Wednesday Thought -- July 31, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about -- but not before God. What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.” (Romans 4:1-5)

The American dream is to work hard and to be rewarded for our work with success. And the American dream works for many people. They work hard and earn the respect of the people around them, they earn great financial reward, and they earn the satisfaction of having made something of themselves. They have something to be proud of!

That’s the American way. So, it’s hard for Americans to understand the way of the Gospel. The Gospel is not the American way. A man can’t work hard and earn the rewards that God sets before us. People try, but eternal life, forgiveness, a life of meaning and satisfaction and all of the other blessings God provides are not given as the result of what we do. None of those rewards can ever be earned, a man could

never work enough to pay the price that is required for them.

Consider the example of Abraham. He did many good things for the Lord, but none of them provided salvation for him. His salvation came when he began to trust God. It was his trust in God that was credited to his account as righteousness.

He trusted God when God told him to leave his home country and go to a new land.

He trusted God that God would provide a son for him in his old age.

He trusted God when God asked him to sacrifice the son he had been given.

It was Abraham’s trust in God -- his faith -- that resulted in his salvation. And it is only our trust in God -- only our faith – that will result in our salvation, too. Salvation can never be earned, only accepted!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- July 30, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’ ‘Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.’ ‘The poison of vipers is on their lips.’ ‘Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’” (Romans 3:10-18)

Paul doesn’t hold back in his description of the human race. It is not a pretty picture. There isn’t much that is good that can be said about people.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve chose to ignore God’s clear direction and will. They wanted to do their own thing, be in charge of their own lives. And every human being since Adam has made the same choice. Not a single human  -- not a one of us -- is any different than Adam and none are any less guilty.

It is a depressing situation and could lead to despair, except that the story doesn’t end there.

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-24)

All have sinned --- yes!

But, God has offered His grace through Jesus Christ. What we could never do -- fulfill the requirements of God’s standards -- Jesus did. And He offers His victory over sin to us as His free gift of grace.

That’s the Good News. The good news is not about us – our abilities or our goodness – and never has been and never will be. All the Good News is in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- July 29, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” (Romans 2:23-24)

The statement above by Paul was made in reference to the Jews. When the Gentiles looked at the way the Jews lived it did not draw them toward God, it repelled them from God. By the way they lived the Jews did not provide a compelling testimony of the value of following God. It’s not that God is not worth following, but it was that the Jews did not provide a good testimony to Him and so many Gentiles didn’t even give God the chance.

I’m challenged by Paul’s statement – not because of how the Jews lived and the testimony their lives provided for God, but because there are times when the same statement could be made about me and about many who bear the name of Jesus. Sometimes – perhaps often – the way I live my life does not provide a positive testimony of the value of following God. In fact, there are times when the way I live my life might repel more people from God than it would draw people toward Him.

Some time ago I heard about a march in Washington, D.C. that was designed to promote a radical homosexual agenda. Alongside the road as the marchers passed there were protesters. They were spewing hatred toward those who were marching and doing it in the name of Christ. The actions of those protesters certainly would not draw anyone toward Jesus if they believed those protesters were accurately reflecting His heart. That’s an obvious example, but I wonder how many much subtler actions of my own have the same impact on people?

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Peter affirmed that same message, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:12)

God desires that the way we live our lives should draw others toward Him … not repel others from Him.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- July 26, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” (Romans 2:4-8)

Romans 2 is a depressing chapter of the New Testament. It doesn’t take long for an honest person to find a great deal to feel guilty about in what Paul writes in that chapter. Those who are honest about themselves recognize that God’s righteous judgment will find us unrighteous and subject to His wrath.

It’s a depressing place to be, and exactly the place God wants us to be. It is only when we understand our own unrighteousness and understand that we deserve the wrath of God that we are ready to be told the Good News. The good news is that it’s not our own righteousness that will save us. Rather, it is the acceptance of our own unrighteousness and the appeal to God, through Jesus Christ, for forgiveness and a changed life.

