I have been running/walking for the last twenty-one years. I let very little get in the way of my exercise. Many times people compliment me on my commitment to walk or run. The truth is...I love it! It isn't as much a discipline as it is something I love to do. The only thing that keeps me from exercise is a commitment to an appointment. It is the same with my time in the scriptures. I start every morning as best I can with Bible reading and a time spent in prayer. I don't do it out of duty because I know it is good for me. I do it because I love it! It is my lifeline to this life and the next.
Have you ever noticed we usually find time to do the things we enjoy? Whatever it is, however busy the schedule, there will always be room for this activity with some regularity.
In 1 Timothy 3, Paul is writing to Timothy warning him of the great apostasy that will take place and those who will depart from the faith. Paul is teaching Timothy the importance of doctrine and his instruction to others in his ministry. Paul tells Timothy he is to exercise himself to godliness (1Timothy 3: 7). Paul goes on to say, "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come (1Timothy 3: 8)."
How do we exercise ourselves toward godliness? The Lord has given us music, literature, teachers and preachers for this purpose. However none of that should take the place of our time in the scriptures and prayer with the Lord. If your exercise toward godliness is limited because of your busy schedule be sure the scriptures are your first choice of exercise toward godliness. Pray that the Lord would cause you to love his Word. If we love it we will stay in it. Let us say with the writer of Psalm 119: 97 "Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day."
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
How Can He Do That!
He can do that because he is a sinner like all of us! How many times do we wonder how a Christian can do the things they do, say the things they say and yet truly be a Christian. Many ask that of themselves as they wrestle day after day with sin in their lives. I know pastors who have been addicted to pornography, setting up meetings with young teenage girls on the internet, having affairs with their secretaries etc. I have known several Christian women who have had affairs. I knew a pastor's wife who left her husband a note and took off never to return as his wife. I couldn't even begin to list the sinful things people can do and the evil that is still present with all of us at times because sin runs that deep in this world and still is a struggle in us. Yet, when we are personally affected by these types of situations we stand back and say "How can they do that!"
Romans 7: 13-25 is Paul's explanation for this question. This very fine Apostle who was theologically educated, saw Jesus face to face, lived a life of dying to himself so he could live for Christ, still struggled with sin. As he is explaining his struggle with sin he speaks of how sin dwells in him. In verse 21 he says, "I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good." He uses the word evil. It is a strong word which depicts the total depravity in each one of us. Therefore what we say and do is effected by sin. Here is the marvelous, wonderful, awesome good news. We can thank the Lord as Paul does that it is through Jesus Christ our Lord we have been delivered from this body of death! "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1)."
When we have been "shattered" because someone we love has sinned against us let us remember that except for the grace of God in our lives we would do the same thing. When people behave as evildoers instead of the Christians they profess to be pray for them and remind them with humility that Christ died so they can be free from the power of sin over them.
Let us not be surprised by the sin that dwells in us but amazed by the grace of God and His forgiveness to us through Jesus Christ.
Romans 7: 13-25 is Paul's explanation for this question. This very fine Apostle who was theologically educated, saw Jesus face to face, lived a life of dying to himself so he could live for Christ, still struggled with sin. As he is explaining his struggle with sin he speaks of how sin dwells in him. In verse 21 he says, "I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good." He uses the word evil. It is a strong word which depicts the total depravity in each one of us. Therefore what we say and do is effected by sin. Here is the marvelous, wonderful, awesome good news. We can thank the Lord as Paul does that it is through Jesus Christ our Lord we have been delivered from this body of death! "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1)."
When we have been "shattered" because someone we love has sinned against us let us remember that except for the grace of God in our lives we would do the same thing. When people behave as evildoers instead of the Christians they profess to be pray for them and remind them with humility that Christ died so they can be free from the power of sin over them.
