God's Purpose For You

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

Your ministry is an area of service in which you use your God-given gifts, talents and abilities to glorify God and edify the body of Christ in the place where God has asked you to join him. In Pastor Rick Warren's book, Purpose Driven Life, he used the acrostic SHAPE. God shapes us for His purpose. He uses our S - spiritual gifts, H - heart or passion, A - abilities, P - personality, and E - experiences. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act." -Psalm 37:4-5

I believe that as you pursue God and His will, He will give you a passion or heart for what He is passionate for. It is not that He will give you what you want but will change what your "wanter". That is why you see people abandon what the world would say is best and good - success, security, and comfort, for a life that is focused on God and others. Less of the world and more of God.

During the Katrina recovery, I recall someone asking me if I liked being in Mississippi while we were serving there. We were surrounded by piles of debris, damaged houses, and what seemed to be an endless line of discouraged - heartbroken people. We lived in a 24ft RV next to a swamp.  Working 7 days a week,14 to 16 hours a day. I thought about it for a minute and then told them that "what I have come to realizes is there is nothing better than being in the center of God's will for your life. Geography and circumstances, for that matter, have nothing to do with it." When you surrender to your God-given purpose, there is nothing that seems more natural. Like slipping on your favorite pair of shoes. It is a comfortable life - even in the midst of a disaster. 

So, what is it that God has SHAPED you for? It may be right where you live and the place where you work or, are serving and it might not. It is not about geography or difficulty. You may not be purposed to preach on a street corner, but maybe you are. Whatever it might be, I want to encourage you to step into it. God won't ask you to do anything that you can do without Him.  Remember, He is asking you to join Him in the field that He is ploughing, not you. He was there before you arrived.  Whatever it is - big or small - far or near - do it all for the glory of God and the good of others.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

The Soul Of A Nation

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" - 2 Timothy 3:1-5

In 2019 then-presidential candidate Joe Biden released a campaign video characterizing the election as a struggle for the soul of our nation. In the face of the 2024 election, Donald Trump is promoting a Bible, for only $60 - which includes the chorus to Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA," as well as the text of the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance. An article I read recently said that 60 percent of U.S. citizens profess to be Christians. Sounds good but define Christian - I suspect it does not mean that they are all born again by Faith in Jesus. Just a guess.

OK, I think I may have offended Democrats and Republicans equally, or nearly. The United States is not a Christian nation. It is a nation with Christians in it. The founding documents are rooted in Biblical principles, but some of the signers were also slave owners. The struggle for the souls of all men and women no matter the nation is why God sent His Son to ransom those who would believe.

Do not think that people, alone, especially people with political motives, will turn the hearts of the people in this country toward God.  Only God can do that. There are people who have a form of godliness for the purpose of political expedience, power and wealth. Read 2 Timothy again!

Dr. Tony Evans once said, "If you’re a messed-up man, you’re going to contribute to a messed-up family. If you’re a messed-up family, you’re going to contribute to a messed-up church. If you’re a messed-up church, you’re going to contribute to a messed-up community. A messed-up community adds to a messed-up state, which leads to a messed-up country resulting in a broken world. The only way to remedy a broken world is to build it with better countries composed of better states filled with better communities influencing better churches attended by stronger families led by better men. It starts with you."

Just by a casual reading of the headlines, I suspect that you are well aware that the reality of 2 Timothy 3 has been made real to Christians - born again Believers - by the happenings in this country today. Spiritual, soulful change does not happen from the top down, like politicians would suggest - but from the bottom up - just like Dr Evans suggested. Be the light!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Hearing The Master's Voice

"...And God said  ...  " - Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26

That of course is the story of the Beginning - of creation. God spoke it and it was. I think that sometimes we tend to trivialize who God is. Oh, we know all about Genesis, but that has little to do with how we respond to God. He has shown His power throughout the Bible. He raised Jesus from the tomb. He often told the prophets to do what was impossible, but it happened in spite of the doubts. 

Jesus told Peter to join him on the sea and Peter did, that is until he started to doubt. Jesus told Lazarus to come out of the tomb and he did, even though everyone was convinced that it was impossible. Jesus healed many by simply speaking it - just like His Father. In revelation, the two witnesses were killed but God spoke, and they lived again. Then God said, "Come up here" and they ascended into heaven.

