Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in.
Mark 10:15, The Message
"Christian faith is not neurotic dependency but childlike trust. ... We do not cling to God desperately out of fear and the panic of insecurity. We come to him freely in faith and love.
Our Lord gave us the picture of the child as a model for Christian faith not because of the child's helplessness but because of the child's willingness to be led, to be taught, and to be blessed."
A Long Obedience
"Childlike Trust" in God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Grace
Grace " ...the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ... " Romans 5 : 15 (NIV)
During a conference in Britain on comparative religions, experts from around the world gathered to debate what belief, if any, was unique to the Christian faith. Resurrection? Other religions had accounts of people returning from the dead. Healing? Other religions had reports of miraculous healing too. The debate continued until C.S. Lewis stood up and simply said, Grace!"
The unmerited favor of God toward us - Grace - is uniquely Christian.If you were raised to believe that God forgives you reluctantly and only after you've squirmed a while, then grace probably sounds too good to be true. The idea that God's love is unconditional is hard to grasp, because acceptance for most of us has always been based on our performance. But not with God: "...it is the gift of God - not by works..." (Eph 2:8-9 NIV). If you believe you're saved by grace but kept by your own good works, every time you fail you'll have to prove to God all over again that you're worthy of His love. That's not salvation; that's probation!
Relax, God's grace won't run out before you get your act together. James says, "He gives us more grace"(Jas 4:6 NIV). Peter says we are "kept by the power of God through faith..." (1Pet 1:5). Faith is actively trusting in Jesus. It requires that you let go of your life - die to yourself - and let Jesus live in you. No more is required, no less will do! When Jesus said, "It is finished," He satisfied all God's claims against you. "But what about doing good works?" you ask. That's what we're saved for - not what we're saved by.
Think of good works as a "PS" to say, "Thank You Father, for Your amazing grace!"
(c)2004 Timothy L. Hudson, UGA Christian Campus Fellowship
During a conference in Britain on comparative religions, experts from around the world gathered to debate what belief, if any, was unique to the Christian faith. Resurrection? Other religions had accounts of people returning from the dead. Healing? Other religions had reports of miraculous healing too. The debate continued until C.S. Lewis stood up and simply said, Grace!"
The unmerited favor of God toward us - Grace - is uniquely Christian.If you were raised to believe that God forgives you reluctantly and only after you've squirmed a while, then grace probably sounds too good to be true. The idea that God's love is unconditional is hard to grasp, because acceptance for most of us has always been based on our performance. But not with God: "...it is the gift of God - not by works..." (Eph 2:8-9 NIV). If you believe you're saved by grace but kept by your own good works, every time you fail you'll have to prove to God all over again that you're worthy of His love. That's not salvation; that's probation!
Relax, God's grace won't run out before you get your act together. James says, "He gives us more grace"(Jas 4:6 NIV). Peter says we are "kept by the power of God through faith..." (1Pet 1:5). Faith is actively trusting in Jesus. It requires that you let go of your life - die to yourself - and let Jesus live in you. No more is required, no less will do! When Jesus said, "It is finished," He satisfied all God's claims against you. "But what about doing good works?" you ask. That's what we're saved for - not what we're saved by.
Think of good works as a "PS" to say, "Thank You Father, for Your amazing grace!"
(c)2004 Timothy L. Hudson, UGA Christian Campus Fellowship
Pursue Joy in God
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Psalm 100
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4
Come into his presence with singing!
Psalm 100
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4
Too Easily Pleased
"If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased."
C.S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory" (as quoted by John Piper in Desiring God, p. 17)
C.S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory" (as quoted by John Piper in Desiring God, p. 17)
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Parable of the Hidden Treasure
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Matthew 13:44
Matthew 13:44
Prayer Verse
Our prayer verse this week is Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God is a God of hope and He wants us to overflow with hope. I notice that He does this by the power of the Holy Spirit, but I also notice that it begins with our trust in Him. It seems that a consequence of this is we are filled with joy and peace and then what overflows is hope.
I am picturing in my mind a container with joy and peace on the inside and then as it is more that the container will hold and it begins to overflow what comes out is hope.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God is a God of hope and He wants us to overflow with hope. I notice that He does this by the power of the Holy Spirit, but I also notice that it begins with our trust in Him. It seems that a consequence of this is we are filled with joy and peace and then what overflows is hope.
I am picturing in my mind a container with joy and peace on the inside and then as it is more that the container will hold and it begins to overflow what comes out is hope.
Following our Shepherd
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 27
FOLLOWING OUR SHEPHERD
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Romans 8:14).
I had the privilege of feeding and caring for the sheep on the farm where I was raised. I discovered that sheep aren't the smartest animals on the farm. Sheep need to be shepherded. Left to themselves in a lush pasture, they will keep eating until it kills them. They need a shepherd to make them "lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23:2) so they don't eat themselves to death!
The Lord often pictured our relationship with Him in Scripture like that of a shepherd and his sheep. Those of us who live in the West don't have a correct picture of what it means to be led like sheep. Western shepherds drive their sheep from behind the flock, often using dogs to bark at their heels. Eastern shepherds, like those in Bible times, lead their sheep from in front. I watched a shepherd lead his flock on a hillside outside Bethlehem during a visit to the Holy Land. The shepherd sat on a rock while the sheep grazed. After a time he stood up, said a few words to the sheep, and walked away. The sheep looked up and followed him. It was fascinating! The words of Jesus in John 10:27 suddenly took on new meaning to me: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
Sheep without a shepherd become disoriented and scatter. Rams arise from the flock and butt heads to determine who will lead. The ones with the hardest heads win. Without a shepherd, we too are left to the mercy of hard-headed, driven people or we wander around directionless, eating ourselves to death.
The Spirit-walk is one of being led, not driven. God won't make you walk in the Spirit, and the devil can't make you walk in the flesh, although he will certainly try to draw you in that direction. You are free to choose to follow the leading of the Spirit or the desires of the flesh (Romans 8:14).
Gentle Shepherd, thank You for searching for me when I was lost and for comforting me when I am hurt. I long to follow You today.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved
Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
"scurvy elephant"
"... there was a division among the people because of him. " John 7 : 43
Motivational speaker Wayne Dyer tells this story:
I came home from school one day and asked my mom, "What's a scurvy elephant?" She told me she'd never heard of one, and asked where I had heard it. I replied, "From my teacher." When my mother called the teacher, he told her, "As usual, Wayne got it wrong. I didn't say he was a scurvy elephant; I said he was a disturbing element!"
Do people see you as a disturbing element? They did Jesus! His enemies said, "He stirs up the people..." (Lk 23:5). Imagine that: The Prince of Peace was also the Great Disturber!
Daniel refused to eat the King's meat or bow to his gods, because he'd been sent to bring change, not build a consensus. When we compromise what is right to gain acceptance with people, we forfeit it with God. We all have a choice to make! Each of us are where we are today for a reason. The question each of us need to answer is: Am I willing to become a disturbing element in order to fulfil God's purpose for putting me where I am?
Joseph Bayly writes,
Lord of reality, make me real, not plastic. I don't want to keep a prayer list, I want to pray. I don't want to agonize to find Your will, I want to obey what I already know. I don't want to explain the difference between eros, philos, and agape. I just want to love. I don't want to tell it like it is, I want to be like You want it.
Motivational speaker Wayne Dyer tells this story:
I came home from school one day and asked my mom, "What's a scurvy elephant?" She told me she'd never heard of one, and asked where I had heard it. I replied, "From my teacher." When my mother called the teacher, he told her, "As usual, Wayne got it wrong. I didn't say he was a scurvy elephant; I said he was a disturbing element!"
Do people see you as a disturbing element? They did Jesus! His enemies said, "He stirs up the people..." (Lk 23:5). Imagine that: The Prince of Peace was also the Great Disturber!
Daniel refused to eat the King's meat or bow to his gods, because he'd been sent to bring change, not build a consensus. When we compromise what is right to gain acceptance with people, we forfeit it with God. We all have a choice to make! Each of us are where we are today for a reason. The question each of us need to answer is: Am I willing to become a disturbing element in order to fulfil God's purpose for putting me where I am?
Joseph Bayly writes,
Lord of reality, make me real, not plastic. I don't want to keep a prayer list, I want to pray. I don't want to agonize to find Your will, I want to obey what I already know. I don't want to explain the difference between eros, philos, and agape. I just want to love. I don't want to tell it like it is, I want to be like You want it.
Timothy L. Hudson,
UGA Christian Campus Fellowship
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Prayer Verse
Our prayer verse for this week is Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I notice this morning that God is described as a God of hope ("the feeling that what is wanted can be had, or that events will turn out for the best").
These verses from the hymn by Edward Mote come to mind:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteous;
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I notice this morning that God is described as a God of hope ("the feeling that what is wanted can be had, or that events will turn out for the best").
