"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 (NIV).
People often face trials that test our ability to not have resentment toward those that cause the trials, and have a sense of peace after going through the trials. James doesn't say if we have trials, but says when we have trials. These trials are a way for us to profit from persevering through the trials. What? How can one persevere through the trials and find profit? The profit is the satisfaction of knowing that we trusted God to make it through the troubles. God will stay with us through the trials of life and never leave us nor forsake us.
We shouldn't pretend that everything is always alright, instead it is important for us to maintain a positive outlook. Christians should always look at the good and the bad and find the positive that can come from the situation. It is important to remember to always Thank God for promising to lead us through the trials. We should also ask God to solve the problems for us. It is then our turn to be have patience when waiting for God to respond to our request. This is the true test of faith and endurance.
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trials, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12 (NIV).
Monday, September 19, 2011
Daily Choices
Every day we are faced with lots of choices as we go through the day. Some of these choices may feel very insignificant while others are of great importance. God wants us to turn to Him for each of these choices we make and especially for the large decisions that we have to make. These decisions can be about what you will do today or what words you will speak. It is extremely important that Christians need to rely on prayer for the direction we need to take with these choices. Some of the choices being made may seem like they are for the best, but only God knows what is best for our lives. Waiting to hear from God can take time. Time is how God gives us patience and also test our obedience. Waiting for God's response isn't always easy to sit back and wait. I have a very difficult time with waiting for the answer and God is working on this in my life right now. Since I have began to pray about every situation, I have been given more patience to sit and wait for God's response. In my personal life, God is still working out some of the details for what He wants me to do in furthering my education in order to benefit His Kingdom. I can't wait till all the details are given to me so I can begin this new chapter of my life and begin my ministry.
"So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (NIV).
"Life is pretty much like a cafeteria line - it offers us many choices, both good and bad. The Christian must have a spiritual radar that detects the difference not only between bad and good but also among good, better, and best." Dennis Swanberg.
"So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (NIV).
"Life is pretty much like a cafeteria line - it offers us many choices, both good and bad. The Christian must have a spiritual radar that detects the difference not only between bad and good but also among good, better, and best." Dennis Swanberg.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
"Disciples or Apostles"
While having lunch with a friend the other day, we began talking about apostles. I was oblivious to the fact that there was a distinct difference between the terms disciples and apostles. I was told what the difference was and took it upon myself to find out a little more.
The word disciple(s) is defined as a follower or student of some doctrine. Apostle(s) is defined as a messenger or the sent ones. What does this actually mean? How are we to respond to this in our day and time?
I know that I'm not the only one who thought that disciples and apostles were one in the same. Now that I know what the difference is I know which I would rather be called..... but I'll save that for later. Jesus had hundreds of people follow him from place to place to listen to him teach. Out of these hundreds of people Jesus chose twelve to be called His Disciples. These twelve were to learn from his teachings and grow in the faith and obedience to Jesus. This was the students following their teacher looking to Jesus for guidance. Jesus was preparing them to be the messengers for Christ.
Why did Jesus choose twelve to follow?
Jesus said "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matthew 19:28 (NIV). Jesus chose twelve to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.
So...when people of our time decide to follow Christ and become believers, we are disciples. We attend church regularly, listen to the sermons, and grow in our faith to Christ. But then we become complacent and this is were we need to change. We as Christians need to get off the pews and begin venturing out into the communities in which we live. It should be our desire to become apostles for Christ, sharing the knowledge that we have with others. We should break the mold and branch out into uncharted waters.
So, I ask again. What would you like to be considered...a disciple or an apostle? It is my desire to be an apostle.
I challenge each of you to find other scriptures were Jesus trains the disciples to become apostles. The majority of His teaching was done through parables.
"Instead of living a black-and-white existence, we'll be released into a Technicolor world of vibrancy and emotion when we more accurately reflect His nature to the world around us." Bill Hybels
The word disciple(s) is defined as a follower or student of some doctrine. Apostle(s) is defined as a messenger or the sent ones. What does this actually mean? How are we to respond to this in our day and time?
I know that I'm not the only one who thought that disciples and apostles were one in the same. Now that I know what the difference is I know which I would rather be called..... but I'll save that for later. Jesus had hundreds of people follow him from place to place to listen to him teach. Out of these hundreds of people Jesus chose twelve to be called His Disciples. These twelve were to learn from his teachings and grow in the faith and obedience to Jesus. This was the students following their teacher looking to Jesus for guidance. Jesus was preparing them to be the messengers for Christ.