We have been teaching and living the 7 Principles or Realities as Dr, Blackaby refers to them, in Experiencing God for about 20 years. The 4th principle is hearing God's voice. We have the capacity to hear God only because of the Spirit of God. When God speaks it always challenges our belief. It always requires us to change our choices. It always requires faith and obedience. 

"I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come." - Ephesians 1:16-21

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Are You A Christ Follower

…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. —1 Corinthians 10:31

 “We have a tendency to look for wonder in our experience, and we mistake heroic actions for real heroes. It’s one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through everyday glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. If we are not looking for halos, we at least want something that will make people say, “What a wonderful man of prayer he is!” or, “What a great woman of devotion she is!” If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time. To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His. The true test of a saint’s life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. Our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life “hidden with Christ in God” in our everyday human conditions (Colossians 3:3).” - Oswald Chamber, My Utmost For His Highest

Let’s say you have two bolts. With one bolt you fix a high-performance car that wins a race.  With the other bolt you fix your lawn mower.  Which bolt has more significance and has best fulfilled its purpose?  Neither.  Neither is better.  Both fulfilled their purpose as you decided.  In the same way, God has a purpose for every Christian – every Christ follower.  (Don’t you love that expression?  Being a Christian might be viewed as “merely” getting saved. As if that were not enough!  But being a “Christ follower” suggests that you are more than saved, you are a true disciple, you have laid down your worldly nets and are following Jesus, wherever He leads.)  

Your fulfilling your purpose is not meant to bring glory to you but to God. It doesn’t matter if God uses you on a sports car or a lawn mower.  What matters is that you are obedient to His call and direction.  People talk to me about what Martie and I do and have done for the Kingdom and other people.  We do it for the glory of God.  Billy Graham did what he did for the same reason.  The faithful widow who is never seen by anyone, she does what she does for the same reason.  I often tell people that the only credit I can take is for saying “yes” to God.  Everything else is from God.  He formed me, He purposed me, He gifted me and He called me.  The same goes for you too.

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” - Psalm 51: 16-17 

Which is to say that it is not what you do for God, but what you allow God to do in you.  

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what the Lord requires of you but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” - Micah 6:8

There is only one way you can do that and it’s by the power of God, not self-effort. 

 “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” - 1 Samuel 15:22

To be obedient to your purpose means that you must sacrifice your will for God’s will.  You must overcome your fear and doubt with faith.  You must love God more than you love yourself. It doesn’t matter where you are sent or what you are sent to do … being in the center of God’s will and walking obediently in it is the absolute best place you can be.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Called To Be Holy In An Unholy World

…unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:20

“The characteristic of a disciple is not that he does good things, but that he is good in his motives, having been made good by the supernatural grace of God. … The purity that God demands is impossible unless I can be remade within, and that is exactly what Jesus has undertaken to do through His redemption… The great wonder of Jesus Christ’s salvation is that He changes our heredity. He does not change human nature— He changes its source, and thereby its motives as well.”  Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." - Isaiah 6:5

When Isaiah was in the presence of the Lord, he was suddenly and painfully aware of his sinful nature. That awareness was inescapable.  His very nature was laid bare before God.  There was nothing Isaiah could do to make it right or to hide it.  It was necessary for God to intervene on Isaiah’s behalf. 

“Then flew one of the Seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” - Isaiah 6:6-7

In the same way God intervened on our behalf on the day of our rebirth by faith in Jesus. The question that came to my mind this morning is this. After so many days, months or years have passed, am I still aware of my dependence upon the Father’s intervention in my life? We are all a people of unclean lips and cannot stand in the presence of a holy God on our own merit.  Or have I “adjusted” to my new life and really don’t see my sins as being significant. As far as most of us are concerned, we can become content in maintaining our sin life at an acceptable level.  The truth of that fact is displayed in the way we live our lives. Making comparisons with other people who are more sinful than we are. We must all be on our guard. 

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

I Can't Get No Satisfaction

…All my springs are in you. —Psalm 87:7

"We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ— a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues. Depending solely on what they have by virtue of heredity. God does not take our natural virtues and transform them." - Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest 

I was watching a documentary of sorts on PBS the other evening.  It was about people going back to the country of their ancestors.  They wanted to recapture the culture and the religious practices of that country.  To restore what was lost.  To cling to the “seed of Adam” as if somehow that would make them right with the world and satisfy a void in their life. Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician and philosopher wrote “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus”  Along the same vein, C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” To quote a famous "poet of our time" - Mick Jagger - "I can't get no satisfaction!" 

