Scripture Buffet

 

When we fail to be in God's Word, we tend to create our own litmus test as to how we are doing spiritually.  Our obedience is measured against our personally tweaked moral compass rather than God’s moral absolutes.  We take certain Scriptures we want to give ourselves wholeheartedly to and others we conveniently pass over because they don't appeal to us, require too much of us, or they are a challenge to our personality.  We deceive ourselves when we think we can pick and choose.  God isn’t into serving buffets.

"Man does not live on bread alone, but on EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

In all truth, as obedient as we may be in the Scriptures we handpick, we are still living a life of disobedience.

 

"For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws." James 2:10

 

Please don't misunderstand me.  I am in no way sitting over here in a ditch saying we are saved by our works or that our works define our Christian faith.  We need the Holy Spirit working in us to be able to live a life pleasing to God.  It is nothing we can do in and of ourselves, BUT it is our responsibility to align ourselves with the Holy Spirit.  It is our job to cooperate with His working in us to make adjustments in us that line up with what God desires from His children.  If we truly desire to serve God, our actions will line up with our confession.   

 

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." John 14:26

 As we point fingers and whisper about others, is it possible we are lacking in areas that are just different?  OF COURSE WE ARE!  We have to get our eyes off of judging others.  We have to quit comparing our lives to them and look at our lives in comparison to the Word - the whole Word.  It is one thing to be concerned for a fellow believer.  We should be!  If what we call “concern” is manifested in gossip, slandering, making fun of individuals, blasting insults about them, we can be assured that we are operating out of a spirit of pride and judgment.    A heart of love and true concern for the falling of another person will not shun or condemn the person, but will reach out to them, grieve for their condition, and fight for them in prayer.  

We are saved by His grace.  It's all about what Jesus did and nothing of ourselves.  We all need His continued grace and mercy each and every day because we all fall short.  In different areas?  Yes.  Other's faults tend to look worse in our eyes when put next to our own, but this is not how it is for God.  He sees all sin the same.   Sin is simply put as missing the mark.  When we hoot and holler that we hit a portion of the target and our neighbor here lost his arrow in the woods… the truth is, we both missed the bulls-eye.  We all need the same innocent, perfect shed blood of Jesus to cover us.

I think if we start viewing it as God does, the time we spend gossiping and throwing stones at others can be used instead to seek Him with our whole heart.  It becomes "How am I measuring up to Jesus?" rather than "Look at him. I can't believe he calls himself Christian."  

If we are seeking Him with our whole heart, we will have His heart.  We will view others differently.  We will love them differently.  We will reach out to embrace, not to crush.  We Christians are all foreigners TOGETHER in the earth.  It's time we stick together, spur one another on, and build one another up in the faith.  Our strengths are different.  Our weaknesses are different, but we are all on the same team.

Lord, we need our eyes opened, our hearts humbled, and our spirits hungry for Your Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh and we know apart from the fullness of Your Word, we limit ourselves in knowing You.   All too often times we create a god in our own image that suits our ways and our lifestyle.  We want to serve You, the ONLY true and living God.

We ask for Your help to stay focused; that we wouldn't let any church tradition or teaching bind us up from searching You out more; that there'd be no sin we'd rather hold onto than You.  We refuse to let this flesh of ours rule us - whether it be what we consider big sins of adultery, homosexuality, murder, stealing, and the like or what is categorized as small sins: "white" lies, dishonest gain, “managed” addiction, gossip, filthy language, etc.  Help us to realize that sin is sin.  It cost Jesus the same price for each and every one of them.  He paid a debt we could never pay.  How dare we think we can take it for granted and okay "little" sins in our life as if You don't see.  May our eyes be opened, Lord, to see our lives; our hidden lives how You see it.   Just as Jesus told the people, "You must leave all and follow Me," may nothing in our lives be too precious to let go of for Your sake, Lord.  Please shine a light on those things we are holding onto tighter than we are You.  Amen.

Love Your Neighbor

 

 

Is it merely a rule to live by?  Is it a way to prove our love for God?  Do we do it in hopes for a "blessed life?"  Surely loving others should be an attribute of those who say they love God, and there are indeed blessings in obedience, but ultimately all guidelines that God lays out for us are laced with an eternal purpose much bigger than ourselves.

The way we live our lives isn't only about us.  It isn't about being able to put a check mark on the clean conscience section of our Christianity.  It isn't even about hearing one day, "Well done, you good and faithful servant."  It's about people.  It's about every single person that God so chooses to cross our paths.  Starting in our homes with our spouse and children and stretching through every phone conversation, email exchange, and our day to day interactions.  All people.  We love others and do good because it is the right thing to do, yes, but also because in doing so it touches lives... for Him. 

