Aren’t we all simple vessels? I consider myself a simple person and I am amazed in how God can stir and bring His words into such a message using this simple vessel. I know most definitely it is not I who puts the message together but God’s Holy Spirit.
Yesterday He started this message for His young adult bible study and He has continued this morning as I felt compelled to just sit and write down the words that came to mind and I could not help but get a deeper truth in His words and receive a joy from them as layer upon layer was added upon each preceding layer.
Message.
We have become a “reactive” society. I have seen and heard this and it has become an increasing problem on Christian radio and broadcasts, which has trickled down to some podiums of our churches and into our congregations. Not that we shouldn’t be aware of radical organizations such ACLU wanting to take away our ”religious freedoms” but when the radical issues become so big in our mind– there is no more room for godly thought.
This is one of greatest strategies of the devil - that if a man’s focus is bombard by the injustices and issues at hand, he cannot focus on the solution who is God Himself.
Who should matter most in the Christian mind and heart? God.
No problem or man should stand between another man and God.
The issues maybe problems that need to be addressed but we should not allow the issues of the day come between us and the peace God gives us.
We need to get out of the habit of reacting “largely” in how others value us and value our beliefs and/or how we perceive how others value us or value our beliefs. Throwing more gasoline on a fire has never put out a fire- that goes in our broad ways of communicating and our interpersonal communication.
The way we see our value in relation to God will greatly affect our outlook in life.
It will also affect the way you react to those around us.
Have you ever allowed a circumstance or a person get the best of you? Sure you have- because everyone has in some shape or form.
I don't know what the technical term is but I call it "static" like the static on your radio. Static happens when we are no longer receiving from God because we have allowed our spiritual antenna to be blocked by the way our flesh wants to act in a given situation.
One of the ways to get over that static is seeing the reality of God in our life. He is one we can always go to. God is a merciful and gracious God who empowers us in his grace and mercy but we must know in our heart and mind as well that He is also a loving God who wants to invest Himself in our life.
For the mind can carry the knowledge but it means nothing if that knowledge isn’t incorporated in the heart and directed by Holy Spirit.
God’s Love
We are righteous by faith but faith must encompass God’s love.
Remember what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:2
“…. And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move without love I would be no good to anybody.”
Spiritual gifts are great but they must be encompassed in God’s love when used or else they are worthless.
God's love is worthless to empower us if we just intellectually know God's love in our mind but not in our heart. You are not "in" love with someone intellectually but you are "in" love with them in your heart. Same with God, we must be “in” God’s love (heart, mind, soul) to receive the benefits of God’s love.
1 John 4:15 says
“We know how much God loves us and we have put our trust in Him. God is love and all who live in love live in God and God lives in them. And as we live in God our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world.”
You see John is saying we “know” God’s love. We know it in our head, our heart and our soul. God has shown, directed and proved to us this through His love to us.
Living in the Light or the Shadows?
1 John 1:5 says
“God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth.”
When a person grasps God’s love and stands in God’s light there is a dramatic difference in their life then when they hadn’t understood God’s love and light.
We run into problems spiritually when we choose to stand in other people’s shadows and our circumstances or the injustices- creating "static". For those are not truths to stand in rather Jesus said we would face troubles and trials in life but we overcome those things with understanding and knowing God’s love.
I rather live in God’s light then another person’s unpredictable shadows and my circumstances and the injustices in life. How about you?
If you value your enemy, friends, sweetheart, spouse, children, parents, other family members outlook on you more then God then you are sure to fall into darkness. For you have set their opinions of you above God’s loving opinions of you which are to encourage you and strengthen you to do what is right regardless of how others think and treat you.
Matthew 10:28-31 Jesus says what?
“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both your soul and body in hell. Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.”
Laugh when such fears come to mind. Don’t be afraid or offended or hurt by those who don’t value you as much as God the Father “loves” you. When we acknowledge our worth in God and trust Him above all other opinions and other things in this “temporary experience” our life changes and is empowered by God’s love.
I know it can be tough lesson but think "childlike faith." A child thinks about things in the simplest terms and isn't concerned with all the details. They know Jesus loves them because the bible tells them so and so they believe.
If we are afraid, offended or hurt by someone let it be a gauge of where we are placing our value in. Are we placing our value in mere people or the situation or God Himself?
1 John 4:18 continues with
“Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we fear we are afraid it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that His love has not been perfected in us. We love each other as a result of His loving us first.”
No one likes to be judged or feel like they are being judged but we must continue to live in God’s love so the grace of God can empower us to do what is right. God loves me and so I do.
Sometimes in our personal life we need to take a moment or two and we need to step away from the situation and get our focus on where it needs to be – “Where do I stand with God not this person who seems to have a problem with me?”
Many people hated, misunderstood, judged Jesus and even though Jesus was and is God, He drew his strength while he was down here from the Father’s love. He was “in” the Father's love.
Are you one of Jesus’ disciples?
Jesus prayer for his disciples,
“My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father- that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be, as we are- I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.” John 17:21-23
Do you see “and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.” If you know the value of God’s love in your life there is assurance, certainty, and power.
To “know” God’s love is to not just know how to live a godly life “but” to live in God’s love and there in relationship with Him we have assurance of eternal life.
Jesus says in John 17:3
“And this is the way to have eternal life- to know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ the one you sent to earth.”
We must not stand in another person’s shadow, which can be confused as light. Don’t be a child when it comes to this idea for though the moon lights up at night it does not produce it’s own light. God is our source of light....
A Christian needs to stand in God's light - just as they will have to stand and give their account of their life before God. Stand in your Father's light for He loves you.
Understand we only dishonor God when we put someone before God in life and if we have done this and the words and expressions are cast upon us -we can easily trip and fall. Life is messy but let us not make it messier with our ways of thinking.
We all must live in the understanding of our true value is not in people or circumstances or injustices but in God Himself. We are God’s children.
Jesus points me to this scripture in Matthew 6:22
“Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness. If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep this darkness will be.”
We must continually ask ourselves, “Is my eye constantly open to the mighty encouragement of God’s love?”
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father. I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:5-11
Do as Jesus says, “remain in His love and you will be filled with joy” in the midst of unpredictable people, circumstances, and injustices for your value is in Him who created you.
No comments:
Post a Comment