2 Corinthians 5:17 says that if we are “in Christ” – redeemed – save – reborn by the Spirit – we are new, the old has passed away and all things are becoming new – living the sanctified life.  Sanctified – set apart – consecrated for a holy purpose.  In their struggle to satisfy the yearning that God has put in each of us, the natural man turns to natural things … possession .. heritage … but never finds it.  That is because only God can satisfy it through Jesus Christ.  The other solutions seem reasonable … but then God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts … 

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." - (1 Corinthians 1:18-25

My encouragement to you is to keep this fresh in your mind.  To have a spiritual perspective on what is going on around you.  That your natural inclination is to try to find satisfaction through the things of this world … but your supernatural life only finds satisfaction in Jesus.  And if it doesn’t, well – Houston we have a problem!  We are approaching Easter. Perhaps it is a good time to spiritually recalibrate your heart and mind.  To shake off the old and fully embrace the new.  It requires discipline and the pursuing the things of God through His Word, prayer and worship.  That is my hope for you.   But then again, that has always been my hope for you.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Even If He Doesn't Answer Put Your Faith In The Father

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." - Habakuk 3:17-18

I love that! What do you believe about faith and prayer? Do you believe that if you have enough faith then God will do whatever you ask? Let me share one of Jesus' prayers.

"And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." - Matthew 26:37-39

Ok so that was Jesus. Jesus asked that God, the Father, intervene and give Jesus a pass on the Cross.  But then He added - but not my will but God's will be done. You know what happened and, like me, are eternally grateful that Jesus did not go His own way. 

"I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." - John 5:30

Jesus is our example.  His focus was and is on the will of God.  God did not promise that we would escape hardship - financial, physical, emotional, or relational. Not so long as we live on this sin-filled planet. Do you remember Job?

"Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong." - Job 1:13-22

Makes you not want to answer the door, doesn't it? Recall Satan had come against Job to prove that Job would reject God if Job lost everything he loved. But Job was committed to submitting to the will of God above all else and he put his faith in the Father. 

God has answered the most important prayer I ever have or ever will pray. The biggest miracle in my life is my salvation. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Resisting - Quenching The Spirit Of God

If you…remember that your brother has something against you… —Matthew 5:23

“This verse says, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you….” It is not saying, “If you search and find something because of your unbalanced sensitivity,” but, “If you…remember….” In other words, if something is brought to your conscious mind by the Spirit of God— “First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:24). Never object to the intense sensitivity of the Spirit of God in you when He is instructing you down to the smallest detail. Jesus does not mention the other person— He says for you to go. It is not a matter of your rights. The true mark of the saint is that he can waive his own rights and obey the Lord Jesus. The process of reconciliation is clearly marked. First we have the heroic spirit of self-sacrifice, then the sudden restraint by the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit, and then we are stopped at the point of our conviction. This is followed by obedience to the Word of God.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 

Has the Spirit of God ever spoken something to you that was contrary to what you wanted to do?  If you are born again and therefore have been sealed by the Spirit, He has.  And you resisted. Why? Because we tend to follow the ways of the flesh.  The Spirit convicts of sin, which is to say we are living or doing in a way that is contrary to the nature of God and our new nature.  The question is, “How do you respond when He speaks?”  Do you say “yes Lord”? Or do you “turn the music up to drown out His voice” because you don’t want to do the very thing He is saying – do? 

The Bible calls that quenching the Spirit or putting the fire out.  Oh Saint, this life we live in the flesh we live by faith.  (Galatians 2:20) God will always prompt you to obedience.  Confront you to deal with those things that hinder your unfettered relationship with Him.  You cannot offer anything acceptable to God if you do not have “clean hands and a clean heart”.  

