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Ephesians 4

12/31/2013

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Ephesians 4:2-3 "Always be humble and gentle.  Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.  Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace."

We need to remember as we open our hearts to grow we are not just growing for our own benefit but for the benefit of others.  We can't ridicule people for where they are in their walk but be can love them and keep being there for them as they grow.  If we put the Spirit as the lead for what we do and how we act He will always keep us humble and focused on glorifying God.  Then what ever we do as Christians; no matter how long we call ourselves that, it will be done from the heart and not by our sinful desires.  

As we surrender our will and learn what our purpose in Christ is our attitude will change and we will work together to build up not tear them down.  Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 says, "Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church:  the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers."  We are all fit in there somewhere to help strengthen the body of Christ.  When we realize we have a responsibility to learn, to grow, and to live out our Christian walk the Kingdom of God gets the glory and we are doing what God desires.   

Verse 12 says, "Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ."  There is purpose for us going to church and there is purpose for us serving and giving at church, we just need to continue to grow and never be satisfied with just knowing Jesus.  Verse 13 goes on to say, "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 all should be working together for change and working together for people to know Christ.  If we just think that going to church is enough the church will never become the fullness and complete standard of Christ. 

Warren Wiersbe wrote this about the last verse and it really hit the nail on the head.  "Paul was looking at the church on two levels in this section.  He saw the body of Christ, made up of all true believers, growing gradually until it reaches spiritual maturity, "measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ."  But he also saw the local body of believers ministering to each other; growing together, and thereby experiencing spiritual unity.  Spiritual unity is not something we manufacture. It is something we already have in Christ, and we must protect and maintain it."  As we continue to seek wisdom and apply that wisdom the body of Christ works together and the church is strengthened.  This takes us forgetting what we do and listening to the Spirit in us so we work together to shine like Christ.  Verse 23 says, "Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes."  We must always keep working to know all we can about Christ so we get the full benefits of knowing Him.  Amen 
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Galatians 6

12/26/2013

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Galatians 6:7-10 "Don't be misled-you cannot mock the justice of God.  You will always harvest what you plant.  Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.  But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.  So let's not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone - especially to those in the family of faith."

As I read this it just made me think of how our love for people has to be greater then our love for being right.  We can love each other and still direct our focus on God and what the bible says about life.  Our sinful actions are usually taken because we are still learning to die to self and understand who is the most important, but as we continue to grow and learn our love grows and we don't see our sin as a need.  Christ welcomed and shared with people who were needing Him because they were caught in their sin.  He didn't say get better then hang out with me, He wants us to come and open our heart so as we grow God will transform us so we desire His will.  Look at Romans chapter 12 verses 1-2 which say, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice- the kind He will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship Him.  Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Jesus loved people where they were at but He always taught them to stop sinning or doing what they wanted and to focus on what God has done for them.  It's not about knowing what to say and not doing anything it's about learning what to do and then saying God you transform me because I love you.  Our job isn't to change people our job is to love like Christ by planting and watering the seeds that are here.  God will help people see the truth and as we love them and they are willing to seek they will find.  We all need to forget where we were at and look forward to where Jesus has opened the door for us to be.

In that we all need to surrender our will and our desires so that God's will is seen through us.  Jesus died for all sin in the world not just some sin so whatever the sin is we all must die to it and not let it be what defines us.  The love of Christ defines us as we live for Him so as we grow we can say no to all the things that controlled us before.  In Galatians chapter 5 verses 19-21 Paul gives us a good look at what needs to go.  "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear:  sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasure, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outburst of anger, self ambition, dissention, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.  Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God."  Our love can help people see what is wrong by being there for them as they grow and learn.  If they don't want to open up to what God is teaching then they will reap what they sow, but all of us that open our hearts and seek Jesus' life will get exactly what they ask for.  God is love and wants us to be with Him so He is slow to send Jesus back so we can continue to learn and let Him transform us.  Amen
  



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Galatians 5:13

12/22/2013

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Galatians 5:13 "For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters.  But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.  Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love."

I like this because it helps me stay focused on love and not just the person.  When I think of the love God has shown me I can see past my mistakes and faults and know that in Him I can change and that change shows my love for Him.  One of our biggest challenge as followers of Christ is forgetting our old self and believing we are new creations and can be fully devoted to Him by surrendering our will.  Verse 16 says, "So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.  Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves." 

