"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, [a] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
This child...this Baby...the "Mighty God"?
Yup!
Isaiah had prophesied that GOD would come IN THE FLESH--that God would be "with us", and become one of us. He would be "Immanuel" (God with us.)
But He would not cease to be God.
That meant that his attributes would stay with Him (even though He didn't actively use all of them while on Earth).
One of those attributes was His MIGHT. His strength (not like my nephew, Tim, who is a physical specimen)...but His strength over nature, over illness, over satan and his cohorts...
The kind of strength this baby had was strength to free people from slavery to sin...to give them HOPE! His strength was the kind that led people from darkness into light.
He Walked on water (John 6); Calmed the storm (Mark 4); Delivered from demons (Matthew 17); and even Raised the dead! (John 11).
...and He still does!
The 'storms' that we see...the demons that still enslave us...the obstacles we still have to overcome...the death that we still fear--Jesus gives freedom from all of that!
He is STILL the Mighty God! (Philippians 4:6-19, where we read "I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.")
This Christmas, remember: That Baby WAS the Mighty God "in the flesh", and He still IS the "Mighty God"...but now He shows up in our lives, by faith!
Let Him use His "Might" for you!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wonderful Counselor
The Child.
The One who would come and offer us Light, instead of Darkness.
He would offer us LIFE instead of death, FREEDOM instead of slavery...
And He would offer us more!
"And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor..." (Isaiah 9:6)
What does it mean that Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor?
Among other things, it means that He is the source of Truth, He is the source of our wisdom, He is the key that unlocks the door to God--and all that God promises.
Jesus said it this way:
"I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father, except by me." (John 14:6)
He said "I am the Gate" (John 10:7)
"I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11-14)
"I am the door" (John 10:9).
Jesus--the Child of Isaiah 9, and of the Christmas Story--is the the key to it all.
All the wisdom we need for life--faith in Him opens it up.
He sends us (as seen in John 15 and 16) "the Counselor"--the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand Jesus' words, as well as the entire Scripture. The Holy Spirit changes our hearts and minds, making our character more like Christ's.
God--the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit--"Counsels" us in the sense that He teaches us how to live. The Word of God--the Bible--is the key to understanding His ways, His heart, His character...and that "Child" is the key to it all.
If I let it, this will impact everything in life!
My relationships, my thoughts and actions, my work, my money, my time...EVERY AREA of my life is impacted by this "Wonderful Counselor".
Have you ever been to a 'counselor'? Ever received 'counsel' from a wise and caring friend? What is the key to it?
Our response.
If we respond to this counsel in a humble, teachable way then we will benefit from it.
If, however, we write it off or shut it out, then the best counsel in the world will do us no good!
The absolute Best Counselor in the Universe is right here--represented by the Child at Christmas.
This Christmas, I'm asking God to help me continue to seek, listen to, understand, and be changed by, this Wonderful Counselor...will you join me?
The One who would come and offer us Light, instead of Darkness.
He would offer us LIFE instead of death, FREEDOM instead of slavery...
And He would offer us more!
"And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor..." (Isaiah 9:6)
What does it mean that Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor?
Among other things, it means that He is the source of Truth, He is the source of our wisdom, He is the key that unlocks the door to God--and all that God promises.
Jesus said it this way:
"I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father, except by me." (John 14:6)
He said "I am the Gate" (John 10:7)
"I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11-14)
"I am the door" (John 10:9).
Jesus--the Child of Isaiah 9, and of the Christmas Story--is the the key to it all.
All the wisdom we need for life--faith in Him opens it up.
He sends us (as seen in John 15 and 16) "the Counselor"--the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand Jesus' words, as well as the entire Scripture. The Holy Spirit changes our hearts and minds, making our character more like Christ's.
God--the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit--"Counsels" us in the sense that He teaches us how to live. The Word of God--the Bible--is the key to understanding His ways, His heart, His character...and that "Child" is the key to it all.
If I let it, this will impact everything in life!
My relationships, my thoughts and actions, my work, my money, my time...EVERY AREA of my life is impacted by this "Wonderful Counselor".
Have you ever been to a 'counselor'? Ever received 'counsel' from a wise and caring friend? What is the key to it?
Our response.
If we respond to this counsel in a humble, teachable way then we will benefit from it.
If, however, we write it off or shut it out, then the best counsel in the world will do us no good!
