"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God" (2 Tim 1:7-8).
In Paul's letter to Timothy he admonished him to not be ashamed of Christ or of Paul who was in prison for the cause of Christ. It appears that Timothy was feeling ashamed to stand for Christ out of fear of ridicule and persecution. To encourage Timothy Paul reminded him of God's love, power and soundness of mind that was his from the Lord. Soundness of mind is the God given ability to think and view life from a heavenly perspective.
It was this heavenly mindedness that enabled Paul to say, "...I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Timothy 1:12). The intimately knowledge of Christ that Paul possessed and his persuasion of the eternal keeping power of Jesus enabled him to not be ashamed of Christ. As a result Paul was also willing to lay down his if need be for the sake of the gospel.
Many today name the name of Christ and are willing to serve him when it suits their interest but fail to stand for Christ--fail to stand for what is right when they fear it will cost them something. When we experience Fear about doing what is right before God and in serving the kingdom of God we need to be reminded that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind." In other words when fear gets our attention we need to turn our attention to God. We need to exercise the sound mind that God has given us and rest in the love and power of God. God's love and power assures and persuades us that he is with us, that he will keep us, that he watches over us in this life and forever. Fear will turn to faith when worry turns to worship.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Given to prayer
"Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue...and fought against me without a cause. For my love they our my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love." (Psalms 109:1-5).
The Psalmist was is deep distress because of the adversity that he was experiencing from his adversaries. What made it extra hard on him was that those he loved, served, and cared for mistook his acts of love as being against them. As a result, they rewarded him evil for good. His response to these heart wrenching trials was, in his words, "...but I give myself unto prayer." A wise woman once said, "there is no panic in heaven, only plans." Are you going through an incredibly hard time right now? Give yourself wholly to prayer. God will see you all the way through.
The Psalmist was is deep distress because of the adversity that he was experiencing from his adversaries. What made it extra hard on him was that those he loved, served, and cared for mistook his acts of love as being against them. As a result, they rewarded him evil for good. His response to these heart wrenching trials was, in his words, "...but I give myself unto prayer." A wise woman once said, "there is no panic in heaven, only plans." Are you going through an incredibly hard time right now? Give yourself wholly to prayer. God will see you all the way through.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Work for God's purposes not against
"I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD" (Eze 29:20).
In this passage we learn that God rules in the affairs of men. God used heathen nations to judge other heathen nations and even to discipline his own people when they went astray after other gods. Notice also that "though we do not merit anything of God by our service, yet He does not forget our work of faith and labor of love when it is wrought for Him. If He gave Egypt to a heathen king for his service in respect to Tyre, we may also expect Him to bestow a reward on those who have built gold, silver, and precious stones, into his holy temple" (F.B. Myer).
When Christians sacrifice to serve the kingdom of God for the glory of God we can count on the grace of God to work in and through our lives. Work for God's purposes not against them less you find yourself fighting against God.
In this passage we learn that God rules in the affairs of men. God used heathen nations to judge other heathen nations and even to discipline his own people when they went astray after other gods. Notice also that "though we do not merit anything of God by our service, yet He does not forget our work of faith and labor of love when it is wrought for Him. If He gave Egypt to a heathen king for his service in respect to Tyre, we may also expect Him to bestow a reward on those who have built gold, silver, and precious stones, into his holy temple" (F.B. Myer).
When Christians sacrifice to serve the kingdom of God for the glory of God we can count on the grace of God to work in and through our lives. Work for God's purposes not against them less you find yourself fighting against God.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
"The true spirit of Christmas"
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).
During the Christmas season we often hear about getting into the Christmas spirit. But what most people mean by the Christmas spirit rarely captures the essence of the true spirit of Christ and his incarnation. What most people mean by the Christmas spirit is nothing more than "sentimental jollity on a family basis." But what it should mean is being like Jesus, who for our sake became poor, and not just at Christmas time, but all the time.
Those who exemplify this spirit, "live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor, spending and being spent, to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern, to do good to others, and not just their own friends, in whatever way there seems need" (J.I. Packer). May we live daily in the true spirit of Christmas to the glory of Jesus.
During the Christmas season we often hear about getting into the Christmas spirit. But what most people mean by the Christmas spirit rarely captures the essence of the true spirit of Christ and his incarnation. What most people mean by the Christmas spirit is nothing more than "sentimental jollity on a family basis." But what it should mean is being like Jesus, who for our sake became poor, and not just at Christmas time, but all the time.
