August 14, 2012

 

“Worthy Callings”

Scripture:

Lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:1-2) NLT

Observation:

As Christians, we have been called by God to live our lives that not only bring honor to God, but to our calling as well—ways that bring glory to God—the glory and goodness that He has called us to receive (2Peter 1:3). And because the Lord has chosen His Church to be the beacon of light in this lost world covered in darkness, we must be transformed into the likeness of the Son of God—the true and everlasting “Light of the World” (John 8:12), if we are to fulfill our special calling from God. But because of our sinful, self-centered nature, a Christ-like transformation must take place; a process that cannot be accomplished on our own or without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Application:

We must have this transforming power of God working in us and for us (24/7), if we are to become a new creation…a new and holy person in Christ Jesus our Lord (2 Corinthians 5:17). Most of us who come into Gods Light and calling come lacking both humility and patience because this world is all about self-reliance and quicker is better, which in many cases ends up in failure and fear, which leads us even further away from the love, and the knowledge, and the protection of the Father, our Sovereign Creator. Without God’s help and direction we inevitably begin drifting dangerously closer to the decadence that ends in deeper darkness and death; the fate of all those who stubbornly follow the senseless paths that this lost world sets before us. Only when we are driven by the love of God do we humble ourselves before the Lord, allowing Him to soften our hardened hearts, so we can learn to be gentle rather than harsh, to be more understanding instead of condemning, and a willingness to love and help others in spite of our own circumstances. None of us are perfect and we all share many of the same weaknesses, but when we live for God and His calling, He will give us exactly what is needed, at the very moment it is needed, in order to fulfill His purposes through us (Psalm 37:5). We must step out in faith and trust that God is who He says He is and that He does what He says He will do. You can fully trust in our Infinite God, dear friends, and when you do He will transform your self-centered life in ways that will be worthy of this crucial life or death calling; a calling this condemned world so desperately needs!

Prayer:

Install in me, O LORD, the abilities to carry out Your calling for me. And not just me, dear Lord, but for Your Holy Church that is spreading throughout this fallen world. Help us unite in ways that are worthy of Your Calling.

Amen

August 11, 2012

 

“Infinite in Truth”

Scripture:

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard,
or we may drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1) NLT

Observation:

In our fallen state of sinfulness it can be really easy to let the voices of this busy world drown out the Truth of God—Truth that saves our eternal souls from eternal darkness—Truth that brings us into the very Presence of the Living God Himself.

Application:

In order to escape the seemingly harmless, yet deadly traps that Satan deliberately sets for God’s children, we must stay connected to the infinite Source of all Truth (Deuteronomy 32:4), least we find ourselves drifting aimlessly in an ocean of lies that promises our demise. It is absolutely dangerous to our spiritual health when we become so comfortable in our salvation that we become lazy or negligent in the things of God (Ecclesiastes 10:18)—things that protects us from the decadence that eats away at this world and everyone who belongs to it. If we, as God’s holy people, are to fulfill the Lord’s Commission, we must first and foremost listen very carefully and everyday for the Still Small Voice that speaks through God’s Word by the Holy Spirit. And we must do this consistently and faithfully with love as our motivation, for when we do it out of obligation or for any other reason other than pure love we are neither being loyal to God, nor are we being the salt and light that God calls us to be in this difficult life that cries out for God’s intervention. It is easy for us to get so rapped up in our own spiritual development that we either fail to recognize the urgency that spiritual warfare brings to this world, or we lack the confidence in God to act upon our mission in faith. Not everyone is destined to do great deeds of faith that catch the eyes of the world, but we are called to live our lives for God and others—to love our God and others, and to sacrifice for God and others, and do it one day, one soul at a time! It is never easy to live out God’s priorities for our lives, for we are both sinfully weak and handicapped by our finite humanness. But by trusting in Christ Jesus as our Redeemer and loyal Advocate; the One who is (at this very moment) sitting at the right hand of God in the current Heaven covering our sins with His righteousness, and by relying on the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us into action, we can, indeed, do the work and the will that the Father calls His children to do. Listen carefully and listen often, my friends, for the Truth is not only eternal, but like God, is infinite as well ((John 1:14).

 

Prayer:

Thank You, O God, for the Spirit of Truth that makes the world’s truth sound foolish indeed. Help us to understand and remain steadfast in the things of God that is revealed by His Spirit in us. For when we do the Light of Christ shines brightly in this world that is covered in darkness.

Amen

August 4, 2012

“Sacrifice in Love”

Scripture:

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God—for God is Love.
(1 John 4:7-8) NLT

 

Observation:

Our Creator endowed us with the ability to love—an attribute of our gracious God that we should never take lightly and one that we should aspire to and try to live by. The Lord our God loved us first
(1 John 4:19) and because of His unconditional love, He took it upon Himself to save us from our own self-induced destruction (Romans 5:8). As finite, imperfect creatures we tend to search for love that makes us feel good, rather than seeking others that need our love. And most often, the love that we search for is not the kind of love that brings us closer to God.

Application:

When the Lord created us, He created us to love and honor Him first and above all else, but because of the first man’s disobedience to God, mankind fell into self-love instead. We live in a fallen state that screams: “this life is all about me and what makes me feel good about myself.” And these good feelings we are trained to attain can only come by loving ourselves first, because the world tells us that if we don’t love ourselves first how can we love anyone else? My dear friends, if we refuse to love the Lord our God above all else, we will never experience the greatest attribute of all—Godly Love (1 Corinthians 13:13). For love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Can anyone love this way on their own? The answer is empathically no! We are selfish by nature and self-centered by osmosis, so we tend to put ourselves in the first seat. It is only by the gracious power of the Holy Spirit and by our Lord Jesus’ example that we can truly love, for true love is characterized by humility, obedience to God, and sacrifice. I don’t believe it’s possible to find any joy in living if we don’t sacrifice ourselves for others. Happiness is better found when we are actively doing something good for someone else—focusing selflessly on others who are in need of God’s mercy and grace as well. To further the Kingdom of Jesus Christ our Everlasting King, we must first love God and then put to death our own self-centered love and be borne again of the Spirit. If you truly love the Lord, my friends, and you desire some peace and joy, you should begin by prioritizing your love life according to the riches of His grace, by humbly submitting to His Word, and then sacrifice in love!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help us, Your children, to love as You love. Fill our hearts with the kind of love that glorifies You and brings honor to Your people. For it is easy to love You, but not so easy to love those who are loveless. And thank You Father for teaching us by Your Perfect Example.

Amen