Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 31, 2008

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? II Corinthians 13:5

Grades have always been a priority for students. What will it take to get A? What do I have to do to pass? Do they grade on the curve? Is there anything I can do for extra credit? Many people ask the same questions about their grade from God. How do we get an A from God? Are we passing this week? Will be satisfied with a C? Did I pass the test? Will that be enough to graduate? When it comes to our grade with God, there are only two grades in His class. When we are in union with Christ, His righteousness makes us righteous, and we get an A. When we choose to reject the saving grace in Christ, we get an F. Any amount of effort toward a B,C, or D is useless. Come into Christ and come to the front of the class.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 30, 2008

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. I Jn 4:1

We think of a false prophets as someone teaching a doctrine that takes us away from God and His truth. Not all false prophets lead us to a gold calf, some lead us to a green calf. The calf of riches, excess and greed. These can lead us from God just as quickly as a false Christ. When you walk by a gaming machine or a lottery machine, you may hear a voice calling you. The voice entices us to play for riches. As we focus on that pleasure, the truth of devotion to God may slip away. As Proverbs 9:17-18 reminds us, "Stolen water is sweet; and bread eaten in secret in pleasant; but we do not know the dead are there". Let’s not be a casualty of the spirit of the green calf. Test the spirits to see if they are from God.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Monday, December 29, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 29, 2008

Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You " He said to him, "Tend My lambs." Jn 21:15

Here by the seaside Jesus was calling on the apostle Peter to love like Jesus loved him. This "agape" love was what Peter needed to go that extra mile. Somebody defined "agape" love as, "Giving people what they need the most, when they deserve it the least, at great personal cost". Jesus had already displayed this "agape" for Peter, bringing him from his denials and grief back to his ministry. Peter had been on a rocky road up to this point, but Jesus had something better for him in the future. Tending the lambs of Jesus would be a fulltime, lifelong, job for Peter. When he finally got the Holy Spirit, his "agape" mission was completed. How about us? Do we love Jesus and others more than ourselves and our things? We prove it when we fulfill our mission.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 24, 2008

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

People have labeled this verse "The Golden Rule" It was the spirit in every law of God, and all His teachers, up to and including Jesus. This is not the way of the world, and we have to beware as we "swim upstream". Recently a car company ran a full page ad in a magazine with the title, "Demoralize your neighbor. Buy this car". Demoralize your neighbor, enjoy his pain as he covets your new car. Every ad appeals to our selfish hateful nature. Don’t just keep up with the Joneses. Crush the Joneses. We must balance those appeals with what God wants us to be. Try the "Golden Rule" and loving our neighbor as ourselves. If our neighbor must covet something, let it be our love for them. Have a merry every day.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 23, 2008

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42

Have you ever seen a dangerous stunt performed on television that was accompanied by this warning? "Don’t try this at home". Too many Christians are performing a dangerous stunt each week. They are trying to grow and prosper as Christians at home alone. It is difficult to continually devote ourselves to anything without encouragement. Fellowship and breaking bread together is impossible. The apostles felt these things were urgent for Christians in the beginning, and it is still important today. Spiritual health is in extreme jeopardy when we are isolated. May we all join in with the apostles, the early church, and Christians today. Let’s be together for worship this week. Don’t try it at home alone.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Monday, December 22, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 22, 2008

Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" Gen 3:9-11

Did the God of Infinite Power, Presence, and Knowledge really need this information from Adam and Eve? Didn’t He already know where they were, how they knew they were naked, and that they had eaten from the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Yes, Yes, and Yes. Why did He ask? God wanted them to answer the questions themselves. Did they know they had sinned? Did they know why they were hiding? Did they know they were in trouble? Do we? When God asks us a question, He wants us to look inside ourselves and get better. They didn’t. Will we?

