Luke 1:15-18 9/29/15 *11/18*

Luke 17: ¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Ten men had lives full of pain and disease, and Jesus made them new.  I am sure if you asked any one of them, they would tell you Jesus did it.  I am sure they would have nice things to say about Christ.

But only one  "when he saw he was healed', came back to worship and give thanks.  One out of ten had a heart so full of gratitude that it changed how he acted, changed where he went,  and changed what he did.  It should be noted that he didn't return to "earn" his healing, only to thank God for it.

Jesus asks him a question that should pierce our hearts..."where are the other nine?"... because all of us,  at one time or another, have been the other nine.  All of us have had days when we forgot the "disease" from which we were delivered.

Only this forgetfulness can explain our propensity to judge and withhold forgiveness from others. Only this forgetfulness can explain our inability to schedule time to be still and worship.   

So I  will ask you, are you one of the other nine today ?

If so don't dwell on it  - just stop where you are...Turn around, run back, and "throw yourself at Jesus feet".  Thank Him for His unimaginable grace that would redeem your lost soul.  Then offer redemption to those lost souls he puts in your path.

Lionel Hampton once said, "Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind." Remember your condition when God found you and store that memory in your heart.  It will drive you back to Jesus and fuel a grateful life of praising Him.

Ephesians 4:29-30 Matthew 12:34 9/22/15

Ephesians 4
²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Why do you speak?...When I speak it is usually to benefit me... I need something, or I want something, or I want you to know something....But this verse says that when I talk it is supposed to benefit others.

Talking in order to  "benefit those who listen" instead of benefit those who are talking is so alien to us it is almost hard to take seriously.  So Paul emphasizes it by stating that we "grieve" the Holy Spirit when we speak in a selfish or unwholesome manner.

The impact of the tongue is a constant theme in scripture.  James references the rudder of a ship,  and the bit in a horses mouth, to show how words can influence our lives.

Still this concept that our words should help others, instead of ourselves is not the norm.
What if it was?....What if we only spoke words that built up and edified others? ..... how would it change our Homes, our businesses, our Facebook pages? "

...But It almost seems impossible doesn't it?

There is however, some insight in  Mathew 12:34  that may help.  It says"...For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart"...Why is the tongue so important?...because it is the thermometer of the heart...the tongue reveals its content.....The way to make our words beneficial,  is to fill our hearts with the perfect grace and love of God.

I once saw a sign that read   "99% of the worlds problems occur because someone uses the wrong tone of voice."  There is truth in that, and I would suggest the wrong tone of voice is an indication of the wrong content in the heart.

Clean up where they come from, and your words will "benefit those who listen".

Rev 3:15-16 9/15/2015

Revelation 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

God sent these words to the church at Laodicea.  Strong words against a life without passion.

A man on fire for Jesus - recognizes the price of the gift given him, and his life reflects that with passion and gratefulness.

A man that is cold and has denied God -  rejects His free gift , and lives his life accordingly.

But a man that is lukewarm - claims to have accepted His Lordship, acknowledges the sacrifice that has been made on his behalf....but it doesn't seem to touch his heart.

This, according to scripture, literally nauseates God.  His only Son took our place and chose to endure what should have been our brutal execution.  To accept that gift without passion is an offense to God's love and holiness.

God ends the letter to the Laodiceans telling them to "be earnest and repent", Good advice for us as well.  If we do that, it will create a  passion in us that is unmistakable to the outside world.

A story is told of a young thief who was brought before Alexander The Great.  When the ruler asked the boy his name he responded, "Alexander"...a pained expression crossed the great warriors face, and he simply said, "son,  you change your ways, or you change your name."

Perhaps that is how God feels when we make him just a small part of our life, to be used when convenient or beneficial.  Maybe He would prefer we didn't use His name, if we aren't moved by His grace.

This week let's make sure we consider the price paid for our salvation, and let that reality fill us with passion that lights our hearts on fire for Christ.

Ephesians 6:14-17 4:15 9/8/2015

 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

As we prepare for spiritual battle we need to inventory our equipment.  We would never enter a physical battle or contest without the proper tools. So let's check the list:

Belt of Truth - In almost any athletic movement, power comes from you hips. Any throw, swing, kick...power emanates from your waist. Spiritually the belt of Truth is where you power begins. Allow no hypocrisy or falsehoods to weaken you...speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15)

Breastplate of Righteousness - In a conflict, vital organs are covered by the breastplate.  Your heart is protected by righteousness.  Put on the breastplate of Christ's righteousness, and emulate his purity, and retain a reverence for the Holy Law of God.

