I know it's been a while but I just wanted to drop this little nugget I thought of last week. It's not much but if you use this formula on a daily basis, I believe it can really help you get through any day. (For anyone who may not catch it, all of these verses are from chapter 4 of Philippians hence the title "Philippians Fourmula").
"4. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 12. Learn the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 6. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request God because 13. you can do all this through Him who gives you strength. 8. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Friday, November 11, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Priority Check
Haggai 1:1-10
Haggai 1:4 "Is it time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
Do this activity before continuing in your reading:
That may not be your exact sequence but I believe many of us do this all the time where we put other things before God and end up leaving Him out of our agenda. The same goes with our tithes. Our tithe is supposed to be our first fruit so we shouldn't be giving God our leftovers. We shouldn't be showing up on Sunday morning thinking, "Do I have 10% left to give God?" If that's the case, we're saying that paying bills, going out and getting nice things are more important than God's money. Should that be the case?
I challenge anyone who reads this to write down a revised schedule from the one you wrote earlier and include at minimum fifteen minutes with God. If you can give Him more, than do so but start somewhere. Take that schedule and post it somewhere or carry it with you but try to live by it for the next 21 days until it becomes a routine. If you admit that God should be a priority in your life, make sure that your actions reflect your admission.
Be blessed.
R.I.C.
Haggai 1:4 "Is it time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
Do this activity before continuing in your reading:
- Write down what an average day for you looks like from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep.
- Now look at that list and determine the top three things on there you never forget to do.
- Now take a moment and review the list and think about this, is there a slot for God in your schedule? If so, is it one of the things you never forget to do?
1. God's Property is first Priority. In this chapter of Haggai, God has told Haggai to give a message to the Israelites. He tells them that they need to check their priorities. See, the Israelites were living large at home with all the latest amenities and the finest things but the House of God was in shambles. And not because of a recent disaster, but because the Israelites felt it was necessary to improve their homes before God's. God, however, tells the Israelites through Haggai that this is a mistake.
God's Kingdom should always be our number one priority and honestly, it makes sense. Think about it. Would you go over your neighbors house and remodel it before remodeling your own? Or would you go make up someone else's bed when yours is still a mess? Probably not. And our lives should reflect the same. We're told in Hebrews 13:14 that this earth is not our home so why do we treat it as such? If our home is really with Christ in God's Kingdom then shouldn't we take care of home first? This holds true in all aspects of our life. Should our personal endeavors take priority over God's will and purpose for our lives? If we choose not to put God and His Kingdom first in our lives, there can be consequences because Haggai also teaches us that...
2. God Provides for those who Properly Prioritize. Haggai goes on to tell the Israelites that the reason they seem to be surviving but not prospering is because they have their priorities in the wrong place. Because they didn't put God first, He withheld blessings from them brought on droughts and famine (read verses 6-11). This is reflected in our own lives today. Often times, when you're waiting on a blessing from God, the reason you aren't receiving it is because your focus is in the wrong place. Matthew 6:33 tells us, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well," (NIV).
The great thing about this point is it reaches beyond just the spiritual but is reflected in the natural as well. Think about a time in your life where you improperly prioritized and it resulted in you missing out on a blessing. I bet you can think of a few. One of my students shared that his friends decided to go to the McDonald's Career Fair and instead of going, he felt it was better that he relaxed and missed out on a job, which most of his friends now have. If he had made finding a job a priority, he would more than likely be employed and better off for it. Be sure to put your priorities in the right place in order to receive all of the blessings that God has lined up for you.
3. God's People should have a Place for Him in their Plans. One of my favorite professors from college shared this with me about priorities. He said, "You know what your priorities are by how you spend your time, and how you spend your money." That stuck with me and really made me dissect my spending to determine where my priorities were. I came to the conclusion that at the time, spending time with God was not a priority in my life. Often times, I would plan on it, but I would keep pushing it back. Tell me if this sounds familiar:
"I need to spend time with God today, but it's early I have all day to fit Him in. I'll do it when I return from work/school...Well I have homework, I really need to get that done first...Well now I'm hungry and I can't read the Bible on an empty stomach, all I'll do is think about food...now I'm full but my favorite show is on and it's only gonna last 30 minutes so I'll have time after...it's late, I might as well go to sleep because I'll probably fall asleep while reading anyway...I'll get up early tomorrow and do it."
