Learning to Trust Again

2 Corinthians 2:8, Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. NASB

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he addresses again the matter of the man among them who had received church discipline for his sexual immorality. Paul realizes that the church Body had disciplined this man for his sin instead of ignoring it like they were earlier. 

However, it is also apparent from this verse that Paul knows that the man had repented and had discontinued his sin. He is now concerned that the Body isn't coming along side this man and reassuring him again of their love for him. Paul is concerned that the Body’s treatment of this man may cause him to become extremely sorrowful that he gives up because of the lack of fellowship with others. Paul wants the Body to express their complete forgiveness of this man by reaffirming him with their love now.

What is the reason that Paul addresses the issues with this man in the Corinthian church again? The reason is because the human tendency for even believers is to shun the one that has sinned against us. Even though a person may repent and show change in his life, we may many times not fully accept them into our circles of fellowship again. 

It is easier to keep someone at arm’s length then to allow them to get close to us again. We're unwilling to take the chance to trust and care again because of our fear of being hurt again or let down. Yet, we are reminded by Paul’s words, that when a believer has repented and has turned his life around, we need to affirm our love for them. Is there someone we need to reaffirm today?

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The Heart of Wholeness

1 Kings 3:27, Then the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” NASB

God came to Solomon and asked him what he desired. Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom. After receiving wisdom, we are told the story of these two mothers. During the night the one woman smothered her infant and switched her dead child with the living child. 

When the women were fighting over the living child, they were brought before Solomon. It was up to him to decide what to do about the living child. Once the king spoke of dividing the child between the women, quickly the one woman was willing for the child to be released to the care of the other woman. It was this sign of deep love and unselfishness that Solomon knew that she was the true mother.  

Those desiring division aren't following the heart of the Lord, and Solomon received the Lord's wisdom to know.  It is the heart of a true mother to want the best for her child. Truly this woman loved her child, and yet she was willing for her child to be raised by another instead of seeing his life eliminated. 

God created the mother to guard and protect her children, and to go against that, is to go against the way God created a mother to be. It is this kind of mother who can release her child for adoption when she knows that it would be best for the child. 

May those who have adopted a child realize the depth of the sacrifice that mother made to allow her child to be raised by another woman. May those who have released a child for adoption remember the precious gift they given another woman and their child! At the heart of every mother God desires unselfishness, love, and protection. May we all be that!

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Lesson on Forgiveness

Luke 17:5, And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” (NASB)

The apostles had sought Jesus’ teaching regarding the forgiveness toward a brother who had sinned against them. Jesus teaches them that if the brother sins against them seven times in one day and returns repenting, they are to forgive him. 

The apostles don’t say they won't do that, but realize that in order to obey Jesus’ teaching regarding forgiveness in this type of situation they are going to need their faith to be increased. They realize that in and of their own flesh they are incapable of truly doing that. Their statement acknowledges their need for the Lord to do something through them in order to obey.

Certainly this verse is applicable to us. We all have experienced the deep pain and hurt because of the deliberate actions of one’s cruelty. Yet there are times when someone has not sinned against us, and yet we will hold a grudge against them because they were unwilling or unable to do for us what we expected of them. 

We all need to seek the Lord to increase our faith, because Jesus calls us to forgive others when they sin against us.  Clearly if we are unwilling to forgive those who sin against us, then we do not understand the forgiveness of Jesus that has extended toward us. If we rely on the faith, then we are able to let go of our hurt and pain and move on from the offenses committed toward us. 

How sad for the one who holds a grudge toward another because of things that in light of eternity have no meaning or significance. May we extend forgiveness toward others and be willing to listen to the hearts of others when they have been hurt by our words or actions also!

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Does He Hear?

Psalm 66:18-19, If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear; but certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. NASB

You can sense the gratitude the writer feels in knowing that God has heard his prayer. He is confident that his prayers were heard. The writer realizes that if he is not harboring wickedness in his heart, then God hears his prayer. He is not saying that God is going to answer his prayer a certain way, but just that his prayer was heard. 

If we feel like our prayers are not being heard and just bouncing off the wall, then we need to examine our life and see if we are harboring sin in our heart. What does that mean?

When we know that we have offended another person and refuse to make things right with that person, we are harboring sin. When we know what the scriptures say about the treatment of others and yet refuse to obey His commands, we are harboring sin in our heart. 