Why did Jesus choose twelve to follow?
Jesus said "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matthew 19:28 (NIV). Jesus chose twelve to represent the twelve tribes of Israel.
So...when people of our time decide to follow Christ and become believers, we are disciples. We attend church regularly, listen to the sermons, and grow in our faith to Christ. But then we become complacent and this is were we need to change. We as Christians need to get off the pews and begin venturing out into the communities in which we live. It should be our desire to become apostles for Christ, sharing the knowledge that we have with others. We should break the mold and branch out into uncharted waters.
So, I ask again. What would you like to be considered...a disciple or an apostle? It is my desire to be an apostle.
I challenge each of you to find other scriptures were Jesus trains the disciples to become apostles. The majority of His teaching was done through parables.
"Instead of living a black-and-white existence, we'll be released into a Technicolor world of vibrancy and emotion when we more accurately reflect His nature to the world around us." Bill Hybels
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
"The Shepherd"
We have always heard references of Jesus being called "The Good Shepherd". We see this throughout the Bible. Why is Jesus called "The Good Shepherd"? Is this why the people who follow Jesus are called His flock? How are we like the sheep?
"Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep." John 10:7 (NIV).
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:11 (NIV).
In these two verses, Jesus calls Himself The Good Shepherd, and makes reference to the sacrifice that would be made. Jesus also tells of the sheep having to pass through Him because He is the gate. In verse 7 and 11, Jesus tells the followers or His flock that He is the only way to get to God The Father in heaven. Sheep are not the smartest animals and if we are considered His flock then Jesus knows that we are going to make mistakes and need His guidance. Sheep often travel in flocks and if one strays away from the flock, then more will follow the lost. If the sheep were to get loose and fall off a cliff or drown in a river, more of the flock will follow.
This is similar to the way that we act in our own lives. We may know right from wrong, but more than likely we will follow the rest of the pack, our peers. Jesus is telling us that we need to look to Him for guidance in our everyday life. In my personal life, I was once the lost sheep. I was constantly doing whatever I wanted without any regard to my personal relationship with Jesus. It took several years, even after asking Jesus to come into my life, before I actually fully understood what this meant. I know now that Jesus is my Shepherd and I am His sheep. I will follow my Shepherd wherever he leads me.
"Very Truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber." John 10:1 (NIV).
"Now may the God of peace who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep," Hebrews 13:20 (NIV).
"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." Mark 6:34 (NIV).
"My sheep listen to my voice: I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." John 10:27-30 (NIV).
Thank You Jesus for allowing me (your sheep) to follow you!
"Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep." John 10:7 (NIV).
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:11 (NIV).
In these two verses, Jesus calls Himself The Good Shepherd, and makes reference to the sacrifice that would be made. Jesus also tells of the sheep having to pass through Him because He is the gate. In verse 7 and 11, Jesus tells the followers or His flock that He is the only way to get to God The Father in heaven. Sheep are not the smartest animals and if we are considered His flock then Jesus knows that we are going to make mistakes and need His guidance. Sheep often travel in flocks and if one strays away from the flock, then more will follow the lost. If the sheep were to get loose and fall off a cliff or drown in a river, more of the flock will follow.
This is similar to the way that we act in our own lives. We may know right from wrong, but more than likely we will follow the rest of the pack, our peers. Jesus is telling us that we need to look to Him for guidance in our everyday life. In my personal life, I was once the lost sheep. I was constantly doing whatever I wanted without any regard to my personal relationship with Jesus. It took several years, even after asking Jesus to come into my life, before I actually fully understood what this meant. I know now that Jesus is my Shepherd and I am His sheep. I will follow my Shepherd wherever he leads me.
"Very Truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber." John 10:1 (NIV).
"Now may the God of peace who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep," Hebrews 13:20 (NIV).
"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." Mark 6:34 (NIV).
"My sheep listen to my voice: I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." John 10:27-30 (NIV).
Thank You Jesus for allowing me (your sheep) to follow you!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Temptations
Temptations come in many forms, some more harmful to our body than others. Some of the temptations can be eating too much food, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual temptation (Internet pornography, flirtatious speech, and adultery).It is important for us to remember that Satan is always at work (24/7) trying to cause heartache and harm through temptations.
