Read 2 Corinthians 10:5
Let’s start with an exercise today. I bet you're thinking ‘mental exercise’. But I’m not. If you are able to (without endangering your health) get down and do as many push ups as you can. Write down how many you could do.
What would it take for you to do 300 push ups each morning? The key word is EXERCISE. What would it take for you to literally take every thought captive and to make them all obedient to Christ? Mental and Spiritual Exercise. What may seem an impossible task may just be a slower journey as we build ourselves up with mental and spiritual exercise. The trick is to start. Doing something is far better than doing nothing.
But how do I start? Start by committing yourself in prayer to the Lord to taking all your thoughts captive and making them conform to Philippians 4:8. At first you may not (or more likely, probably will not) capture all of them. You may find many ungodly thoughts still floating around your mind, sometimes popping into your mind out of nowhere! Don’t despair. The trick is to make a start. Start by taking control of one set of thoughts at a time - about your spouse, about your fantasies, about your covetings or lustings... Attack one area at a time. If you were going to commit to doing 300 push ups each morning you’d start slow and build yourself up. Then you’d attack another area of unfitness or perhaps diet. You probably won’t do it all in one go!
When you catch yourself dwelling on these sinful areas, consciously start reciting a Bible verse or singing a Bible verse. When I’m riding along on my Suzuki Boulevard it’s very easy to sing out loud. No one can hear me above the roar of the motor. Guys, what a great reason to talk to your spouse about getting a motor bike!!! Consciously choose to think of something that is positive and pleasing to God. You could start praying immediately for forgiveness for that ungodly thought and ask God to rescue you from that thought.
What you are doing is teaching yourself and effectively retraining yourself to think about godly things. Eventually, as you stick to this “capture and change” strategy, you will slowly begin to automatically think about godly things. Temptations that are flung into your mind will be easier to spot, quicker to be lassoed and quicker to be ejected.
If possible let me encourage you to do one more thing. In your battle to capture your mind and to make it obedient to Christ you need moral support. Find another person (of the same sex) who can pray with you and keep you accountable. Practically this means getting together regularly (weekly or bi weekly is good) and praying for each other and sharing your struggles and rejoicing together in your successes. You can read passages of Scripture together as well to encourage one another.
Walk victoriously my brother/sister because Christ has redeemed you with His own blood.
Prayer:-
V Praise God for His forgiveness, confess and ask God to forgive you for temptations that you have fallen into.
V Ask Him to show you a more productive God centred use of your time.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Tuesday June 7, 2011
Read Philippians 4:8-9; Psalm 139
If what we said yesterday was true then today’s passage is absolutely vital to know and to put into practice. We must be filling our minds with thoughts that please God. Part of the equation means accepting and agreeing that certain thoughts are sinful and unacceptable because God has deemed them as such.
We also need to accept the truth that God cares very deeply what we think about, fantasize about and what we allow to meander through our minds. It’s very acceptable, for example, for non Christian men to adhere to the adage “You can look but don’t touch”. When a nonChristian bloke is brought to repentance that adage has to be abandoned. Why? Because Jesus taught that even lusting after a woman is adultery.
You are equipped by the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and mind with good things that please the Lord. You have the God-given power to consciously take ungodly thoughts captive and to replace them with thoughts that are noble, good, pure, right and lovely and even admirable. Personally I find the best way to do this, when my mind wants to wander off into sinful pastures, is to recite or sing Scripture in my mind. By doing this I am wielding the Sword of the Spirit and I am actively fighting off the temptations thrown at me by the evil one.
To help you understand all this, do this experiment. Take a note pad with you everywhere tomorrow. It can be pencil and paper or electronic. Commit to listening to your thoughts for the whole day. As you have a thought, write it down. At the end of the day, just before bed, read what you have written down. Which of your thoughts were Godly? Which ones would you be embarrassed about if God were to see them? Which ones would you never show to your spouse. These ones are probably the ones that are sinful and need replacing.
Remember, God knows your every thought and yearns for you to be filled with good things.
Prayer:-
V Pray that you will be set free to be a true and genuine disciple of Christ Jesus.
V Pray that you will see sin minimised in your life and pray this for others in your congregation.
