Do not be deceived.

     People are looking for something. They desire encouragement, wisdom for daily decisions, something to fill the emptiness of soul that many feel. We all desire to live happy, fulfilling lives, each and every day.
     I cannot help but notice the popularity of daily advice coming to individuals on facebook, through horoscope readings, and daily fortune cookies. While many may find these things amusing, many take them seriously. Then there are also the computer generated messages from God. They claim that God is speaking directly to the individual through daily readings. Now it is true that many individuals have found encouragement through daily devotionals, and God does use things like that to reveal Himself to us, and to guide us in His ways. However just because something claims to be from God does not mean it is!
     God has revealed Himself to us through His word. His word contains everything that we need for life and godliness. It is His message to us, and is unchanging. Therefore, anything we hear that claims to be from God cannot contradict what He has spoken to us through His His word. We are not to add to it, or take away from it. To water it down, make it mean what we want it to mean, or to change it to fit the culture, leads to great danger. The Bible contains the words of life, to deviate from it only leads one astray. There is a way that seems right to man, but it leads to destruction (Prov 14:12).  Anything that we read or any teaching we listen to must be backed up by the word of God, or it must be rejected!
     Deception is everywhere. Something may look good, sound good, even contain some biblical elements, but can still be wrong! We are told that satan disguises himself as an angel of light. We must always be on guard. There is a lot of fluff being taught, things that are of no real value spiritually. Our souls need the pure word of God to live and grow. It is by putting into practice what we see in the Bible, that we mature in our walk with Christ. All that we need for life and godliness is found within its pages.
     Check out everything by God's standard. Be very careful, too much is at stake. Eternity is at stake!
     













   

Seated in the heavenlies.

     And raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
        Eph 2:6 RSV



     You cannot rise into the heavenlies if you are chained to this world! Despair, doubt, discouragement, worry, fear, bitterness, envy, self seeking, all serve to anchor us to this world. We are called to rise above the natural, and to live in the supernatural. This requires that we walk by faith and not by sight. We must take our focus off from the things are are seen, and instead focus on what is unseen. To dwell in Christ, to live in His presence, to experience His power, to have His peace, is only experienced by us as we trust entirely in Him!
      It is by grace we are saved through faith!

What matters to us?

     There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
           Luke 16:19 NIV


     Jesus told a parable of a rich man who lived a pampered,self indulged lifestyle, while ignoring the plight of a poor beggar who lay outside of his gate longing for just the crumbs that fell from his table. The rich man lacked nothing. He had more than enough to meet his needs, and the needs of others as well, yet he showed no compassion for Lazarus, the beggar, who he would have seen day after day, outside his gate.
     Jesus shared this parable in response to the sneering of the Pharisees, who loved money. Like the rich man in the story, they only cared about themselves, unwilling to reach out to meet the needs of the truly needy around them.
     Bring this up to the present time. How do we fit into this story as individuals today? How does the church fit in? Do we use our resources to reach out to others. Are we feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the naked? Are we going out with the gospel? The greatest need of man is to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, but are we keeping Him to ourselves?
     The Laodicean church was rich and self sufficient. They took great pride in their status. But God detests what man holds in high esteem. He was about to vomit them out of His mouth. They made Him sick!
     We as disciples are called to live lives of abandonment to self. Devotion to Christ means giving to the highest meaning of giving! Church is not about making sure everyone gets an easter basket. It is about making sure that the lost have a chance to experience the risen Christ, set free from the bondage of sin!
     What is important to you?

On Fire.

     Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
     Romans 12:10,11 NASB

     The Christian life as portrayed in the New Testament is a life poured out in love to others. We are called to seek the highest good of those around us. Included in this is witnessing, making disciples, our giving, meeting the needs of others, hospitality, forgiving, promoting peace, prayer, etc.
     We are to be diligent. This is a concept that is often overlooked. To be diligent is to make every effort to do what we have been called to do. Diligence is not half hearted. It means we throw ourselves entirely into what we are doing. The idea behind a fervent spirit is that of being white hot, on fire, consumed by our love for God and others. This is the opposite of an unwilling spirit that may make an effort, but with no heart. The Church at Ephesus was a hard working Church. Their accomplishments far exceed much of what we see in the modern Church today, yet they were rebuked for their lack of love (Rev 2:1-7).
     Many Christians begin only to burn out. The cares of life crowd in, discouragement, a critical spirit, can dampen our love and leave us frustrated with serving Christ. I believe discouragement is common among Christian workers, causing many to give up.
     Jesus told His disciples to be His witnesses, but He also told them to wait until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. The work that they were called to was impossible to be done by mere human effort. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, and can only be accomplished as we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and work through us. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to be diligent. The same Spirit sets our spirits ablaze with a holy zeal that cannot be quenched as long as we stay yielded to His control.
     The individual filled with the Spirit of God will find that his heart is filled with love for others. He will find his prayers filled with a new life. He will bear witness of Christ with power, for it is not mere human words spoken, but words filled with the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
     This is the needful thing for the Church today, to leave human effort behind, and live and move in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that apart from Him we can do nothing. We need the power to accomplish the job we are called to do. In view of what God has done for us, we must present ourselves completely to Him for His service (Romans 12:1). When He has all of us, we are filled with Him. He will not settle for half, three fourths, or even ninety nine percent. He demands all, body soul and spirit, to be used by Him and for Him. Do we have the right to give Him any less?
     Only when filled will we be able to live a life of diligent service to the Lord!