Study from God’s Word… The entire letter from Peter (i.e., 1st Peter) to Christians in Asia-Minor in his day, which was a time when Christians were being severely persecuted by non-believing Jews and the Roman authorities under Nero … Passage for Reflection: 1st Peter 2: 11 … NIV Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires [“fleshly lusts” in the NKJV], which war against your soul.
My Journal for Today: Today’s reading from the first letter Peter wrote to persecuted Christians in Asia-Minor and more specifically the highlighted text for today, chosen by Dr. Smith in his devotional, mean a lot to me. I have been called to lead a ministry, called Battle Plan Ministry - website linked here, which is primarily for Christian men who have fallen on the spiritual battle fields and surrendered to the flesh [i.e., sexual sin] rather than stand for the righteousness of Christ. And in today’s text, Peter is warning Christians, who feel like they are alien warriors fighting the good fight of Christ in a strange and perverse world, to abstain from the very natural desire to succumb to the fleshly ways of the enemy in this alien world.
Yes, as Christians, we’re definitely not residents or citizens of this world. When we become truly born-again Christians, we become aliens to a world which has been occupied and ruled by Satan; and we’ve also become warriors for Christ because of Him choosing to set aside His glory to come among us, to live, to minister, and to die as the Lamb of God for our sins. So, when we really/truly receive Christ as our Commander in Chief, we become alien warriors who always must be on guard in following the steps of our field Captain, the Holy Spirit, who shines a light on our path through this hostile land.
And Peter was trying to enlighten, encourage, and empower Christians who were under severe attack in the arenas of battle in Asia-Minor (as well as any Christians today who feel the attacks of our spiritual enemies). Surely you recognize, fellow Christian warrior, that you’re in a battle every day of your life; and we have natural weaknesses [not the least of which is our own spiritual being – see Jer. 17: 9]; and as warrior enemies, we are vulnerable to the strategies/ploys of our enemy, Satan, who has established some serious beachheads and developed some very powerful weaponry, all designed to bring down Christian warriors in battle.
And even our allies in the Church have become either naïve to our situation or complacent as fighting agents of our Lord. Too many in the church have become double-agents, claiming allegiance with Christ, but wearing the uniform of the world and following all too comfortably its lead. Dr. Smith’s challenging question for today is directed to any Christian warrior in this alien world. He writes, ”What success am I having in abstaining from the sinful desires hurled at me as a believing alien in a hostile world?”
It pains me to see many Christians becoming easy prey for Satan and his sophisticated ploys, using his very certain power, as he does battle to attempt to render the witness and testimonies of alien Christians null-and-void in this world. When we surrender and fall to the world, we have no power of witness in this world. And God has given us that warrior power, as well as the charge to use it as His witnesses. [see Acts 1: 8]. And, my friends, His power, when we choose to follow it and use it, is always greater than that of the enemy [see 1st John 4: 4]. But as alien soldiers in God’s army, we have to CHOOSE to receive/use the enabling/empowering grace within us as we CHOOSE to follow the Savior rather than self or Satan. The operant word – in caps there – is the crux of the matter. It’s always a matter of CHOICE.
Hey, my fellow alien warriors, how’re doin? I pray that we all fall in line behind our Commander and Chief, Who Captains our army, following Him into battle every day.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, You and my Captain; I follow YOU; I fight for YOU!! Amen
Showing posts with label worldly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worldly. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
2010 – December 20 – Choices … Friendships
Study from God’s Word… Reading two traveling letters, the books of James and Jude, written to the church written by these two brothers of Jesus, who were trying to get the persecuted Jewish Christians to remember God’s covenant and to remain faithful in spite of the persecutions of the world … Passage for Reflection: James 4: 4 … NIV You adulterous people,[a reference to adulterous Israel – see Hosea 3: 1] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
My Journal for Today: Reading the books, i.e., letters, of Jesus’ brothers, James and Jude this morning, if one cannot see the relevance of Scripture to our world today, that person would have to be a non-believer or a foolish Christian who has been duped by the paganism or carnality of worldly pleasures or materialism; and unfortunately this is a very common failing evidenced in the church and Christians today.
Dr. Smith makes the relevant case that today’s parents will try to get their kids to recognize the truth that “bad company corrupts good character;” yet, these same parents often will take up deadly close friendships with the world and allow worldly values to corrupt what God’s word teaches us. Let’s get right to Dr. Smith’s closing devotional question today (with one little addition from me): Do the decisions I make reflect a greater friendship with a faithful God or with an ever-so-fickle friend [the world]?”