If you choose to ignore the prompting of the Spirit you are doing nothing more than practicing vain religion.  Praising God with your lips while your heart is far from Him. (Matthew 15:8) You might as well be watching TV for all of the spiritual good that is being derived!  We are a stubborn lot.  Holding on to attitudes and habits that are clearly contrary to who we are in Christ. You are not alone in this struggle.  But God has given you the power to overcome, and the means to live in victory.  You must pick up your cross daily and yield your life to the leading of the Spirit.  That requires faith and that comes from God.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

The Place Of The Cross

 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." - Galatians 2:20

God sees Me through the Cross

 

We were watching a sermon on television this last Sunday since neither of us were well and we thought it best not to share whatever it was with the Saints.  The pastor gave perhaps one of the best illustrations that I have seen.  He had a thin cross, perhaps 2 feet by 2 feet. He held the cross out in front of him, raised slightly and said, "This is how God sees me! He sees me through the cross!" His sermon was about having hope for tomorrow. Having the right perspective on our new life in Christ. When God looks at me, He sees Jesus. Think about that. Why can we come boldly to the Throne of Grace? Because of Jesus and not because of our own righteousness. 

I then see Others the same way.

Then he held the cross between him and the people in the congregation. He said, "In the same way that is how I am to see others." Through the cross. My ability to see the world like God sees the world is because of Jesus. 

"We love Him because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:19

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Whose Lookin' At You

"Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" - Hebrews 12:1 

When you read that verse, what image comes to your mind's eye? Perhaps something like the Superbowl stadium. The stands filled with Saints who have gone before us. Watching every move, good and bad, that we make. Cheering us on to live by faith. I know that is what has come to my mind. 

Recently Martie and I have been watching something called the "Repair Shop", a BBC program. People bring in family heirlooms that have fallen into disrepair seeking to have them brought back to life, if you will. Their hope is to have the restored object serve as a visual, physical reminder of the loved one that has passed on before them. The result is always very emotional for the owners of the heirloom. It almost seems like ministry. In fact, it conjures up the feelings that I have had when we helped people who were dealing with devastating loss recover, in part, by repairing their homes. 

The law of Christ referenced in Galatians 6 is referring to Matthew 22:37-39, love God and love others. It was interesting that in the majority of cases on the Repair Shop, the person would say something like "If [my loved one] is looking down I know that they are proud of what has been done." Like if they are in heaven, looking down, the person who has passed would be happy that the broken item was fixed. Seems like a nice thought, but I wondered how that thinking syncs with what the Bible says about our mortal death. 

Does the Hebrews reference to a great cloud of witnesses mean to say those in my family that were saved before their passing are sitting in the heavenly stands watching me? There is a web site called GotQuestions.org that answers Bible questions that I have found helpful from time to time. This is it had to say.

"So who are those that comprise the “cloud of witnesses,” and how is it they “surround” us? To understand this, we need to look at the previous chapter, as evidenced by the word therefore beginning chapter 12. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the rest of the Old Testament believers looked forward with faith to the coming of the Messiah. The author of Hebrews illustrates this eloquently in chapter 11 and then ends the chapter by telling us that the forefathers had faith to guide and direct them, but God had something better planned. Then he begins chapter 12 with a reference to these faithful men and women who paved the way for us. What the Old Testament believers looked forward to in faith—the Messiah—we look back to, having seen the fulfillment of all the prophecies concerning His first coming. 

We are surrounded by the saints of the past in a unique way. It’s not that the faithful who have gone before us are spectators to the race we run. Rather, it is a figurative representation and means that we ought to act as if they were in sight and cheering us on to the same victory in the life of faith that they obtained. We are to be inspired by the godly examples these saints set during their lives. These are those whose past lives of faith encourage others to live that way, too. That the cloud is referred to as “great” indicates that millions of believers have gone before us, each bearing witness to the life of faith we now live." - Got Questions.org

There are a great many spiritual things that we don't fully understand now that we will later. There is much more that can be said about what happens when we, as Christians, die a physical death. Perhaps I will share my understanding about that later - but not today.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Telling Others All Is Well When It Isn't

We make it our aim…to be well pleasing to Him. —2 Corinthians 5:9

"We make it our aim….” It requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out; not making our first priority to win souls, or to establish churches, or to have revivals, but seeking only “to be well pleasing to Him.” It is not a lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but a lack of working to keep our eyes focused and on the right goal. At least once a week examine yourself before God to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you. Paul spoke of the importance of controlling his own body so that it would not take him in the wrong direction. My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life. Is my primary goal in life to please Him and to be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how lofty it may sound?” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest 

 Living by faith and walking in the light does not just happen.  It requires commitment and discipline. 

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.  Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation."  -  Philippians 2:12-15

This new life requires effort of the heart… to submit to the Lord requires us to lay down on the altar.  Working out our salvation is not self-effort .. trying harder to be “good” …. it’s submission. 