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV).
This is very reassuring that we can depend on God to help see us through the temptations. A big misconception is that Christians cannot be tempted. In fact, Satan is sending as many temptations our way to make us fall into the trap of sin.Peter offered a stern warning to Christians about the temptations of Satan.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV).
Many people including Christians, often try to shift the blame for our failure to follow what is right in the eyes of God. Some of the excuses that we may use are: it's the other person's fault, I couldn't help myself, everybody does it, it was just a mistake, no body's perfect, the Devil made me do it, peer pressure, i didn't know it was wrong, and God is tempting me. God does not tempt us, but does allow us to be tempted by Satan as a test of our faith that God will see us through the temptation.
Here are some more verses that talk about temptation:
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Matthew 6:13 (NIV).
"Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation." Luke 11:4 (NIV).
Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come." Luke 17:1 (NIV).
"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1 (NIV).
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin." Hebrews 4:15 (NIV).
".....but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed." James 1:14 (NIV).
At times, it is extremely difficult to turn from our sinful ways. Each of our temptations may come in different forms and what sets Christians apart from others is the forgiveness that we have through Jesus Christ. Jesus died for our sin and by us accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are forgiven. This forgiveness doesn't mean that we should continue to sin, but instead turn from these sinful ways.
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV).
This is very reassuring that we can depend on God to help see us through the temptations. A big misconception is that Christians cannot be tempted. In fact, Satan is sending as many temptations our way to make us fall into the trap of sin.Peter offered a stern warning to Christians about the temptations of Satan.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV).
Many people including Christians, often try to shift the blame for our failure to follow what is right in the eyes of God. Some of the excuses that we may use are: it's the other person's fault, I couldn't help myself, everybody does it, it was just a mistake, no body's perfect, the Devil made me do it, peer pressure, i didn't know it was wrong, and God is tempting me. God does not tempt us, but does allow us to be tempted by Satan as a test of our faith that God will see us through the temptation.
Here are some more verses that talk about temptation:
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Matthew 6:13 (NIV).
"Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation." Luke 11:4 (NIV).
Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come." Luke 17:1 (NIV).
"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1 (NIV).
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin." Hebrews 4:15 (NIV).
".....but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed." James 1:14 (NIV).
At times, it is extremely difficult to turn from our sinful ways. Each of our temptations may come in different forms and what sets Christians apart from others is the forgiveness that we have through Jesus Christ. Jesus died for our sin and by us accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are forgiven. This forgiveness doesn't mean that we should continue to sin, but instead turn from these sinful ways.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Paul Teaches How To Pray
In the book of Colossians, Paul writes a letter to the people of Colosse telling them how to pray. Not just how to pray, but specifically how to pray for other Christians. Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote to the people of Colosse. Colossians, Philippians, Ephesians, and Philemon are all referred to as the "Prison Letters". Unlike most of the other prisoners of the day, Paul is given special treatment. Paul was allowed to write letters and to have visitors. Colossians 1 verses 3-14 is known as Paul's Thanksgiving and Prayer.
During these verses, Paul tells the people of Colosse 7 ways to pray for other Christians.
1. Give thanks for their faith and change in their lives. (vs.3)
2. Help them know what God wants them do do. (vs.9)
3. Give them deep spiritual understanding. (vs.9)
4. Help them live for God. (vs.10)
5. Give them more knowledge of God. (vs.10)
6. Give them strength for endurance. (vs.11)
7. Fill them with the joy, strength, and thankfulness. (vs.11)
"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you," Colossians 1:3 (NIV)
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives," Colossians 1:9 (NIV)
".....so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God," Colossians 1:10 (NIV)
".....being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience," Colossians 1:11 (NIV)
During these verses, Paul tells the people of Colosse 7 ways to pray for other Christians.
1. Give thanks for their faith and change in their lives. (vs.3)
2. Help them know what God wants them do do. (vs.9)
3. Give them deep spiritual understanding. (vs.9)
4. Help them live for God. (vs.10)
5. Give them more knowledge of God. (vs.10)
6. Give them strength for endurance. (vs.11)
7. Fill them with the joy, strength, and thankfulness. (vs.11)
"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you," Colossians 1:3 (NIV)
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives," Colossians 1:9 (NIV)
".....so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God," Colossians 1:10 (NIV)
".....being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience," Colossians 1:11 (NIV)
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