The absolute Best Counselor in the Universe is right here--represented by the Child at Christmas.
This Christmas, I'm asking God to help me continue to seek, listen to, understand, and be changed by, this Wonderful Counselor...will you join me?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Making room for Jesus
It never fails.
Despite my best efforts...despite my 'resolutions' to do it differently, each year I come up to Christmas day and think "I wish I would have..."
Sometimes it's "I wish I would have done more service (to help show the generous love of God) this Christmas".
Sometimes it's "I wish we would have done more as a family to prepare our hearts to Worship the Christ child this Christmas".
Sometimes it's "I wish I would have had my act together and sent out more Christmas cards" this Christmas.
One thing I ALWAYS wish I would have done more is to take some time--each day leading up to it--and consider what Christmas has meant in my life.
After all, without Christmas--the coming of God to Earth in the form of that baby--the world would be a dramatically different place. (And, my life...if still in existence...would be dramatically different!)
So, here's what I hope to do: Take one scripture about Christ/Christmas and think about the theological and personal implications of it each day.
Wanna join me?
If so, the Scripture will be this: Isaiah 9:1-7.
You can look at it in your own Bible, of course...but if you don't have one, I'll show the sections here. I'll look at a few of the verses each day for the next several days. I hope it helps me--and you--to really prepare your heart and mind to really CELEBRATE CHRIST this Christmas!
Isaiah 9:1-5 (for today)...
1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death [a]
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior's boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
Don't get scared away by some of those terms! "Zebulin" "Naphtali"...these are simply cities in the area that Isaiah (hundreds of years before Jesus' birth) was preaching to.
What's he saying here? That a New Day is coming! That the time when his people (Israel) was condemned to live in captivity and slavery would be ending! God was going to send a Deliverer...someone who would lead them out of darkness, into light...out of slavery into freedom...out of war, into peace!
This (of course!) would cause the people to celebrate and worship!
What is it that CAUSES all of this?
(Isaiah 9:6)
"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders."
A child...a Savior...a Deliver would be born. One day, that child would grow and lead them out! It would be a time of freedom and celebration, liberation--like the dawn of a new day!
Was Isaiah talking specifically about Jesus' birthday? Scholars always debate this kind of thing...but even if he wasn't directly conscious of this, I believe he was! God had inspired him to dream--and to prophecy--about coming events that he didn't fully understand!
So, what's this all mean to me, or to you?
Well, is there any sense in which we "walk in darkness"? Is there any sense in which we are "slaves"? I definitely think so!
The rest of the Scriptures teach us that we are slaves to sin, and (as a result), we are trapped in darkness...separated from the light and freedom--the wholeness and peace--of God.
We are stuck in the dark with no hope of dawn!
That's a pretty bad place to be!
BUT, because God didn't want to leave us that way, he sent His Son--"Unto us a Child is Born, unto us a Son is given..." . That Son would grow, teach, lead, love, and ultimately would sacrifice Himself for us, taking the penalty of our sins, and making it possible for us to have New LIFE--freedom, wholeness, peace and joy--with God!
"The government will be upon His shoulders". Again, I think there's more than one meaning here. Ultimately, the Scriptures are clear: There WILL come a day in which Jesus will RULE the Earth, and will make everything right, pure, and holy. In the meantime, the 'government' of our lives can be upon His shoulders...and we can learn to experience that freedom, real joy, and peace that comes from following Him...letting Him be our Leader!
On a personal level, I've experienced this, more or less, for the last 30 years. The times when I'm really letting Him be my leader are the times that I experience the freedom and newness of Life...but the times I try to do it on my own--or I simply let myself get too busy with life (or Christmas shopping!) are the times it almost seems like the "great light" is getting clouded out!
In the coming days, I'll consider the rest of this prophecy...one element at a time...but in the meantime, let's all consider: Have we let Jesus lead us out of the darkness, by faith? Have we allowed Him to be the Leader of our lives?
If so, CELEBRATE the dawn of a new day! If not, I encourage you to pray about that--ask God what it means--so that you can REALLY 'celebrate' Christmas this year!
Despite my best efforts...despite my 'resolutions' to do it differently, each year I come up to Christmas day and think "I wish I would have..."
Sometimes it's "I wish I would have done more service (to help show the generous love of God) this Christmas".
Sometimes it's "I wish we would have done more as a family to prepare our hearts to Worship the Christ child this Christmas".
