Saturday, February 15, 2020
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Don' Be Afraid To Give Up Your Demons!
In the last few weeks passages in The Gospel of Luke have spoken to me about things I haven't thought about before and I thank God for the insight. The passage I am writing about today shows a situation that I myself occasionally find myself in, but are committing to avoiding with the help of my prayers, and hopefully yours! I will be praying for others in the same situation, whether I know them or not.
The passage is about Jesus healing the demon possession man, a man possessed by "Legion" because there were many. The demons knew Jesus and begged Him to let them enter a herd of pigs. He did and the swine ran down the hill, into the lake and drowned.Witnesses who normally fed the pigs and saw what happened fled the scene and told of it in the city and throughout the country.
The reaction of the people is what spoke to me.
"Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him (Jesus) to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to your own house, ad tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him." Luke 8:35-39 NKJV
When we contemplate our lives and how we are and what we do in reference to Scripture, do we not, if not in words, but, maybe, through our response to what God shows us, ask Jesus to leave us alone?
By not responding to the correction or conviction of the Holy Spirit is that not what we are doing?
God please forgive us and strengthen our conviction to respond to your leading as we travel down the road of sanctification!
Let us all not be afraid to give up our demons and then tell everyone about what God has done for us.
The passage is about Jesus healing the demon possession man, a man possessed by "Legion" because there were many. The demons knew Jesus and begged Him to let them enter a herd of pigs. He did and the swine ran down the hill, into the lake and drowned.Witnesses who normally fed the pigs and saw what happened fled the scene and told of it in the city and throughout the country.
The reaction of the people is what spoke to me.
"Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him (Jesus) to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to your own house, ad tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him." Luke 8:35-39 NKJV
When we contemplate our lives and how we are and what we do in reference to Scripture, do we not, if not in words, but, maybe, through our response to what God shows us, ask Jesus to leave us alone?
By not responding to the correction or conviction of the Holy Spirit is that not what we are doing?
God please forgive us and strengthen our conviction to respond to your leading as we travel down the road of sanctification!
Let us all not be afraid to give up our demons and then tell everyone about what God has done for us.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
"Therefore take heed how you hear."
The title words of this thought for today are cautionary words of warning from Jesus in the 8th Chapter of Luke. He goes on to say "For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have even what he seems to have will be taken from him." Luke 8:18 NKJV
Along with preaching about the Kingdom of God, Jesus took time to spend one on 12 time with His disciples who were, along with the Holy Spirit, going to build the church of the New Kingdom. Jesus did a lot of His preaching to the masses in parables and performing miracles that should have been recognized by Israel because of the prophesies of the Old Testament (sight to the blind, deaf hear, lame walk and the dead are made alive). In most all recorded instances, Jesus would pull His disciples aside afterwards and explain the parables, their understanding still dulled by the traditions they had been raised with as Jewish children and adults. They were yet to fully understand the "New Kingdom" of God.
Even to me, a good part of the parable of the sower seemed passive on our part. We were one kind of soil or the other and hopefully would be changed as we move forward in our relationship with God. But, today in Luke 8:11-18, I see this statement from Jesus. "Therefore take heed how you hear." Wow, I thought, we are supposed to control and chose how we hear. So, I looked back at Jesus' explanation of the sower to see how I can determine how I hear.
The first seed of the sower went by the wayside. These, Jesus explained, are the ones who hear the word, but the devil comes and takes it from their hearts so that they won't believe. So I thought about it and the only way this could happen would be not to already be a believer or to be living with un-confessed sin that separates us from our close relationship with God. We need to make sure our sin is confessed and forgiveness is asked and our hearts will retain God's word and our right relationship with Him.
The seeds on the rock are those who hear and are immediately overjoyed, but have no root, so they believe for a while, but in time temptation causes them to fall away. So, I thought, if I don't want to hear this way what must I do. How do we insure roots in our garden. We constantly cultivate and weed and fertilize and water the soil. That is the same thing that is required of God's word in our hearts. We must study and pray and add to the things of God that we put in our hearts on a daily basis. This will cause our soil to be full of nutrients and our roots to grow deeper.
