Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 2 Timothy 2:15-18 NIV
This is one of those verses that has saved my bacon many, many times, and will save it many times in the future. In this passage, Paul is warning Timothy not to indulge in godless chatter. But he's not just telling Timothy this because God forbids it, but as with all sins, there are reasons why it should be avoided. With this particular sin, godless chatter, the results are that it leads to further ungodliness and spiritual death. Paul even compares the results of this sin to gangrene - it causes death, and then that death spreads if it is not quickly cut off. We even see examples of two men who have indulged in godless chatter (Hymenaeus and Philetus), and we can see the fruits of this for ourselves: they destroy not only their own faith, but the faith of others as well. And what caused - or at least contributed to - this in the first place? Wandering away from the truth through godless chatter.
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. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32 NIV
I may be the only one who resounds with this teaching of today, but I tend to doubt it. I'm sure we've all been in the position where someone rubs you the wrong way, and you have two choices: you can either choose to dwell on and gossip about the wrongs of this person (and sometimes they can even seen justified), or you can pray to God and ask Him to calm your heart so that you can love that person and build him or her up. If you choose the latter, although it is much more difficult to do (indeed, we need to rely on God's help to make this choice), you will be allowing God to use you for good. But if you choose the former, not only will it slander and tear down the other person, but you will be contributing to your own spiritual destruction. You will be giving yourself gangrene.
I don't know about anyone else, but I've been in this position many times - and unbeknownst to me, I was participating in my own self-destruction. I find that when I do this, I can get stuck in ruts of bitterness for days, weeks, or even months, that I can only be rescued from when I come to the end of myself, surrender to God, and allow Him to pick me up and clean out my wicked, gangrene-infected heart.
Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. 2 Timothy 2:16-17
It's no fun having spiritual gangrene; in fact, it's a rather miserable experience for all parties involved. However, I think you would agree that it is so much easier to avoid the entire situation completely by following these words of wisdom that Paul offers to Timothy, and each and every one of us as well. Avoid it, do not indulge in it, but rather seek to build one another up in love - it really is the better way.
Blessings in Christ,
Andrew
Have You Forgotten? - 12/6/08
Christmas is coming.
Time to pull out the tinsel and the shiny red and silver balls. Time to put out the blinking Christmas lights, and to pick out the nicest tree. Time to put on the Christmas caroling songs, and drink Eggnog. Time to shop for presents, and for children to send in their lists to Santa Claus.
Christmas in our society is known and celebrated for its presents and singing, and of course the big man in red. Every year, this holiday comes and goes, as just another holiday.
We have forgotten.
How many times have you truly celebrated the birth of Christ as a baby? How many times did you take it past just reading the Christmas Story? How many times have you given thanks other than on Thanksgiving Day? Or celebrated Christ rising from the dead other than on Easter? Do we subject ourselves by simply going through the motions of things only at the appropriate moment?
We have forgotten.
So as the holidays approach, take care to remember why we even have all of our holidays in the first place. Don't let society's traditions take control; don't let fakery be the norm.
As Christians, this is especially important. Too often we take the label of 'Christian', and apply it with pride, believing it to give us a high position of honor over the rest of the world. But being a 'Christian' is much more than just a name.
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. 1 Peter 4:1-6
Christian has 'Christ' in it, so it only makes sense when in applying the full name to ourselves, to apply 'Christ' on its own as well. Or here is another way to look at it. Break it down. 'Christ-ian'. 'Christ- in'. 'Christ in me'. 'Christian'. When Christ is in you, you ought to reflect Him throughout your very being. And remember Christ is in you for a reason. It's not just traditional He is in you when you become a Christian. No, it is much more than that. But it's for us to discover, and to do that is to develop the personal relationship with Christ so that it becomes real within you. Then you too will wonder how society has become lost in its fakery. And once you know the real truth, will you take a stand to show the rest of the world their despair?
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:16-17
If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus. 1 Peter 4:11b
Be strong. Find out for yourself what being a Christian really means. Keep it real.
...Do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear [the] name [of Christian].*
Whitney
Time to pull out the tinsel and the shiny red and silver balls. Time to put out the blinking Christmas lights, and to pick out the nicest tree. Time to put on the Christmas caroling songs, and drink Eggnog. Time to shop for presents, and for children to send in their lists to Santa Claus.
Christmas in our society is known and celebrated for its presents and singing, and of course the big man in red. Every year, this holiday comes and goes, as just another holiday.
We have forgotten.
How many times have you truly celebrated the birth of Christ as a baby? How many times did you take it past just reading the Christmas Story? How many times have you given thanks other than on Thanksgiving Day? Or celebrated Christ rising from the dead other than on Easter? Do we subject ourselves by simply going through the motions of things only at the appropriate moment?
We have forgotten.
So as the holidays approach, take care to remember why we even have all of our holidays in the first place. Don't let society's traditions take control; don't let fakery be the norm.
As Christians, this is especially important. Too often we take the label of 'Christian', and apply it with pride, believing it to give us a high position of honor over the rest of the world. But being a 'Christian' is much more than just a name.
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. 1 Peter 4:1-6
Christian has 'Christ' in it, so it only makes sense when in applying the full name to ourselves, to apply 'Christ' on its own as well. Or here is another way to look at it. Break it down. 'Christ-ian'. 'Christ- in'. 'Christ in me'. 'Christian'. When Christ is in you, you ought to reflect Him throughout your very being. And remember Christ is in you for a reason. It's not just traditional He is in you when you become a Christian. No, it is much more than that. But it's for us to discover, and to do that is to develop the personal relationship with Christ so that it becomes real within you. Then you too will wonder how society has become lost in its fakery. And once you know the real truth, will you take a stand to show the rest of the world their despair?
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:16-17
If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus. 1 Peter 4:11b
Be strong. Find out for yourself what being a Christian really means. Keep it real.
...Do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear [the] name [of Christian].*
Whitney
"Purity: To Proclaim Liberty To The Captives" 4-1-08
Here let's dig deeper into Matthew 5:8 and talk about purity. Specifically, we're going to discuss the dangers of an impure life, and learn how to live purely in Christ.
But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. (Ezekiel 18:24-26 ESV)
And of course, this raises the age-old question: can we lose our salvation? And this is a very good question to ask (indeed, I would encourage you to seek God to find the answer to this); however, it is not the purpose of this message. Rather, the purpose of this message is to bring to light the impending doom of living an impure lifestyle, turning from our righteousness, doing injustice, and committing the same abominations of the wicked.
Remember that Christ is our righteousness - when we turn away from Him, as this verse makes clear, we shall surely die. Without Christ we are nothing! But I would like to pose the question: is not remaining in an impure lifestyle in itself turning from Christ? Is not seeking satisfaction from "broken cisterns" that cannot satisfy, rather than from the Lord who is the spring of living water, turning from Him? I am not talking about momentary turns or stumbles, either; I am talking about a steady pattern of sin, a kind of lifestyle. Habitual sin, you could say. This is a question to which I do not know the answer, for only God sees the heart of a person and is able to make that judgment (and He is the only one who should), but one thing we know for sure: sin, especially this "habitual sin", can separate us from Him and will leave us unsatisfied and longing for more.
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." (Jeremiah 3:2)
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." (Isaiah 55:1-2)
Truly, why spend money on what is not bread, and labor on what does not satisfy? The deceitfulness of sin is indeed very tempting - just look at the story of the adulteress in Proverbs 7. She offers promises of satisfaction and joy - and the foolish youth follows her, "like an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know it will cost him his life." Sin is deceitful, and it is tempting, which is why many times people fall into this pattern of sin - and often times, they hide it away deep within themselves, and even those closest to them may not have any idea of the struggle within - but God knows. Nothing is hidden from His sight. We may be able to fool our church, our friends, even our family, but we cannot fool God. Or maybe, we aren't even aware that we've adopted a kind of sin lifestyle, and we need the Lord to reveal this to us.
Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14 ESV)
Are you currently drinking from broken cisterns that cannot satisfy? Are you turning from the living waters of Christ to the deceitfulness of sin? Is there a portion of your heart that is hidden in the darkness? Ask yourself this. Indeed, sin takes many forms - Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 ESV) All of these can become idols in our lives, places that we turn to for momentary comfort which, of course, never lasts.
But in the Lord, there is hope. Are you currently struggling with sin in this manner, or is there some place other than Christ that you will turn to in times of trouble? If so, remember that there is hope in Him. Focus your eyes upon Him, and He will satisfy your soul. There is hope in none other. If you would like further study on this topic, I would recommend you to a ministry I know of called http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/, a Christ-centered web-ministry that offers Bible studies ranging from regular Christian living to freedom from living a lifestyle of sin. I can tell you from experience that they exalt Christ and His Word above all else.
"You have exalted above all things your name and your word." (Psalm 138:2)
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:18-21 ESV)
Blessings,
Andrew
But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die. "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. (Ezekiel 18:24-26 ESV)
And of course, this raises the age-old question: can we lose our salvation? And this is a very good question to ask (indeed, I would encourage you to seek God to find the answer to this); however, it is not the purpose of this message. Rather, the purpose of this message is to bring to light the impending doom of living an impure lifestyle, turning from our righteousness, doing injustice, and committing the same abominations of the wicked.
Remember that Christ is our righteousness - when we turn away from Him, as this verse makes clear, we shall surely die. Without Christ we are nothing! But I would like to pose the question: is not remaining in an impure lifestyle in itself turning from Christ? Is not seeking satisfaction from "broken cisterns" that cannot satisfy, rather than from the Lord who is the spring of living water, turning from Him? I am not talking about momentary turns or stumbles, either; I am talking about a steady pattern of sin, a kind of lifestyle. Habitual sin, you could say. This is a question to which I do not know the answer, for only God sees the heart of a person and is able to make that judgment (and He is the only one who should), but one thing we know for sure: sin, especially this "habitual sin", can separate us from Him and will leave us unsatisfied and longing for more.
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." (Jeremiah 3:2)
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." (Isaiah 55:1-2)
Truly, why spend money on what is not bread, and labor on what does not satisfy? The deceitfulness of sin is indeed very tempting - just look at the story of the adulteress in Proverbs 7. She offers promises of satisfaction and joy - and the foolish youth follows her, "like an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know it will cost him his life." Sin is deceitful, and it is tempting, which is why many times people fall into this pattern of sin - and often times, they hide it away deep within themselves, and even those closest to them may not have any idea of the struggle within - but God knows. Nothing is hidden from His sight. We may be able to fool our church, our friends, even our family, but we cannot fool God. Or maybe, we aren't even aware that we've adopted a kind of sin lifestyle, and we need the Lord to reveal this to us.
Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14 ESV)
Are you currently drinking from broken cisterns that cannot satisfy? Are you turning from the living waters of Christ to the deceitfulness of sin? Is there a portion of your heart that is hidden in the darkness? Ask yourself this. Indeed, sin takes many forms - Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21 ESV) All of these can become idols in our lives, places that we turn to for momentary comfort which, of course, never lasts.
But in the Lord, there is hope. Are you currently struggling with sin in this manner, or is there some place other than Christ that you will turn to in times of trouble? If so, remember that there is hope in Him. Focus your eyes upon Him, and He will satisfy your soul. There is hope in none other. If you would like further study on this topic, I would recommend you to a ministry I know of called http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/, a Christ-centered web-ministry that offers Bible studies ranging from regular Christian living to freedom from living a lifestyle of sin. I can tell you from experience that they exalt Christ and His Word above all else.
"You have exalted above all things your name and your word." (Psalm 138:2)
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:18-21 ESV)
Watch these chains fall from my hands Then you will understand, then you will understand. Watch me walk through these prison bars Then you will know my heart is free, Then you will know my heart is free.
~Watch, by Seven Places
~Watch, by Seven Places
Blessings,
Andrew
"The Pure In Heart" 3-31-08
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)
This is a very interesting verse. There are really so many directions this message can go in. There are two things that I think of when I read this. First, I think of the day when we will literally see God with our very own eyes - a privilege only the pure-hearted sons and daughters of God will be able to experience. We will eventually enter into the kingdom of heaven and into the presence of the Lord, having had our hearts completely purified from all sin.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:2-3 NKJV)
And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:3-5 NKJV)
And boy, what a hope we have in this, wouldn't you say? I can hardly wait for the day! But there is something else that comes to mind when I read Matthew 5:8 that has a little bit more to do with how we live our lives in the here-and-now.
"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 7:17-8:1)
Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. (Psalm 4:3)
Christ is truly the "Lamb of God that has come to take away the sin of the world" - His cleansing blood purifies us from all unrighteousness, which is the only way we could see God face-to-face as we talked about above. But there's more to this as well. Christ's death, which reconciles us to God, also enables us to live pure today. As we see from the two verses above, a pure life now, abstaining from things which defile us, will result in a closer relationship to God. This puts Matthew 5:8 in a totally different light: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." So now, let's ask the question:
How can a young man keep his way pure? (Psalm 119: 9a)
This is a very interesting verse. There are really so many directions this message can go in. There are two things that I think of when I read this. First, I think of the day when we will literally see God with our very own eyes - a privilege only the pure-hearted sons and daughters of God will be able to experience. We will eventually enter into the kingdom of heaven and into the presence of the Lord, having had our hearts completely purified from all sin.
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:2-3 NKJV)
And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:3-5 NKJV)
And boy, what a hope we have in this, wouldn't you say? I can hardly wait for the day! But there is something else that comes to mind when I read Matthew 5:8 that has a little bit more to do with how we live our lives in the here-and-now.
"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 7:17-8:1)
Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. (Psalm 4:3)
Christ is truly the "Lamb of God that has come to take away the sin of the world" - His cleansing blood purifies us from all unrighteousness, which is the only way we could see God face-to-face as we talked about above. But there's more to this as well. Christ's death, which reconciles us to God, also enables us to live pure today. As we see from the two verses above, a pure life now, abstaining from things which defile us, will result in a closer relationship to God. This puts Matthew 5:8 in a totally different light: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." So now, let's ask the question:
How can a young man keep his way pure? (Psalm 119: 9a)
Well, here's the answer, in the second half of this verse:
By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. (Psalm 119: 9b-12)
Of course, this is referring to the Law given to Moses, in which we have a tremendous blessing. While we no longer live under Law but under grace, we can still use the Law - and indeed, the entire Word of God! - as a guideline of the things which build us up in purity, and the things which tear us down. Praise God for the revelation of His Word to us, without which we would be so pitifully lost in this world! I pray that we would all earnestly seek purity, so that we can grow closer to God today, and truly see God in the days to come.
See the Daily Bread "Purity: To Proclaim Liberty To The Captives" (4-1-08) for further examination of this topic.
See the Daily Bread "Purity: To Proclaim Liberty To The Captives" (4-1-08) for further examination of this topic.
Blessings,
Andrew
"A Lesson in Humility" 3-30-08
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
She lived out spiritual humility, yet she had much on a human level to be proud of. As an author of over 70 books and a translator of many others into Afrikaans, Annalou Marais had much cause to brag–but she was more concerned about honoring Christ than advancing herself. She worked behind the scenes of the Bible conference, doing a servants tasks with a smiling face and a joyful heart. It would have been natural for her to desire, and even deserve, the spotlight. Instead, she quietly served, joyfully weeping as God worked in people's hearts. It was an impressive humility because it was completely genuine.
I have heard it said, 'It is amazing what can be accomplished when we don't care who get's the credit.' This is certainly true of Christian service. Paul told the church at Corinth, 'I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then either he who plants is anything, or he who waters, but God who gives the increase' (1 Cor. 3:6-7). Paul had learned that great lesson of the servant's hear, as Annalou has learned–it's entirely about God. What we do is accomplished by His power and grace, and all the glory must go to Him.
It was a lesson in humility watching Annalou, and one that reminded me of the richness of serving God." (written by Bill Crowder)
'God often uses lowly things
His purpose to fulfill,
Because it takes a humble heart
To carry out His will.' (D. De Haan)
She lived out spiritual humility, yet she had much on a human level to be proud of. As an author of over 70 books and a translator of many others into Afrikaans, Annalou Marais had much cause to brag–but she was more concerned about honoring Christ than advancing herself. She worked behind the scenes of the Bible conference, doing a servants tasks with a smiling face and a joyful heart. It would have been natural for her to desire, and even deserve, the spotlight. Instead, she quietly served, joyfully weeping as God worked in people's hearts. It was an impressive humility because it was completely genuine.
I have heard it said, 'It is amazing what can be accomplished when we don't care who get's the credit.' This is certainly true of Christian service. Paul told the church at Corinth, 'I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then either he who plants is anything, or he who waters, but God who gives the increase' (1 Cor. 3:6-7). Paul had learned that great lesson of the servant's hear, as Annalou has learned–it's entirely about God. What we do is accomplished by His power and grace, and all the glory must go to Him.
It was a lesson in humility watching Annalou, and one that reminded me of the richness of serving God." (written by Bill Crowder)
'God often uses lowly things
His purpose to fulfill,
Because it takes a humble heart
To carry out His will.' (D. De Haan)
(Courtesy of Our Daily Bread, of RBC Ministries)
Pride and Grace cannot dwell in the same place.*
Pride and Grace cannot dwell in the same place.*
Praying for humility,
Whitney
Whitney
"Those Who... Seek Him!" 3-28-08
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
(Psalms 119:2 NKJV)
You know, this entire series has been a very... inquisitive one, for lack of a better term. Each verse seems to raise new questions to which I have no answer, and so the only place to look for these answers is to God. Before we continue on with Matthew 5:7, I'd just like to mention something to you all. If ever you encounter something in Scripture that seems to defy reason, that just doesn't make sense, or that seems to contradict itself, investigate it; dig a little deeper; ask God. Indeed, "seek Him with your whole heart!"
I'm sure you've heard it said before that God is big enough to be asked the tough questions, and this is absolutely true. In fact, when we do dig deeper and ask these questions, it pleases Him that we are willing to devote the time and energy to seek understanding, honor him with our minds, and spend time with Him. He gave us the ability to reason and learn for a purpose, and what better purpose could we put it to than to seek Him?
"Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?" It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. (1 Kings 3:9-10 ESV)
Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. (Proverbs 2:3-8 NKJV)
As it is said, "Seek and ye shall find." (Matthew 7:7)
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 KJV)
God wants us to seek Him and search for His understanding, even if this involves asking the tough, faith-threatening questions. So let's put our trust in Him and be willing to ask these questions, what do you say? It is by this process that we grow in faith and knowledge of God, as well as in closeness with Him. And boy, what an amazing privilege it is to be able to sit down with the Almighty God of the Universe as if in casual conversation and ask Him for understanding and fellowship! I do hope this inspires thankfulness in each of our hearts!
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalms 100:4-5 ESV)
And as one final thought, let's always remember to focus on the epitome of God's Wisdom, His Son:
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1: 22-24)
Blessings,
Andrew
You know, this entire series has been a very... inquisitive one, for lack of a better term. Each verse seems to raise new questions to which I have no answer, and so the only place to look for these answers is to God. Before we continue on with Matthew 5:7, I'd just like to mention something to you all. If ever you encounter something in Scripture that seems to defy reason, that just doesn't make sense, or that seems to contradict itself, investigate it; dig a little deeper; ask God. Indeed, "seek Him with your whole heart!"
I'm sure you've heard it said before that God is big enough to be asked the tough questions, and this is absolutely true. In fact, when we do dig deeper and ask these questions, it pleases Him that we are willing to devote the time and energy to seek understanding, honor him with our minds, and spend time with Him. He gave us the ability to reason and learn for a purpose, and what better purpose could we put it to than to seek Him?
"Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?" It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. (1 Kings 3:9-10 ESV)
Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. (Proverbs 2:3-8 NKJV)
As it is said, "Seek and ye shall find." (Matthew 7:7)
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 KJV)
God wants us to seek Him and search for His understanding, even if this involves asking the tough, faith-threatening questions. So let's put our trust in Him and be willing to ask these questions, what do you say? It is by this process that we grow in faith and knowledge of God, as well as in closeness with Him. And boy, what an amazing privilege it is to be able to sit down with the Almighty God of the Universe as if in casual conversation and ask Him for understanding and fellowship! I do hope this inspires thankfulness in each of our hearts!
