LEARNING DAILY

John 17:20-21, I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

The Lord Jesus has encouraged His disciples He is going to be leaving them, has told them to continue telling others what He has been teaching them, and warned them about facing trials, even persecution, in the time ahead. He has promised to send them the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen them and has prayed for them. In the verses above, Jesus now prays for those who will believe in Him as a result of their teaching and the Word of God. It would be appropriate to apply what He told the disciples and what He prayed to Believers today.

Several verses before, Jesus prayed, “As You sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world”. Jesus was sent into this world to tell people about the Father and ultimately take the place of every person who would place their faith in Him; He took the punishment every Believer should have taken for their sinfulness. Just like the disciples Believers are now to tell others about what Jesus Christ has done for them – how He saved them and how He is changing them.

The Lord Jesus prayed that Believers would be in complete unity, as He was with the Father. That means they are to have the same desire, same agenda as Jesus did in order to show the love of Jesus. He always did and said what the Father told Him to do; Jesus wanted to glorify Him. Believers today, must behave and act in the same way. Nonbelievers cannot experience the Holy Spirit; all they can see is His work in the lives of Believers. They see how Believers act, the changes that occur in them, and the love they show others. It is important that Believers hold each other accountable as unity does not mean deliberate sin and false teaching is to be tolerated. John’s writing is clear about those who love God will obey Him. That is often seen by the love shown other Believers. I believe when Jesus referred to unity, He meant that His words and actions were always consistent with the Father’s words and His will and that was proof that the Father sent Him. So should the words and actions of Believers be consistent with the Word of God as proof that Jesus Christ has saved and changed them. Others are watching the commitment of others to what they believe.

I want to close today with John 17:24, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may behold My glory which You have given me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world”. Jesus prayed this for His disciples earlier. Jesus wants Believer’s to know their eternal destiny is with Him because of His divinity. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He has gone to prepare a place for all who have placed their faith in Him. He is making this promise again for those who place their faith in Him and are walking the narrow way.

Be encouraged to place your faith in Him as you walk through every situation. Know that Jesus has prayed for you and continues to do so as He sits at the right hand of God the Father. Know that He is never surprised by anything you face, and He is walking with you as you go through your situation. It needs to be said again – He has everything you are facing under control. Trust that He does. All Jesus did was centered in His love for each Believer. That love leads to unity among Believers and when combined with obedience to Jesus Christ shows those around us His love and truth so greatly needed.

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 17:3, And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Jesus has given the disciples encouragement and warning. Now He begins to pray. In this prayer, Jesus will pray for His disciples and all who would believe in Him because of their ministry and because of the words many of them will write to form the Bible. That includes everyone who believes in Him today!

Eternal life! Throughout the gospel written by John, he points out that salvation comes from putting one’s faith in Jesus Christ; in Him alone. The Bible is clear that this salvation brings eternal life in God’s kingdom, in heaven, instead of eternal separation from God. For the Believer this means living each day, forever, in God’s presence. “Eternal life is not just length of life but a quality of life – knowing God as Lord, Father, and Friend.” (David Jeremiah Study Bible).

Jesus speaks that Believers may know the Father through their faith in Him. Knowing Him is far more than an intellectual knowledge; the implication is a deeper level of intimacy that can be known. James writes in Ephesians 2:19, “even the demons believe in God and shudder”. The thought being conveyed is that the Believer’s faith is not to be passive or just going through motions and speaking “Christianese” (Pastor Ed Newton). No! The Believer is to be continually growing to be like Christ as they walk each day on a narrow way, placing their faith and trust in Jesus as he/she faces each situation during the day.

In John 10:30 Jesus made this statement, “I and My father are one.” That declaration was enough for the Jews to take up stones to stone Him to death. In the verses that follow, Jesus challenged them to look at the miracles He had performed. Were they not enough to convince them that He and the Father are one? The work He did could only be done because of God Himself.

This prayer was spoken to His Father – between them. The Lord Jesus is thanking the father for those who believed in Him, and as tomorrow’s page of the blog will show, for those who would believe in Him. He prays for His disciples. They will need encouragement in the days ahead. They need to know that they belong to Him, the Father because “You gave them to Me” (verse 6). Jesus made a point of telling the disciples that He chose them; that is the Father gave them to Jesus. In the last part of verse 6 Jesus prays, “these men kept Your word”. This is an essential part of discipleship – obedience. David Jeremiah writes, the way a person regards the Bible is the way he or she regards Christ, the living Word.”

I do not imagine that Jesus was shy about telling the disciples about their “shortcomings”. Just like Believers today, these men were not perfect; they made mistakes. Yet, they kept God’s Word. Believers, today, are certainly not perfect as they walk the narrow way. God knows that! Hebrews 4:16 clearly states as Believers, “let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. That means when Believers sin, they do not need to be afraid of being turned away from the throne of God; they do not need to try to hide their mistakes and failures or fail to mention them in their prayers. God, in His mercy has forgiven our past mistakes and gives His grace to the needs right now. That is what Jesus did for the disciples and all Believers today!

Trust in your commitment to Jesus Christ and walk the narrow way in that commitment!

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 16:33, These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  Jesus

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 29:23, “An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.” If you would take the time to study the book of Proverbs, you would see that much of the writing concerns good and evil, sin and righteousness, or what is true compared to false. When he wrote this verse, he was highlighting the conflict between those who pursuing goodness (walk on the narrow way) and those who are pursuing evil (walking on the broad way). Other versions of the Bible speak of each side detesting the other. Jesus said it a little different; He wanted His disciples and Believers today to know that they would have troubles in this world because of following Him. In John 15:18-19 Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of this world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of this world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you”.

The words Jesus spoke are an encouragement; He wants His disciples to remember His words, what He had taught them. It was also a warning. Believers today would do well to look at these words in that light. If you have walked with Jesus for very long, you will know what He meant about having difficulties in this world. Being a Christian does not guarantee an easy life or wealth or position. In fact, Jesus was quite clear following Him could lead to some persecution of some sort. His warning was so they would not be surprised when it came. That has been addressed in a previous page of the blog. There is opposition, increasing opposition, to the truth of God’s Word. This opposition is driven with anger, intense emotions that get out of control.