So many people are satisfied with working on having a good-Christian appearance and miss the joy and peace that comes from living in obedience to the will of God.  I know too many people that are struggling with life and refuse to trust God.  (perhaps you do too) If you ask them, they will tell you that “all is well”, but all is not well, they just want it to be in spite of their living in disobedience. I have often said, tongue in cheek, the moment most lies are told in the week is Sunday morning when we greet one another. We ask, "How are you?" and they answer "I'm fine" when in fact they may be dealing with difficult circumstances. BTW, we may prefer that they don't tell us the truth. After all we have our own problems. Oh - what did Paul say about that?

"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2

 Desperation of circumstances can subvert your faith and divert your walk.  Unless you are willing to trust and obey.  I wish I could do that for others, but I can’t, I can only watch their struggle and hope they look to God for answers instead of trusting in their own designs that have consistently failed them in the past.  Pray for them and perhaps be an encouragement to them.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

The Word - Both Sweet And Bitter

"Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth.” So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” Then I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings." - Revelation 10:8-11

The Word that comes from God is sweet and it is bitter at the same time.  I love jalapeños - hot ones. I remember once I was preparing a meal with my son. I used to buy them in a big jar. It was sitting on the counter and as I cooked and talked I would reach into the jar and eat a jalapeño slice.  My son was watching me and then he reached into the jar, pulled out a slice and put it in his mouth. In a moment his eyes got big, started to water and he spit the jalapeño into the sink. The taste and the heat was intolerable to him, but I loved it - still do. 

It is the same with the Word of God. I love the Word of God and I am certain you do as well, else you would not be reading this. David wrote in Psalm 19

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward." - Psalm 19:7-11

For the Child of God the Word can be sweet and bitter. It blesses and brings conviction of sin. For the one whose heart is far from God it brings condemnation. It exposes a sinful heart. It is bitter in the stomach. Unless the Spirit of God is stirring a sinner's heart to repentance and salvation do not expect someone to thank you for sharing Truth with them. In fact, they are more likely to curse you. That person might even be someone that you love. Even so, do not forsake your calling to be salt and light. Salt can sting and light can hurt your eyes. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

When You Say You Love God Then Don't

"But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great." - Luke 6:46-49

Where do you draw the line between faithful Christians and religious fanatics. What's a fanatic? Well, that is my point. It all depends upon your decision about how you live your new life. What you have decided is "good enough" with respect to your devotion to God and your witness to the world. We all are familiar with the term, "personal relationship with Christ", but that does not mean that my level of spirituality and faith commitment is personal to me and really no one else's business.  Good enough might mean attending Sunday morning church and trying to be a nice person. It might also mean that having made the "cut" you are free to live your life by your rules.

To some, being a fanatic may mean someone who does more than attend Sunday morning or maybe takes a stand against abortion or some other issue that the culture embraces that is contrary to the Word of God. Or perhaps they openly share Jesus with people when the Spirit gives them opportunity. No matter where they are at the time. 

Do you only think about your faith only when it is time to eat or on Sunday morning? Then you don't need to worry. You are not a fanatic. Our goal should not be to avoid fanaticism, but to be wholly devoted to God. The quality of your Christian life is dependent upon your willingness to surrender to the will of God. If you have a problem with obedience like Jesus referred to in Luke that means that you have a love problem. If you don't have a problem with obedience, then you are probably not a fanatic you are faithful. Which is a good thing to be. 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

A Weed Is Still A Weed By Any Other Name

 Abide in Me… —John 15:4

 “In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus— I have to do it myself. I have to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). “Abide in Me”— in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. It does not matter what my circumstances are. I can be as much assured of abiding in Jesus in any one of them as I am in any prayer meeting. It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our Lord’s inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. We have none of the serenity of the life which is “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).”  Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

 I am not writing to the unsaved person.  That person has no spiritual capacity to understand.  They cannot understand spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14 “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”) and have absolutely no ability to live in obedience to the Word of God.  They cannot hear God? They cannot abide in Christ because they do not belong to God’s household. No, I am writing to those who bear the mark of God, the Spirit of God sealed upon their hearts.  I write to those who have professed faith in Jesus and have, at one time, committed to follow Him.  

