How do we determine what activities we require or permit of ourselves or our family?
The main criteria is NOT, "Will this be fun?" nor "Will my kids be willing?" nor "Is this the cheapest option?"
The main criteria is,
Does this activity help me to serve God and serve others?
Will this activity increase my love for God, or distract me from God?
Will it increase my love of myself?
Should we not ask this - in regard to entertainment? And education? And work/chores?
The main question is not, "Would this be fun?" but rather, "Would this help us to serve God and others?"
Should not our starting point be, "I love my Savior, and therefore, I will do ________ out of love for Him and for His Name on the earth." ?
Does this activity help make my brain more or less equipped to serve God?
(I.e. internet browsing for no purpose, and input of too much unnecessary information, makes your brain "a mile wide and an inch deep" - not taking time to think deeply about anything; taking in information for the sake of information, rather than in order to benefit your life; filling your mind with useless books.)
Can the Holy Spirit live well in the mind I am cultivating by this input?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Can I do this activity as an act of worship?
1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Peter 4:11
…in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
What biblical principles can be referenced to determine whether or not this is a good activity for me (mentally, spiritually, physically)?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Philippians 1:20-21
…it is my eager expectation and hope that … now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:27
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…
Would Christ do this activity?
Would someone see me doing this, and say, "That is Christ living in her"?
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
If you love your Savior - your Master - then it will not be a hard thing to strive to point to Him in all that you do.
It will not be a sacrifice to give up "pleasures" for the sake of service and worship - for the sake of making Jesus known! He loved His Father and was all consumed by that; His one love was the Father; His one goal was to do the Father's will. And He did it gladly out of love, not grudgingly, wishing He could live "for fun" instead. He knew that real joy came from obedience, and He wanted that for His disciples also.
John 15:10-11
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
We live by faith, not by sight.
We must believe that real, lasting joy is found in obeying - rather than living by sight, by senses, that tell me to pursue my own temporary pleasures.
If we let our kids drown themselves in temporal pleasures, we are inoculating them against finding their real joy - in Jesus. Who will want to do the hard work of self-denying service if they have lived indulging themselves as children? Do we not want to train them that self-denial is the normal part of life? - and that earthly pleasures, though they are gifts from God to be enjoyed as part of serving Him, cannot hold a candle to the joys found in Christ?
None can follow Christ without denying himself:
Matthew 16:24-25
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life [for himself] will lose it…"
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Love one another
John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
1 John 3:16,18
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. … Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.
Jesus says that loving His people in the way that He loved us (self-sacrificially) is the evidence that we are truly His disciples.
It troubles me that there are professing Christians who do not seem to take this seriously, who act as though it does not apply to their situation, or to the relationships they have - or to the interaction they have with other people on Facebook.
Where is the love working itself out in patience, kindness, humility, deference?
Where is the love that does not insist on its own way and is not easily irritated?
1 Corinthians 6:6-7
"…brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers[.] To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?"
Why defame the name of Christ before unbelievers - just to prove yourself to be in the right in a situation? Can you not love the honor of Christ enough to let God vindicate you in His time, even though it feels like you have "lost" by not insisting on your way?
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
1 John 3:16,18
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. … Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.
Jesus says that loving His people in the way that He loved us (self-sacrificially) is the evidence that we are truly His disciples.
It troubles me that there are professing Christians who do not seem to take this seriously, who act as though it does not apply to their situation, or to the relationships they have - or to the interaction they have with other people on Facebook.
Where is the love working itself out in patience, kindness, humility, deference?
Where is the love that does not insist on its own way and is not easily irritated?
1 Corinthians 6:6-7
"…brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers[.] To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?"
Why defame the name of Christ before unbelievers - just to prove yourself to be in the right in a situation? Can you not love the honor of Christ enough to let God vindicate you in His time, even though it feels like you have "lost" by not insisting on your way?
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Jesus is everything, and rightly demands everything
Colossians 1:15-17
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Hebrews 1:2-3
…his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
1 Corinthians 8:6
there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
Romans 11:36
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die."