The opposition does not take God by surprise. When they come, trust in Him so that your faith might grow; in fact, the opposition and trials Believers face are part of God’s plan. Hebrews 11 is a chapter that tells readers about those individuals, “heroes of the faith” who chose to hold on to their faith through what they faced trusting in God. Read the chapter and see that individuals held on to their faith and died before the promises of God were fulfilled – that happened after their death.

Jesus promised peace. This peace may not be comfort or happiness in the life of the Believer. No, His peace is to be able to lay our burdens down at His feet in prayer, casting the anxieties faced on Him, trusting that He has all things under His control, and He is working everything out according to His will.

In this world there is anxiety, fear, persecution, hatred, sin, temptation, evil, sorrow, and death. Jesus said, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” “Overcome” means to defeat, win a victory over as in a contest or battle. The world is the created physical realm apart from heaven. The Lord Jesus knows that Believers are going to come against trouble, difficulty, and sorrow. But the Good News is that He has “overcome” every obstacle, every trial, every temptation, everything in the world that comes against us! He who did that sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. Jesus Christ grants that each believer overcome the world through Him. The reward for doing so is life with Him in His kingdom for eternity. That’s worth the walk on the narrow way in faith and obedience to all He has shown us in His Word!

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 16:7-11, Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is for your good that I go away; For if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; and of righteousness because the ruler of this world is judged.  Jesus

“During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit did not dwell in His followers but selectively empowered them for specific acts of ministry. At the moment of Christ’s ascension, the Father would send the Holy Spirit to serve as a constant presence, comforter, and counselor for His people.” (David Jeremiah). I wonder if the disciples understood this. I wonder if they believed that Jesus leaving would really be good or beneficial for them. So, what was the benefit? From my experience as a new and baby Christian, there were some men that I relied on to help me learn and grow (mature) as a Christian. After a time, these men were taken out of my life as each moved to different locations. Who did I lean on then? I had to be able to depend on my ability to read/study/meditate on God’s Word. But I also was able to lean on the Helper, the Holy Spirit to help me know the voice of God within my heart (John 14:17). Read this next statement carefully. That does not make me all-knowing or infallible. Paul wrote in Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest anyone cheat you (take you captive) through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ”. There is plenty of deception, “stuff” written by men who think God is leading them when He is not. The Holy Spirit prompts the Believer that something is not right as we read, or hear messages about God’s Word. We want to follow what is true and right and not be misled by false teachers.

The coming of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, has been mentioned before in the Upper Room teaching. Just how else does He help Believers as they walk the narrow way. He will “convict the world of sin”. There is no amount of teaching, preaching, pleading, or pointing out the wrongs of a person regarding sin that will change their minds unless the Holy Spirit is at work in their hearts. As I read and study God’s Word it is becoming clearer to me that a major sin in the world is the failure to recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God who came to die, to take the place of every person on a cross who gives their life to Him. Unbelief, turning from God, ignoring Him, placing their own pleasure before pleasing God, and ignoring what He says in His Word are major problems. The Holy Spirit is at work in the world convicting people of their unbelief. When a person is saved by faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit helps him/her grow and to walk the narrow way in order to become like Jesus and to be ready to enter the kingdom of God.

The Holy Spirit convicts the world “of righteousness” as well. Today, there are those in the world who want you to believe there is no standard of righteousness; they say truth is what one believes, and it might be different for each person. Look at the way people live today. Do you find it difficult to know who is telling the truth and who isn’t? Again, the Holy Spirit prompts a Believer when something spoken does not seem correct. It needs to be stressed at this point that there was only One perfect person to walk on this earth – that was Jesus Christ; He alone lived a sinless life. The Holy Spirit will lead the Believer to do what is right, even when it is very difficult. He will strengthen the Believer facing temptation, trials and whenever the narrow way becomes difficult. The Holy Spirit will always lead the Believer toward truth!

 The Holy Spirit also convicts the world “of judgment”. God’s Word shares about the Father’s love; it is not shy about judgment coming. That judgment is a day of reckoning when the Father will hand out His justice on sin and those who have chosen to ignore Him. Judgment began when Jesus defeated Satan at the cross. It will be finished when King Jesus returns to defeat the devil, establish His kingdom on earth and finally send the devil into eternal punishment. This will include all who follow him.

It is good that Jesus returned to the Father and sent to each Believer the Helper, the Holy Spirit!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Psalm 51 :1-2, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from sin.

Lead Pastor Jonathon Moore at NorthRock spoke about Psalm 51:1-12 this weekend. He is in a series that gives the background to the Psalm and then gives application from the Psalm to our lives. This Psalm explains the reaction of King David when confronted by the prophet Nathan, about his relationship to Bathsheba. “David had remained at home after sending his army to war; David was in a place he was not supposed to be and saw what he was not supposed to see.” (Pastor Moore). He continued quoting some pastor(s) he has known, “Sin will take you further than you ever intended to go, will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay, and will cost you more than you ever intended to spend.”

In Psalm 51, King David is confessing to the sins of adultery and murder. He is admitting to and taking responsibility for what had transpired with Bathsheba and her husband. What can believers today learn about repentance from this Psalm? Pastor’s first point was, “Real repentance realizes that I’m the only one to blame and that Christ alone is able to save me.” Repentance is an on-going process that changes one from the inside out. Yes, Jesus Christ forgave every sin committed and will be committed by the Believer. The Believer must confess sinful behavior after they have been saved, thanking Him for the forgiveness He gave when the person was saved. Pastor said, “One cannot move forward with their relationship with God until the mistake is embraced. Don’t make excuses for your behavior. Recognize it, confess, it and move on.” In my opinion, to not do so enables the Believer to think they can do anything he/she wants to do. As David saw, unconfessed sin has consequences. Be careful about “placing personal pleasure, idolatry, before God; that is doing what you want instead of doing what God wants”. That is sinful behavior that needs to be recognized and confessed.

The second point, he made was, “The more aware of the ability to sin, the less likely you are to sin.” Genesis 4:7 states, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it”. 1 Corinthians 10:12 states, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall”. Pastor used these two verses to remind each Believer that he/she must be watchful, be careful about how they think, live, and talk. “There are certain triggers that cause each of us to be tempted. Know your surroundings, recognize those things, those places that cause you difficulties” (Pastor Moore). It is not the temptation that is the sin; it is giving into the temptation that is the sin.

