Next Week

So I haven't blogged in a really long time
But i've been encouraged by many to start back up and have found that it will really help me keep track of my thoughts and to actually right down things I am learning, want to remember, or want to share with others so that said there are several things about this upcoming week that I am excited about...
not in any particular order:

#1 David Crowder's new cd comes out
I have listened to a few of the tracks already and it sounds amazing, I can't wait to get my virtual hands on this and give it a listen
#2 and #3 - The big bang theory and how i met your mother start up again - both of which run right after each other and are conveniently my favorite shows on tv
#4 I'm going to change my blog around and actually start writing on it
Ya it doesn't take that much to excite me
#5 I am going to attempt to write a bit of a series on the Knowledge of God based off of my reading of the book by AW Tozer "The Knowledge of the Holy"
hopefully i'll write some more interesting stuff soon
peace

Galatians 1:1

Isaiah 48 :13

My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon them,
they all stand up together.

I love this verse along with the rest of scripture that claims the creation of God to be completely by His hand. Jesus Christ (The creator: Colossians 1) made everything and did not simply start the universe and let things carry on by themselves. God has the whole of creation in His control and if He were to remove Himself than we would be left with nothing but destruction. Instead of looking at creation and using our human minds to try and come up with a theory that explains how everything came to be, let us look to the creator and the word that He has given to us which describes the creation and how He created it

Colossians 3:4

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory

for this verse today i'm less interested in the last part as the first
i'm focused on the "who is your life" part
I call myself a Christian
I believe in His life and death and resurrection and have called on Him by faith
so, Christ is my life
now how often am I really and truly living that out
that I have nothing but Christ as my life
In the world today there is so much for me to grab a hold of that I can say "Christ and something else " is my life
The previous verses speak about seeking Christ and the things above where Christ is
This is how I am to live as Christ and not as myself
Myself is worldly and will not ever seek after Christ
But I have been raised with Christ and I must seek Him that He may be my life

Colossians 3:4

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory

for this verse today i'm less interested in the last part as the first
i'm focused on the "who is your life" part
I call myself a Christian
I believe in His life and death and resurrection and have called on Him by faith
so, Christ is my life
now how often am I really and truly living that out
that I have nothing but Christ as my life
In the world today there is so much for me to grab a hold of that I can say "Christ and something else " is my life
The previous verses speak about seeking Christ and the things above where Christ is
This is how I am to live as Christ and not as myself
Myself is worldly and will not ever seek after Christ
But I have been raised with Christ and I must seek Him that He may be my life

Colossians 3:4

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory

for this verse today i'm less interested in the last part as the first
i'm focused on the "who is your life" part
I call myself a Christian
I believe in His life and death and resurrection and have called on Him by faith
so, Christ is my life
now how often am I really and truly living that out
that I have nothing but Christ as my life
In the world today there is so much for me to grab a hold of that I can say "Christ and something else " is my life
The previous verses speak about seeking Christ and the things above where Christ is
This is how I am to live as Christ and not as myself
Myself is worldly and will not ever seek after Christ
But I have been raised with Christ and I must seek Him that He may be my life

Colossians 3:4

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory

for this verse today i'm less interested in the last part as the first
i'm focused on the "who is your life" part
I call myself a Christian
I believe in His life and death and resurrection and have called on Him by faith
so, Christ is my life
now how often am I really and truly living that out
that I have nothing but Christ as my life
In the world today there is so much for me to grab a hold of that I can say "Christ and something else " is my life
The previous verses speak about seeking Christ and the things above where Christ is
This is how I am to live as Christ and not as myself
Myself is worldly and will not ever seek after Christ
But I have been raised with Christ and I must seek Him that He may be my life

John 6:35

"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst'"

