Why We Must Encourage One Another

"They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith." - Acts 14:21-22

It had not been that long since Paul and Barnabus had been with those new converts. Why was it necessary to strengthen and encourage them so soon. The reason is that Christians are like a new plant, that must be nurtured - encouraged so that it can mature and stand on its own. But the thing is that the As Christians, we were not meant to be on our own. We have a vertical relationship with God and a horizontal relationship with other Christians that must be maintained.

The Church is like a football team, if you will. Everyone has their role - their gifts or skills. They work as a team - not just 12 heroes lining up to win the game on their own - but one team. The same for the Body of Christ, the Church. A running back cannot run far if the linemen are not doing their job of making a hole in the defense that gives the running back a path to take. The players may physically work out on their own, but they play as a team - mutually supporting one another.

Those players don't sleep on the couch during the week and then show up for the game on Sunday. They study, they condition, they practice, and then they play. We had a saying in the Army that you fight the way you train. If you don't prepare beforehand then when the time comes, you won't do well.  Another thing I would say is that "you don't have to practice be miserable". But you do have to train hard and well so that you can persevere when the going gets tough.

Another thing to consider is that if you don't keep after it, persist in your preparation you will atrophy - get soft and vulnerable if you will. Well, there is a spiritual atrophy that can set in for the same reasons. Paul was like a coach - encouraging the baby Christians to press on with their faith. That is my goal in writing these devotions. There is a song - there is always a song :) with me!

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here is my heart, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above."

That should be written on a card and taped to your bathroom mirror or refrigerator door or maybe the dashboard in your car. Keep pressing. 

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14

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 

Core Values Of Christianity

 Integrity First. Service Before Self. Excellence in all we do. Sound Biblical? Like that should be on a plaque in a church. Actually, those are the core values of the United States Airforce. I worked for a government contractor and as an Air Force civilian for a time doing IT work. In the contractor business office, there were posters on the wall citing those values. For integrity was a picture of an American Bald Eagle with the words "Integrity First" at the bottom of the poster. The big boss from headquarters was visiting and talking to me about the work we were doing. I pointed casually at the poster and asked, "Do we really mean that? Or do we just like pictures of Eagles?" I don't think he was sure how to respond. And I am pretty sure he got my point. I have a penchant for asking questions that people don't want to answer. Call it a gift.

But I could ask the same question of Christians. We agree with the idea of loving God with our whole hearts - having integrity - meaning without blemish, flaw or division. Living that out can be and most likely is a challenge for all of us. Our challenge is that we all live with the tension between the spirit and the flesh. We are called to live a sanctified life. Pure and holy before God.

Putting others before ourselves is another one. John 15:13. Jesus said, "No greater love has one [person] than this, but to lay down their life for their friends [or others]. That is an indirect reference to the second greatest commandment. Love God first and others next - we are further down the list! So often we choose to look after ourselves and then we can look to the needs of others.

"And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." -  Mark 9:35

Have you ever heard the term, "It is good enough for government work?" If not - it essentially means that it doesn't have to be your best effort, just good enough. I went to a yearlong school when I was in the Army and the grade everyone strived for was what we called the "Leavenworth B". We were all high achievers, but it was all right if we coasted a bit. 

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." - Colossians 3:23-24

Living and serving for an audience of One. We should be offering God our best, not just offering the leftovers, if there are any. 

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 

Willing To Do God's Will

 "I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will." - Acts 13:22

This was the Apostle Paul recounting the relational path to the Messiah while speaking in a Synagogue with Israelites and Gentiles who worshipped God. I thought it interesting that he referenced David being a man after God's own heart but added the caveat that David's will was to do the will of the Father. Does that remind you of anything?

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me [Jesus]; yet not my will, but yours be done." - Luke 22:42

That's right, it was Jesus - the Messiah. Saying the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree is not a reference to the fruit in the Garden, but the fact that David and Jesus shared the same commitment. 

So, to my point. Not only are we to love God with our whole hearts, but we are to submit to the will of the Father. He is to be our primary devotion not our will. Like Jesus, we may want to see something happen in our lives, but we must be willing to yield to the will of God. For Jesus, that meant going to the cross. That was the reason God sent Jesus to the Earth to begin with. Jesus knew that. Even talked about it with the disciples. 

"Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" - Matthew 20:17-19

It is one thing to talk about what will or may happen and what we are ready to do. It is quite another to be facing it - staring in the mouth of the lion. To walk by faith in such times requires spiritual preparation. That is so much more than mere mental acknowledgement of what God has said. We can sit at our kitchen table in the early morning reading our Bible or in the pew on Sunday listening to a sermon and nod our heads in agreement that what we read or hear is Truth. It is quite another to have our faith put to the test.