These verses from the hymn by Edward Mote come to mind:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteous;
Marriage
Mark 10
2And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" 3He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" 4They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." 5And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 7'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8and they shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
Excerpt from John Piper "What Therefore God Has Joined Together, Let Not Man Separate, Part 1"
Jesus draws three conclusions in verse 8b and verse 9. He says (1) in verse 8b, “So they are no longer two but one flesh.” In other words, since God said in Genesis 2:24, “The two shall become one flesh,” therefore Jesus concludes for his day and ours: “So they are no longer two but one flesh.” Marriage is that kind of union—very profound, just as Christ and the church are one body (Romans 12:5).
Then (2) the second conclusion Jesus draws is that this union of one flesh is the creation, the work, of God, not man. He says in verse 9, “What therefore God has joined together . . .” So even though two humans decide to get married. And a human pastor or priest or justice of the peace or some other person solemnizes and legalizes the union, all that is secondary to the main actor, namely, God. “What God has joined together . . .” God is the main actor in the event of marriage.
Then (3) Jesus draws the conclusion at the end of verse 9: “Let not man separate.” The word translated “man” here (“Let not man separate”) is not the word for male over against female, but the word for human over against divine. The contrast is: “If God joined the man and woman in marriage, then mere humans have no write to separate what he joined. That’s Jesus third conclusion from Genesis 1 and 2. Since God created this sacred union with this sacred purpose to display the unbreakable firmness of his covenant love for his people, it simply does not lie within man’s rights to destroy what God created.
2And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" 3He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" 4They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." 5And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 7'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8and they shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
Excerpt from John Piper "What Therefore God Has Joined Together, Let Not Man Separate, Part 1"
Jesus draws three conclusions in verse 8b and verse 9. He says (1) in verse 8b, “So they are no longer two but one flesh.” In other words, since God said in Genesis 2:24, “The two shall become one flesh,” therefore Jesus concludes for his day and ours: “So they are no longer two but one flesh.” Marriage is that kind of union—very profound, just as Christ and the church are one body (Romans 12:5).
Then (2) the second conclusion Jesus draws is that this union of one flesh is the creation, the work, of God, not man. He says in verse 9, “What therefore God has joined together . . .” So even though two humans decide to get married. And a human pastor or priest or justice of the peace or some other person solemnizes and legalizes the union, all that is secondary to the main actor, namely, God. “What God has joined together . . .” God is the main actor in the event of marriage.
Then (3) Jesus draws the conclusion at the end of verse 9: “Let not man separate.” The word translated “man” here (“Let not man separate”) is not the word for male over against female, but the word for human over against divine. The contrast is: “If God joined the man and woman in marriage, then mere humans have no write to separate what he joined. That’s Jesus third conclusion from Genesis 1 and 2. Since God created this sacred union with this sacred purpose to display the unbreakable firmness of his covenant love for his people, it simply does not lie within man’s rights to destroy what God created.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sermon: The Message
Aaron talked yesterday about "A Picture of God" and what God did to show us who He is through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-18). He made the point that sometimes we make things too complicated -- at the core it is really this simple: Christ is the Message.
Not Who I Was
I like the lyrics to Brandon Heath's song I'm Not Who I Was
Well the thing I find most amazing
In amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about
I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was
Well the thing I find most amazing
In amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about
I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was
Unity
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 25
PRESERVING UNITY
Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).
I really don't mind taking a stand on biblical grounds and living with the conflict that comes from those who oppose the gospel. I think that is part of our calling. What grieves God is when our ministry and work is stopped because well-intentioned people resist the inevitable and needlessly fight change.
I tell my students that the greatest asset they will have in their early years of ministry is older, mature saints in the church. The greatest liability they will have is old saints who have stopped growing years ago. All these saints do is censor. They reflect no more love or kindness now than they did 20 years ago. They don't worship — they critique the worship service. They no longer sit under the judgment of Scripture — they sit in judgment of the pastor. They no longer bear fruit — they actually prevent it. They insist that they are right when what they need to be is holy.
Mature saints have learned to restrict their freedom for the sake of weaker believers. Their faith doesn't rest in traditions, so they gladly accept changes in style of ministry that will reach the younger generation.
Another problem arises when young Christian leaders act impulsively as change agents without giving thought to what the consequences will be to the fellowship. Any movement forward that results in the loss of fellowship is not an improvement. We must be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit. Such change agents seem to be unaware that patience is a fruit of the Spirit. The modern generation wants it now. They seem to have forgotten the fact that God does everything decently and in order. He is not the author of confusion.
Father, please don't allow me to sit, soak and sour, but to remain open-minded, lighthearted and nonjudgmental.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved
Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Staying Married
Excerpt from John Piper, Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 1
The most ultimate thing to see in the Bible about marriage is that it exists for God’s glory. Most foundationally, marriage is the doing of God. Most ultimately, marriage is the display of God. It is designed by God to display his glory in a way that no other event or institution is.
...
The words “hold fast to his wife” and the words “they shall become one flesh” point to something far deeper and more permanent than serial marriages and occasional adultery. What these words point to is marriage as a sacred covenant rooted in covenant commitments that stand against every storm of “as long as we both shall live.”
...
The most ultimate thing we can say about marriage is that it exists for God’s glory. That is, it exists to display God. Now we see how: Marriage is patterned after Christ’s covenant relationship to the church. And therefore the highest meaning and the most ultimate purpose of marriage is to put the covenant relationship of Christ and his church on display. That is why marriage exists. If you are married, that is why you are married.
Staying married, therefore, is not about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. “Till death do us part,” or, “As long as we both shall live” is sacred covenant promise—the same kind Jesus made with his bride when he died for her. Therefore, what makes divorce and remarriage so horrific in God’s eyes is not merely that it involves covenant breaking to the spouse, but that it involves misrepresenting Christ and his covenant. Christ will never leave his wife. Ever. There may be times of painful distance and tragic backsliding on our part. But Christ keeps his covenant forever. Marriage is a display of that! That is the most ultimate thing we can say about it.
The most ultimate thing to see in the Bible about marriage is that it exists for God’s glory. Most foundationally, marriage is the doing of God. Most ultimately, marriage is the display of God. It is designed by God to display his glory in a way that no other event or institution is.
...
The words “hold fast to his wife” and the words “they shall become one flesh” point to something far deeper and more permanent than serial marriages and occasional adultery. What these words point to is marriage as a sacred covenant rooted in covenant commitments that stand against every storm of “as long as we both shall live.”
...
The most ultimate thing we can say about marriage is that it exists for God’s glory. That is, it exists to display God. Now we see how: Marriage is patterned after Christ’s covenant relationship to the church. And therefore the highest meaning and the most ultimate purpose of marriage is to put the covenant relationship of Christ and his church on display. That is why marriage exists. If you are married, that is why you are married.
Staying married, therefore, is not about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. “Till death do us part,” or, “As long as we both shall live” is sacred covenant promise—the same kind Jesus made with his bride when he died for her. Therefore, what makes divorce and remarriage so horrific in God’s eyes is not merely that it involves covenant breaking to the spouse, but that it involves misrepresenting Christ and his covenant. Christ will never leave his wife. Ever. There may be times of painful distance and tragic backsliding on our part. But Christ keeps his covenant forever. Marriage is a display of that! That is the most ultimate thing we can say about it.
Finding Fulfillment in Work
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Thursday, June 21, 2007 - Finding Fulfillment in Work
I've been thinking lately about the subject of job fulfillment. Should that be one of our major goals in life, to find a job that is exciting and fulfilling? Here’s a quote from Elizabeth Elliot's book, Discipline: The Glad Surrender:
The Christian has all these in Christ: work, a Master, a hope. Yet how easily we forget this."
Whoever said the grass always looks greener on the other side knew what he or she was talking about. I believe our enemy, Satan, uses this human propensity to destroy our joy. He makes us believe that if we had a different, more fulfilling job, every day would be an exciting adventure, never boring, never dull.
So, we plod away in the job we have, or expend much time and energy trying to find another one, instead of looking to God to bring meaning into whatever we do.
Now, I'm not saying that it's wrong to want a different type of job, to aspire to other positions, to educate and train ourselves for a job we find interesting. Certainly God has gifted each of us differently, and we are at our best when we're using our gifts appropriately. But if you've been thinking the right job would make you happy, please think again. Only Jesus can do that. Remember, seek Him first, and all these other things will be added.
Thursday, June 21, 2007 - Finding Fulfillment in Work
I've been thinking lately about the subject of job fulfillment. Should that be one of our major goals in life, to find a job that is exciting and fulfilling? Here’s a quote from Elizabeth Elliot's book, Discipline: The Glad Surrender:
Interest and challenge can always be found in any task done for God. If ourShe goes on to say: "I once heard a formula guaranteed to prevent boredom: it is to have
work seems to be beneath us, if it becomes boring and meaningless, mere
drudgery, it may be a living, but it is not living. It is not the life of
freedom and fullness a disciple's life is designed to be. Does God ask us
to do what is beneath us? This question will never trouble us again if we
consider the Lord of heaven taking a towel and washing feet.