Sometimes it's "I wish I would have had my act together and sent out more Christmas cards" this Christmas.
One thing I ALWAYS wish I would have done more is to take some time--each day leading up to it--and consider what Christmas has meant in my life.
After all, without Christmas--the coming of God to Earth in the form of that baby--the world would be a dramatically different place. (And, my life...if still in existence...would be dramatically different!)
So, here's what I hope to do: Take one scripture about Christ/Christmas and think about the theological and personal implications of it each day.
Wanna join me?
If so, the Scripture will be this: Isaiah 9:1-7.
You can look at it in your own Bible, of course...but if you don't have one, I'll show the sections here. I'll look at a few of the verses each day for the next several days. I hope it helps me--and you--to really prepare your heart and mind to really CELEBRATE CHRIST this Christmas!
Isaiah 9:1-5 (for today)...
1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death [a]
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior's boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
Don't get scared away by some of those terms! "Zebulin" "Naphtali"...these are simply cities in the area that Isaiah (hundreds of years before Jesus' birth) was preaching to.
What's he saying here? That a New Day is coming! That the time when his people (Israel) was condemned to live in captivity and slavery would be ending! God was going to send a Deliverer...someone who would lead them out of darkness, into light...out of slavery into freedom...out of war, into peace!
This (of course!) would cause the people to celebrate and worship!
What is it that CAUSES all of this?
(Isaiah 9:6)
"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders."
A child...a Savior...a Deliver would be born. One day, that child would grow and lead them out! It would be a time of freedom and celebration, liberation--like the dawn of a new day!
Was Isaiah talking specifically about Jesus' birthday? Scholars always debate this kind of thing...but even if he wasn't directly conscious of this, I believe he was! God had inspired him to dream--and to prophecy--about coming events that he didn't fully understand!
So, what's this all mean to me, or to you?
Well, is there any sense in which we "walk in darkness"? Is there any sense in which we are "slaves"? I definitely think so!
The rest of the Scriptures teach us that we are slaves to sin, and (as a result), we are trapped in darkness...separated from the light and freedom--the wholeness and peace--of God.
We are stuck in the dark with no hope of dawn!
That's a pretty bad place to be!
BUT, because God didn't want to leave us that way, he sent His Son--"Unto us a Child is Born, unto us a Son is given..." . That Son would grow, teach, lead, love, and ultimately would sacrifice Himself for us, taking the penalty of our sins, and making it possible for us to have New LIFE--freedom, wholeness, peace and joy--with God!
"The government will be upon His shoulders". Again, I think there's more than one meaning here. Ultimately, the Scriptures are clear: There WILL come a day in which Jesus will RULE the Earth, and will make everything right, pure, and holy. In the meantime, the 'government' of our lives can be upon His shoulders...and we can learn to experience that freedom, real joy, and peace that comes from following Him...letting Him be our Leader!
On a personal level, I've experienced this, more or less, for the last 30 years. The times when I'm really letting Him be my leader are the times that I experience the freedom and newness of Life...but the times I try to do it on my own--or I simply let myself get too busy with life (or Christmas shopping!) are the times it almost seems like the "great light" is getting clouded out!
In the coming days, I'll consider the rest of this prophecy...one element at a time...but in the meantime, let's all consider: Have we let Jesus lead us out of the darkness, by faith? Have we allowed Him to be the Leader of our lives?
If so, CELEBRATE the dawn of a new day! If not, I encourage you to pray about that--ask God what it means--so that you can REALLY 'celebrate' Christmas this year!
Monday, November 23, 2009
...with all your heart
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37).
Jesus' words are still true...the most important commandment we can follow to please God is to love Him--with everything we've got! Love Him more than anything--more than family, more than self, more than country, job, hobby...
How do we DO that?
Several people made demonstrations of their intent to do just that yesterday @ KCC...in a couple of cases, they were parents who were committing themselves to raising thier kids to know God. In about 15 cases, it was an older kid or adult stepping forward to be baptized, showing both ttheir appreciation to God (for sending Jesus to pay for thier sins and give new LIFE), and thier commitment to God--to follow Him with their lives!
Baptism is a huge step, because in doing it, wer'e saying (as KCCers heard yesterday) "I'm ALL IN!" No more dabbling...no 'dipping my toes'--I'm going for it, and giving my LIFE to God, through Christ, as led by His Holy Spirit!