When we open our hearts and grow we see how our freedom means something different than we understand as Americans.  That freedom we have in Christ calls us to serve others in love.  We see our freedom as a benefit to our self but God sees our freedom as a benefit to others.  When we are growing and we have others in mind as well we are not concerned only in what happens to us but how what we do can make a difference for the Kingdom of God. 

The fifth chapter of Galatians is a great one to read over and over and as we read ask God to open our hearts and let it sink in because it guides us to surrender and be willing to follow the Spirit not lead the Spirit in our lives.  When we lead our desires sneak out even when we don't want them to, but when the Spirit leads we see fruit that are there for peoples benefit.  Verses 22-23 says, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  There is no law against these things."  All those qualities will help us as we grow but they will also make us look different than the world and help people see Christ in us.  We need to really see Paul's words in verse 25 and realize by praying and following God's word we will live differently.  "Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives."  Remember as Spirit led people our freedom will be in our surrender to ourselves and our serving in love.  Amen
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Galatians 2:6

12/18/2013

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Galatians 2:6 This is when Paul was sharing what he was teaching from church to church and the apostles in Jerusalem accepted him and had nothing to add to his teaching.  "And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching.  (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.)"

We have to remember this as we share and live our lives different than the world.  When we open up to the Holy Spirit and seek wisdom we don't have to worry about who we are because we will be led in the right way.  It is crazy to think of all the incredible people of faith that were used in such amazing ways all throughout the bible and still God has no favorites.  We are all loved and important for the Good News to be shared and lived throughout the world.  Verse 8 goes on to say, "For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles."  We all have strengths and gifts that can be used to reach different people so as we mature in our walk and our heart continues to grow our story or (testimony) can be an amazing tool for others.

We must use what God has gifted us with and share how Jesus is in our lives, then as we live, people will see our actions and hear our words.  I love the fact that when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior I let my fears go and continued to ask God for strength and He gave it to me.  I could never read very well but as I started reading God's word more I felt an ease about reading and I was able to read as I taught bible studies each week.  I also had anxiety when I had to speak in front of people and through my devotion God took that and I started teaching and preaching God's word on a regular basis.

We can't be worried about what we have done or where our weaknesses were because God will work together with us to help us grow and be used for good.  I love this next scripture that Paul shares because it fits how God used me even though I thought I was not good enough.  Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 says, "My old self has been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  When we understand God's love and we learn and grow we are children of God and a tool for spreading the Good News about Jesus so we must continue to mature so we are always ready to be a good witness for Him.  Amen 
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2 Corinthians 8

12/12/2013

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2 Corinthians 8:5
Paul is sharing how generous the churches in Macedonia have been by giving
more than they could afford.  What
really stuck out to me was what he shares in verse 5,

“They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give
  themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.” 
All of our money doesn’t mean much to God if we don’t give ourselves
to Him.  As we surrender to Him we
start to open our hearts and we are guided by the Holy Spirit to give and serve
and we learn to be like Christ.
  
 

As I looked up the Greek word for give it came up (didomi)
which means: I give myself up as it
were; an hyperbole for disregarding entirely my private interests, I give as
much as ever I can.
 Can
you imagine if we gave ourselves to Him like that – disregarding entirely our
private interest?  That would look
like this as we matured in our walk with Him.  No concern with money, we would give to
the church.  No concern with our
time, we would serve with a joyful heart helping people see our loving
attitude.  No concern about loving
people, which would make us look at others needs not just our own. 
And finally no concern about learning from the Lord because we would
spend time asking and seeking wisdom and understanding so we could be just like
Him. 

 
Giving is so much more than just our finances it’s about our
  hearts being transformed by God to be who He created but with the love He had
  for us.  As we give ourselves to
Him fully we see how our selfish desires fade away and our willingness to give
  increases.  I love what Paul says
in
Galatians chapter 5 verses 24-25,
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their
sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. 
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in
  every part of our lives.”
  God
has given us His Spirit so we can continue to learn and have a guide into all
  truths.