1. Something to do
2. Someone to love
3. Something to look forward to.
The Christian has all these in Christ: work, a Master, a hope. Yet how easily we forget this."
Whoever said the grass always looks greener on the other side knew what he or she was talking about. I believe our enemy, Satan, uses this human propensity to destroy our joy. He makes us believe that if we had a different, more fulfilling job, every day would be an exciting adventure, never boring, never dull.
So, we plod away in the job we have, or expend much time and energy trying to find another one, instead of looking to God to bring meaning into whatever we do.
Now, I'm not saying that it's wrong to want a different type of job, to aspire to other positions, to educate and train ourselves for a job we find interesting. Certainly God has gifted each of us differently, and we are at our best when we're using our gifts appropriately. But if you've been thinking the right job would make you happy, please think again. Only Jesus can do that. Remember, seek Him first, and all these other things will be added.
Identity in Christ and Control
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 21
THE ISSUE OF CONTROL
The fruit of the Spirit is . . . self-control (Galatians 5:22, 23).
More times than not, the need to control our children comes from the false belief that our identity and worth derives from how well our children behave. Think it through: If your worth comes from something outside yourself, your tendency is to control the people and factors on which your worth is based. Look at sick dictators like Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein who control their subjects through ruthless force and intimidation. But there is no one more insecure than a controller, because he labors under the false belief that the external affairs of this world are determining who he is, not God and his response to Him. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:23), not child- or spouse-control.
If your identity is in Christ and your heart is set on being the person God wants you to be, nobody can block that goal but you. "But what if my child rebels?" you ask. Your child can't stop you from being the father or mother God wants you to be. Only you can do that. In reality, during a crisis of rebellion, your child and your spouse need you to be the parent God wants you to be more than ever.
Massive research has shown that the best children come from parents who love their children and manage their behavior. The worst children come from loveless controllers. The second best children are raised by permissive parents who love unconditionally.
Here's the point: You may not always be able to control your child, but based on your position and character in Christ, you can always love him. Loving your child is dependent only on you and your response to God. Controlling him is somewhat dependent on the cooperation of your child. Your identity and security in Christ do not depend on things you have no right or ability to control.
Lord, continue to mature me as a loving parent and keep me from trying to control my children from selfish motives.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved
Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Eternally Important
Gracious speech is like clover honey -
good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.
Proverbs 16:24, The Message
"Our daily encounters with bank tellers, post office clerks, and gas station attendants are, each one, elements of sin and grace. All of these people and each of these encounters is a significant detail in the life of faith. But we are not aware of it. Most of the time we are not living in a crisis in which we are conscious of our need of God, yet everything we do is critical, to our faith, and God is critically involved in it.
All day long we are doing eternally important things without knowing it. All through the day we inadvertently speak words that enter people lives and change them in minor or major ways, and we never know it."
Reversed Thunder
"Eternally Important", God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.
Proverbs 16:24, The Message
"Our daily encounters with bank tellers, post office clerks, and gas station attendants are, each one, elements of sin and grace. All of these people and each of these encounters is a significant detail in the life of faith. But we are not aware of it. Most of the time we are not living in a crisis in which we are conscious of our need of God, yet everything we do is critical, to our faith, and God is critically involved in it.
All day long we are doing eternally important things without knowing it. All through the day we inadvertently speak words that enter people lives and change them in minor or major ways, and we never know it."
Reversed Thunder
"Eternally Important", God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Same Two Themes
"Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why God doesn't act the way we want God to, and why I don't act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where those themes converge."
Philip Yancey, Prayer, p. 17.
Philip Yancey, Prayer, p. 17.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Four Questions
From Philip Yancey, Where Is God When It Hurts (A sermon given on the Virginia Tech campus two weeks after the shooting), posted on Christianity Today.
"That reality came starkly home to me nine weeks ago today when I was driving on a winding road in Colorado. Suddenly, I missed a curve and my Ford Explorer slipped off the pavement and started tumbling side to side at 60 miles per hour. An ambulance appeared, and I spent the next seven hours strapped to a body board, with duct tape across my head to keep it from moving. A cat scan showed that a vertebra high on my neck had been shattered, and sharp bone fragments were poking out next to a major artery. The hospital had a jet to fly me to Denver for emergency surgery.
I had one arm free, with a cell phone and little battery time left. I spent those tense hours calling people close to me, knowing it might be the last time I would ever hear their voices. It was an odd sensation to lie there helpless, aware that though I was fully conscious, at any moment I could die.
Samuel Johnson said when a man is about to be hanged, "it concentrates his mind wonderfully." When you're strapped to a body board after a serious accident, it concentrates the mind. When you survive a massacre at Virginia Tech, it concentrates the mind. I realized how much of my life focused on trivial things. During those seven hours, I didn't think about how many books I had sold or what kind of car I drove (it was being towed to a junkyard anyway). All that mattered boiled down to four questions. Whom do I love? Whom will I miss? What have I done with my life? And am I ready for what's next? Ever since that day, I've tried to live with those questions at the forefront."
"That reality came starkly home to me nine weeks ago today when I was driving on a winding road in Colorado. Suddenly, I missed a curve and my Ford Explorer slipped off the pavement and started tumbling side to side at 60 miles per hour. An ambulance appeared, and I spent the next seven hours strapped to a body board, with duct tape across my head to keep it from moving. A cat scan showed that a vertebra high on my neck had been shattered, and sharp bone fragments were poking out next to a major artery. The hospital had a jet to fly me to Denver for emergency surgery.
I had one arm free, with a cell phone and little battery time left. I spent those tense hours calling people close to me, knowing it might be the last time I would ever hear their voices. It was an odd sensation to lie there helpless, aware that though I was fully conscious, at any moment I could die.
Samuel Johnson said when a man is about to be hanged, "it concentrates his mind wonderfully." When you're strapped to a body board after a serious accident, it concentrates the mind. When you survive a massacre at Virginia Tech, it concentrates the mind. I realized how much of my life focused on trivial things. During those seven hours, I didn't think about how many books I had sold or what kind of car I drove (it was being towed to a junkyard anyway). All that mattered boiled down to four questions. Whom do I love? Whom will I miss? What have I done with my life? And am I ready for what's next? Ever since that day, I've tried to live with those questions at the forefront."
Living Below Our Potential
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 19
LIVING BELOW OUR POTENTIAL
The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Sprit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please (Galatians 5:17).
Why is there often such great disparity between these two kinds of Christians: spiritual and fleshly? Why are so many believers living so far below their potential in Christ? Why are so few of us enjoying the abundant, productive life we have already inherited?
Part of the answer is related to the process of growth and maturity as the individual believer appropriates and applies his spiritual identity to his day-to-day experience. And yet there are countless numbers of Christians who have been born again for years—even decades—and have yet to experience significant measures of victory over sin and the flesh, a victory which is their inheritance in Christ.
Another part of the answer is due to our ignorance of how the kingdom of darkness is impacting our progress toward maturity. We have a living, personal enemy—Satan—who actively attempts to block our attempts to grow into maturity as God's children. We must know how to stand against him. Paul wrote about Satan: "We are not ignorant of his schemes" (2 Corinthians 2:11). Perhaps Paul and the Corinthians weren't ignorant, but a lot of Christians today surely are. We live as though Satan and his dark realm don't exist. And our naiveté in this area is exacting a crippling toll from our freedom in Christ.
Dear Lord, I stand against Satan's schemes to pollute my life with deeds of sin and the flesh. I embrace my inheritance as a child of God today.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved
Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
Finding Fulfillment in Work
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - Finding Fulfillment in Work
Is your job fulfilling to you? Whatever you do everyday, whether outside or inside your home, do you find it fulfills you and makes you feel good about yourself?
Now, here's the next question: As a Christian, is it important that we have a job that is personally fulfilling? Is that our right? Should that have a high priority in our lives?
My answer may surprise you, but think it through with me. I think the whole question of fulfilling jobs and careers is a result of the humanistic thinking that pervades our society. We have been subtly led to believe that we have a right to be fulfilled, whatever that means, and that right takes precedence over everything else. So, a fulfilling job becomes an accepted and appropriate goal.
Our thinking has been so clouded with self-actualization, self-esteem, and self-fulfillment, that we Christians have missed a basic truth of Scripture: Self-denial. If there's a self-fulfillment message in God's Word, I've missed it.
Now, I'm NOT saying that we have to trudge through life hating what we do, martyrs for Jesus, sad-faced and depressed, because we can't be self-fulfilled. It does not mean that we can't look for jobs that interest us, nor is it wrong to enjoy the job we have.
But you see, we keep getting the cart before the horse. We won't find fulfillment in jobs. I know, because I tried for a long time to make myself feel good and worthwhile through my job. I've held lots of jobs in my career, some with glamorous aspects, a good bit of recognition and success. And I want to tell you that not one of those jobs ever succeeded at making me feel fulfilled and complete. Even at their best moments, I knew inside they were missing the mark. And every job had its share of routine and drudgery.