WE may have attitudes or actions that we think no one else sees or knows, but the Lord knows and sees it all. If we are not willing to live right before God and man, then God says He will not hear our prayers. 

There is nothing more frustrating then talking to someone and feeling as if they are not listening. The only condition in which God will not listen to us is if we are harboring sin.  We must not allow anything to stand between our relationship with God today!   Let's confess our sins and make things right with God and man and He will hear our prayer.

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Suffering for Salvation

Isaiah 53:11, As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. (NASB)

The Jewish people had been given a prophecy regarding the suffering of the Messiah and what His suffering would produce. They didn't understand the message of the suffering Savior until after His resurrection. If a person is open to the truth regarding Jesus, then the salvation that is provided by Him is clearly given and visible. 

Isaiah teaches us the extent in which Jesus would provide salvation for us. We are taught that the suffering of Christ would cause anguish to His soul. However, as a result of this anguish, the Father would see it and this anguish would bring about satisfaction. We are also taught that Jesus was righteous, a servant, and His anguish would result in the justification of many, and that Jesus would bear the iniquities of many. The Father found satisfaction as the suffering of His Servant would justify many and would result in the iniquities of many being punished before a Holy God who couldn't dwell where sin existed.

What an amazing Heavenly Father we have! The Father brought salvation through the righteous and servant actions of His Son.  The ultimate purpose of Jesus was to have our iniquities transferred upon Him, so that His righteousness could be transferred upon us. Let's not be blind to provision of salvation provided to each one of us through the suffering of the God’s Son and let us not only remember this at the Easter season but all year around.

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The Influences of the Heart

Psalm 141:4, Do not incline my heart to do any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies. NASB

The Psalmist seeks the Lord’s intervention regarding three areas in his life. He realizes that without the Lord’s help he would not be able to do these things. The Psalmist is concerned about the inclination of his heart toward evil things. He is also concerned about the influence the wicked will have upon his own practice of deeds. Thirdly, the Psalmist is concerned that he may actually participate in the evil things that the wicked people do. The Psalmist is aware of the steps toward evil deeds.

How do we apply this to our every day life? The first thing we need to realize is that we must honestly come to the Lord regarding our weaknesses. If we intend to stay away from evil then we must admit that our heart can drift away from those things that are pleasing to the Lord. We need to realize that when our heart drifts away from the Lord, then we begin to practice deeds of wickedness alongside the others that do iniquity also. We are reminded that those we are eating with are those we are fellowshipping with and when the company is wicked, it leads toward wicked deeds. What are we doing to protect the inclinations of our heart toward evil thing?

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Give It to Jesus

Philippians 4:6, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  NAS

To the believer uptight and overly concerned about nothing, there aren't any special circumstances or excuses given.  He's just commanded to not be anxious. In response to anxiety the believer is instructed to pray and seek God with a thankful attitude. 

We're reminded here that God wants us to make our requests known to Him, and so we are to go to Him with what we are feeling. This is not instructing us to ignore how we feel, but to bring those feelings and circumstances to the Lord and to acknowledge our need for Christ in it.

What is the reason that God would command us to not be anxious and to bring our requests to Him with an attitude of thanksgiving? First you must realize that anxiety changes nothing, except your trust and attitude toward the Lord. You can't improve or change your situation with anxiety. In fact, anxiety can color your vision and actually make things appear worse than they really are. 

The Lord realizes that when we bring everything to Him in prayer and supplication with a thankful attitude we are submitting ourselves to Him and allowing Him to work in the situation. In our anxiety we tend to say and do things that we can't undo and make the situation worse. 

Anxiety is also bad for the physical part of our body. Anxiety causes ulcers, headaches, stomach problems, eating disorders, and even blood pressure problems. Anxiety not only affects our physical wellbeing, but emotional and spiritual. 

God cares about all areas and knows the effect of anxiety. How are we responding to our difficult circumstances today? Are we coming to God or trying to handle it on our own strength?

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Persistently Pray

Luke 18:1, Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart. (NASB)

When Jesus had opportunities to speak to His disciples or the crowds He used those opportunities to teach them something. One of the methods Jesus used for teaching was by telling them parables. He would have a particular lesson in mind when He used a parable to teach. 