In John 6, we learn that many disciples who were following Jesus reached a point where, they stopped following Him.  For Christians who struggle with their faith, the reason, most often, is a matter of the heart. It doesn’t happen suddenly like a clap of thunder and bolt of lightning, but more like the weeds that grow up amongst the flowers.  Ignored, there are only a few small weeds, but one day, the flower garden has been taken over, seized. The few small weeds have multiplied and become dominant, choking out the flowers and their beauty, robbing the flowers of their sustenance.  

Few Christians intended to allow that to happen.  They thought that they could manage their sin, the desires of their old nature.  Your old nature cannot be managed, it must be crucified and left for dead.  Something about weeds.  Some of them have a flower that would lead you to believe that they are harmless … and not a weed at all.  And so it is with our sin.  It may seem harmless, but it always causes separation from God, a quenched Spirit. The issue of sin is not its size.  Like leaven, its presence affects the whole loaf.  Even if we try to convince ourselves otherwise in an attempt to justify our sin.  Do not be deceived.  And if it has already happened.  Confess and repent.  I saw a weed in our back yard just the other day. I thought, I will take care of it later. It is still in growing in the back yard where I last saw it. Very often "later" never comes.  

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

What Does It Take to Be Spiritually One

"I [Jesus] do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." - John 17:20-23

As Christians there are a number of ways that we are one. Since the day we were born again by faith we have been indwelled by the Spirit of God. Therefore, we can by one with God and Jesus as Jesus prayed in John 17. As Christians, indwelled by the Spirit, we can be one with other Christians.

"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in [by faith] Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3:27-28

As Christians, indwelled by the Spirit, God intended that we be one with our spouses. An important point is that God declared that before Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. 

"Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." - Genesis 2:24

Since the root of being one is our relationship with God then it is impossible to be one with others apart from first being one with God. Remember the greatest commandment is to love God with the entirety of our being. Then we have the capacity to love others.  Of course, the precondition to be one with other people, including our spouses is that they are Christians. 

"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?" - 2 Corinthians 6:14

When we are one by the Spirit of God then we are fulfilling the will of God. If your relationship is dependent upon the flesh and the best it can conjure up which is a temporary oneness dependent upon human will then we are not one as God intended. Pretty simple in concept but not so simple in practice.

Consider, if being one is God's intent and it is only achievable by faith, then how is it that Christians can be divided? Why do Christian marriages fail? Yup - you know - it is called sin.  The key to being one with other people is to first be one with God. Both you and them. That makes it possible. The next condition is that your hearts must be right - submitted to the Spirit and not submitted to sin.    

"that the world may know that You [God the Father] have sent Me [Jesus], and have loved them as You have loved Me." - John 17:23

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Open My Eyes That I May See

"When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." - 2 Kings 6:15-17

Ever had any trouble in this life? Ever had a time when you were fearful because there was an impending cloud of doom following you? We all have.  We all face things in our lives that seem like giants to us. Impossible situations. That is what Elisha's servant saw. Never mind that the servant was with the prophet of God. A prophet that received a double portion of the Spirit of God when he assumed the duties of his mentor, Elijah.  All of that paled in the face of what he saw when he walked out of the tent. 

It is easy to acknowledge that we are to walk and live by faith and not by sight. Even experience the presence of God in our lives. We know that we are to trust in the Lord and not ourselves. But then comes the realities of life, the pressure of the moment and our spiritual mind goes blank on us. We wonder, "What am I going to do?"

Being prepared to respond to life spiritually is not like switching on a light when you enter a dark room. You know that you paid the light bill, so the electricity is waiting on your call. You flip the switch but the light does not come on. Uh oh Pinocchio! To be ready for difficult times when they come - and they will come - you must have an abiding relationship with God - prayer - reading the word of God - staying connected to other Believers.

Embrace the Word

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Stay connected to the Lord.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Keep Your Eyes On Jesus

"But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" - Matthew 14:26-31

I am certain you have heard this story in sermons and read the account yourself in the Bible.  Maybe you have been like Peter at some point in the past. Peter saw Jesus and wanted to join Him. He stepped out in faith but then realized the human impossibility of what he was doing. Defying the natural laws. He stopped looking at Jesus and started relying on himself and focused on the trouble that was all around. To his regret.

