The following is from Focal Point Ministries with Dr. Mike Fabarez
CHANGE
Though most of us are inherently opposed to it, change is an important part of God’s good plan for his children. You and I may prefer the cozy security of familiarity, but both the advancement of the church and personal sanctification usually involves large quantities of change. Throughout the Bible we see God changing the setting and a variety of factors in the lives of his people as he moves them into new levels of maturity and effectiveness for his name’s sake. We have certainly been warned that the one constant in the Christian life is the changing nature of the Christian life (2 Cor.3:18; Phil.3:12-14). So the next time you find that God’s plan is bringing some uncomfortable periods of adjustment for you, your family or your church, just remember that this is God’s tried and true method of preparing you and positioning you to be all that he wants you to be.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Living By
What is the main thing you are living by? Is it food? Is it people? Is it work? Is it money? Is it status? Is it knowledge? etc
What do you turn to for wisdom? Where do you go to find out who you are? What addresses the deep needs of our humanity? What feeds the entire person? What, then, is very essential for us to live by? Who is the source of this?
If you have been living without it, then you are merely existing. Simply put, dead. If we started living by it and are no longer, then we are depriving ourselves. We are depriving ourselves from growing to experience life. The life that is full and very rewarding.
Is this thing relative? Who is the source of it? Sooooo, what is it? Matthew 4:4 & Luke 4:4 [Deuteronomy 8:2-4]. Read this verse. Meditate on it. Be open to the truths of it. If you are open to the truths of it, you will be hungry to search it out to know its Author. Your response will be to live by its every word.
What do you turn to for wisdom? Where do you go to find out who you are? What addresses the deep needs of our humanity? What feeds the entire person? What, then, is very essential for us to live by? Who is the source of this?
If you have been living without it, then you are merely existing. Simply put, dead. If we started living by it and are no longer, then we are depriving ourselves. We are depriving ourselves from growing to experience life. The life that is full and very rewarding.
Is this thing relative? Who is the source of it? Sooooo, what is it? Matthew 4:4 & Luke 4:4 [Deuteronomy 8:2-4]. Read this verse. Meditate on it. Be open to the truths of it. If you are open to the truths of it, you will be hungry to search it out to know its Author. Your response will be to live by its every word.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Holiness Day-by-Day
Devotional for Friday, July 26, 2013
Obedience Applied
Today's Scripture: Luke 8:21
"My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."
"My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)
Bringing ourselves under the transforming influence of the Word of God means much more than just acquiring knowledge about the contents of Scripture. In fact, the mere acquisition of Bible facts or doctrinal truth without application to one's life can lead to spiritual pride. As Paul said, "knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1, NIV). By contrast Paul also spoke of "the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness" (Titus 1:1, NIV).
What is the difference between these two concepts of Bible knowledge? In the first instance the Corinthians were using their knowledge in a selfish and prideful way. They were "looking down their noses" at people with different convictions from theirs. On the other hand, the knowledge leading to godliness is knowledge of the Scriptures that is being applied to one's life and results in godly behavior.
One of the banes of present-day evangelical Christianity is the way we sit every week under the teaching of God's Word, or even have private devotions and perhaps participate in a Bible study group, without a serious intent to obey the truth we learn. The indictment of the Jewish people God made to Ezekiel could well be said of us today: "My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice" (Ezekiel 33:31, NIV).
Our tendency seems to be to equate knowledge of the truth, and even agreement with it, with obedience to it. James said when we do this we deceive ourselves (James1:22). This is especially true when we focus on the more scandalous sins "out there" in society to the neglect of the more "refined" sins we commit.
The text for this devotional comes from the award-winning NavPress devotional bookHoliness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges. For more information or to order a copy, visit theNavPress website.
