It is A Love Thing!

I have a number of devotions that I read from time to time and I am reading one that has a message about "When Royalty Comes to Town." I also read an article today by Evangelist Billy Graham that I hope I can tie it in with this message.

In 1 Corinthians 6:19, it says that "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own."

When we accepted Jesus as Savior, there was a day when royalty arrived in your heart. Many people celebrate Valentine's Day and it is suppose to be about love and the heart, but true love comes from God who has a heart for His people.

As the Apostle Paul put it, our body is "the temple of the Holy Spirit." A reality that has huge ramifications. Jesus' residence in our life is intended to transform us to live in a way that brings glory to Him. Our relationships and everything in our lives should reflect the wonderful reality that royalty lives within. Jesus is King of King and Lord of Lord; He is royalty.

Jesus paid the price. His love for us caused Him to sacrifice His life for our sins.

It is a Love Thing!

Has anything changed since King Jesus came into your heart?

If so, everyone who meets us should know that we serve God above; and that His Spirit dwells within our hearts and fills us with His love. If Jesus has taken up residence in us, the world should notice a lasting change.

Now to get to Evangelist Graham's article. A person wrote him and told Mr. Graham that he was tired of religious people telling him (or her) what they could or could not do with their body. The person expressed how they were free to do whatever with their body and was not going to listen to anyone telling them "it's immoral." That was their decision as to whether what they did was moral or immoral.

We can't make any person do what they don't want to do. God didn't tell us how to live, but He did give us rules to live by because He knows what is best for us and He wants us to be happy.

It is a Love Thing!

We have rules so that we won't self-destruct. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)

Jesus paid a big price so we would be free, and freedom is not cheap!

As Mr. Graham explained to the person, "you may think you're free right now, but in reality you have become a slave---a slave to your own desires and appetites." But God doesn't hate you; God loves you. He loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal Love. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:16-17)

It is a Love Thing!

God loves us so much that He doesn't want us to wreck our lives by ignoring Him. When we ignore God's rules and live any way we want, we end up hurting ourselves, and sometimes others. In Proverbs 16:25, it states "there is a way that seems right to a man (or woman), but in the end, it leads to death."

"Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body" (1 Corinthians 6:13). God created us for Himself and we are not free to abuse the Temple of God, which is our body.

It is a Love Thing!

Thought for Today: Your body is the Temple of God and you are to glorify and honor God with your body.

In Whom Do We Receive Comfort?

In my BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) class, we are studying the book of Isaiah, which is not a very easy book of the Bible. I am amazed by this book, simply because I must have skimmed through it earlier and not fully grasp everything that was being said to the people of Israel or to me.

It is a book that all believers should study at some point in their lifetime. It is a love story between God and his people. God is a god who loves His people and will not leave them alone or to their own devices. He promises never to leave or forsake His own even when we don't believe that He is true to His promises.

A couple of scriptures I would like to share with you. A friend shared today one from the book of Psalms, chapter 130, verse 5, which reads, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word, I put my hope." Another friend shared Isaiah 40:31 what says, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

There is a whole lot of waiting in these two scriptures and I must confess that waiting requires patience. My patience comes and goes; not sure about yours. I know that as a Christian I am suppose to possess the fruits of the Holy Spirit and patience is one of those fruits. I am not good at waiting. I have a hard time sitting still. I want to move around and do things, find things to do. But these scriptures say to "wait," and waiting requires patience.

There are three stages of Christian growth: (1) the young Christian shall mount up as an eagle; (2) the adult Christian shall run; and (3) the mature Christian shall walk. Regardless of who you are, if you are going to move with God through this earth, it will cost you something. One thing for certain, God will furnish you strength in whatever your condition might be. If you need strength to walk, He will give it to you. If you need strength to fly, He has that for you also. If you need strength to run, God will give you that too. God is our Comforter and the scripture in Isaiah reveals God as our Creator, as our Savior, and as our Sustainer.

God is our everything. He is our all and all. Whatever you need, He can provide it. There is a catch. We must have faith. We must trust Him. Mostly, we must be obedient to His word.