While Jesus came to bring us life abundant, He told us clearly that we must lose our life to find it. We can certainly know what it is to be fulfilled and complete, but not because we have a scintillating, challenging job. We are simply barking up the wrong tree when we look to a job or career for fulfillment.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 - Finding Fulfillment in Work
Is your job fulfilling to you? Whatever you do everyday, whether outside or inside your home, do you find it fulfills you and makes you feel good about yourself?
Now, here's the next question: As a Christian, is it important that we have a job that is personally fulfilling? Is that our right? Should that have a high priority in our lives?
My answer may surprise you, but think it through with me. I think the whole question of fulfilling jobs and careers is a result of the humanistic thinking that pervades our society. We have been subtly led to believe that we have a right to be fulfilled, whatever that means, and that right takes precedence over everything else. So, a fulfilling job becomes an accepted and appropriate goal.
Our thinking has been so clouded with self-actualization, self-esteem, and self-fulfillment, that we Christians have missed a basic truth of Scripture: Self-denial. If there's a self-fulfillment message in God's Word, I've missed it.
Now, I'm NOT saying that we have to trudge through life hating what we do, martyrs for Jesus, sad-faced and depressed, because we can't be self-fulfilled. It does not mean that we can't look for jobs that interest us, nor is it wrong to enjoy the job we have.
But you see, we keep getting the cart before the horse. We won't find fulfillment in jobs. I know, because I tried for a long time to make myself feel good and worthwhile through my job. I've held lots of jobs in my career, some with glamorous aspects, a good bit of recognition and success. And I want to tell you that not one of those jobs ever succeeded at making me feel fulfilled and complete. Even at their best moments, I knew inside they were missing the mark. And every job had its share of routine and drudgery.
While Jesus came to bring us life abundant, He told us clearly that we must lose our life to find it. We can certainly know what it is to be fulfilled and complete, but not because we have a scintillating, challenging job. We are simply barking up the wrong tree when we look to a job or career for fulfillment.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Finding Fulfillment in Work
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Monday, June 18, 2007 - Finding Fulfillment in Work
I recently read a verse in Proverbs 20 that baffled me for a while. The 25th verse says "A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" But I think I know what Solomon was trying to say to us.
Most of us spend lots of time trying to understand our own way. What will I do about this? Where will I go? What's my next move? What if this happens or that falls through? We have this desire to know exactly what the future holds, and to make certain it's the way we want it to be.
But when we are directed by the Lord, we cannot know our own way. It's one step at a time. We make the immediate move God has placed in front of us, and then He shows us the next move.
Why does God operate that way? It seems almost cruel, doesn't it? Wouldn't it be better if he said, "Now, Mary, here's my exact plan for the rest of your life." That's what we'd like—and of course, we'd like that strategic plan to be to our liking and our choosing!
But when our steps are directed by the Lord, He gives them to us one at a time because:
1. It teaches us to walk by faith and not by sight. We have to trust God. And then we become strong in our faith, and that pleases God. Without faith it's impossible to please God.
2. If God showed us our whole path, we'd try to change it and manipulate it. But God knows what is best, even if we can't see it.
3. If we saw every step ahead in advance, we'd rebel at some of them. They would frighten us; they would look too difficult. But when God directs us one at a time, we learn little by little that if we're following Him, He'll be with us and give us the strength and grace we need. He never gives us that strength ahead of time, but it's there when we need it.
I don't know what my way holds. I have goals and objectives that I'm working toward by faith. But God is ordering my steps. They may turn at any time in an unexpected direction. That's His prerogative because I'm His child and I've chosen to walk His path, not mine. But I don't have to know what tomorrow will bring. All I need is to know that I took the right step today, He's with me, and whatever the step is tomorrow, He'll be with me then.
I encourage you to let God direct your steps one at a time. It's a whole lot better than trying to understand your own way. You never can, you know, no matter how much you try.
Monday, June 18, 2007 - Finding Fulfillment in Work
I recently read a verse in Proverbs 20 that baffled me for a while. The 25th verse says "A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" But I think I know what Solomon was trying to say to us.
Most of us spend lots of time trying to understand our own way. What will I do about this? Where will I go? What's my next move? What if this happens or that falls through? We have this desire to know exactly what the future holds, and to make certain it's the way we want it to be.
But when we are directed by the Lord, we cannot know our own way. It's one step at a time. We make the immediate move God has placed in front of us, and then He shows us the next move.
Why does God operate that way? It seems almost cruel, doesn't it? Wouldn't it be better if he said, "Now, Mary, here's my exact plan for the rest of your life." That's what we'd like—and of course, we'd like that strategic plan to be to our liking and our choosing!
But when our steps are directed by the Lord, He gives them to us one at a time because:
1. It teaches us to walk by faith and not by sight. We have to trust God. And then we become strong in our faith, and that pleases God. Without faith it's impossible to please God.
2. If God showed us our whole path, we'd try to change it and manipulate it. But God knows what is best, even if we can't see it.
3. If we saw every step ahead in advance, we'd rebel at some of them. They would frighten us; they would look too difficult. But when God directs us one at a time, we learn little by little that if we're following Him, He'll be with us and give us the strength and grace we need. He never gives us that strength ahead of time, but it's there when we need it.
I don't know what my way holds. I have goals and objectives that I'm working toward by faith. But God is ordering my steps. They may turn at any time in an unexpected direction. That's His prerogative because I'm His child and I've chosen to walk His path, not mine. But I don't have to know what tomorrow will bring. All I need is to know that I took the right step today, He's with me, and whatever the step is tomorrow, He'll be with me then.
I encourage you to let God direct your steps one at a time. It's a whole lot better than trying to understand your own way. You never can, you know, no matter how much you try.
The Fleshly Person
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 18
THE FLESHLY PERSON
I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly (1 Corinthians 3;2, 3).
The spirit of the fleshly person is identical to that of the spiritual person. The fleshly person is a Christian, spiritually alive in Christ and declared righteous by God. But that’s where the similarity ends. Instead of being directed by the Spirit, this believer chooses to follow the impulses of his flesh. As a result, his mind is occupied by carnal thoughts and his emotions are plagued by negative feelings. And though he is free to choose to walk after the Spirit and produce the fruit of the Spirit, he continues to involve himself in sinful activity by willfully walking after the flesh.
His physical body is a temple of God, but he is using it as an instrument of unrighteousness. He has the same troubling physical symptoms experienced by the natural person because he is not operating in the manner God created him to operate. He is not presenting his body to God as a living sacrifice. Since he yields to the flesh instead of crucifying it, the fleshly man is also subject to feelings of inferiority, insecurity, inadequacy, guilt, worry and doubt.
Several years ago I did some research to discover how many Christians are still the victims of their flesh. I asked the same question to 50 consecutive Christians who came to me to talk about problems in their lives: “How many of the following characteristics describe your life: inferiority, insecurity, inadequacy, guilt, worry and doubt?” Every one of the 50 answered, “All six.” Here were 50 born-again, righteous children of God who were so bogged down by the flesh that they struggled with the same problems of self-doubt which inundate unbelievers who only live in the flesh.
If I asked you the same question, how would you answer? I imagine that many of you would admit that some or all of these six traits describe you. It is evident to me that a staggering number of believers are still confused about their spiritual identity in Christ and its implications for their daily lives. We are struggling with the behavioral aspect of our growth because we are still struggling with the belief aspect of our growth: who we are in Christ.
Father, help me live above my fleshly desires today by exercising my spiritual inheritance at every temptation.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved
Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
Sermon: "Cannot have it all"
In Aaron's Father's Day message yesterday he looked at the life of Mordecai in the book of Esther. He left us with three things to remember:
1. adopt a child -- choose to be a parent.
2. be the values for our children -- values are caught not taught.
3. purpose in our life is for our children to find theirs.
1. adopt a child -- choose to be a parent.
2. be the values for our children -- values are caught not taught.
3. purpose in our life is for our children to find theirs.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Philippians 2
14Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. [ESV]
14-16Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing. [The Message]
Rebellious
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 15
A REBELLIOUS GENERATION
Rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry (1 Samuel 15:23).
We live in a rebellious generation. Many feel it is their right to sit in judgment of those in authority over them. Christians are no exception. We critique the choir and criticize the sermon. We would be far better off if we entered into the worship experience and let the Word of God sit in judgment of us.
Rebelling against God leads to nothing but trouble. As our commanding general, the Lord says, “Get into ranks and follow Me. I will not lead you into temptation, and I will deliver you from evil.” But we sometimes say, “No, I don’t want to follow today.” So we fall out of ranks, do our own thing, and get shot. Then we blame God for not protecting us.
We are also tempted to rebel against human authority. We have two biblical responsibilities in regard to God-ordained authority figures: pray for them and submit to them. The only time God permits us to disobey earthly leaders is when they require us to do something morally wrong before God or if they attempt to operate outside the realm of their authority. Study the following passages of Scripture to further understand our response to authority: civil government (Romans 13:1-5; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; 1 Peter 2:13-16); parents (Ephesians 6:1-3); husband (1 Peter 3:1, 2); employer (1 Peter 2:18-21); church leaders (Hebrews 13:17).