That may not be your exact sequence but I believe many of us do this all the time where we put other things before God and end up leaving Him out of our agenda. The same goes with our tithes. Our tithe is supposed to be our first fruit so we shouldn't be giving God our leftovers. We shouldn't be showing up on Sunday morning thinking, "Do I have 10% left to give God?" If that's the case, we're saying that paying bills, going out and getting nice things are more important than God's money. Should that be the case?
I challenge anyone who reads this to write down a revised schedule from the one you wrote earlier and include at minimum fifteen minutes with God. If you can give Him more, than do so but start somewhere. Take that schedule and post it somewhere or carry it with you but try to live by it for the next 21 days until it becomes a routine. If you admit that God should be a priority in your life, make sure that your actions reflect your admission.
Be blessed.
R.I.C.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Take the First Step
James 2: 14-25
James 2:17 "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead," (NIV).
An old friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook yesterday that brought me to this passage. He was explaining that he has been out of church for a while now, after the one he used to attend separated and revealed a lot of what was taking place behind the scenes. Since then, he has struggled to find his way back to a church home and asked for suggestion on how to return back to religion after being away for so long. Now I won't go into all that I said, but the driving point was that in order to complete this return, he would have to decide that's what he wants to do and then do it. That brought me to this passage, and this brings me to what I think we can learn from James' words here in Chapter 2.
Do your part. James brings up an interesting topic here in talking about good deeds. He says that faith alone is useless if it is not attached to an action. It's useless to believe that God will bless the homeless when you aren't out helping yourself. It's useless to believe God will provide you with a job if you haven't filled out an application. It's useless to believe God will give you a mate,when you decline any opportunity to go on a date. In each of these situations, believing in God, His power and His sovereignty can only go so far before it's time to do something yourself.
James uses the example of Abraham offering his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice saying that if Abraham had not went through with preparing the sacrifice, then God would not have seen him as righteous even though Abraham believed that God existed, (James 2:20-24). I'll take it another step further and mention Peter walking on water. Matthew 14 tells us the story of Jesus walking on the lake to get back to the boat where his disciples were. Once on the water, the disciples were afraid and Jesus told them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid," (Matt. 14:27). Peter then spoke up and asked Jesus to call for him to walk on the water as well. Jesus obliged and Peter began to walk. It took a lot of faith for Peter to believe that it was Jesus he saw on that water and not just his imagination but it took even more action to actually go to Jesus. All Jesus could do was give Peter the ability to walk on the water by saying "Come.," but Peter had to take the first step on his own.
There isn't one area in our lives where faith alone has any worth. Even our salvation comes with an action. Romans 10:9-10 tells us that, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved," (NIV). The first thing that Paul tells us is to declare, (or confess in other versions) which is an action. It comes before believing in this passage of scripture which shows that it is equally as important as faith.
We have to take the first step in our own lives just as Peter did on the lake. We can't just settle for believing that God exists and is all powerful because as James says, "Even the demons believe that--and shudder,"(v.19). We know that "with God all things are possible," but in order for anything to happen in our lives we have to first do our part by taking the first step, (Matt. 19:26, NIV).
Be Blessed,
R.I.C.
James 2:17 "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead," (NIV).
An old friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook yesterday that brought me to this passage. He was explaining that he has been out of church for a while now, after the one he used to attend separated and revealed a lot of what was taking place behind the scenes. Since then, he has struggled to find his way back to a church home and asked for suggestion on how to return back to religion after being away for so long. Now I won't go into all that I said, but the driving point was that in order to complete this return, he would have to decide that's what he wants to do and then do it. That brought me to this passage, and this brings me to what I think we can learn from James' words here in Chapter 2.
Do your part. James brings up an interesting topic here in talking about good deeds. He says that faith alone is useless if it is not attached to an action. It's useless to believe that God will bless the homeless when you aren't out helping yourself. It's useless to believe God will provide you with a job if you haven't filled out an application. It's useless to believe God will give you a mate,when you decline any opportunity to go on a date. In each of these situations, believing in God, His power and His sovereignty can only go so far before it's time to do something yourself.
