Sunday, July 25, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Abiding in Christ
Love does not exempt us from obedience, and obedience is not a substitute for love. When it comes to love and obedience in the Chrisitan life, it is not either/or, but both/and. One feeds the other.
As we grow in love, we grow in obedience, and as we grow in obedience, we grow in love; Christ's love for us and our love for him. It is through this living, growing, abiding relationship with Christ that fruit is produced in our lives, and it is by this fruit that the Father is glorified.
Here are the Scriptures:
When we love him, we obey him (John 14:15).
When we obey him, we abide in his love (John 15:10).
When we abide in his love, we bear fruit (John 15:5).
When we bear fruit, the Father is glorified (John 15:8).
As we grow in love, we grow in obedience, and as we grow in obedience, we grow in love; Christ's love for us and our love for him. It is through this living, growing, abiding relationship with Christ that fruit is produced in our lives, and it is by this fruit that the Father is glorified.
Here are the Scriptures:
When we love him, we obey him (John 14:15).
When we obey him, we abide in his love (John 15:10).
When we abide in his love, we bear fruit (John 15:5).
When we bear fruit, the Father is glorified (John 15:8).
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Fighting in our Pursuit of God
The Psalmist, in Psalm 42 and 43 is in the middle of a very difficult season in life. For whatever reason, he feels as if God has rejected him and forgotten him (42:9, 43:2). In 42:3 he even says, "My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me continually, 'Where is your God?'" Not only was this feeling of being separated from God obvious to him, but also to his enemies, who contiually taunted him saying the same thing, "Where is your God?" (42:10). So whether he looked within or without, he was hit with the same feeling and the same message, "Where is your God?"
What are we to do when our God whom we love and who loves us feels so far removed from us; as if he is no where to be found? - We do what the Psalmist did. We fight in our pursuit of God. One way he does this is he preaches to himself, and he does this three times. In 42:5, 42:11, and 43:5 he turns to himself and begins preaching, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."
Instead of allowing his feelings and thoughts of rejection and of being forgotten by God to control him, he turns to himself and says, "Soul, what is the deal? Why are you so depressed and hopeless? Why are you so full of doubt and fear?" And then he focuses his mind and heart upon the God of his salvation. "Soul, hope in God. Soul, be remined of who God is and all that he does. Soul, be reminded that God is a God of steadfast love who promises to never leave me or forsake me. Soul, don't look within at my feelings and thoughts of despair, and don't look to others who taunt me, but instead look to God. Soul, turn to God. Soul, my hope is still found in God."
He is continually hit with the message, "Where is your God?" and so he continually preaches truth to himself, "Hope in God. I will again praise him. He alone is my salvation and my God."
When you are hit with difficult circumstances in life that seem to indicate that God has forgotten you and rejected you, what will you do? Will you believe those lies? Will you trust your feelings? Will you listen to your enemies? - Or will you fight in your pursuit of God? Will you trust that no matter what you are going through in life, he is still your hope; he is still your salvation; he is still your God? Will you preach to yourself, focusing your mind and heart once again upon the God your soul so hungers and thirsts for?
Because God is so glorious and beautiful and satisfying, he is worth pursuing, even when all else says to quit. And even when it is difficult, and especially when it is diffcult, remind your soul of its need to "Hope in God."
Fight hard to pursue God daily. This is a battle worth waging!
What are we to do when our God whom we love and who loves us feels so far removed from us; as if he is no where to be found? - We do what the Psalmist did. We fight in our pursuit of God. One way he does this is he preaches to himself, and he does this three times. In 42:5, 42:11, and 43:5 he turns to himself and begins preaching, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."
Instead of allowing his feelings and thoughts of rejection and of being forgotten by God to control him, he turns to himself and says, "Soul, what is the deal? Why are you so depressed and hopeless? Why are you so full of doubt and fear?" And then he focuses his mind and heart upon the God of his salvation. "Soul, hope in God. Soul, be remined of who God is and all that he does. Soul, be reminded that God is a God of steadfast love who promises to never leave me or forsake me. Soul, don't look within at my feelings and thoughts of despair, and don't look to others who taunt me, but instead look to God. Soul, turn to God. Soul, my hope is still found in God."
He is continually hit with the message, "Where is your God?" and so he continually preaches truth to himself, "Hope in God. I will again praise him. He alone is my salvation and my God."
When you are hit with difficult circumstances in life that seem to indicate that God has forgotten you and rejected you, what will you do? Will you believe those lies? Will you trust your feelings? Will you listen to your enemies? - Or will you fight in your pursuit of God? Will you trust that no matter what you are going through in life, he is still your hope; he is still your salvation; he is still your God? Will you preach to yourself, focusing your mind and heart once again upon the God your soul so hungers and thirsts for?
Because God is so glorious and beautiful and satisfying, he is worth pursuing, even when all else says to quit. And even when it is difficult, and especially when it is diffcult, remind your soul of its need to "Hope in God."
Fight hard to pursue God daily. This is a battle worth waging!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)