Moments With God

Living For His Glory

General — Posted by sharaug @ November 01, 2006 04:40
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II Corinthians 5

"So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it."

How much time do you and I spend trying to please other people? If we love someone we will try to show our love for them, and we will try to do things for them that bring them joy. Our main joy and priority in life must be found in pleasing the Lord, however. It is God's purpose for our lives that we live for His glory and that we find our ultimate joy in Him alone. Paul said in II Corinthians 5:9, "So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." We must seek to please the Lord in our words, thoughts, habits, attitudes, and deeds. It must be our consuming desire to moment by moment live in the center of the Lord's will and to please Him in all things.

Earlier in the chapter in II Corinthians 5 Paul spoke of his and every believer's "longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling." (II Corinthians 5:2b) Every believer knows that the moments of this life on earth are fleeting and temporary and that eternal joys await us in the future. Only in eternity will we be free from sin and its consequences in our lives and in our world, and only then will we be completely free to experience inhibited joy in our love relationship with the Lord. Until then, however, "we live by faith, not by sight." (II Corinthians 5:7) As we live our lives here on earth we also "make it our goal" to glorify and please the Lord in all areas of our lives. (II Corinthians 5:9) We seek to avoid taking "pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart." (II Corinthians 5:12b) We seek to avoid making self-importance, pride, and the foolish pursuit of worldly things our source of fulfillment. Instead our goal and priority must be our love relationship with the Lord and our desire to serve Him with all of our hearts.

We say with Paul in II Corinthians 5:14-15, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again." The love of Christ must so consume us that it controls, compels, and urges us to live our lives with purpose and to live them only for the glory of the Lord. The Lord Jesus died for our sins, and He made us His children. Because of His atoning death on the cross we are new creatures in Him. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (II Corinthians 5:17) As new creatures in Christ we have new attitudes, new identities in Christ, and new purpose. That purpose is to live for Jesus Christ's glory and to be "Christ ambassadors" to the world. (II Corinthians 5:20) By our lives, words, and examples others must see Christ in us. By our lives we must create a desire in others to come to the Lord Jesus for His forgiveness and His grace.

"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (II Corinthians 5:21) The Lord Jesus died to pay the punishment for our sins. Jesus Christ also lived a perfectly righteous life for us that we were unable to live. So Christ's righteousness is now given to us. We now have a righteous standing before the Almighty God because of Christ's righteousness given to us. We must grow in practical holiness also, however; and we must begin to more and more reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives. It must be our consuming desire to live for the glory of the Lord. We must increasingly think as God would want us to think and to act the way God would want us to act. This is God's purpose and will for our lives

 II Corinthians 5:9

His Treasure in Us

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 27, 2006 12:37
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II Corinthians 4

"For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair." II Corinthians 4:6-8

"Therefore we do not lose heart.---For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal

II Corinthians 4:16-18.

Do You ever feel discouraged? Do you ever feel like everything is falling apart, and you do not know where to turn next? That is actually a good place to be, because it is then that the Lord can begin to do His work in you. The Lord is our great strength giver. He has called us to be His servants, and He will give us the strength to live for Him day by day and moment by moment! We need never become discouraged; because the Lord in His mercy has redeemed us from sin, chosen us to be His child and servant, and is busy about the task of transforming us into His likeness! Those who are not believers and do not belong to the Lord truly do not understand the joy that we have in the Lord. The devil has blinded their minds, so they can not see the Lord’s glory. They cannot see the wonder, glory, and light of His awesome Gospel! They cannot see that Jesus is the very Son of God! We need to be eternally thankful to the Lord for choosing us as His children and for being our Lord and Savior.

He "made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (II Corinthians 4:6b) What a priceless treasure! What a priceless treasure we have in our salvation! What a priceless treasure we have in belonging to the Lord! What a priceless treasure we have in the Lord Jesus Christ living in our hearts and lives! Praise His name!

