Tag Archives: living

Committed – Romans 12:1-2

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Last nights preach at Lifegroups Together really struck home, and before I forget the key parts that jumped out at me, I want to spend this mornings quiet time with the Lord, reflecting on what was said, and looking at

what the Bible says about commitment.

“…In a Bacon and Egg sandwich, the chicken is involved…. but the pig is committed…”    The chicken plays its part by laying the egg, where as the pig is “all in”, laying down its life.  We too are told to live our lives as a living sacrifice, Romans 12:1-2.  Doing work for the Lord isn’t just reserved for the weekend, and the odd week night.  We are called to be committed.  That challenged my own approach immediately.  I can list many things I am “involved” with, but if you were to ask to as to which one I was “committed” to, I would more than likely struggle to give you a straight answer….  The basic answer is none!

Margaret Mead said:  “…Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.

Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has…”

Notice she did not say, an army of people who are involved, but a small group of committed people!  Can we rise up to the challenge, and take a step, or even a leap forward into truly committing to something in our church, or a ministry?  Something we can truly throw ourselves into, glorifying the Lord.  I will be contemplating what I should be committed to, and if there is anything else I am involved with that could be in the way of me committing to that which the Lord intend, I pray I will be given wisdom, discernment and will know the right course to take.

My “memory verse” for today will be the following:  1 Corinthians 15:58.

Fragrance – 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

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15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Another reminder of how important it is to be an example to others of the love and saving grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ.  For some people, we may be the only Christian contact or example they have had in life, for others, we may be a reminder to them of the answer they are seeking.

If people can’t see the difference in us, then we are not going to stand out.  I will try to illustrate:  Imagine as a Christian you are a healthy flower, you feed regularly on the word, share fellowship etc all to help you to continue to grow and bloom.  You are in a bunch of dead flowers, whose leaves and petals have dried and their head droop with sorrow to the ground.

The healthy flower stands out from the others.  Its smell sweet to the scent, its glory radiates against the back drop of death.  People notice that flower, there is something different about it!

Non-Christians should see us as different in a way too.  If I was not to feed regularly on the word thus stunting my growth as a Christian, and if I was to join in earthly activities satisfying my own desires, then I would look very similar to the dead flowers that surround me, and people would not see the Glory of God.

Feed on the “Miracle-Grow” that is His word, blossom and bloom, and be a living example in a world of sin, of Gods Glory that other people may know him, and come to bloom.

New Living – 2 Corinthians 5:12-21

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When you become a Christian, you have taken a huge step of faith and asked for the Lord Jesus forgiveness of your sins, and for him to come into your heart so that you can live for him. Read more about becoming a Christian here. The moment you do that your life immediately is changed. For many people there is no flash of light, and BANG everything is different, but over the next few days and weeks, as they grow to learn more about Jesus, their lives are transformed.

Once we become a Christian, we wonder what the next steps are. Do we need to follow a set of rules? Can I eat certain foods

? Must I wear certain clothes? Speak in a certain way

?

Remember, to be saved, you need to have taken the step and asked Jesus into your life, you have accepted that he died for you, and you wish to be forgiven. Its a FREE gift, a gift of Grace. Read Ephesians 2:8-9. You don’t earn this gift because we as humans would never be good/holy enough to earn salvation. Therefore you don’t follow a set of rules to earn salvation, you have it!

How to live as a Christian is your living “thank you” to the Lord for saving you. He sacrificed his Son to die in our place so that we may have eternal life and that we may have a relationship with him. Therefore once we accept his as our saviour, we want to live our lives in a way that says “thank you” to the Lord for what he has done.

Therefore, by imitating how Jesus lived, by reading the Bible, Praying and through your relationships with other Christians at church and in groups you learn how to grow and live as Jesus lived, thus breaking free from any sin that’s in your life and being a changed person.

If you have asked him in, then you already have the gift, so the next steps are to learn to live a “thank you” for him. If you are a new Christian then make sure you join a Bible orientated church and make Christian friends so that you will have support in growing as a Christian and fixing anything in your life that you need help with.

Also please contact me if you want more information or have any questions.

Prayer and Witness – Colossians 1:3-14

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There recently in many of my daily devotionals seems to be a common theme.  How we live our lives is one of the most important witnesses to the lost we can give.  In Colossians, we find them praying for their brother that he may have strength and wisdom.  Checkout this verse:

Colossians 1:10 – …And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God… (NIV).

Here they pray that their brother may live a life worthy of the Lord.  Not conforming to localised peer pressures, or becoming captive to sin, but living in the light and knowledge of the Lord that he may bear fruit.  His actions are a witness to those around him.

How this passage differs from previous sections on “imitating” God and living like him, is the emphasis on prayer.  It is a strong reminder that we cant live for him, or live like him without his help!  Go it alone and you will fail.  However if you have him with you at all times, you will bear fruit.

I am reminded of a verse in Revelation 22:1-3, …Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.

And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

3 No longer will there be any curse…

I can envisage that the crops and trees were growing and bearing fruit as they were feeding from the living water flowing from the throne.  We as Christians can bear fruit by drinking the living water, in reading the word, in prayer and in living for him (you cant pick one of them, they are linked).