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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Knowing You See Things Imperfectly


Paul wrote"When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child.  But when I grew up. I put away childish things.  Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me complete." 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

Can you trust your eyes? Can you trust your ears? Can you trust your understanding?

Was Jesus ever accused for things he was not? Can you think of when he might of been accused of being a cannibal, a liar, a false prophet, or being the prince of demons?  How about being guilty of something he was not guilty of because he spent time with Samaritans, drunks, and tax collectors?
People perceived him guilty by association, what they saw, what they heard and in how they understood?

Have your eyes and understanding ever let you presume something that was untrue? Have you ever jumped to conclusions?  Have you ever not heeded the Lord's warnings and did what you thought was right and/or justified? What fruit came of those actions?

Scripture says... "Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him."  Isaiah 64:4
 
.... Let me suggest a bit of caution to the idea of knowing enough of a situation or going it alone in your own understanding and suggest a bit of caution on any zealous acts - acts that come from any aspect of impatience, personal pride and prejudice.   Wait and be surrendered to God in thought and see how God directs and intercedes for you.

I remember before I was a Christian there were a couple Christians that didn't treat me with respect.  I didn't need their respect to  "agree" with me but I needed their  respect that I was a person no better then they were yet they acted as if they were better then me.   I saw pride and prejudice in their actions instead of the grace and love of Jesus Christ.  

Jesus said the flesh profits what...?



"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63

We should not claim to know all there is to know of God, His Word or a situation but seek God for discernment, wisdom, direction, and emotional stability in many of the opportunities presented to us in this life. Yet I feel this is not always taught or maybe it's not matured in our spiritual coverings.


"And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes." Galatians 3:27

We are to "put on Christ".  How did Jesus speak and interact with people?  

Yes let there be a confidence but not a confidence with ourselves but with God.
"Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit.  For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  2 Corinthians 3:4-6

We are to be as children, but not children of ignorance, but children of our Heavenly Father.

The Word of God is a double-edged sword- you want to use it and use it to heal then let the Spirit of God direct you in "how" to use through your actions.     
     
Some may say being "persecuted, hated, resented, bullied, disregarded, and called haters and worse" are causes and effects in walking in pretentious ways but that is not necessarily true.

We could just as easily receive the same treatment for doing right and living a wholesome lifestyle then doing wrong.  And why might this be a problem?  Why might this offend others?  Why do those in the world want to force us to agree with things that go against God's word?  Why do they want to change us?  It's odd how conviction of sin comes in many ways and forms.  

Just a comparison of lifestyle can make one envious and feel guilty.   If everyone agreed with their sinful behavior- then they would not feel guilty but as God's representatives living in truth - this makes them feel convicted.   Just the goodness of God's Spirit working in our lives is conviction enough.  It's like a little song bird chirping on a tree branch in the morning and because a few want to sleep, those who want to sleep despise the little song bird.  The song bird did nothing to deserve such resentment.  It was just doing what it was created to do by God.    Ever notice how guilty people have to justify themselves causing them to fall deeper into sin?  They live in the law of sin/ law of their understanding.  They are trapped and they will do anything in their power to try to feel not trapped resulting to childish things as put downs, lies, manipulations, violence, curses, and name calling.  And because the world works in the same faulty understanding, the world agrees with them and makes laws and regulations against those who choose to live by the word of God.            

No surprise there.... Jesus said we would be hated because for our allegiance to him. 



Mark 13:13 “And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

We must speak the truth but be careful however to be sure we speak and act according to the Spirit in love not in some stuck up fashion that is not humble and does not remember where he/she stands- for we all have sinned and come short to the glory of God.


“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 2:23

"Let your speech always be with grace as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." Colossians 4:6

We must be "approachable" people that know what it means to have all the short comings of being human...  we have all had trouble, failed, hurt, won, lost, loved, been betrayed, doubted, been angered, fallen, not been understood, been enslaved and so on... but in these things we are to weave what it means to have Christ in those situations and share that with others in gracious speech.



 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

"... I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.  I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."  Note: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." Philippians 2:3
 
"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas world grief produces death." 2 Corinthians 7:10

Let us not just look at grief but other aspects of life as well.

We have all grieved...
We have all been angered...
We have all loved...
we have all... fallen short of the glory of God....

But it is in "how" we do those things that ends in life or death and it's "in" who or WHO we turn to that leads to life or death.  When we look to ourselves and the world, grief can turn to prideful self-pity ... anger can turn to resentment and unforgiveness and... love to ignorant shallowness, empty lust.   All which are sin in God's eyes.

 We find reasons to stay away and reject God because we want to stay in sin.  These sins become like shards of glass in the veins of our blood stream and we stay away from the very ONE who can give us LIFE.... GOD.

But when we look to God, grief can become things like hope and a stronger dependence upon God.  Anger can turn to godly resolve, living justly and putting God above all things and people.    Love becomes unselfish and a want to build up and encourage those around us and to love our spouse more deeply.

Again.... If we turn to just ourselves and our understanding of grief, anger and love- these things turn to darkness and death.  If we turn to God in our grief, anger and understanding of what love really is, it leads to life.

GOD is the strong thread that keeps all our life from coming all unraveled.
       
Paul who wrote the majority of the New Testament said: "
I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect.  I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above."

We should always strive to live for and as Christ, as we have the opportunity to share the love of Christ with others.  You and I can't be all that God wants us to be without Jesus flowing through our spiritual veins. 

How imaginative and undisciplined our minds are and how our thoughts float in all different directions.  How presumptuous they can be and how these very thoughts fade to judgments. 


In life, I could easily fill up the pages of my thoughts but to leave the pages as simple humble surrendered prayers of mediation upon God, I find God filling them and I can easily find what he has written on them.

Ever heard the saying, "You are the only bible some people will ever read"?

I am not saying to become so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good but how can one do the kind of good that survives the testings of fire if you are not heavenly minded, clothed and directed?


 What will stand when our works are tested by God?  Our salvation will still be there but if our works are not done in a manner that honor God in Spirit and truth what will stand when the flames touch them?  How might your actions towards others honor God or dishonor God?


"If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." 1 Corinthians 3:14-15

From where does your inner compass start?  From where is it drawn?  From where is it pointed?  From where might it go?

We come upon situations and circumstances that present themselves as bitter water.   And anyone who drinks and partakes of this bitter water comes down with side affects of that bitter water but those who drink from Jesus the living water can speak into that bitter situation and help people taste what it means to drink God's sweet water- by your graceful actions and words seasoned by salt.

Serenity Prayer "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
 
So yes there will be those who still want to drink from the bitter water but let God grant us the wisdom to see what we can change and not change and not be discouraged by.



For Jesus said, "... but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil." John 3:19
 

"But to you who are listening I say:
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Luke 6:27-28

Note: This doesn't mean to intentionally get walked all over but you turn the other cheek and not give pearls to swine because you know your value is not in your circumstances or in people but in God.

So do not cling onto these experiences too tightly but onto God who is your life of faith and allows you to give grace, have peace, know hope, be secured in love and have the mindset of Christ. 

  
Knowing all these things will help you become a better representative of Christ Jesus.

Ponder these things with the Lord as you watch this clip.


   


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