What To Do When Sin Keeps Knocking

There is a lot of garbage going on which is shooting holes in the faith of many people. When you start wiping out sections of the Word it leaves you wide open to the influence of the enemy. Without the Word you have no solid ground to stand on. That is going to leave you wide open to all kinds of twistings to the morality taught by the Word of God.

As if things weren't already bad enough.

People have always struggled over sin because they try to take it on themselves. They don't understand that sin was defeated by Jesus on the cross and not by our conviction that it is wrong. Conviction has us turn to the only one who can give us freedom; Jesus. Jesus defeated sin and we have been set free so we walk in that freedom.

But what do we do when we keep being defeated by temptation?

We need to understand the nature of temptation. It is attractive. That is how it is designed, to be attractive. It wants to grab our attention and cause us to look at it. It wants to capture our attention so that our heart and mind are distracted from their intended focus. Just look how it played out for Eve:

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. (Genesis 3:6)

Eve had successfully fended off the initial lie of the enemy. When he suggested that Eve had misunderstood what Yahweh had said, she told him exactly what he said. That would be great for some leaders to remember these days. But then he managed to convince Eve to consider the fruit. Eve saw the tree. She thought about it, set her mind on it and considered that it was good for food.

Rationalization.

It is dangerous when we start to rationalize sin.

As she continued to look on that forbidden thing her rationalization made it become attractive. It became pleasant to her eyes. That rationalization progressed to the point where the attraction became a desire and she convinced herself that it would actually prove beneficial even though it was disobedient to Yahweh. 

All because she gave her mind and her heart to that thing when they actually belonged to someone else.

How do you resist temptation? Cut it off at the roots. Get your mind and heart off of that thing and get them where they belong:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

Don't make the excuse that the temptation is too strong for you. It has no power over you because sin was stripped of it's power. Now it comes down to your love. Who do you love more, Jesus Christ who died for you, or yourself with all your selfish desires?

Sin has been defeated. Satan has been defeated. You only have one King. Get your eyes off of the "tree" and on the King. Get you mind and heart out of the garbage and get them set on the Kingdom things. Decide who you love and act accordingly. He has empowered you to live a godly life. It's your choice.

Look in the mirror and speak the truth into your life, "I am set free!"

Counting My Complaints

What are you thankful for this morning?

I actually have to stop to think about that. Strange, because I can easily list my complaints. I have already spent a good part of my morning complaining to people about one thing or another, and most people would never consider me a complainer. That's how common it is. Complaining is just a natural part of our day.

But should it be?

Yes, there are all kinds of things that go wrong every day. We live with the reality that we are in a fallen and imperfect world. We live in a system that is in rebellion to God on top of the small every day imperfections. So we have a whole slue of things we can legitimately complain about. But just because it is legitimate does not mean that it is conducive for a heart that is one with Jesus.

I look at where my heart is right at this moment and I can feel that I have allowed my "legitimate" complaints to disturb my peace. And to what end? What has my complaining accomplished? Has it made me or anyone else feel better? Has it changed the situation or circumstances? Not at all.

Although our God will listen to our complaints, as he did with the psalmists, he is really looking for his children to maintain a thankful heart. I shouldn't have to work at it. With all the great stuff that our Father does for us, thanksgiving should be an ever flowing stream from our mouths. It should be a natural product of an ever increasing relationship with Jesus but we have to be aware of the need for it. We need to cultivate it until it takes root in us. It is the Spirit transforming us. Paul wrote to the Colossians:

Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. (Colossians 3:15)

I like the the word "let" in this verse. Let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. We have to give it permission, to allow it to control. This is fundamental if we desire to live life with a grateful heart. The things that rob us of our thanksgiving are usually things that are beyond our control and belong to someone else. We have to overlook those things to let the peace control our thoughts and to be thankful.

It's true. When I examine each subject of my complaints this morning I see that it was the result of someone else's actions. Each thing was either out of my control or something I was not brave enough to deal with directly. So I need to accept what I cannot control and take action on what I can deal with, all the time allowing Jesus' peace to control my thoughts.

Suddenly those things don't seem so important. Suddenly I remember who holds my day. Suddenly I begin to remember all the good things for which I am thankful. It's a much better way to start my day, praising my God from the overflow of my thankful heart.

The Truth About Marriage

There are a lot of things we say and do that we justify when there is no justification for it. We can reason away anything so we can do what we want to do. We can get away with whatever we want to get away with as long as we forget that God knows every motivation of our heart. We can even make the Bible say what we want it to say. We need to stop it.

Yesterday I said that every act against God can be traced back to a selfish heart. Every act against our neighbour can be traced back to a selfish heart. How much easier then is it for us to justify acts of hatred in a family? Just look at what husbands and wives do to each other with the emotional games they play on each other, justifying it within their self-centered world and even believing that God is on their side. These are two people who have made a covenant with each other, with God as their witness, to love each other until death separates them. Love does not play games. Love is not selfish. We should understand that it is in a relationship of love, trust, mutual understanding that these two people become an incredible spiritual force.

God hates divorce.

