1 John 5:3-4 2/13/2018

“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.”

The same Holy Spirit that teaches love, also demands and enables obedience.

Too often we see God’s commands as burdens… a list of “don’ts” designed to rob our lives of pleasure. We believe the lie that we are missing out by not pursuing what the world says is gratifying.

So, we grab our “fire insurance” religion and spend our days seeing how close to the edge we can live without getting burned.  We wear the jersey but never enter the game.

There are no verses that offer assurance for that lifestyle. 

In fact, scripture is clear. Loving God means keeping His word. What is perplexing about our attitude is that obedience is not a price tag, it is a benefit.

Seeing His word as burdensome is like a kitten being annoyed that it must walk around, and not through the Pit Bull enclosure.

God’s word is the “owner’s manual” written by the creator…following it makes life work. It keeps us safe and prevents the enemy from stealing, killing, and destroying, which is his stated purpose. (John 10:10)

You are not burdened by God’s commands, you are set free to follow them.  Evaluate your life…you will see His plan always works, and the world’s never does.

You won’t be perfect, but you have been given strength to resist and provided with grace to redeem. So, overcome the world and live in obedience and victory. You are no longer a slave to sin, so stop allowing it to pollute your life.

“You will know as much of God, and only as much of God, as you are willing to put into practice.”
― Eric Liddell

Psalm 107:14 2/6/2018*

^“He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains.”

Last year Zach Williams wrote a song called “Chain Breaker”.  It’s about something God has been doing for centuries. We often hear of God’s forgiveness … but there is more to it.  God also offers deliverance. 

God offers a way out.

Are you in utter darkness?  Are you shackled with sin that absolutely owns you?  The enemy would have you believe that is permanent.  That your sin is part of you. That it defines you … but that is a lie, and he is good at lying. 

Stop listening… God is a chain breaker.  There is nothing you’ve done that compares to the power of the blood of Christ.  God holds title to your soul, and there is no iniquity that has any claim of ownership.  

Your sin is a paper tiger and the Cross is a match. In the shadow of Calvary, this thing you have given so much power to, becomes feeble. Face it, hand it to God, and begin anew.

In faith claim your freedom and never willingly accept incarceration again. God says you are free, insist on the veracity of that statement until you can prove it.

Your chains are broken … walk out of this prison, out of the darkness, and live in the light of redemption, deliverance, and freedom.  

“If you’ve got pain, He’s a pain taker,
if you feel lost, He’s a way maker,
if you need freedom or saving, He’s a prison-shaking Savior,
If you’ve got chains, He’s a chain breaker.”
 - Zach Williams

Romans 8:18 1/30/2018*

^“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Paul had been imprisoned, beaten, and shipwrecked but that is not what he is talking about. The suffering he is referencing is the inner turmoil of his own spirit, battling against his own flesh.

When we talk about suffering today, too often it involves someone saying something unkind to us, or calling our faith a fairy tale, or excluding us because of what we believe. These are not sufferings, they are opportunities.

However, our battle against sin, the inner struggle of not doing what we want, but doing what we hate can be devastating, and that is what Paul is referring to  in this verse. 

This is the suffering that caused him to cry out “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is infected by death?” (Romans 7:24)

Scripture has two pieces of advice for us when we face this kind of suffering: 

1. Know who your liberator is. “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25)

2. See the fight in context.  It is painful, it is frustrating, but it is over…the battle was won on the cross and these clashes are nothing compared to the glory that awaits us.

So, when you stumble, get up. Confess, repent, accept the forgiveness Christ gives, and keep going …

Learn from the suffering but don’t dwell on it… keep your eyes on the finish line and remember that this present suffering will fade away when compared to the splendor and glory that God will reveal in us when we finally get home.

"I groan daily under a body of sin and corruption. Oh, for the time when I shall drop this flesh, and be free from sin!"  - Charles Spurgeon

Revelation 2:4 1/23/2018*

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

This passage is from the letter to the church at Ephesus in the book of Revelation. According to the letter, the church worked hard, persevered, had solid doctrine, and endured hardship.

Yet God said if they didn’t correct this one flaw their ministry would be removed. What makes this one thing so important?  Why is it so critical to remember our first love?

Maybe it is the fact that love is the difference between religion and relationship.  Simply following a creed or acting out a system, is powerless. 

You lose your first love by forgetting where you came from.  Forgetting who you were when Christ found you.  When that happens, gratefulness is replaced by pride, and acts of love are replaced by responsibilities.

Whereas we used to worship because we couldn’t help it, we now grudgingly fulfill our obligations of church attendance and service.  

Have you lost your first love? 

Are you following a religious system, or are you overwhelmed with love for Jesus? 

Stop and recall your history.  Remember what Christ did for you even though you were in rebellion. Consider how you felt when you were first redeemed.  Then love like that again. Feel and act like you did when He first saved you.

God doesn’t need your help, He wants your devotion.  Wake up from your stale, legalistic existence and fall back in love with Him.  iHHHHBe so full of Love for Jesus that it permeates everything you do…the rest will take care of itself.

“We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.”
- Brennan Manning

Hebrews 6:19 1/16/2018*

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…”

An anchor has two jobs. Hold the boat in place, and keep it facing the right direction.

The anchor of hope in this scripture is not our deeds, or good works.  It is the promise God made to those who run to Him. 

His promise is what gives us hope, and that anchors our souls.

No matter what storm you face, God’s promise can hold you. 

The promise is deliverance based on the Cross, not our deeds.   I am not a “good person”, I am a “redeemed person” and that anchor will hold firm based on His work not mine.

As the hurricanes of life approach, I face the storm and drop anchor.  Secure and unmoved knowing the power that guards my soul is greater than the storm that threatens it.   

