Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. – Matthew 16:12
Tomorrow will be a month since I have started getting up early to pray and read the Bible. I finished the book of John and I have been reading from Matthew. I start with a passage, not a whole chapter, then I read the Enduring Word commentary on the verses so that I better understand the lesson of that passage. Today, I read Matthew 16:5-12 where Jesus warns his disciples to avoid dangerous teaching of the religious leaders.
I cannot say that I have been following other religious practices outside of the Christian faith, yet I have been hearing God tell me to beware of the influence of non-believers. The most recent advice a Christian friend of mine gave me was to not associate with non-believers. I have not heard from him in some time, as he went to Hawaii for a while after his career transferred him there. Yet, I hold those word with me as a reminder. For a while I thought it strictly meant that I could not be friends with anyone who did not believe in Christ as our savior. though I am now beginning to understand the true meaning. Instead, do not associate with the characteristics of non-believers, or do not let them influence your choices. You can be friends with anyone, but always keep Christ first.
I have to think this is the same lesson Jesus was teaching his disciples here because he knew that man's religious law made sense to most people in that time. The scriptures show that he wanted to warn his disciples that the habits they had were menial and took your focus away from the Father. He wanted them to be led, not by their own desire to look holy and close to God, but instead trust God to provide the sanctification they needed.
Today, I pray that God helps me avoid being influenced by the world, and renews my mind so that all my focus is on him. To not associate with non-believers may very well mean that you can no longer have non-Christian friends, but if you do, God calls us to beware of the things we allow ourselves to be influenced by. Jesus warned his disciples and the warning still stands.
May the Holy Spirit guide you to see the things that are influencing you in any direction beside toward Christ. Beware of these things and be led by the only one we know is right; Christ.
Friday, May 17, 2019
Thursday, April 18, 2019
First and Early
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb – John 20:1
Last Sunday, the pastor at my home church spoke on that verse as part of the sermon. He said "come to me early", and I knew God was speaking to me with that. I may not have mentioned that I have tried to wake up at 5 A.M. in the past, to spend time with the Lord, and it has not worked out too well. However, after hearing that sermon, I felt called to do it again. After all, Mary Magdalene (and probably other women who followed Jesus) woke up well before sunrise to go to the Lord.
Following the sermon, I made that commitment... again. Monday morning at 5:00 my alarm went off, and of course, I shut it off and fell back asleep. Tuesday morning came, I turned my alarm off, and told God I would stay in bed and pray right here. As I started to pray, (I think I prayed for about 10 minutes) I drifted back to sleep. Tuesday night, I decided I needed to do something to change that, so I prepared my coffee, so I only had to turn the coffee maker on (mine is not automatic) for it to start brewing in the morning. Wednesday morning came and before falling asleep again, I remembered that I had coffee at the push of a button. I got up and walked to the kitchen, turned the coffee maker on, and began to pray at the table. It worked. Today is Thursday and here I am, successfully having stayed awake to put God first for the second day in a row.
Lately, I have been feeling called to put God before everything I do. I suppose this is one way to do that. I am beginning to understand that he has plans for me, and in order to see what he wants for my life, I have to submit to him first thing. Yes, 5 A.M. is early, and I do like to sleep. However when the Lord calls us to serve him, it will not be from our warm bed. If you have been called to do something for the Lord, even simply to wake up early, what are you waiting for? Do what you need to to get yourself motivated and put Him first. It may not always be what we want, but it is certain that God has wonderful plans for us all, we just have to make the commitment to follow them.
May they Lord guide you and bring you the strength and motivation to honor Him in what you do.
Peace be with you.
Last Sunday, the pastor at my home church spoke on that verse as part of the sermon. He said "come to me early", and I knew God was speaking to me with that. I may not have mentioned that I have tried to wake up at 5 A.M. in the past, to spend time with the Lord, and it has not worked out too well. However, after hearing that sermon, I felt called to do it again. After all, Mary Magdalene (and probably other women who followed Jesus) woke up well before sunrise to go to the Lord.
Following the sermon, I made that commitment... again. Monday morning at 5:00 my alarm went off, and of course, I shut it off and fell back asleep. Tuesday morning came, I turned my alarm off, and told God I would stay in bed and pray right here. As I started to pray, (I think I prayed for about 10 minutes) I drifted back to sleep. Tuesday night, I decided I needed to do something to change that, so I prepared my coffee, so I only had to turn the coffee maker on (mine is not automatic) for it to start brewing in the morning. Wednesday morning came and before falling asleep again, I remembered that I had coffee at the push of a button. I got up and walked to the kitchen, turned the coffee maker on, and began to pray at the table. It worked. Today is Thursday and here I am, successfully having stayed awake to put God first for the second day in a row.