Those are Jesus' words. He said that there were some circumstances that God would tolerate divorce but tolerate is a long cry from support or encourage. It is amazing the acrobats we go through to try to fit within the criteria in order to justify our selfishness. I should know, I write this as a divorced man.

In most cases there are no innocent parties in divorce. We all make choices and have to live with those choices. In the case of divorce, selfishness took over at some point. Hearts got set against each other because someone wanted something that put them above the needs of the other person. Maturity, good spiritual maturity, would cause both people to set aside their own needs for the needs of the other person. Not easy but it is the thing that would please and honour the God who they say they love more than any other.

The problem is, once selfishness gets in and we start justifying our emotions, it is difficult to turn back. It is true for any relationship. Once selfishness takes root we are in a lot of trouble. Our love for God should be enough to de-root anything before it takes hold, but in order to justify ourselves we have to distance ourselves from that love because no amount of self-justification could stand in the brilliance of that love.

It is a hard thing when we begin to allow emotions to take the lead because love goes beyond emotion; it is a decision,a commitment, a covenant. Solomon said this of marriage to his son:

You should be faithful
    to your wife,
    just as you take water
    from your own well.
16 And don’t be like a stream
    from which just any woman
    may take a drink.
17 Save yourself for your wife
    and don’t have sex
    with other women.
18 Be happy with the wife
you married
    when you were young.
19 She is beautiful and graceful,
    just like a deer;
    you should be attracted to her
    and stay deeply in love. (Proverbs 5:15-19)

It is the last part that stands out for me: "You should be attracted to her and stay deeply in love." That is a decision that has to be made every day. That is a commitment, to give your whole self to your wife. There is nothing here to say it is dependent on how she acts or if she loves you too. It is a one way charge. He is telling his son that he has the responsibility to stay attracted to his wife and to stay deeply in love with her over everything else. The only thing a husband should love more than his wife is God.

I will tell you right now, every day at least ten reasons will present themselves not to love your wife. There will be ten reasons that you will need to look at in the face and say, I love my wife in the way the Lord has loved me. It is my choice, the decision I make right now. Some days will be easy and other days will be hard but every day should end with the same result, being deeply in love with your wife. It does not depend on her; it depends on you. It doesn't matter how she acts, what she does or what she says, it is your responsibility to love her:

A husband must love his wife and not abuse her. (Colossians 3:19, CEV)

There is no justification to supersede this command. It is not a command of the law but of the heart of God. If we have accepted his sacrifice on our behalf, his faithfulness in the face of our unfaithfulness, his mercy and grace, his overwhelming love, then his expectation is that we will do the same for others; how much more our wives?

Sometimes we learn these lessons on the wrong end of things. In those cases, we allow his grace to carry us along as he picks us up, dusts us off, and we begin again. His grace is incredible but he will not put up with it being abused. He knows our hearts. He knows our schemes. He knows our motivations. It comes down to what Jesus said: If we love him we will do what he has commanded. Do we love him enough to see our selfishness put aside, to do the right thing and to allow love to be the command of the day?

The Game Changer

Who do you work for? Why do you do the things you do? Are you a hard worker or do you do enough to get by? Do you do what is expected of you or do you go beyond expectations? When your mom asks you to wash the dishes, do you mop the floor as well? When your boss gives you a deadline, do you try to be a day or two early? How are you looking at life?

The Bible is a serious thing and apparently God has written it on our heart through the Holy Spirit. But sometimes we don't get it because we still don't realize that we are no longer citizens of this planet but of the Kingdom of Jesus. This means that all the patterns, rules, way of thinking and attitudes have changed. Our motivation for living and working has changed. The foundation of our life has changed. A few days ago we examined this scripture:

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

We discussed that "in the name of the Lord Jesus" means in his authority. We operate in the authority of Jesus Christ; in our actions and in our words. Now let's build on that with a verse we find not far from this one:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

There is the game changer. We don't work for men but for Jesus. God places us in certain places to be an influence for him. We are there representing Jesus, as a bus boy or a company manager. It doesn't matter where God has placed us and what the work of our hand is, it is all for his glory. When our mom asks us to do the dishes, as much as we love her, we do it for Jesus not for her. If we realized it was Jesus asking us to do the dishes I am sure we would only be too happy to clean the whole house.

If we realized what it is we are doing and who we are doing it for there would be no more half-measures. We would put our whole heart into the most meagre tasks and people would notice. We don't do it to get a better position or more pay. We don't do it for better recognition. We don't do it to feel good. Our reward is not in this place; we know we are receiving an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. Knowing this means we are all that much more generous with our time and energy. No, we do these things in obedience to the one we love.

It is the Lord Jesus we are serving not man, and that should make a huge difference in our attitude and work ethic. When we tell people we love Jesus it should be seen in the work of our hands. They should see it in our attitude toward others, including brothers, sisters, and grumpy bosses. Our work place should see a difference in us; they should see Jesus. And when they see how the Lord blesses and multiplies the work of our hands they will want to know more about our incredible King. A slack attitude, lack of joy and a grumpy face only robs people of seeing God's glory and perhaps their salvation. Realize God has purpose in all these things and serve him with all your heart.