Visit The Navigators Resources website for more devotional resources.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Holiness Day-by-Day Devotional
Devotional for Monday, June 24, 2013
The Primary Issue
Today's Scripture: Hebrews 9:14
"Christ . . . offered himself without blemish to God." Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message) From different points of view, look at Christ's work for us: he perfectly obeyed the law of God. He satisfied the justice of God. He exhausted the wrath of God. He removed our sins from the presence of God. He redeemed us from the curse of God. He reconciled us to God. One thing is readily apparent: every work of Christ is directed toward God. It's God's law that was obeyed, his justice that was satisfied, his wrath that was propitiated, his holy presence from which our sins were removed, his curse from which we were redeemed, and alienation from his divine presence that has been reconciled. This God-ward focus tells us that the integrity of God's moral government and the upholding of his honor and glory are the primary issues in our salvation [emphasis added]. It's true that God's love for sinful people such as you and me is the wellspring of our salvation, but this love could be shown only in such a way that the glory of his holiness and the honor of his law would be magnified. Jesus in his sinless life and sin-bearing death did just that. Hallelujah, what a Savior! As we contemplate the glory of the cross, we see that not only is our deepest need of salvation met, but it was met in the way that brings the most glory to God himself. At the cross both God's law and God's grace are most brilliantly displayed, and his justice and mercy both glorified. It's also at the cross where we're most humbled, where we admit to God and ourselves that absolutely nothing we do can earn or merit our salvation. As someone has well said, "We bring nothing to our salvation except our sin that made it necessary." The text for this devotional comes from the award-winning NavPress devotional bookHoliness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges. For more information or to order a copy, visit theNavPress website. Visit The Navigators Resources website for more devotional resources. | |
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Focal Point Ministries Devotions
Mindful of God
by Pastor Mike Fabarez
Mar 21, 2013
The Christian life is a life that is lived mindful of God. The crux and catalyst for sin is frequently described in the Bible as thoughtlessness or forgetfulness of God (Judges 8:34; 1 Samuel 12:9; Jeremiah 2:32; et al.). Godly living, on the other hand, is prompted and motivated by a chronic remembrance of the presence of God (Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 5:21; Hebrews 4:13; 1 Peter 2:19; et al.).
For us as Christians, the call to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to “be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12) provides us with a practical discipline through which we make ourselves aware of the informed, active, and involved omnipresence of God. By contrast, looking around at the bustling people of this world who give little or no thought to their Maker ought to give us a chilling and sorrowful pause.
The God to whom all will give an account is entirely disregarded and forgotten by so many. “As in the days of Noah”, Jesus said, so it will be that in the last times people will be “eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage” all without thought of their Creator – his demands, his desires, his mercies, or his provisions (Luke 17:27).
Such a simple observation from people who are mindful of God should provoke us to intercessory prayer and evangelism. May God use you and I this week to open the eyes of a sleeping world.
http://www.focalpointministries.org/
Friday, March 15, 2013
He Lived
Looking back at his life, short but lived excellently. In the eyes of many, even his family, it should have gone differently. They were perplexed by his life. They had another goal for him. To follow in his dad's footsteps. Maybe? To grow up and be like every man. Like every firstborn male child. Perhaps? The culture decided what was expected. He was not about living by the dictates of his culture. Sure, he lived by its customs. But, he lived those customs differently. He lived with a depth that was more than the routine. He demonstrated the heart behind the customs. He modeled in words and actions a life that amazed people. Yes, even the elites.
But, he was not from an elite family. Yet, he lived with such authority that confounded them. They hated him. The crowds were attracted to him. Most for their own pleasure. Some for a fleeting moment. Many loved to be around him. However, only a few wanted to live like him. He called a small group to learn from him. They had the privilege of living with him. He called them to live with him, but not for his purpose. Nope, he was more than that. He was not about that. Sometimes, or perhaps more often than not, this group did not understand him. They had their own agendas too. But those changed. Well, for most of them.
He was not about impressing people. He was not consumed by pleasing people. Yet, his love for people was incomparable. He was given a mission. He was on a mission. He came with the vision from heaven. That was how he lived. In singleness of heart. Fixed mind. Submitted will. He lived this mission with a passion and relevance and transcendence like no other. Sure, there were good examples before and after him. But, there was and will never be any like him. Not completely like him. Because there is none like him.
