As we bring this week to a close, I want to take a moment and talk about your part in the sanctification process. God has his part to play and if He doesn't do His part, we up a creek without a paddle. We desperately need Him to do His part of leading us and guiding us to do the things that please Him.
What is our part?
Ephesians 4:30 says, "and do not grieve the Holy Spirit..." We grieve the Holy Spirit when we choose to listen to ourselves instead of Him. His job is to guide us, teach us, etc.
Read about the role of the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-26 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A15-26&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)
We read that the Holy Spirit is to lead and guide. He will even remind us what we've learned. As the Holy Spirit is doing His job, we have a choice to listen or reject Him. When we reject Him, we are grieving Him. It's like we are pushing Him away. God doesn't want us to do that. He wants us to listen.
Have you ever had to yield to someone when you were driving your car? There was a road in Plymouth that always confused people. They weren't sure if the other person was to yield or if they were to yield. Sometimes, it would cause such a confusion that there would be a near accident. I don't recall anyone getting into an actual accident but there may have been. Often times we don't want to be the one to yield. We've got things to do, places to be. We think, "That person doesn't understand where I am going and what I need to get done. They should yield to me."
What the Holy Spirit wants you and I to do is yield to Him. Let Him lead our lives and let Him tell us what to do. That is exactly what He wants and when we do, we do the right thing and please our Heavenly Father.
How's your yielding been lately?
As you close: Take time to pray and tell God that you desire to yield more to His Holy Spirit. Sometimes you choose not to. Pray that you will have the strength to yield the next time.
God Bless!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Sanctification - Day 4
Do you remember this song, "God is so good, God is so good. God is so good. He's so good to me." I used to sing that song when I was younger. A very simple song but the point is quite clear. And just think, the author has us repeat it over and over. Why is that? The repetition is so that we would never forget it. We have a tendency to forget important truths in the midst of life. We shouldn't forget this. God is so good to us.
Moses recounted God's goodness after they left Egypt. Read Exodus 15:1-18 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+15%3A1-18&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)
The reason I remind you of that song is so that you will remember it while God is doing His work in you. You may get frustrated with God. You may even get angry with him. Just remember, everything that you are experiencing is going to be used for good in your life. God takes every moment and uses it to change us into the masterpiece He has in mind. So when you are tempted to get agrivated with God or even depressed, remember that God is good and he has a good reason in mind.
What is He trying to do in us as His children? What's the end goal?
Romans 8:29, "to be conformed to the likeness of his Son." The word "conformed" is like a potter with clay. He is shaping us up to be like Jesus. God is changing us in three particular areas.
1. God is changing our minds. He is teaching us how to think like Jesus. When Jesus was living here on earth, he had a choice, just like you and me. He chose to live a righteous life. Now Jesus is God and He will always do the right thing, but like Hebrews says, he understands the pressures and temptations, yet did not sin. God is helping us to do the right thing and the more we do the righteous things in this life, at times the easier it will be.
2. God is changing our hearts. He is transforming our heart from being self-centered to being others-centered. He had compassion on people and loved people. He longed to be their shepherd and lead their lives. When we look at people, we may at times think how we can benefit from them. We may think about what we can get instead of give. God is changing our hearts to feel like Jesus and love people like Jesus.
3. God is changing our lives. He is leading us on a path that is right. That is good. When He is finished, and we've followed Him, we will look back and be amazed at what He's done through us.
That is His end goal. That is the purpose of sanctification, to set us apart and make us holy. We've talked alot about God's part. Is there a part we play in the process of sanctification?
If God is going to change us, and conform us to His Son, Jesus, is there anything we can do to help the process? Yes. We will finish this week with exactly that. See you tomorrow.
As you close: Pray for God's good work to be done in your life. Pray for all the areas He wants to change in you. Watch and see God work.
God Bless!
Moses recounted God's goodness after they left Egypt. Read Exodus 15:1-18 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+15%3A1-18&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)
The reason I remind you of that song is so that you will remember it while God is doing His work in you. You may get frustrated with God. You may even get angry with him. Just remember, everything that you are experiencing is going to be used for good in your life. God takes every moment and uses it to change us into the masterpiece He has in mind. So when you are tempted to get agrivated with God or even depressed, remember that God is good and he has a good reason in mind.
What is He trying to do in us as His children? What's the end goal?
Romans 8:29, "to be conformed to the likeness of his Son." The word "conformed" is like a potter with clay. He is shaping us up to be like Jesus. God is changing us in three particular areas.
1. God is changing our minds. He is teaching us how to think like Jesus. When Jesus was living here on earth, he had a choice, just like you and me. He chose to live a righteous life. Now Jesus is God and He will always do the right thing, but like Hebrews says, he understands the pressures and temptations, yet did not sin. God is helping us to do the right thing and the more we do the righteous things in this life, at times the easier it will be.
2. God is changing our hearts. He is transforming our heart from being self-centered to being others-centered. He had compassion on people and loved people. He longed to be their shepherd and lead their lives. When we look at people, we may at times think how we can benefit from them. We may think about what we can get instead of give. God is changing our hearts to feel like Jesus and love people like Jesus.
