Tag Archives: love

Is it Too Good to be True!?

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Sermon at New Life Church 2nd Aug 2009.
Click here to listen

Is it Too Good to be True!?

As I was researching for this sermon, I decided to consult the internet.  I googled several terms, and eventually came across these wise words, which were not as encouraging as they first sounded:

“… a good sermon helps people in different ways: some rise from it strengthened, others wake from it refreshed…”

With what I am going to share with you today though, I KNOW you are going to rise strengthened, invigorated and full of energy and excitement!  If you were asleep, or about to, you are going to sit up in your seat because what I have to share with you is the most amazing news you will ever hear!  Life changing, transforming, mind blowingly amazing news!

How do I know you are not going to fall asleep?  Because the more I researched this passage, the more my eyes were opened!  The joy that I at times struggle to hold onto was re-ignited, my understanding renewed.  Everything changed, and I have been on fire ever since!

The title of this sermon is a question:  “Is it too good to be true!?”

The main passage today is Ephesians 2: 4-9, and for those following I will mainly be referencing from the ESV version.

We will be looking at God’s gift of salvation. We will start off by looking at who we were and then, who we are now.  We will then look at what God has done for us and why he did it.  And we will finish with what it means for us!

Remember what Scott said last week as one of his 4 points to “Cease the Day”.  Know your God… it changes everything!  Well I urge you to take this journey with me today through this scripture.  Know what God has done for us, know how God feels about us, and Know what God is doing for us!

Ephesians 2:4-9 (English Standard Version)

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved- 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Lets pray: Pray that you will get a fresh understanding of the Gospel, and of its power this morning.  I pray that lives will be changed, that people will be set free.  That lost joy will return, that there will be a party here today as the amazing truth of your Gospel, of your good news, of your amazing grace is revealed to us, maybe even for some for the first time.  In Jesus name, Amen!

Verse 8 says:  “It is the gift of God”

Dictionary.com – defines GIFT: something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favour toward someone.

So how much does a gift cost?  Well at least to the receiver, nothing!  Its FREE!

FREE….  Now there’s a word I guarantee you have probably heard several times this week, if not seen on your TV, or at the supermarket.

We live in a society where FREE is becoming more and more a popular concept/topic.  You only need to look in shop windows, “buy one get one free”, of Free gift when you spend £10 or more on anti ageing cream”!

Look at the internet, and there are even websites dedicated to “Freebies”.  Listing the latest ways to get your hands on mouse mats, t-shirts, short breaks and more for….. FREE!

And yet behind all these offers, there always seems to be a catch, or perhaps an ulterior motive.

Buy one get one FREE!  Well for a start you have to buy one… and if they can offer one free, what always gets me is, why haven’t they been charging half the price all these years? (Sorry, that’s the grumpy Lee speaking!)

All the “freebies” I looked at on the internet, require me to hand over nearly all my personal information so I can be “kept up to date with the latest offerings,” and my data can be shared with “specially selected business partners”.  Yes my information will be sold, and I will be shortly receiving my free gift, followed by a barrage of phone calls for double glazed windows, time shares and book clubs offering me the first book for £1.99 as long as I promise to continue to purchase other books they send in the post for the next year!

How about those free tasters we are kindly offered when we wander around super markets, and streams of people dash forward?   Unfortunately, these too are not gifts motivated by love or kindness, but are tasters of what the supermarket hopes you are going to buy!  Its your wallet that is their objective!

… FREE…. Does FREE really exist at all?  Does FREE always come with an ulterior motive?  Does the motive behind FREE always involve me giving something in return?

When you look at “free” with all its ties, free doesn’t really seem so… “free” any more!  “Modern day marketing free”, seems to involve giving something or doing something in return for a gift/reward.

All this marketing bombardment, has probably contributed us become much more cynical in life.  Now a days, a knee jerk reaction to being offered something for nothing tends to be “What’s the catch”?  And warnings such as “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” are common place.