James uses the example of Abraham offering his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice saying that if Abraham had not went through with preparing the sacrifice, then God would not have seen him as righteous even though Abraham believed that God existed, (James 2:20-24). I'll take it another step further and mention Peter walking on water. Matthew 14 tells us the story of Jesus walking on the lake to get back to the boat where his disciples were. Once on the water, the disciples were afraid and Jesus told them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid," (Matt. 14:27). Peter then spoke up and asked Jesus to call for him to walk on the water as well. Jesus obliged and Peter began to walk. It took a lot of faith for Peter to believe that it was Jesus he saw on that water and not just his imagination but it took even more action to actually go to Jesus. All Jesus could do was give Peter the ability to walk on the water by saying "Come.," but Peter had to take the first step on his own.
There isn't one area in our lives where faith alone has any worth. Even our salvation comes with an action. Romans 10:9-10 tells us that, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved," (NIV). The first thing that Paul tells us is to declare, (or confess in other versions) which is an action. It comes before believing in this passage of scripture which shows that it is equally as important as faith.
We have to take the first step in our own lives just as Peter did on the lake. We can't just settle for believing that God exists and is all powerful because as James says, "Even the demons believe that--and shudder,"(v.19). We know that "with God all things are possible," but in order for anything to happen in our lives we have to first do our part by taking the first step, (Matt. 19:26, NIV).
Be Blessed,
R.I.C.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
In The Midst
Nehemiah 9: 32-38
Nehemiah 9: 33 "In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong."
Today's Righteous Roulette brought me to Nehemiah and yet again, God gave me a word from what seemed like nowhere. This time we find the Israelites in the midst of slavery and there are a couple things we can take from this part of their history. So let's jump right into what I think this chapter teaches.
1. Learn your lesson. In this chapter of Nehemiah, the Israelites are confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness as was customary in their law. However, this particular confession was unique from what we may see as confessing nowadays. The Israelite people were confessing not only for their current situations, but for past transgressions that their ancestors had committed against God. The funny thing about the whole situation, however, is that it sounds like a broken record as they repeat the same sins over and over again as a people. God blesses them, they get spoiled, they worship some other idols, God punishes them by allowing them to get conquered, they beg for forgiveness and God blesses them again. Then the entire cycle repeats itself over and over again, (read the beginning of chapter 9 for details).
As an observer, I found the Israelites to be foolish to try God that way time after time and not believe there would be some sort of consequence for their actions but then I realized we do the same thing everyday. Whether it's worshiping other idols, (actors, sports stars or even our Pastors and Bishops) lying, cheating, stealing or lusting, we still repeat the same sins constantly and then wonder why certain desires in our life aren't fulfilled or why life just seems hard.
Paul tells us in Romans that "where sin increased, grace increased all the more," and many of us take that for granted knowing that God will forgive us, (5:20, NIV). However, he goes on to say in Chapter 6, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!," (v 1-2, NIV). Just because we know that God will forgive us if we confess our sins, doesn't mean that we should continue to be disobedient. Jesus told us, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching," so even if we aren't obedient to avoid the consequences, we should do so simply because we say that we love God, (John 14:23 NIV). We know that actions speak louder than words so prove to God you love him by learning your lesson and turning away from sin.
2. Praise Him in Advance. The other important lesson that stuck out to me in this story is the fact that in the midst of their slavery, the Israelites were celebrating. They were celebrating as the recounted the many times they turned away from God. They celebrated as they recounted every time they were made slaves and every time God punished them for their disobedience. They celebrated even as they were enslaved at that moment for the same disobedience and did so not because they enjoyed being slavery, but because across that same history of disobedience and punishment, there was a history of grace, mercy and redemption. God gave the Israelites chance after chance and they knew that God loved them so much He would be willing to give them another chance if they turned their attention back towards Him.