When Jesus walked the earth, He presented a way of living among the people that reflected the Father.  This God they read about, this God they heard about... Jesus brought a visual of who that God was.  He came with a face to show He is a reachable God; making Himself available to all who called upon Him.  He came with skin to reveal He is a touchable God.  He came as a friend to confide in, and yet a servant that ultimately laid down His life for not only His friends, but for those who rejected Him.

We are called to do the same.  We are to put a face to the God we serve to everyone we encounter in life.  Our interactions with others is so far beyond doing right and being a nice person.  It is for the sake of THAT person.  We may never know on this side of Heaven what our influence will do, but it is so worth it.  Allowing God to shed His love upon others through us, what a privilege and responsibility to take seriously.

Think about this! Those who lowered the Apostle Paul through the window to escape the death threat on his life were actually letting down 13 books of the Bible! You never know the affect you have when you do something to help or encourage another... Your act of love could reshape one's entire future.  A generational domino effect!  :)

 

Fear

 

We are all well acquainted with the emotion that bears a choke hold.  It's ruthless.  It's torment.  It's an enemy to faith, a thief that robs you of life - imprisons you to a false reality. 

Anxiety, depression, doubt, worry, hurt, anger, sadness, low self esteem, unworthiness.  It comes disguised underneath many different emotions, but it all comes down to one thing:

 

FEAR.

 

The paralysis for some is the dread of what could happen years down the road, anxiety associated with an unpredictable economy, and for many it is the torment of what today, the next hour, the next minute will bring. 

"...fear has torment." 1 John 4:18a

Fear is not only an emotion, but a spiritual force. It is very similar to faith in that both have an unshakable belief in an unseen future. Fear trusts circumstances, natural predictions, the enemy's lies, and self.  Faith trusts God and what His Word says.  Fear is negative faith. 

 

Fear is an enemy of God.  It in essence rips Him of His lordship in our lives. We become self focused and not God focused.  We put our trust in the wisdom of man rather than in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:5).  We no longer see Him for Who He is and who He desires to be in our lives...  He solely becomes a gateway to Heaven, but in our day to day living He is diminished to a dusty figure placed on a shelf.   

God is love, and the Bible says that Perfect Love casts out fear.  God is THAT perfect love. 

 

"There is no fear in love (dread does not exist), but perfect love turns fears out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment.  He who is afraid has not fully experienced His perfect love." 1 John 4:18

Father, we want to know Your love... Your love is our freedom.  Your love removes shackles. Your love delivers us from all fear.  You are not what our circumstances look like. You are not what the latest trends define You as.  We commit to growing in the knowledge of who You truly are as defined in Your Word, and through that knowledge - growing in intimacy with You... We know that in experiencing that intimate love - fear has no more room in our lives. Thank You for Your love and the hope and peace it brings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uztHkNujb5o

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4

Trust

 

 

Jesus was speaking to a multitude of people - saying things that didn’t make sense to their natural mind. Much of it seemed quite bizarre, leading some to think that He was a crazy man. At the conclusion of His talk, the Bible says:

“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. "Do you also want to go away?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Notice that Peter doesn’t stop there, but goes on to say, “Also we have come to BELIEVE and KNOW that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:66-69)

When we come to the realization that Jesus is who He says He is, we can fully trust Him when He tells us something or directs us in a way that doesn’t make sense to us. We can trust Him even when the multitude mocks and when those who once followed Him walk away.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

TRUST HIM! And trust that His plans for you ARE good! (Jeremiah 29:11) J

Trust

 

Jesus was speaking to a multitude of people - saying things that didn’t make sense to their natural mind. Much of it seemed quite bizarre, leading some to think that He was a crazy man. At the conclusion of His talk, the Bible says:

“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. "Do you also want to go away?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Notice that Peter doesn’t stop there, but goes on to say, “Also we have come to BELIEVE and KNOW that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:66-69)

When we come to the realization that Jesus is who He says He is, we can fully trust Him when He tells us something or directs us in a way that doesn’t make sense to us. We can trust Him even when the multitude mocks and when those who once followed Him walk away.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

TRUST HIM! And trust that His plans for you ARE good! (Jeremiah 29:11) J

Love Your Neighbor

 

 

"Love your neighbor as yourself," embodies so much more than a rule to live by or an act to prove our love for God. There are blessings in obedience, but ultimately all guidelines that God lays out for us are laced with an eternal perspective much bigger than ourselves. God is about furthering His kingdom. We are the hands and feet of Christ in the earth to accomplish just that.

Think about this! Those who lowered the Apostle Paul through the window to escape the death threat on his life were actually letting down 13 books of the Bible! You never know the affect you have when you do something to help or encourage another... Remember, your act of love could reshape one's entire future ~ and generations following!