In this passage we see that God has offered us a FREE gift!  The gift of salvation!  We are saved by his grace.  As the passage says, BY GRACE

What does grace mean?  In short “Unmerited favour”.  Getting something you don’t actually deserve!

To fully realise the magnificence of Gods grace, lets look again at verses 4-5, and firstly where we were.  We need to remind our selves of what we were to God, to understand the mind boggling amazingness of what he has done for us, and the true value of the gift he gives.

Ephesians 2:4-5 (English Standard Version)

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved-

It says here we were DEAD in our sins!

Of course we weren’t physically dead as such!  We walked, talked, did our 9-5, went to school, took care of the kids, went out and partied etc.  We were, however spiritually dead, (cut off from the Lord, separated from him)!

If we look at verses 2-3 of Ephesians 2, we will see exactly where we were:

Ephesians 2:1-3 (English Standard Version)

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience- 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Built with a natural need for acceptance, significance and security (which only a relationship with God produces) we instead looked to other things to try and fill those needs.

a)the world – The world presents itself as our friend.  It promises to offer us the security we need in such things as finance.  It tells me if I conform to a certain look, a certain dress style, and have a certain body shape then I will be accepted.

b)the devil – The Devil is behind the promises of the world, so whether we knew it or not, he was who we followed.  All temptation is simply an attempt at getting us try meeting our inbuilt needs for significance, acceptance and security from sources other than God.

c)the flesh – our cravings, our desires, our thoughts of the flesh.  These includes negative thought processes, and bad habits that can form that took control of our lives and ensnared us.

To summarise:

  • We did what the world wanted

  • We did what the devil wanted

  • We did what we wanted

Therefore, because of this, as in verse 3 we were by nature objects of wrath!

Who we were displeased God, we were therefore by nature objects of Gods Righteous anger, thus separating us from God… and there was nothing we could do about it!

We had all sinned, and the Bible is clear:

Romans 6:23 (English Standard Version)

23 For the wages of sin is death,

And yet,  despite all this…… our awesome, heavenly, merciful, loving father stepped in and took action.

If we read the second half of Romans 6:23:

Romans 6:23 (English Standard Version)

…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Despite where we were, God stepped in, lets look in this passage at what he did for us!:

(Verse 5 second half)

He made us alive!

(Verse 6)

He raised us up with Christ!

Seated us with Him in the heavens!!

(Verse 8)
He has saved us.  Saved us from eternal separation from Him. Saved us from the judgement to come.  Saved us from death.

As Christians we are completely accepted by God, the gap separating us from Him closed.

Look at how many times Paul emphasises the fact we are no longer separated from God.

We are with x3 and in x2.

made us alive together with Christ-
6and raised us up with him
and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in-kindness toward us in Christ Jesus

That’s a lot of emphasis in a couple of sentences!  Paul is making a point of it!

We are no longer separated.

We are NO LONGER subject to Satan, the world, the flesh.  We are free!  We have died with Christ, been raised up with him to new live, and ascended with him to the right had of the Father in heaven!

WOW!

Again,  despite where we WHERE, he did this for you and for me!

And guess what??? Its ALL A GIFT!  A FREE GIFT OF GRACE!

Grace

God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
God’s Righteousness At Christ’s Expense
God’s Radical And Complete Embrace
Even Christians can STILL struggle with that niggling doubt… “What’s the catch?”

I think I earlier coined a phrase “marketing free”.

Does FREE exist?  Real FREE is easier to recognise when we look what motivated the gift.

We already understand the “marketing free” isn’t motivated for a love for us, or a concern for our well being, but about our wallets, and how much we will spend, and how valuable our information is.

Lets look at WHY God did this for us, what are Gods motivations for offering us the gift of Salvation:

Notice again Paul ads extra emphasis to highlight each motivation.  Yes he is making a point again!