Being submissive to God-ordained authority demonstrates faith. As you submit to God’s line of authority, you are choosing to believe that God will protect you and bless you, and that all will go well with you. Ask God to forgiven you for those times you have not been submissive, and declare your trust in God to work through His established lines of authority.
Lord, Forgive me for areas of my life where I tend to rebel against authority. Help me demonstrate my faith in You through submission.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved
Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Prayer in Congregation
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.
"The congregation is a place where I'm gradually learning that prayer is not conditioned or authenticated by my feelings. Nothing is more devastating to prayer than when I begin to evaluate prayer by my feelings, and think that in order to pray I have to have a certain sense, a certain spiritual attentiveness or peace or, on the other side, anguish.
That's virtually impossible to learn by yourself. But if I'm in a congregation, I learn over and over again that prayer will go on whether I feel like it or not, or even if I sleep through the whole thing."
The Contemplative Pastor
"Prayer in Congregation," God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
James 5:16, The Message
"The congregation is a place where I'm gradually learning that prayer is not conditioned or authenticated by my feelings. Nothing is more devastating to prayer than when I begin to evaluate prayer by my feelings, and think that in order to pray I have to have a certain sense, a certain spiritual attentiveness or peace or, on the other side, anguish.
That's virtually impossible to learn by yourself. But if I'm in a congregation, I learn over and over again that prayer will go on whether I feel like it or not, or even if I sleep through the whole thing."
The Contemplative Pastor
"Prayer in Congregation," God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Persistence in Prayer
Excerpt from John Piper, When God Says "Not Now"
"Lesson #4: Persistence in prayer will prevail where giving up won't.
This comes from verses [Luke 11] 5–8. Jesus tells a parable to illustrate exactly this point.
5And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at
midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, 6for a friend of mine
has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7and he will
answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are
with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? 8I tell you, though he
will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of
his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
What's the point of this parable? The point is given in verses 9 and 10: Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking; keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.
Why compare answered prayer to a friend who is unwilling to get out of bed for the sake of friendship, but willing to get out of bed to stop the knocking on his door? Is it to say that God is tired or irritable or stingy? That can't be, because he is so ready and able to give in verse 13. Then what's the reason for this parable?
I think it is simply a striking, shocking way of saying, God has his reasons for waiting that for us may seem as strange and provocative as a friend who doesn't want to get out of bed but then does. At first he doesn't give the $1.1 million, and then he will—if we keep knocking. If we keep knocking—that is clear. If the friend had gone home after the first refusal, he would not have gotten the bread he needed. But since he stayed and kept on knocking, he got "as much as he needed" (verse 8). The point for Bethlehem: Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.
This is a hard lesson about prayer. But it is clearly biblical: Persistence in prayer will prevail with God where giving up won't. It is so biblical and so important that Wesley Duewel wrote a whole book on it called Mighty Prevailing Prayer (Zondervan Publishing House, 1990). In his chapter on this text called "The Dynamic of Importunity," he quotes Andrew Murray,
"Lesson #4: Persistence in prayer will prevail where giving up won't.
This comes from verses [Luke 11] 5–8. Jesus tells a parable to illustrate exactly this point.
5And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at
midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, 6for a friend of mine
has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7and he will
answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are
with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? 8I tell you, though he
will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of
his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
What's the point of this parable? The point is given in verses 9 and 10: Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking; keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.
Why compare answered prayer to a friend who is unwilling to get out of bed for the sake of friendship, but willing to get out of bed to stop the knocking on his door? Is it to say that God is tired or irritable or stingy? That can't be, because he is so ready and able to give in verse 13. Then what's the reason for this parable?
I think it is simply a striking, shocking way of saying, God has his reasons for waiting that for us may seem as strange and provocative as a friend who doesn't want to get out of bed but then does. At first he doesn't give the $1.1 million, and then he will—if we keep knocking. If we keep knocking—that is clear. If the friend had gone home after the first refusal, he would not have gotten the bread he needed. But since he stayed and kept on knocking, he got "as much as he needed" (verse 8). The point for Bethlehem: Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.
This is a hard lesson about prayer. But it is clearly biblical: Persistence in prayer will prevail with God where giving up won't. It is so biblical and so important that Wesley Duewel wrote a whole book on it called Mighty Prevailing Prayer (Zondervan Publishing House, 1990). In his chapter on this text called "The Dynamic of Importunity," he quotes Andrew Murray,
[Importunity] begins with the refusal to at once accept a denial. It grows toThomas Watson, a Puritan pastor from 350 years ago, asked in his book, Body of Divinity, "Why does God delay an answer to prayer?" In other words, why would God ever keep us asking and seeking and knocking when he could respond sooner? He gives four answers (Baker Book House, 1979, pp. 399–400). I give these to you for your pondering as we press on in prayer for Freeing the Future:
the determination to persevere, to spare no time or trouble, till an answer
comes. It rises to the intensity in which the whole being is given to God in
supplication, and the boldness comes to lay hold of God's strength. (p. 80)
- Because he loves to hear the voice of prayer. "You let the musician play a great while before you throw him down money, because you love to hear this music."
- That he may humble us. We may too easily assume we merit some ready answer, or that he is at our beck and call like a butler, not as sovereign Lord and loving Father.
- Because he sees we are not yet fit or ready for the mercy we seek. It may be he has things to put in place—in us or in our church or in the world. There are a million pieces to the puzzle. Some things go first to make a place for the others.
- Finally, that the mercy we pray for may be the more prized, and may be sweeter when it comes. "
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Already Accepted
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 13
ALREADY ACCEPTED
If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
Fellowship with God is not an abstract theological concept, but a living relationship. Living in continuous agreement with God is to walk in the light. Satan can’t accuse me if I live in the light, but walking in the light is not moral perfection (1 John 1:8). We are not sinless, but the confession mentioned in 1 John 1:9 brings us into agreement with God about our present moral condition before Him.
What makes it possible to be this open with God about our condition is the fact that we are already His children. Our eternal state is not at stake, only our daily victory. We don’t have to pretend with God in the hope that He will accept us. As His children we’re already accepted, so we are free to be honest with Him. We have no relationship to lose, only fellowship to gain. Knowing that we’re secure in Christ, we can express ourselves honestly to Him. He already knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12).
Knowing that we are forgiven, let’s come before His presence with thanksgiving. God is our Father, and like any parent He doesn’t appreciate grumbling, complaining children, especially since this Father sacrificed His only begotten Son for us. He will not be very interested in our list of demands if we haven’t been obedient to Him. I also don’t think He is going to be very interested in helping us develop our own kingdoms when we are to work at establishing the only one that will last—His!
To sit in the presence of my Father who loves me, who has made an incredible sacrifice so I can be there, doesn’t have to be a dismal, failing experience. He invites us into His presence just as we are, because in Christ our weakness and sin have been covered: “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” (Hebrews 10:22).
Thank You, God the Creator, that You have opened up the way for me to approach You and enjoy fellowship with You.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ
All Rights Reserved
Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
Dead or Alive: Christ Honored
Philippians 1
20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. [ESV]
--
18-21So how am I to respond? I've decided that I really don't care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on!
And I'm going to keep that celebration going because I know how it's going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don't expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose. [The Message]
20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. [ESV]
--
18-21So how am I to respond? I've decided that I really don't care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on!
And I'm going to keep that celebration going because I know how it's going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don't expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose. [The Message]
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Where You Look
If you at the world you will be distressed,
If you look at yourself you will be depressed,
If you look at Christ you will be at rest.
Heard from Adrian Rogers (author unknown)
If you look at yourself you will be depressed,
If you look at Christ you will be at rest.
Heard from Adrian Rogers (author unknown)
God Brings Help
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1, RSV
"To the objection "I prayed and cried out for help, but no help came," the answer is "But it did. The help was there. It was right at hand. You were looking for something quite different, perhaps, but God brought the help that would change your life into health, into wholeness for eternity. ... "
Instead of asking why the help has not come, the person at prayer learns to look carefully at what is actually going on in his or her life, ... and ask, "Could this be the help that he is providing? I never thought of this in terms of help, but maybe it is."
Where Your Treasure Is
"God Brings Help", God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson
Psalm 46:1, RSV
"To the objection "I prayed and cried out for help, but no help came," the answer is "But it did. The help was there. It was right at hand. You were looking for something quite different, perhaps, but God brought the help that would change your life into health, into wholeness for eternity. ... "
Instead of asking why the help has not come, the person at prayer learns to look carefully at what is actually going on in his or her life, ... and ask, "Could this be the help that he is providing? I never thought of this in terms of help, but maybe it is."
Where Your Treasure Is
"God Brings Help", God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson
Increase Our Faith
Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you. 7 "Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? 8 "But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink'? 9 "He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10 "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"
Excerpt from "How Jesus Helped His Disciples Increase Their Faith" by John Piper
"In Luke 17:5 the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. How does Jesus help them? In two ways, both of which are by telling them truth. So even in the way he responds he shows us that faith comes by hearing. Knowing certain things should increase our faith.
