Recommended reading: Book of Galatians
Key verse: Galatians 5:9
A little leaven leavens a whole lump.
Leaven: unbelief, doubt, fear
The rest of God
Heb 3:7-19
Old testament reinforcement:
The picking of Gideon s 300 men
Judges 7:1-8
Greetings!
A few years ago I was passing through the Southern part of Illinois on a Sunday morning. This is not my habit, but I felt compelled to attend a truck stop church service. While the word was good and welcomed, God's reason for me to be there was for one individual who happened to share the same first name as me. My conversation and interaction with this man taught me a life changing message.
We were about the same age and in the same profession. (to be completely honest I was running from the call of God on my life) Any case in small talk conversation, he told me he suffered a debilitating injury about a month prior as a car hit him on the side of the road. I could visibly see he was in a fair amount of pain but was now clear by the doctor to drive again. He told me the following day a man was coming to the truck stop to pick him up and he would begin work again. Well at the time, I was in a position to help him and offered to put him up in a hotel so he could sit in a hot bath and rest for the next day. To my surprise he refused. I was not angry at him but to be honest was a little hurt. As I walked away, some what stunned by all which transpired, God's still, small voice began to speak to my heart.
My heavenly Father gently said to me, "this is how I feel when you reject my compassionate desire to help you. The experience let me feel in measure what our Lord Jesus feels when we refuse to accept God's precious promises toward us. Again I would love to say I'm in a perfect place, exactly where I need to be..today it is not completely true. This whole blog is just one man's journey to say yes to God.
So this brings us up today..a little leaven
Jesus through out the Gospels used leaven to illustrate sin the heart of a person and its corrupting influence. The apostle Paul used leaven to address a self righteous doctrine which was steering some of the saints from the foundation Faith by which we all stand. I would encourage you to read and mediate on the whole book of Galatians.
The larger question today for my heart is what is hindering me from entering into God's promised destiny for me and my family. What is the leaven the Spirit of God would have me deal with by faith by the work of His Spirit?? For me Saint of God it is fear. Fear has been my greatest leaven! What is yours?? Let's us believe God together!
In Christ love,
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Lawless deeds
Message meditation:
Matthew 7:23
Roman 6, 7, 8
This particular thought has been on my heart for a bit. It is something I feel God is working to get down in my soul, that it would minister life to the hearer. In it's most simple form this is no more than regular, passionate obedience. ....
As we are aware we are His workmanship, it makes it pointless to strive to become something in ourselves. We could never fulfill the righteousness of God in ourselves. If we get even close self righteous pride begins to permeate its foul odor! This is not a how to be holy message at all, but one which is a response to God's Spirit wooing to be yielded. It is a call to my own heart to yield my members(flesh) unto righteousness. It is being led by God's Spirit in agreement with God's word.
Yielded for one will look different for another. For one it could be tithing, to another it could be fasting or witnessing to your neighbor. Yielded simply is responding in obedience to the season, lesson, or action Jesus wants you step into, learn, or do.
I hope you can hear my heart here, no one is throwing stones. Honestly is there anyone outside the Lord Jesus himself is without sin?? The impression God put on my heart is lawless deeds is the thing we do when we do not respond to God's revealed will. We could do something which would look good but in fact it is disobedience when God is calling to do something else. Ok I 've totally been there..again no stones from me.
If the Lord Jesus is speaking to you..make an alter in your heart, confess and give it to Him and go and do your first work. Father help us as you children to obedient to the promptings of your Spirit and yield our members unto righteousness!
Please feel free to comment!
In Christ Love
Matthew 7:23
Roman 6, 7, 8
This particular thought has been on my heart for a bit. It is something I feel God is working to get down in my soul, that it would minister life to the hearer. In it's most simple form this is no more than regular, passionate obedience. ....
As we are aware we are His workmanship, it makes it pointless to strive to become something in ourselves. We could never fulfill the righteousness of God in ourselves. If we get even close self righteous pride begins to permeate its foul odor! This is not a how to be holy message at all, but one which is a response to God's Spirit wooing to be yielded. It is a call to my own heart to yield my members(flesh) unto righteousness. It is being led by God's Spirit in agreement with God's word.
Yielded for one will look different for another. For one it could be tithing, to another it could be fasting or witnessing to your neighbor. Yielded simply is responding in obedience to the season, lesson, or action Jesus wants you step into, learn, or do.
I hope you can hear my heart here, no one is throwing stones. Honestly is there anyone outside the Lord Jesus himself is without sin?? The impression God put on my heart is lawless deeds is the thing we do when we do not respond to God's revealed will. We could do something which would look good but in fact it is disobedience when God is calling to do something else. Ok I 've totally been there..again no stones from me.
If the Lord Jesus is speaking to you..make an alter in your heart, confess and give it to Him and go and do your first work. Father help us as you children to obedient to the promptings of your Spirit and yield our members unto righteousness!
Please feel free to comment!
In Christ Love
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Growing in maturity - Keeping commitments
All long time ago, a very simple directive was dropped into my heart. It was in regards to what God would have me share with others. Very simply put, it was no more than this.."When a door is open for you to speak to my people, share only what I put on your heart. So in the spirit of that directive, is the posting of this blog.
OK so here is a dirty word in a immature, self serving, emotionally based world and sadly to say, in some of our American churches. That's right the word is commitment. No worries there is a long bony figure pointing my direction as well! Commitment is the beginning of stability. It is the beginning of security for those you love. It is an anchor for young ones. It is one marking of a selfless life. It takes a life time to grow into and has way of determining the outcome of our futures.
This may seem kinda lame to say, but the greatest commitment we can make is to the cause of Christ. OK your right it's lame because its kinda a romantic ideal, hard to get the heart and mind around. What I will say is this, it is a commitment to God's revealed plan for your life. It is the commitment to the time and season you are in. If you are single, it is the commitment to God's plan of preparation for someone. If your married its a commitment to developing as a servant. If your in leadership in a church it is a commitment to your word being your bond. Ultimately it is a commitment to the work of grace to make you a beautiful fragrance for the single benefit of someone else.
So how are you feeling about maturity right now?? Yeah really.. me too! So anyway my family and I are in a season of cultivating commitment. Pray for us because we want God's best for us and we will likewise do the same for you. Comments are welcome and share what commitment looks like in your life or family. Let us grow in the grace of God together!
In Christ love,
OK so here is a dirty word in a immature, self serving, emotionally based world and sadly to say, in some of our American churches. That's right the word is commitment. No worries there is a long bony figure pointing my direction as well! Commitment is the beginning of stability. It is the beginning of security for those you love. It is an anchor for young ones. It is one marking of a selfless life. It takes a life time to grow into and has way of determining the outcome of our futures.
This may seem kinda lame to say, but the greatest commitment we can make is to the cause of Christ. OK your right it's lame because its kinda a romantic ideal, hard to get the heart and mind around. What I will say is this, it is a commitment to God's revealed plan for your life. It is the commitment to the time and season you are in. If you are single, it is the commitment to God's plan of preparation for someone. If your married its a commitment to developing as a servant. If your in leadership in a church it is a commitment to your word being your bond. Ultimately it is a commitment to the work of grace to make you a beautiful fragrance for the single benefit of someone else.
So how are you feeling about maturity right now?? Yeah really.. me too! So anyway my family and I are in a season of cultivating commitment. Pray for us because we want God's best for us and we will likewise do the same for you. Comments are welcome and share what commitment looks like in your life or family. Let us grow in the grace of God together!
In Christ love,
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