David prayed God would create in him a new heart (v. 10) and restore him to the joy of his salvation. “Repentance begins when one wants to be right [with God] and not just look right. David looked right on the outside, but God knew there was darkness on the inside.” (Pastor Moore). He said, “Some repent so God will fix the consequences, not because they want to change. The purpose of repentance is to bring one up, not take him down.” Read the words written by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Read the rest of the Psalm and you will see that David knew the kindness and the grace of God brings one to repent. David knew God still believed in him and would restore him in order to continue serving Him.

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 16:1-4, These things I have spoken to you, that you should not stumble. They will put you out of the synagogue; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things I have told you, that you remember, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning because I was with you.  Jesus

These words spoken in the Upper Room by Jesus to His disciples were His final instructions to them before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Just before the words above He told them they could expect persecution because they followed Him. He told them that people would even kill them because they were “offering God service”. They were living an unbelieving world – just like Believers do today. He did not want them, nor Believers today to stumble because they were surprised.

Fear can be real or imagined. Both can be very paralyzing and cause the strongest to stumble. Jesus did not want them or Believers today to be unaware of what might come. It seems easier to prepare for and go through something when we know it is coming. Perhaps, the reason for that is because there is a thought, a possibility that whenever that something comes, we can have some control over it. Jesus told His disciples what He thought they needed to prepare for when He was gone. Even though they did not understand what He meant, He said they would remember at some time.

For Believers today, the Bible tells us that there are difficult times they will face because they believe in Him, because they follow Him. It is not difficult to see what many in the world think about Christians and their beliefs. Try to speak up about God and His Word in public, in the workplace, and in schools (and look out if you’re in college or the universities). But knowing the difficulty now and in the future helps Believers know it is part of His plan, and he has all things under His control. When experiencing these sorts of things, remember! Remember that our Father in heaven is never caught off guard about anything; trust that He will be with you.

There is another aspect of what Jesus said in these verses I want to explore. His Word has told us the need for placing our faith in Jesus Christ – to be saved and changed by Him. It tells us over and over that to ignore Him, to continue to live in sinful, evil ways will have consequences. To fail to place one’s life in His hands and fail to walk the narrow way will bring judgement and God’s wrath upon you. The Word tells us about the future and Jesus wants us to study and anticipate the future. It is so important for Believers to read and study God’s Word in order to grasp what it teaches about not only living for Him each day, but to know what it teaches about the future, his return, the Believer’s life in His kingdom and eternity as their home.

Knowing about these events coming will keep Believers from being deceived or panicking (or stumbling) over events that occur. This will help Believers to stand, to trust Him, to know they can have peace in Him when the world around them is in panic mode, not understanding what is happening around them. By being in God’s Word each day, you will be led by truth and encouraged; God wants every Believer to know about those things coming, place their faith and trust in Him.

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 15:13-14, Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  Jesus

Jesus is preparing the disciples for His coming death. The statement above comes right after telling them they are to love one another. The ultimate act of love is to willingly lay one’s life down for another. In John 10:17-18, Jesus had laid the groundwork for His crucifixion by saying the father loved Him because He willingly laid His life down – no one took it from Him. In Romans 5:7-8, Paul wrote, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Truly loving others by laying down one’s life happens only when one consistently abides in the love of Christ.

Love, true love, involves a sacrifice of one as he/she seeks to help the one loved. It makes sense that the greatest love of all would be one laying down his/her life for their loved one. That can mean all sorts of things one might sacrifice to help another. It is obviously seen in 1 John 4:10-11, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [appeasement] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” The love John wrote about, “agape love”, is how Believers are saved. How can a Believer love an unlovable person on their own? It only can be done by understanding how unlovable your sinfulness made you when God first loved you. To love sacrificially is not fully understood in today’s world; the world tends to move toward self-centeredness.

This idea keeps going back to Jesus telling His disciples that, “all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” You do not have to wait to show this love to others by stepping in front of something meant for another. There has been a saying that refers to do a “random act of kindness each day”. The life of a believer should be characterized by selflessness and denying ourselves to do something good for another person. This simply means Believers should display the love of Jesus in their light each day; it should be a common happening. Philippians 2:3-4 instructs Believers to do nothing out of selfish ambition but to look out for the interests of others before yourself. Romans 12:10 tells believers to be devoted to placing others before yourself.

Jesus went on to telling His disciples that their obedience to His teaching gave validity to their relationship to Him; Believers are obligated to love like He did. Jesus said those who do as He commands are His friends. John 15:13-14 describe the relationship Jesus had with His disciples. He did not die just for them. He died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). Laying down one’s life for a friend goes further than some Believers do for their friends. It extends toward the lost and even our enemies. Jesus laid down His life for Believers while they were still sinners; he did so to be an example for the way Believers are to love others, to walk that same selfless love!

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 15:3-4, You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  Jesus

Jesus is talking to the disciples. He is telling them they are “clean” because they have saving faith in Him. It is a point Jesus made when He washed their feet (John 13:10). Why the emphasis? Because the “clean” are the branches He is talking about who will eventually produce fruit for the kingdom of God. Those who are unclean are imposters; even though Jesus did not say it, Judas is an example of the unclean. Without saving faith the unclean are destined to be cut off from the vine and are destroyed.

As one who has given their life to Jesus, to be saved by Him and be changed by Him, aren’t you glad to be reassured of your place in God’s kingdom! Jesus was not talking about Christians who are losing their salvation. He is making sure the disciples and Believers today understand they are not among the dead branches He is talking about. He is explaining that bearing spiritual fruit is the result of being attached to the vine not the qualification for being attached to the True Vine in the first place.

