"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5:13-15
"For the word of God is living and active, sharpener than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
I chose the two verses above after I did a search on verses that spoke to the idea of legalism. There are quite a few, even though the word doesn't actually appear in Scripture. This morning I jumped on Facebook and sometimes I click on the those boxes along the right side. You know the ones that tell me what my friends comment on or like. Some times it is pretty interesting and other times disturbing. This morning one was upsetting. I read something that was dripping with legalism. The sad thing, to me, is that a person took a gift of the Spirit and used it to say what people must do and that if they didn't then they didn't even have the Spirit of God in them.
I tend to be a black or white person. Something is either right or wrong, good, or evil. Sometimes that is a very good thing, but there are times when it is not. I have to make sure what I think or believe matches up with the Word. If it doesn't then it doesn't matter what I think. And even if it does match up with the Word, if I am not careful it becomes judgemental. If it becomes judgemental then it is like the verse above. It might become an issue of biting at someone and taking the risk of being consumed by them.
One way I can make sure that doesn't happen is to not become judgemental. The second verse mentioned says the Word will tell the difference. It knows the intention of the heart. It knows if my intention is to share the Truth in love or if it is to be right and rub someone else's nose in it. I struggle with this. I never want to come across as a know-it-all or as judgemental. I never want anyone to feel Bible thumped by me. You know the type, the ones who use the Word to brow beat people. I don't think that lines up with the command "You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself".
So what is the point of this devotion? Well, I wanted to be judgemental of the person who was taking on the role of God Himself on Facebook. Instead I have to rely on the One who knows all and knows the intentions of that man's heart. I have to make sure I stay in a place of love rather than judgement. I need to rely on the Word to teach me and help me show love when I want to show judgement. So the point? Well, for me it was to take a step back and look to the written Word. That tempered any anger I felt and any judgement I wanted to pass. The point is no matter what I need to look to Him.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
Fly to the Light, Birdie!
"For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness." Psalm 18:28
As I started to type this a birdie was stuck in my chimney. I could hear the poor thing frantically trying to figure out how to get back out. It breaks my heart to hear the poor thing struggling in there, and I call up to it, "fly up baby, fly up!" The birdie still struggles on, but I do know the light is coming. By now the frantic struggle is over. The sun is coming up and the birdie has seen the light. The birdie has looked to the light and flown away. Some of our struggles are just like this birdie's.
Since this is an almost daily occurrence in the Spring, or maybe I should say an almost evening or early morning experience, I have an idea of what traps the birdies. The birdies are playing and swooping and exploring when they fly into the top of my chimney. They aren't necessarily seeking a dark place but they end up there.
We aren't always seeking dark places, but we can end up there. We frantically try to find the way back out, but it seems that the opening we came through has been overcome by darkness. We call out and look for any possible light that will lead us out. Sometimes the darkness of our night seems to drag on and on. We wonder if it will ever end. Just like the birdie in my chimney, the light does come.
God lightens our darkness. We see Him and know that He is leading us out of the darkness. Although He wants us to call out to Him and He can bring the light at anytime, many times we have to wait. Just like the birdie waited for the daylight to shine into the chimney, sometimes we have to wait as we go through our dark places. Hopefully, that birdie will learn and not fly back down my chimney. Hopefully, we will have learned from our dark experiences and stay out of places that make it difficult for us to see the light.
My advice for today is for us is to look to the light and fly towards Him!
As I started to type this a birdie was stuck in my chimney. I could hear the poor thing frantically trying to figure out how to get back out. It breaks my heart to hear the poor thing struggling in there, and I call up to it, "fly up baby, fly up!" The birdie still struggles on, but I do know the light is coming. By now the frantic struggle is over. The sun is coming up and the birdie has seen the light. The birdie has looked to the light and flown away. Some of our struggles are just like this birdie's.