I am thinking about my old friend - Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

It's our understanding - our old nature that strives to dominate our doing. Like my friend who asked me, "Are you crazy?" when I told him that Martie and I were going to Haiti after leaving Mississippi. Why would anyone intentionally put themselves in harm's way? As I told him - "It's not my idea, it's God's!" 

That is not on the same level as Jesus' struggle, but it is the same issue. The question is, will you submit to the will of God when it is contrary to what you would choose on your own? The proof will be in what you do, not what you say you will do. 

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 

God Works At Both Ends Of The Stick

"Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” So, he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him." - Acts 10:17-23

The idea that God speaks by His Spirit through other Christians is something that I have shared before. Peter and the Centurion is a Biblical example. I think there is a practical value for us to consider the dynamic. First, you know that all believers are sealed with Holy Spirit. 

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." - Ephesians 1:13-14

 and we are all indwelt by the same Holy Spirit

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" - 1 Corinthians 3:16

To be affirmed by another Christian when you believe that you have received a word from the Lord has Biblical precedent and personal testimony from the Saints. When you believe that God has spoken - that He is calling and/or leading you to a work then you should make it a practice to seek out the counsel of godly men and women as a way of affirming the call. God works at both ends to the stick.

That counsel should not be received as your sole source of affirmation but in concert with prayer, the Word, and circumstances that have presented themselves. My point is that our response to what we believe that God is saying to us should be tempered with patience and discernment. Testing that it is not our flesh or old nature that is prompting us - but is in fact the Lord.

What the Lord revealed to Peter on the rooftop was contrary to what Peter had known to be true. What he had embraced and practiced his whole life. Now God had revealed the "mystery" that "not all Israel was Israel". That the Jews had thought in terms of the physical - ethnic Israel but there was a spiritual Israel - the Israel of the Promise to Abraham that included Gentiles.  That was radical. But God affirmed it through Cornelius and raised up an Apostle to the Gentiles - Paul. 

Having said that - we must be careful that we don't stray from the truth because we believe that we have heard from God when we have not. Refusing to listen to the counsel of mature Christians we are in danger of charging off on a path that the Lord has not set our feet on. Many who were well intentioned have traveled that road to their detriment. Intending to bring glory to God, they have not.

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 

Is Jesus In Or Is He Out?

"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

I must say, before I start, that I am going to be wading into deep water today. I am attempting to clarify the idea of the habitation of Jesus with respect to Believers. Followers of the Way.

I do my best to pay close attention to the sermons and prayers that I hear. Not in a critical sense, but in anticipation of hearing the Spirit speak in the midst of the words of men and women. And I often do -thanks be to God. But sometimes I hear things said that seem to contradict what is written in the Bible, at least as I understand it.

I often hear people say that I have Jesus in my heart. What exactly does that mean? What does it mean when we say that Christ lives in us? We know that when Jesus left the earth He ascended to Heaven. Then Father sent the Spirit to inhabit each Believer. Still with me? Jesus told the disciples that He was leaving and going back to the Father.

"I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father." - John 16:28 

Paul wrote that Jesus was seated in heaven waiting for His eventual return for the Church, his Bride. 

"which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 1:20

"Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest [that being Jesus], who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens" - Hebrews 8:1

So is He in or is He out?

Jesus prayed that we might be one as He and the Father are one, emphasizing that Jesus was going to be with the Father.

"And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one." - John 17:11

I think the issue is understanding the Godhead. Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Our salvation is dependent upon the grace and mercy of the Father, the Sacrifice and continuous intercession by the Son and the indwelling of the Spirit as the seal of our redemption. So, my conclusion is - Jesus is in and He is out. He is both. We very often want to think about the spiritual in the context of the natural. Physics says that one object can't be in two places at once and neither can two objects occupy the same space. Those are natural laws. God is not bound to them like our mortal bodies are.

The Body of Christ is spiritual one and yet physical separated by culture, race, geography, language. Separated by natural constructs - united by the Spirit and one faith.

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 

Spiritual Regret - When God Says Go And You Say No

"Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God." - Acts 5:1-4

So what happened here? I think that Ananias and Sapphira initially responded to the prompting of the Spirit to sell their property. But then something changed. A faith response can seem to be a frivolous act when view through the lens of the world. So if I will you permit me to be liberal in my interpretation of the events - knowing that the Word is silent on the details. I imagine a conversation between them went something like this. 

(Sapphira) "Ananias we got so much money from the sale; I had no idea!"

(Ananias) "Me either! I was thinking that maybe we could use some of that money to pay our debts and maybe have some for our future. We didn't tell Peter what we would sell it for. Surely the money we will give to the Apostles will be more than most will give. Let's just tell them that what we sold it for the amount we give them!"

(Sapphira) "I agree. We need some of that money for us!"

And you know the rest. So, why did that happen? The Bible gives us some insight.