 When we are willing to listen we will hear exactly what we need
to so we can help make a difference in the world for the Kingdom of God.  I pray that we all give ourselves to
the Lord in this manner and realize nothing is better than knowing and following
Jesus Christ. 
Amen


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2 Corinthians 5

12/9/2013

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2 Corinthians 5:11-12 This is Paul sharing with the church in Corinth about the importance of being like, living like and sharing Jesus Christ to people so they know Him.  It’s not about how the ministry makes us look or what worldly ways we sell it; it’s how the ministry functions and how our heart is for seeing the glory go to God. In verses 11-12 Paul shares why they are serving the Lord, “Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.  Are we commending ourselves to you again?  No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart.”

We must remember what looks good to our eyes do not always look good to His.  If our heart is off loving people it  is off totally.  God is love and wants us to function in love also, so as we do ministry we must open our hearts and make sure our purpose is His glory not ours. I think this next thought by Paul is hard for us to imagine since we section off people for who they are or what they do.  Verse 14 says, “Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that we have all died to our old life.”  Christ died for all people not just the ones that don’t annoy us so as we love people our hearts are opened to everyone who needs to see Jesus in us.  
 
Verse 15 says, “He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will live for Christ, who
died and was raised for them.”
 As we grow and as our ministry develops we need to always remember why we are doing what we are doing.  It is so people see how Christ really is and that our lives have changed because we know Him and we have surrendered our old life for our new life.  When we continue to change and develop why we do things for the Lord we stop living in judgment and start living in love.  
 
The thing that Paul wants us to get from all this is that through Christ we are new creations and we are made right with God.  In chapter 6 verse 1 I love what Paul says and I pray that we all do this as we live our lives for Him.  “As God’s partners, we beg you, not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.” As we work together planting and watering seeds the ministries in the world should focus on
love and being bold about sharing Jesus Christ. 
Amen





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2 Corinthians 4

12/6/2013

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2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “That is why we never give up.  Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

Paul is so powerful in this scripture because he reminds us that through Jesus Christ we have eternal life and we don’t have to worry about what we might be going through.  When we are maturing and growing in the Lord our hearts transform and we see that we can use all situations in our life to glorify God.  The good ones and the bad are used by God through us as we shine like Christ and people see real love from us, not just words that we say. 

I love what Paul says in chapter 4 verse 6, “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”  The Spirit is in us and when we let Him out we glorify God in all situations that is what Paul shows us in his letter to the church in Corinth.  We have the ability to shine and when we shine in our troubles or our sickness people don’t see us they see Jesus in us. 

Paul goes on in verse 10 to say, “Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.”  Paul had to worry about constant death threats and way more negative reactions from the people than we do but we have unbelievers all around watching how we react to situations so when we let the Spirit lead us they see a difference that is intriguing to them and it might open the door to share our faith.  When we let our heart go and give control to the Spirit of God, He will lead us to all truths and we will be able to get through all situations with strength from above and we will realize that everything we do for the Lord is not just for our benefit but for the benefit of others so Christ will be seen and known.  Amen 


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2 Corinthians 3

12/3/2013

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2 Corinthians 3:16-18 “But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.  And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.”

This is amazing to me, as I read this I could see the key to understanding that comes through Jesus.  When we turn to the Lord we will see, we might not see what we want in our flesh, but we will see truth.  Are we willing to turn to the Lord and forget our flesh and the desires that our human nature craves?  Because when we do the Spirit that is in us – who is there to comfort and teach us everything that is right – will make things clear.

When things get cloudy it is our flesh that is focused on the world and off the Lord.  I really like what Warren Wiersbe shares about verse 17 in his commentary.  “God wants His children to obey, not because of an external code (the law), but because of internal character.”  This also makes me think of what Paul said in Romans chapter 2 verse 15 when he was talking about the Gentiles who didn’t have the written law yet but obeyed God instinctively.  “They demonstrated that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own consciences and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”  Sounds like turning to the Lord and the Spirit guiding them to freedom, which is knowing Jesus Christ.

The more we are opened to growth and learning the more we are willing to open our heart and feel it be changed.  The amazing thing is the more we do this the more we will see the importance of seeking wisdom from the Lord.  We are asked to be Christ-like and Paul even asks us to follow him as he follows Christ so when I see a verse like 18 which says, “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.  And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like Him as we changed into His glorious image.”  I want to keep looking (or turning) to Him asking for more and more wisdom so my heart is taken over by Him.

I want to end by reading Romans chapter 2 verse 29, “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.”  As we turn to God we will grow, as we grow we will change, and as we change we will become more like His glorious image, so always be willing to turn to the Lord.  Amen  


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