Friday, March 26, 2010

How Has God Blessed You?

Have you counted your blessings lately? If you sincerely wish to follow in Christ's footsteps, you should make thanksgiving a habit, a regular part of your daily routine.

How has God blessed you? First and foremost, He has given you the gift of eternal life through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, but the blessings don't stop there.

Throughout the Bible, God has demonstrated His love for His people and He did this by promising to bless them.

I recall how God promised to bless Abraham, the father of our faith. He told Abraham to leave his home, his father's house and go to a land He would show him. By being obedient to God's calling, God promised to bless Abraham and his family. God also told Abraham that He would bless those who bless him and curse those who cursed him. God promised that all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham. He also promised through Abraham's seed to make him into a great nation and to make his name great. (Genesis 12:1-3)

We too are blessed through this blessing that God gave Abraham. We are descendants of Abraham and therefore, we are recipients of this blessing.

God will bestow a multitude of blessings on those who render Him the one demand of absolute trust, complete obedience, and total surrender. A life of faith, obedience, and total surrender results in manifold blessing. What are these blessings?

First, there is blessing to the individual who obeys God. Second, there is blessing for that person's family. Third, we bring blessing to the nation, just as Abraham brought blessing to Israel. Fourth, we bring blessing to all the peoples of the earth.

The Sovereign of God of glory fulfilled His promises to Abraham based on his obedience. Not only does this God of glory demand absolute faith, He also enables us to trust Him. God Himself regenerates us and gives us the gift of saving faith so we will rise up, take up our cross, and follow Him.

Ezekiel 34:26 says, "I will make them and the area around My hill a blessing: I will send down showers in their season---showers of blessings."

Take time today to make a partial list of God's gifts to you: the talents, the opportunities, the possessions, and the relationships that you may, on occasion, take for granted. And then, when you have spent sufficient time listing your blessings, offer a prayer of gratitude to the Giver of all things good...and, to the best of your ability, use your gifts for the glory of His kingdom.

Thought for Today: We don't need to beg God to bless us; He simply cannot help it.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Praise God Any Way!

Sometimes when I get real low, I think about the goodness of God. I think despite all the tragedies and sorrow associated with living every day, I can still give God some praise. Just praise God any way! Even if you don't have a reason, just give Him some praise, for He is worthy to be praise.

There is a song that goes, "when I look back over my life, I can see how God has been blessing me." Or maybe it is how God has bless me. Either way, you have to just give God some praise. Because if it had not been for God on your side, where would you be!

I have been reading a couple of articles, one on we are living in the "last days." This is scary because I thought the "last days" are days coming in the future, but now according to this article, we have been living in the "last days" since Jesus was on earth. Hard to believe, huh?

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:1 that there will be terrible times in the last days. And what do we see now? Wars every where. Shootings in school. Disasters in weather. Parents killing children, children killing parents. Total disregard for human life every where.

Wars have always been with us. Natural disasters have plagued humanity for thousands of years. Societies have been breaking down, and violence has been erupting for centuries.

Jesus said, "you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come." (Matthew 24:26). There will be famines and disasters, but those are only the beginning of problems. There will be persecutions, and there will be predictions. People will say that the end is just around the corner, but don't believe it. Do not be alarmed. Just persevere. Just do the job set before you.

Someday the end will indeed come. The world has had many disasters since the" last days" began nearly 2000 years ago, and I am sure there will be many more.

As I was discussing with my son today. God can end our lives today, and He can end the world whenever He wants. We are at God's mercy every day. This is why we have to praise God any way! He has allowed us to see another day, and for that we must give Him thanks. What God wants from us is praise.

We need faith and hope whether or not there is a war, whether or not the end is near. We need faith and zeal no matter how evil the days are. Our responsibility before God does not change with the times.

Our job is to preach the gospel, to preach repentance and forgiveness, to teach those who believe, and to worship God.

Jesus calls us to perseverance, to running with patience the race set before us. God will take care of the timetable --- our job is to be found faithfully working, whenever the end happens to come. Correct predictions don't count for anything on the day of judgment --- only faithfulness will be rewarded.