Paul dashes to pieces the philosophy of the world that teaches that man is inherently good. Man is not inherently good, but inherently wicked and depraved. We are selfish and stubborn and filled with evil into the deepest recesses of our hearts. Our only hope is that something can be done for us by someone else, because we can’t do anything for ourselves. And, thanks be to God, He has provided, in Christ, all that we need!

Romans 2 leaves us in the pit of despair, but fortunately the New Testament doesn’t end with Romans 2. The Good News is just around the corner – just wait for chapter three. In the meantime, let’s admit our own wickedness and helplessness and thank God that He has sent Someone to do for us what we could never do for ourselves.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- July 25, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20)

God’s punishment awaits those who do not turn to Christ for forgiveness and salvation. That is the consistent message of the New Testament. In this section of Romans, Paul suggests that “men are without excuse.” Mankind brings God’s judgment on ourselves by our actions. Paul reveals some of the reasons that motivate God’s judgment to the Romans. It’s interesting to look at the several statements of causation that are found in Romans 1:18-32.

“Since what may be known about God is plain to them.” (Romans 1:19) Mankind brings on God’s judgment by being unwilling to look at or accept the clear testimony of the world to God’s existence.

“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts.” (Romans 1:24) Mankind knew God, but did not glorify Him. Mankind exchanged worship of the true God for worship of images man himself created.

“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.” (Romans 1:26) Mankind chose to follow a lie and rejected the truth of God. Man chose to worship the created, rather than the Creator.

“Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind.” (Romans 1:28) Mankind did not think that worshiping and serving God was worth it, so God let them make that choice and suffer its consequences.

It’s the choices mankind has made that result in God’s judgment. It’s the rejection of God and His truth that start the downward path toward the destruction that is the natural consequence of that decision.

And the opposite is also true – it is the acceptance of God and His truth that start the upward path toward the blessed eternity that is the supernatural consequence of that decision. God, in His wisdom, has decided to give man that choice.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- July 24, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Romans 1:14-17)

Paul felt an obligation to preach the gospel to as many people as possible -- to everyone with whom he came into contact. That obligation was not something God had imposed upon him, but something that welled up within him because he recognized the depth of the value of knowing Jesus and the cost of not knowing him. He had a passion to do all that he could to be sure as many had an opportunity to respond to the gospel as possible.

I’m challenged by Paul’s passion to share the gospel. He was eager to preach the gospel to everyone. There are many times that eagerness would not describe my attitude toward sharing the gospel with those around me. Hesitancy would more accurately describe my attitude on many occasions.

There are a couple of deeply held beliefs that Paul had that fired his passion to share the gospel.

·         He understood the power of the gospel. He knew that the gospel could save anyone. The success of the gospel was not dependent upon Paul’s own wisdom or skill in sharing, but on the power of the gospel itself. That belief freed Paul to be bold, sharing the gospel whenever he could and trusting God to work through it.

·         He understood the depth of the need that people had for the gospel. Paul understood that there was only one way for people to know righteousness, to be acceptable to God, and that was through faith. Faith was the key and the only key to people coming to God. Without faith there was -- and is -- absolutely no hope for man.

Nothing has changed in the gospel. The power to save still resides in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The need that people have for the gospel hasn’t changed, either. I’m praying that I’ll respond to the challenge of Paul’s life with greater boldness in sharing my faith with those around me --- and I’m praying the same for you.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- July 23, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” (Jude 1:3)

The message is complete! You don’t need to worry that God is going to send some new message that will be different from the one He has already sent through Jesus Christ. The faith has been “once for all” given to us and it will never be changed.

That’s an important principle because it gives us solid ground to reject new messages that have come since Jesus. Mormonism claims that a new message was given to Joseph Smith by an angel. But that message cannot have come from God. God has already said that He will not deliver a new message and He cannot lie.