His followers reflect him and are growing into his likeness to reflect him with an increasing beauty. They have been given a mission. A vision also from heaven. This vision can only be accomplished with singular focus on the mission. Just like he did. He was in the culture but not ruled by it. He was in relationship with others but not controlled by them. Yet, he was humble enough to serve others and to live with respect in the culture. In him was the life and light that relationships and culture needed. He was full of grace and truth to bless the culture and people. Many have since then received him. They have been overcome and overwhelmed by his life and light. His grace and truth continue to reign in and through their lives. Those around them see a reflection of his life and light. And it's all because he lived. Is your life a reflection of his?
But, he was not from an elite family. Yet, he lived with such authority that confounded them. They hated him. The crowds were attracted to him. Most for their own pleasure. Some for a fleeting moment. Many loved to be around him. However, only a few wanted to live like him. He called a small group to learn from him. They had the privilege of living with him. He called them to live with him, but not for his purpose. Nope, he was more than that. He was not about that. Sometimes, or perhaps more often than not, this group did not understand him. They had their own agendas too. But those changed. Well, for most of them.
He was not about impressing people. He was not consumed by pleasing people. Yet, his love for people was incomparable. He was given a mission. He was on a mission. He came with the vision from heaven. That was how he lived. In singleness of heart. Fixed mind. Submitted will. He lived this mission with a passion and relevance and transcendence like no other. Sure, there were good examples before and after him. But, there was and will never be any like him. Not completely like him. Because there is none like him.
His followers reflect him and are growing into his likeness to reflect him with an increasing beauty. They have been given a mission. A vision also from heaven. This vision can only be accomplished with singular focus on the mission. Just like he did. He was in the culture but not ruled by it. He was in relationship with others but not controlled by them. Yet, he was humble enough to serve others and to live with respect in the culture. In him was the life and light that relationships and culture needed. He was full of grace and truth to bless the culture and people. Many have since then received him. They have been overcome and overwhelmed by his life and light. His grace and truth continue to reign in and through their lives. Those around them see a reflection of his life and light. And it's all because he lived. Is your life a reflection of his?
His Work In You
Your beauty is more than skin deep, of that I am sure.
It is seeping through and there is nothing you can do.
Nothing you can do to stop it, not that you would ever try.
Would you? I doubt it, to try would be foolish, and you know that.
Your beauty is for real, not something that could be manufactured.
Nor is it something that comes from fine jewelry or make-up
or fancy clothes or any other external things. Not even close.
Your beauty flows from inside.
Yes! It is from the deep recesses of the heart,
because it is from there you are being changed.
And the One who is refining you,
conforming and transforming you by His perfect, skilled,
sure and complete work is excellent.
My prayer is for you to continue to look to Him,
instead of being consumed by looking without or within.
For it is only when you are locked in His beauty,
are lost in His love and live in His grace & truth,
only then should you glance to see who you are.
When you do, you will be amazed and grateful for
His work in you.
It is seeping through and there is nothing you can do.
Nothing you can do to stop it, not that you would ever try.
Would you? I doubt it, to try would be foolish, and you know that.
Your beauty is for real, not something that could be manufactured.
Nor is it something that comes from fine jewelry or make-up
or fancy clothes or any other external things. Not even close.
Your beauty flows from inside.
Yes! It is from the deep recesses of the heart,
because it is from there you are being changed.
And the One who is refining you,
conforming and transforming you by His perfect, skilled,
sure and complete work is excellent.
My prayer is for you to continue to look to Him,
instead of being consumed by looking without or within.
For it is only when you are locked in His beauty,
are lost in His love and live in His grace & truth,
only then should you glance to see who you are.
When you do, you will be amazed and grateful for
His work in you.
Upwords with Max Lucado
Our Memory
by Max Lucado
There’s a direct correlation between the accuracy of our memory and the effectiveness of our mission. If we’re not teaching people how to be saved, it’s perhaps because we’ve forgotten the tragedy of being lost. If we’re not teaching the message of forgiveness, it may be because we don’t remember what it was like to be guilty.
And if we’re not preaching the cross, it could be that we’ve subconsciously decided that—God forbid—somehow we don’t need it.
In what is perhaps the last letter Paul ever wrote, he begged Timothy not to forget. He urged Timothy to “Remember Jesus Christ—raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel. . .” (2 Timothy 2:8).