Feet fitted with Gospel of Peace -  An important piece of equipment for performance is a shoe that provides traction. Athletes can't perform, soldiers can't fight...without a good solid stance.  In our battle knowing the gospel of peace, gives you that stability.  You must put on knowledge of the gospel like you would put on your cleats before taking the field.

Shield of Faith  -  As the enemy fires flaming arrows at us during the fight we have a shield to block them.  Faith by which we have been saved, can block, and extinguish the lust, pride, revenge, and other temptations fired at you... all shots by the enemy are useless against our faith.

Helmet of Salvation -  Critical protection for the head which directs the warrior. Our assurance of victory, our ultimate salvation directs and protects us.

Sword of the Spirit - Our only offensive weapon is the Word of God.  We must know how to handle it. As we prepare for battle this is where the bulk of our time should be spent...knowing the Word of God.

It's game time...check your equipment... get dressed... and let's hit the field!

1 Samuel 17:47-48 9/1/15

47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.

We need to be bold men of action. While our culture seeks to water down masculinity ....the church needs men, who not only speak the truth, but without hesitation, act on it. Men who don't react in fear, but with purpose and resolve.

For a decade at Brazos Christian School, when the kickoff team broke the huddle the cry was usually "Run to the Battle!" It was based on this verse, and it got young men ready for football. It is a mindset that men of God need to embrace in order to live a life of effectiveness.

Too often we tip toe around... afraid to offend, afraid to fail, afraid to act. But the passage above shows David not only telling the giant what God was going to do, but then sprinting to the battle line to prove it. As the rest of Israel hid in fear, a little Sheppard boy grabbed some rocks and ran toward the problem.

Don't miss the fact that "As the Philistine moved closer" David charged. David did not act after God moved...he acted - convinced that God would move.

Action does not save us, faith does. But saving faith should produce action.
As men of faith, we should be bold and fearless when we are acting on Gods behalf. David was not afraid of failure, he was not afraid of being laughed at, he was not afraid of Goliath. 

 His only fear was disappointing his God.

So instead of political correctness, we should be concerned with biblical correctness. Instead of popularity we should pursue being right in God's eyes. Our lives should be marked with a humble, loving, bravery that screams confidence not in ourselves, but in our Creator.

Lets re-introduce the world to what a Man of God looks like. Brave, men of action who are afraid of nothing, except disappointing God. 

 
"Run To The Battle!"

Mark 10:21-22 Exodus 20:3 Acts 4:12 8/25/15

Mark 10:²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

What a hard passage.  This rich young man had just assured Jesus that he had "kept all the commandments since his youth"...the first of which is "have no God before Me"Exodus 20:3

 This seems to be the commandment we all struggle with, and  just like this young man, we often don't see it until we are forced to choose.   The tragedy in this case is that when Christ's words revealed the idol, he was not willing to abandon it.

Jesus didn't tell him to sell everything in order to punish him... Jesus loved him, he was simply answering his question... "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

The answer...worship Me alone...and that will always be the answer.
 It was the answer in the garden of Eden, and it will be the answer when Christ returns.
Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else... 

 "He went away sad, because he had great wealth."  What irony.  The young man walked away from Jesus, and unimaginable riches in Heaven, because he too greatly valued his temporary wealth on earth.

The question is what do you value?.... money?  reputation?  position?  ....when Christ's  words reveal your idols will you abandon them, or will you abandon Jesus?  Apparently those are our only two options. Jesus Loved him, but as he "went away sad"  there were no negotiations.

Tear down,  and destroy anything that compromises your allegiance to Christ, then hold on for the ride...because His next words are..."come follow Me" 

2 Cor 5:17 Gal 2:20 8/18/15

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

God didn't sacrifice His Son to only make you free from sin at your death.  He did it to also set you free in your life.  

The high price of our sins is a huge aspect of the Cross, and spending eternity with our Father is the ultimate crown.  But that eternity doesn't have to wait.  If you are in Christ, your eternity has already begun.  The verse doesn't say "will be a new creature", it says "IS a new creature".   