Infecting People With A Desire For Jesus

The "American Dream" is to better the situation you find yourself in, to become successful in the world's eye. It is about going from rages to riches. Do you know that the "American Dream" has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God? Do you know that God measures success in a much different manner? Do you know God's expectation is that we will shine for him no matter our circumstances and lot in life?

I'm not saying doors of opportunity do not open  or when they do not to walk through them. If God is opening doors, he wants you to walk through, and he has reasons for it. Seldom are those reasons for us to line our own pockets but instead to advance the cause of the Kingdom. However, we are not to allow the lack of opportunities to depress our joy in the Lord for one minute. No circumstance should ever be able to dull the Lord's glory in us. Success is not measured in possessions or wealthy but instead by our obedience to our God.

Consider for a moment the attitude toward slavery. Slavery is a terrible injustice where one human being considers another to be a possession. Terrible circumstances that fly in the face of everything Jesus taught. But Apostle Paul did not run around trying to free slaves. His purpose was far more important than trying to improve people's condition in this world. He wanted everyone to possess a Kingdom perspective so the Spirit could have freedom to work through them, to infect everyone around them. Paul considered it far more important that everyone would be ambassadors for Jesus not matter their station in life:

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. (Colossians 3:22)

Imagine being a slave, not having a choice in anything, not able to go for a walk when you felt like it or be able to take a vacation. Imagine being treated like a possession, worth no more than the amount of money with which you were purchased. Now imagine knowing Jesus, being possessed by him and being told to shine for him in your attitude and work ethic for the one who saw you as nothing more than an animal.

Some of us feel that because we have a terrible boss or because we are in a terrible job we can slack off or speak against our boss. We think, because of our situation or circumstances, we have a right to complain or mouth off about everything. But when you are possessed by Jesus and compelled by his love you realize it isn't about your job, your position or your boss; it is about the values of the Kingdom. It is also about making the most of every opportunity God gives us to shine for the glory of Jesus.

Our old way of thinking, the old values, the old system is gone; we died to those things when we were transformed into a new creation. Now we have a new perspective, new values and we no longer chase after the things the world does. Knowing that our Heavenly Father is looking our for our needs, we concentration on the things of the Kingdom; not in some areas of our life but in every area. We make sure that our attitude reflects the glory of Jesus and we desire to shine with brilliance as we represent the King. Is there anything attractive about you that screams Jesus and cause people to enjoy being with you? That is our daily goal, to infect people with a desire for Jesus, no matter our lot in life.

Rules For ...

In my Bible I have a section in Colossians 3 that some editors thought it would be good to title "Rules For Christians Households". I have a problem with that. I have a problem with anything we title as "rules" in the Bible. Perhaps "rules" in the sense of being compelled by love. "If it is really love then this is what results" is how we could phrase it. There are things that are born out of love:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Paul is not giving us a set of rules here but is telling us the natural results of love. When we are possessed by the love of Jesus we are compelled to live in this. When we are possessed by his love we can't bring ourselves to hate our enemy. We can't yell at our spouse or children. We can't harbour resentment or hurt feelings. Our natural reaction is to forgive. It is not something we work at; it is something we are.

It annoys me when people try to get others to conform to "rules" they have picked out of the Bible. Jesus said if we love him we will obey him. He didn't just say obey me. God said that we needed to love him with our entire being. Love is what comes first, followed by a desire to obey, because obedience is born out of love. If you don't love Jesus then you are just going to be another religious nut trying to conform people to a set of rules.

Under that title in Colossians 3 we find these instructions:

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. (Colossians 3:18-21)

People do treat this as a set of rules. They say "The Bible commands us to love our wives" but if that is how we see it we will never manage it. Love cannot be dictated. Instead, be possessed by Jesus and you will be compelled by that love to love others. In this way wives will respect and love their husbands. Husbands will love their wives and never abuse them. Children will obey their parents, not out of fear but out of love and respect. Fathers will be consistent in their application of love to their children and thus never embitter or discourage them. Not because of a set of rules but because they are compelled by love.

People only struggle in their walk with Jesus because they haven't learned to be possessed by his love. They are treating Jesus like Gandhi, with a set of rules and good sayings to hang on the wall, publish on the internet and they honestly try to follow them. When we are possessed by the love of Jesus the Word will be written on our heart, becoming part of us and we naturally live it in love. There is a difference between conformity and transformation. The love of Jesus does not conform but transforms.

And Whatever You Do ...

It's funny how scripture evolves as we experience more of God. It isn't really that scripture evolves as much as it is our growing in the revelation of God's Word. It starts off as baby food to us as we learn to digest it and put it into action. As we go along the Spirit takes us to deeper places as our digestive system matures. At first we take small scripture verses in isolation but as we mature we put those scriptures in the context of the whole Bible. Here's an example:

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

I used to think this was telling me that whatever I decide to do I needed to do it in the name of the Lord. It gave me a sense that I get to choose my own course, as long as I ask God's blessing and dedicate it to Jesus. That is what it looked like to me in isolation. However, as I began to put it into context with the rest of the Bible I began to see it differently.

How can we be dead to ourself and still get to choose our own course? How can the Word say that we no longer belong to ourselves because we have been bought at a great price and yet we get to decide our future? How can Jesus say, "Come, follow me" and we get to decide the direction? Jesus hasn't come alive in me, I have been raised to life in him. I am not asking Jesus to come walk with me, I am accepting the invitation to go and walk with him. I am not inviting God into my life, he is inviting me into his.