(v4) Because of His Great Love
Its because he loves us SO much that he had compassion on us.  Not because we deserved to be saved, but because he loves us, because he loves us, because he loves us.

(v4) Because he is rich in Mercy
It is because because he is so rich mercy, we get what we don’t deserve!

We are saved.
What have we been saved for?

(v7) To show The Incomparable riches of his grace
And His Kindness

The Amplified Bible translation sums these last 2 up well:

Ephesians 2:7 (Amplified Bible)

7He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favour) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

God is Glorified in this.  His great love for us is demonstrated in this, that we too may shine for Him.

To God be the Glory, lets look at verse 10 quickly:

Ephesians 2:10 (English Standard Version)

10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Workmanship in the original Greek means, “Work of Art” or “Masterpiece”.  We are Gods works of art!  We are part of his plan.  We are his masterpieces that he is working on, chipping away at all our rough edges!  He wants to show us off, for His Glory.

That we may be examples of his grace.  So that those who have not experienced grace or goodness, can see Him in us.

Remember, we were separated from God, we were dead in our sin, there was nothing we could ever do to, right any wrongs, to atone for our wrong doing or to earn our way to heaven!  In short God RESUCED US!

And it was a GIFT.  A truly FREE gift, motivated by love, mercy and kindness.

Surely we have to bring something to the mix?  What do we bring?  Some might say; “well, My faith”!  Well no! Even your faith has  been given to you.  Look again at verses 8 – 9.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (English Standard Version)

8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Faith is a gift too!

Romans 10:17 (English Standard Version)

17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Faith is the hand that receives the gift.

Many Christians still struggle with feeling they must need to do something in order to deserve the gift of salvation.
Illustration:

Let me give you an example of this, in story of Tom and Bob;

Tom met Bob at a Church Community project painting the homes of the elderly in their community.
“Is this your first time at the Paint-a-thon?” asked Tom.

“Oh, no. I’m a regular.” Said Bob

“Hey, that’s great!” Tom said “Serving people this way seems like a great opportunity to show our gratitude to God.”

“Gratitude?” said Bob, puzzled. “I never really thought of it that way. I just figure it pays to make points with The Man Upstairs whenever you can. It might come in handy. Know what I mean?”

“I don’t think a person can actually earn points with God”, said Tom. “Isn’t it all about grace?”

Bob stopped painting. “Ever hear the expression there’s no such thing as a free lunch?”

“Well, why should religion be any different? You don’t really expect “The Big Guy” to give people a free pass, do you? What if you mess up somewhere along the line and tick him off? I’m not sure hell is real, but why take a chance? I’m playing it safe. I plan to cover all my bases, rack up some brownie points just in case.”

Have you ever thought like Bob did?  Even a little?

We cant “earn” salvation by doing good things.  God doesn’t have a gold sticker chart in heaven, and apply another one when you help an old lady across the road or drop some change into the tin rattled in your face!

People often struggle with a natural sway toward “too good to be true” mentality, perhaps because of their own life experiences.  A parent who had anger issues, or an unpredictable friend or colleague who could flare up without warning may have broken their trust, confidence and security in people and relationships.

These feelings can then transferred when looking at God, and it can all too easily creep into a Christians way of thinking and perception of God, eventually leading to a “Salvation by works mentality” (totally contrary to this scripture).

The Joy that was theirs when they were first saved is robbed, and they live their lives trying to get more gold stars on the giant refrigerator in the sky!  Suffering with feelings of condemnation, chasing “holiness” by doing good deeds.

When you understand that your salvation is a GIFT by the GRACE of God, because of his GREAT LOVE for you, it starts to affect the way you live!

Grace, by the way is not a ticket to sin.

I have often heard people say that grace is a “get out clause” so that people can sin whenever they please, then just check in now and again to say sorry.  This can be termed “Cheap Grace”. Cheap grace means they haven’t truly understood grace! Grace understood would and could never translate to making such an amazing act of undeserved mercy trivial or unappreciated.