The purpose of the parable about the evil judge who did not fear God or respect man was to teach us that at all times we ought to pray and not to lose heart. The widow would constantly ask the judge to provide protection for her. This widow knew who to seek after in order to obtain the protection. She knew the judge was evil and had no fear of God or respect for man, and yet she still sought what she knew she was entitled to receive from this judge.

Jesus tells this parable because He wants us to acknowledge in prayer what we are in need of and to seek what we need from the Lord. He wants us to know that we need to be persistent in our prayer and to not lose heart when we are praying. 

The Lord, unlike this evil judge,  desires that we come to Him. Jesus wants us to seek the protection from Him that is needed in our lives. He knows that when our enemies attack us we need to acknowledge that it is His protection we are to seek after. 

Our enemies, the devil, the flesh, and the world, wish to distract our attention and trust off of the Lord. May we persistently seek the Lord in prayer knowing that He can provide the protection we need from our opponants.

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Trusting in the Trials

Psalm 119:71, It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Thy statutes. (NASB)

In the midst of a difficult time people tend to wonder the reason for the affliction. It's a time when many cry out that life's unfair. Many people become very angry at God and say that He doesn't really love them. 

With his afflictions, the Psalmist acknowledges his affliction and the reason he feels that this affliction was good for his life. The Psalmist realized his affliction enabled him to know more about what God desired for his life. The Psalmist accepted a higher purpose in his affliction instead of focusing on the fact that he endured a difficult time.

Kay Arthur wrote an entire book showing from God’s Word that the disappointments in life are God’s appointment for us. Scriptures constantly shows the afflictions that many living before us had to endure, and the final end of what God did because of those afflictions. 

It's difficult for us when facing affliction to remember that God has a higher purpose in it all. God desires a close and intimate relationship with us, and therefore He will allow affliction in our lives so that we open our eyes and heart and will come to a deeper understanding of Him. 

We can choose to turn to Him in our affliction and ask Him to teach us more about Him, or we can turn away from Him. We make the choice for our lives.  May we choose the same attitude as the Psalmist did here and realize that our affliction is good if it helps us learn more about God.

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Friendship Evaluation

James 4:4, You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. NASB

James doen't beat around the bush when he confronts the believers receiving this letter about what their actions regarding the world and God are. He likens their behavior in terms that they clearly understand the meaning. Just as adultery is hostility towards one's spouse James warns the believers that they are committing adultery against the Lord because of their relationship with the world. 

Is James exhorting the believers to not have friends outside the church at all? Certainly not, since it is every believer’s responsibility to spread the Good News of salvation to everyone who is lost. So, what is James trying to say?

James questions the believers regarding their loyalty and faithfulness, and warns them that their behavior is inappropriate and does not display a love and commitment toward Christ. He had given them the preview in earlier verses regarding the steps that they were taking in their lives to break their marriage covenant with the Lord. 

He wants the believers to realize that their behavior not only makes them hostile toward God but in fact, God’s enemy. James wants them to understand that God desires nothing to replace Him. Where is our heart devoted? Let's  look upon our actions to evaluate the faithfulness of our relationship to Christ today.

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True Obedience

Luke 17:32, Remember Lot’s wife. NASB

Jesus is speaking to the disciples regarding the day the Son of Man will be revealed. He reminds them that the situations happening in society will be similar to the day that Noah and his family were inside the ark and God flooded the entire world.   It will also be similar to the day that God destroyed Sodom. 

Jesus reminds the disciples and us that in the day of the Son of Man’s revelation there should not be any looking back or returning for possessions and then Jesus reminds us about Lot’s wife. Jesus knows that when He speaks these words that His listeners knew exactly what happened to Lot’s wife. Unfortunately, there are many today who may not know what Lot’s wife did and the significance of what she did, and yet, Jesus doesn't want us to forget her.

The Lord warned Lot and his family to leave Sodom and to not look back.  Lot’s wife took that glance, and when she did the Lord turned her into a pillar of salt. What was the significance of the Lord’s response to her action and how does that apply to us? 

The first thing we need to remember is that no matter whether we understand what the Lord is asking of us, we are called to obedience. Our disobedience will carry with it the consequences of sin. We also need to realize that despite the fact that her act seems trite and insignificant the Lord still regarded it as disobedience and sin, and He would not tolerate it. 

May we remember that more than a sacrifice or anything else, the Lord desires obedience. Let's remember Lot’s wife and God's view on complete and full obedience.