Lately, I have been feeling called to put God before everything I do. I suppose this is one way to do that. I am beginning to understand that he has plans for me, and in order to see what he wants for my life, I have to submit to him first thing. Yes, 5 A.M. is early, and I do like to sleep. However when the Lord calls us to serve him, it will not be from our warm bed. If you have been called to do something for the Lord, even simply to wake up early, what are you waiting for? Do what you need to to get yourself motivated and put Him first. It may not always be what we want, but it is certain that God has wonderful plans for us all, we just have to make the commitment to follow them.
May they Lord guide you and bring you the strength and motivation to honor Him in what you do.
Peace be with you.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Past and Present
As a deer longs for water, so I long for you, O God. – Psalm 42:1
I would like to update you on my situation with work and teaching the youth at my church. That verse is from the lesson I am currently preparing and it reminds me of the times I felt unsure as how to handle certain situations... Currently, I am still maintaining both my supervisor position and a role in the church, however staff elections are being held this coming Sunday, so things are about to change.
There are many times in our lives that we will feel distant from God, as if he has left us to our own decisions and expects us to make our way back to him so he can begin working with us again. Psalm 42 shows us how one might feel in this situation. I am learning to reflect on the times that I felt overwhelmed and asked God to help me through very minor situations. During those times, I was stressed for almost no reason and trusting Him with something I could not control is all I had to do.
Thinking back specifically to a time I over ordered product for the store I work at, though it was avoidable, I learned to not worry about the situation, but to trust God to give me the wisdom to make it right. If I haven't mentioned it in the past, I encourage you to write down situations that you feel troubled in, and reflect on what God is teaching you through them. If nothing else, they can show you how far you have come in your faith, or if you are not trusting God enough in the present.
Peace be with you.
I would like to update you on my situation with work and teaching the youth at my church. That verse is from the lesson I am currently preparing and it reminds me of the times I felt unsure as how to handle certain situations... Currently, I am still maintaining both my supervisor position and a role in the church, however staff elections are being held this coming Sunday, so things are about to change.
There are many times in our lives that we will feel distant from God, as if he has left us to our own decisions and expects us to make our way back to him so he can begin working with us again. Psalm 42 shows us how one might feel in this situation. I am learning to reflect on the times that I felt overwhelmed and asked God to help me through very minor situations. During those times, I was stressed for almost no reason and trusting Him with something I could not control is all I had to do.
Thinking back specifically to a time I over ordered product for the store I work at, though it was avoidable, I learned to not worry about the situation, but to trust God to give me the wisdom to make it right. If I haven't mentioned it in the past, I encourage you to write down situations that you feel troubled in, and reflect on what God is teaching you through them. If nothing else, they can show you how far you have come in your faith, or if you are not trusting God enough in the present.
Peace be with you.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Conduct and the Gospel
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. – 1 Peter 2:12
If you ever need inspiration, or a reason to be a "good Christian", look to the first book of Peter. The book begins by giving us a reason for our faith; "a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1:3), and ends with instruction, for those following the Lord, to avoid losing faith. I read this chapter about a month ago, and now God has reminded me of the subject.
Conduct is contextual. If you read the definition, it is essentially someone's behavior in a certain situation. However, as Christians, we are to love the Lord in everything that we do, all the time. Therefore if we look at the term "Christian conduct", one's behavior should always reflect Christ. Now, I cannot say that I have always been the most "Christian" that I could have been, but as we often said on the bike trip, "hindsight is 20-20", meaning we could have done something different if only we knew what was ahead. Where my life is today would be completely different if I chose that "20-20" option, as there is always something we could have done better. However Peter is not telling us to avoid making wrong choices in the future, rather to look ahead at the glory that God will be given when we honor Him with our actions. Even those that speak against us will glorify God.
I cannot yet speak for the ministry that my conduct has brought, but what I can speak for is the damage that my misconduct as a Christian has done to the opportunity for ministry. I do have regrets, and I am praying about them, however I want this entry to encourage you to trust that God's commands are for the greater good of the Gospel, as much as they are for your own good.
Be sober-minded; be watchful (5:8). The good that you do in Christ's name will be glorified by God and by those that know you upon the Christ's return.
If you ever need inspiration, or a reason to be a "good Christian", look to the first book of Peter. The book begins by giving us a reason for our faith; "a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1:3), and ends with instruction, for those following the Lord, to avoid losing faith. I read this chapter about a month ago, and now God has reminded me of the subject.