Let us not be surprised by the sin that dwells in us but amazed by the grace of God and His forgiveness to us through Jesus Christ.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Love Covers
If you have grandchildren have you ever noticed how quickly you will cover for them? My eleven year old grandson has been given the task of emptying the dishwasher in the mornings. As with many eleven year olds, he has a tendency to procrastinate and take more time doing his task than is necessary. One morning his mom had already given him the ultimatum of what would happen if he continued to procrastinate. She left the room and a few minutes later I walked into the kitchen to find him playing with his cat. I spoke to him about the importance of obeying his mom and than said "Please stay with your task until it is done. Your mom will be very disappointed if she finds you playing with the cat." He continued and finished. I love him and did not want to see him paying the consequences she would set out for him. I covered for him. I could have told her but I dealt with it and he finished.
When someone we love does something wrong or sins against us do we counsel them to help them see what they have done or are we quick to tell others, therefore stirring up trouble?
In 1 Peter 4 Peter talks about Christ's sufferings and ours and then he says "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8)." Peter quotes this from Proverbs 10:12. "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." This does not mean that we condone sin or that we turn our backs to a person's sinful behavior but it does mean we are to correct others out of love and not hatred. Quoting from Tyndale on this passage of covering sin it says "It is ready to forgive again and again. It finds a way to shelter the wrongdoer from exposure and condemnation. This is how God has treated us."
If we find we do not look for ways to help others cover sins, forgiving them, chances are we are not acting in love as Christ taught us to do. "Love covers a multitude of sins."
When someone we love does something wrong or sins against us do we counsel them to help them see what they have done or are we quick to tell others, therefore stirring up trouble?
In 1 Peter 4 Peter talks about Christ's sufferings and ours and then he says "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8)." Peter quotes this from Proverbs 10:12. "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." This does not mean that we condone sin or that we turn our backs to a person's sinful behavior but it does mean we are to correct others out of love and not hatred. Quoting from Tyndale on this passage of covering sin it says "It is ready to forgive again and again. It finds a way to shelter the wrongdoer from exposure and condemnation. This is how God has treated us."
If we find we do not look for ways to help others cover sins, forgiving them, chances are we are not acting in love as Christ taught us to do. "Love covers a multitude of sins."
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Communication That Encourages
One of the definitions of communication is "a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior." We usually rely on words or body language for communication. Our body language and tone of our words can very often cause miscommunication.
In seeking effective communication skills between you and your spouse we should focus more on our own communication skills. Do we come across as arrogant, bossy, judgmental, looking down our noses as we speak to our spouses? It is very difficult to communicate with someone who is not a communicator at all. One of the best ways to help someone else to strengthen their weaknesses is to look at our own weaknesses first (Matthew 7: 4, 5). We cannot hope for change in our spouses until we have adequately sought the Lord to change us. This takes prayer, prayer, prayer.
Thanks to the Lord there are many scripture verses we could "camp out" on to help us communicate more adequately. I am using Ephesians 4:29 for this post. "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." If we want to communicate effectively we need to choose words that are not unwholesome, degrading or immoral to the hearer. People will miss the positive point you are making if it is surrounded by words they find offensive. If we truly want effective communication with our spouses we need to be sure the words we chose are encouraging and will build them up. The whole point to this verse is that everything we say is to impart grace to those we are speaking to. It is to build them up and encourage them. Paul says we are to speak the truth in love. We don't need to falsely sugar coat our statements for our own gain but we should certainly look for every opportunity in our communication to be sure we are encouraging them while we are speaking the truth in love.
We can usually be pretty effective in communicating with those outside of our household. It is our spouses and children who may suffer sometimes because what we say to them does not build them up but in fact tears them down. If your spouse tears you down with his/her words continue to encourage them with your words. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32)."
In seeking effective communication skills between you and your spouse we should focus more on our own communication skills. Do we come across as arrogant, bossy, judgmental, looking down our noses as we speak to our spouses? It is very difficult to communicate with someone who is not a communicator at all. One of the best ways to help someone else to strengthen their weaknesses is to look at our own weaknesses first (Matthew 7: 4, 5). We cannot hope for change in our spouses until we have adequately sought the Lord to change us. This takes prayer, prayer, prayer.
