What Are You Passionate For?

"Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 22:35-40

What are you passionate for? What, when you think about it, causes your enthusiasm to rise up - anticipation and excitement to stir in your heart. Those things that you hold most dear that you are willing to set all else aside for. Re-read the verses you may have just skimmed through and tell me what you think the right answer - the spiritually correct answer is. Yeah - its God first and then others. Now the rationalization starts. Am I suggesting that it is wrong to enjoy sports, or entertainment or being with the people you care about? Nope. What I am saying is that you can't love those things more than you love God if you are serious about your faith.

I don't know too many Christians who would admit to not being serious about their faith and love for God to themselves let alone to another Christian. The Bible speaks to the tension between the things of this world and the things of heaven. The things of this world contend for our devotion and appeal to our flesh - old nature. The Bible warns us about having a divided heart. Loving God more requires you to sacrifice your affection for the things of this world. Not to love like the world loves. Paul wrote - 

"I beseech [urge/beg] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2

Why is denying yourself, picking up your cross and following Jesus' example reasonable? Because Jesus died on the cross so that we might live in an eternal relationship with the Father.  So, we should not love like the world loves but allow the Spirit of God to renew our minds, our thinking, our doing that we can demonstrate to the world what is God's good and perfect will for mankind. 

"Do not love the world or 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, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides 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

Living In The Dark As Silent Witnesses

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

In the Book of Revelation, chapter 2, Jesus spoke against the church if Thyatira for compromising its faith, tolerating and accommodating sin and lacking in its devotion to God. In Matthew 5 Jesus said that we are to be the light of the world. When you get up, you turn the light on so you can see the furniture that is hidden by the darkness. As Christians, our light, the Spirit of God, shines in the darkness that surrounds us, revealing that which is sinful and contrary to what God has made plain that is right and good. Jesus encourages us to not put that light under a basket - quenching the light (Spirit) and keeping it from accomplishing it's intended purpose. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." 

"Do not quench the Spirit." - 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (Paul)

We Christians can get along admirably with our culture - and really with any culture if only we will agree to put our light under a basket. Agree to keep our faith and our God to ourselves. Agree to be willing to tolerate and accommodate what the Bible makes plain is sin and contrary to God the Father. Agree to be silent witnesses. In other words, go the way of the church of Thyatira. Go along to get along.

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

Faith Without Follow-Through

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:14-18

Something that Martie and I have been noticing of late is the lack of discipline or follow-through in many Christians we know.  They can nod their heads in agreement when reminded of the Word of God, but cannot be found when it is time to demonstrate the truth and commands from the same Word of God. If it is convenient then they might do thus and so, but if there is a ball game on or they can think of somewhere else to be, well - the Christian in them will just have to take a back seat.

Thinking good thoughts is not enough. If you are prompted by the Spirit, you should act then and do what the Spirit is telling you to do. As an example, we teach a Bible study called Experiencing God.  It requires about 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week to complete the lessons and be prepared for the next meeting. So often we have seen that after some of the people sign up for the class, they show up with no work done in their book. A book they paid for. We can make time to vegetate in front of the TV for several hours but not 30 minutes to spend time with the Lord. I am not being critical of the people, just forlorn by what I see as their lack of interest in growing spiritually. And a lost opportunity to go deeper in their relationship with God. 

James wrote about the lack of follow-through about 2000 years ago. Just saying that people have not changed that much over time. Technology is about the only difference I can see between then and now. If you have a problem with finding time to practice the disciplines of the faith, you don't have a time problem, you have a love problem. You love the world too much and God not enough. You are living with a divided heart. Like James suggested - it doesn't matter how much you talk about faith if you don't live it out.

Yes, we are saved by grace through faith and not of works. That would be putting the works-cart in front of the faith-horse. But good works are a natural outflow of an abiding faith. "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

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

Laying It Down Once And For All

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" - Matthew 16:24-26

Our lives as Christians are to be lives offered up to God, the Father, by faith. Willing - living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Like Isaac when Abraham built the alter and prepared Isaac as the sacrifice. We lay our lives down - our wants and desires in favor of living for God. What that means is that we live humbly before God and men understanding that we have no hope apart from Jesus. That we are saved by grace through faith and not works. No amount of trying to be good will makes us good enough for the kingdom of God. Our righteousness, our right being before the Creator God, is in Christ and Him alone.

"But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption." - 1 Corinthians 1:30

I was listening to a song today by Lauren Daigle - Once for All. Might I suggest that you offer the words to this song up as a prayer for yourself. I did.

"God, I'll give You what I can today. These scattered ashes that I hid away. I lay it all at Your feet.

From the corners of my deepest shame. The empty places where I've worn Your name. Show me the love I say I believe. Oh, help me to lay it down. O Lord, I lay it down. Oh, let this be where I die. My Lord, with Thee crucified. Be lifted high as my kingdoms fall. Once and for all, once and for all." - Lauren Daigle - Once and For All

Amen

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

Yielding to God and Not to the World

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." - Ephesians 6:11-18

Seems like I just wrote about this!  I recently read an article about a nationally prominent pastor who has apparently and surprisingly yielded to the pressure of our culture to embrace the idea that if what God has made clear is sin is too hard to resist, it is ok to give in and live in it. 

When I read the article, I was reminded of what happened in the Garden.