God is not going to leave any of His creation alone, to go it on their own. We must rely on Him. We cannot align ourselves with any one else but Him. Don't go to your friends or even your family to give you some relief in this walk called Life. God is our only ally. As I often tell my children, don't come to me, don't go to the phone, but go to the throne of God, and offer up a prayer. God does hear you and He will provide an answer, in His time. Don't expect immediate results. God's timing is not out timing. But wait...but wait on the Lord, and put your hope and trust in Him.

A person of faith takes God at His Word and realizes that God is committed to His Word. A person of faith knows that God honors His Word above His name and has settled in his heart that God intends to bring His Word to fulfillment. A person of faith remains confident in God's promises and takes His warnings seriously.

God wants to receive the glory and He can only be gloried if we believe in what His Word says. When we wait on God to do what He says, we demonstrate that we have some patience.

Thought for Today: Remember that God intends good for His people to give them hope. Wait, I say, wait on the Lord.

Amazing Grace

I was twiced blessed today, two reminders on this Martin Luther King Day celebration and the sacrifice that Dr. King made so that we can enjoy the freedom and privileges that we now have.

My Pastor, Rev. Dr. Cleopatrick Lacy, preached an excellent sermon and someone emailed the history of the song, Amazing Grace, definitely a favorite of mine.

I wish I had that beautiful voice of Wintley Phipps; he really sings this song but I am going to encourage you to go to http://www.youtube.com/ to view Amazing Grace History by Wintley Phipps.

If you want to hear a dynamite preacher preach and teach, you can contact my church and get a CD of my Pastor, Preacher and Teacher, Rev. Dr. Cleopatrick Lacy, an annointed man of God, at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 321 East Taylor Street, Griffin, GA 30223, (770) 228-1927.

I got to plug both this Sunday. It was God's amazing grace that I got up after feeling poorly all week. I got up and got to church. I still have the same aches, but my spirit was fed. I was obedient to the call of Christ, and as my Pastor said in his sermon, that we all should have a song in our heart. He reminded us of the song of Moses (Exodus 15: 1-18) and he reflected on a song we all have know since we were children, "Jesus loves me; Yes, I know, for the Bible tells me so." I know many of you have sung that song; most of us learned it as a child. It is still relevant today.

The Word of God is replete with scripture that reminds us that God loves and cares for us. Look in the concordance in the back of your Bible.

I have to leave you with two of my favorite scriptures 1 Peter 6:7, "Give all your worries to Him, because He cares about you." God cares for us. He says it in Word. He cannot lie, right? He is God and God does not lie.

John 3:16 says that "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." God loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son to die for our sins. This reminds me of another song, that goes, and "That's love" and I think Vickie Winans sings it. I am not sure that is the title, but she sings it throughout the song. She reminds us of the love that God has for us because of His son's sacrifice on Calvary.

I have written before on the sufficiency of God's grace and it is this amazing grace that we have that gives us assurance of God's love for us. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. Be encouraged and keep a song in your heart! God's amazing grace is sufficient.

Thought for Today: Think on the goodness of God's amazing grace.

Book of the Law

It is funny many people do not favor having to follow or be guided by a book of laws. However, God had a purpose for giving his chosen people a Book of Law by which they should follow and be guided.

We have laws in this country that people are guided by, especially, laws about speeding on highways. There is a reason for a speed limit; your safety and protection and for others.

There is a reason for the Book of Law that was given to the chosen people by Moses from God. It was for their safety and protection and for the safety and protection of others.

I am reminded of the scripture in the book of Joshua that states, "Do not let this Book of Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8)

It is amazing when you think that God chose Joshua to led 2 million people into a strange new land and conquer it. I can't think of leading 2 people around the block without getting lost. Joshua, Moses successor, was appointed by God; he was an eyewitness to the Egyptian plagues and the exodus from Egypt, he was Moses personal aide for 40 years of wandering in the desert, and he was one of two spies who searched out the land that God had promised the chosen people and came back with a good report.

Because Joshua had assisted Moses for many years, he was well prepared to take over the leadership of the nation. Every new job is a challenge and God must have felt that Joshua was up to that challenge. Without God it can be frightening. With God it can be a great adventure. Just as God was with Joshua, He is also with us as we face our new challenges.