V Pray that God will bring healing and wholeness to those in the congregation who are suffering.
Developing Godly Habits #1
To capture your thoughts and to make them obedient to Christ, you need to start listening to what’s going on inside your mind/thoughts. As soon as you find an ungodly thought (lust, coveting, selfishness, unforgiveness etc) you need to remove that thought and replace it with something godly.
A great godly thought to have constantly in your head is to remember Scripture either as a verse or as a song. There are many artists in the world who put Bible verses to music. Learn some and sing them to yourself constantly throughout the day.
What will happen? Rather than thinking about lusts, covetings, revenge etc you will be focussing on Christ. Victory will be coming your way more often.
If what we said yesterday was true then today’s passage is absolutely vital to know and to put into practice. We must be filling our minds with thoughts that please God. Part of the equation means accepting and agreeing that certain thoughts are sinful and unacceptable because God has deemed them as such.
We also need to accept the truth that God cares very deeply what we think about, fantasize about and what we allow to meander through our minds. It’s very acceptable, for example, for non Christian men to adhere to the adage “You can look but don’t touch”. When a nonChristian bloke is brought to repentance that adage has to be abandoned. Why? Because Jesus taught that even lusting after a woman is adultery.
You are equipped by the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and mind with good things that please the Lord. You have the God-given power to consciously take ungodly thoughts captive and to replace them with thoughts that are noble, good, pure, right and lovely and even admirable. Personally I find the best way to do this, when my mind wants to wander off into sinful pastures, is to recite or sing Scripture in my mind. By doing this I am wielding the Sword of the Spirit and I am actively fighting off the temptations thrown at me by the evil one.
To help you understand all this, do this experiment. Take a note pad with you everywhere tomorrow. It can be pencil and paper or electronic. Commit to listening to your thoughts for the whole day. As you have a thought, write it down. At the end of the day, just before bed, read what you have written down. Which of your thoughts were Godly? Which ones would you be embarrassed about if God were to see them? Which ones would you never show to your spouse. These ones are probably the ones that are sinful and need replacing.
Remember, God knows your every thought and yearns for you to be filled with good things.
Prayer:-
V Pray that you will be set free to be a true and genuine disciple of Christ Jesus.
V Pray that you will see sin minimised in your life and pray this for others in your congregation.
V Pray that God will bring healing and wholeness to those in the congregation who are suffering.
Developing Godly Habits #1
To capture your thoughts and to make them obedient to Christ, you need to start listening to what’s going on inside your mind/thoughts. As soon as you find an ungodly thought (lust, coveting, selfishness, unforgiveness etc) you need to remove that thought and replace it with something godly.
A great godly thought to have constantly in your head is to remember Scripture either as a verse or as a song. There are many artists in the world who put Bible verses to music. Learn some and sing them to yourself constantly throughout the day.
What will happen? Rather than thinking about lusts, covetings, revenge etc you will be focussing on Christ. Victory will be coming your way more often.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Monday June 6, 2011
Read 2 Peter 1: 12-15
The brain is an amazing thing. At one level it is simply another organ in our bodies with a particular role to play. But at another level the brain functions as the control centre of our entire being. Scientists are learning more and more about our brain. But there’s a non material side of our brain as well. Our mind, our spiritual being, our thoughts are something that can be related to our brain but go beyond the physical. It is this non-material aspect that Peter introduces in today’s section.
Peter yearns for his flock to be reminded over and over of the truths that they know so well. He longs for them to continually remember what Christ has achieved for them. In fact, he knows he’s about to die and is making sure that the flock can always remember the things of Christ.
The reason for this is relatively simple. The things we meditate upon today will affect our life tomorrow. The things that fill our thoughts now will determine how we act in the very near future. Our actions flow out of our thoughts. Think about it in your own life. If you’ve ever fallen into sin you’ll probably be aware that thoughts of that action have filled your head well before you indulged your senses. The man who sits late at night at the computer lusting after naked women has probably spent the good part of the day fantasying about such things. The man at the bar drowning his sorrows has probably been thinking ‘woe is me’ thoughts all day and longing for the “peace” and relief that a beer or 2 (or 16) will bring! Our actions flow out of our thoughts. The things that fill our thoughts now will determine how we act in the very near future.