When times get hard, when people don’t listen, when tears come, when disappointment is your bed partner, when fear pitches its tent in your front yard, when death looms, when shame weighs heavily… always remember Jesus!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Holiness Day-by-Day
Devotional from Navigators by Jerry Bridges
Devotional for Saturday, March 9, 2013 / Sunday, March 10, 2013
When God Is Irrelevant
Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31
"Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)
"Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)
When I talk about specific areas of our subtle, "acceptable" sins, one comment I often hear is that pride is their root cause. While I agree pride plays a major role, I believe there's another sin even more basic, more widespread, and more apt to be the root cause of other sins. It's the sin of ungodliness, of which we're all guilty to some degree.
We don't think of ourselves as ungodly. After all, we're Christians, not atheists or wicked people. How can I say that we believers are all, to some extent, ungodly?
Ungodliness may be defined as living one's everyday life with little or no thought of God, God's will, God's glory, or our dependence on God. You can readily see that someone can lead a respectable life and still be ungodly in the sense that God is essentially irrelevant in his or her life.
The sad fact is that many of us believers tend to live our daily lives with little or no thought of God. We may read our Bibles and pray at the beginning of each day, but then go out into the day's activities and basically live as though God doesn't exist. We seldom think of our dependence on God or our responsibility to him. We might go for hours with no thought of God at all. I believe that all our other acceptable sins can ultimately be traced to this root sin of ungodliness. Ungodliness ultimately gives life to our more visible sins.
Pray that God will make you more conscious of the fact that you live every moment of every day under his all-seeing eye, knowing that he sees your every deed, hears your every word, and knows your every thought. (Excerpt taken from Respectable Sins)
The text for this devotional comes from the award-winning NavPress devotional bookHoliness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges. For more information or to order a copy, visit theNavPress website.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Consider these
The desire & ability to love God and others comes from being in Christ, not from us.
We can't love God without loving others.
We only know, in part, what love is because we have been by touched by the love of God.
Conviction leads to transformation. If there is no transformation, then it was just an agreement.
Fear prevents us from living.
God has not failed in loving us. It is we who fail in accepting and trusting His love.
The best thing in life is not only free it is freeing. Do you have it?
Life in Christ is full of life.
If you are in Christ, you are already accepted by the Father and have the Spirit living in you. Therefore, work not to be accepted, but work to express who you are in Christ with joy & gratitude.
You can study the Scriptures and not know its author.
If you want to know who Jesus is spend time praying and studying the Bible.
Getting to know God is as important to you as the time you spend praying, listening to & learning from Him.
If we do love God, we will obey His commandments. It is that straight-forward.
Knowing about God is different than knowing God. Which is it for you?
We can't love God without loving others.
We only know, in part, what love is because we have been by touched by the love of God.
Conviction leads to transformation. If there is no transformation, then it was just an agreement.
Fear prevents us from living.
God has not failed in loving us. It is we who fail in accepting and trusting His love.
The best thing in life is not only free it is freeing. Do you have it?
Life in Christ is full of life.
If you are in Christ, you are already accepted by the Father and have the Spirit living in you. Therefore, work not to be accepted, but work to express who you are in Christ with joy & gratitude.
You can study the Scriptures and not know its author.
If you want to know who Jesus is spend time praying and studying the Bible.
Getting to know God is as important to you as the time you spend praying, listening to & learning from Him.
If we do love God, we will obey His commandments. It is that straight-forward.
Knowing about God is different than knowing God. Which is it for you?
Upwords: The Teaching Ministry of Max Lucado
February 22, 2013
Holiness
by Max Lucado
by Max Lucado
John the Baptist would never get hired today. No church would touch him. He was a public relations disaster. Mark 1:6 says he “wore clothes of camel’s hair and ate locusts and wild honey.”
His message was as rough as his dress. A no-nonsense, bare-fisted challenge to repent because God was on His way. No, John’s style wasn’t smooth. He made few friends and lots of enemies, but what do you know? He made hundreds of converts. How do you explain it? It certainly wasn’t his charisma, nor his money or position—for he had neither. Then what did he have? One word: Holiness.