II Corinthians 4:7a says "we have this treasure in jars of clay." In Bible times it was customary to hide treasures and valuable items in clay jars which had very little value or beauty in themselves. Thus, attention was not attracted to the jars; and the valuable contents were protected. We have the Lord’s treasure in us who are unworthy and frail humans, so that His glory will be shown in us. Through our insufficiency the Lord chooses to reveal His all-sufficiency, grandeur, power, and greatness! We are nothing in ourselves, but he chooses to fill us with His all-surpassing power! The more we realize that we are nothing in ourselves, the more the Lord can infuse us with His power. We need to reflect the Lord Jesus and His beauty in our lives. We must ask the Lord to break us of self, self-will, and self-reliance; so that His light and power and glory shines forth in our lives. This is the road to the Lord’s best for you and me! It is the road to joy and spiritual prosperity! In life’s trials and troubles we often feel "hard pressed on every side" and "perplexed." As His children, however, we are never "crushed;" because the Lord is with us all the way. (II Corinthians 4:8) We will never be abandoned by Him! The frailty of our humanness makes us more dependent on His strength and thus reveals His life in us in a greater way! We can believe with absolute certainty that the Lord will lead us through this life and through death and to eternity! Any difficulties you or I may experience in this life are nothing compared to the glories that we will experience with the Lord in His presence. We must not fix our eyes on the things we see, namely life’s difficulties or material things, but on the Lord Jesus and on eternal realities!

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Reflecting Jesus

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 21, 2006 11:52
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II Corinthians 3

Do others see Christ Jesus living in us? Do we reflect Jesus in our lives? Does what we say and profess about our faith agree and correlate with how we live our lives? The apostle, Paul, told the Corinthian Christians in II Corinthians 3:2-3 that they were to be living letters or examples to those who do not know Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Paul said in II Corinthians 3:2-3, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

We also by the example of our lives are living letters "known and read by everybody." We must be God's "letter from Christ" to the world around us. We can be that kind of living letter or example to the world around us, because our lives have been transformed by the blood of Jesus. As redeemed children of God we also have the Holy Spirit now living in us. Hence, we must reflect Christ in our lives. We must be a living letter "written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God." Since many people never read a Bible, we must be Christ's living and walking "letter from Christ." The people of the world are watching us closely. Do they perceive and recognize Christ in our lives?

Many people today have a veil over their hearts. They refuse to acknowledge the Lord Jesus. The veil over their hearts "has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away." (II Corinthians 3:14b) The Holy Spirit has worked in our hearts as believers and has removed that veil of unbelief; "and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (II Corinthians 3:17b) Because we have experienced that awesome freedom, joy, and forgiveness found only in Christ; we can and must reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives. "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness." (II Corinthians 3:18a) As a mirror is a reflection of us, so we in and through our lives must be a reflection of the Lord Jesus. We must reflect the Lord Jesus in our attitudes, thoughts, actions, and in our character. We must reflect the Lord's glory to those around us. We must become "transformed into His likeness."

In order to be able to reflect the Lord Jesus' glory in our lives we ourselves must truly contemplate and behold the Lord Jesus in all of His glory. We can begin to contemplate or behold the Lord's glory by reading and immersing ourselves in God's Holy Word. As we focus on the Lord Jesus and get to know Him better through His Holy Word, we cannot help but begin to trust and love Him more and more. Hence, we are much more likely to then follow the Lord's paths and will for our lives, and in the process we will bring increasing glory to the Lord's name. As we behold and contemplate Christ in His Holy Word, we become more like the Lord Jesus. In this way we bring glory to His name.

Also as we read and immerse ourselves in God's Holy Word, we more and more see God's holiness and our own sinfulness. This leads to repentance and a turning away from sin in our lives. Hence, as we are beholding and contemplating Christ in all His holiness; we are becoming more like Jesus Christ and a better reflection of Him to the world around us. As we truly behold Jesus in all of His glory and holiness, we become better living letters for Christ to the world around us. We are then "being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (II Corinthians 3:18b) May it be our passion to grow in our love for the Lord Jesus! May it be our passion to grow in our perception of the glory of our Lord and Savior! May it be our passion to better reflect the Lord Jesus in our lives!


His Comfort

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 16, 2006 04:37
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II Corinthians 1

" Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." II Corinthians 1:3-4

"On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us."