What are the thoughts running around in your mind? What things and images do you fill your mind with? When you’re not actively engaged in something productive what flows through your mind? Perhaps the hardest challenge to face believers in the 21st century is the challenge to take every thought captive and to make them obedient to Christ Jesus.
Prayer: -
V Prayer for the mums who come and the children, that they are encouraged and shown God’s love through the leaders and MOPPET carers.
V Pray for the leaders and the MOPPET carers that they will seek out opportunities to reach out to the mums and children who attend.
The brain is an amazing thing. At one level it is simply another organ in our bodies with a particular role to play. But at another level the brain functions as the control centre of our entire being. Scientists are learning more and more about our brain. But there’s a non material side of our brain as well. Our mind, our spiritual being, our thoughts are something that can be related to our brain but go beyond the physical. It is this non-material aspect that Peter introduces in today’s section.
Peter yearns for his flock to be reminded over and over of the truths that they know so well. He longs for them to continually remember what Christ has achieved for them. In fact, he knows he’s about to die and is making sure that the flock can always remember the things of Christ.
The reason for this is relatively simple. The things we meditate upon today will affect our life tomorrow. The things that fill our thoughts now will determine how we act in the very near future. Our actions flow out of our thoughts. Think about it in your own life. If you’ve ever fallen into sin you’ll probably be aware that thoughts of that action have filled your head well before you indulged your senses. The man who sits late at night at the computer lusting after naked women has probably spent the good part of the day fantasying about such things. The man at the bar drowning his sorrows has probably been thinking ‘woe is me’ thoughts all day and longing for the “peace” and relief that a beer or 2 (or 16) will bring! Our actions flow out of our thoughts. The things that fill our thoughts now will determine how we act in the very near future.
What are the thoughts running around in your mind? What things and images do you fill your mind with? When you’re not actively engaged in something productive what flows through your mind? Perhaps the hardest challenge to face believers in the 21st century is the challenge to take every thought captive and to make them obedient to Christ Jesus.
Prayer: -
V Prayer for the mums who come and the children, that they are encouraged and shown God’s love through the leaders and MOPPET carers.
V Pray for the leaders and the MOPPET carers that they will seek out opportunities to reach out to the mums and children who attend.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Saturday June 4, 2011
Read 2 Peter 1:10-11; Philippians 3:8-16
At a non Christian funeral the celebrant stood and offered these words to the grieving family, relatives and friends, ’We do not and cannot know what happens after death...but our memories remain with us...’. At that crucial junction when the family, friends and relatives needed hope and assurance they were told that we have no way of knowing what comes after death.
And yet the Bible is exceedingly clear. When we die we will stand before God.
There are two options before us - heaven or hell. One is a wonderful paradise. The other? A lonely miserable existence of torture and torment.
Are you certain, my Christian Brother/Sister that you have eternal life? Are you convinced beyond any doubt that you will have eternal life in the Kingdom? Are you one million percent assured that life eternal in a perfect paradise awaits you?
The Bible is filled with such assurances and promises to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ. It is out of that promise and assurance that Peter writes these blessed words, ’be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure’. As the fruit of the Spirit and the virtues we’ve discussed grow in you and abound in your life you can be more assured, even more assured, that the heavenly paradise awaits you. You can be sure that Christ is labouring for you, building you a room in God’s heavenly mansion. We are not earning our salvation or trying to grasp at it. We are building upon it. When times of doubt come we can look at our life and see God’s Spirit at work within us and through us.
That is why Paul strives onwards and why he strains himself forward. He runs the race with perseverance. He urges and pushes himself to the finish line. He wants nothing more than to enjoy that perfect paradise with God eternal.
Imagine if the greatest King invited you to a banquet one night at his royal palace. Imagine that this king was a king that you particularly loved and respected. As the evening banquet of the king nears, are you going to let anything get in the way of attending that dinner? Are you going to fill your schedule so tightly that you might miss the dinner? Are you going to book a holiday on that day and miss it? Of course not! God forbid! The great King of Kings has invited you to his royal and eternal and heavenly banquet. You have the invitation written on your heart by faith. Are you going to let anything sinful stop you from attending? Are you going to so busy your schedule that you forget the banquet and miss it? Are you going to be concerned with the holidays and play things of this world that you miss the banquet? Of course not! God forbid.