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalms 100:4-5 ESV)
And as one final thought, let's always remember to focus on the epitome of God's Wisdom, His Son:
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1: 22-24)
Blessings,
Andrew
"Those Who Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness" 3-27-08
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6)
I must say, with this particular verse, the Lord has taken me on quite a rigmarole to get to the heart of what He wants us to focus on today. I originally thought this verse would be simple to comment on, but oh, how wrong I was! I'm sure many things can be said about it, but none of them are what He wanted to be spoken today. Instead, while I was asking Him what He wanted us to focus on, He brought me to this verse:
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' (Jeremiah 23:5-6 ESV)
Do you know who this verse is speaking of? This righteous Branch of David? It's speaking of Jesus Christ, who is indeed our righteousness.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Praise God for this, that Jesus Christ has become our righteousness, for apart from Him our own righteousness and good works are as "filthy rags" to God (Isaiah 64:6). Only by the righteousness of Christ can we even approach the throne of God, much less be accepted into the kingdom of heaven. So, getting back to Matthew 5:6 above, we see that those who hunger and thirst for this righteousness will be filled. So naturally, that led me to the question, "Well, God, is simply desiring righteousness enough? If I just one day decide that I'm going to be a better person, will I be filled?" The answer to this question, of course, is no. We must take this verse in context and look at it in light of the rest of the Word of God, and verses such as Isaiah 64:6 mentioned above and Romans 3:10-18, As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God... ((etc.))" make it clear that there's more to it than just wanting to be a better person. Our focus has to be on Christ, our desire for His righteousness to cover ours, and then we will be filled.
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 21-24)
The amazing part of this righteousness is that not only does it allow us to be seen as righteous and pure in the eyes of the Father, it empowers us and allows us to actually produce the fruits of righteousness as well. We simply cannot have received this gift of righteousness and salvation through Christ without having our very hearts changed so that we evidence this change through how we live our lives - although this righteousness comes through faith alone, if we don't evidence this in a changed life, it is an indication that we have not truly received this righteousness and that our faith is dead. "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." (James 2:26 ESV)
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11 ESV)
It is my prayer that we would all accept this free gift of grace and allow our souls to be "filled" to the brim, so that this love and righteousness would overflow into the lives of all those around us!
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)
Blessings,
Andrew
I must say, with this particular verse, the Lord has taken me on quite a rigmarole to get to the heart of what He wants us to focus on today. I originally thought this verse would be simple to comment on, but oh, how wrong I was! I'm sure many things can be said about it, but none of them are what He wanted to be spoken today. Instead, while I was asking Him what He wanted us to focus on, He brought me to this verse:
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.' (Jeremiah 23:5-6 ESV)
Do you know who this verse is speaking of? This righteous Branch of David? It's speaking of Jesus Christ, who is indeed our righteousness.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Praise God for this, that Jesus Christ has become our righteousness, for apart from Him our own righteousness and good works are as "filthy rags" to God (Isaiah 64:6). Only by the righteousness of Christ can we even approach the throne of God, much less be accepted into the kingdom of heaven. So, getting back to Matthew 5:6 above, we see that those who hunger and thirst for this righteousness will be filled. So naturally, that led me to the question, "Well, God, is simply desiring righteousness enough? If I just one day decide that I'm going to be a better person, will I be filled?" The answer to this question, of course, is no. We must take this verse in context and look at it in light of the rest of the Word of God, and verses such as Isaiah 64:6 mentioned above and Romans 3:10-18, As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God... ((etc.))" make it clear that there's more to it than just wanting to be a better person. Our focus has to be on Christ, our desire for His righteousness to cover ours, and then we will be filled.
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 21-24)
The amazing part of this righteousness is that not only does it allow us to be seen as righteous and pure in the eyes of the Father, it empowers us and allows us to actually produce the fruits of righteousness as well. We simply cannot have received this gift of righteousness and salvation through Christ without having our very hearts changed so that we evidence this change through how we live our lives - although this righteousness comes through faith alone, if we don't evidence this in a changed life, it is an indication that we have not truly received this righteousness and that our faith is dead. "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." (James 2:26 ESV)
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11 ESV)
It is my prayer that we would all accept this free gift of grace and allow our souls to be "filled" to the brim, so that this love and righteousness would overflow into the lives of all those around us!
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)
Blessings,
Andrew
"The Meek" 3-26-08
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)
Reading over this verse, I again began to ask God, "Why is it the meek who will inherit the earth? Aren't we as Christians supposed to be fearless and mighty children of the King?" I've always understood "meek" to be a word closely related to weakness. With verses such as 2 Timothy 1:7: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline, and Luke 24:49: I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high, indicating that we are supposed to be fearless and mighty children of God, I began to wonder, where does meekness fit into this? As usual, God provided me with an answer by leading me to His Word.
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:13-15)
So as I reflected and prayed to God about this, He revealed to me that of course we as Christians have a spirit of power, but this isn't our spirit of power - this is the Spirit of God dwelling within us. OUR spirit is one of meekness and humility, the spirit of a child. When we draw near to Christ as one of these little children, completely humble and full of meekness, then we open the door for His Spirit to come in and live within us. This is the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline that we hear so much about; this is the power from on high that we have been promised by the Father. And for we who have this meekness in our own hearts, we as little children of God will inherit the earth. So let me ask you: are you meek? Are you humble before the Lord? If so, rejoice, for you are truly blessed! If not, I would encourage you to humble your heart before Him, and open the door for His Spirit to come into your life.
But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. (Psalm 37:11)
Blessings,
Andrew
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:13-15)
So as I reflected and prayed to God about this, He revealed to me that of course we as Christians have a spirit of power, but this isn't our spirit of power - this is the Spirit of God dwelling within us. OUR spirit is one of meekness and humility, the spirit of a child. When we draw near to Christ as one of these little children, completely humble and full of meekness, then we open the door for His Spirit to come in and live within us. This is the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline that we hear so much about; this is the power from on high that we have been promised by the Father. And for we who have this meekness in our own hearts, we as little children of God will inherit the earth. So let me ask you: are you meek? Are you humble before the Lord? If so, rejoice, for you are truly blessed! If not, I would encourage you to humble your heart before Him, and open the door for His Spirit to come into your life.
But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. (Psalm 37:11)
Blessings,
Andrew
Welcome to Our Daily Bread Website
Greetings! Welcome to Our Daily Bread Website! If this if your first time to Our Daily Bread, find out more about our ministry by going to the 'About ODB' tab.
Feel free to look around and read our newly published Daily Breads. To narrow down your search, you can browse by 'Tags', located at the bottom of the page. We are currently in the process of publishing all of our Daily Breads to our Blog website and so until we are finished, we thank you for your patience! In the meantime, feel free to explore the rest of the website, and read up on the Daily Breads that have been published so far.
Blessings in Christ,
Daily Bread Team
Feel free to look around and read our newly published Daily Breads. To narrow down your search, you can browse by 'Tags', located at the bottom of the page. We are currently in the process of publishing all of our Daily Breads to our Blog website and so until we are finished, we thank you for your patience! In the meantime, feel free to explore the rest of the website, and read up on the Daily Breads that have been published so far.
Blessings in Christ,
Daily Bread Team
Supported Ministries and Organizations
Hello everyone!
Below is a list of ministries that we here at ODB whole-heartedly support and recommend you to look at. We have also included a brief description of each ministry for your convenience. Have a blessed day!
~Andrew
GoodSearch is a search engine powered by Yahoo! that allows you to select a nonprofit organization of your choice and help raise money for that organization simply by searching the web. Once you add the GoodSearch toolbar and select your organization, every time you use the GoodSearch search engine, a small portion of the advertisement revenue that would normally go to Yahoo! is donated to your selected ministry. This small portion can really add up to something big! (If you aren't sure who to donate to, both ministries below have GoodSearch profiles.)
Setting Captives Free is an online web-ministry offering free, Christ-centered Bible Study courses to those in bondage to habitual sin (or, "addictions"). These courses teach how it is possible to find freedom from pornography, lust & sexual impurity, homosexuality, over-eating, drug and alcohol abuse, cutting & self-injury, smoking, gambling, and more. There are also courses in teenage purity, mens' and womens' studies, and Christian growth & discipleship.
The key to this ministries' success is their commitment to Biblical truth and the liberating power of Jesus Christ. What is unique about their approach is their "mentorship" program where people who have graduated the course and found freedom from their own personal areas of struggle are given the opportunity to "mentor" others going through the course by offering advice, prayer, and accountability through eMail. This is all done on a volunteer basis, ensuring that there is no cost for those seeking help from sin addictions.
Compassion International is a child sponsorship organization committed to releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name. Through Compassion, you can give a one-time donation, or sponsor a child for $38/month, ensuring that they have:
Below is a list of ministries that we here at ODB whole-heartedly support and recommend you to look at. We have also included a brief description of each ministry for your convenience. Have a blessed day!
~Andrew
GoodSearch is a search engine powered by Yahoo! that allows you to select a nonprofit organization of your choice and help raise money for that organization simply by searching the web. Once you add the GoodSearch toolbar and select your organization, every time you use the GoodSearch search engine, a small portion of the advertisement revenue that would normally go to Yahoo! is donated to your selected ministry. This small portion can really add up to something big! (If you aren't sure who to donate to, both ministries below have GoodSearch profiles.)
Setting Captives Free is an online web-ministry offering free, Christ-centered Bible Study courses to those in bondage to habitual sin (or, "addictions"). These courses teach how it is possible to find freedom from pornography, lust & sexual impurity, homosexuality, over-eating, drug and alcohol abuse, cutting & self-injury, smoking, gambling, and more. There are also courses in teenage purity, mens' and womens' studies, and Christian growth & discipleship.
The key to this ministries' success is their commitment to Biblical truth and the liberating power of Jesus Christ. What is unique about their approach is their "mentorship" program where people who have graduated the course and found freedom from their own personal areas of struggle are given the opportunity to "mentor" others going through the course by offering advice, prayer, and accountability through eMail. This is all done on a volunteer basis, ensuring that there is no cost for those seeking help from sin addictions.
Compassion International is a child sponsorship organization committed to releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name. Through Compassion, you can give a one-time donation, or sponsor a child for $38/month, ensuring that they have:
- Food and clean water
- Medical care
- Educational opportunities
- Important life-skills training
- And most important of all, Compassion sponsored children will hear about the love of Jesus Christ and be encouraged to develop a lifelong relationship with God.