On the flip side, it is possible to follow Jesus but then profit from it for ourselves. We can take his direction and make it about us instead of about his glory. We can be alive in him and still make it about us. He can give us very precise instructions and we can hi-jack those plans. This is the reason the Spirit prompted Paul to write, whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus. Whatever you have been called to, do not do it in your strength or authority but in the authority of Jesus.

Listen, you have great ideas and plans and I am sure it will turn out great, but it would be incredible if they are done in the authority of Jesus and not your own. Yes, with a lot of hard work you could feed 5,000 but Jesus did it with a prayer. There is the difference. You can do a lot in your own strength but it can't compare with what you can do in Jesus' strength. You can accomplish a lot in your own ability but it is nothing compared to the glory of doing it in God's infinite ability and authority.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

So read and understand well the whole counsel of the Word. It is not about us, our ideas, abilities or talents. It is all about Jesus, his power, authority and glory. He calls us and equips us to represent him in this place. Our name goes on nothing. We do not receive the applause. We take credit for none of it because it was Jesus' in the beginning, middle and end. And that is the truth of the matter.

Serving With A Heavenly Mind

I have had it said of me that I am so "heavenly minded you are no earthly good", but I don't believe that. In fact, I believe the opposite to be true; if we aren't heavenly minded we are no earthly good. Too many of us are so full of ourselves and the world philosophies that we have nothing to offer anyone. Be real, who wants to hear my opinion on anything? Who cares what I think. My role here is not to share my opinion but to be so full of the Spirit and God's wisdom that it is God's wisdom that I share.

My opinions don't matter and I don't trust them because they have for too long been formed by the perspective of this world. All I really want is to know God's thoughts, his knowledge and his wisdom in all matters. For this I must experience his Word through the Holy Spirit in me. I don't read the Word to have an opinion, I read it to discover God, his knowledge and wisdom. The only way I can do this beyond the words on paper is to allow the Holy Spirit to teach me the Word. This should be a goal for all of us as we encourage one another to go to the end of the matter:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

There is the word "let" again. Just as yesterday we discovered in the verse previous to this that we must "let" the peace of Jesus rule in our hearts, we must "let" (allow, permit) the Word to dwell in us. It is not something we have to force or generate. We don't have to dissect the Word and become some great theologian or scholar. All we have to do is allow the Spirit to teach us. Let go of any self-learned opinion and "let" the Spirit show you the way to greater understanding and the power to live the Word.

Too many of us try to teach and admonish without the Word. We use a bit of the Word mixed with wisdom from the world. It sounds great to a world-saturated mind, familiar and true, but we are to have nothing to do with the wisdom of this world as we lean on our God for all things. We cannot drink from two sources and expect that God will honour it. The wisdom we are to use to teach and admonish comes from the Word, from God, and if you are not "letting" the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, it is best to keep your opinions to yourself. Your opinion will not save anyone, in fact, it may cause them more harm than good.

We cannot be double minded in these things. We must be clear who is our source for all things. We cannot try to win the approval of man by becoming men and women of education. If the Spirit directs you to take higher education then do it with all his energy, for his glory and purpose. But do not try to get letters after your name so people will be impressed and you can appear wise and knowledgeable. Do not think that education will allow you to be a better minister in the Church. God has no use from education in the Church as he is the source of all things for us. Our teacher is the Holy Spirit and without him we cannot know the mind of Christ. Make sure you understand these things. Make sure you understand your motives. Make sure that Jesus is your only reason for being. He is the air we breath.

The Right Goals Are Important In Life

Goals tend to be important for us. Without goals we tend to just exist; we eat, work, sleep, eat, work, sleep for our entire life. We may have small goals like, finish our homework, go for a walk, make supper. We may even have longer term goals like buy a house, pay off the car, set money aside for retirement. But what sense of well being does that give us? Isn't well being really what we are looking for? Don't we want to wake up every day with a desire to live life, to enjoy people, to love and feel loved and then go to bed with a sense of peace and joy?

We can earn a million dollars and never feel that peace. We could get that job we always thought we wanted  and never feel that joy. We could reach retirement with our plan intact and not have a thankful word on our lips. Goals are great and needed but they must be the right goals or it will be a wasted life.

The problem is with perception and expectation. From a young age we are shaped and trained with other people's expectations. It starts off with our parents, and they only want the very best for us. They speak their dreams and hopes into us but often these are dreams and hopes already shaped by society. Then we are faced with advertisements which bombard us with images and slogans of perceived success. We face it in school, with friends and sometimes even in church. Most people don't even give it a second thought and just go with the flow, with society's perception and expectations. So many lives wasted.