It is abandoment... surrender...commitment...obedience.
...and its in THAT way that we show LOVE for God.
I'm sure God loves it when we express our love for Him in song, and in prayer--assuming that it's coming from a sincere heart.
...but I'm equally sure that he REJOICES when those who say they love Him actually show it by thier actions!
Paul wrote, "...I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2).
Offering our bodies to God--in baptism, and in everyday life--is one of the clearest ways we can show Him that we love Him...and it can show up in everything we do!
Today, whether you were baptized or not, if you are a follower of Jesus, live out 'the spirit of baptism' in your life--by giving yourself completely to God.
THAT'S how you can show Him your love.
Jesus' words are still true...the most important commandment we can follow to please God is to love Him--with everything we've got! Love Him more than anything--more than family, more than self, more than country, job, hobby...
How do we DO that?
Several people made demonstrations of their intent to do just that yesterday @ KCC...in a couple of cases, they were parents who were committing themselves to raising thier kids to know God. In about 15 cases, it was an older kid or adult stepping forward to be baptized, showing both ttheir appreciation to God (for sending Jesus to pay for thier sins and give new LIFE), and thier commitment to God--to follow Him with their lives!
Baptism is a huge step, because in doing it, wer'e saying (as KCCers heard yesterday) "I'm ALL IN!" No more dabbling...no 'dipping my toes'--I'm going for it, and giving my LIFE to God, through Christ, as led by His Holy Spirit!
It is abandoment... surrender...commitment...obedience.
...and its in THAT way that we show LOVE for God.
I'm sure God loves it when we express our love for Him in song, and in prayer--assuming that it's coming from a sincere heart.
...but I'm equally sure that he REJOICES when those who say they love Him actually show it by thier actions!
Paul wrote, "...I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2).
Offering our bodies to God--in baptism, and in everyday life--is one of the clearest ways we can show Him that we love Him...and it can show up in everything we do!
Today, whether you were baptized or not, if you are a follower of Jesus, live out 'the spirit of baptism' in your life--by giving yourself completely to God.
THAT'S how you can show Him your love.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Hard Road
Ever wonder why God won't help us to grow by moving us from one "sunny day" to the next?
Sure would be nice!
I remember, early in my life as a follower of Jesus, actually praying something like "Lord, I get it--you want me to trust you. I understand...now can we move on?".
Augustine is rumored to have said "Lord, give me patience...and I'd like it now!"
Sometimes the Hard Road is necessary. Sometimes difficulty is necessary.
James says "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."(James 1:2-4).
"Troubles" and "Great Joy" don't naturally go together...but sometimes that's precisely the time that God 'shows up' the most!
Why does God choose to allow, or to use, the Hard Road in our growth process?
A few reasons, I think:
*Keeps us dependent on Him for strength.
*Reminds us that He--the Lord--NOT our circumstances, is where our hope lies.
*Teaches us that we can trust Him to 'redeem' our circumstances, no matter how tough, unfair, or challenging--for HIs glory and Our good.
So, today, if you face a trial--health, finances, relationship, anything--don't just try to 'get out of it'. Instead, trust God in it. Let Him sustain and supply you. Let Him move you out of it in His good time.
THEN you'll start to see that the "Hard Road" is actually "The Good Road".
Dj
Sure would be nice!
I remember, early in my life as a follower of Jesus, actually praying something like "Lord, I get it--you want me to trust you. I understand...now can we move on?".
Augustine is rumored to have said "Lord, give me patience...and I'd like it now!"
Sometimes the Hard Road is necessary. Sometimes difficulty is necessary.
James says "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."(James 1:2-4).
"Troubles" and "Great Joy" don't naturally go together...but sometimes that's precisely the time that God 'shows up' the most!
Why does God choose to allow, or to use, the Hard Road in our growth process?
A few reasons, I think:
*Keeps us dependent on Him for strength.
*Reminds us that He--the Lord--NOT our circumstances, is where our hope lies.
*Teaches us that we can trust Him to 'redeem' our circumstances, no matter how tough, unfair, or challenging--for HIs glory and Our good.
So, today, if you face a trial--health, finances, relationship, anything--don't just try to 'get out of it'. Instead, trust God in it. Let Him sustain and supply you. Let Him move you out of it in His good time.
THEN you'll start to see that the "Hard Road" is actually "The Good Road".
Dj
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Stay off the roof!