Dear one, I don’t trust myself; and I acknowledge the truth of Jeremiah’s warning in Jer. 17: 9, which tells me how weak my human heart (i.e., my very HUMAN being) is; … and that I have a heart which is deceitful beyond measure. James and Jude recognized this; and they were writing (i.e., preaching) a message of warning to all Christians; yes, to those in the first century after Christ, but also to all Christians in any generation who could be deceived that we followers of Christ cannot be wooed and won by the world away from the truth which is found in God’s word.
More specifically, we see these two letters throwing up a loud warning against trafficking in worldly and fleshly pleasures and expecting us, as Christians, to be able to have a deep and abiding relationship with Christ. NO WAY! It simply cannot happen; and that is what today’s highlight text almost yells out in warning to the man or woman of “the Way,” … i.e., any follower of Christ.
So, my fellow Christian, let’s be honest and ask ourselves the question raised by James and Dr. LaGard Smith today: Are we cavorting too closely with the materialism of the world and trying to have one foot following God’s truth [i.e., the Bible] and the other foot pursuing the lured values of the world? And can we not see that such dualism will split us in half and take us away from Christ’s simple (but, oh so difficult) charge (see Luke 9: 23) to deny self, to take our cross (of Christ) daily, and to follow our Lord?
Take careful note here, my dear one, and see where your path is leading. Because if it is pursuing friendship with the world, we will be lured by the sirens of materialism and pleasure-seeking onto the rocks of death and darkness and we’ll never be able to foster the friendship offered by Christ by being obedient to Him and following Him in the friendship He and only He can offer.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I want to follow You and to stay away from the lures the world uses to divert and distract me. Amen
My Journal for Today: Reading the books, i.e., letters, of Jesus’ brothers, James and Jude this morning, if one cannot see the relevance of Scripture to our world today, that person would have to be a non-believer or a foolish Christian who has been duped by the paganism or carnality of worldly pleasures or materialism; and unfortunately this is a very common failing evidenced in the church and Christians today.
Dr. Smith makes the relevant case that today’s parents will try to get their kids to recognize the truth that “bad company corrupts good character;” yet, these same parents often will take up deadly close friendships with the world and allow worldly values to corrupt what God’s word teaches us. Let’s get right to Dr. Smith’s closing devotional question today (with one little addition from me): Do the decisions I make reflect a greater friendship with a faithful God or with an ever-so-fickle friend [the world]?”
Dear one, I don’t trust myself; and I acknowledge the truth of Jeremiah’s warning in Jer. 17: 9, which tells me how weak my human heart (i.e., my very HUMAN being) is; … and that I have a heart which is deceitful beyond measure. James and Jude recognized this; and they were writing (i.e., preaching) a message of warning to all Christians; yes, to those in the first century after Christ, but also to all Christians in any generation who could be deceived that we followers of Christ cannot be wooed and won by the world away from the truth which is found in God’s word.
More specifically, we see these two letters throwing up a loud warning against trafficking in worldly and fleshly pleasures and expecting us, as Christians, to be able to have a deep and abiding relationship with Christ. NO WAY! It simply cannot happen; and that is what today’s highlight text almost yells out in warning to the man or woman of “the Way,” … i.e., any follower of Christ.
So, my fellow Christian, let’s be honest and ask ourselves the question raised by James and Dr. LaGard Smith today: Are we cavorting too closely with the materialism of the world and trying to have one foot following God’s truth [i.e., the Bible] and the other foot pursuing the lured values of the world? And can we not see that such dualism will split us in half and take us away from Christ’s simple (but, oh so difficult) charge (see Luke 9: 23) to deny self, to take our cross (of Christ) daily, and to follow our Lord?
Take careful note here, my dear one, and see where your path is leading. Because if it is pursuing friendship with the world, we will be lured by the sirens of materialism and pleasure-seeking onto the rocks of death and darkness and we’ll never be able to foster the friendship offered by Christ by being obedient to Him and following Him in the friendship He and only He can offer.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, I want to follow You and to stay away from the lures the world uses to divert and distract me. Amen
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
2009 – Day 55.Feb.25 – Spiritual Ends
2009 – Day 55.Feb.25 – Spiritual Ends
Passage of the Day: Exodus 2: 15 – 25 … Linked to passage for study …
My Journal for Today: Again, we meditate upon what got Moses from his plush worldly control in Egypt to the ignominious desert place with the Midianites. And to highlight his devotional point for the day, Swindoll makes a stark statement of truth, illustrated by Moses’ decisions and actions. He writes, “Spiritual ends are never achieved by carnal means.” And a bit later in his piece for the day, Swindoll puts this truth into a word picture, by writing, “You cannot sow a fleshly seed and reap a spiritual plant.”
