“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
People who are bound by the limits of flesh miss out on so much that God offers. He has given us a whole new meaning in life. He has taken the element of fear out of the equation as He has replaced our timidity with His boldness and He has poured His Spirit of victory into those who have trusted in His power. He has given His victory to whosoever should believe (John 3:16). When we believe in God we cannot believe in defeat. Yes, there will be troubles, trials and temptations, but faith in God removes the fear of defeat that these obstacles place before us.
The Bible teaches us that God has given us the Spirit of power. This is power of great proportions that does not have the will to give up or give in, but will give all for the cause of Christ. Timothy was not going to battle limited by his own power. He was going to the battle with the power to be victorious. Does that mean everyone would listen to what he said, or even change their ways? No, but is the power to stand firm in the faith that God “once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 1:3). What an encouragement to know that once you have entered the battle you have the power to win. When you fight the good fight of faith, you are fighting with power that can and will not be defeated, no matter what the enemy tries to use against you.
God has also poured His love into each and every Christian. God loves us so that we may know what love is and then how to offer that love back to Him and those around us. He has given us the ability to love even when we are hated and persecuted. When Jesus hung on that cross, He did not ask for the lives of His killers to be ended. In fact, it was just the opposite. He asked for their lives to be extended through forgiveness: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34). God has poured that same Spirit that cried out for forgiveness from the cross into His children of faith. He has enabled us, through His love, to be strong enough to pray for those who persecute us, to ask for their forgiveness, and even want the best for them, even though they may be out to destroy us. The battle in which we are engaged as Christians is not against flesh and blood, but against the evil forces that oppose God’s truth (Ephesians 6:12). And because it not a fleshly battle, we need to be taught how, to quote a country song, to “love them through it.”
Another aspect of the Spirit God has poured into His children is discipline. We are like a soldier fighting for his life in a battle zone, like an athlete training to win the greatest race of his life and like a farmer who planted a seed and will work to see it produce fruit (2 Timothy 2:3-6). We are in a battle for souls and we must be disciplined to win. Jesus came as God’s love in the flesh, and His faith in God is our victory over the world. We have been given the ability to deny our fleshly tendencies to enter into suffering knowing maintaining the attitude of Christ throughout our trials is what glorifies our Lord. Our discipline is derived from the faith that sees Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, victorious. Like Timothy, we must allow this faith in God’s power to remove any doubt we once may have owned. This is the spirit of discipline God has delivered to His children. This is the Spirit He wants to guide our hearts, minds and hands to show the world that we are His: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Let God’s Spirit reign in you and show the world that you are truly led by His Spirit.
In Him,
Cub
Monday, April 9, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Kingdom Success
"You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth" (Revelation 5:10).
If we are going to be as successful as Christ in seeking and saving the lost” (Luke 19:10), then we need to take our commission seriously. The world we live in is as dangerous to the untaught soul as a bear is to an unarmed hunter. The soul that is not in Christ has no hope (Ephesians 2:12). But that is just an opinion to those without conviction of the seriousness of being lost. God has called His church together to care about the tragedy of this situation and He sent His Son to reveal a true example of deep concern for the lost.
One thing about our Example is His concern was not just a thought, it was motivation. He didn’t just care; He acted on His concern by sacrificing His life to provide the way to be saved. He gave His life to the cause He was sent to fulfill. We must look to His example and see the seriousness He illustrated about being separated from God eternally. That fact should pierce the toughest heart like an armor piercing round pierces the side of a Howitzer. This kind of concern for the lost makes Jesus and His disciples successful.
Another aspect of success in evangelism is seen in how Jesus sought out the truth seekers. He never ignored someone who was diligently seeking truth. Sometimes He was crowded by many, most of who were not serious about the life He offers, but He always found the soul that was seeking true life. Not only did He seek them out, He shepherded them. By shepherd we mean He cared enough to lay His life down to lead them to safety: “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Our goal in life as the Lord’s church is to lay our lives aside to provide the truth about salvation to anyone who is diligently seeking Jesus.