I've always liked David. Partly because he's got a great name, partly because he was apparently not very tall (1 Samuel 16:7), but mostly because he was considered 'a man after God's heart'. He was a warrior, but also a worshipper who wrote many of the Psalms. He was rugged, and he appreciated beauty...I like that!
David became very close to God, and it seemed that everything he touched, God blessed. He became the King of Israel and oversaw its expansion in power, size, wealth and influence. He was widely regarded as a great king!
...so why'd he do it?
Why'd he risk all of that for one momentary thrill?
Read about it in 2 Samuel 11. He commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah...then he tries to cover it up...then, when that doesn't work, he conspires to murder Uriah...then he takes Bathsheba as his wife.
This is NOT what I expect from a guy like David!
How did it happen?
I wonder...the chapter starts with "In the Spring of the year, when kings go out to make war, David stayed behind..." I wonder why?
Was it because he was tired? Was it because he was getting full of himself, and just wanted to 'phone it in', instead of doing what he'd normally do--which was to be involved in the fights? Is it possible that he had seen Bathsheba earlier and he arranged this situation so that he just 'happened' to be walking on the roof while she bathed? It's certainly possible that it was simply an unexpected temptation that he gave in to.
I'm not sure...
...but here's what I DO know:
1) We 'play' with temptation quite a bit...instead of dealing with it forcefully right away and moving on, we sometimes let ourselves mess around with the temptation, lying to ourselves and saying we 'can handle' it...until it's too late; and 2) We don't usually 'fall' into major sin like this...rather, we walk into it, one step at a time. (True, that last step may be a 'fall', but the truth is that there were many steps leading up to it.) See James 1:13-14
David certainly COULD have gone off to war...he could have been busy with the work of the Kingdom...he could have been worshipping God...there are LOTS of things he COULD HAVE done...but he chose to walk around his roof, looking at what was going on in other people's houses...as the saying goes, "Idle minds are the devil's workshop."
There are many lessons to learn from this story...one is that, just as David should have been busy serving the Lord in some way (instead of walking around on his roof).
What is the equivalent for YOU? What is the area that you find yourself 'playing with' temptation, hoping for the best, saying 'I can handle it'? What is the "walking on the roof" moment for you?
When temptation comes, let's not play with it! Rather, let's go with the teaching of 1st Corinthians 10:13 "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."
It's best to avoid those compromising situations altogether, but if you're in one, remember that God ALWAYS provides a way out...take it!
...and from now on, stay off the roof!
David became very close to God, and it seemed that everything he touched, God blessed. He became the King of Israel and oversaw its expansion in power, size, wealth and influence. He was widely regarded as a great king!
...so why'd he do it?
Why'd he risk all of that for one momentary thrill?
Read about it in 2 Samuel 11. He commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah...then he tries to cover it up...then, when that doesn't work, he conspires to murder Uriah...then he takes Bathsheba as his wife.
This is NOT what I expect from a guy like David!
How did it happen?
I wonder...the chapter starts with "In the Spring of the year, when kings go out to make war, David stayed behind..." I wonder why?
Was it because he was tired? Was it because he was getting full of himself, and just wanted to 'phone it in', instead of doing what he'd normally do--which was to be involved in the fights? Is it possible that he had seen Bathsheba earlier and he arranged this situation so that he just 'happened' to be walking on the roof while she bathed? It's certainly possible that it was simply an unexpected temptation that he gave in to.
I'm not sure...
...but here's what I DO know:
1) We 'play' with temptation quite a bit...instead of dealing with it forcefully right away and moving on, we sometimes let ourselves mess around with the temptation, lying to ourselves and saying we 'can handle' it...until it's too late; and 2) We don't usually 'fall' into major sin like this...rather, we walk into it, one step at a time. (True, that last step may be a 'fall', but the truth is that there were many steps leading up to it.) See James 1:13-14
David certainly COULD have gone off to war...he could have been busy with the work of the Kingdom...he could have been worshipping God...there are LOTS of things he COULD HAVE done...but he chose to walk around his roof, looking at what was going on in other people's houses...as the saying goes, "Idle minds are the devil's workshop."
There are many lessons to learn from this story...one is that, just as David should have been busy serving the Lord in some way (instead of walking around on his roof).
What is the equivalent for YOU? What is the area that you find yourself 'playing with' temptation, hoping for the best, saying 'I can handle it'? What is the "walking on the roof" moment for you?