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He Knows and Understands

Mark 15:17-18, And they dressed Him up in purple, and after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King to of the Jews!” NASB

What do we associate with a King? The most common element is the crown but also purple as a symbol of royalty.  Out of context we receive the impression that Jesus was being honored for being the King of the Jews. Sadly, as the actions and words were being issued to Christ they were to mock Him, spit upon Him, and finally to lead Him away to be crucified. Christ was not honored as the King of the Jews, but crucified as a criminal. He deserved to be robed in purple, crowned, and honored, but instead He received something completely different.

Imagine standing there that day and suddenly having our eyes opened and realizing that we had just participate in the crucifixion of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Jesus knew as He endure this treatment that He did not deserve to be mocked but to be truly honored as a king, and yet He submitted to this evil treatment. 

What was the reason Jesus endure all of this? Has anyone ever made fun of we because of who we are? Have we ever been accused of things we did not do? Jesus knows what we endured and felt at those moments, because of this experience in His life. He went through all of this so we would know He fully understood our pain. What a sacrifice of love for us He has made.

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Will Have it When We Need it...

Matthew 10:20, For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. (NASB)

Jesus is preparing His disciples for their future in regard to following Him and proclaiming His message to people. Jesus is aware that the disciples are going to be persecuted and that they may be anxious about how or what they will speak in those times of trials and difficulties. 

Jesus wants them to know that when they are face-to-face with this situation the Spirit of the Father will provide the words that they will need to speak. It's appropriate that Jesus would understand the heart of the disciples and begin to prepare them and desire to calm their fears about what they will need to do when the time comes.

How often we too are like the disciples when we get concerned about things that we may not even be facing yet. Jesus’ words are applicable to our every day situations too. We need to always be ready to give an account regarding our relationship with the Lord, and yet we need to remember that it is the Spirit that dwells within us that speaks the words of truth through us.

We are not called by the Lord to think, speak, or do anything without a submission to the Him and the desire to follow Him in all things. We are to be ready in season and out of season to give an answer in regards to our relationship with the Lord, and yet we are to do it with dependence upon Him. We need to remember that when we stand up for the Lord, it is Him speaking through us to be obedient in difficult circumstances. Let’s focus on our day-to-day obedience and leave the difficult times up to the Lord to guide!

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What Law Reveals to Us...

Romans 3:20, Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. NASB

What emotions is Paul trying to create within his readers? Paul compares the works of the Law with the knowledge that the Law brings to each person regarding sin. Paul reveals to us that in the sight of God, a person’s works do not justify them before God. 

When we stand before Christ, will it matter what anyone else thinks about what we have or have not done? If we look to our flesh to justify what we have done, then the message conveyed in this verse is that there will be shame and embarrassment in His sight. God gives the Law to point us to the fact that we fall short of God’s standards and need a Savior.

We are left with only one conclusion: justification in the sight of the Lord is to be desired and needs to happen for each of us. Justification in the sight of the Lord does not come from our flesh or from just knowing and doing the Law. 

Thankfully we are told that being justified before the Lord is a gift given by God’s grace (in verse 24) through Jesus Christ. We can be set free from embarrassment and shame from what our flesh has done because of Christ Jesus! We have all done things we are ashamed and embarrassed by, but in Christ we have worth and can overcome the failures of our past!

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Like Jesus

Matthew 9:35-36, And Jesus was going about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. (NASB)

Jesus traveled into different cities and villages  and did three specific things in those places. Jesus would go into their synagogues and teach, he would proclaim the gospel of the kingdom, and He would heal every kind of disease. We are given a look into the heart of Jesus because of the actions He did. 

Jesus felt compassion for the multitudes. Our Savior was moved by His compassion to reach out and give the multitudes what they needed. Some needed healing and so that was what Jesus gave them. However, there were some who needed to have the gospel of the kingdom proclaimed to them, and that is what they received from Jesus. 

Finally, there were a group of people who needed to be taught by Jesus, and so while they were in the synagogues Jesus came to them so that they too would receive what they were seeking after. Jesus looked among the crowds of people and recognized when they were distressed and downcast, and He felt compassion toward them and acted.

What is our response to those around us, and what do we do when we have become aware of what the people around us might need? We need to have hearts of compassion and seek the Lord as to what we need to be doing for those around us. 