God promises to never leave or abandon us. By asking God to direct us we can conquer many of life's challenges. Let's look at what Joshua is asking the people of Israel. He is saying to not let the Book of Law depart from your mouth. Constantly read and study the Book of Law--God's Word. Meditate on it day and night. Be consistent, think about it all the time so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Obey God's law and by doing so, you will prosper and be successful.

Many people think that prosperity and success come from having power, influential personal contacts, and a relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy for gaining prosperity that God taught Joshua goes against such criteria. He said that for Joshua to be successful, Joshua would have to be strong and courageous because the task ahead of him was not easy; he would have to obey God's law and he would have to constantly read and study the Word of God.

To be successful, follow God's words to Joshua; you may not succeed by the world's standards, but you will be a success in God's eyes, and his opinion lasts forever.

Thought for Today: Success and prosperity are obtained by following the Word of God and being guided by the Holy Spirit.

Intimate with Jesus

True friendship is rare on earth. It means identifying with someone in thought, heart, and spirit.

The whole experience of life is designed to enable us to enter into this closest relationship with Jesus Christ. We receive His blessings and know His Word, but do we really know Him?

In John 14:9, "Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?'

Jesus is the visible, tangible image of the invisible God. He is the complete revelation of what God is like. He is the Son of God.

Hebrews 1:2 states, "the Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word. When we know Jesus, we have all we need to be saved from our sin and to have a perfect relationship with God.

Jesus explained to Philip, who wanted to see the Father, that to know Jesus is to know God. The search for God, for truth and reality, ends in Christ.

Jesus is the Way to the Father. Many people and religions have problems with Jesus being the same as the Father, but the bible is clear, He is the Son of the living God and if you see Him, you will see the Father.

Colossians 1:18-20 says, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him, all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or power or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him. He is the head of the body, the church."

Jesus is not only equal to God , but He is the exact representation of God. He not only reflects God, but He reveals God to us (John 1:19). This is one of the strongest statements about the divine nature of God found anywhere in the Bible.

Thought for Today: Get to know Jesus personally. He will lead you to the Father.

Have You Ever Seen God's Glory?

Today marks my 80th blog message. I take no credit for it, but am thankful for the Spirit of God's leading. As I enter a new year, I feel blessed and I trust that you are also feeling that way too!

We are indeed blessed to be a blessing.

I was blessed today to catch a Watch Night service on the Internet at a former church in Virginia I used to attend. The Pastor preached a wonderful sermon about Moses and the people he was going to lead into the promise land. The choir was singing songs, "God has Been Good to Me," and "If It Had Not Been for the Lord on My Side," now I may not have the titles to the songs correct, but they go something like that.

Both the story of Moses and the songs are great reminders to me of just how good God has been to me and my family and I know He has been on our side.

The passage of Scripture used comes from Numbers 20:2-13, which states in part, v. 6-8, "Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord said to Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother, Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."

Can you imagine seeing the glory of the Lord? Have you ever seen the glory of the Lord in your life? Here Moses, and his brother, Aaron, the high priest, were privilege to see the glory of the Lord. None of the people in the community were allowed this privilege. Only God's prophet and His high priest could even approach the Tent of Meeting.

God gave Moses specific instructions to "speak" to the rock (God's creation) but Moses decided he would do like he had done before and he struck the rock, like he did in the book of Exodus.

Follow me for a moment. God is very specific in his instructions to his people. How can you see the glory of God when you decide to do it your way? God wants to receive all the glory for everything that happens or has happened in your life.

The glory of the Lord appeared to Moses and Aaron. They were told to take the staff, the very same staff that had budded, blossomed, and produce almonds to prove to the chosen people that Aaron would be God's choice to be high priest. (Numbers 17:8) Aaron's staff was to be a sign to a rebellious people; a constant reminder to those who chose to question God's authority or the person He selects.

If you drop down to Numbers 20:12, God says to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the people (Israelites), you will not bring this community into the land I gave them."

Wow! Moses and Aaron disobedience to God's specific instructions would cause them not to see the land He had promised them 39 years ago. Moses and Aaron had been with the people they led out of Egypt for 39 years wondering around in the desert, trying to get to the promised land. The Bible continues to tell us that both Moses and Aaron died and did not enter the promise land because of their disobedience.

