How are you in relationships?

How are you in relationships?  Romans 12:12 says,  "Be joyful in hope, patient in affection; faithful in prayer." 

The best romantic Christian relationships can be characterized by the above. Instead of being fed up with slight imperfections, we can have joy in hope for growth.  Instead of being pushy, we can be patient with our affection as both partners grow.  And strikingly important, we can learn to always be faithfully praying with our partners. 

That's a beautiful thing, and something I'm learning to do. 

Do you fully trust God?

Do you trust God? No, really, do you FULLY. TRUST. GOD?

Many times I have struggled with the attitude that I can handle life on my own. I've got an independent streak... Well, actually, let's just admit that I can be stubborn as a mule. Yet, in the end, I find myself weary and inadequate to handle all the curveballs that come my way. Then I remember Matt 11:28:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Sadly, I realize that far too often I neglect the "Come to me" part. It's so easy to look for answers in a "self help" book or in the advice of a good friend-- and don't get me wrong, those things can be helpful-- but will they truly provide REST to one's soul? Our lives on earth are a vapor, but God is eternal. His wisdom existed before creation. He knows what our hearts need. His Word is the ultimate counsel and His love is the ultimate comfort. He knows us inside and out!

With such an Awesome God at the helm, why would we hesitate to give our trust to Him?

Maybe we are afraid. Afraid that what God *knows* is best for us, won't match up with what we *want* to be best for us... Or that it will take too long... Or fill in the blank ... 
But Proverbs 29:25 says:
"The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe."

Maybe we are letting the things of the world overwhelm us, allowing our energy to go toward worry, rather than prayer and study. 
But Proverbs 16:20 says:
"Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD."

Maybe we just want to be "the one in control" or simply put, our pride gets in the way. Again Proverbs has the answer:
"A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." 28:25-26

We've all got excuses-- I know I'm guilty of all of them!

But here's the kicker! If we want rest for our souls, we know right where to find it. We have to make time for God's Word and it needs to fill our hearts and our thoughts.

As Christians, we are assured not only do "...all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Rom 8:28,

But also that "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Cor 1:9

God will take care of us and He is the definition of trustworthy.

Praise God for His patience as we learn to trust Him more with all aspects of the lives He blessed us with!!!

I leave you with this beautiful picture, painted by the words of Jeremiah:

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8

How Do We Find Peace When Someone Hurts Us?

Have you even been deeply hurt by another person?

Has your world been turned upside down in an instant because of someone else's sin?

Sadness, anger, confusion and despair are certainly some of the natural reactions, but what should Christians do with these feelings? It would not be healthy to repress them, nor should we allow them to become destructive forces in our lives. But HOW do we find PEACE???

The answer is in giving our troubles over to our Savior. He loves us and gladly carries our burdens. When we have hard times, we MUST share our sorrows with God in prayer. We must LISTEN to Him, TRUST Him, and LOVE Him. In doing so, we just might find it easier to love those around us, even when they hurt us. We might even find the kind of compassion that Jesus felt toward us when He gave His life for us-- when we were yet sinners who did not love Him. And ultimately, we must believe that He not only forgives us, but helps us forgive others as well.

In the book of Psalms, King David freely expressed his many troubles and frustrations to God, but always knew God loved him and was with Him. His words still offer great encouragement:

"Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22

"In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life." Psalm 56:10-13

"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!" Psalm 57:1-3

We don't have to carry our burdens alone. God is strong!-- He will take them.

We don't have to suffer our hurts alone. God is kind!-- He will comfort us.

Let Him! ...and you will be on the way to finding peace. 

Secret Sin: Can You Keep It Hidden?

Food for thought and the stout of stomach:

I have personal reasons to address this heavy topic today, but it is my hope to prick your hearts and dampen the power of evil that has so strong a hold on too many souls in this world. And so I ask:

What dark secrets are you hiding?

How long do you think you have before they will be discovered?

It really doesn't matter how clever you are, how carefully you cover your tracks or how masterfully you might be able to manipulate those around you. No matter how hard we try, we cannot conceal our sin from God, and He has the power to reveal it to anyone, at any time.

"Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops." Luke 12:2-3

Are you ready for that?!?

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption..." Gal 6:7-8a

Sin reaps corruption! That's a harsh saying and a hard truth, isn't it? Some sin is easy to confess and some sin is so shameful, so utterly vile that we might rather die than to speak it aloud, but even that sin is forgiveable.