First, he strengthens our faith by telling us in verse 6 that the crucial issue in accomplishing great things to advance the kingdom of God is not the quantity of our faith, but the power of God. He says, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you." By referring to the tiny mustard seed after being asked about increased faith, he deflects attention away from the quantity of faith to the object of faith. ...
Second, he helps their faith grow by telling them in verses 7-10 that when they have done all they are commanded to do, they are still radically dependent on grace. Jesus gives an illustration. You might want to read it again in verses 7-10. The gist of it is that the owner of a slave does not become a debtor to the slave no matter how much work the slave does. The meaning is that God is never our debtor. ...
So two things increase our faith: 1) that God himself and not the quantity of our faith is the decisive factor in flinging mulberry trees out of the way; and 2) free grace is decisive in how God treats us before and after we have done all we ought to do. We never move beyond the need for grace. Therefore let us trust God for great things in our little faith, and let us not be paralyzed by what is left to be done in our lives and in our church. "
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you. 7 "Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? 8 "But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink'? 9 "He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10 "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"
Excerpt from "How Jesus Helped His Disciples Increase Their Faith" by John Piper
"In Luke 17:5 the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. How does Jesus help them? In two ways, both of which are by telling them truth. So even in the way he responds he shows us that faith comes by hearing. Knowing certain things should increase our faith.
First, he strengthens our faith by telling us in verse 6 that the crucial issue in accomplishing great things to advance the kingdom of God is not the quantity of our faith, but the power of God. He says, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you." By referring to the tiny mustard seed after being asked about increased faith, he deflects attention away from the quantity of faith to the object of faith. ...
Second, he helps their faith grow by telling them in verses 7-10 that when they have done all they are commanded to do, they are still radically dependent on grace. Jesus gives an illustration. You might want to read it again in verses 7-10. The gist of it is that the owner of a slave does not become a debtor to the slave no matter how much work the slave does. The meaning is that God is never our debtor. ...
So two things increase our faith: 1) that God himself and not the quantity of our faith is the decisive factor in flinging mulberry trees out of the way; and 2) free grace is decisive in how God treats us before and after we have done all we ought to do. We never move beyond the need for grace. Therefore let us trust God for great things in our little faith, and let us not be paralyzed by what is left to be done in our lives and in our church. "
Monday, June 11, 2007
My Great Reward
Thanks to Paul for sharing these lyrics to remind us of our Wednesday night series on "The Blazing Center".
Audience of One
by Big Daddy Weave
album: One and Only (2002)
(excerpts)
To my audience of one
You are Father, and you are Son
As your spirit flows free,
Let it find within me
A heart that beats to praise you.
And now just to know you more
Has become my great reward
To see your kingdom come
And your will be done
I only desire to be yours,
Lord
And Lord as the love song
Of my life is played
I have one desire
To bring glory to your name
Audience of One
by Big Daddy Weave
album: One and Only (2002)
(excerpts)
To my audience of one
You are Father, and you are Son
As your spirit flows free,
Let it find within me
A heart that beats to praise you.
And now just to know you more
Has become my great reward
To see your kingdom come
And your will be done
I only desire to be yours,
Lord
And Lord as the love song
Of my life is played
I have one desire
To bring glory to your name
Doing God's Work
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 11
DOING GOD’S WORK
The LORD will continually guide you (Isaiah 58:11).
An important concept of God’s will is that God can only guide a moving ship. He is the rudder, but if the ship isn’t under way, it can’t be directed. Willingness to obey His will gets the ship moving.
In Acts 15:36, Paul had decided to revisit the churches he helped establish on his first missionary trip. The churches were being strengthened and increasing in number (Acts 16:5). Luke reports:
And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:6-9).
Sometimes God’s leading does not make sense. If God wanted Paul to go to Macedonia in the first place, why didn’t He make it easier and faster by having Paul travel by land to Caesarea and sail to Macedonia? Because God starts us out on a life course to fulfill a certain purpose and then, only when we are ready, He gives us course corrections. Like a good river pilot, He steers us away from troubled waters, and like a good coach, He never puts us in the game until we are ready.
I believe in divine guidance as described in Isaiah 58:11. But the context reveals that there are prerequisites that have to be satisfied. We are sometimes like a person who seeks to be an athlete by simply suiting up for the race. That’s not how the skills are gained. It’s in the course of dedication, training, and the contest itself that one gains the skill of an athlete.
It’s in the doing of God’s work that His will becomes known.
Thank You, Father, that You oversee every turn in the road of my life. I want to faithfully heed Your guidance today.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in ChristAll Rights ReservedTaken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
Sermon: Expect God to Show Up
Aaron continued this week to look at the "powerful" prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. Verse 20 speaks of "his power that is at work within us". We noticed it is God at work (his power) and it is a present tense: "is" at work -- God is working now within us.
Verse 21 tells us what will happen as a result of God at work in our lives through His power: "to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!"
Verse 21 tells us what will happen as a result of God at work in our lives through His power: "to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!"
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Monday, June 11, 2007 - Soaring in a Storm
In my book, Soaring on High, we gain some spiritual insights from the life of an eagle. And this is one unique eagle characteristic which is very inspiring.
Eagles and Storms
Eagles deal differently with an approaching storm than other birds. Instead of flying away, an eagle will stay perched on his nest until he feels the first rain drops. Then he launches flight from his lofty home, using the strong winds that accompany the storm to take him higher and higher until he sees the sunlight beams around him and the storm clouds beneath. The eagle has no ability to stop the storm, but he has the ability to fly above the storm.
The Storms of Our Lives
Jesus told us up front to expect storms, and He also told us how to react to them:
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
“You will have trouble.” It’s guaranteed. The Christian life is not an escape hatch from trouble. “But take heart!” Jesus reminds and us. “Take heart, be encouraged, because I have overcome the world.” We may honestly ask, what good does it do me in my troubled world to know that Jesus has overcome the world?
Here’s how: We who are born again by His power are “in Jesus.” Colossians 3:3 tells us, For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Since we are in Him, we are able to take heart and be encouraged, even in the midst of trouble, because we don’t have to weather the storm; Jesus does it for us. We are in Him, and He has overcome the world and its trouble.
Being “in Jesus” gets us through our storms. He is our protection and all we have to do–all we can do–is to relax “in Him” and enjoy the safety that He provides. He won this safety for us when He overcame death and sin and the grave. He rose again to demonstrate His victory over trouble. He rules over the storms of our lives. He is a shelter in the time of storm.Remember, you are equipped to soar above the storms and turn that adversity into an advantage.
Monday, June 11, 2007 - Soaring in a Storm
In my book, Soaring on High, we gain some spiritual insights from the life of an eagle. And this is one unique eagle characteristic which is very inspiring.
Eagles and Storms
Eagles deal differently with an approaching storm than other birds. Instead of flying away, an eagle will stay perched on his nest until he feels the first rain drops. Then he launches flight from his lofty home, using the strong winds that accompany the storm to take him higher and higher until he sees the sunlight beams around him and the storm clouds beneath. The eagle has no ability to stop the storm, but he has the ability to fly above the storm.
The Storms of Our Lives
Jesus told us up front to expect storms, and He also told us how to react to them:
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
“You will have trouble.” It’s guaranteed. The Christian life is not an escape hatch from trouble. “But take heart!” Jesus reminds and us. “Take heart, be encouraged, because I have overcome the world.” We may honestly ask, what good does it do me in my troubled world to know that Jesus has overcome the world?
Here’s how: We who are born again by His power are “in Jesus.” Colossians 3:3 tells us, For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Since we are in Him, we are able to take heart and be encouraged, even in the midst of trouble, because we don’t have to weather the storm; Jesus does it for us. We are in Him, and He has overcome the world and its trouble.
Being “in Jesus” gets us through our storms. He is our protection and all we have to do–all we can do–is to relax “in Him” and enjoy the safety that He provides. He won this safety for us when He overcame death and sin and the grave. He rose again to demonstrate His victory over trouble. He rules over the storms of our lives. He is a shelter in the time of storm.Remember, you are equipped to soar above the storms and turn that adversity into an advantage.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Telescopes
A few verses (from 2 Corinthians, ESV, emphasis added) on being a telescope (from Wednesday night's DVD: Blazing Center) to magnify God in our lives. We want to make His name great, not because of who we are but because of who He is, to show others who don't know Him how great God really is.
5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. [Chapter 4]
18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. [Chapter 5]
As Isaiah 26:8 (NLT) says "Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name."
5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. [Chapter 4]
18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. [Chapter 5]
As Isaiah 26:8 (NLT) says "Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name."
Singing Joyful Praise to God
1-2 A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk, with orchestra:
God, I've heard what our ancestors say about you,
and I'm stopped in my tracks, down on my knees.
Do among us what you did among them.
Work among us as you worked among them.
And as you bring judgment, as you surely must,
remember mercy.