There are countless situations where praising God in the middle of your trouble has brought nothing but reward. Never have I read a story where praising God at your lowest point has only made troubles worse and never resulted in some sort of breakthrough. Whether it was Daniel in the lions den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the furnace, Paul and Silas in prison or Job's unfortunate chain of events, each of them praised God when it seemed like a hopeless situation and God showed up every time.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us "Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus," (NIV). Don't let you situation prevent you from fulfilling God's will for you. Whether up or down, rich or poor, happy or sad, the joy of God should always be with you so praise God in advance for what he can and will do in your life.
Be Blessed,
R.I.C.
Nehemiah 9: 33 "In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong."
Today's Righteous Roulette brought me to Nehemiah and yet again, God gave me a word from what seemed like nowhere. This time we find the Israelites in the midst of slavery and there are a couple things we can take from this part of their history. So let's jump right into what I think this chapter teaches.
1. Learn your lesson. In this chapter of Nehemiah, the Israelites are confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness as was customary in their law. However, this particular confession was unique from what we may see as confessing nowadays. The Israelite people were confessing not only for their current situations, but for past transgressions that their ancestors had committed against God. The funny thing about the whole situation, however, is that it sounds like a broken record as they repeat the same sins over and over again as a people. God blesses them, they get spoiled, they worship some other idols, God punishes them by allowing them to get conquered, they beg for forgiveness and God blesses them again. Then the entire cycle repeats itself over and over again, (read the beginning of chapter 9 for details).
As an observer, I found the Israelites to be foolish to try God that way time after time and not believe there would be some sort of consequence for their actions but then I realized we do the same thing everyday. Whether it's worshiping other idols, (actors, sports stars or even our Pastors and Bishops) lying, cheating, stealing or lusting, we still repeat the same sins constantly and then wonder why certain desires in our life aren't fulfilled or why life just seems hard.
Paul tells us in Romans that "where sin increased, grace increased all the more," and many of us take that for granted knowing that God will forgive us, (5:20, NIV). However, he goes on to say in Chapter 6, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!," (v 1-2, NIV). Just because we know that God will forgive us if we confess our sins, doesn't mean that we should continue to be disobedient. Jesus told us, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching," so even if we aren't obedient to avoid the consequences, we should do so simply because we say that we love God, (John 14:23 NIV). We know that actions speak louder than words so prove to God you love him by learning your lesson and turning away from sin.
2. Praise Him in Advance. The other important lesson that stuck out to me in this story is the fact that in the midst of their slavery, the Israelites were celebrating. They were celebrating as the recounted the many times they turned away from God. They celebrated as they recounted every time they were made slaves and every time God punished them for their disobedience. They celebrated even as they were enslaved at that moment for the same disobedience and did so not because they enjoyed being slavery, but because across that same history of disobedience and punishment, there was a history of grace, mercy and redemption. God gave the Israelites chance after chance and they knew that God loved them so much He would be willing to give them another chance if they turned their attention back towards Him.
There are countless situations where praising God in the middle of your trouble has brought nothing but reward. Never have I read a story where praising God at your lowest point has only made troubles worse and never resulted in some sort of breakthrough. Whether it was Daniel in the lions den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the furnace, Paul and Silas in prison or Job's unfortunate chain of events, each of them praised God when it seemed like a hopeless situation and God showed up every time.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us "Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus," (NIV). Don't let you situation prevent you from fulfilling God's will for you. Whether up or down, rich or poor, happy or sad, the joy of God should always be with you so praise God in advance for what he can and will do in your life.
Be Blessed,
R.I.C.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Hear Say
1 Samuel 3:1-10
V. 7) "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him,"(NIV).
This morning has been pretty interesting as I woke up seeking to hear from God where He would have me to go with my next devotional. Little did I know that He would send me to a scripture by pure chance that would deal with hearing the voice of God, (seriously, I went to the Bible app in my phone, closed my eyes and started scrolling up and down on the touch screen to land at this exact chapter). The crazy thing, however, is that as soon as I started reading, I knew that God wanted me to share a word from this story but it didn't quite jump off the pages for me as it often times does. So what did I have to do? Listen. And that's where this entry will begin.
