What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately LXVIII (68)…
Greetings My Friends~
As a simple pilgrim
following the Lord Jesus
through the rainforests and deserts of this earthly life,
I would like to humbly share
some of what God has been bubbling up in my mind/heart lately
through the Bible.
I pray that these thoughts are
cushions in your shoes,
balm to your burns,
umbrellas for the rain,
and shade to the scorching heat
as you too follow the Lord Jesus each day.
(please click on the Bible books/chapters/verses below to read the actual Scripture passages)
(May 21st–31st, 2017)
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The Lord Jesus Is The Savior Not A Self-help Guru
On the Cross, the charge against Christ was
“King of the Jews”
not “Nice guy of theJews”—Mark 15:25-26.
He is the eternal King not just an ethical consultant.
Turning From Sin Is Part Of Turning To Christ
The pharisees’ unrepentance–not being baptized by John—
was a “rejection of God’s purposes for them.”
Repentance of sin (not just easy-believism)
is an important part of true faith in Christ…
Luke 7:30: But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves,
because they had not been baptized by John.)
The Cross Offends & Defends
A. The cross is offensive to pride.
In sharing it
we mustn’t make it
more offensive thru our manner
or less offensive in its meaning…
Galatians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 1
B. Luke 3:18 says John proclaimed the good news.
Yet verses 7-17 show his words would be offensive to most today.
God’s Word often hurts (humbles) us before it heals us (lifts us up)…
Obey What God Says Not How We Feel
Just because we “feel compelled” to do something,
it doesnt mean God wants us to do it.
May we follow God’s Word, not our hearts.
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Truly Following The Lord Jesus
A man said he’d go WHERE the Lord Jesus went;
Christ responded: But will you go HOW I go there—
no earthly comforts and with much suffering?
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Sin Deadens/Numbs Us To True Pleasure
Self-inflicted numbness—medicating ourselves with sin—prevents us feeling pain AND joy.
By only thinking that the LORD is constantly pleased with us
we avoid the pain of His pruning (discipline) AND
the reward of His reaping (maturity)
“God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful…
it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who’ve been trained by it “—
Hebrews 12:10-11.
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Real Love, Real Truth, Real Grace
Ephesians 4:15—“Speak the Truth in love.”
Some have experienced one extreme: “speaking the Truth in truth”—
that’s surgery without anesthesia…
Many go to the other extreme—speak the love in love—
that’s anesthesia without surgery.
In this extreme we’re numb, never feeling bad,
always feeling giddy with laughing gas but never healed & mature.
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True Fellowship Requires Work
“Work” describes our responsibility to Christians—
works of service building for maturity,
not hobbies of service hanging out just for fun.
Do You Deserve The Lord Jesus?
Because of his good deeds, the centurion’s friends thought he deserved
the Lord Jesus’ presence & miracle—Luke 7:4-5.
But the centurion knew he didnt deserve Christ—verse 6.
Yet he cried out to the Lord Jesus for help.
Christ calls that unusual and great faith—verse 9—
& heals the servant
as a gift
not a reward.
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Being “With The Times” Can Get You Swept Away “With The Tide”
Modern twists on the Gospel (which is no Gospel at all!),
for the sake of relevance,
may make people happy for a time
but can never make people holy for all time.
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The Culture Cannot Control Christ
The Lord Jesus didnt stay where the world thought they put Him (the grave).
Same today—dismiss Him, ridicule Him, or see Him as only a nice guy or prophet,
He alone sits on the universe’s throne.
Mark 16:6, Hebrews 1:8-9, Philippians 2:5-11
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True Generosity Comes From Little, Not Much
A. The most honoring sacrifices to the LORD
are willingly dredged from depths of poverty
not reluctantly skimmed from top of riches
B. Israel’s food/livestock were completely plundered by Midian.
Yet when the LORD came to Gideon,
Gideon gave Him a precious goat & flour.
What a sacrificial act of worship to God!
I love your way with words. Always an interesting read. God Bless. – Sherline. 🙂
Thank you so much for the encouragement! 🙂