However, those who bear fruit will be pruned. Remember Jesus said His Father was the vinedresser or the One who lovingly prunes or disciplines those already bearing fruit. Hebrews 12:6 reminds us, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens [disciplines] and scourges [punishes] every son who He receives.” That means that every loving father – including God – takes an active role in the growth of his children. God will correct Believers when correction is needed and/or place them in situations that will help them grow spiritually to be more like Jesus. Remember Jesus said the narrow way was not an easy way! The point is believers not becoming discouraged when hardship or difficulty comes their way. The writer of Hebrews continued in verse 11, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

The clean – Believers – are to remain, to abide in Jesus and Jesus in them. Abiding refers to being connected to or holding tightly to. Jesus is stating that the disciples and all believers must stay close, “submit” to Him; that implies they must be obedient and persevere (in the context of pruning). Why? Because one cannot be spiritually fruitful unless connected to the true source of life, the True Vine – the Lord Jesus Christ. John 15:9-10 tells Believers how to bear more fruit, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; you will abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love”. The more intimately Believers are connected to the True Vine, the more effective and productive they will be. David Jeremiah writes in his Study Bible, “Believers enjoy a reciprocal relationship with God. His words abide in them and their branches abide in Him. A natural outgrowth of that abiding relationship is prayer. The most visible impressions of that relationship are joy and love. Jesus wants the Christian’s joy to be full.”

Just as the Lord Jesus passes the love of the Father to each of us, Believers must be passing that love on to others. The vine passes life to the branches to produce fruit. Believers need to be doing the same through their obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. We do that through what we say and through our actions.

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 15:5, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  Jesus

At different times of the year, we have a number of people come to our door wanting to trim our trees; they want to remove branches that have no leaves or trim lower branches so the trees will grow “better”. Sometimes we have allowed them to do work and other times have said no. I try to watch and understand what they do. When I have not been there, they seem to remove more branches than I think they should have. The thought process is for the trees to grow more fully and become beautiful, providing shade and all God intended them to be.

As Jesus is speaking to His disciples, knowing he was going to be arrested and was about to fulfill the Father’s purpose in Him, he was encouraging His disciples to bear fruit when He was gone. That meant they were to live what He had taught them, to share His gospel, and make disciples for the kingdom of God. To encourage them He used a very familiar analogy of the process for growing and taking care of grapes. In doing this He claims again His divine nature (I am the vine), He relates how God relates to man (you are the branches), and the “vinedresser is My Father” (verse 1). John 15:1-8 relates to the disciples that God moves in His people much the same way people plant and nurture the plant in their garden – the process includes pruning and the removal of dead or diseased branches.

It is important for Believers to know, just like the disciples in the Upper Room, that Jesus is with them even though He is not physically present. Jesus wanted the disciples to know that when He was no longer with them, He would continue to “nourish and sustain them” just like roots and the vine nourishes the branches while they develop fruit. He wanted them, and Believers today, to know as long as they stayed connected to Him, His energy, His love would give them all they needed to be productive in sharing His love to others and helping others to be saved and changed by Him. “Abiding in Him” involves walking the narrow way with Him, “hungering and thirsting for His righteousness” (Matthew 5:6), and desiring His kingdom before everything else (Matthew 6:33). That would include keeping His commandments (John 14:21).

Jesus gave a clear picture that God expects His people to grow in His Word and be productive in their spiritual lives. In His analogy, Jesus described the removal of branches that did not bear fruit and the pruning of those which did in order for them to be even more productive (verse 2). What did he mean by “a branch that does not bear fruit”? it seems to refer to a branch that appears to be connected to the vine but is not. It is dead and never will produce fruit. There are those who act like a Christian and talk “Christianese” but have never been saved by the blood of Jesus – they just appear to be. God is not fooled and will remove them in order to make room for those branches that are productive.

For those branches who are close to the vine and doing the good works they are called to do, the vinedresser prunes so they may produce even more fruit. Pruning is not always an easy process for the Believer as it often involves trials and difficulties in their lives. God allows them to come in order for growth to occur, for the Believer to grow and mature in their faith and their trust that He is with them through the process. It is the process of sanctification (being set apart and made into the image of Jesus Christ) as they walk the narrow way! It is to know the importance of being obedient to the Word of God. Pruning is necessary for growth to occur and happens to every Believer as they do all they can to stay close to Jesus Christ, to abide in Him.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Psalm 57:1, Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You: and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.

Pastor Jonathon Moore of NorthRock Church began a new series this weekend with Psalm 57. “The power of a song is an expression of worship to God”, began Pastor Moore. He continued, “Singing is an integral part of entering God’s presence by getting people out of the stuff they came to church with; we can’t allow drama we might be facing to prevent us from entering into His presence.”

David was facing a situation – he was hiding in a cave as he was being chased by King Saul. In the danger he faced, David prayed for God’s mercy and His protection. Take a moment to read the entire Psalm. Pastor Moore’s first point was “God’s presence is a place of protection”. David wrote, “in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge”; just like a mother bird protects her young during a storm by gathering her young under her wings. Believers are going to face trials and difficult situations. When they do, seek protection and safety and peace in God’s presence. An important way to do that is to worship and pray. Pastor Moore used Psalm 139:12 to remind us that God sees Believers when the “darkness of their situation” begins to close in around them – He is never caught off-guard.

Pastor Moore stated, “David was anointed [to be king] but there was a time before he was appointed [to be king]. The time in between was when God prepared him to do what God wanted him to do.” So, it is with Believers. In the cave, David writes, “I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me” (verse 2). Pastor’s second point was, “God’s purpose is the promise of Daivid’s (the believer’s) deliverance”. David is acknowledging the Lord’s absolute power and authority in his life. He recognizes that God is the One who makes things happen, even when those things are not what David wants. Can you relate?

Pastor stated, “God finishes what He starts!” “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” is a reminder from Hebrews 12:2a that Jesus will finish what He starts. David Jeremiah wrote in his notes, “looking means to look away from something and to fix your gaze on the right thing. Christian men and women should look with spiritual eyes beyond their immediate trials to Jesus”. “Whatever our situation is Believers are still in the hands of the author of our salvation” (Pastor Moore). Psalm 57:3 shows David is absolutely confident that God will hear his prayer and keep him safe.

In Psalm 57:5,10 David expresses Pastor Moore’s third point – God’s power is the assurance of his salvation. Once again, the emphasis is on the power of worship and praise. It gets our eyes off of the situation and our focus on our Savior and Lord. David knew he was destined to be king. He might have been fearful because of the situation he found himself in, but he was responding to it by being faithful. He thanked God for His faithful love and expressed his devotion to Him.