What do we do?? For one, we could repent and confess of our sins (which means STOP IT! and FIX IT!) letting Christ wash it away OR continue in our delusion that we are in control and will never be found out.

Choosing the first, we can continue in Galatians to see that:
"...the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." 8a-9

Trade the physical for the Spiritual! Do GOOD, have patience, and be determined never to give up! The reward is beyond any fading lust or pleasure we experience here-- it is eternal life in paradise!

Still don't think you're touchable? Still think what you're doing isn't hurting anyone? What they don't know won't hurt them, isn't that the saying? If you've got the idea you are just fine, consider the warning of Titus:

"To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." Titus 1:15-16

If you aren't obeying God, if you refuse to fight your sin, beware, lest you go so far down the path of destruction that you develop a defiled conscience that cannot guide you back the right way. If you are unfit for any good work, what are you fit for?

No pity parties! No excuses! Your sin hurts those you love and it is your choice to change that path. . . . 

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER your Savior waits for you with love and open arms, He will forgive you. He's pretty awesome like that. 

Are you keeping secrets?

BQ: One of the worst places we can get as a Christian is where we're doing nasty stuff and trying to keep it on the down-low; making sure that it stays secret. Eph 5:11-12 says, 

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret."

If we're keeping our nasty habits a secret, we can't get the help that we need to overcome them. If you have a tough personal issue, find a brother or sister who is willing to help you and reach out to them.  Alcoholics Anonymous figured this out, but often we have too much pride! 

BQ: Sometimes Christians will do stuff that isn't becoming and say that it's not that bad, but...at the same time, they won't tell anyone at assembly/church about it. 2 Timothy 2:15 says,  

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed."

When we're hiding stuff from people, it's often because we're ashamed. A good rule of thumb is, "if you wouldn't want everyone at assembly knowing about it, it's probably best not to do it."

BQ: Sometimes we are able to push our consciences to the side while we are ourselves doing rotten things. Something I also ask myself to wake myself up is, "Is what I'm doing now something I'd want my son or daughter to do? Is it something that I'd condone them doing?" 

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."  

If you swear a lot, your child has a large chance of doing the same. If you hang out at the bars, you'd better imagine your daughter doing the same, and taking the same risks, especially with driving, being unable to reach others spiritually, and messing up sexually.  Better than that, though, is having a love for your children, and the children of those around you, and instead acting like Christ. PS-I don't have kids, but I love them, so it still works for me. One day!

Do we have the Holy Spirit, or just the spirit of man?

BQ: Some people will say that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is simply "the spirit," meaning that of man, and not the Spirit of God. Is there any evidence that this is false?

Well yep, there's a lot of evidence. In the Greek, the word "pneuma" can mean both breath and spirit. Often the translators made it "Holy Spirit" based on context. However, some places explicitly modify the phraseology to specifically mean the spirit of deity.  For example, 2 Tim 1:14 says, "Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you." This isn't a generic penuma/breath/spirit, but it is modified by "hagios," meaning, "sacred, holy." 

A good question is, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" (1 Cor 6:19)






BQ: Yesterday we saw some evidence that a "holy spirit" inhabits Christians, but what if it just means, "sacred spirit," and it's just man's spirit that we need to consider sacred? Is there any other evidence that it's more than just the spirit of man?

You know that the answer is yes, huh? : P Two references we see are in the original texts as 'pneuma theos' and 'pneuma christos,' which translated mean, "Spirit of God" and "Spirit of Christ." Observe Romans 8:9-11

"However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

Essential elements of perfection

BQ: We know that God is perfect, but what are some aspects of perfection? What does it mean? This is a very minor overview of the essential elements of perfection. God gives us the goal, and like any assignment, we're to aim for the 100%! "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5:48) The gauntlet has been cast down, so it's up to us to start figuring out what made Christ perfect, so that we can model ourselves after Him.

For today, we'll look at Mt 19:21, which says, "Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” This was a very specific statement in a very specific circumstance, but part of perfection is putting aside self and rendering sacrificial service. That's why God says, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James 1:27)

Want to walk as Christ walked? It'll take some self sacrifice to make that dream complete!

BQ: Looking at the essential elements of perfection, and thus the things which God directs us to strive toward, we've seen that self-sacrifice goes a long way, and is essential in making a person more like Jesus and less like the world. Today we'll look at a simple verse, Col 3:14:

"Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."