3. God is changing our lives. He is leading us on a path that is right. That is good. When He is finished, and we've followed Him, we will look back and be amazed at what He's done through us.
That is His end goal. That is the purpose of sanctification, to set us apart and make us holy. We've talked alot about God's part. Is there a part we play in the process of sanctification?
If God is going to change us, and conform us to His Son, Jesus, is there anything we can do to help the process? Yes. We will finish this week with exactly that. See you tomorrow.
As you close: Pray for God's good work to be done in your life. Pray for all the areas He wants to change in you. Watch and see God work.
God Bless!
Sanctification - Day 3
Good day to you!
Where are these verses found in the Scriptures? "Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."
The answer to that question will be at the end of this segment. If you have a concordance, look it up. Find it. Meditate on it. Why? Because God is at work in your life.
Day 2 I told you that you are his workmanship. He is at work in you. I Thess. 4:3 says that it is His will that you be sanctified; something of value that is set apart as holy and sacred. He is working in you on purpose. What kind of work is he doing in you?
Romans 6:18 says, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
He has set you free from sin, but the problem is, you still battle with sin. You still struggle with sin. You still do things you don't want to do; things that displease the Lord. You sometimes do the things that please the Lord. So, what is going on inside of you that is causing this disturbance?
You are still tempted to sin, to rebel against God. You have a choice to obey or disobey. That is the position you are in when you surrendered your life to Christ. Before that, you instinctively rebelled against God. Now Jesus gives you an alternative. You have a choice now. You can choose to sin and rebel againsts God or you can choose to obey and listen to God. What will you choose to do? And this choice thing, happens everyday, all the time. How exhausting, right?
God wants you to listen to his leading, his word, because God is always right. It will always be the best thing to obey him. No one needs to give him counsel or instruction. He is the only one who is capable of giving us sound wisdom and counsel. And, everytime you listen to him, you are changed. You grow. You become more like him. Some day you will be free from sins influence, but until then, you have to make the choice to listen.
Read Jesus' words about obedience in Matthew 7:24-27 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7%3A24-27&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)
Take notice of your choices today. Are your choices in obedience to God's Word? If not, change. If so, keep up the good work. If you are not sure, pray.
As you close: Take a moment and thank God for His guidance today and ask Him to guide you in making decisions that are in obedience to Him.
God bless!
Where are these verses found in the Scriptures? "Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."
The answer to that question will be at the end of this segment. If you have a concordance, look it up. Find it. Meditate on it. Why? Because God is at work in your life.
Day 2 I told you that you are his workmanship. He is at work in you. I Thess. 4:3 says that it is His will that you be sanctified; something of value that is set apart as holy and sacred. He is working in you on purpose. What kind of work is he doing in you?
Romans 6:18 says, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
He has set you free from sin, but the problem is, you still battle with sin. You still struggle with sin. You still do things you don't want to do; things that displease the Lord. You sometimes do the things that please the Lord. So, what is going on inside of you that is causing this disturbance?
You are still tempted to sin, to rebel against God. You have a choice to obey or disobey. That is the position you are in when you surrendered your life to Christ. Before that, you instinctively rebelled against God. Now Jesus gives you an alternative. You have a choice now. You can choose to sin and rebel againsts God or you can choose to obey and listen to God. What will you choose to do? And this choice thing, happens everyday, all the time. How exhausting, right?
God wants you to listen to his leading, his word, because God is always right. It will always be the best thing to obey him. No one needs to give him counsel or instruction. He is the only one who is capable of giving us sound wisdom and counsel. And, everytime you listen to him, you are changed. You grow. You become more like him. Some day you will be free from sins influence, but until then, you have to make the choice to listen.
Read Jesus' words about obedience in Matthew 7:24-27 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7%3A24-27&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)
Take notice of your choices today. Are your choices in obedience to God's Word? If not, change. If so, keep up the good work. If you are not sure, pray.
As you close: Take a moment and thank God for His guidance today and ask Him to guide you in making decisions that are in obedience to Him.
God bless!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sanctification - Day 2
Think about these words today written from the Apostle Paul. "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Remember, God sees immeasurable value in you. Not for what you can do for Him. But for what He can do for you. He loves you and has a wonderful plan to do great and awesome things in and through you. What He is capable of doing will blow your socks off. Anticipate a great day today.
Today I want to point out that the Father starts His work right where you are. You don't have to straighten out your life in order for the Father to do His work. He starts right where you are.
There is a friend of mine who stopped by my office in my previous church. He was visibly upset. As he sat on my couch, I found out that he was in trouble with the law. The possibility of going to jail was around the corner and he didn't want to go. I didn't blame him. I wouldn't want to go to. We talked about the situation he was involved in and about God's forgiveness. God's forgiveness doesn't mean that you won't have to deal with the consequences of your actions. It means that you have the peace of God to go through anything. That day this man, my friend to this day, gave his life to Jesus Christ. He didn't have to straighten out his life in order to feel the love and mercy of the Savior.
You may be a person who has been in trouble with the law. That doesn't stop Him. You may be a person who is struggling in your marriage. That doesn't stop Him. You may be a person who is stable and life is good. That doesn't stop Him.