ODB Blog Grand Opening!
Hello there, everyone!
To those of you who have stumbled upon this blog, Our Daily Bread is a web-ministry created to provide uplifting, positive, and practically-applicable guidance from the Word of God. We have a strictly Christ-centered approach to spirituality (and indeed, life in general), and seek to glorify Him in all that we do.
Our messages are generally sent daily, or every other day, depending on the circumstances. They are sent through a mailing list, which you can sign up for by sending a blank eMail to the address "our_daily_bread@live.com" (after adding us to your approved contacts list, that is!). Otherwise, we plan to use this blog as a place to archive our messages, so feel free to have a look around once we get everything uploaded. We welcome questions, comments, or advice of any kind, and will honor any prayer requests that may come our way, so feel free to drop us a note or spark up a conversation at any time!
It is my hope and prayer that you will find this a warm and welcoming place to investigate this "Jesus" person we so often hear of, and to learn what a relationship with Him is really all about - and if you are already acquainted with Him on a personal level, that you would be encouraged to take the next step in your faith, delve a little deeper into His Word, and grow closer to the Living God of the Universe!
Blessings in Christ,
Daily Bread Team
To those of you who have stumbled upon this blog, Our Daily Bread is a web-ministry created to provide uplifting, positive, and practically-applicable guidance from the Word of God. We have a strictly Christ-centered approach to spirituality (and indeed, life in general), and seek to glorify Him in all that we do.
Our messages are generally sent daily, or every other day, depending on the circumstances. They are sent through a mailing list, which you can sign up for by sending a blank eMail to the address "our_daily_bread@live.com" (after adding us to your approved contacts list, that is!). Otherwise, we plan to use this blog as a place to archive our messages, so feel free to have a look around once we get everything uploaded. We welcome questions, comments, or advice of any kind, and will honor any prayer requests that may come our way, so feel free to drop us a note or spark up a conversation at any time!
It is my hope and prayer that you will find this a warm and welcoming place to investigate this "Jesus" person we so often hear of, and to learn what a relationship with Him is really all about - and if you are already acquainted with Him on a personal level, that you would be encouraged to take the next step in your faith, delve a little deeper into His Word, and grow closer to the Living God of the Universe!
Blessings in Christ,
Daily Bread Team
Who Are Those Writers of Our Daily Bread?
Greetings!
Daily bread messages are generally sent whenever Whitney has time to write them. They are sent through a mailing list, which you can sign up for by sending a blank eMail to the address "our_daily_bread@live.com" (after adding ODB to your approved contacts list, that is!). Otherwise, they plan to use this blog as a place to archive their messages, so feel free to have a look around once they get everything uploaded. They welcome questions, comments, or advice of any kind, so feel free to drop a note or spark up a conversation! Also, Whitney is an avid photographer--if you are looking for a photographer, or would just like to see her work, check out her own website via the 'Photography' tab.
If you read through each daily bread starting at the beginning, you will see a gradual growth. Indeed as Andrew and Whitney pen these daily breads, they hope that you will learn and be inspired from their words--just as they have inspired their own lives as well.
It is the hope and prayer of ODB that you will find this a warm and welcoming place to investigate God, Jesus, Christianity, and other ideas of philosophical merit. They hope that you may learn what a relationship with God is really all about - and if you are already acquainted with Him on a personal level, that you would be encouraged to take the next step in your faith, delve a little deeper into His love, and grow closer to Him, as He longs to with you.
God Bless,
Daily Bread Team
To those of you who have stumbled upon this blog, Our Daily Bread is a web-ministry created to provide uplifting, positive, and practically-applicable guidance using bible verses, logic, and everyday life experiences. It is not the same as the Our Daily Bread of RBC ministries (only the name is the same), although we encourage you to check out their beautiful and God-centered writings as well. These particular daily breads are personally written by individuals who seek with their whole lives to glorify God in all that they do.
Andrew and Whitney are the writers and creators of this ministry. They began this ministry back in February of 2006. But they humble themselves with the knowledge that God has given them their talents and inspiration. He is in everything they do and are.
Whitney had the idea for this ministry, and Andrew actually saw it through. For years they have worked together in writing many daily breads. They hope that you dear readers have grown through them as much as they have. However, Andrew has recently left writing to pursue other callings, while Whitney has chosen to continue writing.
Both Andrew and Whitney were in high school when they began this ministry. Now both are in college, and pursue many things. They are constantly learning and growing through their daily lives and experiences. They hope that these things shine through in their writings. God is their foundation, as they hope He is with you.
Daily bread messages are generally sent whenever Whitney has time to write them. They are sent through a mailing list, which you can sign up for by sending a blank eMail to the address "our_daily_bread@live.com" (after adding ODB to your approved contacts list, that is!). Otherwise, they plan to use this blog as a place to archive their messages, so feel free to have a look around once they get everything uploaded. They welcome questions, comments, or advice of any kind, so feel free to drop a note or spark up a conversation! Also, Whitney is an avid photographer--if you are looking for a photographer, or would just like to see her work, check out her own website via the 'Photography' tab.
If you read through each daily bread starting at the beginning, you will see a gradual growth. Indeed as Andrew and Whitney pen these daily breads, they hope that you will learn and be inspired from their words--just as they have inspired their own lives as well.
It is the hope and prayer of ODB that you will find this a warm and welcoming place to investigate God, Jesus, Christianity, and other ideas of philosophical merit. They hope that you may learn what a relationship with God is really all about - and if you are already acquainted with Him on a personal level, that you would be encouraged to take the next step in your faith, delve a little deeper into His love, and grow closer to Him, as He longs to with you.
God Bless,
Daily Bread Team
The Resurrection - 3/23/08
Hello everyone!
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:14, ESV
Have you ever wondered, just what is the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? What about it is so radically important that if it was not true, the entire Christian faith would be in vain? Here, take a look at this verse from Romans:
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death... Romans 6:3-4a, ESV
This verse states that we as Christians were baptized with Him into His death, as if as He hung on that cross, we hung there with Him. Think for a moment - if Christ had not risen but remained in the grave, having been baptized with Him into His death, we too would remain there with Him. There would be no life; only death. But praise God, this is not the case!
...in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Romans 6:4b-5, ESV
We who have been united with Him into His death have also been united with Him in His life - and this is the best news you and I could ever hear! We died with Him; and now, we live with Him. But what does this mean for us? What are the real-life implications of this, and how does this change how we live our lives?
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:6-11, ESV
This is the power of the resurrection. Having been baptized into His death, and thus, into His life as well, we are no longer slaves to sin. We who once were at the every beck and call of our cruel, unrighteous master of sin without any hope of ever seeing the light have now been shown freedom. Whereas before we were totally unable to resist the commands of the devil, giving in to the lusts and cravings of the flesh, we now have had our bonds broken as we are united with Christ into His death (to die to sin) and resurrection (to live to God). Therefore, to finish us off:
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. Romans 6:12-13, ESV
I hope you see the true power of the resurrection of our Lord - it is this which enables and empowers us to lead righteous, self-controlled, God-pleasing lives. No self-will or mental strength can achieve this - only Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord, can - and indeed, has. May we all have a blessed Easter!
Blessings,
Andrew
And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:14, ESV
Have you ever wondered, just what is the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? What about it is so radically important that if it was not true, the entire Christian faith would be in vain? Here, take a look at this verse from Romans:
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death... Romans 6:3-4a, ESV
This verse states that we as Christians were baptized with Him into His death, as if as He hung on that cross, we hung there with Him. Think for a moment - if Christ had not risen but remained in the grave, having been baptized with Him into His death, we too would remain there with Him. There would be no life; only death. But praise God, this is not the case!
...in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Romans 6:4b-5, ESV
We who have been united with Him into His death have also been united with Him in His life - and this is the best news you and I could ever hear! We died with Him; and now, we live with Him. But what does this mean for us? What are the real-life implications of this, and how does this change how we live our lives?
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:6-11, ESV
This is the power of the resurrection. Having been baptized into His death, and thus, into His life as well, we are no longer slaves to sin. We who once were at the every beck and call of our cruel, unrighteous master of sin without any hope of ever seeing the light have now been shown freedom. Whereas before we were totally unable to resist the commands of the devil, giving in to the lusts and cravings of the flesh, we now have had our bonds broken as we are united with Christ into His death (to die to sin) and resurrection (to live to God). Therefore, to finish us off:
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. Romans 6:12-13, ESV
I hope you see the true power of the resurrection of our Lord - it is this which enables and empowers us to lead righteous, self-controlled, God-pleasing lives. No self-will or mental strength can achieve this - only Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord, can - and indeed, has. May we all have a blessed Easter!
Blessings,
Andrew
The Poor In Spirit - 3/24/08
Here is today's verse:
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:1-3)
As I reflected upon this verse this morning, I must admit, it had me a bit perplexed. It didn't seem to make sense. "Why," I asked God, "would you say the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit, if there are people today who are poor in spirit, yet do not know You? Are they blessed, as this verse makes clear?" And then, as I was praying about it, the Lord brought me to this passage:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them,"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:18-21)
And then the answer hit me: yes, they are blessed, blessed beyond measure! Even those who are poor in spirit, yet do not know God, are blessed. This is because Christ has been anointed to preach good news to such as these - these broken, battered, poor wretches who have come to the end of themselves and realize their own poverty of spirit. Until we come to the end of ourselves and see the truth of who we are - sinners with no hope of righteousness apart from Christ - there is no hope of us becoming anything more. Being poor in spirit enables us to hear, understand, and apply the gospel which Christ has come to preach. Whether we end up doing so or not, it is not possible for us to cry out to Him without first being poor in spirit. See what is said of those who are not poor in spirit in the book of Revelation -
You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17)
If we are never poor in spirit, then we never realize our own wretchedness, pitifulness, poverty, blindness, and nakedness; and thus, cannot cry out for the Savior to come in and heal our broken souls and restore us to a right relationship with God (Isaiah 6:10). I hope that we can all echo the words of this prayer here, finding completion in our brokenness and poverty through the greatness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:
"Here I am, at your feet,
In my brokenness complete." ~Unashamed, by Starfield
Blessings,
Andrew
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:1-3)
As I reflected upon this verse this morning, I must admit, it had me a bit perplexed. It didn't seem to make sense. "Why," I asked God, "would you say the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit, if there are people today who are poor in spirit, yet do not know You? Are they blessed, as this verse makes clear?" And then, as I was praying about it, the Lord brought me to this passage:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them,"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:18-21)
And then the answer hit me: yes, they are blessed, blessed beyond measure! Even those who are poor in spirit, yet do not know God, are blessed. This is because Christ has been anointed to preach good news to such as these - these broken, battered, poor wretches who have come to the end of themselves and realize their own poverty of spirit. Until we come to the end of ourselves and see the truth of who we are - sinners with no hope of righteousness apart from Christ - there is no hope of us becoming anything more. Being poor in spirit enables us to hear, understand, and apply the gospel which Christ has come to preach. Whether we end up doing so or not, it is not possible for us to cry out to Him without first being poor in spirit. See what is said of those who are not poor in spirit in the book of Revelation -
You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17)
If we are never poor in spirit, then we never realize our own wretchedness, pitifulness, poverty, blindness, and nakedness; and thus, cannot cry out for the Savior to come in and heal our broken souls and restore us to a right relationship with God (Isaiah 6:10). I hope that we can all echo the words of this prayer here, finding completion in our brokenness and poverty through the greatness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ:
"Here I am, at your feet,
In my brokenness complete." ~Unashamed, by Starfield
Blessings,
Andrew
The Nature Of Love - 3/22/08
Hello everyone!
