Do You Have An Idols In Your Life?

Idols are not wood and stone images. Whatever drives you and makes you happy is an idol. If you lost it, your world would seem to fall apart and life would have no meaning then that is your idol. If something besides Jesus that you feel you must have to be happy, to feel loved, or something you turn to for safety like government, money or guns is an idol to you. God hate idolatry. John wrote 1John to tell us how to walk in Christ; idols stop us from doing just that they are dangerous and deadly. The last words of in 1John tells us to “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1John 5:21.

What You Know & What You Believe

What you know will not change how you live.

What you believe will change everything.

Most Christians only know about God and the Bible so they live like everyone around them, same dreams, hopes, retirement, savings, iphones, new cars and bigger homes and maybe two.
However when you believe the Bible is God’s Word it will change how you live, what you do with your time, how you spend your money, what you watch on TV, what you read, it will radically change every part of your life and will not look anything like those living around you. You will indeed be a stranger living on this planet we call earth.
Galatians 5:17 & Romans 12:1-2

WHEN CHRISTIANS SHOULD TURN OFF THE TV

• Turn off the TV when you start spending more time with it than in God’s Word/Bible.
  
• Turn off the TV when you have more interest in the shows personalities than you do in God.
  
• Turn off the TV when God's name is taken in vain or godly morals are mocked.
  
• Turn off the TV to honor the Lord's Day.
  
• Turn of the TV when you go to it for a rest or a break instead of going to the Jesus when you are stressed.
  
• Turn off the TV when the authority of parents are challenged, made fun of, or neglected.
  
• Turn off the TV when someone is murdered or killed or when anger and revenge is used.
  
• Turn off the TV when violence is used for entertainment or sport.
  
• Turn off the TV when lust or adultery are accepted even if the people love each other.
  
• Turn of the TV when your tempted to lust.
  
• Turn of the TV when you are tempted to want what they have or are advertising (its called coveting).
  
• Turn off TV when someone steals and it is accepted as good.
  
• Turn off the TV when someone tells a lie or misrepresents the truth and it is accepted even for a good cause.
  
• Turn off the TV when you desire something that God does not want you to have.

Some (but not close to all) supporting verses:
But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. -Romans 6:17&18

So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I pummel my body and make it a slave lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. -I Corinthians 9:26&27

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, -Philippians 3:12&13

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. -I Timothy 4:7&8

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. -Hebrews 5:14

To have Christ as a treasure we have to protect our minds and hearts by what we look at and listen to...

Jesus or the Spirit? Who will you choose for one day?

If for just one day you could have the Holy Spirit in you as He is now, or not have the Spirit and walk with Jesus physically, all would return the next day, whom would you pick? The question in the Spirit for a day or Jesus?
I hope you would say the Spirit although it is tempting to pick Jesus. The truth is Jesus said in John 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. (ESV)

Wow, Jesus Himself says it is better to have the Spirit than to walk and talk with Him. He is telling the disciples this, and the same is true today. If you believed and your life has been made new by a holy, just and gracious God of the universe Whom looked upon you as hopelessly sinful and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to take His wrath against sin on the cross and to show His power over sin in the resurrection so that all who have faith in Him will be reconciled to God forever… if so then Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to live in your life, to guide your life, to rule your life, so you can walk in step with the Spirit and defeat sin. What an awesome thing!

We are told the Spirit, He is God, He is Truth, He is our Helper (so that means we will have trouble). He/Spirit bears witness about Jesus, He guides us to truth found in the Word of God/Bible. The Spirit gives glory to the Son/Jesus, He gives us the Bible, He makes us to be born again, He convicts us of sin, He comforts, restores and heals. The Spirit speaks to our spirit and lets us know that we are God’s children. The Spirit is far better than walking with Jesus, we just have to learn how to walk and listen to Him (Gal.5), we do that by learning and studying truth found in the Word of God the Bible. Study it for yourself and if you do not know how learn do not read other peoples books read the Bible for yourself and lean by the Spirit. A good place to learn study skills is Precept International. But still be carful to not just listen to them but read and think and study and dig deep into the Word being guided by the Spirit to open truth found in context to what He tells us and not twisting truth (II Peter 1). Therefore, start walking in the Sprit and living life every minute with God Who is in you.
In His grip, Jim

Living For Our God As His Royal Priests: Overcoming The

Living For Our God As His Royal Priests: Overcoming The Flesh And Its Desires.

We forget why we are here on earth, we think, and act like this is our home. We act and think as if we need things to help us be happy, to be safe, to provide for our future. We forget that we are Christ followers who treasure Him over all things because God caused us to be born again -I Peter 1:3-12.

So then, we are to act as if we are exiles and sojourners here on earth by abstaining from the passions that go to war with in us every day, passions of the flesh. We are to be different and to live so all well glorify God on the day He comes back -I Peter 2:11-12. This is not an option but a command if ‘we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation, a people for His own possession’ at Peter tells us in I Peter chapter 2 verse 9 and he goes on to say that our duty is ‘to proclaim the excellencies of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light’.