God may not act according to our timetable and our circumstances, but God does respond to our faithfulness.

Thought for Today: Be encouraged even when there is so much doom and gloom all around us because God is faithful and He is looking at our faith!

Monday, March 22, 2010

A Few Reminders

I can't find any excuse for not studying the Word of God; not only does it guide my path, but it makes clear how I should live my life. It gives me purpose when I look around me in this world today. The Bible never changes; while time has changed and is changing, the Word of God remains the same.

I have just read some scriptures in the book of 2 Peter 1:5-9 which serves as a reminder to let God's Word fill my memory, rule my heart and guide my steps. A reminder of a pattern that should mark every believer's spiritual development. Like the fruit of the Spirit, these marks of spiritual maturity are independent and interconnected at the same time.

These are the reminders: In 2 Peter 1:9 it says, "but for the this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. We must add these qualities to our faith.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, the commentary says he is nearsighted and blind and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Our faith must go beyond what we believe. It must become a part of all we do. We must put our faith into action. It must produce good fruit and spiritual maturity. Salvation does not depend on good deeds, but results in good deeds. You cannot earn your salvation; it is a gift from God. I am going to say this again. Salvation does not depend on good deeds, but results in good deeds.

Some people actually think that if they do enough good deeds, this will guarantee them a place in heaven. Once you accept Jesus Christ in your heart, you have earned your salvation. Once you are saved, you want to do good deeds.

The Apostle Peter tells us that God's divine power equips us for everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. How do we get this knowledge and godliness? We have to study and meditate on the Word of God. We have to be in a bible teaching church where the Word of God is being taught and where we can fellowship with other Christians who are experiencing the same things we are.

God has given us His very great and precious promises so that we may participate in His divine nature and escape the corruption of the world caused by evil desires. (1 Peter 1:3-4) God has given us His Word and in His Word He is telling us that it is His divine nature that will help us mature spiritually.

Therefore, we should make every effort to add these qualities to our faith. We must work hard to add them to our faith, as they are not automatic. We have to work each of them all together.

No matter what kind of memory we have, we need to incorporate biblical principles into our daily living. I had a Sunday School teacher who use to write out scriptures for us and put them in prescription bottles. She would encourage us to take a scripture a day and try to memorize it and by doing this, we would incorporate biblical scriptures into our memory. Scriptures are like our daily medicine and will help us with any problem we might have, she would say.

Thought for Today: We want to be approved workmen, equipped with the Word of God, and who are not ashamed to preach and teach the Word of God.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Hated By the World

I have often thought about my life as a Christian. I find that most of my friends and acquaintances are those with whom I attend church. Since I got saved, I have discovered there are others with whom I have known for a while that are also Christians. This is very comforting to me. I am not an oddity all by myself.

It is good to have a church home and a place where you can fellowship with other Christians. A place where you are taught the Word of God and encouraged in your walk.

I want to draw your attention to the book of John again. My women's bible study is currently studying the book of John and it is a reminder to me how much I had missed the first time I studied the book. I encourage all believers to go back and read this book again. It is the book that most pastors and preachers of the Word encourage new believers to begin, with this book.

Christ is praying for his disciples and all believers are disciples of Christ. He says in John 17:13-17, "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your Word and the world has hated them for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth."

Joy was a common theme in Christ's teachings --- he wanted his disciples to be joyful. He promised the disciples that even though he would have to leave them, he would also see them again and when he returned, they should rejoice, and no one would take away their joy.

Did you ever hear that expression, "don't let them steal your joy!" I say this all the time to my children and grandchildren. The world is selfish and in their selfishness if you are not a part of the "in" crowd, the world will try to steal the joy you have in being a Christian. The world is a friend of Satan. The world desires to make you jealous of what they are doing or what they have. Don't fall for it! It is all propaganda.

The joy a Christian has is in Jesus, in others, and in yourself. That is the joy that Christ desired for us to have. I am often told at my women's bible study by one of the ladies who says to me, "I just like saying your name, Joy." She doesn't realize how much encouragement I get from her for saying that and I feel bless that she also receives something from saying my name.