This statement of Jesus follows the famous story of feeding the 5,000
From two fish and 5 loaves of bread Jesus provides enough food for over 5,000 people to have there fill
Now there must have been a significant number of people who didn't get to see the miracle up close, all they knew was that they were hungry and this guy Jesus was responsible for giving them food.
Even if they were told by others how the food was miraculously provided or if they had truly seen it up close, food is a very powerful motivator and if some is a source of free food when your hungry you're going to follow Him.
The people didn't get the purpose of the miracle, they didn't even place a huge value on Jesus... they just wanted food
I do this so often... I place such a high emphasis and desire on what Jesus can do for me instead of recognizing Jesus for who He is and what His purpose is.
Jesus is the bread of life... Jesus does not just provide us with our physical needs (which are so temporary) He is the only provision for eternal life. So instead of following around Jesus because it has given some temporary payoff, follow Jesus because He has given you eternal life and nothing can take that from you

verse of the day colossians 1:10

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

When I read this verse I am reminded of all the people who pray for me
While I very much appreciate those who pray for the prayer request such as exams and feeling sick or other things like that, it is the prayers that are like this verse that are truly felt and desperately needed.
God has blessed me with so many people who, like Paul, never stop praying for me since they have known me. This verse basically sums up everything you should and I should be praying for those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ, that they may live a life worthy of the Lord. This means that we are praying for those around us to live in obedience and complete joy in knowing Christ, this is repeated by also praying that they would bare fruit and grow in the knowledge of God. Bearing fruit is the result of obedience and the result of growing in knowledge of God is growing in joy.
So pray for those closest to you and those who you barely know that they would live worthy lives to God
and even more so be truly thankful for those whom you know that pray this for you and for those who don't even know you but are still praying for you in this way

verse of the day psalm 119: 37

"Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways"

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the bible. This is fitting because the whole chapter is about God's word
the psalmist describes God's word in so many amazing ways and tells of all that come from following it.
In this verse it seems as though everything that is not first approached from the highest viewpoint of God's word is worthless, and since the psalmist finishes the verse by asking God to give him life, the worthlessness must mean death
This is the proper view of the importance of reading and obeying God's word. Knowing that searching after wisdom or pleasure in anything else will lead to death.
I pray that I may continually be turning my eyes to God's word so that my eyes would not be focused on the world.
Now the psalmist clearly does not mean that everything apart from God's word is worthless; things like family and friendship and hard work and love and so much more are great gifts from God, but can become worthless if God's word is not the root of our life with all of these things flowing from that
Enjoy the gifts of God along with the pleasure of His word

Colossians 1:17

"He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Being in science I've learned a lot about how impossibly complex life and all the components of life really are. Every professor has their own way of explaining it: "Wow, nature is just an amazing designer", "It's hard to believe this all happened by chance...but there it is", "Really it looks complex, and it is, but it all figured itself out"
Before going on to what scripture says about this complexity I must be reminded of my and everyone else's complete incapability of understanding this ourselves (more on this later)
Jesus Christ, created and sustains everything. EVERYTHING. why everything, well because everything needs sustaining. All it takes is one biology class for the believer in Christ to look at it and see WOW this creation really needs God in control and it really does have God in control. I could give countless examples of things that I have learned in the past year but just look out side and know everything you see, eat, touch...all of it is being upheld by God. Here I'll give one example:
Did you know that the air you breath isn't just oxygen. It is only 21% oxygen. Here's the cool part, if it were more than the average lifespan would continually decrease because increased oxygen concentration is a bad thing. If it were less breathing would be more difficult and eventually there would not be enough to sustain you. God created you and everything else in such a way that it all works in complete perfect equilibrium (had to throw the scientific word in there) and He did it all just by speaking. God didn't sit down for a couple thousand years to plan out just how everything was going to work together. He spoke and it was made.
That's the Jesus Christ I worship
the one who knows every answer to my tests because He made everything
the one who knows exactly what I am thinking because He made my mind and knows it better than I do
the one who died for me and rose again because He knows my need for a savior from my sins
My incapability of understanding this is so necessary at this point. I think so often that I've come to this amazing conclusion on my own, that Jesus is awesome, and I think "why don't others see it". but i must remember that it is only because of the call from God and the opening of my eyes (nothing of my own power) that i was able to see
Jesus Christ is before all things
In Him ALL things hold together
All things
Thats awesome