The natural response is to grace is to be amazed at Gods glory, to be in awe of what he has done, and who you are now!  Small token, “brownie point earning” acts, become works of love and appreciation.

“Holiness” does not lead to grace.  Grace leads to Holiness.

Illustration:

A husband and wife didn’t really love each other. The man was very demanding, so much so that he prepared a list of rules and regulations for his wife to follow. He insisted that she read them over every day and obey them to the letter. Among other things, his “do’s and don’ts” indicated such details as what time she had to get up in the morning, when his breakfast should be served, and how the housework should be done.

After several long years, the husband died. As time passed, the woman fell in love with another man, one who dearly loved her. Soon they were married. This husband did everything he could to make his new wife happy, continually showering her with tokens of his appreciation. One day as she was cleaning house, she found tucked away in a drawer the list of commands her first husband had drawn up for her.

As she looked it over, it dawned on her that even though her present husband hadn’t given her any kind of list, she was doing everything her first husband’s list required anyway. She realized she was so devoted to this man that her deepest desire was to please him out of love, not obligation.

Obedience to God is born not out of the need to earn points to gain his favour, but becomes an act of love, to honour Him!

Holiness is the natural response to the revelation of Gods Grace.  The realisation that God loves us.  That we are truly accepted by God.  That we are Children of God.

God has done everything for us.  There is nothing we can do to make him love us more, and there is nothing we can do to make him love us less.  He did everything for us on the cross.

We are no longer objects of his wrath.

Its amazing!  Absolutely amazing!
Remember the question “Is it too good to be true”?

Here is the answer:

It IS GOOD, and it IS TRUE!

Application:

To the Christians here today.  Perhaps you have lost sight, or forgotten the original message of the Gospel.  Perhaps you have lost the joy you once had, perhaps your life is reflecting that of Ephesians 2:1-3, rather than whom you really are in Christ!

I urge you to grab onto the truth of the gospel, the power of the gospel.

John 8:32 (English Standard Version)

32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

You are no longer separated from God, this is your identity in Christ:

Several months ago we looked at out identity in Christ.

I want to remind you of just a few of them.  Under 3 headings.  The three things we automatically seek!

You are SIGNFICANT:
You have been chosen and appointed by God  John 15:16
You are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms  Eph 2:6
You are god workmanship created for good works  Eph 2:10
You may approach God with freedom and confidence. Eph 3:12

You are SECURE:
You are free for ever from condemnation  – Romans 8:1-2
You cannot be separated from the love of God  Romans 8:35-39
You are a citizen of heaven – Phillipians 3:20

You are ACCEPTED:
You are Gods child John 1 :12
You have been bought with a price,  You belong to God.  1 Corinth  6:19-20
You are a saint.  Eph 1.1
You have been adopted as Gods child.  Eph 1:5
You have direct access to God through the holy spirit. Eph 2:18
You have been redeemed and forgiven for all your sins.  Col 1:14

The way you live your life is usually a result of who you think you are.  These are biblical truths of who you are today.
Don’t fall into the trap of chasing “Holiness” by doing good deeds!

Instead embrace God’s Grace and let Him work out his masterpiece in you.  Let God gently chip away at your rough edges, whatever they are, as he transforms you his work of art, his masterpiece.

Let go, and let God

To Non Christians:

If you are not a Christian today, then you are still living in the world of Ephesians 2:1 – 3, spiritually dead, and separated from God.

When God created man he made us to be like him.  He gave us purpose and authority.  And he provided for us.  Just like any parent would do today for their cherished children.

He wanted to be in a relationship with us.

Love and relationships cannot however be forced upon someone, so God gave us all a choice.  Right back at the beginning, the very first man and woman, Adam and Eve both rebelled against God, and from that point onward were separated from God.

