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1 Timothy 1

3/31/2012

1 Timothy 1:19 “Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result their faith has been ship wrecked.”

Paul is talking to Timothy and letting him know his responsibility to grow and develop his faith. We must work on our heart and making a change from non-believer to new believer and from new believer to mature follower of Christ. We can’t just be Christians, it doesn’t mean anything if we are not learning and maturing to be Christ-like. Christian is a word that means something. It means we believe in Jesus Christ and we desire to be like Him in our behavior.

Look at what Paul says in Romans chapter 2 verses 28-29, “For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God not from people.”

This is exactly what has to happen to be a Christian also. We have got to have a changed heart that we fill with God’s Spirit and we must long for praise from God, like wanting to hear “well done good and faithful servant.” We are loved and that is why it is so important for us to understand what God says about us and make a difference in the world, shining for people to see that we are Christians. Amen

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2 Thessalonians 2

3/26/2012

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2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 “This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe those lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.”

This should be a great eye opener as we see the world around us and the evil in it. We know the truth but do we live the truth? This is the million dollar question. Are we deceived by what we are doing as followers of Christ? It says, “He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.”

We have to love and accept the truth, we just can’t believe it. We must let the Spirit change our hearts and help us transform. It will always be a struggle for us to surrender to the Spirit but the Spirit will always lead us to do right so it is important that we fill our heart with God’s wisdom and grow.

Look at what it says in verse 15, “With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teachings we passed on to you both in person and by letter.” Keeping a strong grip takes us wanting to be different and longing to know so we aren’t deceived by the man of lawlessness.

I say read verses 16-17 as a prayer to remember and live by. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.” Amen

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1 Thessalonians 4

3/25/2012

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1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 "God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you."

This is so important for us to remember and think about as we call ourselves "Christians." We are called to change and live a new life, when we accept Jesus that is the start of our new lives. Our baptism says we want to unite with Christ and live to obey and please God and with that comes our living holy lives. We won't be perfect but we can be growing and showing our love by being devoted and focused on Him. Once we know Him and choose not to follow Him we are rejecting what He has done and our lives will be empty. We must stay strong and remember that our strength comes from the Lord.

I like what we are told in 1 Thessalonians 3 verse 2-3 when Paul explains why he sent Timothy. “…we sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you are going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles.” We must understand that as followers of Jesus we have the Spirit in us to comfort us in all situations. We must not get moved by every trouble that comes our way, instead, we must be holy and different.

When we accept Jesus and realize we are different we won’t desire to be the same, we will do all things to honor the Lord and or joy for life will shine so everyone sees that Christ in our lives can make a difference. Be different and show love to all by living out what you say you believe. Amen

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Colossians 3

3/22/2012

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Colossians 3:16-17 “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns of Spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Could you imagine what this world would look like if we took Paul’s word from God and lived it out? It is saying forget about what we would normally say or do and let the Spirit of God fill our lives so much that He speaks through us. We are called to be different people after we accept Christ and we need to act like it. Living the same way and acting the same way we did before Christ doesn’t make you a Christian. Accepting Christ into your heart and knowing you have to change and then changing does.

Colossians chapter 3 verse 5 says, “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.” The key to that verse is the phrase, “…have nothing to do with…” It doesn’t mean sometimes or when I need a break or but I work hard and deserve these things, it means have nothing to do with them.

When we are filling our heart with the Spirit and learning there is nothing better in life than getting to know Jesus more, then we start to change and our heart feels the Spirit and we let Him lead instead of ourselves. Verse 7 says, “You used to do these things when your life was still a part of this world.” We are citizens of Heaven and we must remember what we are told in verse 11, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.”

“Christ is all that matters.” We need to open our hearts and know that we are “new” getting rid of what we did and being an example of what a Christian really is and that is someone who professes belief in and follows the teachings of Jesus Christ. The keys are: believers and followers, let’s be different so the world sees the difference. Amen

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Colossians 2

3/20/2012

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Colossains 2:6-7 “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will over flow with thankfulness.”

When we call ourselves a follower of Christ we need to be doing just that. It is no longer about us and what we deserve, it is about Jesus and us really getting to knowing Him. It says, “…let your roots grow down into Him.” That means we have to know Him and His character. We need to study and seek who He is so that our faith will grow and we will have confidence as we live like Him.

Verse 10 says, “So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” We should be different after we accept Christ and we should know that we are a new creation, one that lives to honor God.

Verse 12 says, “For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.” We must realize this so we continually desire to learn from God and not from the world. Our lives are the light that shines so people can know the Lord and we are to learn and help plant and water the truth so God will develop it and make it grow. We cannot be complacent, we must be diligent and thankful that we have been set free of the world’s hold and now live following Christ.