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

Have you ever wondered why life does not always go according to our best laid plans and wishes? Have you ever wondered why God sometimes allows difficult circumstances in our lives? The main reason there are problems in the world and in our lives is because of sin. Sin has disrupted God’s world and is the ultimate source behind all the problems we experience in this world. God, however, often also uses difficult circumstances in our lives for our good and for His glory. The first chapter of II Corinthians gives us some clues as to the benefits and reasons for difficult circumstances in our lives as Christians. Verse three and four of II Corinthians chapter one tells us that God is a compassionate God and that He is our source of comfort. The Lord is our source of comfort in difficult times so that we in turn can comfort others with that same comfort we receive from God. Difficult times in our own lives makes us more sensitive to the needs of others. If we never experienced any difficulties in our lives, we would not be able to comfort others.

Another reason that God allows difficult times in our lives is suggested in II Corinthians 1:9b. When speaking of trials that Paul had experienced in his own life Paul said, "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God." When all is going smoothly in our lives we have a tendency to become smug and complacent. We begin to think that we are self-sufficient. Difficult times makes us realize that we must depend on the Lord’s strength alone. God’s grace and strength is all-sufficient, and our weakness is the perfect opportunity for His power to be displayed. Difficult times causes us to "set our hope" on the Lord for our strength and deliverance. (II Corinthians 1:10b) The Lord must become our only source of confidence.

Yet another reason for difficult times in our lives is suggested in II Corinthians 1:11. Difficult times causes us to seek the Lord in prayer in a deeper way. Difficult times causes us to come to the Lord in prayer for our needs and the needs of others. This in turn results in us seeing God’s awesome answers to prayer in our lives and in the lives of others.

No matter what circumstances come our way we can count on God’s precious promises to always be with us. II Corinthians 1:20-22 tells us, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

We can be sure of God’s promises to always be with us! We belong to the Lord for time and for eternity! His Holy Spirit is in our hearts guaranteeing us an eternal presence with the Lord! Because of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we can "stand firm" in our faith no matter what the circumstances in our lives. We can do this, because we know we serve a faithful and all-wise God!

II Corinthians 1:20-22II Corinthians 1:10b

His Appointments

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 10, 2006 14:14
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There are many joyful events in our lives. Life also often includes heartache, disappointments, and trials. My husband and I are presently going through one of these deep trials in life. I would like to share some thoughts with you today from a book by Kaye Arthur called By Silver Refined that have been helpful to me in this latest trial in our lives.

Disappointments are His appointments! The space between His and appointments is His perfect timing. I must wait on the Lord. I must respond to the inescapable pain in this world in meekness, without murmuring or disputing. I must act in trust and obedience not react in "the flesh." I must trust God and not try to control and manipulate circumstances and people.

To do all this I must realize that God is in control, that He is sovereign. I must also understand His heart, His character, and His attributes. The events of my life even trials are filtered through His fingers of love. He doesn't test me to see if I will fail. Rather it is to show me how strong I am in Him.

God is sovereign. My responsibility is to serve Him right where I am even in the midst of unexpected and unpleasant circumstances, because He is in control and orchestrating His plan. Am I quiet enough to see and hear Him there? In my every painful trial, God is doing something about it; but often the drama of life is happening offstage, behind the a curtain of time. I must live by faith especially when I do not know the "whys." Then I will have calmness and peace and rest for my soul. In His will is my peace. I must embrace and believe His Word, cling to Him, and live righteously. I must walk confidently in the high places He has made for me. He will enable me "to go on the heights" (Habakkuk 3:19)

By His power and by believing and trusting in His control, I can walk in meekness. To continue to walk this way I have to go beyond my feelings and simply see who God is and what He is like I must also realize and accept what He has promised. Meekness is bowing the knee whether or not I understand, whether or not I have it all figured out, or whether or not I agree. And in that complete submission I find more than enough grace to keep going. Trusting in God's sovereignty will energize my testimony to others for a brighter light of witness.