What the Bible is saying is that YOU DO HAVE THIS ROYAL INVITE. Treasure it. Protect it. Let it motivate you and spur you on. Get it out and look at it. Remind yourself of it. Talk about it with the other invitees. Indulge yourself in it.
If heaven were chocolate God would have all the oceans of chocolate ready and waiting for you. It’s time to indulge!
Prayer:-
V Pray for the Christians in Burma’s Chin state as they are under intense persecution from the Burmese soldiers.
V Pray for our children and teens to know God deeper and more intimately.
V Pray for teenagers and children to be regular readers of the Word and that prayer would be a priority for them.
V Pray that they will be world changers in their own environments.
Are you serious about removing Sin from your life and walking victoriously? Read
Vs 10b If you are.
The key word is “IF”. Walking victoriously is possible if we do certain things, if we live out our salvation, if we add to our faith, if we .... Walking victoriously is a divine team effort. You and God work together as you grow in holiness and perfection. He wants you to take the centre stage in this process and to be ready and willing to jettison all sin as he reveals it to you.
Do you want to be victorious? Start today by getting involved with God!
At a non Christian funeral the celebrant stood and offered these words to the grieving family, relatives and friends, ’We do not and cannot know what happens after death...but our memories remain with us...’. At that crucial junction when the family, friends and relatives needed hope and assurance they were told that we have no way of knowing what comes after death.
And yet the Bible is exceedingly clear. When we die we will stand before God.
There are two options before us - heaven or hell. One is a wonderful paradise. The other? A lonely miserable existence of torture and torment.
Are you certain, my Christian Brother/Sister that you have eternal life? Are you convinced beyond any doubt that you will have eternal life in the Kingdom? Are you one million percent assured that life eternal in a perfect paradise awaits you?
The Bible is filled with such assurances and promises to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ. It is out of that promise and assurance that Peter writes these blessed words, ’be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure’. As the fruit of the Spirit and the virtues we’ve discussed grow in you and abound in your life you can be more assured, even more assured, that the heavenly paradise awaits you. You can be sure that Christ is labouring for you, building you a room in God’s heavenly mansion. We are not earning our salvation or trying to grasp at it. We are building upon it. When times of doubt come we can look at our life and see God’s Spirit at work within us and through us.
That is why Paul strives onwards and why he strains himself forward. He runs the race with perseverance. He urges and pushes himself to the finish line. He wants nothing more than to enjoy that perfect paradise with God eternal.
Imagine if the greatest King invited you to a banquet one night at his royal palace. Imagine that this king was a king that you particularly loved and respected. As the evening banquet of the king nears, are you going to let anything get in the way of attending that dinner? Are you going to fill your schedule so tightly that you might miss the dinner? Are you going to book a holiday on that day and miss it? Of course not! God forbid! The great King of Kings has invited you to his royal and eternal and heavenly banquet. You have the invitation written on your heart by faith. Are you going to let anything sinful stop you from attending? Are you going to so busy your schedule that you forget the banquet and miss it? Are you going to be concerned with the holidays and play things of this world that you miss the banquet? Of course not! God forbid.
What the Bible is saying is that YOU DO HAVE THIS ROYAL INVITE. Treasure it. Protect it. Let it motivate you and spur you on. Get it out and look at it. Remind yourself of it. Talk about it with the other invitees. Indulge yourself in it.
If heaven were chocolate God would have all the oceans of chocolate ready and waiting for you. It’s time to indulge!
Prayer:-
V Pray for the Christians in Burma’s Chin state as they are under intense persecution from the Burmese soldiers.
V Pray for our children and teens to know God deeper and more intimately.
V Pray for teenagers and children to be regular readers of the Word and that prayer would be a priority for them.
V Pray that they will be world changers in their own environments.
Are you serious about removing Sin from your life and walking victoriously? Read
Vs 10b If you are.
