Loving Christ-MacArthur devotional (20100712)

Posted by Christopher on Jul 12th, 2010
2010
Jul 12

Loving Christ

"This precious value, then, is for you who believe" (1st Peter 2:7). (NIV,KJV,ESV)
First Peter 2:7 speaks of the believer’s affection for Christ as contrasted to an unbeliever’s rejection of Him. The first part of that verse could be translated, "To you who believe, He is precious." "Precious" means "valuable," "costly," "without equal," or "irreplaceable." Christ is all that, but only believers recognize His supreme value and regard Him with affection. Affection for Christ is the bottom-line characteristic of true believers. Believing in Him and loving Him are inseparable.
 
In John 16:27 Jesus says, "The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed." In Matthew 10:37 He says, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Believers have a compelling and surpassing love for Christ.
 
To His antagonists Jesus declared, "If God were your Father, you would love Me"(John 8:42). Anyone who truly loves God will love Christ.
Those antagonists claimed to be children of God, but their deception was revealed when they tried to kill Jesus for preaching God’s truth. They were in fact children of the devil (v. 44).
 
In John 14 Jesus adds, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. . . . He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him. . . . If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words" (vv. 15, 21, 23- 24).
Many people are confused about what it means to be a Christian. But you have the privilege of clarifying the issue as you esteem Christ highly, love Him deeply, and demonstrate your love by obeying His Word. May God bless you richly as you pursue that goal today.

Exploring the deeper implications behind the Purpose driven “model

Posted by Christopher on Feb 26th, 2010
2010
Feb 26

Host Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith provides a Special Edition of his PodCast which I would highly recommend you all take the time to listen to regarding the Purpose Driven/Seeker Sensitive “way” of doing church.

1st John 4:1-9
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

Grace and peace be with you.

Sin Is Lawlessness – devotional (20100216)

Posted by Christopher on Feb 16th, 2010
2010
Feb 16

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness,and sin is lawlessness.
1st John 3:4

It is a dangerous thing to live your life without a spiritual "plum line," or standard, by which youplumb-bob,Got Fruit,2010 determine right from wrong.  God’s Word is that plumb line.  Spiritual laws, like physical laws, are meant to protect you, not restrict you.  You may exercise your freedom to challenge the laws of electricity, but to do so can bring you death.   Likewise, you will not break God’s laws, they will break you.  God established absolute moral and spiritual laws that we are free to ignore, but we do so at our own peril.  These laws are timeless.  Culture does not supersede them.  Circumstances do not abrogate them.  God’s laws are eternal, and they will save you from death if you follow them.

10 Commandments,Exodus,Got Fruit,2010 You may feel that God’s laws restrict and bind you.  On the contrary, God’s Word protects you from death (Romans 6:23).  For example, when God said that you are not to commit adultery, He wanted to free you to experience the fullest pleasure of a marriage relationship.  Furthermore, He knew the devastating heartache that would come to you, your spouse, your children, your relatives, your friends, and your church family if you broke this law.  How important the laws of God are for your life!  Without them, you would be robbed of the delights God has in store for you.

Sin is choosing a standard other than God’s law on which to base your life.  If you are measuring your life by that of your neighbors, or society at large, then you are basing your life on lawlessness, and lawlessness is sin.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

Living a Holy life – summary thoughts on 1st Peter 1:13-25

Posted by Christopher on Feb 3rd, 2010
2010
Feb 3

From what I’ve gathered from the reading, here’s a “short” outline/summary along some verses that came to mind for further referencing of those requirements that the Apostle Peter laid out in 1st Peter 1 verses 13-25 for Christians to live a holy life.

REQUIREMENTS FOR LIVING A HOLY LIFELeviticus11_44-45-000

  1. Have a mind prepared for action
    1. Being self controlled v13
      See Galatians 5:22-26, 1st Thessalonians 5:1-11, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5
    2. Having hope in the grace given by God through Christ Jesus our Lord & Savior v13
      See John 3:16-20,Romans 3:23-25, Romans 5:20-21
    3. Do not continue to live as though you are still a sinner v14
      See 1st Peter 2:11, Ephesians 2:11-22, John 15:18-19
    4. Live in Christ and with the knowledge of knowing Christ through God’s Word v14
      See John 5:36-40,John 15:3-5, 2nd Corinthians 4:6
    5. Be obedient and submit to God and His will v14
      See Deuteronomy 11:12-14, Matthew 22:35-37,Luke 10:26-28, John 14:21-25
      1. In heart
      2. In mind
      3. In body
        1. In deeds
        2. In word(s)
  2. Live as aliens of the world, not as it’s citizens do v17
    See John 15:18-19, 1st Thessalonians 5:1-5
  3. Fear the Lord out of reverence v17
    See Deuteronomy 6:23-25, Psalm 19:8-10, Psalm 33:17-19, Psalm 111:9-10
  4. Be eternally minded v18
    See Isaiah 26:3-5, Matthew 25:31-46, John 3:15-17,2nd Corinthians 4:16-18
  5. Cherish the new life given to you by the blood of Christ v18-20
    See 2nd Corinthians 5:16-21, Galatians 6:12-15 & 1st  Peter 1:23
  6. Remember that you are saved and why you are saved v21
    1. By God’s mercy & grace
      See 2nd Corinthians 4:6
    2. By and through Christ’s blood, and atoning sacrifice to appease God’s coming wrath against sinner
      See Romans 6:19-25
  7. Abide (continue) in the love of God v22
    See 1st Corinthians 13:7-9, John 14:22-24, 1st John 2:4-6, 1st John 5:2-4
    1. Deeply
    2. Unconditionally
    3. Sacrificially
    4. Selflessly
  8. Remember God’s promises v24
    See Ephesians 2:11-13, Psalm 33:17-19, Daniel 9:4

Grace and peace be with you.

Sunday morning comedians

Posted by Christopher on Nov 9th, 2009
2009
Nov 9

Yesterday as I arrived at church for our Sunday morning Bible Study, I was greeted by the 3 Stooges eagerly awaiting our study of “Gollashes” to begin; that would be Colossians for the rest of us.

Praise God for good friends!    :)

3 Stooges,Gollashes,Colossians,Got Fruit,WHCC

1st John 4:7-12
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Grace and peace be with you.

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