I must not let my disappointment sink me into discouragement (lack of courage) or giving up. I must walk in faith and in courage through His strength, through trusting and meditating on His promises, and through the power of prayer. There is a reward for going through suffering without retreating and steadfastly enduring by faith. In whatever affliction I face, I can be strong and courageous because it is not the end. The glorious end is always that this trial will result in my good and His glory. I will mature and rejoice in God and thank Him in all things. I will prove my love for the Lord in trials, if I endure. I must choose not to be a cowardly quitter but a courageous overcomer who endures and finishes the race of life chosen by God for me. I can be content and bear all things through Jesus who infuses His strength and power in me.

My behavior is determined by my feelings which come from my thoughts. The mind is the battleground. What I THINK about life's circumstances causes "the blues" to stay around. I must accept the fact that life is imperfect, and not without problems, pain, heartache, and rejection. But I must "take heart" (take courage) because Jesus Christ has already overcome these tribulations! (John 16:33) Also it is not circumstances or events of the past or present that make me "blue." Rather it is my interpretation of them. Do I see them as disappointments or as His appointments? I must not turn off my emotions, but I must bring my emotions in conformity with God's perspective and God's emotions.

I do not want to sink from disappointment to discouragement (lack of courage) to dejection (lowness of spirit.) I must experience the "oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:3) I must remember that God is sovereign. I do not have to solve the problem or do the impossible task. I do not have to wallow in fear of failure. I must put my eyes on the Lord and on His Word and rejoice. I must sacrifice my feelings and emotions and offer a sacrifice of praise to God.

I do not want to sink from disappointment into despair which is the lost or abandonment of hope. To prevent despair I must not react according to my emotions or human reasoning , but rather I must act according to God's Word. I must not focus on circumstances. I must not leave God and the truths of God out of the picture. My hope is not in this life. My hope is in God and in God's Word. My hope is in God's future, the future He has prepared for me in His presence. Despair will come if I look at this moment instead of the future, because this moment can indeed be evil. But my future is good; and all things now, even the evil things, are working together to achieve it. I must fully believe in and trust God. Am I going to believe the whispered lies of the enemy or the written promises of God? Hope (certain anticipation and trust in God's promises) is always the answer to discouragement and despair. "Why are you downcast, o my soul? Why are disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 43:5 I can have hope "for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning." (Lamentations 3:22b-23a)

I must press on from life's failures and disappointments and love my Lord totally, completely, and absolutely. I must love Him more than anything or anyone in my life. I must love Him supremely, love Him steadfastly, and love Him preeminently. I must follow and obey. I must not compare my own commitment and service for the Lord with that of others. My purpose in life is to love and follow Him.


Praise At All Times

General — Posted by sharaug @ October 05, 2006 13:38
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Psalm 34

Psalm thirty-four is a beautiful Psalm. Psalm thirty-four is filled with beautiful promises from the Lord to His people. David wrote Psalm thirty-four when he was homeless and still hiding from Saul. Saul was trying to take David's life. David could have concluded that he had nothing for which to be thankful. Instead David said in Psalm 34:1, "I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips." Notice David said his praises for the Lord would be on his lips at ALL times. Do we praise the Lord at all times? Do we praise the Lord when we have financial reversal? Do we praise the Lord when we experience heartache and sorrow? Do we praise the Lord when we experience daily irritations and interruptions? We must remember that God works all things together for our good. This does not mean that all of life's events are good in themselves. It does mean, however, that the Lord uses even what we consider the bad circumstances in our lives for our ultimate spiritual good. Through difficult times in our lives the Lord teaches us patience, perseverance, and dependence on Him rather than on ourselves. We grow spiritually during these times. So even in difficult times we need to say with David, "Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together." (Psalm 34:3) Praising God in all circumstances is the secret to a life filled with joy. Praise on our lips and praise in our hearts for the Lord lifts us above our difficulties.

When David was in the midst of a difficult circumstance in his life he sought out the Lord, and the Lord delivered him from all his fears. (Psalm 34:4) God did not deliver David from some of his fears, but from ALL his fears. We also must bring all our fears and worries to the Lord, and we must leave them with the Lord. We must trust that the Lord will take care of our difficult circumstances in His perfect way. Psalm 34:5a tells us, "those who look to Him are radiant" with joy. When we keep our eyes focused on the Lord and on His promises our fears and worries will begin to slip away, and our joy and trust in the Lord will increase.