Colossians

so its been awhile since i wrote on here
i'm starting to go through colossians now
but i'm going to do it a bit differently than ephesians and philippians
i'm not sure what that means yet but i will hopefully be posting more about all that I am learning and share what God has been teaching me through the book
so far the background to colossians has been quite surprising to me
i'm sure i have heard it before but seeing it again was really interesting and gave me new insights into what I am reading
Paul wrote this letter to the colossians without ever having been there before
Epaphras who is mentioned in ch.1 vs 7 responded to Paul's message, most likely in Ephesus, and returned to Colossae to preach to them and establish the church there
The colossians would have been a much smaller group than Philipi or Ephesus but they still struggled with some of the same things
The main point of Paul's letter was dealing with the false teachers who were claiming to have come in the name of Christ but were preaching fasle doctrine and confusing the colossians
In vs. 5 of the first chapter Paul says "...of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel"
Paul is calling them to remember exactly who Jesus is and for them to remember what they had originally been taught about the gospel.
Basically it's like this "Guys you've heard it before, you know the truth, Epaphras taught you everything about Jesus and His supremacy, so stop listening to these false teachers and remember what you have been taught.
That is the basis for the rest of the Letter. Paul proclaims Christ, who He is, what He has done and is doing, and finally how the Colossians should act in response to this
I found that as I read the verse with the background in mind I could understand better the intention of the letter and apply it much better to my life. If I do not have a firm established belief in Christ set up than it will be easy to fall into what some of the false teachers are saying. I am so thankful that I have been taught in Christ from a young age and that I have many people in my life who continually teach me and remind me of what an awesome hope I have in Jesus

Verse of the Day Philippians 4: 17

"And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus"

So verse 6 - do not be anxious, and verse 8 - whatever is true... are both known well by everyone
and while verse seven isn't really unknown it's mainly over shawdowed by these to verses
I find that interesting because of how awesome verse 7 really is.
In verse 5 Paul rights "Let your reasonableness be know to everyone"... bascially let everyone know by your actions that you are wise and understanding... but in verse 7 God is giving peace so great that even this understanding won't account for it. Even with all the knowledge of the future and the perfect plans for what is to come there won't be a peace like that which God will provide.
But this amazing peace is not just going to happen, verse 6 tells us to not be anxious, but be thankful and present our requests to God and (or THEN) the peace of God will guard our hears!
So two things -
1) you can't find a better peace than there is found in Christ
2) be thankful - rejoicing in all circumstances in order that peace may come
It is really easy to say, and so hard to do as there are always so many problems to fix and things to think about, but while the solution isn't easy, it is simple...just be thankful. Be thankful for all that God has done and is doing... in that you will see how He will act as He always has and that will bring the peace that surpasses understanding
So what are you thankful for?

Verse of the Day Philippians 3: 12

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own"

Paul is talking about obtaining the resurrection from the dead
Clearly he is not dead when writing this so it would be impossible for him to have obtained resurrection. He is most likely referring to the continually progress in a Christ followers life. As he emphasizes in Philippians, there is a need to constantly be becoming more like Christ and not sit around with insurance for being saved.
So Paul, in line with all that he has written so far to the Philippians presents himself as an example as he truly desires and will press on to make this sanctification his own. And he does it for the very reason it is available to him. Those who are in Christ have been made to belong to Christ and because of that such a desire to make a life of Christ our own should be at the top of the priority list. There really is no other priorities than making Christ your own.
This is because as you follow Christ and continually press on to make Him your own, you WILL be doing the things that Christ has called you to; namely, looking after others in love as you look after the needs of yourself (2:4)
I like that idea, the idea of pressing on. I need to do it a lot in school, but of a much more necessity is to press on in my life with Christ

Verse of the Day Philippians 2: 22

"But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel"