Conduct is contextual. If you read the definition, it is essentially someone's behavior in a certain situation. However, as Christians, we are to love the Lord in everything that we do, all the time. Therefore if we look at the term "Christian conduct", one's behavior should always reflect Christ. Now, I cannot say that I have always been the most "Christian" that I could have been, but as we often said on the bike trip, "hindsight is 20-20", meaning we could have done something different if only we knew what was ahead. Where my life is today would be completely different if I chose that "20-20" option, as there is always something we could have done better. However Peter is not telling us to avoid making wrong choices in the future, rather to look ahead at the glory that God will be given when we honor Him with our actions. Even those that speak against us will glorify God.
I cannot yet speak for the ministry that my conduct has brought, but what I can speak for is the damage that my misconduct as a Christian has done to the opportunity for ministry. I do have regrets, and I am praying about them, however I want this entry to encourage you to trust that God's commands are for the greater good of the Gospel, as much as they are for your own good.
Be sober-minded; be watchful (5:8). The good that you do in Christ's name will be glorified by God and by those that know you upon the Christ's return.
***
In regards to the conflict I have been wrestling with in my previous posts, I am trusting that God will work out the situation for his glory. January is the election at my church for a new Youth Pastor, so I will keep you posted on that. Until then, peace to all of you who are in Christ (5:14).
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Desire and Content
Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. – Philippians 3:1
Originally, I wanted to discuss what I found to be beneficial to my situation with my job, as well as the aspects of the youth group that I felt were not leading me toward that choice. However, after reading an explanation of Philippians 3:1-11, I felt affirmed with what I was understanding to be the God-honoring choice here.
Yes, keeping my job would make it more difficult to fully commit to being a youth leader, however certain circumstances have led me to understand that I also have a place at the company I work for. I have a responsibility to where God has placed me. At this point in my life, I have a desire to find my "next step" and somehow that step seems to keep moving further each time I approach it. Or so I think. Though this desire is to move forward in my life, I feel as though I am taking laps. What this breakdown of Phil. 3 has began to affirm is that I need to allow God to work through me in both areas of my life. Paul's example shows that we must be content in our situation, in order to further the Gospel. We must show humility toward others in order to allow God to work through us.
The Bible is full of descriptive examples of discipline so that we, as Christians, can live a life for the Lord, and not for ourselves. What I have learned is that we should not let our own desires prevent us from following God's will. We cannot let our own impatience limit what God needs to do. Being content in everything, and being humble in moving toward the things you want the most is the only way to allow yourself to be in the presence of the Lord.
Originally, I wanted to discuss what I found to be beneficial to my situation with my job, as well as the aspects of the youth group that I felt were not leading me toward that choice. However, after reading an explanation of Philippians 3:1-11, I felt affirmed with what I was understanding to be the God-honoring choice here.
Yes, keeping my job would make it more difficult to fully commit to being a youth leader, however certain circumstances have led me to understand that I also have a place at the company I work for. I have a responsibility to where God has placed me. At this point in my life, I have a desire to find my "next step" and somehow that step seems to keep moving further each time I approach it. Or so I think. Though this desire is to move forward in my life, I feel as though I am taking laps. What this breakdown of Phil. 3 has began to affirm is that I need to allow God to work through me in both areas of my life. Paul's example shows that we must be content in our situation, in order to further the Gospel. We must show humility toward others in order to allow God to work through us.
The Bible is full of descriptive examples of discipline so that we, as Christians, can live a life for the Lord, and not for ourselves. What I have learned is that we should not let our own desires prevent us from following God's will. We cannot let our own impatience limit what God needs to do. Being content in everything, and being humble in moving toward the things you want the most is the only way to allow yourself to be in the presence of the Lord.
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Temptation and Victory
No temptation has overtaken you except which is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
The title may seem plain, yet there is a lot of meaning behind the word "victory" here. This week's chapter in the book I'm reading breaks down temptation and how to handle it as a Christian. I'm going to open the lesson with the question "what is temptation", with the intention of helping the students understand what temptation is, and eventually understand why we are tempted. The chapter explains to the reader why we can't just be freed from sin and temptation once we are Christians. Using football as an example, the author explains that without the opposing team, there can be no glory in winning. The same goes for Christianity; if we did not have temptation, there would be no need for Christ's death on the cross.
Without temptation, God cannot have the victory.
Currently in my own faith, I feel as though I am avoiding my commitment to the church in order to better serve my occupation. I am faced with the decision of a career move either into the grocery industry, or into the ministry of teens. Though the obvious choice as a Christian would be to serve the Lord in youth ministry, I have never felt called to be the leader there and I find it difficult stepping into a position I am not entirely trusting myself to. How can I teach for Christ when I do not live for Christ? If you've been following this blog, thank you. If you haven't, then I will say that I am not what I believe to be the best example of Christ, nor am I trying to be. Lately however, I have been feeling as though the God-honoring choice here may be to leave my current job in order to best serve the Lord, as we are called. Normally I wouldn't want to explain my personal struggles, though I have found this to be something I wrestle with each week. My goal with this blog is not to tell you what I'm going through, rather to keep an account of the work that God is doing in my life. Therefore, I will close saying that God is showing me the areas in which I am not trusting him. What am I doing this for, and why do I not trust that God will get the victory? Ultimately, I am beginning to realize perhaps I am afraid to trust him and to let go of my own ambitions. I hope that you as a reader stay with me to discover how this plays out. More and more I realize I need to commit to God each day, and each moment, so that I can honor him in all that I do. After all, God is faithful, so why aren't I?