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Friday, December 19, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 19, 2008

This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

This time of year lots of people say, Have a Merry Christmas!. Meanwhile, they have a lot of miserable days between now and then. They are hoping somehow that lots of loot will make their day merry. Usually they find out that their Christmas is everything but merry. As Christians, should be all for a Merry Christmas, however we should strive for a Merry Everyday. That has been my salutation this year and it really gets people’s attention. When I say, "why wait for Christmas, have a merry everyday", it is just weird enough for them to like it. Everyday should be a day of rejoicing that Jesus came for us, and everyday can be a day of giving and rejoicing. Don’t wait. Have a merry everyday today.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 18, 2008

Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; Romans 1:29-31

This list of sins comes from people who do not see fit to acknowledge God any longer. They have become worshippers of the creature, instead of the Creator. In case you don’t have your Bible with you, you can always see a complete list in any tabloid or magazine at the grocery store. Most of these things are acted out in every movie, and nightly on your television. If we have been led to believe that we can leave God behind, and still live good lives, we are sadly mistaken. Without the righteousness that comes from God in Christ, this list is the sad end for us all. May we all come out of this darkness and into the light of His dear Son today.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 17, 2008

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, Ephesians 5:18

Many times when people get filled with alcoholic beverages, they become a different person. Their spirits are altered and often they get worse, saying things they wouldn’t normally say, and doing things they usually wouldn’t do. This gets people in lots of trouble. God calls us to a wiser filling. The filling with His Spirit. When we are filled with His Spirit our spirits are altered in a Godly way. We can say and do things we wouldn’t or couldn’t normally do. This person can do great things in this world. As our thoughts change, our words change, and our actions change. God is glorified, and His work is completed. Are we having trouble finding our place in the God’s kingdom? When we allow His spirit to guide our lives, He will find a place for us.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 16, 2008

But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.) Acts 8:26

Jesus gave His great commission to his apostles and all His disciples that would follow because of His word. The commission to go into all the world, disciple, baptize, and teach was put into the hands of earthly beings. There is no record of scripture where an angel or a spirit led anyone to Jesus. The directions from above were sent to men, who would go and teach the lost. Here Philip was being sent to teach an Ethiopian nobleman in need of the gospel. Philip followed the direction and met the man on the road. May we never be found waiting around for a spirit, or an angel to lead our loved ones to Jesus. The directions have been left in our hands. Go ye, means go Me!

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Monday, December 15, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 15, 2008

So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, "Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?" John 4:28-29

The apostles were shocked when they saw who Jesus was talking to at the well that day. A woman, a Samaritan, and a sinner living in open adultery. Jesus extended His mercy to this women and ministered to her with the eternal waters of life. In the wake of that love, mercy, and ministry, she immediately rushed into the city to share that message with others. She was able to get over her shortcomings, and their judgmental attitudes to reach out to others. She brought the whole city out to see Jesus. When we experience the true mercy and ministry of Jesus, our response needs to be mercy and ministry for others too. Woe to the person who thinks they have come to Jesus without His mercy, the mercy of faithful men, and the ministry of many. Pass it on.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Friday, December 12, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 12, 2008

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. I Peter 2:13-15

God calls us to do and say what is right all the time. To submit to human authority, to honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the king. As Christians, we need to make a renewed commitment to follow God’s will in this evil world. It seems everywhere we go these days, someone has something evil to say about someone in authority. It may be the outgoing administration, or the new one coming. Let’s take a stand to do and say what is right. Perhaps it will help silence the ignorance of foolish men.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 11, 2008

Jesus then answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him." So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." John 13:26-27

This was the pivotal point in the life of Judas Iscariot. At the Last Supper, when the morsel was passed to him, it was one more chance to pass on his deceit and betrayal. He missed that chance and took it the morsel. With that Satan entered into him, and he was off to betray Jesus. How many chances has Jesus given to us to be loyal to Him and reject the temptation of the devil? Every time we reject God grace, the devil is waiting to enter our heart, and take us down. Take the grace, not the temptation of the evil one.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 10, 2008

Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. Amos 5:23

Many times in the Bible, there is a record of worship that is completely dead. The lives of the worshippers are evil, yet they still gathered together to go through the motions. They sang some songs, they observed some feasts, and then went back to their evil lives. At those times God asked them to quit praying, quit singing, and go home. God desire for our worship to be in spirit and in truth. Do we think our worship just sounds like noise to the Lord? Worship should be an overflow of our dedicated lives offering up thanks to God. Let’s reevaluate our stand before God. We all need to Him to listen to our prayers and songs, don’t we? Let’s listen again and allow God’s grace to change us.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 9, 2008