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." - 1 Timothy 6:10

They lost spiritual perspective - took their eyes off of Jesus and focused on the world. Peter rightly said that they could have decided to give some and not all - but they had committed initially - by their choice to give all - and then decided to lie to conceal their sin. But God sees the heart of man.  

I was on staff with the Promise Keepers ministry some - well I guess many - years ago. I recall the wives of the men who attended the conferences along with as many as 60,000 other Christian men telling me that their husbands came back as new men, but after about 2 weeks, like Moses coming off the mountain, the glory faded. (Later I likened it to taking a Promise Keeper pill that would last a year.) The men were faced with the realities of life on this planet. They took their eyes off of Jesus and started focusing on themselves. Their hearts were drawn back to the affairs of this world.

After 5 years, our time serving in Mississippi after Katrina was drawing to a close. Several people - who were geographically separated and unknown to each other, talked to Martie and me about going to Haiti to help after the earthquake. We both came under conviction that the Lord was indeed leading us to serve in Haiti. And so, we made the commitment to go, knowing what the cost would be.

I was talking with a friend - who was religious but not saved - when I told him what we were about to do - he looked me squarely and asked "Are you crazy! Don't go to Haiti!" I responded with, "It's not my idea, it's God's!" Of course, he did not understand our decision given the difficulties we would most certainly face.

"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." - 1 Corinthians 2:14

The Word says that he was incapable of understanding. It was a faith thing. It was a spiritual calling. And he was spiritually deaf and blind. 

When you are faced with the leading of God in your walk of faith be on your guard! The cares of the world will want to get in the way. When God speaks you must be ready to go. Your flesh will want you to say "no!". Remember the admonition in First John chapter 2 .... 

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." - 1 John 2:15-17

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 Spirit Is Willing

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." - Mark 14:38

It is not the "spiritual" me that must face the temptations in this life. It is the natural me. God created mankind with a free will. The ability to choose. Even to not choose. So like any enemy, Satan looks for a weakness. That would be our flesh. God does not tempt and cannot be tempted. (James 1:13) Our spiritual nature cannot be tempted because it is from God. When Adam and Eve were tempted, it was their flesh - their human nature that Satan convinced to sin. Thier natural reasoning and desires. "Did God really say?" (Gensis 3:3-6)

That is why we are encouraged to walk in the power of the Spirit and not try to be righteous in the power of our flesh. (Galatians 5:16) Recall that Jesus told Peter that he would deny Jesus three times and Peter could not accept that. Recall that Pentecost did not happen until after the resurrection, so Peter was dependent upon Jesus for all things spiritual. It wasn't that Peter wanted to deny Jesus, it was that Peter was depending upon himself to face the temptation to protect himself and be faithful to Jesus. 

"When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” Again, he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about." - Mark 14:69-71

Peter's plan did not go so well, and Jesus was proved right. Surprise!!! You know the same thing happens to us. We face temptations every day. If we decide to face them with our "won't" power and not sin - well, we are walking the same road that Peter did.

"Your Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against You!" - Psalm 119:11

That is about choosing a spiritual solution in dealing with the temptation.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert" - Ephesians 6:12-18

My encouragement to you .... as John Wayne (The Duke) would say - "Saddle up!" Spiritually speaking that is.

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 Your Fear Overcomes Your Faith

"Samuel answered, Speak, for Your servant hears." —1 Samuel 3:10

 “I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord’s this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not have deliberately disobeyed it. The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me (see John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don’t want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. The attitude of a child of God should always be, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God’s voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things— things which I think I must do.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest

Have you noticed that the Apostle Paul spent most of his time telling us about what we should be and not what we should not be?  The epistles in the New Testament are replete with admonitions about the problems with our old nature and encouragement to pursue our new nature.  It’s a daily struggle for us to keep our focus on God and not ourselves.  

I received a call from a friend who told me that a loved one was about to pass and I could hear the great sorrow in his voice.  Like the disciples in the storm or Peter walking on the water … when trouble comes, our first response is often self-reliance … the reality of an impossible situation in the face of our inability to overcome it.  That is where my friend was … is … so what to do?  

I pointed him to Jesus.  I reminded him of God’s love and power and sovereignty.  Of the peace that passes understanding when we find ourselves in impossible situations.  That peace is not found through denial or moral will, but by faith.  Listen, there have been, are and will be circumstances that will overwhelm us if we are depending only upon our wits to navigate through this life.  

Speaking spiritual truth to a lost person is like speaking a foreign language to them. Hearing from God in times of trouble is impossible for them … but, at the same time, His voice will be drowned out for Christians if we are focused on finding a solution on our own.  Our fear that we fell in the face of our trouble will prevent us from exercising our faith.  

What problems are you facing today that seem like giants that make you feel like a small insect or a stormy sea that is tossing you about? Trust God. 

“Now to Him who is able [and ready and willing] to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” - Ephesians 3:20-21

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