There will be times when we need to teach someone the truth about the Lord and their relationship with Him. There will be other times when we will be called to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom to those looking for salvation in Jesus. We are not usually able to physically heal as Jesus did, and yet we are called to be instruments of healing for others and that is done when we bring someone into a relationship with Jesus Christ. How have we been like Jesus this week?

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What is There?

Luke 18:22, And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” NASB

Does Jesus ask us to sell our possessions, distribute them to others, and follow Him? If we think not, what is the reason that He would ask this man to do such a thing? Is it because the man was a rich man?

He had just stated to Jesus that he had been faithful in keeping the five commandments that Jesus had drawn attention. He stated that he had not committed adultery, murder, thiefery, falsehood against his neighbor, and had honored his mother and father. However, with this request we see that Jesus goes further into this man’s heart with where his affections rested.

With the love of his possessions came the breaking of the commandment regarding idolatry. 

Jesus does not ask everyone to sell their possessions and distribute them to the poor if He knows that it is not an area of weakness for that person. However, Christ knows where our affections are, and it will be that area in which we will be asked to surrender to Jesus’ will and way. 

What would Jesus challenge us to do if He were to go for our heart’s affections? Would we be asked to surrender our words or attitudes toward our neighbors? Would we be challenged with hatred, honesty, or our use of our hands in doing work?  We need to set Jesus show us what may be harbored in our heart and keeping us from knowing or walking close to Him today!

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Fruit of Repentance

Acts 2:38, And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” NASB

Peter, the man who denied the Lord Jesus Christ on the same night that He was betrayed by another disciple, boldly spoke the message of repentance now. Peter understood what it meant to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and to receive the forgiveness of his sins. 

Peter knew that with repentance God gives the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit to each person. He stood at a distance and denied his Lord,  but now boldly spok on behalf of His Lord and Savior. 

Peter was transformed from being with Christ and repenting of His sins. Peter preached repentance to anyone he had an opportunity to do so until the day he died. With an understanding of the forgiveness of his sins came a different man.

What difference has Christ made to the way we live our life? In Christ a person is transformed and with that transformation comes an entirely different way of living.  The Holy Spirit dwelling in the believer transforms him/her enabling them to do what they could not do without Christ. 

In Christ we can forgive others, love others whether they love you or not, be kind to the unkind, show compassion to the hurting, and mercy to those deserving judgment. What does our life display to us and those around us regarding repentance?

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What Do You See?

Matthew 6:22-23, The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! NASB

The lamp in a room illuminates the darkness in it allowing what is in the room to be seen by all. Jesus uses this metaphor to teach that if your vision is clear, it reveals everything in regards to what the Lord teaches. 

In the context of the surrounding verses, the hearers needed to know that they were to be storing treasures in heaven where moth or rust could not destroy them. They were reminded that they can only truly serve one master, not serve God and mammon. Since God took care of the animals, He surely would care for them.  Anxiety about their life in regard to eating and dressing it wasn't necessary.  

This metaphor teaches that if your eyes are bad and unable to see, then it affects your entire body placing it in darkness.  Walking in obedience to the Lord begins with a clear vision of who God is and what is important to Him. If we do not allow our eyes to see what the Lord desires and what is most important to Him, then we will have our entire body filled with darkness. Jesus tells us that this darkness is great! God has given His Word to instruct us on how to live, so that we are without excuse. How is your vision today?

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Where You Looking?

Luke 12:56, You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? NASB

At first glance the words seem harsh and condemning, and yet, it is a call from Jesus for the multitudes to analyze something more than what they can see with their eyes. He is asking them to look around to what is right in front of them and to analyze what the present time is telling them. 

What are they seeing?  People being healed of diseases that they have been plagued with for a long time. They are seeing people who have been dead and even lying in a tomb for several days risen from the dead. They are seeing people who were destroying their lives with stealing money from others, prostituting themselves, and possessed by demons, being transformed after having contact with Jesus. 

Despite what was right in front of them, they could analyze the weather, but they could not determine who Jesus really was.    How are we like those people? Are we missing out in our relationship with Jesus because we are too distracted trying to figure out things around us that don’t matter or we just don’t understand? 

Do we become complacent in our relationship with the Lord that we don’t praise Him for His daily blessings, ask Him for guidance in our every day decisions, and ignore Him until the next crisis? Let us not spend time analyzing those things that don’t matter, but keep our eyes and heart focused on the things that count for eternity!