The key word is “IF”. Walking victoriously is possible if we do certain things, if we live out our salvation, if we add to our faith, if we .... Walking victoriously is a divine team effort. You and God work together as you grow in holiness and perfection. He wants you to take the centre stage in this process and to be ready and willing to jettison all sin as he reveals it to you.
Do you want to be victorious? Start today by getting involved with God!
Friday, 3 June 2011
Friday June 3, 2011
Read 2 Peter 1:8-9, 1 Corinthians 8:1-3
Studying theology can present a real danger that budding young bible college students rarely figure out and enthusiastic academic lecturers never tell them about. If they did, they would, proverbially speaking, be shooting themselves and their own profession in the foot.
What’s the danger of studying theology? It is simply this. Knowing about God in our heads, in and of itself, is useless for our salvation. Knowledge puffs up. If all we do is grow in head knowledge without engaging our hearts and hands (emotions and actions) then we are merely a clanging gong, a monotone reverberation that benefits no one and does nothing for our salvation.
What God passionately wants is spelt out positively in vs 8 and negatively in vs 9. These virtues in vs 5-7 are to be added to our lives (the word ‘add’ in vs 5 is the Greek word from which we get our English word ‘choreograph’) or choreographed into our lives in increasing measure. We are to look for opportunities to practice them, to grow them and to harvest them. We are to continually assess our lives and seek out abundant opportunities to practice these virtues.
This practice will prevent us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of Christ Jesus. Knowledge puffs up. But LOVE builds up. If we want to have a dynamic life of impact we need to be growing consistently in the virtues that God desires and approves of.
For far too long western Christendom has suffered from Victorianism. We desperately need to shed that stiff upper lip mentality that refuses to show either emotion or passion. We need passionate Christians to take up the reigns. We need to fill our prayers for the world with weeping and tears. We need to give sacrificially with joyful hearts weeping at the grace we ourselves have heard. We can no longer stand tall wearing a mask of neutrality and uninvolvement, pretending to be educated in Christian things and biblical doctrine. . . It is time to get serious. It is time to get passionate. It is time to allow the head knowledge we have to rule our heart and to guide our hands. It’s time to grow outwards and upwards.
Prayer:-
V Pray for the upcoming Children's ministries that they will a large number of children in attendance at our school holidays programs and that the leaders will have a chance to share the word of God with all the children and parents in attendance.
V Ask the lord to show you His plan for your life, your role in the body of Christ and how you can be serving and ministering to others.
V Pray that God’s grace will flow out from the student life representatives through out Australia. Pray that many students will be brought to the Lord in repentance and faith through grace.
Studying theology can present a real danger that budding young bible college students rarely figure out and enthusiastic academic lecturers never tell them about. If they did, they would, proverbially speaking, be shooting themselves and their own profession in the foot.
What’s the danger of studying theology? It is simply this. Knowing about God in our heads, in and of itself, is useless for our salvation. Knowledge puffs up. If all we do is grow in head knowledge without engaging our hearts and hands (emotions and actions) then we are merely a clanging gong, a monotone reverberation that benefits no one and does nothing for our salvation.
What God passionately wants is spelt out positively in vs 8 and negatively in vs 9. These virtues in vs 5-7 are to be added to our lives (the word ‘add’ in vs 5 is the Greek word from which we get our English word ‘choreograph’) or choreographed into our lives in increasing measure. We are to look for opportunities to practice them, to grow them and to harvest them. We are to continually assess our lives and seek out abundant opportunities to practice these virtues.
This practice will prevent us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of Christ Jesus. Knowledge puffs up. But LOVE builds up. If we want to have a dynamic life of impact we need to be growing consistently in the virtues that God desires and approves of.
For far too long western Christendom has suffered from Victorianism. We desperately need to shed that stiff upper lip mentality that refuses to show either emotion or passion. We need passionate Christians to take up the reigns. We need to fill our prayers for the world with weeping and tears. We need to give sacrificially with joyful hearts weeping at the grace we ourselves have heard. We can no longer stand tall wearing a mask of neutrality and uninvolvement, pretending to be educated in Christian things and biblical doctrine. . . It is time to get serious. It is time to get passionate. It is time to allow the head knowledge we have to rule our heart and to guide our hands. It’s time to grow outwards and upwards.