17-19Though the cherry trees don't blossom
and the strawberries don't ripen,Though the apples are worm-eaten
and the wheat fields stunted,Though the sheep pens are sheepless
and the cattle barns empty,I'm singing joyful praise to God.
I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.
Counting on God's Rule to prevail,
I take heart and gain strength.I run like a deer.
I feel like I'm king of the mountain!
(For congregational use, with a full orchestra.)
Habakkuk 3 (The Message)
God, I've heard what our ancestors say about you,
and I'm stopped in my tracks, down on my knees.
Do among us what you did among them.
Work among us as you worked among them.
And as you bring judgment, as you surely must,
remember mercy.
17-19Though the cherry trees don't blossom
and the strawberries don't ripen,Though the apples are worm-eaten
and the wheat fields stunted,Though the sheep pens are sheepless
and the cattle barns empty,I'm singing joyful praise to God.
I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.
Counting on God's Rule to prevail,
I take heart and gain strength.I run like a deer.
I feel like I'm king of the mountain!
(For congregational use, with a full orchestra.)
Habakkuk 3 (The Message)
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Shout Praise to God - Give Thanks to our Holy God!
Psalm 97 (The Message)
1 God rules: there's something to shout over!
On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate!
2 Bright clouds and storm clouds circle 'round him;
Right and justice anchor his rule.
3 Fire blazes out before him,
Flaming high up the craggy mountains.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear.
5 The mountains take one look at God
And melt, melt like wax before earth's Lord.
6 The heavens announce that he'll set everything right,
And everyone will see it happen—glorious!
7-8 All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry—
And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods!
On your knees, all you gods—worship him!
And Zion, you listen and take heart!
Daughters of Zion, sing your hearts out:
God has done it all, has set everything right.
9 You, God, are High God of the cosmos,
Far, far higher than any of the gods.
10 God loves all who hate evil,
And those who love him he keeps safe,
Snatches them from the grip of the wicked.
11 Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God's people,
Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.
12 So, God's people, shout praise to God,
Give thanks to our Holy God!
1 God rules: there's something to shout over!
On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate!
2 Bright clouds and storm clouds circle 'round him;
Right and justice anchor his rule.
3 Fire blazes out before him,
Flaming high up the craggy mountains.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear.
5 The mountains take one look at God
And melt, melt like wax before earth's Lord.
6 The heavens announce that he'll set everything right,
And everyone will see it happen—glorious!
7-8 All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry—
And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods!
On your knees, all you gods—worship him!
And Zion, you listen and take heart!
Daughters of Zion, sing your hearts out:
God has done it all, has set everything right.
9 You, God, are High God of the cosmos,
Far, far higher than any of the gods.
10 God loves all who hate evil,
And those who love him he keeps safe,
Snatches them from the grip of the wicked.
11 Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God's people,
Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.
12 So, God's people, shout praise to God,
Give thanks to our Holy God!
God's Allegiance
"The ultimate ground of Christian Hedonism is the fact that God is uppermost in his own affections:
The chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy himself forever.
The reason this may sound strange is that we are more accustomed to think about our duty than God's design. And when we do ask about God's design we are prone to describe it with ourselves at the center of God's affections. We may say, for example, his design is to redeem the world. Or to save sinners. Or to restore creation. Or the like.
But God's saving designs are penultimate, not ultimate. Redemption, salvation, and restoration are not God's ultimate goal. These he performs for the sake of something greater: namely, the enjoyment he has in glorifying himself. The bedrock foundation of Christian Hedonism is not God's allegiance to us, but to himself."
John Piper, Desiring God, p. 33.
The chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy himself forever.
The reason this may sound strange is that we are more accustomed to think about our duty than God's design. And when we do ask about God's design we are prone to describe it with ourselves at the center of God's affections. We may say, for example, his design is to redeem the world. Or to save sinners. Or to restore creation. Or the like.
But God's saving designs are penultimate, not ultimate. Redemption, salvation, and restoration are not God's ultimate goal. These he performs for the sake of something greater: namely, the enjoyment he has in glorifying himself. The bedrock foundation of Christian Hedonism is not God's allegiance to us, but to himself."
John Piper, Desiring God, p. 33.
If He Wills
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 7
IF HE WILLS
My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work (John 4:34).
I'm sometimes impressed by how much people can accomplish when they believe in themselves. When I worked on the Apollo space program in the 1960s, we bid on a contract for the space shuttle. The technology to build the type of rocket it would take to boost that size payload into space had not yet been developed, but NASA believed that given enough time and resources, it could be done. Ten years later it was. Some who believe only in science exhibit greater faith than Christians. How much more should we be able to accomplish if the object of our faith is God?
Every commandment of God comes with a promise: "For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes" (2 Corinthians 1:20). God will never command us to do something that He will not empower us to do. It is never a question of whether God can, but if He wills. If He wills, then we can, if we believe. Those predisposed to do His will understand what it is (John 7:17), and by the grace of God will do it.
It is critical to realize that God is under no obligation to man. God is only under obligation to Himself and to the covenants He has made with us. We don't need God jumping around in heaven catering to our every whim! There will never be a day when we say something and God has to do it because we said it. We cannot box God in.
There was a woman in my pastorate who wouldn't let me pray for her dying husband if I concluded my prayer with, "Be it done according to Thy will." I will never apologize for bowing to a higher authority. We are told to pray, "Thy will be done." Any other way would put us in the position of the Lord. The independent use of God's Word and divine attributes is precisely how Satan tempted Jesus. Jesus withstood the temptation to act independently of God the Father and declared that His food was to do the will of His Father who sent Him. That is our food as well.
Thank You, Lord, that You have all the power I need to accomplish Your will for my life today. I tap into Your vast power source by faith to accomplish great things for You.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in ChristAll Rights ReservedTaken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
June 7
IF HE WILLS
My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work (John 4:34).
I'm sometimes impressed by how much people can accomplish when they believe in themselves. When I worked on the Apollo space program in the 1960s, we bid on a contract for the space shuttle. The technology to build the type of rocket it would take to boost that size payload into space had not yet been developed, but NASA believed that given enough time and resources, it could be done. Ten years later it was. Some who believe only in science exhibit greater faith than Christians. How much more should we be able to accomplish if the object of our faith is God?
Every commandment of God comes with a promise: "For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes" (2 Corinthians 1:20). God will never command us to do something that He will not empower us to do. It is never a question of whether God can, but if He wills. If He wills, then we can, if we believe. Those predisposed to do His will understand what it is (John 7:17), and by the grace of God will do it.
It is critical to realize that God is under no obligation to man. God is only under obligation to Himself and to the covenants He has made with us. We don't need God jumping around in heaven catering to our every whim! There will never be a day when we say something and God has to do it because we said it. We cannot box God in.
There was a woman in my pastorate who wouldn't let me pray for her dying husband if I concluded my prayer with, "Be it done according to Thy will." I will never apologize for bowing to a higher authority. We are told to pray, "Thy will be done." Any other way would put us in the position of the Lord. The independent use of God's Word and divine attributes is precisely how Satan tempted Jesus. Jesus withstood the temptation to act independently of God the Father and declared that His food was to do the will of His Father who sent Him. That is our food as well.
Thank You, Lord, that You have all the power I need to accomplish Your will for my life today. I tap into Your vast power source by faith to accomplish great things for You.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in ChristAll Rights ReservedTaken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Self-Exaltation
"God is the one Being in all the universe for whom seeking his own praise is the ultimately loving act. For him, self-exaltation is the highest virtue. When he does all things "for the praise of his glory," he preserves for us and offers us the only thing in the world which can satisfy our longings. God is for us! And the foundation of that love is that God has been, is now, and always will be, for himself."
John Piper, Desiring God, p. 49.
John Piper, Desiring God, p. 49.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Encouraging Words
So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it.
1 Thessalonians 5:11, The Message
1 Thessalonians 5:11, The Message
Prayer Verse
Our prayer verse this week is Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
In "Ask Your Father in Heaven" John Piper said:
"When you pause to consider that God is infinitely strong and can do all that he pleases, and that he is infinitely righteous so that he only does what is right, and that he is infinitely good so that everything he does is perfectly good, and that he is infinitely wise so that he always knows perfectly what is right and good, and that he is infinitely loving so that in all his strength and righteousness and goodness and wisdom he raises the eternal joy of his loved ones as high as it can be raised—when you pause to consider this, then the lavish invitations of this God to ask him for good things, with the promise that he will give them, is unimaginably wonderful.
Which means that one of the great short-term tragedies in the church is how little inclination we have to pray. The greatest invitation in the world is extended to us, and incomprehensibly we regularly turn away to other things. It’s as though God sent us an invitation to the greatest banquet that ever was and we sent word back, “I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it,” or, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them,” or, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come” (Luke 14:18-20)."