My commentary says that the key to immeasurable joy is living in intimate contact with Christ, the source of all joy. When we do, we will experience God's special care and protection and see the victory God brings even when defeat seems certain."

It continues by saying that "the world hates Christians because Christians' values differ from the world and because Christ's followers do not cooperate with the world by joining in their sin.

A follower of Christ becomes sanctified (set apart for for sacred use, cleansed and made holy) through believing and obeying the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). Daily application of God's Word has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts. Scripture points out our sin and motivates us to confess; renews our relationship with Christ; and guides us back to the right path.

Jesus didn't ask God to take believers out of the world but instead to use them in the world. We were created to do the will and work of God, but first and foremost, we must study and know the Word of God, so that we can be ready in season and out of season.

The world's values are often the opposite of God's values. This can cause Christians to feel like misfits. But even if life is difficult now, one day we will rejoice. Keep your eye on the future and on God's promises.

Thought for Today: Take comfort in knowing that you are not of the world, but in it. God's plan will be revealed.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Mystery of Eternal Life

Have you ever wondered if you will live eternally? Guess what, you will, but there is one condition.

The Bible says in 1 John 5:11-12, "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.

When you receive the Son of God as your Lord and Saviour, your sins are forgiven, you are saved from Hell, and you have a promise of a home in Heaven. But eternal life means more than all this; it means you become a "partaker of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4) The power to grow doesn't come from within us, but from God. Because we don't have the resources to be truly godly, God allows us to "participate in the divine nature" in order to keep us from sin and help us live for him.

When we are born again, God by His Spirit empowers us with His own moral goodness.

What is eternal life? "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3) Eternal life requires entering into a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ.. You can only get eternal life by knowing God through His Son. When we admit our sin and turn away from it, Christ's love lives in us by the Holy Spirit.

A scripture that we all should be familiar with says this: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

You have eternal life once you believe that Jesus the Christ is the Son of God, and that He came so that we might have life. That is the condition. You believe that He is who He says He is. That simple.

You don't need to wait for eternal life (such as when you die); it begins the moment you believe. You don't need to work for it, because it is already yours. You don't need to worry about it, because you have been given eternal life by God himself --- and it is guaranteed.

Acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God assures you eternal life because the life is in God's Son. Did you get that? The life is in God's Son. There are many religions that don't believe this. But it is not religion that we must have, it is a personal relationship with God, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Eternal life is a gift from God to all who believe in His Son. You can't get to heaven by doing enough good deeds. Impossible! How does a dirty, sinful person do good deeds?

The Bible says you cannot buy it, "for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

Some people hope that they will receive eternal life. In the book of 1 John 5:13, it says we know we have eternal life based on God's promise that He has given it through His Son. God's offering His salvation to us as a gift. Yet some people insult God by trying to buy or pay, with good deeds, for this salvation. You can't buy it! You can't pay for it. You are a sinner. The Bible says we are like filthy rags in the eyes of God. Until you realize that Jesus does exist and He died for your sins, making the ultimate sacrifice, so you would not perish, you are lost! This is the mystery of which the Apostle Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 15:15-52.

Is it important to you to want to have salvation; to have eternal life? I would go so far as to say, "yes." Because if you do not have God's Son, if you have never received Him, you do not have eternal life and you are still lost and headed for judgment and Hell.

Thought for Today: Make sure you have the Son; without Him there is no hope, no matter how good and religious you may be.

Friday, March 12, 2010

How Is Your Stability?

We are in tumultuous times when everything seems uncertain. However, the Bible tells us that keeping our minds on God will help our stability. When you learn to trust in God, the result is perfect peace. Yet, there are many Christians who don't have this peace.

At times my own peace wavers, but does this mean I am a bad Christian because I don't have perfect peace. No, of course not; it means I took my focus off of God and allowed the things of the world to distract me.