Prayer:-
V Pray for the upcoming Children's ministries that they will a large number of children in attendance at our school holidays programs and that the leaders will have a chance to share the word of God with all the children and parents in attendance.
V Ask the lord to show you His plan for your life, your role in the body of Christ and how you can be serving and ministering to others.
V Pray that God’s grace will flow out from the student life representatives through out Australia. Pray that many students will be brought to the Lord in repentance and faith through grace.
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Thursday June 2, 2011
Read 2 Peter 1:5-7
Yesterday we started identifying and explaining the spiritual qualities that need to be grown and harvested in our lives. We continue working our way through the list.
Godliness simply means “God-likeness.” In the original Greek, this word meant “to worship well.” It described the man who was right in his relationship with God and with his fellowman. Perhaps the words reverence and piety come closer to defining this term. It is that quality of character that makes a person distinctive. He lives above the petty things of life, the passions and pressures that control the lives of others. He seeks to do the will of God and, as he does, he seeks the welfare of others. We must never get the idea that godliness is an impractical thing, because it is intensely practical. The godly person makes the kind of decisions that are right and noble. He does not take an easy path simply to avoid either pain or trial. He does what is right because it is right and because it is the will of God.
Brotherly kindness (philadelphia in the Greek) is a virtue that Peter must have acquired the hard way, for the disciples of our Lord often debated and disagreed with one another. If we love Jesus Christ, we must also love the brethren. We should practice an “unfeigned [sincere] love of the brethren” (1 Peter 1:22) and not just pretend that we love them. “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1). “Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love” (Romans 12:10). The fact that we love our brothers and sisters in Christ is
One evidence that we have been born of God (1John5:1-2).
But there is more to Christian growth than brotherly love; we must also have the sacrificial love that our Lord displayed when He went to he cross. The kind of love (“Charity”) spoken of in 2 Peter 1:7 is agape love, the kind of love that God shows toward lost sinners. This is the love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13, the love that the Holy Spirit produces in our hearts, as we walk in the Spirit (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22). When we have brotherly love, we love because of our likenesses to others; but with agape love, we love in spite of the differences we have.
It is impossible for fallen nature to manufacture these seven qualities of Christian character. They must be produced by the Spirit of God. To be sure, there are unsaved people, who possess amazing self-control and endurance, but these virtues point to them and not to the Lord. They get the glory. When God produces the beautiful nature of His Son in A Christian, it is God who receives the praise and glory. Because we have the divine nature, we can grow spiritually and develop this kind so Christian character. It is through the power of God and the precious promises of God that this growth takes place. The divine “genetic structure” is already there: God wants us to be “conformed to the image of His Son” Romans 8:29). The life within will reproduce that image if we but diligently cooperate with God and use the means He has lavishly given us.
And the amazing thing is this: as the image of Christ is reproduced in us, the process does not destroy our own personalities. We still remain uniquely ourselves!
Prayer:-
V Pray for pastor James Musa Rike with the recent passing of his wife Dune and 13 year old daughter Sum in a Islamic extremist attack
V Pray for the victims of the Islamic Extremist attack on churches in Cairo, Egypt
Yesterday we started identifying and explaining the spiritual qualities that need to be grown and harvested in our lives. We continue working our way through the list.
Godliness simply means “God-likeness.” In the original Greek, this word meant “to worship well.” It described the man who was right in his relationship with God and with his fellowman. Perhaps the words reverence and piety come closer to defining this term. It is that quality of character that makes a person distinctive. He lives above the petty things of life, the passions and pressures that control the lives of others. He seeks to do the will of God and, as he does, he seeks the welfare of others. We must never get the idea that godliness is an impractical thing, because it is intensely practical. The godly person makes the kind of decisions that are right and noble. He does not take an easy path simply to avoid either pain or trial. He does what is right because it is right and because it is the will of God.