There is a serious problem with the church’s evangelistic efforts and that is how few are willing to take this work seriously. Granted, there are many sitting in the pews on Sunday morning, but you might be surprised when you see how few of these “pew packers” are true workers in the Lord’s kingdom. It is amazing how many people think that “going to church” is all that it takes to be “approved to God as a workman” (2 Timothy 2:15). The key word in this phrase is “workman,” not “pew warmer.” God has shown us the danger of being deluded by false securities (James 1:22). Jesus spoke harshly to His disciples about a lack of motivation and commitment to the work: “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few’” (Matthew 9:37).
If the church is going to be successful in the cause God has established in us then we must be dedicated to the work. His desire is for all mankind to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and His desire is carried out through the church. Lets make sure we see the lost and fallen away as serious as our Lord sees them. Let’s make sure we are not just filling the pews, but that we are filling the word with the gospel that can save their souls. Let’s make sure we are not simply sitting on the premises, but that we are standing on the promises that cannot fail. If we will see the church’s work in this manner, we will be successful.
In His Grace,
Cub
If we are going to be as successful as Christ in seeking and saving the lost” (Luke 19:10), then we need to take our commission seriously. The world we live in is as dangerous to the untaught soul as a bear is to an unarmed hunter. The soul that is not in Christ has no hope (Ephesians 2:12). But that is just an opinion to those without conviction of the seriousness of being lost. God has called His church together to care about the tragedy of this situation and He sent His Son to reveal a true example of deep concern for the lost.
One thing about our Example is His concern was not just a thought, it was motivation. He didn’t just care; He acted on His concern by sacrificing His life to provide the way to be saved. He gave His life to the cause He was sent to fulfill. We must look to His example and see the seriousness He illustrated about being separated from God eternally. That fact should pierce the toughest heart like an armor piercing round pierces the side of a Howitzer. This kind of concern for the lost makes Jesus and His disciples successful.
Another aspect of success in evangelism is seen in how Jesus sought out the truth seekers. He never ignored someone who was diligently seeking truth. Sometimes He was crowded by many, most of who were not serious about the life He offers, but He always found the soul that was seeking true life. Not only did He seek them out, He shepherded them. By shepherd we mean He cared enough to lay His life down to lead them to safety: “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Our goal in life as the Lord’s church is to lay our lives aside to provide the truth about salvation to anyone who is diligently seeking Jesus.
There is a serious problem with the church’s evangelistic efforts and that is how few are willing to take this work seriously. Granted, there are many sitting in the pews on Sunday morning, but you might be surprised when you see how few of these “pew packers” are true workers in the Lord’s kingdom. It is amazing how many people think that “going to church” is all that it takes to be “approved to God as a workman” (2 Timothy 2:15). The key word in this phrase is “workman,” not “pew warmer.” God has shown us the danger of being deluded by false securities (James 1:22). Jesus spoke harshly to His disciples about a lack of motivation and commitment to the work: “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few’” (Matthew 9:37).
If the church is going to be successful in the cause God has established in us then we must be dedicated to the work. His desire is for all mankind to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and His desire is carried out through the church. Lets make sure we see the lost and fallen away as serious as our Lord sees them. Let’s make sure we are not just filling the pews, but that we are filling the word with the gospel that can save their souls. Let’s make sure we are not simply sitting on the premises, but that we are standing on the promises that cannot fail. If we will see the church’s work in this manner, we will be successful.
In His Grace,
Cub
Friday, February 24, 2012
What Matters
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
What if we lived in a world that had no opposition? For that to happen we would have to live without rules, without a moral standard of what is right and what is wrong. It would be a world of mind over matter; “I don’t mind and it don’t matter.” And the sadness of this situation is that there would be a group of people that would want it that way. And with certainty we can assume that this is what our adversary, the devil, would want. Satan, who the Bible says is the god of this world, loves it when we decide not to stand for something, especially for something that is morally right. He loves it when we live like there is no truth, but everything is circumstantial.