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God is Known

Romans 1:20, For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. NASB

The profound truth of God’s existence can be summed up in this verse that God’s invisible attributes, His eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen since the creation of the world. We are told clearly that because of what God has made we are without excuse in regards to knowing about God. 

Man has tried to ignore His existence and explain it away with such theories as evolution, and yet, ignoring God’s truth does not make anyone blameless. There is no excuse for anyone not seeing God’s attributes, power, and nature.

What is the significance of this? It means that anyone wishing to know God can have his eyes open to a faith that extends to seeing. Faith in God is being able to see that all around us is proof of God’s attributes of kindness, goodness, mercy, love, grace, and truth in His creation. 

A world that is in perfect sequence with one another with insects, plants, humans and animals all supplying something for another displays power that no human can duplicate. 

Finally, the sacrifice of His only Son displays the nature beyond man’s abilities, to love the unworthy. We all stand before God without excuse. God can be known by anyone who truly seeks to find Him. Do we truly see God all around us?

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His Righteousness Through Us

1 John 3:7-8, Little children, let no on deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, the He might destroy the works of the devil. (NASB)

The first thing we need to take notice of from what John is telling us is that we can be deceived in regards to our practice of righteousness. This happens when someone attacks our pursuit of living right before the Lord by declaring us “self-righteous”. We can be deceived when this attack comes because it is an attack in regards to the heart of our relationship with Jesus.

However, in our practice of righteousness we are seeking after the heart of God and looking toward His standard of righteousness that He transferred upon us when He removed our sin and placed it upon Jesus at our salvation. It's in this desire for God’s righteousness and practice of it that we declare to those around us whom we desire to honor and please in our thoughts, words, and actions.

The other thing we learn from this verse is that the Son of God appeared for the purpose of destroying the work of the devil. It's the work of the devil for us to be deceived and to not understand the importance of practicing righteousness in our lifestyle before God and man. 

We can become deceived about this pursuit, because the devil knows how to use the words and actions of another to attack our heart toward loving and following the Lord. The devil knows how to persuade us into lowering our standards toward those things that are acceptable to the world, but will hinder our desire and pursuit of walking in a close relationship with the Lord.

We need to be aware of this deception and to be on guard against the devil’s attack upon us. We have been made righteous by the blood of Christ and that should be our lifestyle.

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Whose Your Daddy?

1 John 3:10, By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. NASB

John gives a distinct description of the contrast of the children of God and the children of the devil. He lets us know that this distinction is obvious. We are told that the one who does not practice righteousness and does not have love for his brother is not a child of God.  These characteristics or absence exposes our parentage. How is this displayed in every day living?

When we are practicing something, we are repeating the same thing over and over, and this enables us to improve in that area. John says that righteousness needs to be something that is practiced in order for it to become the core of who we are. 

The child of God is instructed to love his brother. In order to do both of these things the Holy Spirit must live within to enable one to do these things. It's the child of God who can love the one that is not easy to love. God's child can put the needs and concerns of another before their own. He can do what is right according to God’s standards, because God empowers him to know what to do and how to do it. 

Our true Father is obvious by our love and our practice of righteousness.  Who are we showing is our Daddy to the world around us?

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Our Pursuits

1 Timothy 6:11, But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. (NASB)

Paul wants us to understand that the pursuit of money and riches with deep love and passion will cause us to wander away from the faith. A pursuit of the things this life snare our hearts and leads to many foolish and harmful desires that eventually will plunge us into ruin and destruction. 

Paul warns us to flee from this kind of lifestyle and instructs us on the things we should focus on during our pursuits. He makes it clear to us that as a child of God we need to actively reach after those things that will produce righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness in our thoughts, words, and actions.

How do we do that in our day-to-day living? We need to be sure that those things that we are pursuing are what the Lord would qualify as righteousness. A standard of righteousness is not what we declare righteous, but what the Lord’s Word reveals as righteous. If our lifestyle causes physical, emotional or spiritual pain toward another person then we can know that our pursuit is not from God. 

If anything we do or say is contrary to the teaching of the Bible, then we know it is something we are to flee from. We can make excuses for our behavior and blame others for our choices, but we can control the choices we make by the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. 

