Clean

There was a time in my life when I used to question my salvation. Not because I didn't love Jesus but because of 1 John 3:6. Every time I would sin I would think I must not really belong to God. This verse says no one who lives in [Christ] keeps on sinning.

I know to God sin is sin but to man there are often classifications of sin...gossip or little white lies are OK but adultery or homosexuality or murder are BIG, BAD sins. For years I couldn't reconcile my life, my salvation and this verse whether the sin was "little" or "big".

Then I read (and understood) verse 8 in the ESV.  Whoever makes a PRACTICE of sinning, is of the devil. I learned that although I do have a choice whether I sin or not, whether I glorify God or not in any situation by what I say or think or how I act, I was not making sin a practice in my life. Even the little sins would haunt me. I would be filled with remorse and repent.

1 John 1:9 says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There was complete forgiveness of all my sin - past, present and future - when Jesus shed His blood on Calvary. And there were immediate changes in my life when I surrendered to Him but I have learned that this cleansing is a lifetime process.

 The Keep on Truckin' logo of the 60's is what comes to mind when I think about making a practice of sinning. Just following the crowd with no thought of where I go or what I do. Just keep on sinnin'...and that definitely is NOT me.

Do Not Fret

I was at a cookout Saturday night with a group of church people. One of the guys who had not been there in a long time got all excited - angry even - when one of the ladies made the comment she had read an article that the Tea Party was dangerous. (He didn't know we don't take politics seriously.)  He began to rail against the liberals who are the dangerous ones. He was raising his voice to make his point.

When he stopped his harangue to take a breath, I said I don't much care. My understanding of the Bible is that God puts rulers and authorities over us and my job as a Christ follower is to pray for them. I go out and vote but I don't worry about the outcome. The Bible tells us as the time for Christ to return gets closer, things will get worse and worse in the world. So it really kind of excites me - maybe the Day will come in my lifetime!!

This morning I read Psalm 37:1-3. I don't want to waste my energy fretting over things I ultimately have no control over. God will sort out the "good" and the "evil" and deal with us all as He has ordained. I want to live our verse 3 - "Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness."

Why I Read the Bible

"Prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping." 2 Peter 1:21-2:3

There are so many people, TV people, public people, well respected people, "church" people who teach things that sound good. Maybe what they say even comes from Scripture...or it sounds like it should be Scripture. Satan quoted Scripture to Jesus when he tempted Him but Jesus knew what the words really meant. He understood the heart of His Father and could denounce the enemy with more Scripture. The Bible is not a defensive weapon but an offensive one..."the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

If I don't know what the Bible REALLY teaches, I may be drawn into a destructive belief pattern that could give me a false sense of hope, a false sense of salvation. It could make me view God from the wrong perspective. It could make me distrust the Church. It could be my downfall.

The Bible is the LIVING Word of God that gets better and better the more I read it. As I grow in my relationship with God, His word grows with me. That sounds weird because the words don't ever change, but I am able to see new things, understand new things which means my relationship with God grows and I see new things and understand new things and my relationship grows and the cycle continues.

So help me, Lord, to find time every day to read Your story. Speak to my heart as I read and give me ears to hear what You want me to hear.

Test My Heart

The shepherd boy, David, already had a heart for God long before he became King David and wrote all the great Psalms. It is because David HAD a heart for God that he became King.

When I read Psalm 26:2 my first thought was that's a risky thing to ask God to do. One Psalm over David says, "My heart says to You, Your face, Lord, do I seek."  And then in the next Psalm he says, "...my heart trusts in [God]...my heart leaps for joy..." David knew how is heart was devoted to God.

Even as a Christ follower with the Holy Spirit residing in my heart, I can still have pockets of fear or doubt or hatred or greed or pride - all sorts of things that show my heart is not fully devoted to God. But God DOES test my heart whether I ask Him to or not. "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your HEART that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9 Before I can even claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, God has tested my heart to see if I believe.

Test my heart, Lord. Show me if there is anything in me that does not bring glory to Your name, any hidden corner of my heart, sin that I might harbor, that I'm trying to hide from You.

Yet You Are Holy

Psalm 22 was written by David. This is a personal cry of anguish, yet prophetic of the suffering of Christ.  I don't know what David was going through when he cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" David wants relief from his suffering but it doesn't seem to be forth coming.

However, immediately after his "where are You" questions, David says, "Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel."

Often in my life, I have assumed because God didn't rescue me from whatever or "come through" for me that God was not able or had deserted me or didn't care or I wasn't worthy of an answer. Too often when I didn't get what I wanted from God, I have turned my back on Him. Like I think God is there to do MY bidding.

I want to have the faith, the strength to say yet You are holy - even when I don't perceive God to be near or working on my behalf. I want God to open my heart and mind to what I may need to learn through whatever is going on. I want God to convict me of sin if that is the case. I can be awfully disobedient and unrepentant yet expect God to jump through my hoops. I want to believe that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. I want to praise His name, just because He is worthy to be praised, not because He responds to my needs.

Praise and Thanksgiving

An acronym I once learned about how to pray is ACTS - adoration (or praise), confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (petitions). Although the sequence is a little different, it is based on the model prayer Jesus taught His disciples.

Too often in my prayer life I forget everything except the supplication. I never forget to ask God for something. Whether it is for me or my family or friends or members of NewSpring, I don't hesitate to ask God for stuff!

Lately I'm trying to focus more on the other aspects of prayer. One of the things I have noticed when I have been involved in corporate prayer, or even conversations, is that most people confuse praise and thanksgiving. We praise God for the new job or house or healing or whatever. But praise is not about what God DOES for us; that is thanksgiving. I am thankful for what God does for those for whom I pray.

Praise is about who God IS. He is praised and adored and worshiped because He is Almighty God; Creator of heaven and earth; holy and righteous; never changing; all powerful (omnipotent); all knowing (omniscient); everywhere present (omnipresent); loving; faithful; Redeemer; Shepherd; King of kings and Lord of lords.

Help me, Lord, to learn to really praise You. I will spend eternity in Your presence and I want to get lots of practice living a life of praise in the here and now.

Strangers in the World

I often wonder why people - Christians - get upset and bent out of shape when the world doesn't agree with the Christian agenda. In the opening verse of 1 Peter, God's elect are called strangers in the world.  Jesus said those "in the world" would hate believers. John the apostle said we should not be surprised that the world hates us.

So if someone thinks I am weak (Christianity is just a crutch) or narrow minded (only one way to heaven & God) or a prude (no sex outside of marriage) or a bigot (homosexuality is a sin) or stupid for not trying to "gain the world" (he who dies with the most toys wins), why would I get angry at them? They are just LOST! Totally lost without Jesus. How can I engage them so they have a desire to see what Jesus is all about? How can I love them rather than call them names in return?

One of Perry's complaints about the Church is we're too often more about what we're against than what we are for. If we are vocally against everyone who hates us because of Jesus, how can we be salt and light in the world. Jesus even said we should rejoice at persecution. Now when was the last time THAT occurred in the public arena?