Psalm 34:6 goes on to tell us that David called to the Lord in his troubles. David knew that he had no resources in himself. David knew that he was totally dependent on the Lord. The Lord heard David's prayers, and He saved him from all his troubles. The Lord will save and help us also in times of trouble. In fact, "the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them." (Psalm 34:7) The Lord's protective guidance and help is all around us each and every moment of our lives. The Lord tells us to taste and experience His goodness and faithfulness. Blessed and joyful is the person who finds his or her refuge and strength in the Lord alone!

When you or I are feeling overwhelmed with one of life's difficulties we need to trust the Lord, and we need to stand in awe of Him. A child of God can trust the Lord completely, because "those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." (Psalm 34:10b) Wow! What a promise! When our hearts are breaking the Lord hears our prayers. "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all." (Psalm 34:17-19) Notice once again the word ALL is used. The Lord delivers us from ALL our troubles when we approach Him in faith. He does this in His perfect time and in His perfect way. Things will not be perfect until we reach our eternal home. In fact, the Lord promises us that we will have difficulties in this life. We can trust the Lord, however, to be with us all the way! He has His perfect plan for our lives, and no ultimate spiritual harm can ever come to a child of God!


Praise Him!

General — Posted by sharaug @ September 30, 2006 10:41
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Psalm 33

"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him."

"We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name."

Joy should be evident in the life of every child of God. The Lord has given us so many blessings. Hence, our hearts and lips should burst out in song and praise to the Lord. Psalm 33:1 says, "Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him." The Lord has saved us by His grace. The Lord's love and mercy to us is eternal, and He is always faithful. Therefore "it is fitting for the upright to praise Him."

Everyday and always our praise for the Lord must be fresh and new. Psalm 33:3a says, "Sing to Him a new song." The Lord deserves our continual and daily praise, because "the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does." (Psalm 33:4)

The Lord deserves our praise, because He is awesome in His character. The Lord also deserves our praise, because He displays power and glory in His creation. Psalm 33:6 tells us, "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth." God not only created this awesome universe, but He continues to maintain it in perfect order. "For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm." (Psalm 33:9) Finally, the Lord is worthy of our praise; because "the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations." (Psalm 33:11) Our God is a faithful God, and His plans will always remain firm and eternal.

Blessed and joyful is the nation or individual who has the Lord as their God. (Psalm 33:12) He is our only sure foundation and refuge for time and for eternity. Dependence on the things or powers of this world for our safety and protection is "a vain hope for deliverance." (Psalm 33:17a) There is safety and protection for the child of God, however! That safety and protection is found in the Lord! "The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love." (Psalm 33:18)

Thus, we must use our lips and lives to praise our awesome and faithful Lord. For He alone is our faithful "help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name." (Psalm 33:20b-21) He alone is our joy and our unfailing source of security and love! Praise His glorious and awesome name!

Psalm 33:1 Psalm 33:20-21


God's Open Doors

General — Posted by sharaug @ September 25, 2006 14:16
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Corinthians 16:5-14

"A great door for effective work has opened to me."

In our passage today the Apostle Paul sent word to the Corinthian church that he would be remaining in Ephesus for awhile. Paul said in I Corinthians 16:8-9, "But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me." In spite of obstacles and enemies in Ephesus Paul believed God had opened up a door of ministry for him there, and he did not want to miss that opportunity for ministry and service for his Lord. Paul knew that if God opened up a door of service He would also give victory.

God opens up doors of opportunity for us also. We must daily pray for the Lord's guidance in our lives. We must not run ahead of the Lord, and we must not seek to open doors of opportunity by force or by our own efforts. Our own self-efforts will always fail. We must seek God's leading and timing. When it becomes clear, however, that the Lord is leading us in a particular direction we must follow the Lord and pursue that open door of service. We must follow the Lord's guidance with trust and confidence. We must also trust that the Lord will make our service for Him victorious and productive in spite of the unavoidable obstacles along the way.

