The utter devastation of sin

May I remind you of something you may know in theory, in conscience or in intellect but that I would desire that you know in the depths of your heart and soul?

Sin is destructive.

Sin is devastating.

Sin is a black hole of guilt and shame.

Sin is an abysmal place of agreement with wickedness and evil.

It may have been a while since you thought about or heard about sin in such blatant and unflinching terms. You may have been reminded of these things by the prick of your conscience. You may have had a fleeting thought about the wickedness of our world, the selfishness of such and such a person in your life or even perhaps the thought that you wish you could be a better person, but can I tell you that sin is truly appalling, full of heartache and it wreaks havoc on our lives and relationships?Continue reading “The utter devastation of sin”

Where the Spirit of the Lord is

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.

Where is the Spirit of the Lord?

Is there a place where He is not? Where can you go to flee from His presence? Whether you are on the far side of the sea, in the heights or the depths, God is there.

So why is it that so many do not walk in freedom but instead are in bondage? Why are people everywhere bound by fears, shame, guilt and strongholds?Continue reading “Where the Spirit of the Lord is”

The Need to be Still

In my last post I spoke about the need to be productive. Now I would like to briefly consider our deeper need to be still.

It’s not that we don’t have a calling and purpose in this life that ought to be diligently and intentionally pursued, but rather that being still is the greatest thing we can “do” in this life to prepare us for life and eternity and to empower us to make our lives count for something.

When we are constantly busy and working, we will find ourselves continuously drawing from our own strength, our own wisdom, our own experiences and therefore our own limitations. To draw from ourselves as the source of what we need is a frustrating and ultimately fruitless prospect. We are limited at our best; at our worst we are corrupted, double minded and selfish; neither our best or our worst is  the well we ought to be drawing from for inspiration, fulfillment and empowerment. This is where being still comes into play.Continue reading “The Need to be Still”

The Need to Be Productive

It is the beginning of a new year.

As such we are looking back to see what last year held for us and look ahead to see what is yet to come.

In our review of history and in our hopes and dreams for the future, we realize that we analyze the importance of things from our current perspective and we attempt to determine what is the best course of action that we can take moving forward.

One thing that I have noticed in my own personal journey is that hard-wired into me is the need to be productive. I have to create, produce, accomplish, labor etc. I believe this comes from God’s initial instructions to humanity the “tend the earth”. Solomon also recorded that it is a gift from God to do the work of our hands.

Why is it that we need to be productive? One reason is because laziness and slothfulness create a breeding ground for all manner of other destructive behaviors. Another reason though is because our productivity has to do with our purpose in life. When we are accomplishing nothing, we may at times excuse it and say it really doesn’t matter but down deep inside we know that God Himself has given us a calling, created us for a purpose and is leading us to a particular mission for our remaining days on this earth. Furthermore, this inner drive to be productive also comes from a God-given urge to make our lives count for something in the midst of simply not knowing how many days we have left.

If you knew you only had so many days left, wouldn’t you seek to make those remaining days count? I know I would. Perhaps more diligently, intentionally and more proactively than ever. Not all actions and behaviors are equally important when we have a finite number of days left on this earth. The fact that we don’t know how many days remain should actually serve as an impetus and motivator in our lives to be more attentive to that which matters most. 

And so while you are examining last year and looking ahead to the year to come, please ask yourself a few questions to help you with your purpose and your productivity:

  • For what purpose what I created? Why am I here?
  • What is God asking me to do with my time here?
  • What should I spend my time, energy, talents and resources on?
  • Is my life producing anything?
  • Is it really for God’s glory or for my own?
  • What would God have me to produce with my life and the time I have left on this earth?

I want my life to count for something. I believe God has given me a particular sense of direction for how I ought to live my life and what mission I am to be working towards. Now I need to make sure that I am faithfully heeding His calling, stewarding that which He has entrusted to me and making my life count for His glory and for drawing others into His loving embrace of amazing grace.What about you?

 

 

Keeping in step with God’s abiding Spirit

Here is the reality for a believer in Jesus Christ.

If you have come to faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then God Almighty has indeed saved you. If you have confessed your sins and repented of your former way of living according the ways of the world, then God has forgiven you and cleansed you and imparted to you His Holy Spirit. This is the gospel. This is true.

Furthermore, if you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, then His Spirit is within you. This is a promise from God’s word, and this is a reality.

But why then do we find ourselves in times and seasons of life where we are not fully obedient to all that God has spoken or why do believers find themselves exhibiting characteristics, traits and behaviors that are not of the Holy Spirit who abides within?

The question, indeed the challenge every day is whether or not we will obey every word that has been spoken to us by God Himself and is fulfilled by His indwelling Spirit. Will we remember that He is not a God who is far off, but rather one who is near. And not only is He near but He is within the very hearts of His children. Will we believe and obey God’s words?

If we are impatient or unkind, lacking grace or mercy, or in any other way living like the world, the enemy or the carnal self, the reality is that we are not living according the power and the promise of the indwelling Spirit.

Does this mean that God’s promises have not come true? Does this mean that God’s assurances that He is making us new and that He is putting His love and law in our heart and lives coming to naught? NO! Rather it is we who are out of step with the Holy Spirit. The power is present, but we are not tapping into it. The promise is true but we are not acting on it. We must repent. We must confess. We must give God everything so that we can begin to live in the fullness of the Spirit of God. When we totally consecrate ourselves everyday, then God is able to do what we formerly thought impossible: change us!

