The Advantage of Affliction

Psalm 119:71 "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees."

What is our perspective on affliction? Affliction is something that causes pain and suffering. Can God use times like this for our good? The answer is of course YES! God allows these times to develop our character and drive us closer to Him. In the process of drawing closer, we have the chance to learn and lean on God’s decrees. His Word will never let us down.

But do we view God’s Word as a ‘life saving ring’ only to be used in an emergency. Or do we view it more like oxygen, something that is needed every moment of every day and without it we will die. Unfortunately because most people today only view God’s decrees as emergency precautions, God allows us to be driven to dependency through affliction.

So if you are experiencing affliction are you leaning what God wants and trusting in His faithfulness?

May we never lose our passion for God and His Word/decrees.

Keep Going

It has been a long time since I have taken time to write on here. Yet as God enables me to, I will try and share more regularly what He is talking with me about.

Psalm 13 says "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me."

David’s example suggests four things that we should continue (this implies we are already doing these. If not we need to start) to do during difficult times:

1.    Keep praying—David continues to cry out to God. This is not just praying a casual prayer and an impassioned cry for God to respond. He pours out his heart to God. Don’t give up praying even when God seems far away.

2.   Keep trusting—It is relatively easy to have faith when things are going well, but the test of faith is when things don’t appear to be going well. Do we trust that God knows the big picture and is still in control doing what is best for us?

3.   Keep rejoicing—this in not rejoicing for the trials but in spite of them. It is rejoicing in God’s salvation. Are we celebrating God’s ability to rescue us, redeeming and restoring each and every situation?

4.   Keep worshipping—regardless of everything we go through we need to keep our focus on a good, good God and all that He does for us.

 As we begin to praise and worship God, it brings perspective to our problems. Sometimes, we find it’s helpful to look back on life and thank God for bringing us through so many of our own personal struggles, disappointments and bereavement and to remember how, through it all, ‘He has been so good to us.’

So keep focused in the right place (on God) and keep doing what He has shown us to do. Make this a great year one day at a time.

(adapted from a devotional by Nicky Gumble: Bible in One Year)

How Are You Dressed?

Colossians 3:12-14 says; “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

 

I love the picture here of being clothed / dressed with the these things (compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience and love—God’s love). You see as we start each day we make sure we are dressed. We take time to put on what is necessary for that day. These five things make up what is necessary for us to put on each day spiritually. When we are clothed with these, it will make each and every day better and better. We will not only survive each day but we will start to thrive every day. You see the secrete to this is that we are not just putting things onto our lives. We are actually putting the character of God on. When we cover ourselves with the very character of God, so that it is all that people see, life will change for the better. 

Powered for Purpose ... The Year of Hope

 As we look at the year head of us, many may be wondering is there hope? The answer is a resounding YES! I truly believe that God has placed His church (those of us who are follower of Christ) here in this time, in our local setting to be sources of hope for a needy world. The theme for Newport First Baptist for this year it “Powered for Purpose … the Year of Hope.” You see, if God’s people will refocus on His purpose for His church, and we set out to obey and fulfill that purpose through His power, the only possible result is the everyone we meet will by flooded by the hope of God.

 

I have found a portion of the Bible that summarizes this better than 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 where is says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

 

In reading this passage I am reminded once more that God’s grace is sufficient for life, period. Yet so many times we try to replace His grace with something else we can attain. Yet here in verse 8 we see everything is covered as the word “all” is repeated 4 times. Here God is stressing that everything we will ever need is found in Him (in all things, at all times having all you need). Do you need some of this grace today? Do you have this grace today?

 

Remember the result of the all sufficient grace of God is that we will always be overflowing in good works toward others, bringing hope to where they are. This is not only the end result of God’s grace, it is also the key to unlocking that grace in our lives. When we give generously to God it unlocks God’s all sufficient grace in our lives. This in turn provides all we need to that we can pour that grace out to others in generous giving. So are you living in the grace of God today, bringing hope to others as God pours His grace into you? Remember is starts with obediently and cheerfully giving to God.

Overflowing Hope

Recently during the morning as I was spending time with God, this verse stood out. Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Think about it, God who is hope, wants to fill each and every one of us with joy and peace. Now it's not just a bit of joy and peace, it's to be filled with "ALL" joy and peace. If we are filled with 'all joy and peace' it will change everything about every day. Life will be different. First of all, we will bring joy and peace everywhere and to everyone ... does your life reflect this? If not simply ask God to fill you with His joy and peace. Secondly, do we see and are being hope in every situation and to every person? Again, if not then ask God to fill you with this. In asking God, the best request is not for hope and peace, but for more of Him. Just look at the end of the verse. It says that we will overflow with these by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you are not overflowing then you need more of God. Ask daily for more of the Holy Spirit in your life and watch wat God does.

We will know we are being filled by God when we see that we are world changers, changing our personal world and watching the ripple effect spreading out. Make this one of your life prayers and verses, study all of chapter 15 and let it change you to become your world's changer. Let "all hope and peace" overflow as you are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

 

What is Your Standard for Success?

Taken from Acts 23:1, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." 

As we go through life, what is our standard for success. All to often we tend to adopt the standards of society around us or the standards of those we respect and want to be like, or the standards of those we want to like us. Unfortunately these are the wrong standards to judge success by. 

This verse shows is what the right standard is. Paul reminds us that the right standard is always and only God’s standard. We cannot water it down or change it. As we look at this verse we see that there are two parts to God standard and we must consistently do both. 

The first part is found in our duty to God. What is it that God requires of us and are we doing it completely. There are two things that come to mind here. First is our relationship. How is your relationship with God today? A indication of the health of our relationship with God is seen in the overflow from this relationship as we relate to others. As we interact with other are our actions saturated with love, patience and grace? Do we see the Fruit of the Spirit growing every day in those relationship. Take time to read Galatians 5:22-23 so you can evaluate if this is growing in all your relationships. This is also explained in Micah 6:8 where God states what He requires of us … to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Part of all of this is sharing our relationship with God with everyone we meet. Remember we are to be witnesses. 

Now the second part is equally important. We must not fulfill our duty but we must do it with the right attitude. This attitude is not one of obligation but of love. Is our heart motive behind obeying God correct? Why do we do the things that we do? The why is what makes the difference between religious activity and loving obedience (relationship). Not notice here in this verse there is a little word that has huge impact. It’s the word all. It says, “in all good conscience to this day.” This means that our motives must be consistent and not at certain times or in spurts. It means that it must be our always, not just when others are watching us. It means that this must be our lifestyle. So what is your standard and how are do doing at living it out?

Enjoying the Blessings of God

Psalm 84:11-12 says, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you." 

As we consider these verses there is great promise and great hope found here. Verse 11 gives us 3 things God will do. He will give favor, honor and every good thing. The key to receiving those may be discouraging to us because it is based on being blameless (fortunately that is based on our standing in Christ). 

Now verse 12 shows us a different angle on receiving this blessing. It is not looking at perfection, because even though we are found perfect through the blood of Christ, most people struggle viewing themselves this way. Here we see that if we will trust in the Lord then those blessing will be ours. The key is not to say that you trust in God but to live out your trust in God. To often we give ‘lip service’ to the Lord and then wonder where the blessings are. Let us live lives of trust and in doing so enjoy the blessings of God.