There are a couple things that God shares with us through the story of Samuel here in chapter 3 that I feel are important for us to understand in order to ensure that we follow the will of God and they are as follows:
1. Hear no God, Know no God. This goes out to all the "Samuels" out there and if you aren't quite sure who you are, just listen to this description. Samuel was practically born and raised in the house of God. His mother gave him back to God as soon as she weened him, he had a mentor in Eli who was a man of God and he served the house of the Lord consistently for years. Does that sound like you at all? Raised in the church, dedicated to God as a child, grew up singing in the choir or serving as an usher? Not quite finished though, because although he was raised in the church and surrounded by all of the right people in order to be a great man of God, Samuel still could not recognize God's voice. Maybe this still sounds like you.
Verse 7 tells us very clearly that "Samuel did not yet know the Lord" and as a result, did not understand when the Lord was speaking to Him. Often times, we say we're waiting on a word from the Lord but don't hear it because we don't know what we're listening for. In the Gospel of John, Jesus addresses this issue with a parable about the "Good Sheppard." He tells us that the Good Sheppard "walks ahead of [the sheep], and they follow because him because they know his voice" (John 10:4, NLT). Jesus then goes on to explain that He is the Good Sheppard that we are to be following and we should know that we're following Him because we should recognize His voice. Do you have a hard time hearing God speak to you? Are you like Samuel and when you hear Him speak you are not sure who is talking or where it's coming from? If so, you may not know God as you think you do but thank God, there's hope because...
2. The Spirit Reveals the Father. The second half of verse 7 tells us, "The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to [Samuel]." That implies that it was not completely Samuel's fault that he did not know the voice of God. In order for something to be revealed, that means it had to have first been hidden or kept secret as God's word often times was during that time. Verse 1 tells us that when it says "In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions," (NIV). However, we live in a new day where the Spirit of God can reside in each and every one of us and that same Spirit is responsible for revealing the will of God to us. 1 Corinthians 2 speaks on this subject and is something you should read for further understanding but for the sake of carpal tunnel, (which I guess would make more sense if I were actually writing instead of typing) I can only summarize by saying that it's once we receive the Holy Spirit that the thoughts of God can be revealed to us. Without His Spirit, we are destined to not understand as only with a spiritual mind can we understand spiritual teachings.
So if you are in a place where you feel that you aren't quite sure what God wants of you or what He is saying to you as I was when I started this blog an hour ago, stop and take time to ask God to reveal his word to you through the Spirit. If you don't have the Spirit within you, then this is a good opportunity to refer to Romans 10:9-10 and accept Christ into your life by first confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Either way, know this: God is always talking to you and is ready to reveal His will to you. He's just waiting for you to do as Samuel did and reply "Speak, for your servant is listening," (v. 10).
Have a blessed day.
R.I.C.
V. 7) "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him,"(NIV).
This morning has been pretty interesting as I woke up seeking to hear from God where He would have me to go with my next devotional. Little did I know that He would send me to a scripture by pure chance that would deal with hearing the voice of God, (seriously, I went to the Bible app in my phone, closed my eyes and started scrolling up and down on the touch screen to land at this exact chapter). The crazy thing, however, is that as soon as I started reading, I knew that God wanted me to share a word from this story but it didn't quite jump off the pages for me as it often times does. So what did I have to do? Listen. And that's where this entry will begin.
There are a couple things that God shares with us through the story of Samuel here in chapter 3 that I feel are important for us to understand in order to ensure that we follow the will of God and they are as follows:
1. Hear no God, Know no God. This goes out to all the "Samuels" out there and if you aren't quite sure who you are, just listen to this description. Samuel was practically born and raised in the house of God. His mother gave him back to God as soon as she weened him, he had a mentor in Eli who was a man of God and he served the house of the Lord consistently for years. Does that sound like you at all? Raised in the church, dedicated to God as a child, grew up singing in the choir or serving as an usher? Not quite finished though, because although he was raised in the church and surrounded by all of the right people in order to be a great man of God, Samuel still could not recognize God's voice. Maybe this still sounds like you.