It is the One who created all things for Himself, who upholds the universe by the word of His power - it is He who clothed Himself with flesh in order to lay down His own life to redeem His fallen people.
Everything is from Jesus and for Jesus.
It is Jesus who is -
The Resurrection and the Life.
The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
The Way, the Truth, and the Life.
The only Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.
The Bread of Life, and the Living Water.
The Light of the World.
The true Vine.
Jesus is supreme - pre-eminent in everything (Col.1:18).
Jesus is everything; everything exists because of Him, was made to serve His purposes, and is kept in existence by His hand.
It is no wonder that the entire Bible is about Jesus; the OT points to Him, the NT teaches what He did for us and who He is more specifically.
It is also no wonder that one cannot claim to be a disciple of Christ while trying to serve sin or self. There is only one Lord and Master of the universe; those who serve Him must be completely yielded to Him, as the whole universe is.
You were created for Jesus.
It is impossible to be His disciple and still try to rule your own life; this would be like joining the marines while being contracted to play on a professional sports team.
You can have only one Master, and it is an all-or-nothing choice.
He will have all of you - all your time, energy, will, choices - or He will not have you at all.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Hebrews 1:2-3
…his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
1 Corinthians 8:6
there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
Romans 11:36
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die."
It is the One who created all things for Himself, who upholds the universe by the word of His power - it is He who clothed Himself with flesh in order to lay down His own life to redeem His fallen people.
Everything is from Jesus and for Jesus.
It is Jesus who is -
The Resurrection and the Life.
The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
The Way, the Truth, and the Life.
The only Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.
The Bread of Life, and the Living Water.
The Light of the World.
The true Vine.
Jesus is supreme - pre-eminent in everything (Col.1:18).
Jesus is everything; everything exists because of Him, was made to serve His purposes, and is kept in existence by His hand.
It is no wonder that the entire Bible is about Jesus; the OT points to Him, the NT teaches what He did for us and who He is more specifically.
It is also no wonder that one cannot claim to be a disciple of Christ while trying to serve sin or self. There is only one Lord and Master of the universe; those who serve Him must be completely yielded to Him, as the whole universe is.
You were created for Jesus.
It is impossible to be His disciple and still try to rule your own life; this would be like joining the marines while being contracted to play on a professional sports team.
You can have only one Master, and it is an all-or-nothing choice.
He will have all of you - all your time, energy, will, choices - or He will not have you at all.
Friday, August 18, 2017
abiding in Jesus
John 15
John 15:1
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."
The Father is intimately involved in our being pruned so as to bear fruit.
He does not toss us into the world and say "go bear fruit!" and hope it works, nor expect us to scrounge up the ability to bear fruit on our own. He Himself is the pruner, the shaper of the branches.
John 15:4
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."
The life of the vine must course through the branch for it to stay alive and to bear fruit.
John 15:7
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."
If Jesus' life becomes my life, and His Words become my thoughts, then I will wish what He wishes, and my prayers will be ones that God delights to answer.
Without the vine, the branch dies; it has no source of life and nutrition apart from connection to the vine. So Christ is the source of ongoing life and spiritual sustenance to the Christian. You cannot expect to grow in your Christian life or to mature or to develop in grace without a living, ongoing, connection to the Vine, to Christ.
This pictures for us a life of constantly seeing, loving, and submitting to Christ, knowing Him in an increasingly intimate way, and reveling in the benefits of His work for us.
John 15:8
"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."
A true disciple becomes like his Master. You become more like those with whom you spend the most time. If we are to become like Christ, we must make it a priority to spend TIME with Him. Relationships do not "maintain"; they either grow or dwindle.
John 15:9-10
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."
Love. Abiding in Jesus' love speaks of an ongoing relationship with Him, which He says will consist of obeying what He commands you.
John 15:11-12
"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
And obeying Jesus' commands is the path to true joy.
One of His primary commands to us is to love our Christian brethren sacrificially. For each of them is also bought by Christ, loved by the Father, and connected to the same Vine as I am.
John 15:1
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."
The Father is intimately involved in our being pruned so as to bear fruit.