God, could very well have called it a day at that very point and yet, because he loves us he stepped in and made a way.  A way that would cost him dearly.

He he sent his own Son to earth, to die for our sins!  For the small white lies, and the “borrowed” office stationery, right through to the worst things you can imagine.  God took all them on that day and hurled them at Jesus who took the punishment for every single one.

3 days later Jesus his son rose from the dead, and having defeated death and taken the punishment that we deserve, he now offers you the completely FREE gift of salvation.

If you recognise the sin in your life, see your need for a saviour, and you want to have a relationship with God, to be saved, to have the gap between you and God bridged, then I urge you to take action.

I am going to ask the band to come up and play, and as we sing, THERE’S NO CONDEMNATION  (I’m Alive in Jesus Christ), I want to invite you, if you feel that God has been speaking to you today, to come up to the front and we will happily talk with you and pray with you.

Final Song: THERE’S NO CONDEMNATION  (I’m Alive in Jesus Christ)

Love Your Neighbour – James 2:8-13

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I think “Love your neighbour as yourself” is one of the best known lines of the Bible.  At least thats what non-Christians quote to me when telling me what they understand about the faith.  Have we ever thought about what this law actually means!?

Sure I have….  Havent I?  I am nice to people…

Thinking about it in detail, our neighbour is not simply those who live next door and behind our physical homes, but litterally everyone!  It says quite clearly in James we shouldnt have favourites, and I know for a fact I have been guilty of that in the past, avoiding someone else, and “bee-lining” for someone who is more popular, easier to talk to or have less problems to “moan” about!

You see the problem there is I displayed selfishness, and by that simple action, broke the “law of loving”.

OK, but I have never murdered anyone, nor have I stolen from a bank, robbed a car or anything terribly bad!

 Well, when standing in court for a driving offence be it speeding or parking, it will not help your case should you say, “But I havent murdered, anyone your honour!”.  The fact is, a law has been broken, thus the penalty must be served.

The Bible is clear also, that the wages of sin is death.  And if it were not for our Lord God, through the death and ressurection of His Son Jesus Christ, there would be no hope for us!  We would be no doubt be sent away was it not for His love.

Now as Christians, it is clear we have a calling to keep this law.

Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.
James 2:12  - GNB 

It is a desire of our hearts, as we are freed from slavery to sin (Rom 8:2).  As part of our relationship of love with the Lord, it is natural to want to live a life for Him, to follow Jesus’ example and live like Him.  Examine your heart, examine your motives, and if there is anything that you are struggling with, leave it at Jesus feet, seeking His help.  Invite His Holy Spirit to open the eyes of your heart, to guide you, and to strengthen you in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Fathers Love – Hosea 11:1-4

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The first thing that struck me about this passage was the amount of love the Father has for his people.  I sometimes loose sight of how much our God loves!  Here we see him talking just as you or I would talk about our own children had they flown the nest without as much as a wave, a thank you, or even an “I’ll keep in touch!”

It is amazing to think that God is our father, that He was with us when we took our first steps, even when we lay in bed at night scared of the “bogey man” God was there!  The day we chose to follow Him, He was there!

 He is the perfect father, who will never abandon us, who will always be listening to us, always loving and caring.

For parents, this passage is very touching as it is very easy to apply this situation to your own family, and how you would feel in the same situation.  As parents we love our children unconditionally, they do not earn it!  How intense therefore the pain, if our Children were to rebel, or reject our love and care.

God’s love for us led Him to offer the biggest sacrifice He could ever have given;

“…How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure…”
Stuart Townsend 

Thank you Father God for your sacrifice, for your immense love.  Thank you for your Father heart, that loves us unconditionally, that extends your grace to those who seek you, that loves us as your very own children.

It is such an encouragement to find a passage like this in the old testament that really reminds me and drives home that our God is a loving Father God.  I rarely dip into the old testament as I am always focusing on the Gospel, and yet God was with man for hundreds of years before He sent His Son, and by reading what transpired, really helps us to build up a picture of our loving father, as well as see the events that led to that manger and eventually the cross.