There are dozens of others who claim to have received some new message from God and all of them can be rejected because the faith has been given to us “once for all” through Jesus Christ.

You need not worry that when you stand before God at judgment time that He will change the rules then. The message is complete. The Gospel that Jesus preached has stood true for 2000 years. It will stand true for the remainder of man’s life on earth. And it will stand true at the judgment and throughout eternity.

Jude is declaring that you can absolutely trust the message of Jesus Christ.

Everything else around you may be shaky --- your health, your career, your finances, your family, your country --- but the Gospel of Jesus is firm! Trust it. Cling to it. Never let go of it. It’s the one thing that will last forever. It’s the one message that will never be overruled.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- July 22, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.” (3 John 1:9-10)

Not everyone in the church has pure motives. John wrote about a man named Diotrephes who “loves to be first.” His motives were about himself. He was a leader in the church, not because of what he could give or how that enabled him to serve the Lord, but because of what he got out of it. It stroked his ego and gave him a platform through which to get his way and gain the attention that he desired.

The negative motive mentioned by John is not the only negative motive that prompts some to seek leadership in the church. Some seek roles for the salary they receive from them. Some for the business connections they can make. Some serve because of pride and some serve because they need others to approve of them.

The heart of a godly leader is about service to the Lord and about service to those God loves.

Godly leaders follow the example of Jesus – who came “not to be served, but to serve.” (Matthew 20:28) Godly leaders follow the instructions of Peter – “not because you must, but because you are willing; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over others, but as examples.” (1 Peter 5:2-3)

That is the kind of leaders we should look for and follow. That’s the kind of leaders we should be if God entrusts us with a leadership role.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- July 19, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:1-4)

Gaius was a good friend of the Apostle John. John hoped for the best for Gaius and prayed to that end. John prayed for Gaius’s health and for his overall well-being, “that all may go well with you.” There’s nothing wrong with praying those kinds of prayers for the people we care about. Even Jesus was concerned about those same things and He demonstrated that concern by healing those who were sick and hurting.

But there was a concern in John for his friend that was more important than his health and well-being. John’s overriding concern was the condition of Gaius’s spiritual life. It gave John “great joy” to know that Gaius was faithful to the truth and walked in the truth. In fact, nothing gave John greater joy than to know those he cared about were “walking in the truth.”

We have friends and relatives around us. Our desire for them is that their lives go well. We want them to be healthy. We want their careers to be going smoothly, that they will enjoy their work and that it will provide well for their needs. Those are good and appropriate desires and good requests to bring to the Lord for those we care about.

But the challenge I see in the attitude John demonstrates here is to be sure we know what’s really important. The spiritual life of our friends and relatives is more important than the condition of their health. Their spiritual life is more important than a good job and adequate finances. Their spiritual life should be our greatest concern and the topic of our most fervent prayers for them.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- July 18, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (2 John 1:5-6)

Love is important to God.

The command to love others was not something radically new that came when Christ came into the world. Since the very beginning it has been the will of God that those who know Him love others.

You can see that command expressed time and again in the Old Testament. Even the Ten Commandments demonstrate how important loving others is to God as several of the commands deal directly with treating others in ways that demonstrate we care about them.

Jesus came into a world that had largely forgotten God’s command to love others. Even among the Jews that command was only followed by the letter of the Law, not by the change of heart that God really desired to see in His people. Jesus came to show man what it means to love others and how much love is willing to sacrifice for others. Jesus was the perfect illustration of a life lived according to God’s will and above all else how Jesus lived reflected a life of love.

After Jesus ascended to heaven, John and the other apostles spread the word of Jesus to the world and that word included this command, as old as the world itself, that those who follow God must love others. How we love others is an indication of how much we love God. How we love others is a demonstration of our obedience to God. How we love others is an indication of how well we are following Jesus and how much we are becoming like Him.