Thanks to the Lord there are many scripture verses we could "camp out" on to help us communicate more adequately. I am using Ephesians 4:29 for this post. "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." If we want to communicate effectively we need to choose words that are not unwholesome, degrading or immoral to the hearer. People will miss the positive point you are making if it is surrounded by words they find offensive. If we truly want effective communication with our spouses we need to be sure the words we chose are encouraging and will build them up. The whole point to this verse is that everything we say is to impart grace to those we are speaking to. It is to build them up and encourage them. Paul says we are to speak the truth in love. We don't need to falsely sugar coat our statements for our own gain but we should certainly look for every opportunity in our communication to be sure we are encouraging them while we are speaking the truth in love.
We can usually be pretty effective in communicating with those outside of our household. It is our spouses and children who may suffer sometimes because what we say to them does not build them up but in fact tears them down. If your spouse tears you down with his/her words continue to encourage them with your words. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32)."
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Plethora of Praise!
Every time I read the Psalms of David I stand in awe of his flow of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. He gives Him praise for who He is and thanksgiving for what He has done. As I go before the Lord to pray, it is my desire to give praise and thanksgiving to Him. It all sort of dries up in a hurry. I get a few things out and sit and think and then move on to the rest of my prayer which is full of petitions, petitions for others mostly, but full of petitions.
Then there are those times when we are invoked to give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord during times of worship or any gathering of God's people to pray. How often do we see that the room becomes quiet and all of a sudden our tongues are tied. When invoked for prayer requests we can go on and on. Those are very uncomfortable times for me because many times I find myself just as quiet as others.
James McDonald in his book "Lord, Change My Attitude (Before It's Too Late)" gives an exercise in his chapter on thanksgiving in which you take a little notebook and list five things you are thankful to the Lord for at the end of the day. He suggests doing it nightly. With excitement I bought a 4"x4" notebook to do this exercise. I used the first 5 pages and now confess this little notebook has turned into a place where I keep my passwords. Is praise and thanksgiving difficult for us because we are so full of ourselves and continue to look for what we can receive from Him?
This morning I read 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 where David gives a plethora of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord after the ark is placed in the Tabernacle. "Oh give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!" If praise and thanksgiving does not always come easy for you, read these verses and give Him your own praise and thanksgiving. He ends with "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, "Amen!"and praised the Lord."
Then there are those times when we are invoked to give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord during times of worship or any gathering of God's people to pray. How often do we see that the room becomes quiet and all of a sudden our tongues are tied. When invoked for prayer requests we can go on and on. Those are very uncomfortable times for me because many times I find myself just as quiet as others.
James McDonald in his book "Lord, Change My Attitude (Before It's Too Late)" gives an exercise in his chapter on thanksgiving in which you take a little notebook and list five things you are thankful to the Lord for at the end of the day. He suggests doing it nightly. With excitement I bought a 4"x4" notebook to do this exercise. I used the first 5 pages and now confess this little notebook has turned into a place where I keep my passwords. Is praise and thanksgiving difficult for us because we are so full of ourselves and continue to look for what we can receive from Him?
This morning I read 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 where David gives a plethora of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord after the ark is placed in the Tabernacle. "Oh give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!" If praise and thanksgiving does not always come easy for you, read these verses and give Him your own praise and thanksgiving. He ends with "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, "Amen!"and praised the Lord."
Monday, January 18, 2010
Offering Willingly
When I was a little girl my grandmother would say, "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine." I could never figure out what she meant and in my timidity I never asked.
In 1 Chronicles 29 we see David getting the people together to prepare to build the temple that would be built under Solomon's reign. David and the various leaders were collecting together all that would be needed for the building of the temple - gold, silver, bronze and iron. Here is the exciting part. It says three times they "offered willingly." How often do we struggle with giving what we believe is our tithe let alone giving above and beyond that? Yet these people gave willingly to build the temple which David says "is not for man but for the Lord."
The key to giving willingly was the fact that David and his people understood all they had to offer was really God's in the first place. In verses 10 through 18 David is praising God and says, "For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;" and then he says "For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." Verse 14 says, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willing as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." In verse 18 David asks the Lord to "keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You." David wants them to remember forever that all we have belongs to Him. It is my prayer all of us would remember this truth.