Since this is an almost daily occurrence in the Spring, or maybe I should say an almost evening or early morning experience, I have an idea of what traps the birdies. The birdies are playing and swooping and exploring when they fly into the top of my chimney. They aren't necessarily seeking a dark place but they end up there.
We aren't always seeking dark places, but we can end up there. We frantically try to find the way back out, but it seems that the opening we came through has been overcome by darkness. We call out and look for any possible light that will lead us out. Sometimes the darkness of our night seems to drag on and on. We wonder if it will ever end. Just like the birdie in my chimney, the light does come.
God lightens our darkness. We see Him and know that He is leading us out of the darkness. Although He wants us to call out to Him and He can bring the light at anytime, many times we have to wait. Just like the birdie waited for the daylight to shine into the chimney, sometimes we have to wait as we go through our dark places. Hopefully, that birdie will learn and not fly back down my chimney. Hopefully, we will have learned from our dark experiences and stay out of places that make it difficult for us to see the light.
My advice for today is for us is to look to the light and fly towards Him!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Stop Working Like You're Someone Else
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10
One of the current buzz words in Christian circles right now is "serving". People are being asked to serve before, after, and during church services. People are being asked to serve for special events. People are being asked to serve at missions. People are being asked to serve and serve and serve.
What if there are people who do not like to serve? What if there are people who feel no calling to serve? Are they selfish? Are they not listening to God and doing what He is asking of them? Maybe some are, but I think most are not.
God made each and everyone of us differently. He gave some of us the gift of teaching. He gave some of us the gift of encouraging. He gave some of us the gift of administrating (certainly not me!). He gave some of us the gift of giving. He gave some of us the gift of listening. He gave some of us the gift of discernment. He gave some of us the gift of serving. And so many more different gifts.
God made us to be, well, us. He created us to do good work, His work. He created each of us uniquely and has a plan for us. If we try to work outside of His plan, because others make us feel we must, then are we really doing the good works that He prepared in advance? No, we are doing what others tell us Christians are supposed to do. We are doing what we may feel guilted into doing, from others or ourselves. What we aren't doing is working in His plan.
Don't let what you think you should be doing, because it is popular in Christian circles or some sort of religious rule or tradition, keep you from living as God's handiwork. You know the saying, "God doesn't make junk"? It's true. He made each and everyone of us specially gifted, and He has a prepared purpose for us. Now let's walk in it and see what He will do.
One of the current buzz words in Christian circles right now is "serving". People are being asked to serve before, after, and during church services. People are being asked to serve for special events. People are being asked to serve at missions. People are being asked to serve and serve and serve.
What if there are people who do not like to serve? What if there are people who feel no calling to serve? Are they selfish? Are they not listening to God and doing what He is asking of them? Maybe some are, but I think most are not.
God made each and everyone of us differently. He gave some of us the gift of teaching. He gave some of us the gift of encouraging. He gave some of us the gift of administrating (certainly not me!). He gave some of us the gift of giving. He gave some of us the gift of listening. He gave some of us the gift of discernment. He gave some of us the gift of serving. And so many more different gifts.
God made us to be, well, us. He created us to do good work, His work. He created each of us uniquely and has a plan for us. If we try to work outside of His plan, because others make us feel we must, then are we really doing the good works that He prepared in advance? No, we are doing what others tell us Christians are supposed to do. We are doing what we may feel guilted into doing, from others or ourselves. What we aren't doing is working in His plan.
Don't let what you think you should be doing, because it is popular in Christian circles or some sort of religious rule or tradition, keep you from living as God's handiwork. You know the saying, "God doesn't make junk"? It's true. He made each and everyone of us specially gifted, and He has a prepared purpose for us. Now let's walk in it and see what He will do.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The Truth Shall Set You Free
"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free'." John 8:31-32
I read this last night while reading the book Names of God: Exploring God's Character published by Thomas Nelson. It is kind of set up like a devotional with Scripture readings for the different names and attributes of God. I was reading The Truth section last night.