Verse 7 tells us very clearly that "Samuel did not yet know the Lord" and as a result, did not understand when the Lord was speaking to Him. Often times, we say we're waiting on a word from the Lord but don't hear it because we don't know what we're listening for. In the Gospel of John, Jesus addresses this issue with a parable about the "Good Sheppard." He tells us that the Good Sheppard "walks ahead of [the sheep], and they follow because him because they know his voice" (John 10:4, NLT). Jesus then goes on to explain that He is the Good Sheppard that we are to be following and we should know that we're following Him because we should recognize His voice. Do you have a hard time hearing God speak to you? Are you like Samuel and when you hear Him speak you are not sure who is talking or where it's coming from? If so, you may not know God as you think you do but thank God, there's hope because...
2. The Spirit Reveals the Father. The second half of verse 7 tells us, "The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to [Samuel]." That implies that it was not completely Samuel's fault that he did not know the voice of God. In order for something to be revealed, that means it had to have first been hidden or kept secret as God's word often times was during that time. Verse 1 tells us that when it says "In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions," (NIV). However, we live in a new day where the Spirit of God can reside in each and every one of us and that same Spirit is responsible for revealing the will of God to us. 1 Corinthians 2 speaks on this subject and is something you should read for further understanding but for the sake of carpal tunnel, (which I guess would make more sense if I were actually writing instead of typing) I can only summarize by saying that it's once we receive the Holy Spirit that the thoughts of God can be revealed to us. Without His Spirit, we are destined to not understand as only with a spiritual mind can we understand spiritual teachings.
So if you are in a place where you feel that you aren't quite sure what God wants of you or what He is saying to you as I was when I started this blog an hour ago, stop and take time to ask God to reveal his word to you through the Spirit. If you don't have the Spirit within you, then this is a good opportunity to refer to Romans 10:9-10 and accept Christ into your life by first confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Either way, know this: God is always talking to you and is ready to reveal His will to you. He's just waiting for you to do as Samuel did and reply "Speak, for your servant is listening," (v. 10).
Have a blessed day.
R.I.C.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Bourne Again Identity
In Matt Damon's "The Bourne Identity," he plays an amnesic assassin who is trying to determine who he is after a failed attempt to complete a mission. The protagonist, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), spends three movies retracing his steps in order to get to the bottom of his past. Now, there are many people in the world who are also attempting to determine what their true identity is in this world. Although this may very from culture to culture or person to person, one thing that should be absolute is the identity of those who label themselves as Christians. Although we are all different and unique to God's kingdom in our own way, there are a few things that we should have in common if we identify with Christ. This series of devotionals will give a few of the things I feel are important to identify with if you live the LIFE of the saved.
#1. The Love: 1 John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." When it comes to identity, one thing that is important to recognize is that others should be able to see the love in you. Why would someone think you belong to God if u are never kind, compassionate, patient or gentle with them? If you are constantly treating others poorly you aren't loving them and John is pretty clear about what it means if you don't love. One of my favorite church sayings is that "you may be the only Bible that someone reads." It is something that is so true that we must keep it in mind because if we identify with Christ, we shouldn't tarnish the Word that others see because of the way we treat them. Love others.
#1. The Love: 1 John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." When it comes to identity, one thing that is important to recognize is that others should be able to see the love in you. Why would someone think you belong to God if u are never kind, compassionate, patient or gentle with them? If you are constantly treating others poorly you aren't loving them and John is pretty clear about what it means if you don't love. One of my favorite church sayings is that "you may be the only Bible that someone reads." It is something that is so true that we must keep it in mind because if we identify with Christ, we shouldn't tarnish the Word that others see because of the way we treat them. Love others.
#2.The Image: This first point came as I prepared for my interview today. I realized that I was putting a lot of work into ironing, cutting my hair and going over my lesson plan in the mirror. I am so concerned with how the interviewers will perceive me today, that I did something I haven't done in years...ironed my clothes the night before. However, as I began to think I came to the conclusion that we as Christians should put this much work into how others in and out of the church perceive us when it comes to our everyday lifestyle. We walk around as representatives of our Father to all those who see us and at any particular moment can either minister or manipulate the image that others have of God. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:3 "I try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way I act and so no one can find fault in my ministry." This should be our goal everyday as we are walking billboards for Christ. When we are among unbelievers, we should stand out and when we are among fellow believers, there should be evidence of the Spirit living in us. Colossians 3:7-10 "You used to wall in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage malice, slander, and filthy language from you lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off our old self with its practices 10 and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the IMAGE OF ITS CREATOR."* Take a minute and examine yourself today and ask yourself, "Do I look like a child of God?" If you are truly born again, you should identify with the image.