You don't want to miss your blessing because of DISOBEDIENCE! God desires to take us a place he has promised; a place where the streets are paved with gold; where there are no tears, sickness or sorrow. Will you see God's glory because you respect Him enough to be obedient and to give Him the honor for doing everything in your life?

Don't go into a new year, as Moses did, being bitter or angry or annoyed because something didn't go your way, or did not go as you expected. Tomorrow is not promised to us and God is in complete control. If you think that everything that has happened to you in this past year was a result of your own doing; well, think again. You might not make to see the next year.

God wants all the credit for all the miracles in our lives. The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock; however, Moses struck it, not once, but twice. God did the miracle, yet Moses was taking credit for it when he said to the people, "we bring you water out of this rock." (Numbers 20: 10)

Everything that happens that is good, God did it! Remember that. We are God's creations and He is the Creator. We don't get credit for anything, other than obedience to His word. His word is specific and His promises are true. He wants us to get to the palce He promised.

Thought for Today: God will not tolerate disobedience, especially when He gives a direct command.

The Golden Rule

Recently, I had a dialogue with a neighbor about the Golden Rule. She had no religious association and of course, she now knows that I am a Christian. Our beliefs in the existence of God are different. It is her belief that God does not exist because she cannot visibly see him. In the same breath, she claims that she tries to live her life by the Golden Rule.

I started reflecting on my neighbors comments and started thinking exactly what is the Golden Rule. I have read that the "Golden Rule" is the name given by Bible translators to a principle taught in His Sermon on the Mount. That is to say, the actual words, "golden rule" are not found in Scripture, nor are the words, "sermon on the mount" are also not found. These titles were later added by Bible translation teams when describing different passes of Scripture in order to make Bible study a little easier. (Got Questions Ministries)

I guess what startles me about my neighbor is the fact that she was raised as a Jew but does not believe in the existence of God. "Agnostic" I think is the term for those who don't believe in God's existence. Yet she states that she was raised by her father to believe in the Golden Rule.

I guess I am confused and it is apparent that the Golden Rule means different things to different people.

What most Christians call the Golden Rule, myself included, is mention in the book of Matthew, chapter 7, verse 12 which states: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

The gospel according to Matthew is in the New Testament.

In the Old Testament, a similar principle is found in Leviticus 19:18 which states, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord." This is God speaking to His chosen people, the Jews, those who were lead by Moses.

Jesus knew the human heart and its selfishness. In fact, in the preceding verse, He describes human beings as "you who are evil." This is important to grasp because, as He continues to say in verse 16, human beings still know how to give good gifts to their children even though they are evil and selfish by nature. This verse leads into the Golden Rule which says to actively pursue and treat others as we would like to be treated in all things.

In Leviticus, we again see the implication that people are naturally self-lovers due to sin, so it gave the audience a place to start in how they should treat others and how they want to be treated.

As good as the Golden Rule is in its command to treat others, it also reminds us how selfish we really are! Jesus audience could relate to this command (as the Jews of Moses' day could) because people universally demand respect, love, and appreciation regardless of whether they deserve it or not. Jesus knew this and used it to show how His people should treat others: how they themselves wanted to be loved, respected, and appreciated.

What is my point? This rule to treat others with such high regard is also the second in the greatest of commandments, followed only by the command to love God Himself.

The Golden Rule as stated by Jesus is radically different in that it is an active, positive command to do good to others, as opposed to the negative, restraining commands to not hurt others.

The command to love is what separates the Christian ethic from every other religion's ethic. In fact, the Bible is so radical in its command to actively love that Christians are told to love even their enemies, something that other religions do not practice.

Obeying the Christian ethic and imperative to love others is a mark of a true Christian (John 13:35). In fact, Christians cannot claim to love God if they don't love other people as well.

If someone says, "I love God" and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)

The Golden Rule encapsulates this idea and is unique to the Judeo-Christian Scriptures.

How can a person abide by the Golden Rule when they don't believe that God exists? The Golden Rule is about love. You must first love God. The problem isn't that such people prefer to think about "love." The problem is that they don't love God, who is a God of great love, nor can they understand His law, which is summed up in the command to love our neighbor as ourself.

We can't pretend to live by Golden Rule, which a command of God, if we don't believe He exists.

Thought for Today: God is real even if we can't see Him; He does exist, and He does love all of his creation, even those who doubt his existence.