The title may seem plain, yet there is a lot of meaning behind the word "victory" here. This week's chapter in the book I'm reading breaks down temptation and how to handle it as a Christian. I'm going to open the lesson with the question "what is temptation", with the intention of helping the students understand what temptation is, and eventually understand why we are tempted. The chapter explains to the reader why we can't just be freed from sin and temptation once we are Christians. Using football as an example, the author explains that without the opposing team, there can be no glory in winning. The same goes for Christianity; if we did not have temptation, there would be no need for Christ's death on the cross.
Without temptation, God cannot have the victory.
Currently in my own faith, I feel as though I am avoiding my commitment to the church in order to better serve my occupation. I am faced with the decision of a career move either into the grocery industry, or into the ministry of teens. Though the obvious choice as a Christian would be to serve the Lord in youth ministry, I have never felt called to be the leader there and I find it difficult stepping into a position I am not entirely trusting myself to. How can I teach for Christ when I do not live for Christ? If you've been following this blog, thank you. If you haven't, then I will say that I am not what I believe to be the best example of Christ, nor am I trying to be. Lately however, I have been feeling as though the God-honoring choice here may be to leave my current job in order to best serve the Lord, as we are called. Normally I wouldn't want to explain my personal struggles, though I have found this to be something I wrestle with each week. My goal with this blog is not to tell you what I'm going through, rather to keep an account of the work that God is doing in my life. Therefore, I will close saying that God is showing me the areas in which I am not trusting him. What am I doing this for, and why do I not trust that God will get the victory? Ultimately, I am beginning to realize perhaps I am afraid to trust him and to let go of my own ambitions. I hope that you as a reader stay with me to discover how this plays out. More and more I realize I need to commit to God each day, and each moment, so that I can honor him in all that I do. After all, God is faithful, so why aren't I?
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Word and Spirit
No one who abides in him, keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either known him or seen him. – 1 John 3:6
This verse is intimidating...
(Today is Sunday) A quote from today's sermon, "you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving" caught my attention. As I prepare for this week's lesson for our youth group, the quote above is fresh in my mind. Today we are discussing confidence as a matter of our faith in God.
There are three ways to know we have faith; by the way we keep the commands, by our love for one another, and by the confidence we have in the Holy Spirit. Now, the Word of God shows us what we must do to serve God. On the other hand, the Spirit allows us to know what God is doing in our life. Our faith gives us the Word, and the Spirit.
How does this relate to my faith? Well, I read through the chapter we are studying and it closes with a small paragraph explaining why one might still doubt their faith even if they know they have asked God for salvation. The book What Every Christian Ought to Know by Adrian Rogers explains that doubt within a life of faith shows us that we are still allowing sin to linger in our life. Rogers directly says that we "are not obeying the Lord" and we must ask forgiveness.
Reading the Word is only half of a life of faith. Obeying the Spirit is the other half. I have been stuck in a position feeling distant and unsure how to progress in a life of faith. Reading this has shown me that I must go to God with my sins and ask forgiveness so that I may live for him, and him alone.
This verse is intimidating...
(Today is Sunday) A quote from today's sermon, "you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving" caught my attention. As I prepare for this week's lesson for our youth group, the quote above is fresh in my mind. Today we are discussing confidence as a matter of our faith in God.
There are three ways to know we have faith; by the way we keep the commands, by our love for one another, and by the confidence we have in the Holy Spirit. Now, the Word of God shows us what we must do to serve God. On the other hand, the Spirit allows us to know what God is doing in our life. Our faith gives us the Word, and the Spirit.
How does this relate to my faith? Well, I read through the chapter we are studying and it closes with a small paragraph explaining why one might still doubt their faith even if they know they have asked God for salvation. The book What Every Christian Ought to Know by Adrian Rogers explains that doubt within a life of faith shows us that we are still allowing sin to linger in our life. Rogers directly says that we "are not obeying the Lord" and we must ask forgiveness.
Reading the Word is only half of a life of faith. Obeying the Spirit is the other half. I have been stuck in a position feeling distant and unsure how to progress in a life of faith. Reading this has shown me that I must go to God with my sins and ask forgiveness so that I may live for him, and him alone.
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