Holiness seeks to be like God. You want to make a difference in your world? Live a holy life. Be faithful to your spouse. Pay your bills. Be the employee who does the work and doesn’t complain. Don’t speak one message and live another! Just be God in your world.
“…as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:15-16)
From: A Gentle Thunder
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Fools
Would you rather be a fool and believe there is a God
than believe in yourself because you others applaud?
Would you rather be a fool and count your life as loss
than gain the world at the cost of rejecting the cross?
Would you rather be a fool and wholly lean on God's Spirit
than claim a wisdom which has no eternal or godly profit?
Would you rather be a fool and obey God's commands
than spend your days as a slave to sin and its demands?
Would you rather be a fool and turn your eyes upon Jesus
than continue to gaze upon things worthless and idolatrous?
Would you rather be a fool and claim Jesus is your Lord & Savior,
than deny He is because doing so would put your life in danger?
Would you rather be a fool and live only to exalt God's name
than pursue and persist in things to bring about your fame?
Would you rather be a fool for Christ or be a fool for the world?
The reality is: It is one or the other!
than believe in yourself because you others applaud?
Would you rather be a fool and count your life as loss
than gain the world at the cost of rejecting the cross?
Would you rather be a fool and wholly lean on God's Spirit
than claim a wisdom which has no eternal or godly profit?
Would you rather be a fool and obey God's commands
than spend your days as a slave to sin and its demands?
Would you rather be a fool and turn your eyes upon Jesus
than continue to gaze upon things worthless and idolatrous?
Would you rather be a fool and claim Jesus is your Lord & Savior,
than deny He is because doing so would put your life in danger?
Would you rather be a fool and live only to exalt God's name
than pursue and persist in things to bring about your fame?
Would you rather be a fool for Christ or be a fool for the world?
The reality is: It is one or the other!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Holiness Day-by-Day
Devotional for Thursday, January 10, 2013
God-Centered Holiness
Today's Scripture: 1 Peter 1:16
"You shall be holy, for I am holy."
"You shall be holy, for I am holy."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)
If holiness is so basic to the Christian life, why do we not experience it more in daily living? Why do so many Christians feel constantly defeated in their struggle with sin? Why does the church of Jesus Christ so often seem to be more conformed to the world around it than to God?
Our first problem is that our attitude toward sin is more self-centered than God-centered. We're more concerned about our own "victory" over sin than we are about the fact that our sins grieve God's heart. We cannot tolerate failure in our struggle with sin chiefly because we are success-oriented, not because we know it's offensive to God.
W. S. Plumer said, "We never see sin aright until we see it as against God. All sin is against God in this sense: that it is his law that is broken, his authority that is despised, his government that is set at naught. Pharaoh and Balaam, Saul and Judas each said, 'I have sinned'; but the returning prodigal said, 'I have sinned against heaven and before thee'; and David said, 'against Thee, Thee only have I sinned.'" God wants us to walk in obedience—not victory.
Obedience is oriented toward God; victory is oriented toward self. This may seem to be merely splitting hairs over semantics, but there's a subtle, self-centered attitude at the root of many of our difficulties with sin. Until we deal with this attitude, we won't consistently walk in holiness.
Victory is a by-product of obedience. As we concentrate on living an obedient, holy life, we'll certainly experience the joy of victory over sin. Will you begin to look at sin as an offense against a holy God, instead of as a personal defeat only? (Excerpt taken fromThe Pursuit of Holiness)
The text for this devotional comes from the award-winning NavPress devotional bookHoliness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges. For more information or to order a copy, visit theNavPress website.
God is Good
God is good and that's a truth not dependent on me
God is good and that's a truth not held at my mercy
God is good in spite of what I feel or think or say
God is good in every moment throughout each day
God is good even when the nations rage and war
God is good even when things in life are bizarre
God is good in times when people don't treat us well
God is good in times when we're diagnosed as unwell
God is good even when we don't understand His ways
God is good even when we refuse to give Him praise
God is good and that's a truth I am proud to proclaim
God is good and that's a truth as true as His name
God is good and that's a truth not held at my mercy
God is good in spite of what I feel or think or say
God is good in every moment throughout each day
God is good even when the nations rage and war
God is good even when things in life are bizarre
God is good in times when people don't treat us well
God is good in times when we're diagnosed as unwell
God is good even when we don't understand His ways
God is good even when we refuse to give Him praise
God is good and that's a truth I am proud to proclaim
God is good and that's a truth as true as His name
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Where do you find Jesus?