Those who exemplify this spirit, "live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor, spending and being spent, to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern, to do good to others, and not just their own friends, in whatever way there seems need" (J.I. Packer). May we live daily in the true spirit of Christmas to the glory of Jesus.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Little energy for prayer little knowledge of God
"And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision...being caused to fly swiftly, touched me...And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding" (Dan 9:20-22).
In the previous meditation we learned that we need to turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God. We do this as J.I. Packer suggests by "turning each truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God."
Daniel is a great example of a man who not only knew about God but who knew God in a life changing earth shaking way. And inevitably his great thoughts and intimate knowledge of God energized him to trust and depend upon God in prayer. As a result Daniel was strong and did great exploits (Dan. 11:32). Little energy for prayer, which leads to experiencing the power of God to effect change in our world, "is a sure sign that we scarcely know our God" (J.I. Packer).
In the previous meditation we learned that we need to turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God. We do this as J.I. Packer suggests by "turning each truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God."
Daniel is a great example of a man who not only knew about God but who knew God in a life changing earth shaking way. And inevitably his great thoughts and intimate knowledge of God energized him to trust and depend upon God in prayer. As a result Daniel was strong and did great exploits (Dan. 11:32). Little energy for prayer, which leads to experiencing the power of God to effect change in our world, "is a sure sign that we scarcely know our God" (J.I. Packer).
Those who know their God shall be strong...
"And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries; But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits"(Dan 11:32).
There is difference between knowing God and knowing about Him. One can know great theology but have very little intimacy with God. Although you can have great knowledge about God and not really know God you can't have one without the other. We need a correct theology of God but not as an end in itself but as a means to growing in intimacy with God. Daniel writes, "but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." Concerning this passage J. I. Packer writes, "In context, this statement is introduced by "but" and set in contrasts to the activity of the contemptible person" (v.21)who sets up "the abomination that causes desolation" and corrupts by smooth and flattering talk those whose loyalty to God's covenant has failed (vv. 31-32). This shows that the action taken by those who know God is their reaction to the anti-God trends which they see operating around them. While their God is being defied or disregarded, they cannot rest; they feel they must do something; the dishonor done to God's name goads them into action." Like Daniel, those who truly know God don't just talk theology in a safe environment, they are willing to stand and preach the the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of a hostile society. "Those who know their God are sensitive to situations in which God's truth and honor are being directly or tacitly jeopardize, and rather than let the matter go by default will force the issue on men's attention and seek thereby to compel a change of heart about it--even at personal risk" (J.I. Packer).
Those who know God and not just truths about God are truly the ones who make a difference even in a corrupt and wicked society. In the light of these truths how do we turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God? "The rule for doing this is simple but demanding. It is that we turn each truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God." What is meditation? "It is often a matter of arguing with oneself about God out of moods of doubt, into a clear apprehension of God's power and grace" (J.I. Packer).
There is difference between knowing God and knowing about Him. One can know great theology but have very little intimacy with God. Although you can have great knowledge about God and not really know God you can't have one without the other. We need a correct theology of God but not as an end in itself but as a means to growing in intimacy with God. Daniel writes, "but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." Concerning this passage J. I. Packer writes, "In context, this statement is introduced by "but" and set in contrasts to the activity of the contemptible person" (v.21)who sets up "the abomination that causes desolation" and corrupts by smooth and flattering talk those whose loyalty to God's covenant has failed (vv. 31-32). This shows that the action taken by those who know God is their reaction to the anti-God trends which they see operating around them. While their God is being defied or disregarded, they cannot rest; they feel they must do something; the dishonor done to God's name goads them into action." Like Daniel, those who truly know God don't just talk theology in a safe environment, they are willing to stand and preach the the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of a hostile society. "Those who know their God are sensitive to situations in which God's truth and honor are being directly or tacitly jeopardize, and rather than let the matter go by default will force the issue on men's attention and seek thereby to compel a change of heart about it--even at personal risk" (J.I. Packer).
Those who know God and not just truths about God are truly the ones who make a difference even in a corrupt and wicked society. In the light of these truths how do we turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God? "The rule for doing this is simple but demanding. It is that we turn each truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God." What is meditation? "It is often a matter of arguing with oneself about God out of moods of doubt, into a clear apprehension of God's power and grace" (J.I. Packer).
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