May each of us remember to seek our Lord’s presence in every situation we face. Worship and give Him praise for His peace, His protection, and the safety He gives to us as Believers!

 LEARNING DAILY

Romans 13:11-14, And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. That night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

It is necessary to follow up with the last page of the blog to understand how each Believer can be ready as they watch and wait for the time Jesus takes them to be with Him in the clouds and into eternity with Him. “Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Believers must “cast off the works of darkness”. Paul writes this again in Ephesians 5:11; what does he mean by the “unfruitful works of the darkness”? Paul states these works are not fruitful, they are of no use, not beneficial; they end in death. Let me list the things he is talking about. Greed, sexual immorality, any kind of impurity, obscenity, foolish talk, coarse joking, and idolatry will not be allowed in the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:3-5). Add to this what Paul wrote above, “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.”

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, “How can light live with darkness? Cleanse yourself of all unrighteousness!” How? “Put on the armor of light”. John wrote in 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light as he is the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Paul wrote, “That night is far spent, the day is at hand.” In the spiritual sense this is symbolic of the moment Jesus defeated death at the resurrection (BibRef.com). There is still sin in this broken world, but that time is coming to an end. Think of it in this way. You ask Jesus into your life to save you and change you, but you find out that you still struggle with sin. You even discover you might want to continue in some of the old sinful ways. To use Paul’s thoughts about the coming day, Believers must prepare for the battle of putting off these sinful ways by “putting on the armor of light” (read Ephesians 6:10-17 about the Armor of God). Believers are now taking a defensive stance against the forces of spiritual darkness.

Believers no longer belong to the night; they no longer fit in with those who follow the darkness and no longer want to do those things done in the darkness. Instead, Believers “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts”. “Putting on the Lord Jesus” means our goal each day is to walk the narrow way, living the way Jesus desires we live – in faith and in obedience. To do that each believer must decide for themselves to no longer make provision to satisfy and indulge themselves with the things they once did when they walked in darkness. Don’t plan to sin; don’t give yourself any opportunity to fail. When Christ comes to live in our hearts, we ought to be really uncomfortable about even considering anything that would grieve Him. That includes putting anything or anyone above Him.

Many in the Bible have prophetically said the end of times is near. Many since then have said the same thing. Mockers have always been around. It seems to me when Biblical writers said the end is near, we must be near the end of the end times. Consider the signs we have been given in God’s Word; they have all happened, nothing is left to happen for Jesus to come for His Believers, His Church. Be alert. Be living the way He wants. Be walking the narrow way, looking for His return. Put on “the armor of light” today and walk with Jesus. Today might be the day!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Romans 13:11-14, And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. That night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

I am putting aside the Upper Room discourse for the time being. There is Scripture that I just cannot get off my mind; therefore, I am passing it on to the readers of this blog. God told the prophet, Jeremiah, that His people were committing sins, such as speaking deception, lying, stealing, murdering (with their gossip, etc.), committing adultery, burning incense to other gods, and chasing after other gods whom they did not know (Jeremiah 7:5-9). After doing these things, they went to the temple to stand before God believing they were secure in His love for them. They offered sacrifices that they thought would hide their sin from God; they did not plan to repent or stop doing any of these things. God called His house a “den of thieves” (v. 11) because of the hypocrisy of His people; He called them out for thinking they could live any way they wanted and then to be worthy as they came into the House of God. A few verses further, God told Jeremiah not to pray for them anymore as they were intent on their self-destruction. God was going to allow them to have their way.

In the verses above, Paul is writing with a great sense of urgency for the Church to wake up and the people of God to catch this urgency because the time was close for the return is closer than they realize. That was Paul writing a long time ago. If he thought that, what should Believers and the Church think about the closeness of our Lord’s return today? Jesus said in Matthew 16:3, “You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” I wonder if Believers still do not understand the times because they are going about life thinking they can live like they want, go to church, sing some songs, listen to a feel-good message and everything is fine.

Let me write for each Believer to get ready and stay ready because the Lord is coming! Look again at Paul’s writing, “for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed”. David Jeremiah wrote, “… that something could happen at any moment – that nothing has to occur before that something happens”. David Jeremiah was writing that nothing else needs to occur before God’s people are raptured, the taking of His people to be with Him “in the clouds” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Think of it in this way, Jesus coming for His people is closer than when you accepted Him as your Savior. Those people taken will be those watching vigilantly for Him, walking the narrow way with Jesus in obedience to His Word. Your salvation will be complete when you are taken to be with Him in His kingdom for eternity.

God told Jeremiah (7:23) that obedience to His voice, walking in all His ways, being His people would ensure that all would be well with those who do. Paul explained in Romans 12:1-13:10 what it means to live as a Christian while on earth. In the verses above, he is writing why it is essential to live this way. He was telling his readers it was time to wake up!

And so, I write as well. It is time to wake up and live and walk on the narrow way as God desires each Believer to do. In the day of Jeremiah, God told him that the people would not listen to him nor obey His call to walk with Him in obedience; they would “stiffen their neck” (Jeremiah 7:26-28). Do not be like them! Paul believed the day of Christ calling His people to Him could come at any day. Two thousand years later, I wonder how much longer it will be! It is your choice to be ready or not!

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 14:27, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  Jesus

Jesus has told His disciples “Let not your heart be troubled” before (verse 1 of this chapter). He wanted them to instead have peace, His peace, even when they were going through trials and times of the unknown. Those times when facing the unknown can certainly be challenging. They seem to come out of nowhere, causing terrible uncertainty. Contrary to all those preaching that life has no problems and there will be great prosperity and wealth when one gets saved, walking with Jesus does not mean that all life’s circumstances become better.

Jesus is preparing them for what is about to happen to Him; He is also preparing them for the difficult days ahead when they will be faced with the trials and temptations they will face as they spread His gospel. The peace He is giving to them is not the peace the world continues to seek but never finds. The world’s peace is only temporary and is disrupted easily. All anyone needs to do is look around to see fear is all around. It is almost laughable to hear that a peace settlement in the Middle East can be made through man’s agreements. There is certainly no peace in the United States – there is division everywhere; there seems to be no solution to the many problems in this country and in the world.