I hope things are well with your lives today, and that in all the Easter hype, you're finding time to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday - the resurrection of our Lord.
Tomorrow, many of us will be going to church for an Easter service and will undoubtedly learn of the great sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, how He was delivered into the hands of evil men, crucified, and then how He died for our sins, only to rise having "defeated death and the grave" in glorious victory. So, keeping this in mind, I won't preach your Easter Sunday message on Saturday afternoon - I'll leave that up to the more capable and more knowledgeable. However, I would like to point out one thing, and that is the nature of love which Christ demonstrated perfectly on the cross. You've probably heard this countless times, but it is so very important that saying it just once doesn't do it justice.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:13-15, ESV
Greater love has no one than someone laying down his life for his friends - and this is exactly what Jesus did for us. We have no greater love in our lives than the love of Christ. No one has ever loved you, nor will ever love you, as much as Christ does - never let anyone tell you otherwise.
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17, ESV
God is the very nature of love. As we abide in Him, the nature of love is perfected within us as well. Do you want to learn to love more? Look to God, abide in Him, and this will be perfected in you. As the source of all things good, He is the only one we can look to for both the example, and the empowerment, to love more - both of which are given freely at the cross. Let us keep this in mind as we prepare to celebrate the anniversary of our Lord's resurrection, and I pray that you all have a blessed Easter Sunday!
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:16-17, NKJV
Blessings,
Andrew
I hope things are well with your lives today, and that in all the Easter hype, you're finding time to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday - the resurrection of our Lord.
Tomorrow, many of us will be going to church for an Easter service and will undoubtedly learn of the great sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, how He was delivered into the hands of evil men, crucified, and then how He died for our sins, only to rise having "defeated death and the grave" in glorious victory. So, keeping this in mind, I won't preach your Easter Sunday message on Saturday afternoon - I'll leave that up to the more capable and more knowledgeable. However, I would like to point out one thing, and that is the nature of love which Christ demonstrated perfectly on the cross. You've probably heard this countless times, but it is so very important that saying it just once doesn't do it justice.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:13-15, ESV
Greater love has no one than someone laying down his life for his friends - and this is exactly what Jesus did for us. We have no greater love in our lives than the love of Christ. No one has ever loved you, nor will ever love you, as much as Christ does - never let anyone tell you otherwise.
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17, ESV
God is the very nature of love. As we abide in Him, the nature of love is perfected within us as well. Do you want to learn to love more? Look to God, abide in Him, and this will be perfected in you. As the source of all things good, He is the only one we can look to for both the example, and the empowerment, to love more - both of which are given freely at the cross. Let us keep this in mind as we prepare to celebrate the anniversary of our Lord's resurrection, and I pray that you all have a blessed Easter Sunday!
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:16-17, NKJV
Blessings,
Andrew
Giving Your All - 3/21/08
The Christian Band Flyleaf wrote a song inspired by the Columbine Shootings. In the song, the chorus goes
"Do you believe in God?
Written on the Bullet
And Cassie pulled the trigger."
In other words, this girl Cassie was asked a simple, yet life-changing question: Do you believe in God? She said yes, and the gunman shot her.
In the Bible we read about Stephen, the first Christian Martyr. He was not afraid to proclaim his faith. He was willing to give up everything, including his life for Jesus. Cassie was too.
Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. Acts 6:8-10
Read Acts 6:8-8:3
So think about this personal question for a moment: are you willing to give your all, even your life for Christ?
Many would not hesitate to say yes. But let me tell you, we here in America don't face the Christian persecution like so many other countries do. We take life for granted. So if we were asked the question knowing our life was on the line, what would we really say?
We are weak compared to those persecuted around the world. They are so Christ-focused they are willing to give their all, when we are afraid to share our faith openly with a non-Christian friend. We have no reason to be afraid. Yet we are.
So lets get back on track with Him, knowing in our hearts there's no need to be afraid, for we know where we are going once we die. Let me tell you, it's a much better place there than here! If you do not know where you are going, pray right now to Jesus.
"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,"that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:9-13
Will you pull that trigger?
"And I will pull the trigger." (Cassie, Flyleaf)
Giving it all up,
Whitney
"Do you believe in God?
Written on the Bullet
And Cassie pulled the trigger."
In other words, this girl Cassie was asked a simple, yet life-changing question: Do you believe in God? She said yes, and the gunman shot her.
In the Bible we read about Stephen, the first Christian Martyr. He was not afraid to proclaim his faith. He was willing to give up everything, including his life for Jesus. Cassie was too.
Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. Acts 6:8-10
Read Acts 6:8-8:3
So think about this personal question for a moment: are you willing to give your all, even your life for Christ?
Many would not hesitate to say yes. But let me tell you, we here in America don't face the Christian persecution like so many other countries do. We take life for granted. So if we were asked the question knowing our life was on the line, what would we really say?
We are weak compared to those persecuted around the world. They are so Christ-focused they are willing to give their all, when we are afraid to share our faith openly with a non-Christian friend. We have no reason to be afraid. Yet we are.
So lets get back on track with Him, knowing in our hearts there's no need to be afraid, for we know where we are going once we die. Let me tell you, it's a much better place there than here! If you do not know where you are going, pray right now to Jesus.
"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,"that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:9-13
Will you pull that trigger?
"And I will pull the trigger." (Cassie, Flyleaf)
Giving it all up,
Whitney
The Beatitudes: A Journey - 3/20/08
Hello everyone,
Today I'd like to begin a series of messages inspired by what people often refer to as "The Beatitudes," a series of declarations of blessedness found in Matthew chapter 5.
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
"4Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5: 1-12
But today, before we go deeper into each verse, there's something I'd like to point out. As I read this verse, I notice a sort of pattern - it's the pattern we ourselves evidence when we are saved. We begin humble and poor in spirit - broken and at the end of our ropes - when we cry out to Jesus. It is then that we receive the kingdom of heaven. This is followed by mourning as we realize that it was our sin that held Him to that cross, but in our mourning we are comforted as He puts His arms around us and whispers reassurances into our ears. Then comes our time of meekness, when we are humbled and admit that we are absolutely nothing without Christ - and it is we who are humble, not the haughty, prideful rulers of the world, who will in the end inherit the earth when Christ takes up His throne.
After meekness, then comes something amazing: a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and this yearning will be satisfied completely. Whereas the pleasures of the world are fleeting and never satisfy, when we seek for righteousness and to know God, our hearts will be satisfied. Next comes mercy. When others wrong us, we are quick to forgive for we know that their sin against us cannot hold a candle to our sin against God and the wrongs we have committed, which we ourselves have been forgiven of by the blood of the Lamb.
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:28
Next comes a pure heart. As we seek the things of God, avoiding the things which defile us and taking in the things which purify us and build us up, our hearts are purified - and with a pure heart, we see God.
Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
As we continue on down our road, our souls yearn for peace. Not only do we seek to "live at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18), but our desire is for peace between God and our fellow man, and we seek to be peacemakers and ambassadors for Christ to those around us. With this desire to make peace comes the title of "sons and daughters of God." And of course, as we put ourselves on the line in order to spread this gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15), there will be those who will persecute us for this - and this brings us full circle, as we are reminded that "ours is the kingdom of heaven," and in this we can rejoice.
Over the next few days, we will dig a little deeper for each of these "beatitudes," but today, I pray that wherever we are along our respective journeys, that we will rejoice and be glad for the blessings we have received in the Lord.
Blessings,
Andrew
Today I'd like to begin a series of messages inspired by what people often refer to as "The Beatitudes," a series of declarations of blessedness found in Matthew chapter 5.
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
"4Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5: 1-12
But today, before we go deeper into each verse, there's something I'd like to point out. As I read this verse, I notice a sort of pattern - it's the pattern we ourselves evidence when we are saved. We begin humble and poor in spirit - broken and at the end of our ropes - when we cry out to Jesus. It is then that we receive the kingdom of heaven. This is followed by mourning as we realize that it was our sin that held Him to that cross, but in our mourning we are comforted as He puts His arms around us and whispers reassurances into our ears. Then comes our time of meekness, when we are humbled and admit that we are absolutely nothing without Christ - and it is we who are humble, not the haughty, prideful rulers of the world, who will in the end inherit the earth when Christ takes up His throne.
After meekness, then comes something amazing: a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and this yearning will be satisfied completely. Whereas the pleasures of the world are fleeting and never satisfy, when we seek for righteousness and to know God, our hearts will be satisfied. Next comes mercy. When others wrong us, we are quick to forgive for we know that their sin against us cannot hold a candle to our sin against God and the wrongs we have committed, which we ourselves have been forgiven of by the blood of the Lamb.
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:28
Next comes a pure heart. As we seek the things of God, avoiding the things which defile us and taking in the things which purify us and build us up, our hearts are purified - and with a pure heart, we see God.
Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
As we continue on down our road, our souls yearn for peace. Not only do we seek to "live at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18), but our desire is for peace between God and our fellow man, and we seek to be peacemakers and ambassadors for Christ to those around us. With this desire to make peace comes the title of "sons and daughters of God." And of course, as we put ourselves on the line in order to spread this gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15), there will be those who will persecute us for this - and this brings us full circle, as we are reminded that "ours is the kingdom of heaven," and in this we can rejoice.
Over the next few days, we will dig a little deeper for each of these "beatitudes," but today, I pray that wherever we are along our respective journeys, that we will rejoice and be glad for the blessings we have received in the Lord.
Blessings,
Andrew
Faith - 3/18/08
Hello everyone,
The passage I'd like to share with you today is very well known - it is the account of Jesus calming the storm.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.. Matthew 8:23-26
Another account of this incident, found in Mark chapter 4, has a bit more elaboration on the words of Jesus:
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"Mark 4:40
What intrigues me about this verse is how Jesus asks the question: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" You would think that after having spent time with Jesus Christ and witnessing some of his miracles (for this was still early in His ministry), His disciples would by this point have faith in both Christ, and the Father who sent Him - surely enough faith to trust Him through this simple storm. Walking with God Almighty - whether aware of it or not - has this effect on people.
This is what I would like to focus on, the aspect of faith that Jesus gives us a glimpse into here. Faith is more than simply a blind trusting (though this is what we must do sometimes, trust in the Lord when we ourselves are blind to what the outcome may be). Imagine a relationship with a close friend or family member of yours. If it's a true friend or loved one, you know that if you're ever in need, you can run to this person for whatever you may need. You can trust them to be there for you, because over the course of time, your trust and faith in each other has grown.
Let's say, for example, that I'm out on my own and my identity is stolen, along with all the money in my bank account. After this, I need some money to live on, so I think of who I can call for help. So I call up my family back home, and they say of course they'll send some money right away. As Hebrews 11:1 states, because I trust them, "I am sure of what I hope for" - my hope being that that they will pull through for me - and "certain of what I do not see" - that they have promised to help me through my hard times. I cannot physically see this promise, but I am sure and confident that it will be fulfilled. While this may be an example of misplaced faith - faith in man to pull me through rather than faith in God to sustain me - I hope you understand the principle I'm trying to get across.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Our relationship with God is the same way. As we walk with Him, we learn to trust Him, even when we cannot see Him moving with our own eyes, as with any relationship with a trustworthy person (and who is more trustworthy than God Himself?). So do you want more faith? Walk with God. Get to know Him, and listen to His Word and His voice - the more you do, the easier it will be to endure the storms of life when they come our way. The easier it will be to have faith; to have trust; and this simply comes with time.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
Blessings
Andrew
The passage I'd like to share with you today is very well known - it is the account of Jesus calming the storm.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.. Matthew 8:23-26
Another account of this incident, found in Mark chapter 4, has a bit more elaboration on the words of Jesus:
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"Mark 4:40
What intrigues me about this verse is how Jesus asks the question: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" You would think that after having spent time with Jesus Christ and witnessing some of his miracles (for this was still early in His ministry), His disciples would by this point have faith in both Christ, and the Father who sent Him - surely enough faith to trust Him through this simple storm. Walking with God Almighty - whether aware of it or not - has this effect on people.
This is what I would like to focus on, the aspect of faith that Jesus gives us a glimpse into here. Faith is more than simply a blind trusting (though this is what we must do sometimes, trust in the Lord when we ourselves are blind to what the outcome may be). Imagine a relationship with a close friend or family member of yours. If it's a true friend or loved one, you know that if you're ever in need, you can run to this person for whatever you may need. You can trust them to be there for you, because over the course of time, your trust and faith in each other has grown.
Let's say, for example, that I'm out on my own and my identity is stolen, along with all the money in my bank account. After this, I need some money to live on, so I think of who I can call for help. So I call up my family back home, and they say of course they'll send some money right away. As Hebrews 11:1 states, because I trust them, "I am sure of what I hope for" - my hope being that that they will pull through for me - and "certain of what I do not see" - that they have promised to help me through my hard times. I cannot physically see this promise, but I am sure and confident that it will be fulfilled. While this may be an example of misplaced faith - faith in man to pull me through rather than faith in God to sustain me - I hope you understand the principle I'm trying to get across.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Our relationship with God is the same way. As we walk with Him, we learn to trust Him, even when we cannot see Him moving with our own eyes, as with any relationship with a trustworthy person (and who is more trustworthy than God Himself?). So do you want more faith? Walk with God. Get to know Him, and listen to His Word and His voice - the more you do, the easier it will be to endure the storms of life when they come our way. The easier it will be to have faith; to have trust; and this simply comes with time.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
Blessings
Andrew
Whatever Is Born Of God - 3/17/08
Hello! Here is a short message for today - I hope you allow it to encourage your heart.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5 NKJV)
Against we who have been born of God, there is nothing in the world which can defeat or overcome us. As we hold to faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, Son of God Most High, we can rest confidently in the fact that "if God is for us, who can be against us?"
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 NKJV)
We know that God works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), and since this is the case, we know that no matter what situation we find ourselves in, whether it appears to be good or bad, victory or defeat, success or failure, our faith in Him is the victory that continually overcomes our fears, our doubts, and our struggles. In Him, we truly experience "the victory that has overcome the world."
Blessings,
Andrew
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5 NKJV)
Against we who have been born of God, there is nothing in the world which can defeat or overcome us. As we hold to faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, Son of God Most High, we can rest confidently in the fact that "if God is for us, who can be against us?"
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 NKJV)
We know that God works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), and since this is the case, we know that no matter what situation we find ourselves in, whether it appears to be good or bad, victory or defeat, success or failure, our faith in Him is the victory that continually overcomes our fears, our doubts, and our struggles. In Him, we truly experience "the victory that has overcome the world."
Blessings,
Andrew
Broken to Beautiful Roses - 3/16/08
Hello Everyone,
I would like to do something a little different here, and share with you a poem I wrote several months back.
In June of 2007, I joined a group from my Church excited about going to Mexico. Our mission was to build two small, one room houses for two families there. After I arrived home I was given the words for the following poem you are about to read.
Broken Roses
I walk down the dusty streets
And what do mine eyes see
But a once bright rose lying there
Exposed as all could be.
I pick up in wonder
At how such a thing came to be
There in such a desolate place
It seemed so strange to me.
Then comes along a stranger,
"Hello there," He greets.
"May I ask what it is with your rose?
It looks as though it were beat."
"Yes indeed it is badly broken,
But I just found it here," I say.
"I was wonderin' how it had come to be
Lying here this way."
Staring at it for a moment
He then begins to say,
"It's here to signify a life;
Like yours, if you may.
You've always thought you had it all
Until some time ago,
Your life turned all upside down
Ending up like this here rose.
Look all around you and see
These people have nothing and yet,
They are happy and thankful;
Some things you have yet to get.
To you their lives seem broken,
But they have seen the Light,
They do not rely on themselves--
Rather on Mine, their Father's Love and Might.
So by finding this forsaken rose,
I have given you a choice:
Either to feel as a broken rose can feel,
Or you can heed the words of my voice.
There are many who become a broken rose,
Feeling helpless and alone,
Their eyes are wet with tears,
And their hearts heavy as stone.
If only they knew of the Love and Hope
That only the Father can give,
No longer a broken rose are they
For now on, they can live."
So saying He looked me in the eye,
Then turned and went on His way.
He was right, I was a broken rose,
It bein' revealed to me that day.
I fell down onto my knees
There in the midst of that barren street,
With tears in my eyes
I prayed to Got to restore my faith so weak.
Too long I took my life for granted
Thinking my life was better than theirs.
By they had joy, hope and peace,
Trusting in God to answer their prayers.
My people had not, including myself,
And I finally saw it that day--
From then on I was resolved to be
A happy, wholesome, and thankful Rose in every God-given way.
*******
While this is only inspired, the people did look to be a "broken rose" of sorts. In reality, they had more than I could ever hope for. We think we are better off in the way we live, but our lives are actually void of not physical things, but spiritual and emotional ones. These people were content, not worrying as we who take everything for granted do. These people trusted in the Lord, while we who consider ourselves "good little Christians", hardly ever do. So they are not the broken roses; instead, all the rest of us are. We are lost in our blindness, in our wants, desires, sins, in everything but the Lord. We do not trust, nor have we faith; we are never satisfied, yet they are content with the simplest things. The family we had built a house for were so ecstatic over this simply made structure, it was hard for any of us to believe. But it did cause joy to fill our hearts...
Later I meditated on our reason for going. We left to build two houses, and to minister to the people there, but instead came home the ones having been ministered to....
So that is how I came to be inspired to write this poem. Below are some verses I wish to share relating to my themes discussed above.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Do you feel like a "broken rose"? Go to God now, He will heal and restore you.*
"From then on I was resolved to be
A happy, wholesome, and thankful Rose in every God-given way."
Let's go from Broken Roses to Beautiful Roses!
Whitney
I would like to do something a little different here, and share with you a poem I wrote several months back.
In June of 2007, I joined a group from my Church excited about going to Mexico. Our mission was to build two small, one room houses for two families there. After I arrived home I was given the words for the following poem you are about to read.
I walk down the dusty streets
And what do mine eyes see
But a once bright rose lying there
Exposed as all could be.
I pick up in wonder
At how such a thing came to be
There in such a desolate place
It seemed so strange to me.
Then comes along a stranger,
"Hello there," He greets.
"May I ask what it is with your rose?
It looks as though it were beat."
"Yes indeed it is badly broken,
But I just found it here," I say.
"I was wonderin' how it had come to be
Lying here this way."
Staring at it for a moment
He then begins to say,
"It's here to signify a life;
Like yours, if you may.
You've always thought you had it all
Until some time ago,
Your life turned all upside down
Ending up like this here rose.
Look all around you and see
These people have nothing and yet,
They are happy and thankful;
Some things you have yet to get.
To you their lives seem broken,
But they have seen the Light,
They do not rely on themselves--
Rather on Mine, their Father's Love and Might.
So by finding this forsaken rose,
I have given you a choice:
Either to feel as a broken rose can feel,
Or you can heed the words of my voice.
There are many who become a broken rose,
Feeling helpless and alone,
Their eyes are wet with tears,
And their hearts heavy as stone.
If only they knew of the Love and Hope
That only the Father can give,
No longer a broken rose are they
For now on, they can live."