In our service for the Lord, Paul says to us, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." (I Corinthians 16:13-14) We must be very careful to be on guard against apathy. We must maintain our passion and excitement for the work of the Lord. We must also be on guard against the devil's philosophies and lifestyles which are all around us in the secular world. Sometimes the world's philosophies can sound so logical and inviting, if we are not on guard in our spiritual lives. As children of God we must filter and evaluate everything according to God's Holy Word. In our service for the Lord we must "stand firm in the faith." We need to do all we can to grow in our love relationship with the Lord. The Lord must become number One in our lives, and He must dominate every area of our lives.

In our service for the Lord we must also be men and women of courage and strength. It is often difficult to live as children of God in this world. True courage and strength comes only from a deep personal relationship with our Lord. True courage and strength develops from relying on the Lord's strength and not our own devices. Only when we are finding our strength in the Lord can we become effective servants in His kingdom.

Finally, in our service for God we must "do everything in love." (I Corinthians 16:14) Service for God without love for God and others is worthless. "If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." (I Corinthians 13:2b-3)

May we not shrink from God's open doors of opportunity for service. May we serve the Lord and others in love, and may our ministries and lives be squarely based on the Word of God. May it be our passion to use every "door for effective work" for the Lord's glory! (I Corinthians 16:9a)

I Corinthians 16:9a

Running Life's Race

General — Posted by sharaug @ September 19, 2006 11:27
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Corinthians 9:24-27

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize

In our race of life we must be passionate about our desire to live for the glory of the Lord. In our race of life we must be passionate about living holy lives for the Lord. As children of God we are no longer subject to the consequences of our sins. Jesus Christ has paid the punishment for our sins on the cross. The Lord Jesus has also lived a perfect life for us that we could not live. We are now in a positional state of holiness before God. It must also become our passion, however, to demonstrate practical holiness and to reflect the Lord Jesus in all areas of our lives. Romans 6:13 tells us we must not offer our bodies as "instruments of wickedness." We must instead offer ourselves to the Lord as "instruments of righteousness" and holiness.

Before we became children of God we had no choice but to sin. We were not capable of refraining from sin in our lives. As children of God we once again have the capability to choose not to sin. We have the capability to choose to be "instruments of righteousness" and holiness for the Lord. We often still fail and sin, but we now have the desire and the capability to choose to obey the Lord. This desire and power to obey comes from the Holy Spirit now living in us.

As redeemed children of God we are now free from the penalty and power of sin, but sin is still present in our lives in our sinfully inclined bodies. Our minds and hearts desire to obey God, but the sin still remaining in us wishes to take dominance. So as children of God we are in a spiritual warfare or battle against sin until the day we die or until Jesus returns.

We also must not think that practical holiness and victory over sin will come instantly or easily. In our spiritual warfare against sin we must train ourselves to be godly. (I Timothy 4:7) In the days of the ancient Olympics the runners who competed in the races would undergo "strict training." (I Corinthians 9:25). This is true of our daily struggle and victory over sin also.

One way we train ourselves to be godly and holy is by hiding God's Word in our heart. (Psalm 119:11) We must have a disciplined and planned instate of God Word every day. We must have a disciplined approach to hearing, reading, studying, and memorizing God's Word.

We must also take time to meditate on God's Word. We must think about God's Word and strive to apply its truths to our individual life's situations and to every area of our lives. We must strive to bring even our bodies and our physical appetites under the domination of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must strive to make our bodies "slaves" for God and not slaves of our own passions, desires, and weaknesses. (I Corinthians 9:27)

In our attempt at disciplined application of God's Word to our lives we will fail many times. In spite of this the Lord wants us to keep persevering in our struggle against sin no matter how many times we fail. In spite of sin and failure the Lord wants us to run our race of life "in such a way as to get the prize." (I Corinthians 9:24b) That glorious prize is "a crown that will last forever." (I Corinthians 9:25b) Our eternal lives are already secure in Christ. We must run life's race, however, in a way that demonstrates that we are truly children of the Lord. May this be our passion and desire!