I often tell people that God will never ask you to do anything for Him and with Him that you can without Him on your own. We too soon forget that what God asks us or calls us to do is a spiritual matter not a natural one. I think, often times, we are prone to read the Bible, nod our heads in agreement, but not consider what that Truth means with respect to how we live our new lives.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

We are totally dependent upon Jesus and faith.  "Apart from (Him) we can do nothing".  Nothing of eternal significance. I have talked to a number of Christians who share some significant spiritual event in their lives and then about how exhausted they were when it was over. I experienced it myself and believe the reason for the exhaustion is that we were no longer filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and our natural bodies felt the true weight of what they had just experienced in the strength of the Spirit.  

"This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts." - Zechariah 4:6

Always be ready to go when the Lord says "Go!" and do what the Lord says "Do". But don't forget to keep your eyes on Jesus! 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Finding My Voice For Jesus

"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus." - Acts 4:8-13

I have been watching the news carefully. I sense that there is a stirring in the natural world - a coming against Christians. It is very subtle.  Just a word here or there. This is one headline - "Rockwall real estate agent, volunteer church worker charged with sexually assaulting child" A volunteer church worker - she may have been, but why was it important to include that in the headline. I suspect because Christians are not supposed to do bad things and that, of course, is a very bad thing. Therefore, one might think that Christians, in general, are not as holy as they profess to be. An idea being promoted in the press is that if you are a professed Christian then you are a right-wing Republican. You might be, but then again you might not be. Your political preference is not necessarily an indication of your spiritual condition. But the world can't see your heart so you are judged by your actions. The water is coming to a slow boil with respect to our culture's attitude toward the Christian community. 

My point - there will come a time, and it may be near, when Christians may be tempted to keep their faith to themselves because of social pressure. When Jesus was arrested, He told Peter that Peter would deny Him three times. (I am certain you know the story) And Peter he would not but when the time came, he did just that. Now fast forward to Peter and John standing before the Jewish religious leaders proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah.  Notice the Word says, "filled with the Holy Spirit". That was the difference for Peter then, and it is the difference for us, now. 

There will come a time, my friends, it may not be tomorrow, when people of faith will not be tolerated. Just remember, the darker the night the brighter the light.  Given our human nature, apart from the power of the Spirit of God, most Christians will prefer to be a silent witness. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Keeping Your Distance From Other People's Problems

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back." - Luke 10:30-35

A Levite is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi, especially of that part of it which provided assistants to the priests in the worship in the Jewish temple. You know what priest is. And the Samaritan in the Bible was a person from Samaria, a region north of Jerusalem. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people of Galilee and Judea shunned the Samaritans, viewing them as a mixed race who practiced an impure, half-pagan religion.

So who would you think would be most likely want to help a Jewish man who was in trouble that was not of his own doing? That was rhetorical. :) It was not someone that was the least likely in the minds of the Jews. But that was the one who helped. The priest and the Levite, both very religious and familiar with God's character could not be bothered with helping someone of the same faith.  So how do you think they would respond to the homeless, uneducated and poor immigrants, or disenfranchised for other reasons not of their own doing. Perhaps born with the different color of skin or in the wrong neighborhood or the wrong country? It would not even be on their radar.  

Martie and I spent 4 years in Haiti.  The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. So many wonderful people live in that country. As bad as it was when we were there, it is so much worse today. Gangs rule the country. The people are suffering. Just a few days ago almost 4,000 prisoners were freed by the gangs from a prison in Port au Prince. How did that help the people? Did you know about that? Does it even concern you that it happened? 

It is so easy to walk on the other side of the road and focus on your own problems. I have often told my children, "The worst thing you have experienced is the worst thing you know." In fact, one of my daughters reminded me of my telling her that just this week. You might sympathize but you can't empathize. At least not naturally. 

You may not be able to "cross the road" to help Haiti like the Samaritan did, but could you, would you, take a moment to pray for the people who are suffering in the chaos? And if you think about it, there may be someone "lying in the ditch" a little closer to home that might need a helping hand. Are you willing to cross the road.

"Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  [Jesus asked] He [the man trying to justify his self-centeredness] said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise." - Luke 10:36-37

Note: I was about to post this devotion on Facebook when I read a post from my good friend Pastor Marc in Jacmel, Haiti.  "We do not only have bad news about Haiti. We have some good news too. Despite all the dark time we are going through, we continue to train some men and women of God for the ministries." So encouraging Bondye Bon Tout Tan - God is good all the time.  Pray that the Saints will continue to be encouraged.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

It's A Bad, Bad, Bad World

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." - Galatians 5:16-21

Part of my daily routine is to scan the news headlines on Yahoo News.  It is an amalgamation of news from a number of sources.  As I read the headlines my mind always drifts to Galatians chapter 5. The contrast described between the natural order of things, our old nature, and the spiritual order of things, our new nature. These are a few of the headlines.

A party like no other? Asia's richest man celebrates son's prenuptials with a star-studded bash

Trans prisoner Tiffany Scott dies in jail

Appeals court ruling that vacates Capitol rioter's sentence could impact dozens of Jan. 6 cases

Arizona mom yelled, 'I am going to kill you,' as she drove through park, tried to run over kids: police

Putin warns of ‘destruction of civilization’. Hear retired general’s response

Lady Gabriella Windsor’s husband Thomas Kingston died from ‘catastrophic’ head wound, inquest hears

Assistant director says armorer handed gun to Alec Baldwin before fatal shooting of cinematographer

Former NBA player, actor gets 90 years to life in California State Prison for violent sexual assaults

Restaurant staff save choking guest's life with heimlich manoeuvre [What!!! Some good news?!]

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton beat impeachment. Now he wants Super Tuesday revenge on his foes

Multi-Passenger Brawl Erupts on RyanAir Flight: ‘There Was No Calming the Situation’

Those headlines go on ad nauseum! The headlines are merely a reflection of the world we live in and a validation of what Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians. Paul likely wrote his Epistle to the Galatians while traveling through Macedonia during his third missionary journey in about A.D. 55–57. It's been a minute since he put pen to parchment! And, you might have not noticed from those headlines, the fallen nature of mankind has not changed in 2024. Technology has changed exponentially but the heart of man has not.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." - Jeremiah 17:9-10

As Christians we must live out our natural lives being situationally aware of the environment we live in. Is there good that happens in the world? Yes. Are there people who are not guilty of evil actions against others? Yes

But that does not mean that they are made right before God by good works. 

"And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." - Luke 18:18-19

There are none righteous, no not one! Our goodness is not found in us but in God through faith in Jesus.

Be the Light!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

What It Means To Be One

"I (Paul) ... urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4:1-5

I was texting with a friend of ours and they used a praying hands emoji 🙏 in the text but the hands were a different color. The color they chose suggested their ethnicity. This is not a criticism of my friend but to point out how difficult it is for Christians of different ethnicities, nationalities, and cultures, even denominational practices to identify with each other as being one. The world, in its spiritual ignorance, requires that we embrace our differences - identify with them firstly. God in His Spiritual wisdom says we are all the same by faith.

"From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" - 2 Corinthians 5:16-18

I have written about this before - several times - maybe more than several - having posted about spiritual topics over 3000 times. As I have said in the past, when choosing a subject for the devotions, I watch and listen, waiting for the Spirit to prompt me on the focus of what ai am about to write.  So here it is. If Christians are to be a light in a world that is day by day becoming more anti-Christian, it is paramount that the world sees us as one. 

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:35

We are given plenty of opportunities to declare our natural roots while at the same time claiming to be Christians who are one and who love one another. We all understand what Jesus said. We all understand what Paul wrote. But when we compare it to how many Christians actually treat each other, it is clear that we struggle with living it out. This is what Dr. Tony Evans had to say about it.

"It is technically incorrect, technically, to call yourself a black Christian, or a white Christian or Hispanic Christian, because then you make your color or your culture an adjective. 

It’s the job of an adjective to modify a noun, so if you put Christianity in the noun position and your color or culture in the “adjectival” position, you have to keep shaping the noun [who you are as a Christian] so that it looks like the adjective that describes it. So if your color or culture stays in the adjectival position you gotta keep shaping Christianity to look black, or to look white or to look red or to look yellow, [or brown] ’cause that’s the adjectival description you’ve given it. 

Your Christianity must always be in the adjectival position, your color and culture must always be in the noun position, so that if anything must be adjusted, it is the noun of your humanity and not the adjective of your faith. You and I are to define our humanity in terms of our faith, not our faith in terms of our humanity. Jesus stayed who He was, but He operated from heaven’s point of view." - Dr. Tony Evans, Seeing Race Through Jesus’ Eyes

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone