Living in Truth

John 8:31 ““If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”-

Living in Truth is to abide in Him. Free from sin. There are those who teach because we are born in sin and have a sin nature that we cannot live a life without sinning. Sin is part of the human nature and to say you do not sin is to say you are not human, and no one is perfect. This teaching is contrary to the teaching that Christ gives the Jews as they defended their claims to know the Father. It is true that we are all born in sin and by birth are sinners. For all have sin and come short of God’s glory. Being free from sin is not humanly possible for deliverance from sin is only made possible because Jesus died on the cross to pay our debt of sin. Accepting Him as Savior, we now abide in Him, we are now living in the Vine. We now live in truth for He is Truth. As long as we live in Him we can be free from living a life of sin. Sin no longer abides, we are no longer in bondage or enslaved to Satan, He is no longer our father, we have a new Father, a heavenly Father that sets us free from the sin bondage that Satan had on us. A life free from sin is made possible through the blood of Christ and abiding in Him. 

Dead with Christ

Col 2:20a, 3:12 “Therefore if ye be dead with Christ ..., holy and beloved, as the elect of God, put on hearts of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering,”-

Being dead with Christ gives life a whole new meaning. The deeds in our life are no longer measured by keeping certain laws of what we eat, or the relics we cherish as sacred. The life that we now live in Christ is demonstrated by our actions toward one another and to those who don’t know Him. It is the fleshly tendency of man to be critical and hard. When others interfere with what we want or get in the way of our desires we become impatient and intolerable with them. Paul says that if you have taken up the cross of Jesus and have been crucified with Christ you no longer act that way. Action in speech and attitude reveal what is in the heart. As believers in Christ, we are to show kindness in situation that normally would irritate us. Instead of being critical and oppressive, we are to show mercy and long suffering. Let us pray that God will help us to have the heart of Christ and live in such a way that God would be pleased.

Life is Tough At Times

Isaiah 40:4 “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.”-

Life is tough at times. We have valleys of discouragement, mountains of problems, roads of confusion, and places where life is unpleasant. Facing life head on and trying to overcome the tough times is not easy. Sin had brought about some of these rough times. Living to satisfy the desires of the carnal flesh most often ends in destruction. The wages of sin is death and the way of the transgressor is hard. But for those who are doing their best to serve God and live according to His Word, life still happens and problems are just as real. As a children of God, and one that belongs to God, we can be comforted in knowing that God cares and has promise to make a way through the tough times in life. If there is sin in our lives, He wants us to confess them and trust the blood of Christ for forgiveness. If we are living in obedience to Him, He wants us to commit the things that happen in life to Him. He will bring us out of our discouragement, our problems will seem as mountain hill when He is in control, we can walk with confidence that we are following the right road, and in the rough places, He will bring joy and contentment. 

God's Mouth Piece

Ex 4:12 “ Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say.”

Know what to say and how to say it is always difficult for those who are timid or not as aggressive. Being God’s mouth piece is to voice God’s message to others in a way that will reflect God’s love and grace. The task that Moses was given was to speak God’s warning and judgment to those who war against Him, but the message we give from God in this day of grace is to let others know that God cares and loves them. He wants us to be His mouth piece to speak to others that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That there is no other way to see the Father except through Him. We live in a day of mass communication and people have been expose to various forms of doctrine and many people are very forceful with their message. Speaking the gospel to others without offense is why we need the Holy Spirit to help us be the voice of God. Like Peter on the day of Pentecost, he spoke with power and conviction. When we try to rely on our human ability to speak, it often fails to reach people’s heart. May we be always ready to speak and give an answer to those that ask of the hope that is within us. May we always speak words of truth, but with love and kindness. The effective mouth piece of Christian avails much when the Holy Spirit fills our mouth. 

An Honorable Life

1 Peter 2:12 “ having your way of life honest among the Gentiles, that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”-

Life of honesty is a life living truthfully. A truthful life is an honorable life. We are ambassador for Christ, representing the Name of Jesus to the world that lives in darkness. The lifestyle we live is to honor God and glorify Him. We our now part of the royal priesthood, a child of God by adoption, and made an heir of His riches. The desire of a true believer is to honor His Father and to avoid anything that would dishonor Him. Peter instructs us to avoid fleshly lust or desires that war with the soul and fight against that which is holy. Flee from sin, and avoid the appearance of evil. We are to seek righteousness and holiness in our life. We are still human with many short comings, but our motive to live holy for God can always be pure. Satan hates God and will attack that which He loves. When we dishonor God by the way we live, Satan wins and we lose. Let us take heed that we seek always to honor God and live a honest life. 

Wondrous Word

Psalm 119:18 “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.”-

Blinded by sin, it is not natural for people to see the truth of God’s Word. God in His love, grace, and mercy illuminates the mind and opens the eyes of sinners to see Jesus. To see that we are sinners and need of a Savior. As Christians, we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see the deeper things of God. The Law of God is more than a rule book of things to do and not to do, but a love letter that God gives us to help us understand what it means to live and what it means to love Him. His Word is filled with wondrous things, and the half as yet to be told of all that He has for us. It is The Good Book in every sense of the word. His Word is food to the soul and the air we breathe. 

Spiritual Blessings

Eph. 1:3   “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ...”

Spiritual blessings are given to those who are faithful and put their trust in Christ, They are chosen of God, adopted into the family of God, accepted by Christ, redeemed by His blood, our sins have been forgiven and He has given us wisdom that is not of this world. Spiritual blessings are given for the purpose to fulfill the will of God for each one of our lives. God’s plan for our lives is to glorify Him, to live holy through the blood of Christ. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we are able fulfill this plan. He was the promise of the Father received on the day of Pentecost to endued us with power, cleanse from sin, and to walk a life of holiness (a witness to the world that Christ is alive and lives in our hearts). We are blessed.

God Speaks

Heb. 1:2 “ hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds,”

God “speaks” to us in various ways. When something “speaks to the heart”, we normally assume that our heart was touched and a message was received that significantly impacted us. We hear a message, or read a book about showing love and compassion, it speaks to our heart, and we are motivated to show more love and compassion to others. When God speaks, He uses the Word, the Holy Spirit quickens our mind to receive the Word. That is why it so important to take time to read His Word and pray for the Spirit of God to reveal His truth to our hearts. God does speak through our conscience, but we must be careful for it is possible for our conscience to be mislead. If our conscience speaks, we must make sure that it is consistent with God’s Word. God speaks to us through Christ, Jesus, our Savior and elder brother has trodden the path before us, showing us the way to the kingdom of God. Through Christ, we can speak to God, for He is our Mediator to the Father. Hearing God speak will not be by some audible voice, but we must keep our ears open, for the voice of God can be heard at any time of the day. 

Falling Back

1 Corinth 10:12 “ Therefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.”-

Falling back into sin happens to many because they have become over confident in their own abilities and strength. We are no match for Satan and the deception he employs. Temptation to return to sin is made appealing because it does provide pleasure for a season. When the road gets tough, it is tempting to think that we had it better before we gave our lives to Christ. Temptation is real and it pulls at our human desires to be used in a way that is not pleasing to God. We cannot afford to think that sin cannot trap us once again. We must be ever diligent and on guard by staying in the Word, trust in Christ for deliverance, and praying for the Holy Spirit to give us the power to overcome the sin that can cause us to fall. We have not arrive yet, and we cannot be fooled into thinking that the longevity of our walk with Christ allows us to let up. Satan, as a roaring lion seeks whom he may devour. In time of temptation, we must flee to Christ who will provide a way of escape. He is our refuge and help in times of trouble. 

The Giants in Our Lives

Numbers 13:20 “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.”-

The giants in our lives are symbolize by the problems and trails we face daily as we walk with God. As the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness, they came up against an insurmountable challenge. The promise land they sought was inhabited by people that were strong and fierce. They appeared as giants and the people wept with discouragement. But, Caleb did not see giants, he saw God. His faith in God’s ability to overcome any obstacle caused him to shout out, “We are well able!” We look at life’s struggles and wonder how we are going to overcome the giants in our lives. Some giants are bigger than others, but we all face them. The giant of losing a loved one, giants of financial reversals, giants of relationships that are strained, or even the giant of discouragement. In the face of all these, we can be more than conquers if we put our trust in Christ. We can defeat the giants in our live and be over-comers through Christ that give us the strength we need. 

Life is Not Fair

Matt. 20:15 “ Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?”-

“Just not fair” how often we hear or sometimes feel that life is not fair. Why does it seem that others always get the breaks and we are left on the short end of the rope? Some are born into a home being fed from a silver spoon and others are must rely on their fingers to feed themselves. This is the million dollar question that can only be answers with satisfaction when one is totally submitted to the will of God. For everything that happens to a child of God, comes only because God has allowed it. Life is not fair in the sense that we all are not given equal blessings. It was not fair that Jesus died on the cross. It was for our sins He died, for He was without sin, but He went out of the realm of fairness and gave His life that we may have eternal life. How fair is that? We deserved death, but He gave us life. God gives eternal life for all who will come to Him. He holds no one back, He is fair to all humanity by giving all the chance to accept His gift of salvation. In the temporal matters of life, things are not equally distributed, but when it come to the eternal matters of life, God is good and fair to all who will come to Him, He will not turn them away.

Helpers in Christ Jesus

Roman 16:3 “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus”

The popular phrase, “It takes a village” was crucial in the New Testament church as it spread the gospel to different parts of the world. Paul, a man of God and the writer of many of the NT books indicates that he could not do it alone. He had a lot of help from many people who stood by him during the hard times. We like to think that we are self- efficient, and that we can handle what comes our way without any help, but everyone has a breaking point and their are times in our lives that we need a helping hand. Asking for help is not necessarily a sign of weakness, we must be willing to put our pride aside, humble ourselves before God and others and reach out our hands to those who are willing to reach out to us. It is true, that we cannot totally rely on others to carry our load, we have to be responsible to the burden that God give us and give it our best. But as we travel this earthly road, it is good to know that their are those who are willing and wanting to be helpers in Christ. 

Train Up A Child

Prov. 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”-

Bring up children in this day is no easy task. Probably the case for every generation that leaves God out of their lives. The culture that we live in no longer values the Biblical teaching of God’s Word. They take only what suits them and their agenda and exploit it for their cause. Discerning what is good and pleasing to God requires that one be guided by the Holy Spirit. Training up a child in the way they should go will take more than taking them to church. It will require consistent holy living by parents who desire their children to follow their footsteps. What is important in our day is for our children to  pick up the cross of Jesus and follow Him. Training a child up to follow God is to train them to see that they are sinners and need a Savior. To give their hearts and lives to Christ, and listen to the voice of God. Their is no greater pleasure for a Christian parent than to see their children live for God and train their children to also be seekers of God. No greater legacy can be left behind than to know that your children followed your footsteps. 

Workers Together

Roman 12:4 “For as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office”-

Workers together to build the kingdom of God. God has given us particular gifts that make the body of Christ work effectively and as one. Each one of us have a part in the operation of advancing God’s work. Not everyone is gifted to speak, or to be a leader. We admire those who can speak and those who are able to lead. But, much of the work that is done is accomplished by those who are in the “trenches” where no one sees the hours of work that are spent doing what needs to be done. We refer to this as “behind the scenes”. Each one of us is called to a ministry. When Jesus saves us from sin and delivers us from the life of sin, He calls us to ministry. Depending on the gifts that He give us, He wants us to use our gifts to share the grace of God to others, to edify each other in the faith, and show love and compassion to a world that is hurting. God sees “behind the scene” and will someday say, “‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” 

Fear Not

Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, “Fear not...”

We naturally fear situations that take us unaware. Our natural response is to pull back and flee any possible danger or threat to our well being. Often when God appeared to man, fear gripped the heart of those that encountered the super natural. But when Jesus appeared on earth, He came as a newborn baby. As He grew and became a man, people did not fear Him, they marveled at His teaching and were amaze to see how He healed the sick and made the blind to see. Jesus came to save and seek those who were lost and afraid. Christ comes to us with open arms and entreats us to come unto Him. We need not be afraid or fear, He comes to bring joy to the heart and and peace to the mind. Encountering Jesus is fearless and blissful. 

The Lord is Thy Shade

Psalm 21:5 “ The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.”-

In the shade, we are protected by scorching rays and the heat of the sun. There are days that the sun beams down hot on our face as we step outside our homes. In Colorado, if you can get to a tree that provide sufficient shade, one can be outside comfortably. A breeze often will come by, and being in the shade it cools the body with comfort. The Lord has promise to be our shade when things get unbearable. The trails and temptations that scorn us each day can be intense and wear us down. The hand of God covers us in times of hardship and shades us from the attack of the enemy. He is our keeper and will keep us from being scorn by things that will cause us to quit. We can keep working and living for God knowing that He is our keeper and will shade us with His hand of protection.

Handling the Word of God

2 Corinth: 4:2 “but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully; but by manifesting the truth we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”-

The Word of God stands alone without any defense. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, men full of the Holy Ghost, led by God’s Spirit wrote with a pure conscience how God wants His children to live. His Word is not open to interpretation that caters to selfish desires of men’s hearts. It is to be handle with care and interpreted with pure intentions. It is not to be used for selfish gain or want. How the Word is interpreted is critical to how we live. Interpreting God’s Word to justify our sinful behavior is handling God’s Word deceitfully. We should always look into the Word of God with the intention of drawing closer to God. If our interpretation of His Word causes us to live a holy life, then we can live with a clear conscience in the sight of God. Not everyone will see the scriptures in the same light or interpreted it the same, but we all can have an interpretation that will manifest the truth to our heart with a conscience void of offense.