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Repent and Commit

General — Posted by sharaug @ September 14, 2006 19:28
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Psalm 32

Praise God for His awesome gift of salvation! Psalm 32:1-2 says, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Blessed means happy or joyful. Joyful is the individual whose sins have been forgiven by the Lord!

Experiencing the joy of God's forgiveness, however, depends on us first acknowledging and confessing our sins. We need to run to the Lord in sorrowful repentance, and then we need to allow His Holy Spirit to shape our lives into something beautiful for God. When we stubbornly refuse to acknowledge our sins, however, we will suffer consequences. David was a child of God, but for a time in his life he stubbornly refused to acknowledge a serious sin in his life. Hence, David suffered spiritually, psychologically, and even physically. David prayed to God in Psalm 32:3-4, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." We as children of God must be very careful that we do not persist in deliberate sin and stubbornly refuse to acknowledge sin in our lives.

When we acknowledge our sins, the Lord receives us with open arms of forgiveness. David prayed in Psalm 32:5, "Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' and You forgave the guilt of my sin." When we acknowledge our sins the Lord forgives our sins. He also promises to be with us every step of our lives! The Lord directs our steps during both the pleasant and difficult circumstances of life. When David finally acknowledged his sin he once again experienced the Lord's blessings on his life. David prayed in Psalm 32:6-7, "Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." We must acknowledge our sins, and we must seek the Lord. Then we will experience the Lord's favor and blessing on our lives. A God who is willing to forgive our sins is also a God whom we can trust. He is a God to whom we can devote our entire lives. When "the mighty waters" of chaotic and difficult circumstances arise in our lives we can trust in the Lord's protection and provision for us. He is our "hiding place" and protection. The Christian goes from victory to victory in his or her life. A Christian in thankfulness can then sing "songs of deliverance."

Experiencing God's victories in our lives is dependent on following God's will for our lives. God said to David and says to us today, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." (Psalm 32:8) God instructs us through His Holy Word, and we must immerse ourselves in His Holy Word every day. God also directs us through the circumstances that He allows in our lives. God is slowly shaping us into the people He wants us to become. He is slowly instructing and teaching us in the way He wants us to go.

We must be submissive and not rebellious to the Lord's leading in our lives, however. We must be careful that we are not "like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you." (Psalm 32:9) Only in total submission to God's will do we experience the Lord's blessing and joy. "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him." (Psalm 32:10) Let us daily examine our lives for any unconfessed sins. Let us confess those sins, and turn to the Lord in repentance. Let us submit to God's will for our lives; and experience His protection, blessing, joy, and "unfailing love."


The Lord Is My Light

General — Posted by sharaug @ September 09, 2006 11:27
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Psalm 27

Psalm 27 was a prayer of David in a time of crisis. It was a confident assertion that the Lord would help him against his enemies. It was also a confident prayer to God for help. King David was secure in the Lord. We also can be confident in the Lord. When we face difficult or seemingly insurmountable problems we can run to the Lord. We can say with David, "The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1) The Lord is our light or our sense of well-being. He is the one that guides, directs, and protects. The Lord is the source of all the blessings in our lives. We need not fear anything or anyone, because the Lord is our stronghold. Even when chaos and all kinds of fearful events seem to be breaking out all around us, we can be confident in the Lord. The Lord must not only be our soul's confidence, but He also must be our soul's desire. David said in Psalm 27:4, "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." It should be our consuming passion to grow in our love relationship with the Lord and to grow in our sense of the Lord's presence in our lives. It should be our consuming passion that we grow in our perception of the Lord's beauty. It should be our passion to meditate on His Word and to spend time with Him in prayer. It should be our passion to then enter the world carrying the fragrance of Jesus, because we have spent time lingering in the Lord's presence.

If we are lingering in the Lord's presence we will then experience His peace and safety "in the day of trouble." In those days of trouble the Lord will hide us in His protection and will set us "high upon a rock." (Psalm 27:5) That rock is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! We as His children will go from victory to victory, and we will be filled with His praises! The Lord is our soul's confidence. He must be our soul's desire. The Lord is also our soul's prayer. We need to always seek the face of the Lord in prayer, because He alone is our helper. We can not face one day without Him. The Lord has promised to always be with us. Even if all others would reject us, the Lord will never reject His own. His arms are always open wide to His children. We are eternally secure in the Lord!