Where do you find Jesus? This question was asked in a meeting at which I was present. A simple question, but none of our answers, including mine, were correct. Our answers were good, but not correct. Our answers were well meaning, but not correct. An easy question, could be construed as a trick question, but still we did not answer it correctly. How about this: Where do you go know who Jesus is? What is your answer?
Later on it reminded me of the importance of knowing where to find Jesus. Let me be explicit. It is VERY important to know where we must go to know and understand who Jesus is. There must be a trusted source that is not subjected to what we say or experience or think or feel. At best, these things - feelings, thoughts, experiences, words - are only as good and right and true when they align with the truth of who Jesus is. So, where do you find Jesus? Where do and must you go daily to find Jesus? Where can you discover and dive into the truths of who Jesus is?
Can you rely on your feelings? Can you rely on culture? Can you rely on your thoughts? Can you rely on experiences? The answer to these is a resounding, NO! They only teach who Jesus really is when they align with Him - The Truth.
There is grave danger in trying to find Jesus in feelings, experiences etc. It breeds relativity and subjectivity. The result is that we will come to different conclusions about Jesus. The conclusions would be dependent on us. Thus, they would not be absolute. The conclusions would not be TRUE! See the danger yet?
Here is a similar question: Where do you find the sun? In the sky, right? That's obvious because that is where it is. We don't look to our friends or experiences or feelings or thoughts to find the sun. We just go outside and look up at the sky. We have come to know that the sun is always in the sky and always shining, even on days when it is cloudy, dark, etc. Here is a fact about the sun: it sun reveals, by shining its light, many truths about our surroundings or environment. Note, it is not the surroundings or environment that reveals the sun. In the same way, we can only know our true state when we discover who Jesus is. We can only know the true state of our world when we find Jesus. And where do you find Jesus?
The person who asked the question supplied the correct answer. Where do you find Jesus? In the Scriptures. The Bible! We look up to the sky for the sun. If we want to find Jesus we must go to the Scriptures. This is not just a look as when you look to the sky for the sun. This look is a search, an examination, a meditation etc. It is done in a prayerful manner with reverent fear. The search must not be for the sake of knowledge, but to KNOW Jesus. When we come to know Jesus as He is revealed in the scriptures we will better reflect Him. We will better model and instruct others in His way. We will better recognize what He is doing in the world. We will better carry out His mission to the world. We will better love others regardless of who they are or what they have done. So, let's make it our goal to search the Scriptures! For in the Scriptures we find Jesus.
Later on it reminded me of the importance of knowing where to find Jesus. Let me be explicit. It is VERY important to know where we must go to know and understand who Jesus is. There must be a trusted source that is not subjected to what we say or experience or think or feel. At best, these things - feelings, thoughts, experiences, words - are only as good and right and true when they align with the truth of who Jesus is. So, where do you find Jesus? Where do and must you go daily to find Jesus? Where can you discover and dive into the truths of who Jesus is?
Can you rely on your feelings? Can you rely on culture? Can you rely on your thoughts? Can you rely on experiences? The answer to these is a resounding, NO! They only teach who Jesus really is when they align with Him - The Truth.
There is grave danger in trying to find Jesus in feelings, experiences etc. It breeds relativity and subjectivity. The result is that we will come to different conclusions about Jesus. The conclusions would be dependent on us. Thus, they would not be absolute. The conclusions would not be TRUE! See the danger yet?