There are several definitions of peace but I chose this one: "peace is a state of mental calm and serenity without any anxiety." Yesterday I wrote about the Word of God that reminds us to not be anxious about anything.

The book of James 1:5 states that "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." A steadfast man is necessary in order to function in God's perfect peace.

A "double minded" man is a man of no fixed, decided purpose. When we fail to know our purpose, we are like a person with two minds, always hesitating. The bible makes it clear that we cannot not have two gods. We must either serve God or serve the world; we can't serve both.

When we concentrate on the things of God, we have victory in our lives because we learn how to keep a steadfast mind. When we concentrate on the world, our minds are swishy, washy; going in this or that direction; having no purpose.

You probably know a lot of people who keep messing up their lives, and most of the times, they want to blame something or someone for it. And why is that? It is because they don't keep a steadfast mind. They are subject to change depending on what is popular at the time or they are easily swayed by what others are doing.

Keeping our minds stayed on God is important because it means your mind is not subject to change. You have a firm belief. You have a purpose in life.

Rick Warren wrote the book, The Purpose Driven Life, and this book was such an eye opener for me. I recommend it to anyone reading this blog because when we understand why God created us and then understand that He created us for His purpose then it gives us some purpose. Quoting from his book, he says" You are not an accident. Even before the universe was created, God had you in mind, and he planned you for his purposes."

I never thought about God's purposes until I started reading and studying the Bible. Before I understood that I was made by God and for God, my life never made much sense. I was a double minded person going from this to that. No real purpose.

When your mind is steadfast, then it is firmly fixed in place. Isaiah 26:3 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Though we seem engulfed in our troubles and the trials of life can get us depressed, we must keep our minds on God and His purposes. We have a Saviour who cares for us and has promised not to foresake or leave us.

Thought for Today: Keep your mind stayed on God and His principles, so you will have direction and perfect peace.

How Is Your Stability?

Thursday, March 11, 2010

It Is Well With My Soul

There is a well known song that is often played during funerals. I first heard it sung by Whitney Phipps, who used to sing for the Evangelist Billy Graham. A very beautiful song which he sings so beautifully.

Here is a verse of the song:

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll---
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is is well, it is well with my soul...."

There is something to be said about peace that is like a river, just rolling along, with its calmness. It is this peace that we all should desire.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians in his epistle, the following:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand."
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
let your requests be mde known to God, and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus."

And the "peace" of God, which surpasses all understanding... (Philippians 4:4-7)

This peace that is spoken both in the song and in the scripture has struck me this morning. It is this peace that can only come from God. It comes from having a structured life that is not dependent on external circumstances and things of this world. This peace comes from knowing that soon we will have eternal life with God in heaven. Resisiting the storms in life is also dependent on a structured life. A structured life is a self discipline life that does not go chasing after every whim and desire that confronts us.

We constantly think, "if we have a better home, a better job, a better wife, a better husband, a better car, a better house," than we will have satisfaction in our life. Unfortunately, none of the "ifs" will give us peace, because we have not learned that things or persons can give us peace.

Recently there was a show on TV that showed young people stealing from the movie stars in Hollywood because they wanted tohave the things that the movie starts had, especially their jewlery and clothes. These young people thought, "if" I can only dress like them, then I will be like them. What a price they will pay for being theives and spending a good part of their life in jail, just for not wanting to be content with their lot in life. These young people lack discipline and structure in their lives because somewhere along the line, no one told them that clothes and jewelry will not give them the recognition that so eagerly desired. What a sadness that they have wasted their life over something so foolish. It all got out of hand! Not one of them even understood the knowledge or wisdom of God.

I also know for a fact that things do not satisfy. My grandchildren are never content; you can give them something every month and they will find something else they want the next month. I finally had to put a stop to it and say "no" because there are more important things in life than a new this or a new that or being swayed by their peers. They can't tell me sometimes why they even want a particular thing. It shows me that they lack discipline and structure, and I will not be a party to their earthly desires.

Peace comes from having a structured life, a disciplined life. A life that does not depend on external circumstances. A life that is content with its lot, one that is well with its soul.