I've always pictured Paul as the guy that everyone wants to see
All the churches know about him, and have heard his words and are always encouraged by what he has to say
It's clear from scripture that Paul longs to visit these churches and the churches long for him to come to them
But imagine now Timothy
Although Timothy didn't write any letters or have quite the reputation of Paul, he was clearly loved by the church and Paul is sending him to the Philippians for their encouragement
I think of Timothy as the guy who encourages everyone all the time, not because of his relation to anyone else so that he can maintain the view they have of him, but because he is genuinely concerned for the people.
Timothy was not going to the Philippians to provide a substitute for Paul, he was going to encourage them himself.
His attitude was that of Christ Jesus - putting the interests of others before his own
I get so excited when I hear about so and so coming to guest speak at church, but even more so I am encouraged when a close friend or someone who I've known for a long time that is always uplifting and always brings good news is coming.
Both are equally good, but the majority of Christians aren't speakers or pastors, most of us are like Timothy, and although was have opportunities to speak to people, and teach, our main focus is to be an encouragement to those around us, to be loving and to have a genuine heart of concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ, so when people hear that you are going to be around in the near future, do they think of your encouragement in Christ, or something that has nothing to do with God at all?

Verse of the Day Philippians 2: 12-13

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for i his good pleasure."

This is where I always get confused
I mean Paul is speaking to believers in the faith, so when he says work out your salvation he is not talking about the regeneration, meaning he is not saying you could work to gain salvation
He is addressing those who have always obeyed, to keep obeying, not content with the glories of their past obedience but to continue to learn and act as Christ followers - this is why Paul follows the verse with - do all things without grumbling or questioning - he is continuing to show the Philippians how to act
The amazing thing is that it isn't us in that effect either "for it is God who works in you"
God is the one bringing salvation and He is the one who is working out this salvation in us
Our 'job' or call is to obey Christ with fear in trembling, not worrying about the final outcome for we know that God is working out for His good pleasure
Where I get confused is when Paul says that he ma be proud that he did not run in vain,
so how could Paul's efforts and work for Christ in teaching the Philippians and other church be vain if God is the one who works out our salvation to His good pleasure
God's efforts are never thwarted and His glory is never diminished, so does that mean none of our efforts for His kingdom are in vain, and if that is true what is Paul saying?
Well I'm not entirely sure yet so I'm going to ask and look it up
But my thought on it is that although we are called to live an abundant life in Christ and God works in us, we turn from that and sin Paul wants to make sure that from his efforts that those he is leading would be living in Christ's abundance and proclaiming Him as well

Verse of the Day Philippians 2: 7-8

"But made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

As followers of Christ we seek to follow Him, and with that a desire comes to seek other believers who are examples of Christ and who you can learn from. This passage show Christ as the perfect example. We would never be asked to do anything that Christ never did, but we also have the hardest getting to the places He did.
Not only did Christ humble Himself, from being in the form (equality) of God, but from that He continually humbled Himself to the point of death. How humbling is that for us to know, and alternatively why aren't we more humbled by it everyday of our lives?
The bible speaks often of humbling ourselves, and often I can find a few things that allow me to follow through with this, but I don't very often continue, I find higher purposes and forget about others and focus on myself. If I am to truly following Christ I need to be continually humbling myself, not with one or two acts every time I read a passage on humility, but everyday seeking ways to exalt Christ and put others before myself
Jesus Christ who is exalted above every other name, became a servant, and died obediently on the cross
Jesus was and is the example of love in complete humility
Follow His example and humble yourself by seeking humbling roles and focusing on the needs of others

Verse of the Day Philippians 1:29

"For it had been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake"

Hmmm
So God has given suffering to His followers as a gift!
I don't know about you but there is a part of me that wants to say.. um thanks God but just the belief part for now is good I'll take the suffering later
No one likes suffering...so why is it described as a gift?
Well because it is a gift
So far in Philippians Paul has been talking about living for Christ
He understands that there is no other purpose to his life and whether he dies and gets to be with Jesus, or lives and gets to suffer for Jesus both are awesome things in his mind
What is your mindset?
I find myself distracted, in love with some wordly things, and hardly ever rejoicing because I am suffering. But Paul was "hard pressed" between dying and suffering for Christ
So suffering is a gift, but you will truely live with thankfulness for suffering if you are living the way Paul says that "to live IS Christ"
So when was the last time you were thankful for suffering?