Really look at verse 20 which says, “You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world…” Let’s do everything we can to follow Christ fully, doing nothing that we want unless the Spirit shows us. This total surrender is what Jesus did and we are called to do the same. Forget what the world says about the American dream and live how God says in love. Amen

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Philippians 4

3/18/2012

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Philippians 4:4-5 “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”
How important is that? When we are always joyful because we know the Lord the world sees that we are different. When we say we are Christians and our lives don’t look any different, then the people of the world don’t think God makes a difference. We should be different because we know Jesus Christ and have accepted Him as Lord and Savior. We have joy because we have eternal life through Him and that is better than anything on earth.
We are called to be a light and share the Good News about Christ, how does that look when everything that happens to us makes us worry or afraid? Verse 6 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”

It is so important that we talk to God and have a relationship with Him. We can’t expect growth and understanding when we are not willing to be different and pray. Verse 7 is a key component t verse 6, it says, “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

What’s important is that when we live in Christ Jesus our hearts and minds will be guarded. When we live in the world they are not guarded and we struggle more with our own desires and we choose our will and not His. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and we are working on being different and new creations our thoughts change and we can see what is good for us. Verse 8 says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

When we are in God’s word and praying and living in Christ we know that we are secure and we act differently in all things and our trials don’t crush us and people see us as appealing because of our strength which comes from the Lord. Verse 9 is so important, it says, “Keep putting into practice all you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

When we open our hearts and let God’s word fill us, the Spirit will lead us and we will continually practice what we learn and be a disciple maker and have peace. Amen

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Philippians 3

3/15/2012

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Philippians 3:12-13 “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

This inspires me to work and learn. Paul says, “…he is not perfect but he presses on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” We are not perfect but we shouldn’t use that as an excuse to why we mess up, we should press on to be perfect. Studying God’s word and praying for transformation which keeps us from feeling satisfied. We see how Paul says he forgets the past and he looks at what lies ahead. What are we holding onto that keeps us stuck in the same spot? I say give it to God and move on learning to be better and different.

There will never be a day that we can coast in our walk, we must be willing to learn and grow seeking God’s will and living it out. Verse 14 says, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

To me press on doesn’t mean sit back it means keep working actively pursuing Him always. Don’t get caught up in the world, focus on what we have in Christ and focus on our new home. Then continue to build on what we know so we always are moving towards Him.

I want to end with verses 19-20 and I want us to really think about these verses as we read them. “They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only of this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.”

Where are we focused? What is appealing to us? We must know that we are citizens of heaven and we must live a way that shows it. Amen

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Philippians 2

3/13/2012

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Philippians 2:12-13 “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”

This is the transformation that is so important for us to have when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. Paul says “work hard to show the results of your salvation,” by reading and praying we learn what God desires and we equip ourselves with the wisdom that He gives so we can live our lives differently. It says for us to, “…obey God with deep reverence and fear,” He wants us to be with Him for eternity. He shows His love constantly by giving us His word and His Spirit to help guide us so we have the hope to follow Jesus. Are we willing to accept what He has given and then surrender what we want to do with what He desires? That is exactly what Jesus did and we are called to be like Him.

Look at what Paul says in chapter 1 verse 27, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” We need to move past belief and move to belonging, seeking change and transformation so we can make a difference. This comes from us relying on what Christ did and what God has given us.

Chapter 2 verse 16 says, “Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.” When we start to feel our hearts change we will really have joy that comes from the Lord and we will shine in all circumstances. Then our lives will make a difference and we will help the kingdom of God. We all need to be humble and open our hearts so people can notice our lives and we must always know that the devil is going to try and make us stumble so we need to constantly equip ourselves for battle. Amen

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Ephesians 6

3/12/2012

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Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”

It is so important for us to be learning and understanding how God wants us to live. He gave us tools so we can use them to grow, we should be masters with using these tools so we are complete.

Verse 14 says, “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” We must know the truth because it will set us free. When we realize how incredible God is and how much He loves us we believe truly that what He says is right and His actions are righteous.

Verse 15 says, “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.” The Good News is that Jesus Christ was born and died taking our sins and then was resurrected and has bridge the gap to heaven for us. There is only peace in that, without that life would end and we would be separated for eternity. But we know we can join the Father in heaven through Jesus Christ His Son.

Verse 16 says, “In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” We can’t think that satan will leave us alone after we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. He will constantly do things to try and knock us off the narrow road. When we have a relationship with God we understand this and we ask for wisdom that keeps us ready for the fiery arrows. We realize that satan is actually seeking to destroy and we actively seek God’s will and know we are protected through Christ.

In verse 17 we are told, “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” As we grow we know that in Christ there is eternal life and that understanding keeps our eyes focused and our ear hearing what the Spirit is showing us and we live to please God in everything. We open God’s word and we meditate on it because it makes our walk active and alive and we walk the walk and our lives are different. We transform into the new creations and we live for God saying not my will be done but yours.

This armor is important as we live our lives daily. When we surrender to the Spirit we will desire it all and it won’t be a check list it will be what is natural. Amen

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Ephesians 4

3/11/2012

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Ephesians 4:11-13 “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: The apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”

We cannot take lightly that we constantly having to learn and develop ourselves and the people who call themselves believers. We need to “…equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” This is us constantly working together to build people up and disciple them so they mature in there walk and the church will grow with people that glorify God in their lives.

I like what it says in verse 14, “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try and trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.” It is so important for us to be seeking wisdom and learning constantly so we grow to maturity in our walk. We are all called to share the Good News and be Christ-like and that is very difficult if we don’t know what to say or how to act. It’s not a one and done faith, it is a relationship that takes work and devotion, time and effort as we focus on Him.

Verse 15 says, “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church.” Don’t think someone else will do your part, be a part of the body and grow. Amen

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1 Timothy 1

2 Thessalonians 2

1 Thessalonians 4

Colossians 3

Colossians 2

Philippians 4

Philippians 3

Philippians 2

Ephesians 6

Ephesians 4

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