Do I sense an “Amen!” from any readers here? Perhaps you have memories of sowing carnal seeds and the resultant outcomes which followed. I sure do. And Swindoll, illustrates these points by such cases as one hedging on the income taxes and then trying to thank God for the resultant tax refund which comes from those choices. He rightfully says, God will never bless us with worldly results when we manipulate, scheme, and plan in the flesh. God’s empowering and enabling grace will only pour out on those who are obedient to His will and His way, through His word. I think of His promises in this regard from both the Old and New Testament … in Scriptures like Joshua 1: 8 and from Jesus Himself in John 14: 21.
The principle is simple and straight forward if one desires Spirit-blessed results in life; and that is … we must know and be obedient to God’s word, His principles, and His commands. When we are and act according to God’s will and in His way, He will bless the outcomes. But when we choose to do it our way, as the old song, My Way, by Frank Sinatra proclaims, we must reap the whirlwinds which follow, … the consequences of our own flesh-driven choices. And we must not try, if some worldly blessing of riches or sensational rewards results, to thank God for what comes down. When I do it MY WAY, it is MY RESULTS which are gleaned; but when I do it GOD’S WAY, it will be HIS RESULTS which pour forth.
I know this truth; and I just pray that I can learn the results from doing life God’s way. Moses had to learn this lesson with 40 years in the desert. And he learned the lesson big time! But I hope I can take the advantage of scriptural truths like the ones quoted above; and do it the right way – God’s way! – on the front end so that I’m not taken into the dessert because of living life out in my way.
And that’s my prayer for you as well. Living in the Spirit yields Spirit-blessed fruit (see Gal. 5: 22 – 23). Living in the flesh yields the fruit of the flesh (see Gal. 5: 19 – 21).
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help us to ALWAYS go to You for the righteous way first as You command in Matt. 6: 33; and then to follow You ALWAYS in what we choose to do. Amen
Passage of the Day: Exodus 2: 15 – 25 … Linked to passage for study …
My Journal for Today: Again, we meditate upon what got Moses from his plush worldly control in Egypt to the ignominious desert place with the Midianites. And to highlight his devotional point for the day, Swindoll makes a stark statement of truth, illustrated by Moses’ decisions and actions. He writes, “Spiritual ends are never achieved by carnal means.” And a bit later in his piece for the day, Swindoll puts this truth into a word picture, by writing, “You cannot sow a fleshly seed and reap a spiritual plant.”
Do I sense an “Amen!” from any readers here? Perhaps you have memories of sowing carnal seeds and the resultant outcomes which followed. I sure do. And Swindoll, illustrates these points by such cases as one hedging on the income taxes and then trying to thank God for the resultant tax refund which comes from those choices. He rightfully says, God will never bless us with worldly results when we manipulate, scheme, and plan in the flesh. God’s empowering and enabling grace will only pour out on those who are obedient to His will and His way, through His word. I think of His promises in this regard from both the Old and New Testament … in Scriptures like Joshua 1: 8 and from Jesus Himself in John 14: 21.
The principle is simple and straight forward if one desires Spirit-blessed results in life; and that is … we must know and be obedient to God’s word, His principles, and His commands. When we are and act according to God’s will and in His way, He will bless the outcomes. But when we choose to do it our way, as the old song, My Way, by Frank Sinatra proclaims, we must reap the whirlwinds which follow, … the consequences of our own flesh-driven choices. And we must not try, if some worldly blessing of riches or sensational rewards results, to thank God for what comes down. When I do it MY WAY, it is MY RESULTS which are gleaned; but when I do it GOD’S WAY, it will be HIS RESULTS which pour forth.
I know this truth; and I just pray that I can learn the results from doing life God’s way. Moses had to learn this lesson with 40 years in the desert. And he learned the lesson big time! But I hope I can take the advantage of scriptural truths like the ones quoted above; and do it the right way – God’s way! – on the front end so that I’m not taken into the dessert because of living life out in my way.
And that’s my prayer for you as well. Living in the Spirit yields Spirit-blessed fruit (see Gal. 5: 22 – 23). Living in the flesh yields the fruit of the flesh (see Gal. 5: 19 – 21).
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help us to ALWAYS go to You for the righteous way first as You command in Matt. 6: 33; and then to follow You ALWAYS in what we choose to do. Amen
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