In it all there is God's quiet and gentle voice calling us to something so much different; something that deals with our true well being. Quiet words, such as:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)

Jesus promises so much more than our small goals ever could. He offers more than the greatest job, best education, biggest retirement fund:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean you have discovered the truth of these words. Too many of us don't have a clue that we are suppose to trust God;  that we are suppose to follow his instructions; to listen for his direction. We accept Jesus and then continue pursuing life as usual but Jesus told us specifically not to do that:

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)

We hear the words but fail to understand; fail to allow them to affect our life; fail to allow them to change or perspective and expectations. Failing to understand these words prevents us from living a life of "risk" (faith), and keeps us in a very "safe" (dull) place all of our lives. There is no growth, just existence. Do these words have any effect on you:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

Jesus has given us peace, now we must allow that peace to rule our hearts. That means considering what is important to God and walking in that thing. It means allowing his priorities to become our priorities. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to instil God's values in us. But mostly it means letting go of everything we are dependent on and trusting God. Can you do that? Let go of society's expectations? Allow Jesus' love to be our motivation for all things, to desire to reflect his glory in all we do and say, in the choices we make? We must allow God to define success for us.

I want to wake up every morning with a desire to live life to the fullest. I don't want to feel horrible because it is morning; I want to feel excited. I don't want to see my day filled with boring routine but with endless possibilities. I don't want to see people as an interruption but as my reason for being here. I don't want to exist; I want to live life in abundance because of Jesus. And when I put my head on my pillow at night, I want a heart overflowing with thanksgiving and a great sense of peace, no matter what I faced that day.

This is all possible as we take Jesus' hand and allow him to lead.

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.

Do You Really Want To Know?

Do you want to know who you are? Do you really want to know? Sometimes we say we do; sometimes we say we want God to show us, but we don't really want to see. We are too afraid. I think we are afraid because we already know that it's pretty ugly. Come on, if we are really honest with ourselves we all know that it's not a nice place in our heart. It's the whole reason we need Jesus.

If you want a true test of your character, of who you are, ask yourself how quick you are to forgive. I don't just mean the words you speak but the thoughts you hold on to. Do you make it your purpose to decide to forget offences. I mean to never bring them up again; ever! I mean to act as if it never happened. That's what forgiveness is. It is not a "putting off" but a throwing away, to be forgotten.

How are you with loving people who don't fit into your acceptable column? I don't mean just tolerating them but calling them friend, hanging out with them, inviting them into your life? Think of some people who annoy you in your church. Did you know that love means you work through that annoyance; you act as if it doesn't exist and you love them all the more. Love is not always so easy. Jesus said it is nothing to love those who love you. But he called you to a greater love; one that shows kindness to an enemy and prays for those who persecute us. If this is said of an enemy, how much more someone who is united with us by the same Spirit?

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13)

At the foundation of our life in Jesus is the fact that we no longer belong to ourselves, but we were purchased at a great price. We belong to Jesus and as such we take on the character of our Master. Obviously we can't change ourselves but the power of the transformation gives us the authority to make decisions. We have to make the decision to forgive and then the Spirit gives us the power to make it happen. We have to make the decision to love and then the Spirit gives us the power to see if flourish. We can't make the mistake of thinking we are going to get zapped with something and all the hurt and pain is going to disappear. We have to submit that hurt and pain to Jesus, just give it over to him as our Master, and decide to forgive. We will soon discover the power is there to make it happen.

Remember, we don't belong to ourselves any more which means no one can offend us. They may offend our Master but Jesus will take care of that. We cannot take offence because we died. Only someone alive can take offence. We died and were brought back to life, but not life in ourselves again; we are only alive in Jesus. We no longer live for ourselves.

We can't be satisfied to stay where we are. The transformation has taken place and is taking place every day. We have to know and act in the character of Jesus. If there is prejudice and unforgiveness found in us then we do not understand who we are in Jesus. We are a new creation and these things do not belong to us. Because we have received forgiveness, we forgive. Because Jesus bared with us and went to the cross for us, we can bear with each other, laying down our lives for one another. His power in us makes it possible. This is what we should see when we ask the Lord to show us our heart. It is what should occupy us. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Words That Shape Us

How you see yourself is exactly how you are going to act. That is why the words that we allow into our heart can be so powerful, if we allow them to change our perception. If we are not absolutely sure of who we are those words, which come from other people, can actually shape us into how other people see us. This is why it is important for parents to speak good things into their children because those young lives are still being shaped and are influenced by our words.

This is also why it is important that we only allow God's words to shape us. We need to be absolutely sure of who we are in Jesus so that assurance will prevent others from shaping us. Consider these words:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved ... (Colossians 3:12a)

Chosen, holy, loved. This describes us. Chosen because God made a choice in sending Jesus so that we may be saved from destruction and adopted into the Father's family. Holy because, by God's grace, that is what he has declared over us and made the decision how to see us, even though we are not worthy of that word; it is who we are because God said we are holy. Loved because God has poured out all his mercy, forgiveness and compassion on us, transforming us into something new, saving us from ourselves and sitting us at his right hand with Jesus.

Now how could we ever listen to any words that say we are ugly when God says we are beautiful? There are too many hurtful words that we could repeat here but why bother; they don't apply to us. God has told us exactly who we are and we need to act on those words, allowing them to shape our perception and action. If words can be spoken to convince us we are stupid and we act stupid, should not the words of God propel us into acts of greatness?