What a gift from our Heavenly Father - that the old filth and failures have passed away...they have nothing to do with us anymore.  We ARE clean,  and new, and free.

By the power of the Holy Spirit we can walk differently than the old creature.

If you have accepted  Christ, and you hear a voice talking about your past - you can be sure it is not God...God has taken care of your past - and His voice will always talk about your future. 

Mercy is an amazing thing, forgiveness is incredible.  But being made new...starting over...completely disassociated with the failures of the past.  THAT is amazing grace... and an act of loving holiness that we cannot yet fully comprehend. 

Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me

The Holiness of Christ has been forwarded to your account....Don't waste another second in the past.  It is no longer your past.  The old creature has nothing to do with you. It has been eliminated and in  it's place is a new man, washed in the blood and free from the chains.  

James 1:14-15, Romans 6:18, 1 Cor 10:13 8/11/15

James 1: ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

  Sin is a process. 

 It's not a one time occurrence that we commit and leave behind.  If we entertain evil desires, and are dragged into sin,  it starts a process that unless interrupted ends in death.  Sin is never stagnant...you are either moving away from it- or moving towards it. When you allow it to take hold in your life it begins to grow and its ultimate goal is destruction.

There are no "pet" sins, or sins that you can control...ANY sin, when it finishes growing - will kill things in your life.   Either you destroy sin, or its destroys you.

I talk a lot about God's Grace, and if you know me, you know why... but God knows the destructive power of sin...and His Grace gives us freedom FROM sin, not freedom TO sin.

 Roman 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Seize that freedom and never underestimate the destructive power of sin, or the price God paid to deliver you from its' grasp.

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able

Take an honest look at your life, and make sure there are no areas where you are being "dragged" away and enticed.  If you are, do whatever  it takes to break free, stop the process, and live your life as a slave to righteousness...the only way to true freedom

Mathew 14:25-31 8/4/2015

Mathew 14: ²⁵ .... Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
²⁹ “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Many lessons in this passage:
-1.  You should be careful what you ask Jesus for.
- 2. Peter shouldn't worry about wind when he is walking on water.
- 3.  Peter sank when he looked at the problem instead of Jesus.
- 4. Jesus caught Peter before he went under.

All great lessons, worthy of their own devos
...but today let's talk about how Peter's faith allowed him to do something extraordinary...

Granted, he might have been embarrassed when he sank in front of his friends.
And It probably hurt to have Christ ask why he had doubted.
And when it was over there were 9 or 10 guys who were safe, dry, and warm in that boat.

But in all of history there is only one man other than Jesus who walked on water...Peter.

That's impossible to do when your sitting in the boat.
 
If you act on your faith you might sink. There may be embarrassment.  In the worlds eyes you may fail....but you also might walk on water.

So if you want to do something extraordinary, every morning challenge yourself to keep your eyes on Jesus, and get out of the boat.

Matthew 18: 21-35 7/21/15

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 

Earlier in this chapter Jesus talked about how to deal with those who sin against you. Most at that time, believed you should forgive someone 3 times.  So Peter doubled it, added one to get to the number of completeness and proposed the number 7 to Christ.   He and the other disciples were probably surprised by the answer.

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Christ was not telling us to count out 77 times and stop at 78...but instead, limitless forgiveness.
He then follows with a parable to illustrate how ridiculous  it is for us to withhold forgiveness from anyone. (Mathew 18:23-35)

We can take allot from these verses but the point this morning is that we must learn to TRULY forgive.  For those who offend you, and for yourself.   Un-forgiveness does far more  harm to the "un-forgiver" than the "un-forgiven". "Being bitter toward others is like eating rat poison and hoping the rats die".

As Christians we rely on grace that God has shown toward our sin against Him .  In light of this, our holding a grudge against someone else would be laughable, if it was not so damaging.

We should take the same caution as I  am sure his disciples did when Jesus ended the parable like this:

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. ³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

 We all have people who have hurt us...take this week to inventory that list and unload your burden of bitterness, make sure you have forgiven them from your heart.

Bernard Meltzer once said "When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future."

 Because of  your past you owe forgiveness to others.....because of your future you owe it to yourself.