So this week, today, this moment, if you are feeling weak, selfish or wordly: don’t live there. Stop. Pray. Confess. Turn away from these things. And then ask the Lord for help by His indwelling Spirit and live as if He is working: HE IS! He is answering your cries for help. He is providing the kindness you have asked for. He is supplying the gentleness and patience that you need. God Himself is pouring out His faith, mercy, joy, peace and love that you know you need. Even if you haven’t asked, God is still reaching out to you with hands full of every supply you need. That is His prevenient grace (the grace that goes before our asking). If you have asked, His hands are not only extended with the blessings that you need but His hands are literally pouring forth the supply you are so desperately in need of. Will you receive it? Will you accept His free, gracious and bountiful gifts to you?

How do you receive these gifts? How do you accept them? Simple: just walk, talk, act, react as if your prayers are already answered. Treat your neighbor with the patience you have asked for. Treat your enemy with the kindness you have asked for. Speak to people with the kindness you have asked God for. And trust me, in the middle of you living as if you have already received God’s bountiful supply, you will realize that indeed He has and is perpetually pouring out all that His children need for life and godliness.

Believer. Beloved. Child of God. Please receive the help and keep in step with the Spirit of God that is at work in your very heart.

 

How should we live and where should our responses come from?

Most often in life we live and respond based on weak, faulty and incorrect impetus. Without the move of the Holy Spirit in our lives and without keeping in step with the Holy Spirit most people live and choose their responses from/by emotions, circumstances, selfish desires, comparison to other people, approval from other people and other such temporal/worldly motivations.

We must receive from the Lord His perfect revelation, power and Spirit to live this life based on the eternal things of His Word and His character that will never pass away.

If I choose my responses based upon how I feel about something at the moment I will choose things based upon insufficient, incomplete and incorrect starting points. My emotions are based upon two things: what I am looking at and what my physical body and senses are going through. If my physical body is tired, worn down, sick, fatigued, stressed, etc then my emotions most often are going to be similar. I don’t know all of the physiological reasons for this but I do know that it is because God created us and intended us to have holistic health and there is a definite and distinct tie between the wholeness of my body and the wholeness of my emotion. Furthermore my emotions go to different places based on where I am looking and I believe this is a gift from God to let us know when our eyes have been in the wrong place. If my eyes are on Him and my entire being (mind, body and spirit) are resting in Him my emotional state will be once of peace, happiness and contentment. However if my eyes are on Jesus, but my body or mind are fatigued from simply living in this fallen world, my emotions may run low. Regardless of where my emotions are, my choices should be made because of the Word and revelation of God. Only God is unchanging and unchangeable. Therefore what He speaks and reveals will be perfect each and every time because it flows from His eternal nature of love and holiness.

To consider this a bit further we must recognize how many times responses are made out of a place of comparison to other people or seeking approval from other people. It makes much sense that this happens, but that does not make such a motivation and impetus correct. It is so easy to see the people around us. We are fascinated by one another. We are drawn to people. We want to love and be loved by people. This is by the gift and design of God: He created us in community/relationship and He desires that we live in loving relationships with Him and others. However if the love we are looking for is only attainable through us living a certain way, that love is faulty, temporal and ungodly. God’s love for us is not dependent upon how we act or look. He loves us with all that He is simply because of who He is and who we are. To live and respond out of seeking approval from others or because we are comparing and contrasting ourselves to others is a surefire way to live a life of ups and downs, rejection and disappointment.

This is my message to you: listen to the voice of God. Read the Word of God. Pray to the Almighty, perfect, holy  and loving God of the universe. He will not lead you astray. His directions to you will be perfect every time. His instructions will always be for your good and His glory. Furthermore when we live and respond according to His ways, we will not face guilt, shame, fear, disappointment and disillusionment. Rather we will have peace and contentment and can rest assured that with God directing our responses we will actually live a life of love and significance to others and to His kingdom. Please stop reacting out of how you feel or how you perceive others or how you think people are thinking about you, instead. choose to react and respond based on the simple, powerful, true, right, good and holy Word of God. He will never lead you astray and His perfect words, ways and blessings will never end!!

We are kept by grace through faith

How many times in your life have you faced situations that you were pretty sure you fumbled? How many circumstance where you felt that you failed, came up short, missed the mark, didn’t try hard enough, weren’t smart enough or some other failing?

And so often what is our response to these situations? Many times our reactions are riddled with guilt, shame and personal efforts seeking to undo our mistakes. But the accusations keep coming: “You really messed that up”, “If you had just…”

I want to share some hope with you today. Continue reading “We are kept by grace through faith”

The dilemma and the promise of faith

What is it that we have faith in?

What exactly are we believing for?

Are we believing for things to turn out our way, or the way that is seemingly most favorable to us? Are we believing for events and even other people’s choices, words and behaviors to be positively in our favor?

Or is our faith deeper?  Is our faith for something more?

Continue reading “The dilemma and the promise of faith”

Releasing

The question is not what I can produce for the kingdom. Rather the question is what will I release and allow to flow into and through me for the kingdom.

Most days we try and figure out what we can do for God. But Jesus reminds us that “by myself I can do nothing”.

Nothing I do will last.

What will last forever is that which God does.

Continue reading “Releasing”