I believe as we understand all we have is His we will be able to offer willingly. As the Lord brings opportunities in your life to give, remember you aren't giving things that belong to you but already belong to Him. It is very humbling in that when we do give, we cannot give ourselves credit for giving what is ours but give glory and praise to Him for giving what is His.
My grandmother had it right as I can hear the Lord saying "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine." Let us praise and honor Him by offering willingly what He has given us.
In 1 Chronicles 29 we see David getting the people together to prepare to build the temple that would be built under Solomon's reign. David and the various leaders were collecting together all that would be needed for the building of the temple - gold, silver, bronze and iron. Here is the exciting part. It says three times they "offered willingly." How often do we struggle with giving what we believe is our tithe let alone giving above and beyond that? Yet these people gave willingly to build the temple which David says "is not for man but for the Lord."
The key to giving willingly was the fact that David and his people understood all they had to offer was really God's in the first place. In verses 10 through 18 David is praising God and says, "For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;" and then he says "For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." Verse 14 says, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willing as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." In verse 18 David asks the Lord to "keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You." David wants them to remember forever that all we have belongs to Him. It is my prayer all of us would remember this truth.
I believe as we understand all we have is His we will be able to offer willingly. As the Lord brings opportunities in your life to give, remember you aren't giving things that belong to you but already belong to Him. It is very humbling in that when we do give, we cannot give ourselves credit for giving what is ours but give glory and praise to Him for giving what is His.
My grandmother had it right as I can hear the Lord saying "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine." Let us praise and honor Him by offering willingly what He has given us.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Same Shirt Different Day
I saw a young man wearing a t-shirt that had this slogan on it. We know it was the cleaned up version of what is normally said. I know it was meant to be funny but as with all humor there is an underlying truth. This slogan indicates to me that this person has little hope of getting up in the morning and finding things to be better than the day before. Unfortunately, I know Christians who have this same attitude. They may not say it as crassly but they feel the same. Life is tough for them in some fashion and it just doesn't get any better and they don't think it will be any better tomorrow.
There have been times when I have awakened in the morning with these same thoughts. Reading Lamentations 3: 22-24 I can hear the Lord saying "why do you wake up with no hope? My compassions fail not and they are new every morning including this morning". You may be thinking "Yes, I know the Lord is compassionate to me and I know He is faithful but is He going to change this difficult situation I am in"? In this 3rd chapter of Lamentations we have the prophet Jeremiah telling us "For the Lord will not cast off forever, though He causes grief" (Lamentations 3:31).
God in His mercy and compassion for us does not let us stay in difficult situations with no hope. He may not change the situation. If He does it may not be the way we expect or would like but we can always believe that He will do what brings glory to Him and is best for us and our growing sanctification. Somehow we mistake God's mercy and compassion for indulgence. We think for Him to be compassionate and merciful He has to give us exactly what we want. Just as we do not always give our children those things they want because it may not be the best thing for them, the Lord does not always give us exactly what we want, but what He chooses to give to us will always be good for us.
It is because of the Lord's mercies this day can be different even if the change is in you. The t-shirt should say "Same Mercies Different Day".
There have been times when I have awakened in the morning with these same thoughts. Reading Lamentations 3: 22-24 I can hear the Lord saying "why do you wake up with no hope? My compassions fail not and they are new every morning including this morning". You may be thinking "Yes, I know the Lord is compassionate to me and I know He is faithful but is He going to change this difficult situation I am in"? In this 3rd chapter of Lamentations we have the prophet Jeremiah telling us "For the Lord will not cast off forever, though He causes grief" (Lamentations 3:31).
God in His mercy and compassion for us does not let us stay in difficult situations with no hope. He may not change the situation. If He does it may not be the way we expect or would like but we can always believe that He will do what brings glory to Him and is best for us and our growing sanctification. Somehow we mistake God's mercy and compassion for indulgence. We think for Him to be compassionate and merciful He has to give us exactly what we want. Just as we do not always give our children those things they want because it may not be the best thing for them, the Lord does not always give us exactly what we want, but what He chooses to give to us will always be good for us.
It is because of the Lord's mercies this day can be different even if the change is in you. The t-shirt should say "Same Mercies Different Day".
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