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (v12)

Because we are chosen, holy and loved we are shaped so that we become compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient. If you are not sure of who you are then words will shape you into other actions even though you desire to be these things from God. You may want to be compassionate but because you are not convinced you are chosen, holy and loved, your actions will not reflect Jesus' character; you will not cooperate with the Holy Spirit in you.

We can't just attend church, Bible Study and sing sings, hoping for the best. We have to be transformed. We have to allow the blood of Jesus Christ to transform us into the new creation to which God has called us. We need to allow the power of the Holy Spirit to continue the transformation process daily. We need to be convinced of who we are in Jesus so the words of God are the only words that shape us. Know who you are in Jesus and walk that walk.

Christ Is All, And Is In All

Looking at the history of the Church it is not hard to tell that transformation was not always understood. For far too long the Church was used by powerful men to get what they wanted. It was a tool used to hold power over the masses. Much of our history is a thing of shame. Remnants remained but the vast majority of people had no idea what it was to be alive in Jesus. This is seen in the dark parts of our history when men and women were judged because of their nationality or the colour of their skin.

I think one of the most beautiful, poetic and truly wonderful verses of the Bible is this:

Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:11)

I think Jesus demonstrated this fact when he chose Matthew, the tax collector, and Judas, the Zealot, to be his disciples. When we are in Jesus, it does not matter our trade, nationality, skin colour, education, financial situation or position in society; we are all his disciples and all that matters to us is Jesus.

There are really only two groups on the face of this planet: those who are a new creation and those who are enslaved to their sin nature. That is all that we should see as a people alive in Jesus. We should know God's heart for those who are enslaved and we should share that heart. All of our focus and desire should be to see the enslaved set free because that is all our Father desires and it is the reason Jesus died. It is why you are where you are right and our desire should be to see everyone come to the same place of freedom.

We accept and believe with all our heart what John 3:16 says, that "whoever" believes will be saved. There is no prejudice in the Body of Christ. There is no judgement. There is no special or select group of people. Everyone has been called to repentance. Everyone has been called to Jesus. He was lifted up that all eyes would look upon him and be saved. Salvation is for everyone and to everyone we must bring it.

You don't need to go out of your country to find those who are enslaved; they exist on your street. In my province 0.3% of the population are born again Christians. There are a lot of people enslaved on my street, in my town and I have been given the responsibility to lift Jesus up to them. It doesn't matter the language they speak or the religion they belong to. It doesn't matter their age or sex. It doesn't matter if they are rich or poor. They need Jesus and I have to tell them about him.

What is your focus? Where is your heart? What is your mind set upon? Do you possess the mind of Christ? Do you share God's desire? Have you been transformed or conformed? Are you on a mission? Do you want to see the captives set free? Then go, make disciples of everyone.  

Waking Up To Holiness

It seems for the last week the Holy Spirit has been pushing the point that we are to be transformed not conformed to the righteousness of God. Perhaps it is because of the fasting many people are doing. I really hope that everyone is participating in the fast with the right motivation and understanding and aren't doing the old Lent thing people used to do for Easter. People would give up something minor to identify with the suffering of Jesus. As if giving up coffee or television could ever help us identify with the beating, suffering and crucifixion of Jesus.

Fasting should help us see the things that need to be changed in our life so there can be more of Jesus and less of us. There should be a throwing out of things to make room for the Holy Spirit. There should be a throwing off of things that do not belong to our new nature so the glory of Jesus can shine in us. But, as we discussed yesterday, it is only possible when we have died and been raised to live in Jesus. The transformation must have started in order for us to possess the power and authority to "put to death" the things that belong to the old nature from which we were just transformed.

If you have been saved, put to death with Jesus on the cross, and raised with him according to your faith in the power of God to do so, then you have the power to get rid of those things that have had authority over you for years. We read in Colossians 3:

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. (Colossians 3:7-8)

Again, it must be stressed, this cannot be done from a self-help, self-improvement mentality and perspective. If you have tried to improve yourself, and failed, it is because you are not doing it within the power of the transformation. It means you are trying to do it in your own authority and without Jesus you have no authority over your sin nature. You honestly have to die with Jesus and be raised to life as a new creation in the power of God. Christianity is not something to be trifled with; it is a transforming power that changes what you were. Christians are actually a bunch of aliens walking around on this planet, no longer natives to this world, no longer fitting in.

If you have gone through the transformation, you possess the power and authority of Jesus to put to death these things that no longer are part of you. You can get rid of that anger that once possessed you, the rage that overwhelmed you. Malice and slander no longer feel natural to your lips and actually leave a sick feeling in your stomach. Filthy language tastes like bile so that even in the worse moments of your day only praises of our King occupy your tongue. If any of these things still belong to you I suggest you examine closely your relationship with Jesus, whether it is an honest one or not.

We no longer belong to this world so we do not conform to its patterns, its way of thinking, its perspective. We no longer try to go with the flow or fit in. Being popular or accepted is no longer our goal or concern. To live our transformed lives to the glory of Jesus Christ and to walk in obedience to his purpose for us is what we desire. And it is to a re-awakening of this understanding that I hope your fasting is moving you toward. Through the transformation of your life in Jesus, you have been given the power over sin in your life and for the sake of your relationship with Jesus I pray you are exercising that power.