Some seeds fell among the thorns. These are those who hear, but then they go out unprepared and are choked and knocked down with cares, lure of riches and pleasures and the word may not completely die in their hearts, but it does not mature and produce the fruit of discipleship. To avoid this way of hearing, we must put God first and deny ourselves when our focus overshadows our discipleship. Then we take this approach and add the cultivation and fertilizing and we confess our failures and sins along the way and we become the last type of those who hear....
"But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience." Luke 8:15 NKJV
Our noble and good heart, cleaned by confession and forgiveness offered freely by God, can keep His word and bear fruit with it, even through the trials of our faith. The Greek work here, translated patience, means to "bear with it under persecution of your faith."
This is how, with God's help, I choose to hear! Let me be the seed that fell on good ground. What say you?
Along with preaching about the Kingdom of God, Jesus took time to spend one on 12 time with His disciples who were, along with the Holy Spirit, going to build the church of the New Kingdom. Jesus did a lot of His preaching to the masses in parables and performing miracles that should have been recognized by Israel because of the prophesies of the Old Testament (sight to the blind, deaf hear, lame walk and the dead are made alive). In most all recorded instances, Jesus would pull His disciples aside afterwards and explain the parables, their understanding still dulled by the traditions they had been raised with as Jewish children and adults. They were yet to fully understand the "New Kingdom" of God.
Even to me, a good part of the parable of the sower seemed passive on our part. We were one kind of soil or the other and hopefully would be changed as we move forward in our relationship with God. But, today in Luke 8:11-18, I see this statement from Jesus. "Therefore take heed how you hear." Wow, I thought, we are supposed to control and chose how we hear. So, I looked back at Jesus' explanation of the sower to see how I can determine how I hear.
The first seed of the sower went by the wayside. These, Jesus explained, are the ones who hear the word, but the devil comes and takes it from their hearts so that they won't believe. So I thought about it and the only way this could happen would be not to already be a believer or to be living with un-confessed sin that separates us from our close relationship with God. We need to make sure our sin is confessed and forgiveness is asked and our hearts will retain God's word and our right relationship with Him.
The seeds on the rock are those who hear and are immediately overjoyed, but have no root, so they believe for a while, but in time temptation causes them to fall away. So, I thought, if I don't want to hear this way what must I do. How do we insure roots in our garden. We constantly cultivate and weed and fertilize and water the soil. That is the same thing that is required of God's word in our hearts. We must study and pray and add to the things of God that we put in our hearts on a daily basis. This will cause our soil to be full of nutrients and our roots to grow deeper.
Some seeds fell among the thorns. These are those who hear, but then they go out unprepared and are choked and knocked down with cares, lure of riches and pleasures and the word may not completely die in their hearts, but it does not mature and produce the fruit of discipleship. To avoid this way of hearing, we must put God first and deny ourselves when our focus overshadows our discipleship. Then we take this approach and add the cultivation and fertilizing and we confess our failures and sins along the way and we become the last type of those who hear....
"But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience." Luke 8:15 NKJV
Our noble and good heart, cleaned by confession and forgiveness offered freely by God, can keep His word and bear fruit with it, even through the trials of our faith. The Greek work here, translated patience, means to "bear with it under persecution of your faith."
This is how, with God's help, I choose to hear! Let me be the seed that fell on good ground. What say you?
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Then, beware.....
Nestled in the middle of verses 11 and 12 in the 6th chapter of Deuteronomy are a set of simple words that are as alive and prophetic as when they were written those thousands of years ago.
"...when you have eaten and are full - then beware, lest you forget the Lord..."
I say, as believers since that time have said, forgive me, Lord, for forgetting the giver of all the blessings of my life. Forgive me, Lord, for taking, in any way, credit for my sustenance and accomplishments, all of which You have graciously provided and made possible.