Guided by the Holy Spirit – Acts 16:6-10

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In Acts 16:6-10 we see throughout the passage Paul and Silas are constantly guided by the Holy Spirit.  They have allowed themselves to be open to the guidance of the Spirit, and when the Spirit then gave Paul a vision, they didn’t sit back, trying to decide if they should do anything about it, they simply got up and went!  They obeyed the Holy Spirit and went on to preach the Good News to many who were saved.

Last night at our Lifegroup, we looked further into the sermon that Phil preached on Sunday (I am posting in Fellowship some the rest of my notes on the sermon in the near future). A large emphasis of what we talked about was about the Holy Spirit, and how He strengthens us and guides us, as well as enables us to grow in Him. Looking then at today’s Our Daily Bread reading, I was surprised that Ephesians 2:22 has popped up again (Sunday, Thursday and now Friday)! As you may have read from previous posts, I believe the Lord will repeat Himself as much as it takes so that we will sit up and listen.

22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

The Holy Spirit does live inside us.  Before Jesus death, the only place for God’s Glory was the Holy of Holy’s in the temple at Jerusalem, and yet when Jesus died, the temple curtain was ripped in half, Jesus rose from the grave, and the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples and has continued to be poured out across the world.  The Holy Spirit is there as our guide, like in this passage in Acts.  We need to listen carefully to what He says, and be obedient to His guidance.  If we feel we must share the Gospel with a random person on the street, then we should do so, ignoring the old human fears and impulses, but just trusting in the Lord and His Holy Spirit.  You may only plant a seed, but one day that seed with burst forth life.

Living in a state of obedience to the Holy Spirit is really quite exciting, as we are no longer living a life that we plan out for ourselves!  We are living a life where we don’t know where the Holy Spirit is going to take us next.  That is not to say we shouldn’t try to plan our careers etc, but we should lean heavily on the Holy Spirit for guidance to make the right career choices, family choices, etc.  I pray that I can be as faithful as Paul and Silas and that I will recognise the Holy Spirits voice when He calls and points me in directions, that sometimes I may not want to go.  And I pray that in those situations that the Lord will be Glorified.

Who is God? – Psalm 146

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Who is God? A question that to which you may get many different answers. A close friend of mine things God is a guy in the clouds with a white beard who throws thunderbolts down from heaven and makes rules for us all to follow. His idea of God sounds much like the god Zeus from Greek mythology, and I seem to remember featured in the film Fantasia! Unfortunately as strange as it seems, he probably isn’t the only one who has this image of God. Many people have stereotyped God in a way that makes them feel comfortable, and perhaps they can then feel justified for not wanting a relationship with Him.

Surprisingly, even Christians can be guilty of creating an image of God for themselves of which does not truly reflect Him or His nature.  If we want to see who God is, we need to turn to His Word, for the Word is Truth.  Looking at the scriptures and statements below, we can start to see a loving Father God:

God is Love.
1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (NIV)

He is our Father.


Isaiah 64:8  Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; We are all the work of your hand. (NIV)

He is the Creator.
Isaiah 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

He is Powerful
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (NIV)

Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (NIV)

He Loves Us

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

(NIV)

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (NIV)

The above are just a few verses that help us to understand who God is, and the only way to know Him better to to keep studying His Word, and communicating with Him in prayer.  We wouldn’t get very far in our relationships if we were not to talk to each other!  That’s why its important we work on our relationship with God and continue to want to know Him more and more each day.

More Proof? – Romans 1:18-23

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9 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Every now and again, a little doubt is sometimes entertained by my mind of God existence.  Thankfully any time that happens, within seconds I realise how foolish it to doubt!  Just looking up at the stars at night is such an awesome sight.  Beautiful celestial creations, powerful yet graceful, placed their by Gods hand.