Love is important to God. He demonstrates perfect love in His relationship with us. He challenges us to show love to those around us as a reflection of how His character is becoming a part of our lives.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- July 17, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true -- even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:18-21)

There is a choice to be made between truth and falsehood. The choice seems pretty clear:

Truth -- keeps us safe.

Falsehood -- harms us.

Truth -- makes us God’s children.

Falsehood -- traps us in the world of the evil one.

Truth – is provided for us by God -- He has come to give us understanding.

Falsehood – is found in our own minds and in the ways of the world.

Truth – is found in the true God and leads to eternal life.

Falsehood – is found in idols, gods who are not real gods.

The choice seems pretty clear. But that doesn’t make it easy. Many opt for idols, gods of their own making. It’s false, it leads to harm, it traps them in evil -- but it’s the effortless decision – it’s easy.

But easy doesn’t make it right. Easy doesn’t make it good for us.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- July 16, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)

There is a powerful promise in this passage, and a challenging condition. Both of them relate to answered prayer.

If we ask according to His will, He will hear and grant our request. Now, that’s a powerful promise. Prayer can accomplish miraculous things. It is as unlimited in power as God is!

The challenging condition is the very same phrase as the promise: He answers all our requests that are according to His will. The condition is to seek His will and ask for it. The promise is that when we do, He will answer powerfully.

Here’s one aspect of His will: “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field.” (Luke 10:2) That is His will. He has already identified it as such. When we ask, we can be confident that it will be heard and granted.

Here is another aspect of His will, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3) That is His will. He has made that clear to us. When we honestly ask for help to maintain sexual purity, God will grant it.

I know that His will is not always as clear as those statements. That’s why our prayers are often so powerless.

Seek His will. It’s revealed in the scripture. It’s revealed in other ways, too. Seek it, and when you identify it, pray boldly and confidently, because you’ve found a prayer God has promised to answer.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- July 15, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:10-13)

If you died today, would you go to heaven?

If you answered, “I sure hope so,” that’s not a very good answer. It’s not the answer that God wants you to have to that question. God wants you to know for sure that you have eternal life. John wrote this little letter to those who were already believers so they would know they had eternal life, so there would be no doubt about it.

And where does that kind of assurance come from? It comes from just one place. It comes from knowing what you’ve done with Jesus Christ. You see, if you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you have eternal life, with certainty. If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you don’t have eternal life, that’s also certain. It’s all in what you’ve done with Jesus.

Do you believe in Jesus as God’s Son and provision for your salvation? Do you love Jesus? Do you follow Jesus? Do you trust Jesus?

Those are the marks of a relationship with Him. There is no “I hope so” in that relationship. There’s only certainty!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- July 12, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“This is the one who came by water and blood -- Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.” (1 John 5:6-9)

Are there any good reasons to believe in Jesus Christ?

You bet there are! And there are none more powerful than the testimony of God Himself.

In the water, at Jesus’ baptism, God clearly testified to the identity of Jesus. Heaven itself was opened. The Spirit descended like a dove and lit upon Him. And the voice of God Himself spoke, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)  God testified in the water!

In the blood, at the cross of Jesus, God again clearly testified to the identity of Jesus. Darkness covered the land. The earth shook. The curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. The tombs were opened and the dead came out alive. Even the centurion could tell there was something special about this One they crucified, ‘Surely He was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:54) God testified in the blood!

By the Spirit, on the Day of Pentecost, God again clearly testified to the identity of Jesus. It was upon the followers of Jesus that the Spirit descended that day with miraculous signs and powers. (Acts 2) And those who were touched by the Spirit preached about Jesus. God testified by the Spirit!

God testified! And no testimony is more certain than His!!!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- July 11, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:2-5)

When I was growing up, I thought the demands my parents made of me were unreasonable. They just seemed designed to make my life more miserable. It seemed like a power play on their part – just getting me to do what they wanted me to do.