Fortunately for the Christian, this is a made up scenario and not the way we live. Jesus came to give us a foundation in which we who are morally structured can stand: “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus came to reveal the mind of our Creator so that we can know for sure that truth does matter and that we can take a stand for that which is right: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). We have been set apart from the indifferent world to defend God’s truth. So, it is easy to conclude that there is a war going on outside the boundaries of Iraq and Afghanistan, a spiritual war, not one of flesh. It is a war with higher stakes than physical life. It is for the destiny of our souls. It is a war with which our souls are either won or lost by our decision to stand for truth or let the adversary’s mindset lead us to the “it don’t matter” mindset of indifference.
Any student of the Bible knows that it does matter to God. It matters to Him where we place our faith. The Hebrew writer shows us that “it is impossible to please” God without putting our faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6). We must deny our flesh’s desire to look for what pleases us in matters of truth and seek to please God, knowing He rewards those who accomplish this task. Even though you will have trouble finding many who will go with you in this decision, the fact remains that there is only “one faith.” That faith denies the mindset of man and is obedient to the will of God at all costs. And we know the toils of this walk are never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
The truth of the Bible also proves that the church matters to God. The church matters to God in the sense that He only established one: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). Man has built many denominations, but God only established one church, which He vividly outlined in the Scriptures. The church He built assembles faithfully on the first day of every week (Acts 20:7). His church is made up of people that put their faith in His doctrine and will not allow the opinions of man to dictate their steps. His church is made up of people that have made the decision to dedicate their lives to truth even if it costs them their own family (Matthew 8:22). His church realizes how important truth is to God and have made their stand in faith in the battle for His glory. They put Christ first in all aspects of life and never look back (Luke 9:63).
There are things in life that matter, and your soul matters to God. So much that His love reached down from heaven to set you free from Satan’s deceit of indifference. Be someone who knows what to stand for. Stand for God and His truth and you will never fall (Isaiah 40:31).
In HIs Grace,
Cub
What if we lived in a world that had no opposition? For that to happen we would have to live without rules, without a moral standard of what is right and what is wrong. It would be a world of mind over matter; “I don’t mind and it don’t matter.” And the sadness of this situation is that there would be a group of people that would want it that way. And with certainty we can assume that this is what our adversary, the devil, would want. Satan, who the Bible says is the god of this world, loves it when we decide not to stand for something, especially for something that is morally right. He loves it when we live like there is no truth, but everything is circumstantial.
Fortunately for the Christian, this is a made up scenario and not the way we live. Jesus came to give us a foundation in which we who are morally structured can stand: “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus came to reveal the mind of our Creator so that we can know for sure that truth does matter and that we can take a stand for that which is right: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). We have been set apart from the indifferent world to defend God’s truth. So, it is easy to conclude that there is a war going on outside the boundaries of Iraq and Afghanistan, a spiritual war, not one of flesh. It is a war with higher stakes than physical life. It is for the destiny of our souls. It is a war with which our souls are either won or lost by our decision to stand for truth or let the adversary’s mindset lead us to the “it don’t matter” mindset of indifference.
Any student of the Bible knows that it does matter to God. It matters to Him where we place our faith. The Hebrew writer shows us that “it is impossible to please” God without putting our faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6). We must deny our flesh’s desire to look for what pleases us in matters of truth and seek to please God, knowing He rewards those who accomplish this task. Even though you will have trouble finding many who will go with you in this decision, the fact remains that there is only “one faith.” That faith denies the mindset of man and is obedient to the will of God at all costs. And we know the toils of this walk are never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
The truth of the Bible also proves that the church matters to God. The church matters to God in the sense that He only established one: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). Man has built many denominations, but God only established one church, which He vividly outlined in the Scriptures. The church He built assembles faithfully on the first day of every week (Acts 20:7). His church is made up of people that put their faith in His doctrine and will not allow the opinions of man to dictate their steps. His church is made up of people that have made the decision to dedicate their lives to truth even if it costs them their own family (Matthew 8:22). His church realizes how important truth is to God and have made their stand in faith in the battle for His glory. They put Christ first in all aspects of life and never look back (Luke 9:63).
There are things in life that matter, and your soul matters to God. So much that His love reached down from heaven to set you free from Satan’s deceit of indifference. Be someone who knows what to stand for. Stand for God and His truth and you will never fall (Isaiah 40:31).
In HIs Grace,
Cub
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)