To do this we must never forget to put away to crucify the passions of the flesh –I Peter 2:1 Gal. 5:24. How can we do this take a look at I Peter 2. First we also must long for the pure Gospel the Bible the Word of God so by His Word we may grow in our salvation it is the only way to grow in Christ is by the Bible taking it in context and learning truth for yourself. Third we must go to Him, longing for Him is great only if you put to action what you want and go to the Bible open it and start reading it like a baby craves milk good pure milk. We all must go to the Word daily several times a day to feed on God’s Word the Bible then we will be able to put away all fleshly passions and we will have a longing for more. And finally we are to be a royal priesthood offering our body’s to God as spiritual sacrifices, staying away from the things that naturally draws us and turning to the Word of God and knowing God’s will from the Word daily. We are to live for Him because all that believe in Him those He has caused to be born again, we are no longer our won but we are His people made new to follow and server Him by declaring with our lips and showing with our lives that He is more precious then anything on this earth. Lets never for get this world is not our home.
-I Peter 2:1-12
2:1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,a cornerstone chosen and precious,and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling,and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
-I Peter 2:1-12

A Sermon For Us Today

It has been a long time since my last blog. Life has been so busy it can make your head spin. Today I was thinking about the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. I challenge you to read these chapters on your own, remembering it is one sermon from our Lord and King-Jesus Christ the Maker of the universe. Despite what the name implies, the most outstanding part of this sermon is not where it took place. What sets this sermon apart is its context and content.

Jesus lived in a world where being religious meant following all the rules like the Pharisees did. With this sermon, Jesus turned their idea of spirituality upside down, and it will turn your idea of Christianity upside down as well. In fact, Jesus went so far as to say, “…unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” –Matthew 5:20. WOW, just imagine what must have been going through the minds of those that heard Him! Jesus the Savior was not saying they needed to follow the rules better like the religious elite, but His point was that they needed a completely different kind of righteousness—the internal righteousness of a conquered, surrendered heart. The same is true for us. Our treasure must be God alone, our treasure must be for Him and His Kingdom, and that is what will change our lives, change our actions. Not rules to change what we treasure, but our treasure will change our actions. This is what Jesus meant in Matthew 6: 21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

What would Jesus discover if He walked among us today? Would He discern hearts that are humble, broken, and poor, aware of how much they need a Savior? Or, would Jesus view us a prideful and satisfied with the kind of righteousness we can get through our own effort? What sermon would Jesus preach to us today? I think He just might preach Matthew 5-7.

With the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus draws a line in the sand. Hew makes it clear that the self-righteous, legalistic work of the Pharisees stand on one side of that line, and He stands on the other side. On which side are you standing? “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven… Blessed are those who mourn… Blessed are meek… Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… Blessed are the merciful…Blessed are the pure in heart… Blessed are the peacemakers… Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake… Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—Matthew 5:2-12

TUPOS

Tupos (too-pos') is a Greek noun with a double meaning in English.

Tupos means:

(1) to be an example or a pattern for.

(2) to make an impact on or leave an impression from one object on another.

Tupos is the word found in 1st. Timothy 4:12 "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an TUPOS/example/pattern/impact/leave an impression of those who believe".

Out of darkness and into the Light

Out of darkness and into the Light
Romans 13:11-14
11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
12The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (ESV)
We are to be living in the light not in darkness. We can only walk in the light when we put on the armor of light; we are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. When we don't we are walking in darkness. Here are just a few ways to put on Christ everyday by reading His Word/Bible, studying His Word, prayer, fasting and getting alone with God.

I got up the other day and it was still dark outside. I did not want to wake up my wife, so I kept the lights turned off.. I grabbed my clothes and headed out the door. When I got into a light room I noticed I had on a dark blue tee-shirt instead of a black one under my shirt. The point is in the dark you cannot see what you are putting on. Also if you have ever been in a dark room, a little noise at the front door can be a scary thing. When you hear the same noise in the day time you notice it is just some cats at the front door, no big deal.

When we are not walking in the light of the Word of God, we can come up with some pretty weird things about what is good for us. We justify things that will make us satisfied. It does not matter if it is money, TV shows, movies, friends or even relationships. If we are not comparing all we do with Scripture we get off track, and what seems right is really sin, just like that tee-shirt I thought was black and it was not it was blue. Along with this thought, when we are not walking daily in the light of God's Word, small problems can seem huge and scary. We lose our bearings and our minds drift to the worst possible conclusion. When we are in the Word being lead by God's light we can see God's guidance and hand in all we do. The problems that seemed like they would over take us are seen as small compared to living with Christ and walking in the Light.

I encourage you to stop living in the darkness of the world, stop letting others that live in darkness influence you and your thoughts. Start putting on the armor of light, put on Christ daily start with prayer and studying His Word given to us so each of us can be a light shining in the dark world we are living in until our True Light comes and shines for all to see for eternity.

What is your treasure?

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness." Matthew 6:19-23

So the question I have for you is what is your treasure? Is it security, having a savings and retirement account. Is it safety, living in a nice neighborhood and driving new car that will not get you stuck in the twilight Zone. Is it love, love of your family and friends. How about stuff, flat screen TV, cable, cars, homes, clothing and anything else you think you need but don't. What is your treasure what would you die for?