We can be sure that if we pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness that the Lord will be with us enabling us to find those things that honor and glorify Him and bring healing instead of harm toward ourselves and others. Let us flee from any other kind of living but that which pleases our heavenly Father.

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His Love Abounding

Philippians 1:9-10, And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ. NASB

Paul writes to the church in Philippi to inform the people that he is praying for them and what he is specifically praying for them. He informs them that there will be a specific result that they can expect from his prayers. 

He tells them that he is praying that their love will grow to such a degree that real knowledge and complete discernment will abound from it. He tells them that if their love is like this, then their approval will be on the things that are excellent, and they will be able to be sincere and blameless until Christ returns. What does this all mean really?

It should be noted that a love that is abounding in knowledge and complete discernment is more than just knowing facts in your head, but being able to determine what is going on and being able to determine what must be done to take care of the situation. A heart that can see beyond what is right in front of you is a heart open to seeing the needs of those around them.

We should pray for others and ourselves to love like this. This love comes from Christ and is expressed in Christ, and it's in displaying His love that we become more prepared for the day of Christ. It's a love that puts Jesus and others before self. It's displayed by submission to the Lord and does not demand our own way. What kind of love do we display?

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What are You Reflecting?

Proverbs 22:24-25, Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, lest you learn his ways, and find a snare for yourself. NASB

The warning is that there are certain people to not be associated with because of the effect they might have on your life. We are warned about the man given to anger and with a hot-temper. The reason given for the warning is because association with this man may result in embracing his lifestyle and falling into his snares. Why does an association with one type of person effect another’s?

No matter how much we may believe or try, the people that we spend the majority of our time with will have the greatest effects on what we think, speak, and do. It is explained by the illustration of how easy it is for a person to pull another person into a pit then it is for a person to pull another person out of the pit. 

In other words, it is easier to develop the bad habits from another, than for someone else to pick up the good habits of those they associate with.  Evaluate your actions in light of your associations and decide if you are spending time with those who encourage your walk with or against the Lord. 

Don't eliminate your witness to the lost, but spend the majority of your time in relationships that help you grow close to Christ.

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Receiving Godly Advice

Proverbs 1:30-31, They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own devices. NASB

The Scriptures make it absolutely clear that if we do not heed the counsel of the Lord’s instructions that consequences will follow their rejection. The Lord’s instructions can be given to us when we read His Word, hear it preached from the pulpit, or have a brother or sister in the Lord come along side of us and instruct us with how our life is not meeting up to Christ’s standards. 

This Proverb warns us that some will not accept the counsel and will actually respond with spurning towards it. However, if God so leads us, we are to give the counsel. Sadly we are reminded that if a person does not accept the counsel of the Lord, they will eat the fruit of their own devices.

An important thing that we learn from this Proverb is that God desires His counsel to be offered to people, because His ultimate desire is for people to accept it and to eat healthier fruit. Jesus over and over gave His counsel to the people gathered around Him. Those, like the Pharisees, that spurned His word were rejecting truth, but those who embraced His word were given a new life and a new direction for life on earth as well as heaven. 

We must remember that godly counsel will be embraced or rejected, but it is still to be given. The response to godly counsel is Jesus’ concern!

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Marriage Reflection

Ephesians 6:30-31, For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. (NASB)

Paul speaks of the husband and wife relationship, but he also wants his readers to be aware of the fact that the relationship between the husband and wife is to be an illustration of Jesus’ relationship with the church. 

When two people make the commitment of marriage before the Lord and their friends, they are told that they are to do three things. They are to leave behind the relationship with their parents and/or a previous lifestyle, they are to cleave to their spouse, and they are to become one flesh with their spouse. 

These three things together make a marriage complete and these three things together can also destroy what God has put together. What is Paul trying to teach us about our relationship with Christ from the example of marriage?

When we make a commitment to Jesus Christ we are entering a marriage relationship with Him that is to be displayed by these three things also. We need to leave the lifestyle we lived before our commitment to Jesus behind us. We are to cling to Jesus and seek His power in living according to the strength of the Holy Spirit and the new life that Christ has for us.

Finally, when we transfer our trust from our sinful ways of living and have the righteousness of Christ transferred upon us we become one with Him. The Spirit dwells within us and enables us to live according to God’s standards instead of what we deem as good and acceptable. 

We are now married to Christ and with that marriage we are to be faithful to our commitment until we die. Do our words and actions display the marriage relationship we have with our Savior?

