By What Code Do You Live?

It is amazing some of the ideas and philosophies people live by. When I ask these people what they base these ideas on and where it comes from I discover the foundation is pretty flimsy. Most are things loosely based on eastern teaching or simple philosophies of life they have held on to from their experience. They are interesting philosophies but also changeable; so changeable that people try on new philosophies many times in their lifetime. The Christian cannot be like this.

Christians will grow and mature in their understanding and application but there is no shifting of foundational understanding in our lives. The benefit we have over everyone else is the Word of God, the Bible. People scoff and we get laughed at, looked down on, ridiculed but let them. At least we understand what we believe and our only challenge is to develop our faith to live what we believe. But this is part of the growth and maturity of our faith.

Refresh yourself in the inspiring words that the Spirit directed through Paul the apostle:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)

Plain and simple, with no excuses. The Bible reveals Yahweh, his plan, and who we are in him. There is nothing to add to it or take away from it. We need no other books or explanations. We do not base our life on anything else and we are not ashamed of this fact. We may feel ashamed when we start living outside of the Word and people call us out on it, but of the Word itself there is no shame.

Now the question is: Is this true of us? Are we living a life based on the Word of God, expressed in our life in Jesus? Or are we finding excuses to twist things in a certain way to allow us to do what we want? The Word comes against our sinful nature and the Spirit empowers us to overcome that nature because Jesus Christ destroyed its power over us. But that doesn't mean it has given up trying to claim us back. When we use the Word to measure ourselves and are honest about it, we will find good correction there; correction that keeps us on the right path.

The Word is under attack. It always has been. Each Christian must make the decision to testify with Paul that "it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes". Each of us must make that decision that it reveals to us the righteousness of God and he has called us to seek that righteousness. It is good to ask yourself if you have made such decisions or if you have chosen the philosophies of a fallen world. Just be honest with yourself so that Jesus can do something with it.




  

In The Face Of Failure I Need To Be Reminded Of My True Strength

I was proud of the fact that I had developed a very strong immune system. It hadn't always been that way. For a long time I would catch every bug that was around. It seemed that I just had to walk past a sick person and I would catch it. I knew exactly which times of the year I would catch a cold, and I would have at least two per year. But I worked hard to improve my immune system.

I ate the sort of foods that would strengthen my system and I exercised. I had realized that by not looking after myself I was being selfish, robbing my Lord and my family from a healthy version of me. As a result, in the last five years I haven't been sick once. There have been times when I could feel the cold virus coming on but my immune system fought it off. Imagine then how shocked I was yesterday to find myself immobilized by a flu virus.

Besides feeling like I was hit by a dozen trucks, I felt defeated. I was violently sick. I could barely breathe let alone move or think. I am not a person who vomits easily but I had lots of practice yesterday. I felt like a failure. I missed important meetings and I was no support to my wife and children at all.

Today, the illness is gone and I am simply trying to regain my strength. So what scripture should I read as I open my Bible this morning?

No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. ((Psalm 33:16-17)

A mighty man is not delivered by his great immune system. Of course it is not just about my immune system but is a foundational reminder that my strength is found in the Lord, not in myself. All strength in this world is going to fail at some point. We can do everything right and we will still fail. Our intellect will fail us, as will our health, so to our wealth. Relationships will fail as will our jobs and anything else we consider something to build our life foundation on. There is only one strength that will never fail us and that is Jesus.

A recurring lesson from Scripture is that Yahweh is searching the earth for those who are loyal to him so that he can glorify himself through them:

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,On those who hope in His mercy, 
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine. (vv. 18-19)

We need to guard our attitude towards Jesus, that he remains the only one we lean on. He told us that if we build our life on him, our house will stand because all other foundations are as weak as sand. It doesn't matter how strong those relationships, finances, jobs, or immune systems look right now, they will fail you, but Jesus never will. That is our strength, our confidence, our joy.

