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Colossians 3:8-14
It was at this point that the following complaint escaped from my lips, “Oh man, the LORD never lets me get away with anything!” Of course, this is not entirely true, but you know what they say- perception is reality. Well, since the words had already 'slipped out' of my mouth, I continued headlong into my childish tirade, “I always get disciplined and I am very well acquainted with the following verses, 'My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son' (I usually add the words 'and daughter' to that),” Hebrews 12:5-6. I personally call them 'spiritual 2 x 4's' or 'licks'...you know, like 'spankings'. God uses His Word to correct my attitude many times...obviously it's because I need the correction.
Psalm 119:105 states, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Without the Word of God, we would not know when we are wrong or when we are right. Our keen sense of 'humanistic morality', predicated upon what we deem as just or unjust, is often directed by the tide of social opinion-and that 'tide' is often influenced by the culture we live in. In order to remain rooted in Christ, we must abide in Him-abide in His Word (John 15). When I feel the urge to whine about the fact that I am always getting 'spanked', I think about Matthew 7:13-14, and my complaint becomes a blessing: “13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” God's Word keeps us from destruction, and leads us through the narrow gate to eternal life. The last thing I meditated on yesterday was John 12:24, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds,” but that is a topic for another week...
p.s. Please don't forget to pray for our brother in chains, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who is in an an Iranian jail awaiting execution for the 'crime' of converting to Christianity.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/10/world/meast/iran-detained-pastor/index.html
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. Colossians 3:8-14
It was at this point that the following complaint escaped from my lips, “Oh man, the LORD never lets me get away with anything!” Of course, this is not entirely true, but you know what they say- perception is reality. Well, since the words had already 'slipped out' of my mouth, I continued headlong into my childish tirade, “I always get disciplined and I am very well acquainted with the following verses, 'My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son' (I usually add the words 'and daughter' to that),” Hebrews 12:5-6. I personally call them 'spiritual 2 x 4's' or 'licks'...you know, like 'spankings'. God uses His Word to correct my attitude many times...obviously it's because I need the correction.
Psalm 119:105 states, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Without the Word of God, we would not know when we are wrong or when we are right. Our keen sense of 'humanistic morality', predicated upon what we deem as just or unjust, is often directed by the tide of social opinion-and that 'tide' is often influenced by the culture we live in. In order to remain rooted in Christ, we must abide in Him-abide in His Word (John 15). When I feel the urge to whine about the fact that I am always getting 'spanked', I think about Matthew 7:13-14, and my complaint becomes a blessing: “13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” God's Word keeps us from destruction, and leads us through the narrow gate to eternal life. The last thing I meditated on yesterday was John 12:24, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds,” but that is a topic for another week...
p.s. Please don't forget to pray for our brother in chains, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who is in an an Iranian jail awaiting execution for the 'crime' of converting to Christianity.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/10/world/meast/iran-detained-pastor/index.html
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