So saying He looked me in the eye,
Then turned and went on His way.
He was right, I was a broken rose,
It bein' revealed to me that day.
I fell down onto my knees
There in the midst of that barren street,
With tears in my eyes
I prayed to Got to restore my faith so weak.
Too long I took my life for granted
Thinking my life was better than theirs.
By they had joy, hope and peace,
Trusting in God to answer their prayers.
My people had not, including myself,
And I finally saw it that day--
From then on I was resolved to be
A happy, wholesome, and thankful Rose in every God-given way.
*******
While this is only inspired, the people did look to be a "broken rose" of sorts. In reality, they had more than I could ever hope for. We think we are better off in the way we live, but our lives are actually void of not physical things, but spiritual and emotional ones. These people were content, not worrying as we who take everything for granted do. These people trusted in the Lord, while we who consider ourselves "good little Christians", hardly ever do. So they are not the broken roses; instead, all the rest of us are. We are lost in our blindness, in our wants, desires, sins, in everything but the Lord. We do not trust, nor have we faith; we are never satisfied, yet they are content with the simplest things. The family we had built a house for were so ecstatic over this simply made structure, it was hard for any of us to believe. But it did cause joy to fill our hearts...
Later I meditated on our reason for going. We left to build two houses, and to minister to the people there, but instead came home the ones having been ministered to....
So that is how I came to be inspired to write this poem. Below are some verses I wish to share relating to my themes discussed above.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Do you feel like a "broken rose"? Go to God now, He will heal and restore you.*
"From then on I was resolved to be
A happy, wholesome, and thankful Rose in every God-given way."
Let's go from Broken Roses to Beautiful Roses!
Whitney
We Will Be Changed - 3/15/08
Hello everyone. Today's passage comes from 1 Corinthians 15:
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)
This is what we have to look forward to, guys. If you have accepted the gift of grace and mercy offered in Jesus Christ, this is your future. No more struggling with the flesh, no more disappointing God and those around us, and no more sin, for we will be changed. My mind cannot even comprehend this it is so amazing! Even Paul cannot fathom this concept, though he knows it to be true - "Listen, I tell you a mystery..." How this will work we do not know - that's how mysteries are. But we can trust in our God and have faith.
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:55-58)
I could end here, but I feel I should mention something else, as well. Along with that one, glorious moment of change - "in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet" - there is another kind of change that we as Christians have been blessed with - continual growth.
But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ESV)
As we behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, there is a certain power that comes with this. It transforms us. As we seek to see His face - to "behold the glory of the Lord" - we are changed. We should never be the same people tomorrow as we are today. Do you see how this all ties together? Throughout this life, as we seek Him (through reading His Word, through prayer, through worship, through witnessing, through keeping Him the center of our lives), we are being transformed into His image. Notice the active tense here - this is an ongoing process. And then, at Christ's return, we will be changed as death is swallowed up in victory.
So I encourage us all to "Always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain." Let us remain steadfast in Christ and seek to always experience this change, this forward motion, as we await that glorious day when the battle will finally be over; when in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, we will be all changed for good.
Blessings,
Andrew
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)
This is what we have to look forward to, guys. If you have accepted the gift of grace and mercy offered in Jesus Christ, this is your future. No more struggling with the flesh, no more disappointing God and those around us, and no more sin, for we will be changed. My mind cannot even comprehend this it is so amazing! Even Paul cannot fathom this concept, though he knows it to be true - "Listen, I tell you a mystery..." How this will work we do not know - that's how mysteries are. But we can trust in our God and have faith.
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:55-58)
I could end here, but I feel I should mention something else, as well. Along with that one, glorious moment of change - "in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet" - there is another kind of change that we as Christians have been blessed with - continual growth.
But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ESV)
As we behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, there is a certain power that comes with this. It transforms us. As we seek to see His face - to "behold the glory of the Lord" - we are changed. We should never be the same people tomorrow as we are today. Do you see how this all ties together? Throughout this life, as we seek Him (through reading His Word, through prayer, through worship, through witnessing, through keeping Him the center of our lives), we are being transformed into His image. Notice the active tense here - this is an ongoing process. And then, at Christ's return, we will be changed as death is swallowed up in victory.
So I encourage us all to "Always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain." Let us remain steadfast in Christ and seek to always experience this change, this forward motion, as we await that glorious day when the battle will finally be over; when in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, we will be all changed for good.
Blessings,
Andrew
The Inward and Outward Appearance - 3/14/08
In the book of Ruth, let's focus on love, devotion, and trust, as well as the effects of a good role model (or the Inward and Outward Appearance).
Ruth impressed me by her love and faithfulness towards her mother-in-law Naomi in the first Chapter. We see this more in the following Chapters. Naomi loved Ruth as though she were her own daughter; she wanted what was best for Ruth. So she gave her advice, such as how to gain favor from Naomi's kinsman Boaz. And how does Ruth respond to this? "I will do whatever you say". She was willing to submit to Naomi's advice, because her mother-in-law knew best; they were Naomi's people, and they had certain ways of doing things that often differed from her own. To get right down to it, Ruth had a lot of love for Naomi, putting all her trust in her.
One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do." "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. Ruth 3:1-6
Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!" Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working..... Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else's field you might be harmed." So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law. Ruth 2:19-23
It is interesting to me to see the noted line "And she lived with her mother-in-law." Perhaps this little line was added to further establish the relationship between Naomi and Ruth.
Now let's see about the qualities of Ruth.
Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband——how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Ruth 2:11
(Also read Ruth 3:10-13)
Boaz, who we meet in the second chapter, is struck right away by the good qualities of Ruth. Everyone spoke very highly of her. This makes her even more of a good role-model; she not only had good qualities, she lived them too.....
This is how people tend to measure other people: by first impressions. What we see from a person, in physical appearance and by the way they act, forms what we think of them. Of course we ought to get to know them more, for one encounter is never enough to fully understand someone.
But you see, if we judge others this way, others will judge you this way. As Christians, we should live a Christ-centered life, both in our appearance and by our actions. People are constantly watching; let us shine Christ's love and compassionate qualities. Ruth did, and became an inspiration for those around her. She was spoken of highly, respected, and loved despite her being a foreigner. Her first impression was a good one, but instead of just ending it there, she made it a point to practice it all the days of her life.*
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7b
Will your actions reflect your heart for the Lord?
Whitney
Ruth impressed me by her love and faithfulness towards her mother-in-law Naomi in the first Chapter. We see this more in the following Chapters. Naomi loved Ruth as though she were her own daughter; she wanted what was best for Ruth. So she gave her advice, such as how to gain favor from Naomi's kinsman Boaz. And how does Ruth respond to this? "I will do whatever you say". She was willing to submit to Naomi's advice, because her mother-in-law knew best; they were Naomi's people, and they had certain ways of doing things that often differed from her own. To get right down to it, Ruth had a lot of love for Naomi, putting all her trust in her.
One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do." "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. Ruth 3:1-6
Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!" Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working..... Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else's field you might be harmed." So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law. Ruth 2:19-23
It is interesting to me to see the noted line "And she lived with her mother-in-law." Perhaps this little line was added to further establish the relationship between Naomi and Ruth.
Now let's see about the qualities of Ruth.
Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband——how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Ruth 2:11
(Also read Ruth 3:10-13)
Boaz, who we meet in the second chapter, is struck right away by the good qualities of Ruth. Everyone spoke very highly of her. This makes her even more of a good role-model; she not only had good qualities, she lived them too.....
This is how people tend to measure other people: by first impressions. What we see from a person, in physical appearance and by the way they act, forms what we think of them. Of course we ought to get to know them more, for one encounter is never enough to fully understand someone.
But you see, if we judge others this way, others will judge you this way. As Christians, we should live a Christ-centered life, both in our appearance and by our actions. People are constantly watching; let us shine Christ's love and compassionate qualities. Ruth did, and became an inspiration for those around her. She was spoken of highly, respected, and loved despite her being a foreigner. Her first impression was a good one, but instead of just ending it there, she made it a point to practice it all the days of her life.*
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7b
Will your actions reflect your heart for the Lord?
Whitney
"Role Models"
Ruth impressed me by her love and faithfulness towards her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth was willing, after enduring the loss of her husband, to leave behind all that she knew to travel with Naomi to a foreign land. What courage! What faith! And after enduring all that she just went through.
Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. Ruth 1:3-7 NIV
Just imagine how Naomi felt. She herself lost both her sons, as well as her husband. Orpah she tells to leave her, and that she does. Perhaps deep down inside she really wanted her two daughter-in-laws now widowed to remain with her, but knew what she said was the best thing for all of them.
Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband."
Then she kissed them and they wept aloud and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people."
But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!" At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." Ruth 1:8-13 (NIV)
It seems to me Ruth was searching, being guided by God to go in this direction, although she didn't know it. She wasn't content to stay with her people and to continue their ways, worshiping their gods. She needed change, and she was taking action.
But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ruth 1:16-18
She loved her mother-in-law so much, she was willing to give up what would have been a good life back home. After all, the people she knew were familiar to her, but Naomi's world? Very different. But despite this, she was willing to make a change, a MAJOR one at that. She was stepping outside her comfort zone. She was ready to grow.
Many of us can relate to Ruth. Maybe some drastic event has happened in your life, taking away something from you. Or maybe you have a big decision in front of you. Whatever the case, most of us have been at this point at one time or another. When these things occur, we often default with fear. But we don't have to despair. Ruth sure didn't. She clung to a faith so strong, and she didn't even know God personally at first. But she wanted to. "...and your God my God." Ruth 1:16
Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. Ruth 1:3-7 NIV
Just imagine how Naomi felt. She herself lost both her sons, as well as her husband. Orpah she tells to leave her, and that she does. Perhaps deep down inside she really wanted her two daughter-in-laws now widowed to remain with her, but knew what she said was the best thing for all of them.
Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband."
Then she kissed them and they wept aloud and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people."
But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!" At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." Ruth 1:8-13 (NIV)
It seems to me Ruth was searching, being guided by God to go in this direction, although she didn't know it. She wasn't content to stay with her people and to continue their ways, worshiping their gods. She needed change, and she was taking action.
