It's interesting that in our current society a lot of Christians like to speak about Jesus "hanging out with sinners". They parrot the teaching that He preferred the company of the sinners over the company of the religious. I think those who believe this teaching would be surprised that in the verses I was reading this morning Jesus said, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons. Mark 1:38-39
Do those verses tell you that He avoided the religious? Notice it said He went into their synagogues throughout all of Galilee. Do not become fixated on what you want to read or believe, but read the scriptures and be open to the truth of the Lord's teaching, the Holy Spirit will open all truth to you if you come with an open heart and not preconceived ideas or teachings that fit what you want to believe.
A synagogue by definition is a building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship and instruction. By these very scriptures, Mark 1:38-39, Jesus was seeking out the people who were gathering to hear the teaching of God's Word and to worship His Father, the people the world calls the religious! That is very encouraging to me!
Jesus was seeking to bring truth and life to whoever would receive it, He did seek saints and sinners. We tend to label the people in the churches "hypocrites" if they don't know, act and live "all truth", we don't have mercy, compassion or forgiveness on them as we do the "sinners" in the world, why is that? They are our brothers and sisters, we should be more loving and forgiving of them than anyone else! Later Peter approached Jesus and said, “How many times do I have to forgive my fellow believer who keeps offending me? Seven times?”Jesus answered, “Not seven times, Peter, but seventy times seven times! Matthew 18:21-22
How often do we as Christians take offense at what has happened in church, at what someone has said or not said to us? Imagine the delight the enemy has in dividing Christian believers! The very people that God has called to bring His love to the world can't even love one another!
This article has really mushroomed into several "rabbit trails" and I'm getting off track here, let me try to pull us back to the beginning thought!
Not all of the "religious establishment" would receive Jesus' teachings, but neither would all of the "sinners", sadly. Instead of dividing people along the lines of their "personal practices" we should be looking at their desire to hear the teachings of Jesus? Sinners or Saints isn't the important line to draw, hungry or satisfied would be the more of a focus. Are you hungry to hear the teachings of Jesus? Are you open to hear and grow? If you answered yes then you are one of the ones He was and is still seeking! Behold, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If your heart is open to hear my voice and you open the door within, I will come in to you and feast with you, and you will feast with me. Revelation 3:20
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
How To Protect Your Blessings!
We pray for a lot of different things. Christians pray often and even non-Christians pray in emergencies!
I have a question for you today, If the Lord does bless you with something, how do you protect and care for it?
Recently our church was aware of a special gift from the Lord but at the same time, we were made aware that the enemy would attempt to steal it. That's when the question came to mind, how do you protect the things the Lord has given you?
You do realize that the enemy is roaming about on Earth, "Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour" 1 Peter 5:8. and he is here to "kill, steal and destroy", right? The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; John 10:10a.
With that foundation to help understand our situation then we do need to look at the idea of protecting the things the Lord gives us because also in John 10:10b He tells us that He came to "But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!"
If the Lord came to give and the enemy comes to steal, then it becomes vital that we learn to guard and protect! Just by reading and agreeing with this concept we have taken a giant leap towards protecting. Awareness is the first step!
1. Awareness What has the Lord blessed you with? This will be answered for you when you pray and meditate on the subject, and yes, you as a Christian are to meditate on the things of the Lord! Meditation is not just for yogis! We are to be careful what we do let into our minds however, so take every thought captive to the Lord and meditate on the things of His kingdom! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2
2. Thankfulness When we're truly thankful for something or someone we're not "casual" about our attitude towards it or them. We take care to be aware of the situation, "is everything as it should be?" If we have a spouse that we love and are thankful for then we try to make sure their needs are met, if we have a child in our life that we are thankful for then we try to nourish and care for them, if we have a home we're thankful for then we maintain it carefully. The word "care" appears often when we think about thankfulness, we take care of what He has given us, and when we're aware that the Lord has blessed us with something to be thankful for, then we tell Him! We thank Him and praise Him!