I didn’t understand why I needed to brush my teeth so often, especially before going to bed. I was always tired by that time and brushing my teeth wasn’t something I really wanted to do or felt was necessary. And, then there was the whole bath thing. I mean, do you really have to bathe every day? As I got older there were a lot of other demands they made me – curfew and telling them where I was and a bunch more. A lot of their demands were things that I just didn’t understand and just didn’t like.

By the time I became a parent the demands of my parents didn’t seem so unreasonable. By that time I realized that what my parents demanded were the same things I was going to demand of my children and they made sense. Brushing teeth isn’t just to make a child’s life miserable, but to protect them from future decay. Life is better when you learn good dental hygiene. I’m sure that most people are really glad my parents taught me to bathe regularly. That demand makes sense to me now, too. The rest of their demands make sense from the hindsight of maturity.

The demands of my parents seemed burdensome, but they weren’t really. They were just good sense. I found out life worked better when I learned the things my parents sought to teach me through their demands.

We can say the same things about God’s commands. They may seem burdensome, but they’re not. They may seem like a power play, but they aren’t. They are just good sense. God’s commands are given for our sake. Life works better when we follow His commands.

His, by Grace,

Steve 

Wednesday Thought -- July 10, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:16-18)

I’m not afraid of my wife in any way. I can tell her any secret and know that she will not use it against me. I can trust her with any possession and know that she will not misuse it or deliberately damage it. I can allow her to touch me in any way she wants without any fear that she’ll hurt me.

I’m not afraid of her because I know she loves me and in that love, she would

never do anything to deliberately hurt me. Even those things she does to me that I don’t like -- like urging (nagging) me to go to the doctor when something is wrong -- she does because she loves me and has my best interest in mind.

God loves you more deeply than you can imagine. You can tell Him any secret and know He will not use it against you. You can trust Him with any possession, even your most valuable, and know that He will not misuse it or damage it -- you don’t even have to worry about Him doing damage unintentionally, because God always knows what He is doing and what its effect will be. You can allow Him access to any part of your life, touch you in any way He wants, and know He will not use that access to hurt you.

You don’t have to be afraid because He loves you and would never do anything to hurt you. Even those things that He does to you that you don’t like -- like the discipline you feel when you stray -- He does because He loves you and has your best interest in mind.

That’s what love is -- to always act in ways that are in the best interest of the one you love.

Are you afraid of God? You don’t need to be.

His, by Grace,

Steve 

Tuesday Thought -- July 9, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:7-12)

The supreme evidence of God’s character is the cross. A clear understanding of the cross makes it impossible to doubt God’s love. God was willing to send His one and only Son to make the sacrifice necessary to take away our sins. He didn’t have to. There was nothing compelling God to send His Son except His love for us. And His love for us is at the very core of His character. Nothing else is more important to Him. Nothing else compels Him like His love.

Our relationship with God did not start with a decision by man to seek after God in order to know Him. God sought us! He took the initiative to send His Son and we respond to that initiative.

Our relationship with God did not start with our love for God. God loved us first. He loved us when we did not love Him. He loved us when we were defiled and consumed by sin. He loved us when we were unlovable. We respond to His love, not He to ours!

And as we respond to His love for us by loving Him, He says, “love those around you, too.” God’s desire is to see us model His character, to see us model His love. Because God loves us, we love Him. Because we love Him, we come to love those around us.

His, by Grace,

Steve 

Monday Thought -- July 8, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” (1 John 4:4-6)

The world has a powerful pull. Its temptations are strong. Earlier in his letter John talked about the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Those are the inner attitudes and drives of man that temptations play upon and they make the temptations so strong. They are hard to resist. We cannot resist those temptations in our own strength or through our own self-control. When we try, we fail miserably.

But, here’s the good news: we don’t have to rely just upon our own strength or self-control. God has planted within us His Spirit. Every Christian has the Holy Spirit living in his heart. And it is the Holy Spirit who provides the power and self-control to overcome the strong temptations of the world.