When temptation comes, let's not play with it! Rather, let's go with the teaching of 1st Corinthians 10:13 "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."
It's best to avoid those compromising situations altogether, but if you're in one, remember that God ALWAYS provides a way out...take it!
...and from now on, stay off the roof!
Monday, October 26, 2009
You CAN'T Do It!
The life of a Christ follower--it's SUPPOSED to look...well, more and more like Jesus!
...so why doesn't it,on so many occasions?
Why is it that we see people who claim to be Christians, but their lives don't 'measure up'? They're too irritable...they're greedy...they're gossips...you name it!
Why would their lives be so out of step with Jesus?
...why is MY life so out of step with Jesus at times?
There are probably a few big reasons, but one of them (as I mentioned in church yesterday) is that WE TRY TO LIVE LIKE JESUS IN OUR OWN POWER!
We accept God's gracious gift of Life, by faith in Jesus...we understand that we can't "earn" that, and therefore we accept His gift...but then we try to 'make ourselves more like him' in our strength. "Maybe if I just try harder", "Maybe I'm not really committed", "Maybe I'm too far gone for even God to change me." "Maybe it's just the way I am!"
All of these are understandable...but wrong!
The Truth is that we were never meant to be able to 'live like Jesus' in our own strength. OUR effort is NOT the key.
The Key? God's Holy Spirit!
2 Peter 1:3 "By HIS DIVINE POWER, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life." The power was never meant to come from us...but from Him!
God's Holy Spirit DOES have everything necessary to change our lives--and make us more like Jesus. Our part is to choose to 'keep in step with the Spirit' and let Him produce that "fruit" in our lives (Galatians 5:16-25).
The Apostle Paul knew this. He said that the "power" with which he himself was changed...and the power with which he became one of the Leaders of the Church...was NOT from Himself, but from the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 4:7 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
When we struggle to 'live like Jesus', it MAY be because we're relying on self-effort, not yielding ourselves to God's Holy Spirit.
But there's good news! The Spirit is ready, willing, and able to transform us and produce Christ-like LIFE within us! We don't have to wonder or doubt--He HAS GIVEN us EVERYTHING we need for living a godly life!
This week, when challenged to 'live it out', deliberately say a quick prayer, asking God's Holy Spirit to empower you and fill you...and watch Him work as you "keep in step" with Him.
Getting your 'power' from the right power source...it changes everything!
...so why doesn't it,on so many occasions?
Why is it that we see people who claim to be Christians, but their lives don't 'measure up'? They're too irritable...they're greedy...they're gossips...you name it!
Why would their lives be so out of step with Jesus?
...why is MY life so out of step with Jesus at times?
There are probably a few big reasons, but one of them (as I mentioned in church yesterday) is that WE TRY TO LIVE LIKE JESUS IN OUR OWN POWER!
We accept God's gracious gift of Life, by faith in Jesus...we understand that we can't "earn" that, and therefore we accept His gift...but then we try to 'make ourselves more like him' in our strength. "Maybe if I just try harder", "Maybe I'm not really committed", "Maybe I'm too far gone for even God to change me." "Maybe it's just the way I am!"
All of these are understandable...but wrong!
The Truth is that we were never meant to be able to 'live like Jesus' in our own strength. OUR effort is NOT the key.
The Key? God's Holy Spirit!
2 Peter 1:3 "By HIS DIVINE POWER, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life." The power was never meant to come from us...but from Him!
God's Holy Spirit DOES have everything necessary to change our lives--and make us more like Jesus. Our part is to choose to 'keep in step with the Spirit' and let Him produce that "fruit" in our lives (Galatians 5:16-25).
The Apostle Paul knew this. He said that the "power" with which he himself was changed...and the power with which he became one of the Leaders of the Church...was NOT from Himself, but from the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 4:7 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
When we struggle to 'live like Jesus', it MAY be because we're relying on self-effort, not yielding ourselves to God's Holy Spirit.
But there's good news! The Spirit is ready, willing, and able to transform us and produce Christ-like LIFE within us! We don't have to wonder or doubt--He HAS GIVEN us EVERYTHING we need for living a godly life!
This week, when challenged to 'live it out', deliberately say a quick prayer, asking God's Holy Spirit to empower you and fill you...and watch Him work as you "keep in step" with Him.
Getting your 'power' from the right power source...it changes everything!
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