Grace for your spirit October 1, 2012

Grace for your spirit

Begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints.  And this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord andto us by the will of God.  II Corinthians 8:4-5

The Christians in the church at Philippi had a great distinction.   It was not because the were big, rich, or powerful, but because of their faithful generosity. In Paul's collection for the needy in the world, he didn't expect too much out of them, but they surprised him greatly.  They begged to give more and surpassed anything expected of them.  What was their secret?  They had first given themselves to the Lord and to the mission in the world.  What is our goals?  Wouldn't it be great if we were noted for surpassing all expectation because of our faithfulness and generosity?  Yes it would

Grace for your spirit September 28, 2012

Grace for your spirit

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.   I Corinthians 11:1

We are commissioned as Christians to disciple, baptize, and then teaching them all things that has been commanded of us.  When we lead a soul to Christ, there is often a feeling by that new convert, to follow our example and imitate the things we say and do.  This is where we need to be careful, because a new Christian will seldom rise above the commitment and service that we show to them. Until they get grounded in the scripture, and established in the fellowship, we are their scripture and fellowship.  How will they do walking in our steps?  Let's tune up our walk in the truth, so souls can follow us to find their way to fulfillment in Christ.  What a shame it is that people would fall away from Jesus while following us.

Grace for your spirit September 27, 2012

Grace for your spirit

For My people have committed two evils; They have forsaken Me, the fountains of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.  Jeremiah 2:13

God's people were on a long slippery slide of unfaithfulness that was going to land them in Babylonian captivity.  Where had they gone wrong?  They were drinking in the wrong information.  They were nourished by the evil world instead of the living God.  This word picture analogy is perfect.  Fountains of living stream water is good, pure, and tasty.  Water from a cistern is stale, contaminated and nasty.  Also cisterns leak and are often dry when we need them.  God's people had become addicted to cistern nourishment and were dying of thirst.  How about us?  Are we drinking the living water of Jesus, or from the polluted water of the world.  Those two evils will cause our death as well.   There is still time for us to refresh. Let's do it together.

Grace for your spirit September 26, 2012

Grace for your spirit

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.  I John 4:4

With the Spirit of God living in us, we are always a majority over whatever the devil can throw at us.  We can overcome the false prophet, the anti-Christ, and every temptation, when we remember who we are and what we have in Christ.  When Eljjah stood on Mt Carmel against Baal and the 450 prophets representing Baal, he did not stand alone. Elijah knew that with God, he was the majority.  Shortly after that he forgot that and ran in fear proclaiming that he was all alone.  We can have a lapse like that too.  Let's stay in scripture, prayer, and fellowship, so we don't have those times when we think the evil of the world is greater.  With God's grace, we can avoid those times

Grace for your spirit September 25, 2012

Grace for your spirit

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes,  Judges 21:25

When Israel moved into the promise land, they were governed by Judges.  Most of the Judges were corrupt and evil, leaving the people to live as they pleased.  There really was a king in Israel in those days, but He was ignored.  That King was God.  Because they refused to acknowledge God as King, they made themselves king of their lives.  As Christians today, we have been transferred into the kingdom of Jesus.  When we walk after the Spirit of Christ, we are aware that we cannot be king of our own lives.  When we make ourselves king, we cannot be part of His kingdom.  As subjects of His kingdom, let's make a commitment to do His will, and enjoy the path to success.

Grace for your spirit September 24, 2012

Grace for your spirit

Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.  Luke 14:23

When the Master sent forth the great invitation to the great feast, mostly all He received was excuses.  He instructed  His servants to go quickly, seeking and searching with great enthusiasm and working hard to get them to come in until His  house was filled.  This is a great picture of our reality today as well.  Most people won't come to Jesus, they must be brought,  Most will not study, they must be taught.  Finally, most people will not just accept Christ, they must be won.   Brought, taught, and won;  Is there any time for that kind of activity in our schedule?  If we quit polishing our gold calves, and get off our brains, we might have a lot more time and energy for the lost.  Let's go quickly and compel.

Grace for your spirit September 21, 2012

Grace for your spirit

Consider your ways!  You have sown much, but harvest little;  you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there in not enough to become drunk;  you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.  Haggai 1:5-6

God's people had been provided with everything they needed to rebuild the temple following its destruction.  Instead, they decided to use the materials, time, and motivation to build their own houses and let the temple lie in waste. Difficult times came their way just before the prophet came to remind them that their priorities were all wrong.  Whenever our harvest is little, and we feel like our purse has a hole in it, we want to blame somebody.  Usually we choose the economy, the government, or even God.  We can't imagine that we have brought our troubles on ourselves.  Perhaps these times should used to give us a new perspective about our priorities.  Are we using His blessings for ourselves or our will?  Let's make a new commitment to putting Him first.