Verse of the Day Philippians 1:14

"And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."

Paul is once again full of encouraging words to his readers. We know that he is in prison as he writes this letter and he wants the Philippians, who are no doubt worried about him, to know that his imprisonment has really served to advance the gospel (the whole purpose).
Now he is calling them out pretty much, to be more bold, telling them that the brothers Rome are being more bold as they proclaim the gospel. Paul is an incredible example of one who sees no other purpose but that of proclaiming the gospel and even as he is in prison it remains the only topic of his life
As we live for Christ it is so easy to be 'most of the brothers' who see the boldness of others and follow along, or even the brothers that aren't mentioned that are not increasing in boldness.
It is so awesome that God would use the example of Paul to increase the boldness of those around him, and in the world today we definitely need more of that
But instead of waiting and looking for that one person to be bold and follow by example we must be looking for opportunities to step out first, to proclaim Christ because that is what we are called to, not because we see how it is working for others
Be encouraged to know that Paul did that. God used Paul and blessed him as he stepped out in faith, to Paul there was no if's or buts and God uses people like that. God will provide the courage, the words, the grace, all we are called to do is continually proclaim Christ no matter what

Verse of the Day Philippians 1:6

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ"

Paul is greatly encouraged by the Philippians as he tells of the joy he finds as he prays for them. With that he desires to encourage them as well. He doesn't do so with untrue words or flattery but by simply telling them of the assurance they have in Christ.
Important for them to know, and for us today, is that is is God who has begun this good work in us. This is both an incredibly humbling thing as well as a great encouragement. It is humbling to know that there is nothing about my life today, about my relationship with Christ that has not been brought about by my own will or power. This 'good work' that we see as we become more like Christ is entirely God's work. This is doubly encouraging because...well because it is God who is doing the work and not me. I know I often I wish to credit myself with good things and as I fall because of this pride I am relieved to know that it is God who is providing me with strength, with joy, and with abundant mercies everyday. God has always provided, never failed, and has saved me through the blood of Christ, none of that is my doing and once I see this, the encouragement and joy overflow
To add emphasis Paul states 'to completion as the day of Jesus Christ' - God will continue to work in the follower of Christs life forever until Christ returns - Thats Awesome

Verse of the Day Ephesians 6: 16

" In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one"

In all circumstances..
Now if I were going into battle I don't think I would have a problem remembering to bring my shield, I would never complain about carrying this huge thing around because I know how important it is to keeping me self. No matter how tired I am or how many other things I have to carry, the shield would be high on the list of things to keep
So when it comes to a much more important battle of life in Christ we need to remember the absolute necessity of taking up the shield of faith.
No matter what my day looks like, no matter how tired I am or how busy or how frustrated, if I don't remember this, I am open for attack from temptation
So what does it mean to take up the shield of faith, well just like all of the other parts of the armor, it takes a conscious decision to take it up, being purposeful and remembering to do it all the time. For a shield of faith would be a remembrance of God's protection in past circumstances and a knowledge of His word that will give future assurance of protection. As you surround yourself with God's word and with other christians who are constantly building you up in Christ, you find yourself able to block temptation much easier. This means memorizing God's word "Your word oh Lord have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you", getting accountability - finding people to talk with and encourage and be encouraged by and to hold you accountable to what God's word calls us to
Faith is believing the word of God and acting upon it, no matter how I feel, because God promises a good result
Without the shield of faith, temptation will come, and sin will follow, but with it you may, as Paul states over and over in chapter 6, be able to stand and prevail
Remember that it is an everyday thing, an all the time thing, and a no matter how I feel thing

Verse of the Day Ephesians 6: 5-6

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the hear,"