But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ruth 1:16-18
She loved her mother-in-law so much, she was willing to give up what would have been a good life back home. After all, the people she knew were familiar to her, but Naomi's world? Very different. But despite this, she was willing to make a change, a MAJOR one at that. She was stepping outside her comfort zone. She was ready to grow.
Many of us can relate to Ruth. Maybe some drastic event has happened in your life, taking away something from you. Or maybe you have a big decision in front of you. Whatever the case, most of us have been at this point at one time or another. When these things occur, we often default with fear. But we don't have to despair. Ruth sure didn't. She clung to a faith so strong, and she didn't even know God personally at first. But she wanted to. "...and your God my God." Ruth 1:16
Now Ruth probably didn't have the purest of lives, so why is she then such an amazing role model? For one thing, she was a brave woman. And for another, this was a woman who was willing (she chose) to go forward rather than stay the same. She trusted in others she barely knew. Can you say the same?
So have faith, and trust in Him to see you through.*
Are you a Role-Model Ruth?
Whitney
Are you a Role-Model Ruth?
Whitney
A Testimony Of Reconciliation - 3/12/08
Hello everyone. Today I would like to share with you a testimony of a woman named Pamela who had been struggling with forgiveness of her husband Mark, who himself had been in a vicious struggle with sexual immorality and physical abuse against his wife. It amazes me how this story begins with both parties in a seemingly impossible situation, yet through God, the oneness and love in their marriage was - and is in the process of being - restored. See for yourself.
It's been a difficult road and we are working through things. Things came to a head 2 weeks ago when Mark exploded and became physically abusive. I took pictures of myself as evidence. I was going to run with our girls and go to California where a good friend of mine lives. The only reason I didn't go was because we were afraid of me being charged with kidnapping if I fled without my husband's consent. The law gets very sticky with things like that. I didn't go to a shelter because I really thought I was going to California and when things fell through, I ended up staying here. I didn't want Mark to know at the time ho upset I felt. I wanted him to think everything was normal. I had planned on escaping when I got my first chance. I had planned on just disappearing altogether......God....had different plans.
I finally confided in my shepherding group leader about what had happened and we ended up seeing our pastor. Things were rocky all along until this past Monday. God had been using Scripture, memorizing the Word, an going through a Bible study called, "I want to change, so help me, God" by James McDonald. All of it has really helped me... Point is.... God is doing a work in my heart and I know He is working in Mark too. I want to stop making excuses for my own behavior by blaming it on Mark, my past or anything else. My anger, bitterness and blame shifting have to go. Time for me to take that trash out to the garbage and let God burn it up.
I told Mark that I was working through the process of forgiveness, that it all takes time, but I DO forgive him. I told him I loved him and that I am committed to helping him work through things with him. I said that my sin was no worse and that I was a dirty, rotten sinner who needed God to come in and change me. The fact of the matter is we're all a bunch of messed up people who need Jesus to come in and do a work of transformation, healing, and restoration to bring glory to Himself. All of our sins are equal in His sight. I am just as bad with all my other sins that I struggle with. King David lusted, committed adultery, lied, plotted and murdered a man. Paul murdered thousands of Christians. Abraham lied several times about his wife and gave her over to be used sexually by another. Moses let his anger get the best of him and he murdered a man. I am not condoning Mark's actions, but merely saying that praise God, He is the God of second chances who heals the brokenhearted and sets the captives free and I know He is able to do that for Mark and I. I gladly count my life as loss that I might come to know the glory of the cross. Please pray with me that I will do just that........to know the glory of the cross. I am broken, but that's exactly where I need to be....God knows.
Mark seemed to really make a turn around this past Monday night. He said how sorry he was for causing so much pain to me. The next day it almost looked like the dark cloud lifted and he was able to walk again. He started helping me with things at home, wrote me a sweet note, and gave me a card the next day. He brought me home a t-shirt from a concert he went to on Thursday and he does seem much happier. I really made over the notes that he left me and I told him how much it meant to me that he was being nice to me these past couple of days. I told him I could see he was really making an effort. It really has made a huge difference for me too.
We've had so much on our plates over here and I pray that God will give us His grace and strength to run continually to Him and not lose hope. Running this marathon is a long haul, but I know in the end it is worth it all.
I must keep at it because God is worth it! Thank you for your prayers and for checking in on us. The prayers are what move mountains. You can never pray too much! =)
Thank you
Pamela
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26
Blessings,
Andrew
It's been a difficult road and we are working through things. Things came to a head 2 weeks ago when Mark exploded and became physically abusive. I took pictures of myself as evidence. I was going to run with our girls and go to California where a good friend of mine lives. The only reason I didn't go was because we were afraid of me being charged with kidnapping if I fled without my husband's consent. The law gets very sticky with things like that. I didn't go to a shelter because I really thought I was going to California and when things fell through, I ended up staying here. I didn't want Mark to know at the time ho upset I felt. I wanted him to think everything was normal. I had planned on escaping when I got my first chance. I had planned on just disappearing altogether......God....had different plans.
I finally confided in my shepherding group leader about what had happened and we ended up seeing our pastor. Things were rocky all along until this past Monday. God had been using Scripture, memorizing the Word, an going through a Bible study called, "I want to change, so help me, God" by James McDonald. All of it has really helped me... Point is.... God is doing a work in my heart and I know He is working in Mark too. I want to stop making excuses for my own behavior by blaming it on Mark, my past or anything else. My anger, bitterness and blame shifting have to go. Time for me to take that trash out to the garbage and let God burn it up.
I told Mark that I was working through the process of forgiveness, that it all takes time, but I DO forgive him. I told him I loved him and that I am committed to helping him work through things with him. I said that my sin was no worse and that I was a dirty, rotten sinner who needed God to come in and change me. The fact of the matter is we're all a bunch of messed up people who need Jesus to come in and do a work of transformation, healing, and restoration to bring glory to Himself. All of our sins are equal in His sight. I am just as bad with all my other sins that I struggle with. King David lusted, committed adultery, lied, plotted and murdered a man. Paul murdered thousands of Christians. Abraham lied several times about his wife and gave her over to be used sexually by another. Moses let his anger get the best of him and he murdered a man. I am not condoning Mark's actions, but merely saying that praise God, He is the God of second chances who heals the brokenhearted and sets the captives free and I know He is able to do that for Mark and I. I gladly count my life as loss that I might come to know the glory of the cross. Please pray with me that I will do just that........to know the glory of the cross. I am broken, but that's exactly where I need to be....God knows.
Mark seemed to really make a turn around this past Monday night. He said how sorry he was for causing so much pain to me. The next day it almost looked like the dark cloud lifted and he was able to walk again. He started helping me with things at home, wrote me a sweet note, and gave me a card the next day. He brought me home a t-shirt from a concert he went to on Thursday and he does seem much happier. I really made over the notes that he left me and I told him how much it meant to me that he was being nice to me these past couple of days. I told him I could see he was really making an effort. It really has made a huge difference for me too.
We've had so much on our plates over here and I pray that God will give us His grace and strength to run continually to Him and not lose hope. Running this marathon is a long haul, but I know in the end it is worth it all.
I must keep at it because God is worth it! Thank you for your prayers and for checking in on us. The prayers are what move mountains. You can never pray too much! =)
Thank you
Pamela
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26
Blessings,
Andrew
Prioritize Your Life - 3/11/08
Hello once again,
Today I'd like to bring us to a passage of the Bible that teaches us to prioritize.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42 NIV
Prioritization is something which God has been speaking to me about for a while now. It's so very important to have our priorities in order, because when this happens, everything just falls into place. More specifically, when we have our most important priority in order, everything falls into place. In this passage, Mary had her priorities set in order - Jesus first, everything else second.
And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39 ESV
The truth is, God must be first in our lives. He must come before our family, our friends, our loved ones, our lives. Nothing can, nor should, take His place as absolute number one in our lives. If it does, it has become an idol. As we learn to focus on Him, and place Him as our absolute number one priority, it's amazing what happens - He begins to align our other priorities. He leads us to drop those things which are of lesser importance, and to take up those which are of greater importance. Sometimes we just don't know how to prioritize our lives - what goes where? But God does, and as we place Him at His proper place, He will lead us in the way He would have us go. Try it - I promise that you will be amazed!
Blessings,
Andrew
Today I'd like to bring us to a passage of the Bible that teaches us to prioritize.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42 NIV
Prioritization is something which God has been speaking to me about for a while now. It's so very important to have our priorities in order, because when this happens, everything just falls into place. More specifically, when we have our most important priority in order, everything falls into place. In this passage, Mary had her priorities set in order - Jesus first, everything else second.
And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39 ESV
The truth is, God must be first in our lives. He must come before our family, our friends, our loved ones, our lives. Nothing can, nor should, take His place as absolute number one in our lives. If it does, it has become an idol. As we learn to focus on Him, and place Him as our absolute number one priority, it's amazing what happens - He begins to align our other priorities. He leads us to drop those things which are of lesser importance, and to take up those which are of greater importance. Sometimes we just don't know how to prioritize our lives - what goes where? But God does, and as we place Him at His proper place, He will lead us in the way He would have us go. Try it - I promise that you will be amazed!
Blessings,
Andrew
The Word Of God - 3/10/08
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 ESV
Next time you pick up a Bible and begin reading, I hope this verse will be on your mind, because it is absolutely true. The word of God is not just a compilation of stories and teachings packed into a book called the Bible; it is alive! The words in this book are more than just ink blots on a page - they are alive, and they hold the power to change our hearts, to give us life, and to act as God's revelation to all mankind.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 ESV
Are you taking advantage of this awesome gift of His Word that God has given us? Next time you pick up your Bible, I hope you'll open up your heart and allow the words to not only speak to you, but to change your heart as they "pierce the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discern the thoughts and intentions of your heart."
Blessings,
Andrew
Next time you pick up a Bible and begin reading, I hope this verse will be on your mind, because it is absolutely true. The word of God is not just a compilation of stories and teachings packed into a book called the Bible; it is alive! The words in this book are more than just ink blots on a page - they are alive, and they hold the power to change our hearts, to give us life, and to act as God's revelation to all mankind.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 ESV
Are you taking advantage of this awesome gift of His Word that God has given us? Next time you pick up your Bible, I hope you'll open up your heart and allow the words to not only speak to you, but to change your heart as they "pierce the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discern the thoughts and intentions of your heart."
Blessings,
Andrew
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