He does not toss us into the world and say "go bear fruit!" and hope it works, nor expect us to scrounge up the ability to bear fruit on our own. He Himself is the pruner, the shaper of the branches.
John 15:4
"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."
The life of the vine must course through the branch for it to stay alive and to bear fruit.
John 15:7
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."
If Jesus' life becomes my life, and His Words become my thoughts, then I will wish what He wishes, and my prayers will be ones that God delights to answer.
Without the vine, the branch dies; it has no source of life and nutrition apart from connection to the vine. So Christ is the source of ongoing life and spiritual sustenance to the Christian. You cannot expect to grow in your Christian life or to mature or to develop in grace without a living, ongoing, connection to the Vine, to Christ.
This pictures for us a life of constantly seeing, loving, and submitting to Christ, knowing Him in an increasingly intimate way, and reveling in the benefits of His work for us.
John 15:8
"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."
A true disciple becomes like his Master. You become more like those with whom you spend the most time. If we are to become like Christ, we must make it a priority to spend TIME with Him. Relationships do not "maintain"; they either grow or dwindle.
John 15:9-10
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."
Love. Abiding in Jesus' love speaks of an ongoing relationship with Him, which He says will consist of obeying what He commands you.
John 15:11-12
"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
And obeying Jesus' commands is the path to true joy.
One of His primary commands to us is to love our Christian brethren sacrificially. For each of them is also bought by Christ, loved by the Father, and connected to the same Vine as I am.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
parent the child you are entrusted with
This was a great quote:
"When you choose to have a child, you do not order-up a baby. You sign-up to parent the child you're entrusted with - the one you have, the one who is counting on you. If you only want to parent the perfect baby you want to have, you have no business becoming a parent. ... I needed a reminder that my son needed me, and I had an open invitation to cherish him exactly as he is, right now, tomorrow, and ever after. No matter what happens."
(from this post: All of us, son, love all of you)
(from this post: All of us, son, love all of you)
Monday, December 7, 2015
Endurance
Endurance. It is commanded and commended in the Bible.
It is not just something we might need, but rather something we are called to do.
It is perseverance. Patience. Waiting and not giving up. Keeping the faith despite opposition. Holding fast to Jesus when persecuted. Lasting through trouble and hardship without giving up or falling away. Continuing to the end even through difficulties.
I thought of this especially in light of the current trend in universities for students to demand never to be offended or "hurt" by something someone might say or do that bothers them. In contrast, the Bible says these things:
2Timothy 2:3 - "You therefore must endure hardship [share suffering] as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
Matthew 24:13 - "But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
Revelation 13:7-10 - "Also [the beast] was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints."
Revelation 14:12 - "Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."
Hebrews 12:1-3 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted."
Hebrews 6:15 - "And so, after [Abraham] had patiently endured [waited], he obtained the promise."
Hebrews 10:35-36 - "Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised."
Mark 4:17 - "And they [seed sown on rocky ground] have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away."
1 Corinthians 4:10,12-13 - "We are fools for Christ's sake ... we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things."
1 Corinthians 13:7, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
2 Timothy 2:10,12 - "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ... if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us..."
2 Timothy 4:5 - "As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."
1 Peter 2:19-21 - "For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Amazing hesed love!
Romans 8
It is astounding!
My God has bound himself to me, in hesed love - so much that he not only commits to die for me to save me from my sin, but he goes further and adopts me into his family!
He knows me - before anything in me; he foreknows, he purposes (with purposes that shall not fail nor be thwarted), he justifies, he glorifies.
He chooses. He plans. He saves. He brings Home.
How can I not live in amazed joy, regardless of circumstances? "This God - his way is perfect..." And none of his purposes can be thwarted. No circumstance can man his love has been taken away from those whom he has committed himself to; rather, everything at every moment has to be subservient to His purpose: to make us like Jesus, and to bring us safely Home.
Who can be in a safer place, than one to whom the God of the Universe, the Lord of the Ages, has bound Himself? Every event says to that person, "I love you, child, and this will synergize into joy for you!"
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