Anyway, I reread these verses and I thought, "that's the key!" Do you see the connection between abiding in His Word and being set free? IF you abide in the Word you are His disciple AND you will know the truth! AND knowing the truth will set you free. God of course is the Truth. So abiding in His Word means you will know Him, not just know about Him, but truly know Him. And knowing Him will set you free. Who doesn't want to be set free?!
Coming to a relationship with God, through acceptance of Christ, ultimately sets us free from eternity of death. You do not have to have ever read a word in His Word for that to happen. Really? Yes, people have come to Christ from just one word spoken by a believer. I know of a pastor in Haiti who, as a child, turned away from the plan for him to become a voodoo priest because a Christian man gave him a piece of candy. That led to him becoming a Christian. A piece of candy. I am sure most people do come to Christ because they have either spent time in His Word or someone else has sent time sharing the Word with them, but God can do ALL things. He can even bring people to salvation with candy.
Even after we become saved and walk in that ultimate freedom we still walk around without freedom. Fear binds us, depression binds us, lust binds us, arrogance binds us, selfishness binds, pride binds us, and on and on and on. So how do we get free from those things? I want to know because I am tired of my bondages kicking my butt! "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." That's it abide in His Word!
But we have to abide in it. We have to abide, which means to remain in a place, to continue to be sure or firm; endure. We can't just pop in every once and awhile and check out His Word, we have remain in it. I am not talking about reading the Bible every day, although it's not a bad idea. I am talking about living it. Thinking about it, devouring it, digesting it, and letting it become apart of us. Anyone can just read the Bible, actually people who are against God read the Bible to refute it. We have to remain in it, continue to be sure and firm of what He is speaking through it and how He is making us more like Him through it, and we have to endure. We can't just give up because the freedom, from whatever we need freedom from, doesn't happen instantly or in our time frame. We must abide!
I read this last night while reading the book Names of God: Exploring God's Character published by Thomas Nelson. It is kind of set up like a devotional with Scripture readings for the different names and attributes of God. I was reading The Truth section last night.
Anyway, I reread these verses and I thought, "that's the key!" Do you see the connection between abiding in His Word and being set free? IF you abide in the Word you are His disciple AND you will know the truth! AND knowing the truth will set you free. God of course is the Truth. So abiding in His Word means you will know Him, not just know about Him, but truly know Him. And knowing Him will set you free. Who doesn't want to be set free?!
Coming to a relationship with God, through acceptance of Christ, ultimately sets us free from eternity of death. You do not have to have ever read a word in His Word for that to happen. Really? Yes, people have come to Christ from just one word spoken by a believer. I know of a pastor in Haiti who, as a child, turned away from the plan for him to become a voodoo priest because a Christian man gave him a piece of candy. That led to him becoming a Christian. A piece of candy. I am sure most people do come to Christ because they have either spent time in His Word or someone else has sent time sharing the Word with them, but God can do ALL things. He can even bring people to salvation with candy.
Even after we become saved and walk in that ultimate freedom we still walk around without freedom. Fear binds us, depression binds us, lust binds us, arrogance binds us, selfishness binds, pride binds us, and on and on and on. So how do we get free from those things? I want to know because I am tired of my bondages kicking my butt! "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." That's it abide in His Word!
But we have to abide in it. We have to abide, which means to remain in a place, to continue to be sure or firm; endure. We can't just pop in every once and awhile and check out His Word, we have remain in it. I am not talking about reading the Bible every day, although it's not a bad idea. I am talking about living it. Thinking about it, devouring it, digesting it, and letting it become apart of us. Anyone can just read the Bible, actually people who are against God read the Bible to refute it. We have to remain in it, continue to be sure and firm of what He is speaking through it and how He is making us more like Him through it, and we have to endure. We can't just give up because the freedom, from whatever we need freedom from, doesn't happen instantly or in our time frame. We must abide!
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