#3. The Faith: 2 Corinthians 13:5 "examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless of course you faith he test?" If we identify with Christ it should be apparent in your faith. Faith is mentioned often in the Bible as a requirement to be a Christian. think about it, our entire relationship with God is based on faith; faith that He exists, faith that Jesus was his son, faith that he died on the cross for our sins and is coming back again. If we can't identify with Christ-like faith, then it is improbable that we have the relationship with God we think we do. In fact, Hebrews 11;6 says "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." So do as Paul says and "test yourself." Where is your faith? If you were to be given a pop quiz on faith, would the results show that Christ is in you? Think about it, it's part of your Bourne Again Identity.
#4. The Evangelism: Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..." This is the last thing Jesus says to us before he ascended into heaven in the books of Matthew and Mark. Matthew, however, literally ends after this verse and I believe there is a particular reason why. As one reads Matthew, you may come to understand that Matthew was a very logical and concise writer. Often times, he gave the main points of what Jesus said without the fluff that came in some of the other Gospels. I like to think that my brain works very similar to Matthews in that I believe the direct message is what is most important. In saying that, I also believe there is a great amount of significance to this particular commandment because of where it is placed. Often times, when someone really wants you to remember and do something, they will make it the last thing they say to you right? For instance, your teacher could lecture all day but the last thing they remind you is to do a certain reading or assignment. Or your parents may tell you all the chores you should do before you can leave the house but then mention, "Make sure you turn off the lights before you leave." In the same way, I believe Jesus is using the placement of this commandment to remind us that above all the things he tells us to do on a regular basis, the most important thing we must do is continue to recruit souls for his Kingdom. Everything else comes back to this commandment. It is hard to save souls if you aren't loving, living right or are without faith right? So the other parts of our Identity serve one greater purpose above all else, and that is the uplifting of Christ's kingdom. So if you aren't making an effort to bring others to Christ, is not the rest of your Identity almost pointless? Not to say that you MUST save a soul a day, but you ought to minister to someone somehow in any opportunity you get. You must take advantage of every chance you get to share the love of Christ with someone else and even if you are not the one to save them, plant the seeds that will begin to grow into their own relationship with Christ. There is a reason this passage is known as "The Great Commission;" it is our responsibility to our Identity as Christians to make an apparent effort to save souls on a regular basis.
#4. The Evangelism: Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..." This is the last thing Jesus says to us before he ascended into heaven in the books of Matthew and Mark. Matthew, however, literally ends after this verse and I believe there is a particular reason why. As one reads Matthew, you may come to understand that Matthew was a very logical and concise writer. Often times, he gave the main points of what Jesus said without the fluff that came in some of the other Gospels. I like to think that my brain works very similar to Matthews in that I believe the direct message is what is most important. In saying that, I also believe there is a great amount of significance to this particular commandment because of where it is placed. Often times, when someone really wants you to remember and do something, they will make it the last thing they say to you right? For instance, your teacher could lecture all day but the last thing they remind you is to do a certain reading or assignment. Or your parents may tell you all the chores you should do before you can leave the house but then mention, "Make sure you turn off the lights before you leave." In the same way, I believe Jesus is using the placement of this commandment to remind us that above all the things he tells us to do on a regular basis, the most important thing we must do is continue to recruit souls for his Kingdom. Everything else comes back to this commandment. It is hard to save souls if you aren't loving, living right or are without faith right? So the other parts of our Identity serve one greater purpose above all else, and that is the uplifting of Christ's kingdom. So if you aren't making an effort to bring others to Christ, is not the rest of your Identity almost pointless? Not to say that you MUST save a soul a day, but you ought to minister to someone somehow in any opportunity you get. You must take advantage of every chance you get to share the love of Christ with someone else and even if you are not the one to save them, plant the seeds that will begin to grow into their own relationship with Christ. There is a reason this passage is known as "The Great Commission;" it is our responsibility to our Identity as Christians to make an apparent effort to save souls on a regular basis.
*Read more of Colossians 3 on what it looks like to be born again.
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