I had no right to feel defeated yesterday. An imperfect thing failed yesterday even though I had done all the right things. However, Jesus didn't fail me. He didn't walk away in disgust. He sustained me yesterday so that he was my first thought upon waking this morning. And he was right here with me now to teach me something of which I needed reminding. It is in Jesus I trust, nothing else. He is my strength, hope, and song:

Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name. (vv. 20-21)

All else will fail, but Jesus never will. I trust in his holy name.

1 Timothy: The Law Is Good, If It Is Used Right

Without the Word of God we have nothing. Well, allow me to build on that: Without the Word of God and the Spirit we have nothing. The Bible by itself is nothing more that a document filled with stories, poetry, and good thoughts. It is only when we are possessed and empowered by the Spirit of God that the Word comes alive in us. There is no salvation that comes by the Word alone, unless it is inspired by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. This we must understand if we are going to be effective workmen.

Apostle Paul was very serious about getting it right when it came to the correct doctrine. Remember, the foundation of teaching is laid by the Apostles and Prophets. There are those of us who build on that foundation but anything that is built on any other foundation will only cause people to fall. There is no other revelation of God other than what is revealed to us by the Spirit, lining up with the Word of God. Anything else is a lie; a waste of time.

Paul wanted Timothy to work against the teaching of those who thought they knew but who were building on a false foundation:

They want to be teachers of the Law of Moses. But they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they think they do. (1 Timothy 1:7)

A lot of people think they know but the Word says that they do not know as they aught to know. Does it surprise you to know that Paul wrote these words:

We know that the Law is good, if it is used in the right way. (v. 8)

It really is hard to teach grace because we always fear that people will abuse it so we find it easier to teach the Law, to insist on the Ten Commandments. We teach from a place of punishment instead of love. We teach conformity instead of transformation. We do not use the Law in the right way and we kill those who are no longer under the Law but under grace. We are grace killers because we do not know as we aught to know and we build on a wrong foundation.

Read carefully what Paul wrote to Timothy and what the Spirit was writing to us today:

We also understand that it wasn’t given to control people who please God, but to control lawbreakers, criminals, godless people, and sinners. It is for wicked and evil people, and for murderers, who would even kill their own parents. (v. 9)

It is not the Law that controls God's children but love. The Law is for those who do not please God, who live as his enemies, who reject him even while they think they are accepting him. It is for wicked, evil people, for murderers. Ready for the next bit?

The Law was written for people who are sexual perverts or who live as homosexuals or are kidnappers or liars or won’t tell the truth in court. (v.10)

I know a lot of people who think they know but don't know as they aught to know, who would rather not see this part. They want to excuse it away. They want to ignore it. They do so at their own peril. There is no sense arguing this point. Only the conviction of the Spirit can bring them to a point of repentance. We pray for them and it is all we can do because salvation belongs to our God. But, as Paul writes, the Spirit makes sure that everything is covered through this revelation of the Law and God's grace:

It is for anything else that opposes the correct teaching of the good news that the glorious and wonderful God has given me. (v. 10b-11)

That is the proper use of the Law: Not against those under grace but to show the rebellious how it is that they are rebellious. We are so hard on each other even though we walk as creatures of grace. We hold each other up against the Law but we are walking around as forgiven law-breakers. For every sin of a brother or sister we hold up against the law, there are a hundred of our own being held up there with it. What foolish people we are. If the Law could have saved us Jesus would not have had to die.

Instead, we should be able to freely love and accept one another, trusting that the Spirit is doing what the Spirit does. We should be lifting up our brothers and sisters in Christ instead of defending the world. There are those in the Body who have been given the responsibility to correct and they do so under the direction of the Spirit. As for us, we need to love in the manner that we have been loved; we need to forgive in the manner we have been forgiven; we need to show mercy and compassion in the manner in which they have been shown to us. Let's just make sure that we are being built on the right foundation, as has been laid down by the apostles and prophets.

What Do People See In You?