Not just the stars in the sky, but the very nature we see around us is so amazing.  Take a look at this website www.edenpics.com, it is full of pictures of God’s glorious creation.  Awe inspiring landscapes, breath taking views, and science would have you believe that all that beauty was an accident!  A reaction that caused an explosion that created all we see?  Not likely!  All I can see is an awesome masterpiece made by a loving artist.  Our God.

Proof of Gods existence is everywhere.  It is humbling therefore to think that our Father God, loved us SO much that he sent His Son to take away the sin of the world, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.  Do you sometimes doubt Jesus existence?  You only need to look at the history books, and how many people wrote about Him, saw Him and had heard of Him.  We believe in the existence of Julius Ceaser, and yet there is not a lot of evidence he actually existed!  We have the Bible, down through the ages, the written word.  The Bible is Truth.

So he existed, but how can we be sure he was the Son of God.  For me it is how everything he said so perfectly matched Gods promises in the Old Testament!  (Check out Isaiah for a start off!)  Check out this link http://www.sowhataboutjesus.com/who.php that looks in depth into was Jesus a Liar, Lunatic or the Son of God.  You will come to the same conclusion I came to long ago, that he really is the Messiah, the Son of God, sent to this world to pay the price for our sins.

Coming to this realisation really humbles me.  What amazing love that He would die for me.  I can’t thank Him enough.  Its at Easter time that I feel so sad and ashamed that my sin drove those nails into His hands and His feet.  But then I remember that He rose again, victorious over death, so we may too have eternal life.  That we may have a relationship with Him, and love him forever.

Thank you God for loving us so much.  Thank you for your sacrifice on the cross.  You are amazing God.  I love you.

Fruits of the Spirit – Galatians 5:16-26

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22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control… (Galatians 5:22-23)

We are so busy with our lives that we can often forget the importance of living our lives by the Holy Spirit. As in the verses above, the Holy Spirit imparts in us many excellent qualities and values that will bless us and those around us.

Sinful acts and desires only lead to unhappiness, darkness, even death.

They do not build you or others up. They act only to serve our selfish ambitions, and they will hold us back from being people of value who are achieving for Jesus.

Within the passages I noticed also a very interest analogy about law. If you consider acts that would be classed as law breaking acts, for example stealing, murder etc, then many of the attributes of a sinful nature are tied in closely with each act. Law breaking acts are a result of a sinful nature.

But a Spirit filled life is only full of good things. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness. I honestly cannot think of one law breaking act that would be a result of one of these values.

23 cont… Against such things there is no law.

Living by the Spirit will give us the ability to live in harmony with Him, conducting ourselves in a way pleasing to Him, and doing the things that he desires from us.

Regular prayer and Bible study should be a part of our walk with the Lord to keep us focused on him and the fruit of the Spirit.

Get your facts right! – Joshua. 22

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What a fantastic story! We see the Israelites on the verge of civil war, however it is averted simply because they took the time to talk to each other, and discover the reasons for each others actions! Imagine, had they jumped to conclusions when they saw the altar being built, and sought to avenge the Lord there and then, an extremely bloody battle could have ensued. Instead, they sent a representative from the head of each family to go and talk with the Gadites.

It’s great how the Bible really is current and really does cover the issues of today. I can think back to many occasions where I have jumped to conclusions and acted only to find that I had got the complete wrong end of the stick! By jumping to conclusions and acting upon them, I hurt those very close to me. It may not have been potentially deathly as in Joshua 22, however it still applies as a perfect example.

What can we learn?  Don’t jump to conclusions.  Many, if not all situations are not as they seem.  Reacting quickly to what you think you see can have disastrous affects.  Instead, talk with the people concerned, if your fears are grounded then consider, what would Jesus do in this situation?  Remember we have no right to judge others, we are called to imitate Christ and be a living witness of His eternal love and grace.

