Let Love Speak

On July 6, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 58: 6 – 7

Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

This is the service the Lord prefers; that we would serve our fellows rather than empty and meaningless rituals. God does not call us into works. We are not justified by works. We are justified by love but in that love let us serve our Lord and God by not turning our faces from those in need. It is in our capacity as “His” body that we reach out to the lost and broken. We are His hands in the earth. We have the power in Him to break the bonds which tie people and destroy the yokes which keep people oppressed. What small part can we each play? Let the love of the Lord be seen in the earth, not because you are compelled to out of a sense of duty but rather out of the love that was first given you. Let the love of the Lord that has taken up its residency in your heart flow out to other people. Do not hide the righteousness of the Lord in your heart but rather let your heart express it to others.
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Trusting

On July 5, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 84: 12

O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in Thee!

How blessed indeed! Do you know how little there is for you to worry about once your trust is in the Lord. It is a great and wonderful blessing not to have to worry about every single thing in our lives. The more we are able to turn over to the Lord of Hosts, the less there is for us to worry over. You don’t have to take stress management classes anymore. You are just less stressed. The Lord, our God, is carrying all of that stress for you. Each thing that you do not want to carry any longer, turn over to Him. It may take a bit of practice and perhaps this is one of those things about which we must be constantly vigilante but it sure is worth every bit of effort.

Here is one little trick that I use. I imagine one of those “IN” boxes that everyone used to have on their desks. This one belongs to God. Walk up to it and put into it the matter that is taking up so much of your thought life. If a matter is important enough to you to cause you concern, then it is important enough for you to give to God. He cares about everything you care about, even the small things. I have noticed that it is impossible to fill up His “IN” box. He always has room for more.

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Liberty

On July 4, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 8: 36

If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

We celebrate, today, the United States’ day of liberation. It is the day citizens stop and remember the lives and fortunes which were willingly sacrificed so that we might be free. This isn’t an idea which is restricted to the United States of America nor is it an ideal which is limited to corporate freedom. Personal liberty is every bit as important as political freedom. I would argue that neither is possible without Christ. This Fourth of July I ask you to think about your own personal liberty. Are you truly free?

Personal freedom, the liberty of our souls, is what Jesus was talking about in this verse. The people who responded to him kept thinking in terms of physical liberty. Remember, this is a people who were living with Roman occupation. Certainly their way of life was constrained by a political power but they considered themselves free. They said, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone” (v. 33). Jesus was talking about being enslaved to someone. He wasn’t talking about physical liberty. He answered them saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin” (v. 34). Jesus knows that our sin is prison from which we do not have the strength to free ourselves. Perhaps we can gain for ourselves partial freedom but not only is it incomplete, it is usually temporary as well. When Jesus sets us free, though, we are free indeed.

Like these men in the eighth chapter of John, most of us believe we are not slaves to anything or anyone, but I wonder. How many habits, social mores, customs, thoughts and old injuries are we actually imprisoned by? What would life truly look like if there were not imprisoning restraints? True freedom requires surrender. Isn’t that ironic? If we will give over our power and our control to Jesus and infuse it with trust then he can set us free and then we will be free indeed.

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Grace and Glory

On July 1, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 84: 11

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

There is much substance in that small verse. Our Father, God, is all things to us. Is that not enough, that He is all things to us including our sunshine and protection? For Him it is not. He then gives to us all good things. All of us who choose to be called his own; that is. He even gives to us grace and glory. Didn’t you think that glory was reserved for Him? It is not. We are to give Him glory but he also gives His glory to us. Not only does His grace cover us, we all have heard that and accept it but he actually gives us His grace. Now what do you suppose we are to do with his grace? Spread it to others perhaps. Even as He has given all good things to us, let us give good things unto others. As we become more and more like Him, this will become our very nature too. And while you give good things to men, don’t forget to spread around a bit of that grace God gave you.