Will You Act On Your Beliefs?

How are you saved? Did you do it for yourself? Did you find some way to extract your sin nature and now you are free to live God's law? Of course not. You have no such power over yourself. You are saved by the act of Jesus Christ and your faith to believe. In fact, the faith isn't even yours. We are too spiritually impoverished to possess such faith so even that had to be lent to us. But we have to believe. Belief is not something you talk about but something you act upon. You live by your beliefs.

Yet, belief by itself is useless when placed in false thinking. Belief has to be based on truth. You can believe you can fly but when you jump off the top of a building to live your belief you will soon discover that the law of gravity is greater than your belief. So belief by itself will not save you. Belief comes alive when met by truth and the truth is that Jesus saved you on the cross. Not only did he save you but he let loose the power of transformation. Your salvation sparked the transformation that became possible through the single act of death on the cross.

Belief must be more than just the fact you are saved because salvation came in a big package with many other things, your freedom being one of them. You believe you are saved? Great! Now start acting like the free person you are. Stop submitting yourself to sin. Stop making excuses that you are only human because you aren't. You are a new creation and as a new creation you have been given freedom from what once held you in bondage. This is what was meant when this was written:

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (Colossians 3:5-6)

People fall for the lie: "We have no power over these things". You were given power. You were given the power to say no. You were given freedom. But it takes as much belief to walk in that freedom as it does to accept the gift of salvation.

There is no doubt that the enemy does not like the fact he has lost control over us and will use every opportunity he has to get the old nature back in control. When we are tired, lazy, bored, unfocused, forgetful, weak, he will present us with all kinds of opportunities. Many of us fail because we do not believe we have power over these things so we do not act upon that power.

Put it to death, not in your own power. You cannot save yourself. You cannot stop yourself from sinning. You are not more powerful than the enemy. However, you have been given the power. You have been set free. You are now greater than the enemy because of who you live in. Because you died and were raised to life in Jesus, you are not what once you were and now you have been given the power to say no; the power to put the enemy under your feet.

We are without excuse. The power of the resurrection courses through our veins. We are possessed by the Spirit of God. We are more than conquerors. We are an overcomer because Jesus has overcome. Your greatness is not measured in the values of this world but according to God's love. You are a giant in this world, mighty warrior, and it is time to live this victorious life according to our beliefs.

Jesus Is Our Life

Imagine if I told you "Man is something I do but it doesn't run my life"? You would probably think I am nuts. "Man" isn't what I do, it is what I am. Everything I do is shaped by the fact that I am a man. I can't stop being a man and decide to be an elephant. I can't set it aside and just be a man during certain days of the week or times of the day. I eat, drink, sleep, work, and play as a man. It is the same with Christianity.

Christianity isn't something we do, it is what we are. Everything we do is shaped by the fact that we are a Christian. We can't stop being a Christian and decide to be something else for a while. We can't set it aside and just be a Christian during certain days of the week or times of the day. We eat, drink, sleep, work, and play as a Christian. It is not an external religion that tries to impact the soul. It is an inner "being" that impacts our environment.

I will keep stressing this until the day I die, we are a new creation, different than what we were before, changed forever. It is like a chemical change, when molecules are all changed around to form something new. We died and were born again as something completely different, capable of doing things that we could not do before and not dependant on the things that were destroying us. Where once we could not avoid the distractions and sins of this world, now we can.

Jesus is not part of our life. He is not someone who hangs around on occasion who we spend time with. He didn't set things in motion and then back off. Jesus is our life:

When Christ, who is your life, appears,then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

I don't know if that is sinking in. He is not part of our life; he is our life. I can no more separate him from me than I can separate being a man from me. Everything I think, my perspective, my actions, my reactions all come through Jesus because the life I live I live in Jesus. I gave up my independent life when I died and was raised in Jesus. There was a chemical change that changed everything in me. I am not what once I was, and either are you.

This means we have to stop living according to the pattern of this world and live by the direction of the Holy Spirit. We must allow Jesus to impact every part of us. The Bible is not a set of rules to be followed; it is a bunch of road markers to let us know if we are on the right track. The Word of God is not some old document or history book; it is written on our hearts that we would live it. If we do not see in ourselves what we read in the Word it means that the relationship is not right and we need to deal with it. It is not God working outwards in but inwards out because Jesus is our life.

If Christianity remains a thing of conformity to you then you do not know Jesus. If it is a prudish thing that seems out-dated then you do not know Jesus. If Jesus is something you think about on occasion and a reason to go to church then you do not know Jesus. To know him is to be "chemically" changed forever, having died to what once you were and are now alive in him. If Jesus is not your life now then you will have no eternal life on his appearing.

What's Up With This Fasting Stuff?

As a great portion of the Church spends these days in fasting, we should ask ourselves why? Why fast? Why spend time not eating, not watching television or movies? Why turn off FaceBook? Why set aside video games? Why put away those magazines? The reason is very simple. When you are in a forest all you can see is trees. You have to come out of those trees in order to see the forest.