The New Living Translation of the Bible has written John 14:27 this way, “I am leaving you a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” The journey His disciples (and Believers today) would be taking would not be an easy one. Trials, temptations, misunderstanding, ridicule, persecution, and worse are part of the narrow way.  Believers today, must sort out what is deception in order to not be misled. Do not be fooled, this deception is strong and only by being in the Word of God, the Word of Truth can one know the difference. There are times Believers try to live moral, godly lives in their own strength, in their own power, without God and His Word. That leads only to frustration, and at times giving up. The peace that Jesus is giving is a peace that goes beyond a fallen world; it is permanent, guaranteed, and eternal.

His promise of sending the Holy Spirit to teach and remind them of what He had taught them is significant. The Holy Spirit encourages believers to remember the times the Lord has been with them in the past, bringing them through difficulties and trials. That is an encouragement to not allow my heart to become fearful, and to believe the situation I face is hopeless. Jesus, when at the tomb of Lazarus, saw those who were there mourning; He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled (John 11:33). His “spirit” is disturbed at what is happening here; He understood suffering. But, in His heart, He knew what He was going to do. He had no fear, and there was no despair. Understand the difference.

The peace Jesus gives watches over the hearts of Believers. Colossians 3:15 is important to know. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body; and be thankful.” That is almost an obligation for Believers to allow God’s peace (His promises) to rule their lives. The other option is to choose to rely on themselves and reject the peace He offers. The world will continue to have wars and conflicts. Individuals will continue to choose to rely on themselves. This will continue until Jesus returns to establish His kingdom on earth. God will give His peace to those Believers who choose to walk with Him on the narrow way, trusting Him by being obedient to His Word.

 

LEARNING DAILY

2 Timothy 4: 7-8, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Pastor Jonathon Moore, Lead Pastor at NorthRock Church, honored this Sunday, as Super Bowl Sunday, by giving a message about the characteristics of a champion. Here are the characteristics he gave. I imagine that you will be able to come up with additional thoughts on what characterizes a champion.

The first characteristic is, “I have fought the good fight”.  Are you able to hear the passion in this statement? It is a declaration of Paul doing everything he could for the cause of Christ. In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul wrote to Timothy “to fight the good fight of faith”. A champion will inspire others with passion (Audrey’s notes). Pastor Moore said, “God is looking for our passion, for us to be contagious, so others will see it and want to find out more about what living for Jesus is all about.” One does not have to be crazy with this; it is walking the narrow way as best Believers can letting the light of Jesus shine through them.

Audrey wrote in her notes a verse used by Pastor Moore, “never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically”. With this thought, Pastor said believers should hang out with others who are passionate about their walk with Jesus. The conversation naturally goes to what we are most passionate about, where we tend to spend our time (Audrey’s notes). I enjoy talking Bible; sadly, not many conversations go there.

The next characteristic Pastor discussed was, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. It did take me a while to finally say “yes” to the salvation Jesus Christ offered me. Paul persecuted Christians until he met Jesus on a road to Damascus; it took him a while to follow Jesus, too. Pastor Moore stated, “Champions inspire with perseverance.” I’m thinking about the few half marathons I ran with my daughter, Melissa. Thirteen point two miles is a long way to run; it does take perseverance. As believers, all of us know walking the narrow way takes perseverance as well. “We will be known by what and how we finish – not by how we started!’ (Pastor Moore).  Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that is hindering us and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Trust God in all things. Audrey wrote in her notes, “One of the greatest ways Believers (Champions) inspire is with their faith [being consistent] and how they respond to pressure and endure hard times.”

The last thing Pastor mentioned that champions do is inspire with preparation. Champions have a playbook which they learn and use; they follow the plan! Psalm 119:105 states, “Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path”. God’s Word tells Believers exactly what to do and how to respond to any scenario (Audrey’s notes). Pastor Moore said, “Trust the wisdom of God’s Word, follow it every day and to live by principle, not by pressure.

The promise to living as a champion is stated by Paul in the writing to Timothy, “Finally, there is laid up for the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” All Believers today who persevere while walking on the narrow way into God’s kingdom will receive a “crown of righteousness” for staying faithful in their walk!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Luke 10:29, But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus had been confronted by a lawyer wanting to know what he had to do to gain eternal life. Jesus told him to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. From there the lawyer wanted to know who his neighbor was. The Bible tells us that the lawyer was testing Jesus; his question about his neighbor demonstrated that he had head knowledge about the Scriptures, but the Scriptures had never penetrated his heart.

Pastor Ed Newton related this to the story about the Good Samaritan; he said, “When Jesus talked about the Good Samaritan, He was really talking about Himself.” He continued by talking about a priest who walked by the beaten man and that doing so did not line up with what he taught in the temple’ Jesus also spoke of a Levite who would not help him because it would have made him unclean. Pastor pointed out that it is one thing to talk the name of Jesus but to not act like Him is another thing. Pastor Newton said the Samaritan “sounded and acted like Jesus”.

The Samaritan saw the injured man and had compassion on him. He went to him and took care of him and then took him to a house of healing. In addition to doing that the Samaritan paid the full price for the man’s healing and recovery. Pastor said, Jesus sees our condition; He sees each of us for who we are and has compassion on each of us. There is not one person who is so unclean or full of sin that Jesus cannot change them by His compassion. Through the stripes He was given He heals us of our transgressions, and by going to the cross in our place, He has paid the full price for whosoever believes in Him would enter into His kingdom for eternity.

Pastor spoke of this as sacrificial love (Listener Guide). In this process every Believer has to be able to see themselves as Jesus sees them. The Samaritan showed mercy – every Believer is to do the same (Luke 10:37). “Every believer needs to see others as Jesus sees us” (Pastor Newton). 2 Corinthians 1:4 tells us, “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God”. Comfort is being able to rest because God carries one’s burdens and gives the strength to keep going. When Believers help one another go through situations, it helps “lighten their load” (Listener Guide). If you have experienced God’s comfort and the help of a Believer as you went through a trial, you know the importance of being able to help others.

