Foundation

2Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” (The Holy Bible, New International)

We have discovered the foundation of our church building is sinking. The beams that hold the floor are rotting. Both these situations are reparable. Each person needs a foundation to support his or her life. The only foundation for life is God. He created us and He is our foundation. When we stand on His Word our life is stable and free from rot. Without the foundation of God we fall into the wickedness of the world. God seals our foundation with His inscription – the blood of His Son, Jesus, which was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. When we confess Him and are sealed with God’s inscription our false and rotten foundation of sin is straightened and all rot is replaced through God’s Holy Spirit. As long as we turn away from wickedness our beams stay centered on God’s foundation. It is up to us to watch and stay within the precepts God has given us in His written Word (the Holy Bible) to stay centered on the foundation. Through our private Bible studies and our group Bible studies we can stay centered on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

Mercy

Matthew 12:7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. (The Holy Bible, New International Version)

Mercy is being given what we don’t earn or deserve. It is only through God’s mercy that we have forgiveness of our sins through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. It is only through God’s mercy we receive blessings from Him. Jesus says we are to show mercy to others. We are to do this whether they deserve it, earn it or ask for it. Our human nature is retribution. Our human nature is people should get what is coming to them, what they deserve. Our question is, will we obey our old nature or will we obey the command of Jesus? Next time someone offends us, hurts us or even inconveniences us we have a choice – show the mercy or pay them back what we think they deserve. We have this choice multiple times in a day. It even includes how we drive in traffic, how we treat a server in a restaurant having trouble giving us the kind of service we think we should have and on and on in various situations of each of our days. Let’s ask God to make us more sensitive to how we respond to others and let’s learn to respond with mercy.

Jealous God

Exodus20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God (The Holy Bible, New International Version)

God says it like it is. He is jealous. He created us to have fellowship with Him He wants our first love and priority to be Him. He wants us to put Him first before all things and people. Where are our fellowship priorities? Who do we think about the most? Who do we talk to the most? Who do we really love the most? I don’t really know anyone who shows with their priorities that they really put God first in all things. We tend to rationalize He is a forgiving God. He’ll love us no matter what. Yes, He is forgiving as long as we are covered in the blood of His Son, Jesus and as long as we confess and repent. Yes, He is loving – more than we can ever conceive. He is also God and He alone sets the ground rules. He said we must put Him first. We must love Him with ALL our heart, mind, soul and strength. This shouldn’t be hard for us but it is. We are so distracted by things of this earth that are so very temporary. How I pray for God’s Holy Spirit to help me keep my focus on God in and through all distractions. We do live in this world and we have things we must do in this world but all that we do should and can be done to the glory of God – even something simple like taking out the garbage. I’ve mentioned this little book before but it is worth mentioning again. It is “Practicing the Presence” by Brother Laurence. It is available as a free e-book. If you haven’t already done so I recommend you download it and read it. May God help us all to really love Him and really put Him first for His glory. Amen

Watch Our Life

1Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (The Holy Bible, New International Version.)

What wonderful advice from Paul to Timothy. What wonderful advice to us today. We are to make sure our life stays within the doctrine God has set forth for us. This will save us and be an example to those around us. We cannot do this if we let our culture dictate our daily life choices. All our decisions should be based on God’s Word to us. He was careful to speak to the writers of the Bible through His Holy Spirit to record His doctrines, the history of those who have gone before us (including where they went wrong with their life decisions) and many of the teachings of His Son, Jesus Christ, as He walked this earth in the way we should. Paul didn’t write these words to correct Timothy, he wrote them for encouragement. Whenever we get discouraged, instead of going for food or drugs or anything else we should get into God’s Word. It is God Who made us and it is God Who knows what we need. Instead of watching the lives of others let us get busy and watch our life each day and be sure it stays in agreement with the Word of God.

Another Decade

Psalms 48:14 For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

1 Corinthians1:8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (The Holy Bible, New International Version)

Today I enter a new decade. Each year we walk on this earth brings us closer to the end of our walk here. I’ve searched the scriptures and can’t find the word retirement in them. Retirement and “golden years” are terms made up in our modern culture. God designed us to follow His decrees and work to prepare the people on this earth for the coming of His Kingdom. Nowhere does it say spend all of your later years traveling, playing games or sports and generally just have fun. When we no longer find ourselves going to a job to earn income for our sustenance we are blessed with more time for the blessing of serving our God more completely. In my younger years I never thought God would enable me to preach His Word or write devotions every day. Though I still work for income I find more time to immerse myself in God. I still play golf and socialize but find my desire more and more in speaking forth His Word. He blessed me in the work of His service in my younger years and we are called to spread His Word all of our years. As we look to years passing let us (regardless of what decade we are in) be sure to keep our priorities straight. Let us also practice being in the present and not always looking to the future. Our eternal life started the day we accepted Jesus into our lives. Let’s not pass from one day to the next with regrets. Let us “stay strong to the end” in our love, devotion and work God appointed us to do.