Like it or not we surround ourselves with the things of this world. We may preach the Word of God but we still take pleasure from this world like anyone else. But those pleasures can blind us to the bigger picture. They can distract us from our calling and purpose. They can ruin out palate for the taste of God's Word. They cause our life to be complicate, cluttered and down right messy and usually it is our devotion to Jesus that gets squeezed out.

Fasting gets us out of the "trees" and allows us to take in the beauty of the "forest". It allows us to breathe, re-evaluate where we are, what we are doing and what is important. It frees up our mind and our heart so we can give them the rich "food" of heaven. It gives the Spirit room to restore our soul. It closes the door on all that "noise" so we can be still and know that God is God.

Many Christians struggle spiritually. Many say "I can't hear the Spirit". Many question their beliefs. It isn't because the message of the gospel has changed. It isn't because Jesus has changed. It is because their life is so full of "noise" they can't hear God. The solution is to do what we have always supposed to have done:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. (Colossians 3:1)

Didn't Jesus say not to pursue the things that the pagan's pursue? But what do we spend 99% of our life doing? Is there really any difference between us and those without Jesus, besides us going to church, maybe? During this time of fasting we should be asking God to examine us, to correct our ways:

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (v. 2)

The Word says to set our hearts on things above and then it says to make sure our minds are there as well. There is a reason for this: We aren't like everyone else. We aren't like our friends who get caught up in the dramas of Tumblr and FaceBook. We aren't into the High School scene. We don't make work our life. We don't live for retirement. Our goal is not to own a home, two cars and to have 1.2 children. We are not concerned about the stock market or worried over the rumours of wars. We don't diminish our calling by throwing away our calling on xbox games and movies. We are different from the world:

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)

And that is the truth of the matter. We do not live for ourselves but for Jesus. We don't live in ourselves but in Jesus. We do not seek self-pleasure but what pleases God. Our joy is not what we do but what we are because of Jesus. Our peace does not come from external matters but is a gift from Jesus, deserved or not.

I hope your goal in your fasting is to rediscover these facts. I pray you are seeking his face.

Losing The Loser Attitude

I am trying hard to write and preach about Christmas but I can't. It is a great celebration, an event we must recognize and teach to others. It is the moment that the Creator became part of his creation. There are so many parts of the story that tell us a great deal about God and I enjoy examining them each year. Yet, there is an urgency pressing upon me; there is so much more that is important right now. There is so much that people do not understand and time is running out.

Time is short and the world is getting darker. The enemy is doing his best to destroy as much as he can, to inflict as much hurt on God and to shroud the whole earth in darkness before his time is up. Those who carry the light of Jesus have to shine brighter than ever before. We have to laugh more, sing louder, worker better, play harder, share more. We have to be more of Jesus in a world that needs to see Jesus.

That sounds like we can save the world by our works and that is not what I am saying. Jesus has given us life and he has given it to us in abundance. He has done this so we can live for his glory. He wants us to live large for his glory. He wants us to succeed for his glory. He wants us filled with joy for his glory. He wants us to flow with life for his glory. He wants the world to take note of us. He wants us to walk in this world as giants, overflowing with grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, joy. It flows from us like a river.

Our circumstances do not matter. We could be in desert places or green pastures. We could be the poorest of the poor or the richest of the rich. We could live in a shanty town or in a 10 million dollar mansion. We could be part of a broken family or a member of the Brady Bunch. It doesn't matter where we are, we are to shine wherever we have been planted.

Too many of us work hard for all the wrong reasons. We work hard to save for our retirement. Maybe it is for the future education of our children. For others the hard work is for a house and car. These are all good reasons to work hard but it cannot be the motivation of those possessed by Jesus Christ. Our motivation is to glorify Jesus. We want to shine so others will take note, so we will stand like a giant, that success will cause heads to turn and questions to be asked. And we do not succeed by our skill but by the will of God.

God told us he will bless the work of our hands because we are his children:

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. (Deut 28:12)

But we have the attitude that we can just sit back and it will come to us. Perhaps that would be true if God only intended to bless us for us but he hasn't. Israel made the mistake of thinking that it was all about them but it is not about us. God wants to bless the work of our hands so that Jesus will be glorified, that the Church would be blessed and that Jesus would be lifted up, so the world would see and know him.

God desires to bless the work of our hands but it means we have to work. We have to honour our teachers with obedience, or bosses with our best effort. We have to give 100% so no glory is robbed from Jesus:

Whatever you do, work at it will all your heart, as working for The Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from The Lord as a reward. It is The Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

If you clean toilets for a living, be the very best toilet cleaner. Clean better and more than anyone else. Stand out for Jesus. Students, don't take short cuts. You are robbing Jesus of his glory. Study hard. Be determined to be top of your class. What you lack God will make up for. He will bless the work of your hands. Stop doing it for your own gain. Change your attitude and do it so Jesus receives the glory.

We have to lose the loser attitude. It's not about our skill or what we need to gain. It is all about God wanting us to be stand outs. We are the nation he has set aside for his purpose, a people set apart to reveal Jesus Christ to the nations, who God has placed on a hill to shine for the world to see. We need to live in the character of Jesus, working hard at what we do, being organized, expecting Jesus to bless the work of our hands so he will be lifted up and glorified in our living. Time is running out. The world needs the Church to shine and you are the Church, so shine.