It isn't HAVE TO!

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

 Rom 12:9-15

This is good advice given by Paul that we are all familiar with. However, there is part of this that we often either overlook or maybe we even downright ignore. In the application of abhorring evil, loving one another, being patient in tribulation; did you notice the part about contributing to the needs of the saints?

We all apply this to money, and any time we use our money in service to God, it draws us closer to God. However, this is not all that it applies to like we want to make it. Any time send a card and write a note of encouragement, I've just invested in the plan of God’s will. When another believer is discouraged and needs somebody to talk to and I buy give a shoulder or an ear, I've done God's will. John writes, "Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God."

When we invest our money in developing relationships within the Church, it points others to God and gets us closer to one another and to Him. In other words, when you invest in the fellowship of God's house, it helps everyone involved and helps bring people to Christ. Heb.10:24,25 teaches, "encourage one another and provoke one another unto love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." Don't get caught up in "the day," that's another discussion. Pay attention to two things in this passage, encouraging and not neglecting meeting together. Many have been taught that "not neglecting meeting together" is like attendance at school. They make it a "have to" thing and this isn't what God wants at all. It should be a "want to" in our lives as Christians to not only invest in our own spirituality, but to want to do everything that I can, every time that I can to contribute to the needs of others. To not do this is to be self serving and not to consider the will of God above your own.

Do you see a need in God's house?  What are you rising up to do about it? Are you afraid to reach out to others, to invest in their lives? Ask God for help to overcome your fears and trust him with your efforts. Remember, "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."

Jim 

The Grand Scheme of Things

It has been intriguing lately, to see how bent out of shape people get over various things.  You know, the things that we have determined to be our "causes."  Those things we like to nit pick - flaunt, create miniature tornadoes over.  You should buy this particular brand of car, vote for this particular person because they belong to this or that party.

Isn't it interesting though, the things that centuries of biblical writers have shown us that God is interested in. There is a lot that is shown about what people chose and how people acted. Yet, in it all, what is truly important is revealed by God over and over again.  

• "so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity"  Lev 26:41
• "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." Isa 57:15
•  "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Mic 6:8). 
• For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, Tit 2:11,12
• But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. Jas 4:6-10

These are just a few of the places where it shows where God wants the emphasis.  It is us - our hearts, our actions, our spirits that are important.  In all of Saul of Tarsus' causes, in all of his stampeding pretense of righteousness, it is on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus that God tells Saul, "You've got it wrong Saul."  Act 9:5  "And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I AM Jesus whom thou dost persecute; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."  It is not important to kill people just to be right. It is not important that my way is right and because I'm right you're wrong.  Its not important who rules what, who has the best car, what the best deodorant is, even whose bible is better. What is important is that if your life is not walking with God, treating others with kindness and justice in this world and by the changing of your own heart making the world a better place to live, then like the mass of humanity - we've missed the boat.  

Banners? Causes? Parties? Brands? Monies? all have their place in life. Some have them, some don't. But the truth is, if you do not have your health - these are meaningless. If you do not have your spirit walking humbly with God, these are nothing.  Would you give your eyes for your cause? Would you go blind for it? Would you willingly accept a life threatening disease in exchange for your brand, your money, your politics?   Jesus said it this way,   What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul? Mat 16:26

Jim

Difficult Decisions and God's Will

Decisions are tricky. There are good ones and bad ones and making the wrong decision creates stress, anxieties, feelings of inferiority and other issues in our lives. This is why reliance upon God is something that one must learn. The main problem is that we like to be the captain of our own ships and think we know what is best, when sometimes we don't. 

How can I know that my decisions are right? How can I know that what I am choosing is what God wants?  

1. Make sure that what you are seeking is in alignment with what God has said in His word. (2 Tim.2:15; Heb.5:14)
2.  Seek what God wants, not what YOU want (Mt.6:33)
3. Base your decisions upon spiritual principle and knowledge (Jn.8:32; Jas.3:17)
4. Ask God to guide your wisdom (Jas.1:5)

Psalm 23:3 states, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”  To many, this sounds "corny" and yet others will say, ‘But I’ve tried this!’  There are times when we ask God to guide us but then come away more confused. We still couldn’t figure it out, and perhaps have heard the Tempter beckoning to us, ‘Why is knowing God’s will so difficult?’ Is God playing games with me? 