Here is a similar question: Where do you find the sun? In the sky, right? That's obvious because that is where it is. We don't look to our friends or experiences or feelings or thoughts to find the sun. We just go outside and look up at the sky. We have come to know that the sun is always in the sky and always shining, even on days when it is cloudy, dark, etc. Here is a fact about the sun: it sun reveals, by shining its light, many truths about our surroundings or environment. Note, it is not the surroundings or environment that reveals the sun. In the same way, we can only know our true state when we discover who Jesus is. We can only know the true state of our world when we find Jesus. And where do you find Jesus?
The person who asked the question supplied the correct answer. Where do you find Jesus? In the Scriptures. The Bible! We look up to the sky for the sun. If we want to find Jesus we must go to the Scriptures. This is not just a look as when you look to the sky for the sun. This look is a search, an examination, a meditation etc. It is done in a prayerful manner with reverent fear. The search must not be for the sake of knowledge, but to KNOW Jesus. When we come to know Jesus as He is revealed in the scriptures we will better reflect Him. We will better model and instruct others in His way. We will better recognize what He is doing in the world. We will better carry out His mission to the world. We will better love others regardless of who they are or what they have done. So, let's make it our goal to search the Scriptures! For in the Scriptures we find Jesus.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Holiness Day-by-Day
Devotional for Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Holiness and Grace
Today's Scripture: Hebrews 12:14
"Strive for . . . the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)
"Strive for . . . the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)
The Holy Spirit's work in transforming us more and more into the likeness of Christ is called sanctification. Our involvement and cooperation with him in his work is what I call the pursuit of holiness. That expression is taken from Hebrews 12:14: "strive for [literally: pursue] . . . the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." .
This pursuit requires sustained, vigorous effort. It allows for no indolence, no lethargy, no halfhearted commitment, and no laissez-faire attitude toward even the smallest sins. In short, it demands the highest priority in a Christian's life because to be holy is to be like Christ—God's goal for every Christian.
The word "pursue" in this context means to strive to gain or accomplish. In Philippians 3:12-14, this word is translated "press on." In the New Testament it is most commonly translated "persecute," carrying the word's common meaning—to track down in order to harm or destroy.
At the same time, however, the pursuit of holiness must be anchored in the grace of God; otherwise it is doomed to failure. That statement probably strikes many people as strange. A lot of Christians seem to think the grace of God and the vigorous pursuit of holiness are antithetical—in direct and unequivocal opposition.
To some, the pursuit of holiness sounds like legalism and man-made rules. To others, an emphasis on grace seems to open the door to irresponsible behavior based on the notion that God's unconditional love means we're free to sin as we please.
Grace and the personal discipline required to pursue holiness, however, go hand in hand. An understanding of how grace and personal, vigorous effort work together is essential for a lifelong pursuit of holiness. (Excerpt taken from The Discipline of Grace)
The text for this devotional comes from the award-winning NavPress devotional bookHoliness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges. For more information or to order a copy, visit theNavPress website.
A New Year
Awesome God, blessed be Your glorious name! Thank You for another new day. A new day that begins a new year. May Your rule and reign be increasingly evident in and through our lives this year. Not just for a moment or an hour or a day but every day. Yet, help us to trust in You every moment of every hour of every day. Let it be our increasing desire for Your will to be done in and through our lives. Grow in us a hunger and thirst for Your righteousness. Teach us how to daily die to self so that the life of Christ would be increasingly evident in and through us. May we say, "NO!", to the flesh consistently and with conviction. May it be our desire and devotion to live in obedience to Your call on our lives. Thanks for making us salts and lights in Christ. Thanks for giving us Your Scripture and Your Spirit so that we can live as salts and lights. Help us to grow in the knowledge, understanding, trust, and conviction of who we are in Christ. For it is in Him our identity is fixed! In Him we are secure. In Him we are steadfast. In Him we are strong. In Him we are sanctified. We have these and many more blessings in Him. Thank You Lord! Thanks for Your work in us. Your work is awesome! The goal of Your work is to conform us to the image and likeness of Your Son. No other work and goal can compare to it. This is Your work and goal for Your good pleasure and our good. Thanks! So, we surrender and submit today, and pledge to surrender and submit ourselves to You each day of 2013. We pledge to cooperate with Your sanctifying, sure, and skilled work in us. We are immensely and infinitely blessed to have a God like You. Amen!
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