Of course, we don't always listen to the Holy Spirit. We don’t always tap into the power and control He offers. That’s why we continue to sin even after coming to Christ. But the Spirit does indwell us and is available to help us overcome the world.

The world is strong. Its temptations are powerful. But the One who lives within us is even stronger and His help is more powerful!

His, by Grace,

Steve 

Friday Thought -- July 5, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” (1 John 4:1-3)

You can’t believe everything that you hear. It would be nice if you could. It would be great if you could trust everyone and believe what each person says to you. You can’t do that, though, because there are forces at work in our world that are seeking our destruction, not our benefit.

John’s admonition: test what people say to you. Be a skeptic. Don’t just take what people say at face value, put it to the test.

Paul was a great preacher. He was a man of God who could be trusted. But when he preached to the Bereans they tested what he told them. Now, wouldn’t that make a preacher mad? Actually, just the opposite is true. The Bereans were applauded in the Bible for what they did, they were not criticized, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

A preacher of truth is happy to have his message tested according to the authoritative standard of the Word of God.

Truth will always stand the test!

His, by Grace,

Steve 

Wednesday Thought -- July 3, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: we know it by the Spirit he gave us.” (1 John 3:21-24)

John reduces Christian faith to its foundational elements: a relationship of trust in the Lord and a relationship of love to those around us. Everything else that is taught in the Bible flows from one of these two foundational elements.

What John teaches is wholly consistent with what Jesus taught. Jesus taught that the first command is to love God and the second command is to love your neighbor and that all of the Law and the Prophets, all of the rest of what God has taught, hang on those two commands. (Matthew 22:37-39)

From these right relationships flow freedom from guilt and emptiness.

From these right relationships flow confidence before God.

From these right relationships flow power in our prayer life.

From these right relationships flow the assurance of our salvation.

All of those things are built on the foundation. That’s where it must begin: a relationship of trust in the Lord and a relationship of love toward others.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- July 2, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:16-18)

When love sees someone in need, it doesn’t just sit on the sidelines, hope for the best, and say nice things about how much it cares. When love sees a need, it moves into action to do what can be done to meet the need.

That is what Jesus did! When He saw our need, Jesus didn’t just remain in heaven and hope we could get ourselves out the mess we had gotten ourselves into. He didn’t just come to earth to whisper loving words into our ears in the hope they would encourage us to make it. Jesus went into action. He came to earth and took on our problem. He gave His life to solve our problem. Now, that’s love!

When we see someone in need, and have what is necessary to meet their need, or at least help meet it, we are to follow the example Jesus set. We are to move into action to meet the need. That would be the loving thing to do. To sit on the sidelines and hope for the best or to whisper kind words into someone’s ear is not love. That’s a shallow substitute for love that costs us nothing and does nothing to help.

Real love moves to action.

Real love is willing to sacrifice.

Real love sees a need and helps to meet it.

That kind of love is the example Jesus set.  That kind of love is the pattern we are to follow.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- July 1, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” (1 John 3:11-15)

It’s a pretty simple principle: if we don’t love the people around us, there is something very wrong with our relationship with God.

Where there is a work of God in a person’s life and the Spirit of God indwelling them, there is a growing love for people. That’s because the greater God’s work in our lives, the more we reflect His heart, and God deeply loves people!

Jealousy and envy led Cain to murder his brother, Abel. Jealousy and envy interfered with and destroyed any love that Cain might have had for Abel. Jealousy and envy continue to keep people from loving as we should.

Guilt has a similar effect. It can interfere with and destroy love for others. That’s one of the reasons the world turns against those who follow God. The righteousness of the followers of God points out the unrighteousness of the world and that leads to guilt. If you don’t want to deal with guilt in the proper way, by repentance and seeking forgiveness, you can attempt to deal with it by getting rid of those who make you feel guilty.

The attitudes that interfere with and destroy love must be rooted out. God wants us to love people. That has been His message from day one!

His, by Grace,

Steve