What are They Saying?

Philippians 1:27, Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ; so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. NASB

Paul desires a visit with the believers in Philippi, and so he writes them letting them know his desire and about what he has heard about them. He encourages them to continue conducting themselves in a way that honors the gospel of Christ. He wants them to know that whether he comes or not, he wants to continue to hear that they are standing firm in unity of spirit and striving together for the faith of the gospel. 

Even in Paul’s day, people would talk about those claiming faith in Christ and how they conducted their lives regarding that faith. Paul says to only do the things that are worthy of the gospel of Christ. What did that mean for them and for us today?

Paul tells what he means by this throughout the book of Philippians. We are to live for Christ and not for ourselves. We are to have a love for believers that abounds in real knowledge and discernment. We are to be preaching and teaching Christ. We are to have a mind that is like Christ that is not selfish, proud, or with empty conceit. 

We are to do all things without complaining or disputing. We are to live above reproach so that we do not disgrace Christ. Our lives are to be for the Lord. What would others be hearing about us if they were telling Paul about our life today?

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Come to Set Free

Matthew 8:29, And behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (NASB)

Jesus crossed over from Capernaum to the country of the Gaderenes where two demon-possessed men lived. The demons within these two men were so violent that no one would pass by the road where they were. Unafraid and undaunted by these men, Jesus, with his disciples come near to these men. 

Immediately the demons make a clear declaration that they know exactly who Jesus is as they address Him as the Son of God. They ask Jesus whether He has come to torment them. They are aware of the fact that there will be a time when they will no longer be tormenting the lives of humans, but they themselves will receive torment.

We can learn many things from Jesus’ encounter with the demons. An important lesson we learn from this encounter is the difference between a demon ruling a life and Jesus ruling a life. The sister passage to this story is in Mark 5 and we are told that when the demons were cast out of these men, the men were found in their right mind. 

The violence and fear that others had of these men disappears and people were able to approach them. When demons are present there is torment in a person’s life. Jesus does not come to torment, but to set of us free from torment. 

Jesus came to this region to set these men free, and then He got back into the boat when the people in the city entreated Him to depart. The results of His words and actions brought freedom.  May we strive to speak and do those things that bring freedom to people’s lives.

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Our Riches in Christ

Romans 10:12, For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him. NASB

Who is offered the gift of salvation? Is it for everyone? In Paul’s day, the Jews only believed that it was for them. However, it became clear after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus that the message of salvation was to be taken to all men. 

Jesus was the same Lord of the Jew and the Greek, and He remains the same Lord today no matter what our ethnic birth. The other thing that we are told is that the Lord is abounding in riches for all that call upon Him.

What are these riches? First, we need to see is that the riches given are abundant and are promised to all that call upon the Lord. What we regard as riches though might not be what the Lord refers to as riches. According to the surrounding context of these verses the riches promised to all refer to salvation. 

All too often we get caught up in this life and think that riches refer to material wealth, but Jesus has always been concerned about much more than our physical needs and desires. Do we take too lightly just how rich we are when we have called upon the Lord for salvation and have been given it freely and abundantly? 

This life is temporary, but we are promised something much more than this life could ever offer us. If we understand the value of the gift of salvation, we will comprehend fully how rich we truly are!

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Just Plant It!

James 3:18, And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (NASB)

The clear lesson is one who is planting the seed of righteousness has a desire to make peace. They plant their seed with the desire of peace. In order to plant the seed properly, the soil must be dug into and the things that could kill the seed removed. If the condition of the soil is not suitable for the seed, then it will destroy the seed once it has been planted. The desire of the one planting the seed is that when harvest comes, a fruit of righteousness will be produced. What does this mean in our every day living?

When confronting the sin in a loved one’s life or sharing the gospel with the unsaved, we must do it properly and with a desire that the receiver will eventually bear the fruit of righteousness in their life. However, even though the seed may be planted properly into the soil, the soil may not receive it in the intention that it was meant. 

There is soil that is hard and resistant to God. However, once the seed is planted in our loved one’s life, we must allow God to work with the soil and the seed. Jesus desires we plant seeds of truth in love and gentleness, but sadly it may not be received in the way that it was intended. 

We are responsible for planting the seed and then resting in what God can do with that seed planted in peace. Be willing to plant the seed, and pray for the harvest!

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