That is a great question... you want to know because I know tons of people storing up money, homes, cars, and they are the things Christ tells us not to store up. But stop, you say, you have to be smart and God wants you to be smart and not foolish. Yes, but what is your treasure? What do you look at and dream about, what do you spend most of your time doing and thinking about? I am not saying not to have a retirement account, I am saying why spent 80 or 100 plus on cable TV and not on Bibles or helping out a pastor in a small church.

We are told what you look at will help determine your treasure, are you looking at Lost, Desperate House Wives and other TV shows more then spending time in the Bible? You need to unwind but why not let Christ unwind you and not the world "come to Me all you who are weary and tired"-Jesus. Lets make Him our number one treasure, and to do that you have to spend time (not just 5 min.) in the Bible, you have to meditate on what you study, you must spend time talking to our Lord and Master, you have to think about Him and His Word/Bible daily. Remember when you fell in love, or your baby was born... All you could do was talk, think, look at them... wow what a time, money, cars, savings, did not matter only that person. That is a treasure and that is how we are to be with God. we must give Him our eyes, our time, our commitment.

So I ask you again what is your treasure, what do you spend the most time looking at, dreaming about, wishing you had, what do you protect the most, is it stuff on earth or is it Him (God) and His Word (Bible)?

A Word On Prayer...

'Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.' Colossians 4:2-6


Prayer is important, if we intend to L.L.J.L. (Live Like Jesus Lived & Love Like Jesus Loved). Prayer is vital to any follower of Christ, however if we are honest it is hard for us to do. Some thoughts that will help you in your prayer life as we pray. Start by getting into the Word/Bible, then pray (even in the middle of your Bible reading) using concentric circles (circles inside of each other).

John Piper said that it helps when praying to use the tool of concentric circles. For example, when praying, picture concentric circles in your mind. In the first circle, pray for own soul. Pray using the acronym I.O.U.S.. Incline my heart to God and His Word/Bible. Open my eyes that I might see wonderful things from His Word/Bible and that I would see Him. Unite my heart with what the Word/Bible says. Satisfy me with Himself. After pray for yourself, spend time in confession. Then move on to the second circle, pray for your wife/husband. Third move out in the circles and pray for your children and other family members including friends. Then move out and pray for the ministry’s your involved in, praying for workers and individuals as God brings them to mind. Keep moving out to the next circle and pray for your church and the staff, including the ministry’s that your church is involved in.

Can you imagine what might happen if we all prayed this way for each other and our church? Strategies are important, but they can never replace prayer. I think we would begin to see unbelievable spiritual growth in the lives of our church and staff and this would begin to move out through the congregation and into the community. You can put anything you want in the concentric circles – Church families, missionaries, and our country. etc. Maybe you already have a great prayer life, then keep it up. I just wanted to pass this tip on to you, it may be helpful in your walk with our Lord/Creator.

It would be helpful to memorize this verse:
Colossians. 4:12 "Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured." another translation says "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God."

Here Paul told the Colossians that Epaphras always struggled on their behalf in prayer. He was praying for their spiritual growth. The word “struggle” means to fight for, to agonize over. It actually has behind it the meaning of praying for someone it such a way that the one praying can actually become physically sick. If someone were to ask you to describe your pray life with one word, what would that one word be? For most Christians, it probably wouldn’t be the word “struggle”. Anyway, let’s begin to struggle on each other’s behalf so they may Live Like Jesus Lived.

L.L.J.L.?

L.L.J.L.
What does L.L.J.L. mean? That is a great question. Let me explain, it is short and simple.

There are two meanings for L.L.J.L. the first is taken from I John 2:6 ‘whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.’ and I Peter 2:19-23 ‘For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.’ So the first meaning of L.L.J.L. is to Live Like Jesus Lived. This is not easy to do, if we really Live Like Jesus Lived making no exceptions or making excuses.

The second meaning of L.L.J.L. means Love Like Jesus Loves and is taken from John 13:34-35 ‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."’ and Romans 5:8 ‘but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ Remember the context of John 13 the night Jesus is betrayed and handed over to die for our sins, Jesus washed the disciples feet. Here Jesus says He is giving us a new commandment not that the old is not good, but the new encompasses the old and then some, the old is in the new. He tells us to love each other as He loved. Remember Judas the betrayer was there and Jesus loved Judas as well even thou He knew what Judas was about to do. We are to love others so much that the world, those at our work our neighbors those at our schools will say wow there is something different about them.

In I John 4:11 ‘Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.’ I John 4:21 ‘And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.’ I John 5:1-4 ‘Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.’ here John being lead by the Holy Spirit/God tells us loving others is a command it is a must if we claim to be followers of Christ. In chapter 5 he tells us that by this we know that we love our Christian brothers and sisters when we love God and obey His commandments. Thus we must be in the Word/Bible daily in order to know God’s commandments and obey them. We must study diligently by observing the text, only then we can interpret accurately and thus apply what we studied to our lives. Only then can we L.L.J.L. Live Like Jesus Lived and Love Like Jesus Loves.