"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?" - Genesis 3:1

Satan is affecting the thinking of Christians to make them believe that living the Christian life is not sustainable. Sinning is inevitable and so you might as well just give in. Paul asked a rhetorical question in Romans chapter 6.

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" - Romans 6:1 - and Satan says "absolutely!"

Certainly, we sin but we must not resolve ourselves to a life of sin - instead we must repent and seek forgiveness - no matter how often - but never resolve to just submit to sin and not God because it seems to hard to resist. We have all been there!

Read Romans chapter 1 starting in verse 18 for a glimpse of what is happening in this country.

“Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” - Romans 1:24-25

The darker the night - the brighter the light - it is so important for Christians to let the light of the Gospel shine in this spiritually dark land! And resist the devil!

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

Yield To Caesar What's Caesar's But Not What's God's

"Present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you." - Romans 6:13-14

Watching the news recently, one report had to do with allowing certain books in public school libraries. Books with explicit sexual content and violence that minor children would be allowed to read even if their parents said they should not have access to them. The reasoning is that at our country's core is the right to free speech - unfettered by anyone's moral code. 

"The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. It prohibits any laws that establish a national religion, impede the free exercise of religion, abridge the freedom of speech, infringe upon the freedom of the press, interfere with the right to peaceably assemble, or prohibit citizens from petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted into the Bill of Rights in 1791. The Supreme Court interprets the extent of the protection afforded to these rights. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Court as applying to the entire federal government even though it is only expressly applicable to Congress. Furthermore, the Court has interpreted the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as protecting the rights in the First Amendment from interference by state governments." - Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute

Although Biblical principles may have been at the root of what our country was founded on, as the generations have passed, the culture we live in has wandered far from the intent of our founding fathers. Actually, those ideals were corrupted, by the flesh, from the beginning in that the freedoms we proclaimed, selectively applied and were not really extended to all people. 

As citizens of this country, we are bound by its laws unless those laws or their implementation contravene those of a higher authority. That being the Creator God. Each citizen cannot, on their own, decide what is right and wrong - there are civil laws that provide boundaries on behavior. Just try driving 50 mph in a 25-mph zone. And just as there is higher law above the individual, there is a higher authority above the civil law. Do you remember when Jesus was asked if the Jews should pay Roman taxes?

"Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.” So, they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." - Matthew 22:16-21

Sounds simple enough - when it comes to paying taxes anyway. But what about moral issues? Who establishes the boundaries for moral behavior? As a Christian you would or should say God does. But I fear that your culture would and does not agree with you. Man, and collectively, man's consensus is their supreme authority.

When there is a conflict between "thus saith man" and "thus saith the Lord", if you cannot change the law by gaining consensus, then you will not have the power to stop your children from having access to inappropriate content in the books on the shelves of their library or worse in public schools.  As Christians we must draw a line. But what can you do? I will leave that to you to think and pray about. It might start at home by not allowing the wrong content from entering your home through television, the internet and cell phones where your children might have access to it. I will also leave that to your prayerful consideration. But this might be a start. The Word says .... 

"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6

Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus On The Family, said that values are caught and not taught. How do you train up a child? It starts by walking your talk. Being a living example of who you tell them they should be. Standing for what God says it right and proper. Standing against what God says is not. All of that while demonstrating the love of 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

Sheltering In Place Spiritually

"knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." - Romans 6:6-14

When a natural disaster comes to a community, quite often there is an alert message that is broadcast telling people to stay in their homes - to hunker down - and ride out whatever malady is knocking on their doors or maybe to evacuate - to run. Here in the Houston area, on top of the hurricanes and tropical storms, there are occasional leaks and fires at the oil refineries and chemical plants that send pollutants and hazardous vapors into the air. When they happen, we are sometimes told to "shelter in place", stay indoors and are even told to shut off our air conditioners and close our windows until we get the "All Clear" signal. 

There is a spiritual storm that is raging. One that we need to protect ourselves and our family from. If we are not on our guard, like the vapors from a chemical fire, its pollutants can seep into our lives, minds and hearts. If we have not prepared for the storm, it will find its way through the cracks and crevices of our lives through television programs, the internet, our cell phones, public education, politics, and people we associate with. Things, on the surface are good, but also promote the culture and its values. Things that can be very useful to promote good and glorify God but, at the same time, have the capacity to be very harmful. Protecting yourself is not as simple as turning your air conditioner off and closing your windows. 

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12

Because it is a spiritual struggle, it is difficult to lay some of those things down - put them behind you - have nothing to do with them. Instead, we often make excuses as to why it's OK that they are a persistent influence in our lives - necessary evils, if you will. Because they can be used for good, we are willing to risk the evil. There is nothing inherently wrong with sugar unless you are a diabetic. 

"Satan, himself, transforms himself into an angel of light." - 2 Corinthians 11:14

The temptation that leads to sin on the surface may appear harmless. We resist the idea of rejecting the things we enjoy simply because of the potential harm it may bring to us or to the people around us.  We can manage it. It's really OK. It's not a problem. But the Bible it replete with warnings about the dangers that are lurking - waiting for the opportunity. Sin is like a fisherman who presents a bait - temptation - that the fish thinks will satisfy its hunger and so instinctively takes a bite, but it is to its doom.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world." - 1 Peter 5:8-9

We must be spiritual aware. See things as God sees them. Be willing to put the world and the things of the world behind us. Not follow our heart but the Word. Our hearts often don't want what is good for us - the Word always does.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

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