The target statement on the Listener Guide said we need to see ourselves correctly in order to love God fully. Going back to the Samaritan, Pastor Newton stated, “The Samaritan saw the injured man, he had compassion, bound up his wounds, set him on his own animal, took him to an inn, and took care of him.” He related this to Jesus seeing each of us – “we need to see ourselves as valuable, so valuable that Jesus went to a cross in our place”. When we do not see ourselves with a healthy self-love, we become people pleasers and become controlled by them.” Who is better able to express how God comforted them, supported them when they could not carry themselves, than those who have experienced it. The Takeaway Statement from the Listener Guide states: “But godly self-love embraces grace, healing, and stewardship, allowing us to love others from a place of wholeness rather than neediness”.

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 14:25-26, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring them to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”  Jesus

I’m not sure I would like to know about difficult situations ahead of time or not. I might like to know about them if that information came with guidance regarding how to deal with what was coming. While Jesus was with the disciples, they could listen to His teachings and ask Him questions. Often, they did not understand; they would after His death and resurrection. It was after they received the Holy Spirit in their life that they came to fully understand the full picture of what Jesus taught. Then, they were able to preach to and teach others.

Believers, today, have the benefit of 2,000 years of teaching and scholarship. No one should shake their heads at the disciples’ lack of understanding of Jesus teaching. Paul wrote in       1Corinthians 2:14, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” Non-believers, those not led by the Holy Spirit simply lack a godly perspective.

Once again, this statement is not to be taken out of context. Jesus is speaking about the teaching He has given while He has been with the disciples on earth. It does not guarantee that one will be an expert on all earthly teaching. That may be difficult for some to believe! It also does not mean that the Holy Spirit will give “new revelation” or “personal revelation”. The Holy spirit will reinforce what Jesus has already taught and guide Believers to understand more fully the truths of God’s Word.

The moment you asked Jesus into your heart the Holy Spirit came to live in your heart and began to change you. As you walk the narrow way, the Holy Spirit is changing you to look more like Jesus – that’s sanctification. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand and to be obedient to God’s commands. As Jesus promised the disciples in the Upper Room, He gives Believers the Holy Spirit to equip them to know, to understand, and apply the teachings of Jesus to our lives.

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  Jesus

John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to Him.” Jesus

Remember what has happened in the Upper Room. Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples, told them one of them would deny Him, told them to love on another, as He has loved them, and told them He is the way, the truth, the life. Jesus knows He is headed to the cross and is trying to encourage the disciples about following Him, that doing so is the way to the Father in heaven. Those who know and follow Him have an opportunity to do greater works than He did.

Now He tells them that obedience to His teachings is directly connected to one’s love for Him. Through the years I have heard those who are quite legalistic with this verse, using it to center salvation on works. There are others who say what Believer’s do, their behavior, has nothing to do with their salvation. Be careful – both of these thoughts are wrong. He has just told them He alone is responsible for their salvation, “I am the way, the truth, the life.”

It is good for all Believers to understand what it means to love God. This is an important theme in John’s writings. It refers to following the Lord wherever He leads. Believers are to be obedient to all He asks and instructs in His Word. One cannot do that if they are not in His Word. I do not understand the person who says he/she has not read the Bible and is not going to; reading/studying/meditating on God’s Word is how one comes to know who God is, His attributes, and how to walk with Him on the narrow way into His kingdom. Loving God means to trust Him in each and every circumstance brought his way. Walking the narrow way is not so bad until the trial(s) come; then the decision to trust Him comes before each Believer. Jesus did not promise walking the narrow way would be comfortable or without difficulty. He said walking the narrow way would come with difficulties and the difficulties would help them in their growth and maturing in Him.

Loving God is defined as agape in the Greek. It means unconditional love. Read 1 Corinthians 13 to read that this type of love is patient, kind, rejoices in the truth, and endures all things. It is not envious, boastful and does not rejoice in the wrongdoings of others. This type of love never ends and is certainly not based on the circumstances faced. “Agape” love is not an emotion; it is a choice to act, in this case act like Jesus. In the verses above He was telling the disciples they were obligated to show this type of love to others. He was teaching them that their love for Him would be demonstrated to others by their actions; their obedience was to be an outward show of their love for Him.

Believers, you cannot hate others (especially other Christians), treat others poorly and claim to know Jesus. As a Believer, one cannot consistently ignore His teachings. Again, remember that Believers are not perfect, nor does good behavior earn one’s place in heaven. The point is when Christ becomes your Savior, He becomes your Lord as well and you begin to become like Him. To love Jesus is to willfully act in such a way that actions prove your love for Him. Being able to live in obedience, to follow God’s will depend on the Holy Spirit’s influence to teach and guide your life. That’s for the next page of the blog.  

 

LEARNING DAILY

Psalm 36:7, How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings.

I am going to take today to give a simple lesson involving Ranger, our cat. It’s been a while since the last lesson I was taught through him. If God can use a donkey to teach Balaam, He can use a cat to teach me something I needed to catch.

I was writing Monday’s blog Sunday when in comes Ranger. He jumps up on my desk and promptly plops himself on my computer. I was quick this time and saved my work and shut the lid before he laid on the computer. I have learned to do this the hard way! If you don’t remember, Ranger is mostly white with a couple of black spots on his forehead (It looks like a mask that the Lone Ranger wore in yester years – thus the name Ranger). He comes in after he has spent what looks to be quite a while rolling in the dirt. Because of that, he is now a light shade of dirt color. He has laid down across the computer, the desk and laid his head into my hand. Now, this is not a new happening, and I know he wants attention from me; he wants his head rubbed. He will also push his head back so I can stroke under his chin down to his chest.  And there we were for the next 10-15 minutes.

I had finished my reading/study in the Psalms and had been writing Monday’s blog. Now I am trying to meet the needs of this cat. I really enjoy Ranger doing this. I enjoy him jumping up into my lap, which he does not do often. As I am rubbing his head, my thoughts go to what I have been reading and writing, and I start to consider how much God loves me (substitute your name for me). Just like Ranger came to me, as dirty as he was, God desires that we come to him with all the dirt and grime in our lives. In order to do that, we must come to Him with a repentant heart. Just as I accepted Ranger, dirt and all, God accepts us because of what His Son did on Calvary’s cross. The Bible tells us that when the Father looks at Believers, He does not see the dirt of sin because the blood of Jesus has washed us clean.  