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
In "Ask Your Father in Heaven" John Piper said:
"When you pause to consider that God is infinitely strong and can do all that he pleases, and that he is infinitely righteous so that he only does what is right, and that he is infinitely good so that everything he does is perfectly good, and that he is infinitely wise so that he always knows perfectly what is right and good, and that he is infinitely loving so that in all his strength and righteousness and goodness and wisdom he raises the eternal joy of his loved ones as high as it can be raised—when you pause to consider this, then the lavish invitations of this God to ask him for good things, with the promise that he will give them, is unimaginably wonderful.
Which means that one of the great short-term tragedies in the church is how little inclination we have to pray. The greatest invitation in the world is extended to us, and incomprehensibly we regularly turn away to other things. It’s as though God sent us an invitation to the greatest banquet that ever was and we sent word back, “I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it,” or, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go to examine them,” or, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come” (Luke 14:18-20)."
Monday, June 04, 2007
Sermon: This is His House
Ephesians 4: 14-21
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Aaron spoke yesterday on the first "power" that we see in verse 16-17a. A few points from the sermon:
We decide if Christ will reside or preside in our hearts. (We need to allow the Spirit to take over in our lives. The Spirit inwardly renews us day by day [2 Cor 4:7-16])
The reason we have the power (v. 17 "so that") is that Christ might dwell (move in and live there forever) in our hearts.
From an illustration: "Lord, I pray that you will match my capacity with my opportunity." (Prayer of a boy who has fallen into a vat of chocolate.)
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Aaron spoke yesterday on the first "power" that we see in verse 16-17a. A few points from the sermon:
We decide if Christ will reside or preside in our hearts. (We need to allow the Spirit to take over in our lives. The Spirit inwardly renews us day by day [2 Cor 4:7-16])
The reason we have the power (v. 17 "so that") is that Christ might dwell (move in and live there forever) in our hearts.
From an illustration: "Lord, I pray that you will match my capacity with my opportunity." (Prayer of a boy who has fallen into a vat of chocolate.)
Positive Believing
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 4
June 4
POSITIVE BELIEVING
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
If You Believe You Can, You Can
If you think you are beaten—you are.
If you think you dare not—you don't.
If you want to win but think you can't,
It is almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose—you've lost.
For out in the world we find
That success begins with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.
This poem, whose author is unknown to me, reflects the popular view of life known as the power of positive thinking. The Christian community has been somewhat reluctant to buy into this view and for good reason. Thinking is a function of the mind which cannot exceed its input and attributes. Attempting to push the mind beyond its limitations will only result in moving from the world of reality to fantasy.
The Christian, however, has far greater potential for success in life in the power of positive believing. Belief incorporates the mind but is not limited by it. Faith actually transcends the limitations of the mind and incorporates the real but unseen world. The believer's faith is as valid as its object, which is the living (Christ) and written (Bible) Word of God. With the infinite God of the universe as the object of Christian faith, there is virtually no limit to the spiritual heights that positive believing can take you.
Lord, You have said that I can accomplish great things with faith the size of a tiny mustard seed. May my life today be marked by the power of positive believing.
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in ChristAll Rights ReservedTaken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson
Perception Feedback
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Monday, June 04, 2007 - Perception Feedback
Perception equals reality! You've probably heard that somewhere before. I am convinced that if I want to be everything I can be, use my gifts to their fullest, take advantage of all the opportunities God brings my way, and represent Jesus Christ most effectively, I have to continually focus on how I am perceived by others, because indeed, perception equals reality.
That simply means that we are all good at judging books by their cover, jumping to quick conclusions, and relying on first impressions. Now, quite frankly, all of us need to work harder at not doing those things, because more often than not our first impressions are either wrong or very incomplete, and inside those books we discover something quite different from the cover. But the facts are, people do and I'm sure always will jump to conclusions, and you and I need to be aware of the perception others have of us.
Why? Well, not because we are living to try to please people or because we need the approval of others. And certainly not because we are trying to appear to be anything that we are not. But we need to be concerned with how we are perceived because we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ, and we want to do the best job we can to represent Him favorably. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:21, For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. Also, we need to be concerned about how others perceive us because if their perception is wrong, it can hold us back and do damage to us.
Few people ever intentionally try to create a bad impression or perception. Most of us are doing our best to do things right. But we need to develop ways to get "perception feedback," and find out how others perceive us. Some years ago I was speaking at a woman's seminar, and half way through the day one of the women sent me a note. It was a very nicely written note but it was a direct criticism, suggesting that a certain way I was presenting something gave a bad impression.Once I got over the initial react stage, I realized she had given me some valuable "perception feedback," and I immediately made the change she suggested, which improved my presentation. Mind you, I never intended to create a bad impression and had no idea the audience could perceive what I was saying in a negative way. But once I had that perception feedback, I put myself in my audience's shoes and said, "You know, she's right." Then I made the change and improved my presentation! So who benefited? Me mostly!
Monday, June 04, 2007 - Perception Feedback
Perception equals reality! You've probably heard that somewhere before. I am convinced that if I want to be everything I can be, use my gifts to their fullest, take advantage of all the opportunities God brings my way, and represent Jesus Christ most effectively, I have to continually focus on how I am perceived by others, because indeed, perception equals reality.
That simply means that we are all good at judging books by their cover, jumping to quick conclusions, and relying on first impressions. Now, quite frankly, all of us need to work harder at not doing those things, because more often than not our first impressions are either wrong or very incomplete, and inside those books we discover something quite different from the cover. But the facts are, people do and I'm sure always will jump to conclusions, and you and I need to be aware of the perception others have of us.
Why? Well, not because we are living to try to please people or because we need the approval of others. And certainly not because we are trying to appear to be anything that we are not. But we need to be concerned with how we are perceived because we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ, and we want to do the best job we can to represent Him favorably. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:21, For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. Also, we need to be concerned about how others perceive us because if their perception is wrong, it can hold us back and do damage to us.
Few people ever intentionally try to create a bad impression or perception. Most of us are doing our best to do things right. But we need to develop ways to get "perception feedback," and find out how others perceive us. Some years ago I was speaking at a woman's seminar, and half way through the day one of the women sent me a note. It was a very nicely written note but it was a direct criticism, suggesting that a certain way I was presenting something gave a bad impression.Once I got over the initial react stage, I realized she had given me some valuable "perception feedback," and I immediately made the change she suggested, which improved my presentation. Mind you, I never intended to create a bad impression and had no idea the audience could perceive what I was saying in a negative way. But once I had that perception feedback, I put myself in my audience's shoes and said, "You know, she's right." Then I made the change and improved my presentation! So who benefited? Me mostly!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Repentance
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
Matthew 3:2, NKJV
"Repentance is not an emotion. It is not feeling sorry for your sins. It is a decision. It is deciding that you have been wrong in supposing that you could manage your own life and be your own god. It is deciding that you were wrong in thinking that you had, or you could get, the strength, education and training to make it on your own. It is deciding that you have been told a pack of lies about yourself and your neighbors and your world.
And it is deciding that God in Jesus Christ is telling you the truth. ... Repentance is a decision to follow Jesus and become his pilgrim in the path of peace."
A Long Obedience
Eugene Peterson, God's Message for Each Day
Matthew 3:2, NKJV
"Repentance is not an emotion. It is not feeling sorry for your sins. It is a decision. It is deciding that you have been wrong in supposing that you could manage your own life and be your own god. It is deciding that you were wrong in thinking that you had, or you could get, the strength, education and training to make it on your own. It is deciding that you have been told a pack of lies about yourself and your neighbors and your world.
And it is deciding that God in Jesus Christ is telling you the truth. ... Repentance is a decision to follow Jesus and become his pilgrim in the path of peace."
A Long Obedience
Eugene Peterson, God's Message for Each Day
God's Glory
Moses said, "Please show me your glory." And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Exodus 33: 18-19, ESV
Exodus 33: 18-19, ESV
What We Treasure
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ Devotional
June 1
WHAT WE TREASURE
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19, 20).
There are material goods which Jesus identifies as "treasures upon earth." And there are immaterial goods which Jesus calls "treasures in heaven." Treasures upon earth have two characteristics.
First, all natural things decay. What rust doesn't destroy, moths or termites will. Second, because of the value of earthly treasures, there is always a concern for security. It is hard to be anxiety-free if we are worried about our possessions. The more we possess, the more we cause others to covet, hence the reason why "thieves break in and steal."
On the other hand, treasures in heaven are beyond the reach of thieves and secure from the ravages of moths and rust. Paul puts it this way: "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:7, 8).
What do you treasure in your heart? What would you exchange for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Would you exchange these qualities for a new car, a cabin in the hills, a boat in the marina, exceptional status at the top of the corporate ladder?
Achievement is determined by who or what you serve. There is a moral healthiness and simple, unaffected goodness present in the single-minded person that is absent from the one serving many masters. Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious" (Matthew 6;24, 25).
There will be no peace serving two masters. To whichever master we yield, by that master we shall be controlled.
Father, the treasures of this world call out to me temptingly. I trust You to give me what I need and not what I selfishly desire.
| Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ All Rights Reserved Taken from Daily in Christ by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson |
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