In Numbers 20, we see Moses, if for just a moment, take credit away from God and he is not allowed into the Promised Land. God expected more out of Moses and He expects more out of you and I. As I look back on my life, not only have I made decisions that have cost me, but I have taken credit away from God at times and claimed it for myself and, repeatedly the action has kept me from a "Promised Land" with which God was about to Bless me.
I thank God for sanctification. My repentance is quicker to come now as my humility is more pronounced and His forgiveness is fresh every day. I used to try and change on my own and I was terribly unsuccessful, now I ask God to change my heart and He is doing a work in my life! I fully expect to fail at times, as we all will, but I know He is there, when I "remember" Him, to continue His work towards that day of perfection He has written for me in The Lambs Book of Life.
"But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is it's light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there), and they shall bring glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." Rev. 21:22-27.
"...when you have eaten and are full - then beware, lest you forget the Lord..."
I say, as believers since that time have said, forgive me, Lord, for forgetting the giver of all the blessings of my life. Forgive me, Lord, for taking, in any way, credit for my sustenance and accomplishments, all of which You have graciously provided and made possible.
In Numbers 20, we see Moses, if for just a moment, take credit away from God and he is not allowed into the Promised Land. God expected more out of Moses and He expects more out of you and I. As I look back on my life, not only have I made decisions that have cost me, but I have taken credit away from God at times and claimed it for myself and, repeatedly the action has kept me from a "Promised Land" with which God was about to Bless me.
I thank God for sanctification. My repentance is quicker to come now as my humility is more pronounced and His forgiveness is fresh every day. I used to try and change on my own and I was terribly unsuccessful, now I ask God to change my heart and He is doing a work in my life! I fully expect to fail at times, as we all will, but I know He is there, when I "remember" Him, to continue His work towards that day of perfection He has written for me in The Lambs Book of Life.
"But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is it's light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there), and they shall bring glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." Rev. 21:22-27.
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Now, How Shall We Live?
As the elect of Almighty God, how are we to act? How do we change our approach to life in response to the election and gift of salvation we have been given in the life and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
First, let's look at the groundwork that provided our opportunity to become children of God.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:3-6
"For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' Now when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." Acts 13:47, 48,
"He was in the world, and world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:10-13
"...he prophesied that Jesus would die for the the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad." John 11:51,52
So, as God called us to be His children through faith in Jesus Christ, the only perfect life ever and our Savior through His sacrifice on the Cross, where He took on our sins (past, present and future), it becomes obvious that our life should be lived as He lived His.
"You have heard that it was aid, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say (Jesus) to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven..." Matthew 5:44,45
In the fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus lays out the perfect life, knowing full well we are incapable of living it as He did. Throughout the New Testament, Christ shows us and tells us how God wants us to be as His children. So, did God call us and provide us a way unto salvation just to set us up for failure?
Of course not, that is why His forgiveness is never ending in the face of our repentance. His word says He separates us from our sin as far as the East is from the West. He also knows we are a work in progress and has, upon our placing our faith in Jesus, given us His Spirit and power. This is a gift that is more than sufficient for our new life, but we must learn to use it and rely on Him and not ourselves.
"...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19
When first reading this verse, I asked myself what the "fullness of God" could be. I know that the Holy Spirit will teach us and guide us when we recognize His instruction, but then another verse came to my mind and, to me, it was at least one example of the fullness of God.
In Romans 8:26,27, Paul tells us of yet another provision God has made for our walk as children of the Most High, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
Is that not wonderful! Jesus told us that all we have to do is ask in His name and, if it is within the will of God, it will be granted (John 14:13,14). And here we find that our human inadequacies are even covered in our prayer life by God's gift of the Holy Spirit.
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." Romans 8:16,17
It is our task to give up the way we used to think and the way we used to do things and submit totally to Gods direction and path for our life. I Corinthians 10:13 is a promise to live by....."No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5,6
So, I say, let us give up and get on with His plan!