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Psalm 100:4
3. Faithfulness If we receive a gift from the Lord we need to stay in a faithful attitude and position with it. I've been to parades and seen children running out to grab candy that was thrown out by the people in the parade. Their attitude towards the candy was kind of what we're looking at here. They would run out, grab the candy, bring it back to a parent and then turn and run after more. That really doesn't appear "Thankful or Faithful", only greedy. While we are to want and expect more from our Heavenly Father we are not to neglect what He has already blessed us with. He is not stingy, and His blessings are multiplied as we give to Him and to others, we do reap as we sow, but we need to always remain faithful to what He has put in our lives, never neglecting them and always thanking and praising Him for His gifts, not chasing after more. Remain Faithful!
4. Persevere A good soldier does not fight one battle and think his work is completed, there are often many battles, some unto death. We are to be as persistent in our struggle against the enemy and his attempts to steal from us as a soldier is in battle! For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 Prayer is one of your weapons, Pray over the gifts and blessings you are given! The word of the Lord is one of your weapons also! Remember the "sword of the Spirit"? Read your bible, apply the word of the Lord to your life and the gifts you have received! And remember to Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7, you win!
Recap:
1. Awareness: Be aware of your gifts and be aware of your enemy
2. Thankfulness: Know where your gifts have come from and walk in thankfulness
3. Faithfulness: Don't be greedy to the point of neglecting the gifts you have received
4. Persevere: Stand firm in the battle, don't release your gifts to the enemy
I have a question for you today, If the Lord does bless you with something, how do you protect and care for it?
Recently our church was aware of a special gift from the Lord but at the same time, we were made aware that the enemy would attempt to steal it. That's when the question came to mind, how do you protect the things the Lord has given you?
You do realize that the enemy is roaming about on Earth, "Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour" 1 Peter 5:8. and he is here to "kill, steal and destroy", right? The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; John 10:10a.
With that foundation to help understand our situation then we do need to look at the idea of protecting the things the Lord gives us because also in John 10:10b He tells us that He came to "But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!"
If the Lord came to give and the enemy comes to steal, then it becomes vital that we learn to guard and protect! Just by reading and agreeing with this concept we have taken a giant leap towards protecting. Awareness is the first step!
1. Awareness What has the Lord blessed you with? This will be answered for you when you pray and meditate on the subject, and yes, you as a Christian are to meditate on the things of the Lord! Meditation is not just for yogis! We are to be careful what we do let into our minds however, so take every thought captive to the Lord and meditate on the things of His kingdom! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2
2. Thankfulness When we're truly thankful for something or someone we're not "casual" about our attitude towards it or them. We take care to be aware of the situation, "is everything as it should be?" If we have a spouse that we love and are thankful for then we try to make sure their needs are met, if we have a child in our life that we are thankful for then we try to nourish and care for them, if we have a home we're thankful for then we maintain it carefully. The word "care" appears often when we think about thankfulness, we take care of what He has given us, and when we're aware that the Lord has blessed us with something to be thankful for, then we tell Him! We thank Him and praise Him!
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name. Psalm 100:4
3. Faithfulness If we receive a gift from the Lord we need to stay in a faithful attitude and position with it. I've been to parades and seen children running out to grab candy that was thrown out by the people in the parade. Their attitude towards the candy was kind of what we're looking at here. They would run out, grab the candy, bring it back to a parent and then turn and run after more. That really doesn't appear "Thankful or Faithful", only greedy. While we are to want and expect more from our Heavenly Father we are not to neglect what He has already blessed us with. He is not stingy, and His blessings are multiplied as we give to Him and to others, we do reap as we sow, but we need to always remain faithful to what He has put in our lives, never neglecting them and always thanking and praising Him for His gifts, not chasing after more. Remain Faithful!
4. Persevere A good soldier does not fight one battle and think his work is completed, there are often many battles, some unto death. We are to be as persistent in our struggle against the enemy and his attempts to steal from us as a soldier is in battle! For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 Prayer is one of your weapons, Pray over the gifts and blessings you are given! The word of the Lord is one of your weapons also! Remember the "sword of the Spirit"? Read your bible, apply the word of the Lord to your life and the gifts you have received! And remember to Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7, you win!
Recap:
1. Awareness: Be aware of your gifts and be aware of your enemy
2. Thankfulness: Know where your gifts have come from and walk in thankfulness
3. Faithfulness: Don't be greedy to the point of neglecting the gifts you have received
4. Persevere: Stand firm in the battle, don't release your gifts to the enemy
If you don't give up, you protect your blessings and gifts from the Lord and you win!
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