God invites you to come to Him.
Read Matthew 11:25-30 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A25-30&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)
All Jesus tells us to do is to come to Him. He waits for us to turn to Him. When we do, we will find rest. We will find exactly what our heart has been longing to find. When we turn to Him, that is when He begins His workmanship.
Tomorrow we will talk more about His workmanship in our lives.
As you close: Pray for the people in your life that believe that God couldn't love them until they get their lives straightened out first. Pray that they would see that all God wants is for them to just come to Him. Wherever they are and at any time.
God Bless!
Remember, God sees immeasurable value in you. Not for what you can do for Him. But for what He can do for you. He loves you and has a wonderful plan to do great and awesome things in and through you. What He is capable of doing will blow your socks off. Anticipate a great day today.
Today I want to point out that the Father starts His work right where you are. You don't have to straighten out your life in order for the Father to do His work. He starts right where you are.
There is a friend of mine who stopped by my office in my previous church. He was visibly upset. As he sat on my couch, I found out that he was in trouble with the law. The possibility of going to jail was around the corner and he didn't want to go. I didn't blame him. I wouldn't want to go to. We talked about the situation he was involved in and about God's forgiveness. God's forgiveness doesn't mean that you won't have to deal with the consequences of your actions. It means that you have the peace of God to go through anything. That day this man, my friend to this day, gave his life to Jesus Christ. He didn't have to straighten out his life in order to feel the love and mercy of the Savior.
You may be a person who has been in trouble with the law. That doesn't stop Him. You may be a person who is struggling in your marriage. That doesn't stop Him. You may be a person who is stable and life is good. That doesn't stop Him.
God invites you to come to Him.
Read Matthew 11:25-30 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A25-30&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)
All Jesus tells us to do is to come to Him. He waits for us to turn to Him. When we do, we will find rest. We will find exactly what our heart has been longing to find. When we turn to Him, that is when He begins His workmanship.
Tomorrow we will talk more about His workmanship in our lives.
As you close: Pray for the people in your life that believe that God couldn't love them until they get their lives straightened out first. Pray that they would see that all God wants is for them to just come to Him. Wherever they are and at any time.
God Bless!
Sanctification - Day 1
Last Sunday we talked about Sanctification. The word means, to take something of value and set it apart being regarded as holy and sacred.
What I want you to consider today is that God sees you as valuable.
As a young boy, I struggled to find any thing of value in myself. I was athletic. I was friendly. I was compassionate. But, I didn't feel valuable. Why? If you were to look at my life, you would find that I had everything that I needed. I had a comfortable home. I had good food. I had clothes on my body. So why didn't I feel valuable?
I never knew if my dad loved me. My dad did and still does love me. I just never heard those words from him. It's funny how saying those words can mean so much and the neglect of saying those words can have an even greater impact. I felt like I was worthless. I grew up trying to impress, trying to be admired, trying to be loved. Not just by anyone, but by my dad.
It was my senior year of high school and I felt a prompting from the Lord. He knew exactly what I needed and he was going to meet my need that night. God whispered in my ear that I needed to thank my parents for everything they had done for me and to tell them that I loved them. I found my mom and hugged her and spoke those words into her ear. Then I found my dad and he said something I will never forget. He said, "I know I don't tell you this very much, but I love you and I am proud of you."
That night I felt love from my father and I felt valuable.
God the father wants you to know that He is whispering in your ear, "I love you. I always have. I always will. You are valuable to me."
Read about God's love for you in Luke 15:11-32 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)
Say these words out loud, "I am loved by my Father in Heaven and I am valuable to Him."
As you close: Pray and thank God for His love for you and thank Him that He values you.
God bless!
What I want you to consider today is that God sees you as valuable.
As a young boy, I struggled to find any thing of value in myself. I was athletic. I was friendly. I was compassionate. But, I didn't feel valuable. Why? If you were to look at my life, you would find that I had everything that I needed. I had a comfortable home. I had good food. I had clothes on my body. So why didn't I feel valuable?
I never knew if my dad loved me. My dad did and still does love me. I just never heard those words from him. It's funny how saying those words can mean so much and the neglect of saying those words can have an even greater impact. I felt like I was worthless. I grew up trying to impress, trying to be admired, trying to be loved. Not just by anyone, but by my dad.
It was my senior year of high school and I felt a prompting from the Lord. He knew exactly what I needed and he was going to meet my need that night. God whispered in my ear that I needed to thank my parents for everything they had done for me and to tell them that I loved them. I found my mom and hugged her and spoke those words into her ear. Then I found my dad and he said something I will never forget. He said, "I know I don't tell you this very much, but I love you and I am proud of you."
That night I felt love from my father and I felt valuable.
God the father wants you to know that He is whispering in your ear, "I love you. I always have. I always will. You are valuable to me."
Read about God's love for you in Luke 15:11-32 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32&version=NIV (Click back arrow on your browser to return here)
Say these words out loud, "I am loved by my Father in Heaven and I am valuable to Him."
As you close: Pray and thank God for His love for you and thank Him that He values you.
God bless!
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