For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple Acts 21:29

The mob of Jews were after the apostle Paul. As he elevated Christ, they felt he was against them, their law, and their temple. They even accused Paul of defiling the temple by bringing in a Gentile. Look! It says they supposed, they assumed, they concluded, that his association brought, evil even though no one knew anything for sure. How quick many are to judge. Is there guilt by supposed association? The self-righteous accused Jesus of the same thing when He would eat with sinners. They assumed, and they were wrong. In our daily walk, may we put judgment on the back shelf, and allow mercy to lead the way. Would we rather be a small town judge, or an intern for the Great Physician? Choose the grace and choose the healing.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Monday, December 8, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 8, 2008

And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Jude 22-23

The book of Jude is written to bring judgment on false teachers. The church was under attack, and someone had to rise up and speak the truth. Like many of the books in the Bible, there is a sharp rebuke, but it never ends that way. After the rebuke, the Holy Spirit always opens the door with mercy. Mercy on those who are doubting, bringing many to salvation. When he says to hate the garment polluted by the flesh, it means to hate the sin but love the sinner. We should never let sharp rebukes lead us to hate the sinner. May we all keep grace and mercy uppermost in our minds.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Friday, December 5, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 5, 2008

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. II Timothy 4:2

God gives us a great plan for teaching in this passage. The world is lost in sin and God has the solution for their problems in His word. How can we get it too them? Be ready to preach the word all the time. When we reprove, we prove again what God has to say to us. When we rebuke, we point out how far we are from doing what He wants. When we exhort, we encourage others to make the corrections necessary to be in His will. Too many times we just rebuke without truth, or encouragement. That may leave people depressed without a clear plan to obey the Lord. Let’s follow His plan for our teaching, and don’t forget the patience.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 4, 2008

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, John 1:12

Who has the right to be a child of God? Do we know our rights? Jesus came into the world to give us all access, but many miss the opportunity. The Jews thought they were the only ones who had the right, and as a result they took Him too lightly. Little did they know that God was going to give everyone who would receive Him, the right to become His children. Not because of nationality or background, but because it was God’s will. Don’t’ let anyone tell you that God’s righteousness is for someone else. When we become His child, we bear His righteousness. Welcome to the family. Spread the news.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 3, 2008

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." Matthew 13:31-32

Jesus uses several illustrations in this chapter to describe what His kingdom is like. They all share one thing in common. When one comes into His kingdom, we start out small. We are a small seed planted, but that small seed is destined to grow to be the largest in the garden. It also will be the plant that is the most useful, and of the most value. So the small seed is in the ground, but when it grows it will be a great treasure. The last shall be first, and the humble shall be exalted. Wait on the Lord. He has something great for all of us.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Grace for your spirit December 2, 2008

Consider your ways! "You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes." Haggai 1:5-6

God's people returned from their captivity with a challenge to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem. They were supplied with all the materials for the job, but they used them to build their own houses instead. Things were not going well for the returning exiles, and they just couldn’t understand why. The prophet told them to wake up. Until they started putting God first, everything would slip through their hands. Sound like anyone we know? We all have some sort of purpose driven life, but is the Lord’s purpose first? Let’s be thankful we can still wake up and get it right.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Monday, December 1, 2008

Grace for yoru spirit December 1, 2008

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ II Cor 10:5

Have you heard? There’s a war on. The war between the forces of God and the forces of the devil. The devil is trying to spread disinformation about God, and make people doubt His power and glory. The Lord’s army, that would be us, are here to fight in this generation. Every time we have a thought that will aid that fight, we need to take that thought captive. Those thoughts will help us be obedience and aid others in their war. Don’t let those thoughts and ideas, go in one ear and out the other. Make a note. Write in down. Look it up. The devil works overtime. What is on our agenda today?

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23