As I wrote, I like Ranger being near me like this; it does not happen enough. Oh, he is around but not with me like this. That hit a cord with me because God desires that quality time with Him – not just being “around Him”. I few pages ago, I wrote that God spoke to my spirit. It was just for me, but the idea was that He desired more quality time in fellowship with me. I really liked Ranger laying his head in my hand and being able to give him what he wanted. I do not have to have much of an imagination to believe God wants Believers to just rest in Him and be comforted by Him. I do look forward to that day when He established His kingdom on earth! “May Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is heaven.”

It’s a simple thought, just a reminder for each Believer that the desire our Father in heaven is that you spend quality time with Him. Allow yourself to be cleansed by Him and then place your heart (and head) in His hand allowing Him to comfort you in the difficult times and to enjoy with you the good times as you walk a narrow way into eternity in His kingdom.

I just looked out the window and see Ranger in his favorite spot looking back at me. Don’t you know that the Father knows what each Believer is doing, desiring a closer, more intimate relationship with each of us.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Galatians 6:7-9, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Justain Fraily spoke at NorthRock Church this weekend. He spoke on Paul’s encouragement to this church to hold onto their faith (Audrey’s notes). He said this about one’s belief, “Belief is active not passive”. Audrey added to what I caught by writing, “We must sow what we are believing for. We have to align our actions with our faith.” Pastor Fraily said, “The best things in life are not received without the process. Laws apply to everyone (or at least they are supposed to). But in the spiritual and moral order, we will ultimately reap what we sow”. He spoke about a trial being a difficult season that God may be allowing to develop our character, to shape us into what He wants us to become; that situation is out of our control (from Audrey’s notes). He continued, “All of us are going to be influenced by external influences – our posture should be submission.”

Believers know Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will reap.” Each of us are “going to harvest what we plant” (Fraily). Consequences are the result of our decisions and Fraily said, “our posture now needs to be repentance” (Audrey’s notes). Verse 8 should encourage every Believer, “but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Fraily said, “The life you are living right now is the result of the seeds you planted. Every deed is a seed – good or bad; eventually the results are seen. If you eat poorly, your health is affected and vice versa.

He mentioned, “Today there are those who thought and still believe they could rewrite morality without consequences. The result has become confusion, brokenness, and an unraveling at the seams. He continued saying that one cannot redefine truth because when you do, one’s identity unravels. When one goes against God’s order, God’s laws the rules are not only broken, people become broken as well.” The apostle Paul was writing to the Galatian Church. He was warning them that if they go back to sin, to the habits they had before saying yes to salvation through Jesus Christ, they were eventually going to reap the consequences of doing that. Pastor Fraily said, Believers need to plan to sow seeds of righteousness to reap a harvest of blessings.”

His last point was that we reap what we sow often later than when we sow. Yes, we live in a time where we want the harvest to be the same day we sow (Audrey’s notes). Audrey noted, “the time between the sowing and the reaping is when deception and discouragement creep into one’s life”. If you are doing something to just see results, not seeing results right away can cause one to become discouraged and stop planting good seeds. Paul wrote, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” In other words, do not give up and do not get tired of doing good because at the right time you will reap a harvest of blessings. Do not give up praying for that person, do not give up serving, or writing a blog; “stay faithful and continue to plant good seeds while waiting for the harvest” (Audrey’s notes).

Pastor Fraily said, “Mature people love the process of planting good seeds even when they do not see the harvest right away. Persevere! Stay faithful to doing God’s work! If you do, the day is coming when you will hear Lord Jesus say to you, “Well done good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things; enter the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23).

 

LEARNING DAILY

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.

Pastor Maurice Cox spoke at Community Bible Church this weekend on the value of having friends – the right kind of friend. His target statement was: We are wired for connection not isolation (from the Listener Guide). All of us need friends! He explained there are friends of different degrees. He talked about those closest to us, a biblical friendship – those who push us to be close to God.  Pastor said, “We are to love everyone, but we do not give access to us to everyone.” He called that biblical friendship. What does biblical friendship include?

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friend.” (John 15:13).  Pastor Cox said, “it will cost to be in a real biblical friendship”. Not all the people you know are going to be willing to give their time, their energy, or even their money to you. Who are those you know who are going to be willing to help you out in your moment of need? Do you know those who are willing to help you out when your need is great? Jesus gave the ultimate picture of what true biblical friendship is. All true friendship comes with sacrifice. In general, humans rather take than give; I’m writing about selfishness and thinking about themselves before others. Biblical friendship is about denying ourselves and thinking about others first.

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born of adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17). Are you thinking about the individual(s) who you know will stand by you when life is not going so well with you? These are not the fair-weather friends, the casual friends; a true friend shows their love when circumstances are less than favorable. This is talking about the difference between acting like a friend and those who go further in their friendship that could be considered a brother (read Proverbs 18:24). Brotherly love is shown by one’s actions as he draws alongside of the hurting friend!

“An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” (Proverbs 27:5-6). Confrontation speaks of a straightforward, direct correction of something a friend has done wrong – not done in secret! Confrontation done in love will be appreciated when all is done more than any flattery. Correction from a godly friend can be accepted and trusted because the correction is done with a heartfelt concern for the welfare of the one being corrected. Are you thinking of that friend right now?

“Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.” (Proverbs 11:13). Pastor Cox said, “You will never know if one is trustworthy until you trust them.” Think about that. I’m going to reveal my secrets to very few. I want to know that when I do reveal something, it is going to stay with the person I reveal it to! The person who breaks this confidence is a gossip and Scripture condemns a gossip.

“And Jonathon made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.” (1 Samuel 18:3). “A covenant is an agreement between two people before God,” said Pastor Cox. Read the story of the friendship between David and Jonathon. You see will their friendship was based on sacrifice for one another, their loyalty to one another, and their closeness.

I have written several times on true friendship using the last few words of Romans 16:23, and Quartus, a brother”. Over the years, I have had those I would call Quartus. I am very thankful for them and am so pleased to call them friend, my brother. Who do you have in your life that you call your biblical friend?