Do you have Christian parents? Then you should praise the Lord for them. Although you cannot have a saving relationship with Jesus through your parents' faith, a difference has been made in your life because they are believers. They have spent years teaching you by word and deed what it is to follow Jesus. Perhaps you didn't realize it but everything they did and how they did it was teaching you about their faith in God.

I am not claiming your parents are perfect examples, no one is, but they at least instilled in you the knowledge that there is something greater in your life than what you see. Your faith and trust in Jesus was shaped ever since you could understand and interpret your parents actions and words. Jesus was shining through them to plant seeds in you so that when he made himself known to you, there was a foundation already in place.

As apostle Paul remembered his friend Timothy, his friends faith came to mind. Timothy was remarkable from the beginning. From the very first request from Paul, Timothy showed he was willing to do whatever it took to serve Jesus. Having been invited to come along with Paul and Silas, Timothy obeyed Paul's request and was circumcised. According to our faith this ceremony is no longer needed but Timothy did it due to the fact Paul ministered at the synagogues of the towns they visited. This was a step of sincere faith and Timothy never looked back. And who does Paul credit such a good foundation to?

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (2 Timothy 1)

As I said at the beginning, the source of faith is Jesus Christ, but examples of it are seen in the people we surround ourselves with. It is important for parents to understand that taking a child to church is a good thing but setting an example for their child is still their responsibility. It goes beyond kindness and good manners. It goes beyond respecting people and teaching right from wrong. Parents must demonstrate a sincere faith. Trust in Jesus is seen in the face of trying circumstances. Parents of faith do not allow worry and fear to change their behaviour or to act poorly to others. They show that when times are tough we do not find the solution in our but we bring it all to Jesus.

How we react shows our children the sincerity of our faith. What are our children seeing in us? I don't mean in the good days. Any person can smile when the sun is out. Any person can make a show of it in public. It is our children who get to see our private face. It is our children who first see our reaction to the stresses of life.  It is our children who see the inconsistencies and question how much we really believe what we say.

We need to praise the Lord for our parents who set a good example for us in what it is to trust Jesus. We also must be determined to set that example for our children. When they think of us do they think "My parents love and trust Jesus"? If someone asks them to describe you in a word, will "faith" come to mind? That's a good question to ask regardless of being a parent or not. If someone asked one of your friends to describe you in a word, what would that word be?

What Are You Grasping?

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. - ! Corinthians 13:1-3 (The Message)

There it is in a nutshell. Love is the foundation of all our motivation. But not any love. It is the love of Jesus that must occupy us. We must envelop ourselves in his love, allow it to become an ocean to us, the very air that we breathe. It is more than just looking to his example. It is more than an outside force influencing an inward change. It must become the inner force that impacts our outward actions. This is only possible when we are possessed by Jesus himself.

We can't stop pursuing greater revelation of his love. We can't stop learning. We cannot set it aside to pursue other aspects of his character because love is at the heart of all of his character. It is what binds it all together:

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:14, NIV)

After Apostle Paul describes the functioning of the Church, the Body of Christ, in 1 Corinthians 12, he said there was only one way, the excellent way, that the many parts of the Body could function as one: Love. In the Church today we try to unite people with the thought of having a common goal. Churches will try to encourage its members in this way. But often we get the goal wrong. The one thing that unites us, binds us altogether, makes us as one, is the love of Jesus Christ.

Some say we spend too much time on this subject which is not true; we don't spend enough. We have the wrong perspective of this love. We continue to treat it as something that is on the outside that we need to get in but we have to see it as something on the inside we need to pour out. This one prayer of Paul's has never left me and remains my desire that I must act on every day:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Oh to have the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge. It is the only way to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Without love we have nothing, we are nothing.

In all the glitz, glamour, pumped emotions, ecstasy music, mission statements, lofty goals, let's not lose sight of what is the real power. Let's not lose sight of the foundation. Let's not lose sight of our motivation. Let's not lose sight of the purpose of it all. If you are not grasping the love of Jesus what are you grasping? If your desire is not the fullness of God, what is your desire? Love binds it all together in perfect unity.