First, let's look at the groundwork that provided our opportunity to become children of God.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:3-6
"For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' Now when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." Acts 13:47, 48,
"He was in the world, and world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:10-13
"...he prophesied that Jesus would die for the the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad." John 11:51,52
So, as God called us to be His children through faith in Jesus Christ, the only perfect life ever and our Savior through His sacrifice on the Cross, where He took on our sins (past, present and future), it becomes obvious that our life should be lived as He lived His.
"You have heard that it was aid, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say (Jesus) to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven..." Matthew 5:44,45
In the fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus lays out the perfect life, knowing full well we are incapable of living it as He did. Throughout the New Testament, Christ shows us and tells us how God wants us to be as His children. So, did God call us and provide us a way unto salvation just to set us up for failure?
Of course not, that is why His forgiveness is never ending in the face of our repentance. His word says He separates us from our sin as far as the East is from the West. He also knows we are a work in progress and has, upon our placing our faith in Jesus, given us His Spirit and power. This is a gift that is more than sufficient for our new life, but we must learn to use it and rely on Him and not ourselves.
"...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19
When first reading this verse, I asked myself what the "fullness of God" could be. I know that the Holy Spirit will teach us and guide us when we recognize His instruction, but then another verse came to my mind and, to me, it was at least one example of the fullness of God.
In Romans 8:26,27, Paul tells us of yet another provision God has made for our walk as children of the Most High, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
Is that not wonderful! Jesus told us that all we have to do is ask in His name and, if it is within the will of God, it will be granted (John 14:13,14). And here we find that our human inadequacies are even covered in our prayer life by God's gift of the Holy Spirit.
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." Romans 8:16,17
It is our task to give up the way we used to think and the way we used to do things and submit totally to Gods direction and path for our life. I Corinthians 10:13 is a promise to live by....."No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5,6
So, I say, let us give up and get on with His plan!
Friday, November 16, 2018
Blessing In Trouble
"Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble." Job 14:1
Probably not a verse chosen by most for encouragement, but in context with my life, I find it gives me hope (and by hope I mean expectation), encouragement and it works to strengthen my faith in God.
To give me all these things, I had to accept that this verse is a very concise and accurate description of the fate humanity brought upon itself with original sin. No where in God's word are we promised happiness, peace and the good will of our fellow man. On the contrary, Job points out the "trouble" we have to look forward to in the few days we are on this earth.
When I examine my life in the light of this verse, I have to admit that I have had a good share of trouble, stress, lack of peace and joy, but I do have many patches of the opposite. This verse in Job helps me to understand that those periods of peace and harmony, of relaxation and lack or worry, they are each and every one a Blessing from God. It helps me to cherish each and every moment of God's peace and be thankful. These days without trouble bolster my expectations through Jesus Christ and they affirm for me that God is ultimately in charge!
No matter what He may allow in the spiritual realm and in our world, He has already won the battle for us and gives us these glimpses of His plans for us as we wait, sometimes not so patiently, for the fullness of time.
Thank you, God, for encouragement through the darkness!
Probably not a verse chosen by most for encouragement, but in context with my life, I find it gives me hope (and by hope I mean expectation), encouragement and it works to strengthen my faith in God.
To give me all these things, I had to accept that this verse is a very concise and accurate description of the fate humanity brought upon itself with original sin. No where in God's word are we promised happiness, peace and the good will of our fellow man. On the contrary, Job points out the "trouble" we have to look forward to in the few days we are on this earth.
When I examine my life in the light of this verse, I have to admit that I have had a good share of trouble, stress, lack of peace and joy, but I do have many patches of the opposite. This verse in Job helps me to understand that those periods of peace and harmony, of relaxation and lack or worry, they are each and every one a Blessing from God. It helps me to cherish each and every moment of God's peace and be thankful. These days without trouble bolster my expectations through Jesus Christ and they affirm for me that God is ultimately in charge!
No matter what He may allow in the spiritual realm and in our world, He has already won the battle for us and gives us these glimpses of His plans for us as we wait, sometimes not so patiently, for the fullness of time.
Thank you, God, for encouragement through the darkness!
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