Colossians 3:15 says "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to be peace. And be thankful." We need to be thankful for what we have and stive for peace in our lives.

Thought for today: Let the peace of God guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Times of Stress and Worry

I can't possibly know how Job felt when God decided to let Satan have him, when God decided take every material thing from him, when God decided to take his family from him. Yet, I and my family have experienced hard times throughout our life as well.

How do you have faith when God takes it all away? Can you hold on until God restores you and gives you more than what you had? Good questions.

My faith has not been up to the standard that God would desire of me lately.

I have been very troubled and saddened by the son's current situation: loss of income, loss of job, loss of family, loss of unemployment benefits, loss of his marriage.

Somehow my faith tells me that God is going to restore Him. I don't know when, but I believe that if God takes everything away from him it is because He has something better in store for him. I want to believe this and I do.

My Pastor's wife is such an encourager and I thank God for her because she knows how sad I have been. She reminded me of the scripture in the book of Matthew where Jesus is teaching about worry. Last week I wrote on "what good is it to worry," but somehow even though I wrote about it and I know what the Word of God says, I still worry.

Matthew 6:25 says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us and as this scripture says can worry add a single hour to my life? What is promised to us is the Word of God.

Isaiah 55:11 says that "God's Word will not return empty."

Did Job know that I wonder? Do I know that? Yes.

Now I am not the only one who has a son who has been laid off from their job; I have other family members and other friends whose children have also lost their jobs and it has been months and they have not found employment. They did nothing to lose their jobs but come in to work one day to be told that they no longer had a job!

Even though I know that many around the country are or have gone through what my son is experiencing, it doesn't necessarily give me comfort. What comforts me is that God's Word says I can" give all my worries to Him because He cares for me." (1 Peter 5:7) And if He cares for me, He certainly cares for my son.

Can I do anything about anything without God's help? No.

I am instructed to have faith, just the size of a mustard seed. I am to be obedient because in
2 Chronicles 16:9 it says, "The Lord is constantly watching everyone, and He gives strength to those who faithfully obey Him." I am to be obedient to the Word of God, and I am to trust God with all the details of my life, my family's life, and especially my son's life.

The Word of God reminds me that I cannot even imagine all the things that God has in store for me. I am holding God to His promise because if He says it, He will do it.

I am going to pray and be thankful for all God has done and I am going to thank God for all He is going to do, in His time and in His will, and in His way.

Thought for Today: Have faith and trust God with all the details of your life.

Can I Possibly Know How Job Felt?

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

What Good is Worry?

I am probably one of the biggest worriers there is. I have tried very hard to trust God in this area, but still I worry.

There are several scriptures that remind us that we are to leave all the details of our life to God. We are to trust God with all our circumstances. So, why do I still worry and what good is it anyway? I hope you can answer that question because I am still struggling with it. I am better than what I was 10 years ago or even 5 years ago. However, today's worries about my family are still plaguing me but I do know what the Bible says.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34) Now this scripture is definitely hitting it on the nail. Each day has enough trouble of its own, and what can I do by worrying?

The things I know about worry are these and I have certainly had my share. Because of the ill effects of worry, Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply. Worry may:

1) damage your health; 2) cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts; 3) disrupt your productivity; 4) negatively affect the way your treat others; and 5) reduce your ability to trust God.

Guilty, I am guilty of all of the above. What about you? Has worry affected you in any of these areas?

The Bible goes on to say that we should "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you." (1 Peter 5:7) Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life. The Bible says, "He cares for us" and that is one more reason why we should not worry. We have a loving Father who knows and sees all our concerns. He has promised to "never leave or forsake us."

Planning for tomorrow is time well spent, worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference.

Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps and schedule and trusting in God's guidance. When done well, planning can help alleviate worry.

Worriers, by contrast, are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God. They let there plans interfere with their relationships with God. We are reminded often, to "let go, and let God." This is where we start, with God. Let God have your troubles, for He controls the present and the future.

Thought for Today: Don't let worries about tomorrow affect your relationship with God today.