As your storm hits, hold on to your hope.  Be focused and determined, but not afraid.  Don’t run from it.  Your soul is tethered to the Cross and it is immovable. 

Turn and face the waves, trust your anchor, and wait on God. 

There are calm seas just outside of this squall, and when the storm has passed the clear skies will reveal that your anchor held.  Rest in the fact that His promise is stronger than your problem.  

“I hear both the violent turbulence of the storm, and the quiet promises of God in the storm. And what I must remember is that something is not stronger simply because it’s louder.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

Philippians 4:13 1/9/2018*

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

One of the most misapplied verses in the bible.

We usually quote this as a statement insuring our achievement of a goal.

But in context the passage has a different meaning.  Immediately before this verse Paul says, “I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need”. 

So, the proper application of this verse is not to insure accomplishment, but to remove fear and self-pity, and eliminate comfort as a requirement for contentment.

We desperately need that today.  We have become a nation of victims.  Easily offended with a myriad of reasons for our failures… none of which are our fault.  Any offense or disappointment sends us into the fetal position overcome with unhappiness and defeatism.

Paul refutes that and says he can handle any circumstance through Christ.  He can face success or loss, he can be hungry or full.  His circumstances do not determine his victories, those are guaranteed by the Cross.

All of us have issues in our lives that can hold us back.  And no problem is big until it is yours. But you can do anything through Christ.  It is your choice.  You can let a circumstance break you, or build you… and this verse affirms that it cannot break you without your permission.

Apply this passage as it is written.  Look adversity in the face and don’t flinch.  You can do this through Jesus, and that is guaranteed in writing. 

We are more than conquerors, and the enemy’s greatest fear is that we will lose ours.

"Listen to what you know instead of what you fear."
- Richard Bach

Proverbs 11:3 1/2/2018*

"The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity."

If you want to make a change in the new year, here’s a good place to start. When is the last time you made an expensive decision because it was the right thing to do?  When did you last sacrifice what you wanted simply because of honor?

Integrity is a lost art, because it calls for absolutes. There is nothing about integrity that is fluid.  It is not relative.  There is no room to negotiate. It is permanent and unyielding. 

If integrity is just one of your options, you won’t take it…it must be your only choice.  It is not a popular choice either, and at times it is called radical, intolerant, unyielding, and other names that illustrate the absence of a societal moral compass.

So, you must choose. 

Either you live out truthfulness, honesty, righteousness and unselfishness as established by God. Or you determine your actions relative to situations and your assessment of risk and reward.

It is your choice, but the verse is clear.  Either your integrity will guide you, or your duplicity will destroy you.

Whether it is your taxes, your marriage, your job, or your personal life … live with integrity.  It is easier to work hard to do things right, than to live with the results of doing them wrong.

Set God’s standard as your True North, and start walking.

"Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us." - Charles Spurgeon

Lamentations 3:22-23 12/26/2017*23*

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God is a God of new beginnings.

He is not refurbishing you…you were totaled.
You died with Christ and have been raised as a new creation, and each morning you start renewed.

When you accept the blood of Christ your sins are not only forgiven, they are forgotten.  The old passes away, and there is no connection to the failures of the past. His steadfast love insures that this is a never-ending process.

New Year’s resolutions often deal with what we plan to do in the coming year, but this year let’s talk about what we are NOT going to do… like continue to fight battles that have already been won, or carry baggage that is no longer our responsibility.  Let’s decide not to entertain guilt that has been obliterated by the costliest redemption in all of history.

Then let’s resolve to pass this on to others by forgiving the offenses they have inflicted on us. 

Determine to give a new beginning to anyone in your life who needs one.  If the blood of Christ eliminates your sin, shouldn’t it do the same for theirs?

Grant them forgiveness and you will be amazed at the relief you experience by setting yourself free from all the accounting…the Cross means there is no longer any need to keep score.

He is a God of new beginnings.

So, start again.

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —J.P.  Morgan

Ephesians 1:7 12/19/2017

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

What a great Christmas verse. It explains the reason for his coming.

The excitement a gift can bring on Christmas morning is fun, but it is unrelated to what we celebrate.

The joy we celebrate is more akin to the emotion felt by prisoners in a death camp when they see liberating forces approaching. It is not a shallow happiness, it is a deeply emotional bliss.  It is a joy that borders on unbelievability because of the outlandishness of what God did.

Jesus didn’t come to visit on Christmas. He came to pay a debt.

God’s only Son offered himself as payment for my trespasses. His blood for my sin. Not because I deserved it, but because He loves me.

The most impactful act of love known to mankind took place in a manger in Bethlehem, and it is where all human history divides.

Enjoy the Holidays, but set aside some time to contemplate the true gift of Christmas…because that gift changed everything.

“Christmas is the day that holds all time together.”
- Alexander Smith

Luke 5:15-16 12/12/2017*28*

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

When was the last time you withdrew to a lonely place and prayed? 

Is it even possible today? 

Apparently, Jesus did it regularly. Have we somehow missed the importance of this habit? Though He was God in human form, He still “often” withdrew.  If Christ thought it important for Him, how much more important is it for us?

The holidays are incredibly busy.  The days are filled with shopping, decorating, and Christmas parties.  But have we overlooked the reason we celebrate? 

Christmas was a rescue mission launched with one goal…to restore the fellowship we had with the Father in the garden. 

As we celebrate the success of that mission don’t forget to take advantage of the result. 

Withdraw to a quiet place today. Spend some time communicating with God and thank Him for Christmas…which liberated you from bondage, and reestablished the relationship you were created for in the first place.

“Most Christians do not have fellowship with God; they have fellowship with each other about God.”- Paris Reidhead