I've blown by this a billion times, but it only recently truly struck me that being united comes PERFECTLY, COMPLETELY through love. Love is active,  and so being united must be both a decision and a desire. 

BQ: More on the essential elements of perfection. Today we'll examine faith and works, from James 2:22. 

"You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected."

We know that our faith must be placed correctly, and that faith is indeed a matter of salvation. However, to have perfection of faith requires it to go hand-in-hand with what it naturally produces: loving, sacrificial work. See how it's all tying together? Want perfect faith? Without works, perfect faith doesn't exist, because, " For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:26)

BQ: We know we want to be Christ-like. It's the perfect goal, and that picture has to be in our minds for us to soar upward. Today we'll look at another verse on perfection. From James 3:2,

"For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well."

Perhaps the hardest thing to control is the tongue. It's so easy to speak a harsh word, or, even more, to simply be careless with our words, and thus hurt people. However, in order to resemble Christ, we need to make what we say a priority, and not just in avoiding harsh words, but in being active in doing good. Remember the verse on faith being perfected by works? About faith without works being dead? We cannot simply choose to be lazy and say nothing, but instead we must excel in our speech, encouraging, exhorting, and lifting up. (And even at times rebuking—but in love, and with gentleness.)

BQ:  Ultimately, how was Jesus perfect? In the following manner:  "but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him." (1 John 2:5)

The truest love comes by loving God's word, and striving to be like His Son. Not only does it do that, but it allows us to see that we're truly in Christ. It comes when we're striving to be like Christ. It's like pulling hard and, by doing so, opening a floodgate of love. :) There's much more that could be said on all this, but I want to keep it pretty short! 

A fool's lips!

BQ:  Often I've said things without thinking of the results, and the results have been discord and unhappiness. What does God say about that sort of behavior? 
 

"A fool’s lips bring strife,

And his mouth calls for blows.

Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man,

But any fool will quarrel." (Pro 18:6; 20:3)

Before we speak, we should consider whether or not it will cause strife. If it will, it's better to remain silent or think of another, wiser approach. :)

Gossip isn't great.

BQ: People sometimes thrive on gossip, but what does God say about it? 

"At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention." (1 Tim 5:13)

"For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies." (2 Thess 3:11)

The term busybody comes from the Greek, "periergazomai," which literally means to "be working round about, instead of at one's own business."  Gossip is really nothing more than talking behind someone's back, and it surely isn't productive.

Forgetting the past.

BQ: I have often had a bad habit of dredging up the past when I'm upset with my loved ones. Have you ever done that? God makes a point of reminding us that holding someone's past against them isn't loving when he tells us love, " keeps no record of wrongs." (1 Cor 3:5) 

Don't keep those old, nasty records of what your loved ones have done wrong, and remind them that they don't need to think of themselves like that, either! :)




BQ: This goes along with yesterday's devotional. When we're young, we tend to make a lot of mistakes. I love David's prayer which said,

"Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

According to Your lovingkindness remember me,

For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord."

Do the same with everyone you know, because often people think very little of themselves based on their pasts. :) "A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression." (Proverbs 19:1) 

Gracious in speech.

BQ: One of my friends is often a butthead, but I'm often a lot worse by being a total, callous scalawag in how I speak with him. Although it's easy to chock that up to just being a part of my "charming personality," the truth is that God expects more of me. Below are two passages that really sum up how I need to be:

"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." (Col 4:6)

"To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit." (1 Pet 3:8)

Are you always gracious in speech? Harmonious? Humble? For me, this is a real struggle, but with the help of others, I'm getting better every day! :) (I'm kind of dense and need reminders.)
 

So tired you want to die?

BQ: Have you ever experienced the misery of being awake for too long? More than a few times, I've worked over 120 hours/week, and on a few occasions, I've been awake over 72 hours straight. God uses the concept of this sort of sleepless misery to communicate and important point, saying,  

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. (Psa 127:1)

Sometimes, as Christians, we want to try and "fix" our lives by making up our own rules and own solutions, often because they're "easier" or more pleasant than God's own plan for us. When we do that, we're like a person working 20-hour days every day, staying awake all night, yet accomplishing nothing. If you're trying to fix your life, don't try to freelance it—there's already a perfect plan! :)