Of course if you then find your fears were fantasy, and you had got the wrong idea, then appreciate the fact that a potentially nasty situation was averted!

Resisting Temptation – Luke 4:1-13

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First of all I am reminded that temptation is not a sin.  Jesus lead a sinless life on earth to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  Even Jesus was tempted in the desert and yet He was able to resist temptation.   It is our calling as Christians to be obedient to the Lord and to resist

the devil and his temptations.

How did Jesus resist temptation?  Notice verse 1

 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert…

The Holy Spirit.  Our God is so amazing, that he pours out His Holy Spirit upon us to help us, to guide us, comfort us and give us strength.  Leaning on our own strength and willpower, and stood staring temptation in the face, we don’t have a hope.  Especially those Christians caught in a habitual sin, they will understand that even though they know they do not want to partake in it everytime, they can’t seem to help themselves.

How can we resist temptation?  By leaning on the Holy Spirit.  By reading Gods Word as regularly as possible thus focusing our minds on Him, and filling our hearts with truths as opposed to the lies of temptation  (Note; Jesus used scripture when resisting temptation).  By fellowship with other Christians that we may learn from each other, share our problems and thoughts and encourage one another.  By getting rid of those things that cause us to Sin or are a source of temptation, that could include drugs, friends, internet, music etc.

By resisting we are being obedient to the Lord.  John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command”.  It is our duty as followers of Jesus to strive to obey Him.  Resisting temptation is one of the many ways we can Glorify our Lord.  Take a look at these two portions of 1 Peter:  1 Peter 3: 1-2,  and 1 Peter 3: 15-16.  Remember that old saying that I have no doubt used many times within my journal?  Actions speak louder than words.

To Live By – Ephesians 4:25-5:1

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There is so much in these verses, I hardly know where to start, so I am going to break it up into chunks. There are many truths we can live by contained here.

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body

Not only do we need to ensure we are honest with people, but we should also be honest with ourselves, and not try to portray an image of ourselves to others that is not accurate. Acting like someone your not will not enable others to guide and encourage you correctly for the person you really are.

26“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

Sin is something that will always bring us down. I think I have quoted my friend before when she said, “becoming a Christian takes the fun out of sinning!” We know that there really is no fun in sinning as it never satisfies, however I think she is referring to the feeling we as Christians get afterwards and even during! Guilt! Guilt does not help to build us up, or encourage us to do great things for the Lord. It acts to dampen our spirits and loose confidence in ourselves and His great purpose. In this state, as a result it can also lead to more sin, be it of the same nature, or a catalogue of issues, the devil will use anything to bring us crashing to a halt!

28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Once we become Christians, we shouldn’t look to continue in our old ways.

Be it in this case stealing, or in other cases alcohol, pornography, sex, gambling, drugs, whatever the compulsion or addiction. These things build barriers between us and the Lord. Be become consumed by them, and loose focus on the Living Word of God that edifies us and bursts for Living Water and fulfils our lives.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Sometimes a bad word against somebody, an ill placed joke or offensive word can discourage another brother or sister. We need to encourage one another, enabling us all to grow in the Lord, and prompting

us to action.

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit enters your life. The Holy Spirit gives us strength to live by, wisdom, comfort, in fact check out all the wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Grieving Him through sin, neglect, doubt etc starves us of the amazing gifts He has to bestow in our lives.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Again, use of words can discourage others and is not a good witness to the lost who look to us as examples of the Love of God.

32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

With a list of “what not to do’s”, these two verses guide us in the right direction. You will have heard me use the word imitate many times in my reading journals, and I am amazed at how many times it crops up. It’s a healthy reminder to us hungry to get it right for Jesus! The reason I wear a WWJD wrist band, is to remind me of one of my main principles to live by. What would Jesus do in this situation? Would Jesus forgive this person? Would Jesus do this? Would Jesus go and pray with that person?

This verse sums it up:

Ephesians 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children