Anyone who takes the time to know God at all, will know that God is not out to confuse, make things difficult for us, or play games with us. 1 Cor.14:33 reminds us that God is not the author of confusion or unruliness, nor does he play games with or tempt anyone (Jas.1:13). This is a lie that the Evil One has spread since creation began.  God wants to guide us and He has given us the truth that we may know it (Jn.5:39; Heb.2:1-4). The problem is we often look for the wrong thing when we’re trying to find God’s will. 

• Some of us look for a feeling to tell us God’s will.  Yet, feelings can deceive. This is why feelings must be coupled with the wisdom of the truth, so that I may know the path I walk (Jas.1:25; Prov.8:20)
• Some of us want a formula to tell us God’s will. We want everything in black and white, we want the easy way and the easy answer. Yet, not everything is learned by formula, some things must be learned by use and experience (Heb.5:12-14)
• Some of us look for a fantastic sign that will show us God’s will. Yet, to constantly look for a sign to prove what God has already said is wrong (Mt.12:39). Satan himself can deceive and does deceive with such things (2 Th.2:9; Gal.1:8).  

God's will is not hard to know. It just involves looking for it (Acts 17:11) and asking God for help (Jas.1:5). Then doing, what I know to be truth (Jas.1;25).  The rest? -- you have to learn by experience and putting to practice the truth (Heb.5:14).

Jim

"Lord..what about.."

"Lord...what about...?"

"Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

James 4:15

Even if we do not understand what God’s will is, we need to respond to that direction. In fact, when we don’t understand it is even more imperative that we do exactly what he directs us to do in the scriptures. This though can become hard, because it seems repetitive and feels at times like we have to wait forever for an answer. Sometimes, God asks us to make the choice to do his will before we know the specific details of his plan. That’s because part of God’s plan is to develop trust. This is where many of us get into a battle of wills with God, wanting him to reveal his plan to us first and then will we decide whether or not to do what he tells us to do. But this isn't the way it works.

One reason God doesn't give us the full picture of his plans for your life is that you may actually be overwhelmed by what you would see. Peter records, "Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully..(1 Pet.1:10)." We do not know why it was not revealed to them, but it wasn't. Perhaps it may have been difficult for them to complete what God had in mind, if they had known. Perhaps God simply wanted their faith and trust. But that’s the point—there’s no way you can fulfill what God asks without God empowering us to do so. Even Peter was in a constant battle with Jesus over what to do. Just knowing Jesus what he did of Jesus at the time, the one time that Jesus begins to reveal some of what is about to happen to Him, Peter jumps in and says, "Not so Lord." Satan took occasion of Peter's not knowing and desire to anticipate, to try to stop through Peter what Jesus had just revealed was the will of God! Jesus states then, "But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man (Matt 16:23)."

It is a wondrous thing to know without doubt, what God's will is! That is why on some things, we have the Bible - so that we can "the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:17)." Yet, we must also be content with what God has revealed to us, and learn to leave to the will of God in trust that He knows and is preparing what is best for us those things that have not been made known. On another occasion after the resurrection, Jesus was talking with his chosen apostles, Jesus revealed to Peter a portion of what his future would behold (Jn.21:18). Yet, Peter as impetuous as ever, wants to know what is not meant for him to know - "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus responds to Peter, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me! (Jn.21:22)"

These then, are the things that we must remember. What is written in God's word, is there for my learning, my faith, and to DO! Outside of this, we must simply revert back to one principle - "YOU FOLLOW ME." Don't worry about what you do not know, don't fret because you do not know where certain things are going to lead you in your life.

Where ever you go, whatever you are doing - FOLLOW the Lord and trust that God will bring about His will in your life in His own way and own time.

Jim