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Believing

On June 30, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 21: 22

And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.
Wouldn’t it be nice if this verse simply said, “All things you ask, you shall receive?” But, there is that problematic word set off between the commas, believing. We receive all things which, when we pray, we believe we will receive. In Matthew 8: 13 Jesus told the Centurion, “[L]et it be done to you as you have believed.” That could be frightening if Jesus said that to many of us. We might be concerned that we will receive just exactly as we do believe. Is fear dominant or is faith? Most likely we have been receiving just exactly as we have been believing. 

 
In Mark 9: 23 Jesus told a petitioner, “All things are possible to him who believes.” The man immediately cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” The man had not been in faith when he first approached Jesus. He told Jesus that he had brought his son for prayer but that Jesus’ disciples had been unable to cast out the spirit which was oppressing the boy. Jesus responded “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to me.” The boy was delivered to Jesus and the boy’s father said to Jesus, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” Jesus must have been amazed at the father’s unbelief. He exclaimed, “If you can!” That is when Jesus said to the man, “All things are possible to him who believes.”
So whose unbelief was it that Jesus was speaking to? It is often presumed that Jesus was dismayed at his disciples and maybe he was. But take a look at this man. When the boy was taken to Jesus, he did not immediately pray for the boy. First he spoke with the father. He had to change the father’s unbelief into belief before he prayed for the boy. You see, it was the father’s unbelief that was keeping the boy imprisoned. When Jesus told the father that all things were possible to him if he would but believe he cried out, “I believe!” Well, that is a great start. First get your confession right. Say out of your mouth that thing which you need, the result you want. Secondly, knowing that he was no faith giant but rather was in unbelief, he asked Jesus to help him with his unbelief. That was the real issue. That was where Jesus had to minister. As soon as the father believed, Jesus was able to cast out the spirit. The boy was set free.

In order for us to receive the great gifts of the Lord, we too must cast out our own unbelief and become real believers. Pray to the Lord for help and work on believing Jesus. When he says a thing, just accept it. If it is too big for you, then ask the Lord for help in believing. This is how the whole kingdom of God works.

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Building the Foundation

On June 29, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 40: 8

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.
What is your life and your faith based upon? As I observe people and religions I find it interesting to notice what underpins people’s lives and faith systems. When we construct buildings we certainly want the under girding to be very strong indeed. Yet with our lives we do not always give the same consideration. Surely, we all want our lives to be founded on that which is strong and true. The Bible teaches us in Ephesians 6: 14 to gird ourselves with truth. John 17: 17 says “Thy word is truth.” So, putting those together would direct us to under gird ourselves with God’s word. In other words, if we build our houses, our lives, on the firm foundation of God’s word, then we are building our lives on a platform of strength and stability. This is the foundation which stands forever, the Word of God. We need something of strength and durability to stand on and that is the Word of God.

I know there are many people who criticize the Bible or question its validity but this is what I have noticed. Many who make those comments have not spent much time with it. They have read very little of it and are really just commenting on what they have heard about it from someone else. Secondly, those who actually have spent time with the Word yet who do not revere it, rarely have anything substantial to supplant its use. They seem to have nebulous philosophies to which they loosely refer. That is fine. We all have to choose our own path in life but I say build your house on the rock and you will fare well in the storm (Luke 6: 48). The Bible works. It has been working for thousands of years. Its truths are infallible and the word of our God stands forever.

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Adoption

On June 28, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ephesians 1: 5

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.

Just because some are adopted into the family does not make them any less a part of the family than those born into it. We, of course, know this. Yet, have we applied it to our relationship with our heavenly father? Have we really come to know that we are children of the King because he chose us? Adoption is a powerful law which gives the same rights to the adopted children as those who were born into the family. Also, there is a covenant relationship involved in this adoption of gentiles into the family of God because although Jesus was the first born, he was also adopted.

When we read the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 we find that the genealogy that is listed is through Joseph, the husband of Mary. “And to Jacob was born Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ” Matthew 1: 16. Later in the scriptures Jesus is referred to as the son of Joseph. Man adopted the son of God into a human family and God reciprocated by adopting the children of men into his family. We are absolutely entitled to all of the benefits that belong to an heir because our heritage was guaranteed to us by the promises of generations. We did not earn these benefits but just receive them because we have been adopted into the family of God, but as children of the father, let us try to do all things which are pleasing to him.

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