There is much turmoil in this world. There is much we could fear, but a child of God need not fear. God's children can experience the Lord's peace. We experience this peace by asking the Lord to teach us His ways and by walking in the Lord's paths. Only those who know and seek to obey the Lord can experience His answers to prayer and His victories and peace in their lives. We also experience the Lord's peace by trusting the Lord and resting our lives in Him. We experience the Lord's peace by taking our eyes off our problems and the condition in which we find the world and by directing our eyes on the Lord. We experience the Lord's peace by knowing that the Lord is in control and by waiting on the Lord. Psalm 27:14 reads, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Waiting on the Lord involves not running ahead of the Lord. It involves not forcing doors open before the Lord's perfect timing. It involves seeking the Lord's direction, guidance, and help. Waiting on the Lord is a sure confidence that the Lord has every detail of our lives planned, so we need not panic in times of crisis and trial. Waiting on the Lord means we are resting in the Lord for working out the details of our lives. Waiting on the lord means we are concentrating on our love relationship with the Lord and not on our problems. Waiting on the Lord is being quiet long enough to hear His voice in His Holy Word and in our hearts. Since the Lord is our "light and salvation" we need to fear nothing. (Psalm 27:1) He is our peace and strength. Wait on the Lord!


Living Sacrifices

General — Posted by sharaug @ September 04, 2006 19:04
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Romans 12:1-12

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Romans 12:1-2

The Lord God is such a merciful God to us! He sent His own Son to die the horrid death on the cross for your and my sins! He also heaps undeserved and abundant blessings on us each day. He always protects us and is with us. In light of all this, our Scripture passage today tells us, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12:1) This means that the Lord needs to permeate every area of our lives. He must permeate our every action and our every thought! Our faith must be expressed in total obedience to the Lord. Our lives must be a "spiritual act of worship." Our lives must show that we have the new life of the Holy Spirit flowing through us. Our faith must not just be dead and empty ritual but must be based on a passionate love for the Lord. Our lives must be based on a zeal and passion to obey and do the Lord’s will. All we do must involve our desire to love and serve the Lord with all our heart, mind, and will! It involves more than our money, talents, and time but also the total giving of ourselves to the Lord. Jesus Christ gave His all for us on the cross. The only reasonable response on our part is the giving of our all to the Lord.

We must not "conform any longer to the pattern of this world." Rather we must "be transformed" by the Holy Spirit. There must be a "renewing" of our mind. (Romans 12:2a) We must not follow the world’s philosophies and ways of thinking. We need to think Biblically and the way the Lord wants us to think. We must pray to be transformed by the Holy Spirit in our thinking and our acting. We must pray and desire to become more like Jesus. We must pray to be transformed into a person who is pleasing to the Lord. Then you and I will truly "be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2b) Then we will be able to do what the Lord wants us to do and not what our self-centered selves want to do in this life. His will is always good and "pleasing," because it glorifies the Lord. It also leads to our spiritual and moral growth. This is true even in difficult times when we do not understand the Lord’s ways in our lives. No improvement can be made on the will of God. We must give our all to the Lord.

Our hearts and minds must be renewed and transformed by the Holy Spirit so that we are more and more in the center of His will. We must not be squeezed into the world’s mold, but we must be shaped by God’s will and thinking. We must prove in practice in our lives that His plan for us is good and moves us to spiritual maturity. We must prove in practice in our lives that we are totally committed to giving our all to the Lord. The Lord must be our master stylist! We must adjust our lives to His will and mind. Zeal for the things of the Lord must never be lacking in our lives. We must keep our spiritual fervor and excitement for the things of the Lord and for serving Him. We must be joyful in the certainty of His promises and patient with His will for our lives. We must also pray for the Lord’s help in our lives. Our lives must be "living sacrifices" to the Lord. This is the reason for which we were created, and this is the only path to joy for time and for eternity!


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