Brotherly kindness (philadelphia in the Greek) is a virtue that Peter must have acquired the hard way, for the disciples of our Lord often debated and disagreed with one another. If we love Jesus Christ, we must also love the brethren. We should practice an “unfeigned [sincere] love of the brethren” (1 Peter 1:22) and not just pretend that we love them. “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1). “Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love” (Romans 12:10). The fact that we love our brothers and sisters in Christ is
One evidence that we have been born of God (1John5:1-2).
But there is more to Christian growth than brotherly love; we must also have the sacrificial love that our Lord displayed when He went to he cross. The kind of love (“Charity”) spoken of in 2 Peter 1:7 is agape love, the kind of love that God shows toward lost sinners. This is the love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13, the love that the Holy Spirit produces in our hearts, as we walk in the Spirit (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22). When we have brotherly love, we love because of our likenesses to others; but with agape love, we love in spite of the differences we have.
It is impossible for fallen nature to manufacture these seven qualities of Christian character. They must be produced by the Spirit of God. To be sure, there are unsaved people, who possess amazing self-control and endurance, but these virtues point to them and not to the Lord. They get the glory. When God produces the beautiful nature of His Son in A Christian, it is God who receives the praise and glory. Because we have the divine nature, we can grow spiritually and develop this kind so Christian character. It is through the power of God and the precious promises of God that this growth takes place. The divine “genetic structure” is already there: God wants us to be “conformed to the image of His Son” Romans 8:29). The life within will reproduce that image if we but diligently cooperate with God and use the means He has lavishly given us.
And the amazing thing is this: as the image of Christ is reproduced in us, the process does not destroy our own personalities. We still remain uniquely ourselves!
Prayer:-
V Pray for pastor James Musa Rike with the recent passing of his wife Dune and 13 year old daughter Sum in a Islamic extremist attack
V Pray for the victims of the Islamic Extremist attack on churches in Cairo, Egypt
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Wednesday June 1, 2011
Read 2 Peter 1:7
Often when I drive around I see unfinished buildings or half build houses that sit and rot away slowly as the elements take their toll. I wonder how each building came to its point of stagnancy. There must be a rather interesting story behind each building.
Unfortunately I also see many believers who are like those buildings. A good work was begun, a foundation was laid, but stagnancy has set in. Like those buildings, each believer must have a story to tell. Were they hurt by someone? Were they burnt by their church? Did something horrible go wrong? Did the lusts of the world lure them away? Take heart and build upon your foundation as God has called us to do. (The following definitions are taken from ‘The Bible Exposition Commentary’).
The first quality of character Peter listed is goodness. It basically means “excellence.” To the Greek philosophers, it meant “the fulfilment of a thing.” When anything in nature fulfills its purpose, that is “virtue—moral excellence or goodness.” The word was also used to describe the power of the gods to do heroic deeds. The land that produces crops is “excellent” because it is fulfilling its purpose. The tool that works correctly is “excellent” because it is doing what a tool is supposed to do. A Christian is supposed to glorify God because he has God’s nature within; so, when he does this, he shows “excellence” because he is fulfilling his purpose in life. True virtue in the Christian life is not “polishing” human qualities, no matter how fine they may be, but producing divine qualities that make the person more like Jesus Christ.
Faith helps us develop goodness, and goodness helps us develop knowledge (2 Peter 1:5). The word translated “knowledge” in 2 Peter 1:2–3 means “full knowledge” or “knowledge that is growing.” The word used here suggests practical knowledge or discernment. It refers to the ability to handle life successfully. It is the opposite of being “so heavenly minded as to be of no earthly good!” This kind of knowledge does not come automatically. It comes from obedience to the will of God (John 7:17). In the Christian life, you must not separate the heart and the mind, character and knowledge.
Temperance is the next quality on Peter’s list of spiritual virtues, and it means self-control. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32). “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). Paul in his letters often compared the Christian to an athlete who must exercise and discipline himself if he ever hopes to win the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Philippians 3:12–16; 1 Timothy 4:7–8).