Speak, Lord

1Samuel 3:8-10 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel! ” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (The Holy Bible, New International Version)

I really like these verses. I like them because God often speaks to me in the middle of the night. I’m ashamed to say I’m not always as responsive as Samuel. Sometimes I am so tired I ask God to let me sleep. In the morning I’m always sorry I did that. Sometimes I listen but don’t get up to write down what He says. In the morning I’m sorry. If I get going too soon in the morning I find I can’t remember what He said to me. Listening is a learning process. I’ve seen (and at times I was guilty of being one) parents not hearing their children trying to say something to them. We are good at tuning out. How do we develop sensitive spiritual ears so we can hear any time God chooses to speak to us? First we must be believers. That is we must have accepted His only Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and as the Lord of our life. Then we must immerse ourselves in the written Word of God – the Holy Bible. God never says anything that contradicts what He’s had men record in His written Word. Then we must desire to hear Him. Many don’t want to hear what God has to say to them. He will not tell us to do anything He hasn’t given us the ability and the desire to do. He will not tell us how terrible we are. He loves us. He loves us so much He allowed His Son, Jesus to walk as we walk on this earth to demonstrate how God designed us to live. Ask the Holy Spirit within you to enable you to hear God at any time He chooses to speak. Then, be sure to respond. Let us say as Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”

Authority

Ephesians 1:22-23 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (The Holy Bible, New International Version)

All things are under the feet of Jesus and He is the head of all things. This includes all believers who, collectively, are the body of Christ. He fills everything and everyone in every way. With that knowledge what is there to worry or be anxious about? One of our problems is not understanding the meaning of the word “head.” Here the word “head” means authority. Jesus is the authority on all things. We run into problems when we don’t look to our “authority”, Jesus for the answer to all decisions and the director of all our choices. Then, when things go amiss, we ask Him to fix them. We deceive ourselves by thinking we know what is best for us. Life would be so much easier if we would learn to live by the principles God lays out for us in the Holy Bible and consult Him, through His Son, Jesus, in all things. Let’s stop blaming others for our problems and recognize it is our decisions without input from God that create stress, discord and wrong choices in our lives.

Power Through Prayer

Ephesians 1:19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, (The Holy Bible, New International Version)

We can have God’s incomparably great power if we believe. Do we see His mighty strength working in and through us? If not, it is our fault. God’s power is there for our using but we must learn to incorporate it into our lives. The disciples could not cast out a demon Jesus replied, (Mark 9:28-29) “ After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer” (The Holy Bible, New International Version.) When we don’t see His power in our lives we must look at us. The first question we must ask is do we really believe He has given us that power? When someone pitches the baseball to you you’re not going to swing the bat if you don’t believe you have a chance to hit the ball. When we don’t really believe we have the power of God available to us we’re not going to step out in fait to use it. Jesus said prayer is also needed for this power. He certainly stayed connected through prayer with God the Father. There are numerous times of recording He drew apart to a lonely place to pray. Do we spend much time alone in a quiet place to really pray – talk to God and listen to what God has to say to us? Do we find what He tells us important enough to write in a personal log? I find without writing what God tells me I let the business of the world around me deplete it from my conscious memory. As in school, we have a final exam coming up before the throne of God. In school finals are only passed with much study and in some cases practicing what you learn. In our final exam will we here “Well done My good and faithful servant.” Or just here we’re in by the grace and forgiveness of Jesus even though we didn’t work for the coming of His Kingdom. The choice is ours. We can roll up our sleeves, connect with God’s power and prepare the world for the coming of His Kingdom or we can coast in the grace of God through our belief. What do you choose?

Vision

Ephesians 1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, (The Holy Bible, New International Version)

Paul’s prayer is that the eyes of our hearts are enlightened. He states his reason for wanting that is for us to know the hope (the close relationship with God) that God has called us. God has called us to avail ourselves of the riches of inheritances we have through His Son, Jesus. How do we do this? First we must be believers and followers of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. When we accept Jesus into our lives we receive His gift of His Holy Spirit. We need to be open to learn to use this gift. We learn to use this gift by studying and immersing ourselves in the written Word of God, the Holy Bible. As we learn more about God and learn to apply His principles to our lives our vision improves. As our vision improves we will see more and more of the glorious inheritance available to us through the grace of God. Our question is where are our eyes looking? Do we focus on God and His principles or do we focus on the world and culture around us? The choice is ours.

Every Effort

Heb 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord (The Holy Bible, New International Version)

The football play-off between Houston and Baltimore was on our TV. I couldn’t help noticing how much effort each person on each team was making. They were putting all they had into the playing of the game in hope of winning the temporary prize of being the best. That made me think about how much effort we, as Christians, put into our life. Paul tells us in Hebrews to make every effort not only to live in peace with all men but also to be holy. Being holy means we are set apart for God. Paul continues to tell us that without holiness no one will see the Lord. We must be set apart for Him. This takes effort. We cannot just go with the tide of our culture. We can’t just allow our circumstances to direct our lives. We must make an effort to be set apart for God through prayer, worship and knowledge of the Scriptures. Our question today is how much effort are we putting into knowing more about God and serving Him?