Patience is the ability to endure when circumstances are difficult. Self-control has to do with handling the pleasures of life, while patience relates primarily to the pressures and problems of life. (The ability to endure problem people is “long-suffering.”) Often, the person who “gives in” to pleasures is not disciplined enough to handle pressures either, so he “gives up.” Patience is not something that develops automatically; we must work at it. James 1:2–8 gives us the right approach. We must expect trials to come, because without trials we could never learn patience. We must, by faith, let our trials work for us and not against us, because we know that God is at work in our trials. If we need wisdom in making decisions, God will grant that wisdom if we ask Him. Nobody enjoys trials, but we do enjoy the confidence we can have in trials that God is at work, causing everything to work together for our good and His glory.
Do you have these qualities? Are you growing them in your life? Are you building on that firm foundation of Christ Jesus? I pray that you are.
Prayer:-
V Itchin’4Stitching. Praise God for the consistency of ladies each month and their willingness to learn and sew quilts for the new Teen Challenge Girls facility.
V Read 1 John 1:9 and confess some of the bad choices you have made. Spend time rejoicing in Gods forgiveness and purification
V Pray that your brothers and sisters in the congregation would be making godly choices as well.
Often when I drive around I see unfinished buildings or half build houses that sit and rot away slowly as the elements take their toll. I wonder how each building came to its point of stagnancy. There must be a rather interesting story behind each building.
Unfortunately I also see many believers who are like those buildings. A good work was begun, a foundation was laid, but stagnancy has set in. Like those buildings, each believer must have a story to tell. Were they hurt by someone? Were they burnt by their church? Did something horrible go wrong? Did the lusts of the world lure them away? Take heart and build upon your foundation as God has called us to do. (The following definitions are taken from ‘The Bible Exposition Commentary’).
The first quality of character Peter listed is goodness. It basically means “excellence.” To the Greek philosophers, it meant “the fulfilment of a thing.” When anything in nature fulfills its purpose, that is “virtue—moral excellence or goodness.” The word was also used to describe the power of the gods to do heroic deeds. The land that produces crops is “excellent” because it is fulfilling its purpose. The tool that works correctly is “excellent” because it is doing what a tool is supposed to do. A Christian is supposed to glorify God because he has God’s nature within; so, when he does this, he shows “excellence” because he is fulfilling his purpose in life. True virtue in the Christian life is not “polishing” human qualities, no matter how fine they may be, but producing divine qualities that make the person more like Jesus Christ.
Faith helps us develop goodness, and goodness helps us develop knowledge (2 Peter 1:5). The word translated “knowledge” in 2 Peter 1:2–3 means “full knowledge” or “knowledge that is growing.” The word used here suggests practical knowledge or discernment. It refers to the ability to handle life successfully. It is the opposite of being “so heavenly minded as to be of no earthly good!” This kind of knowledge does not come automatically. It comes from obedience to the will of God (John 7:17). In the Christian life, you must not separate the heart and the mind, character and knowledge.
Temperance is the next quality on Peter’s list of spiritual virtues, and it means self-control. “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32). “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls” (Proverbs 25:28). Paul in his letters often compared the Christian to an athlete who must exercise and discipline himself if he ever hopes to win the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Philippians 3:12–16; 1 Timothy 4:7–8).
Patience is the ability to endure when circumstances are difficult. Self-control has to do with handling the pleasures of life, while patience relates primarily to the pressures and problems of life. (The ability to endure problem people is “long-suffering.”) Often, the person who “gives in” to pleasures is not disciplined enough to handle pressures either, so he “gives up.” Patience is not something that develops automatically; we must work at it. James 1:2–8 gives us the right approach. We must expect trials to come, because without trials we could never learn patience. We must, by faith, let our trials work for us and not against us, because we know that God is at work in our trials. If we need wisdom in making decisions, God will grant that wisdom if we ask Him. Nobody enjoys trials, but we do enjoy the confidence we can have in trials that God is at work, causing everything to work together for our good and His glory.
Do you have these qualities? Are you growing them in your life? Are you building on that firm foundation of Christ Jesus? I pray that you are.
Prayer:-
V Itchin’4Stitching. Praise God for the consistency of ladies each month and their willingness to learn and sew quilts for the new Teen Challenge Girls facility.
V Read 1 John 1:9 and confess some of the bad choices you have made. Spend time rejoicing in Gods forgiveness and purification
V Pray that your brothers and sisters in the congregation would be making godly choices as well.
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