Every so often I come across a verse that I always knew was in the Bible, or HAD to be in the Bible and although I had heard this verse many times before, I really looked at it and studied it as it became one of those verses.
Pretty much everyone in their life struggles with people pleasing and I am no exception, when I was younger and even still now, there have always been a few people in my life that everything has to be perfect for, and I sometimes stop at nothing to make sure this happens. No it's not a bad thing to be kind and caring and sacrificial to the ones you love but if the purpose of those things is to make sure they like you then it is wrong
Our service to God requires kindness to others, but it does so in the form or a slave, in obedience with fear and trembling and here is the hard part, with a sincere heart.
No I could go on missions and build houses and give money to the poor and be kind to the elderly and all those other great things that we are called to do, but if my heart is that of gaining praise and not in service to Christ, then it would have been better not even to do those things...would it?
Well it is a hard question because good is getting done, but clearly from scripture God has taught that it is about glorifying Him in whatever is done, so if in good actions we seek our own glory it would have been better to let someone else do the good that would bring glory to God
In the end the blessing that comes from doing good with a sincere heart and not as eye-service will 'receive' it back from the Lord and those who do it for eye-service are attempting to give themselves glory and dimish God's (impossible) and that surely won't end well

Verse of the Day Ephesians 5:15

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise"

Today it was really hard to pick a single verse. I was reading from 5:11-21 and it all fits very well together but I chose this verse because of my first reaction to it
Like DUH of course we should be wise and not unwise
And although I think that there's more to the verse than just that surface but I also think that Paul is playing at the obvious here
But lets start with the beginning
"look carefully then" what is the word 'then' there for. Well Paul has been talking about the light, being Jesus, exposing darkness. Paul is telling us that in order for us to expose darkness in the world and specifically in our own lives, then we are to look carefully and allow Christ to shine in them and expose them IN ORDER THAT we might be wise and not unwise.
So think of it like this. At camp there are plenty of opportunities to go exploring and at night time you definitely need a flash light. Now if you are in the middle of a forest and your shinning your light behind you or to the right or left then your not going to be able to be wise about where you put your feet. But if you let your line shine directly in front of you, then you can see how to avoid any obstacles. On top of that, if you have your light shinning in front of you but your not looking at where your light is how stupid is that, the light is serving no purpose at all
In the same way as we walk with Christ and keep Him at the centre of our lives He will expose our obstacles and make it clear to us how we can be wise, but how foolish it is for us to look else where when Christ has provided us with a clear way to go.
So step 1 let Christ shine in you and expose all darkness
step 2 look carefully at the path that Christ has cleared that you may not be unwise and stumble

Verse of the Day Psalm 22: 8

He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him

I was at a prayer meeting last night and loved to hear as a man prayed from God's word
God loves His word and it is amazing what wisdom and encouragement He brings as we read it to Him in prayer
I was struck by psalm 40:13 which says "be pleased, O Lord to deliver me"
psalm 22:8 assures us that God does delight in us and to deliver us
How amazing is that!
So often in my prayers I have found myself hesitant in repentance or in bringing my trials before God because I thought God to be one who forgives and listens but not exactly delighting in it
Not only does God forgive all sins and give strength and perseverance during trials, He loves to do it
He finds delight in seeing us, as followers of Him, be delivered from hardship
This should bring me to pray more often and for so much more knowing that God wants me to call on Him
So be encouraged and pray for so much more this week knowing that it is what God desires and delights in

Long overdue verse of the day Ephesians 4:28

"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need."

It is pretty easy to become a thief, and everyone is familiar with stealing personally. Whether it is a car or simply not returning something you borrowed knowing they would forget about it, stealing is stealing. I know it is a cliche to say that, but we forget these simple things to often. So why do we steal? Well it most often comes from laziness and greed. "It takes to much effort to make the money for this" or "No one will notice it is gone" are common to why people steal.
Paul has used this 'thief' image to show the transition of a sinful person who is 'lazy' and 'greedy' to the regenerate person who is called to labor doing honest work.
As Christians, no matter what we do, it should be with a full effort in honesty so that there is no need to steal. But this is only part of the reason we work hard. God is glorified in the servant who works hard, but He is also glorified in the servant who works hard in order that he may share with those in need.
As I worked last summer I knew that it was for the Lord and I worked really hard, but I rarely ever thought of helping others with the provisions that God had granted to me, I just thought about the work and the paycheck. This can so easily lead back to the laziness and greed that a thief is characterized with because if a hard work saves up lots of money then less work may be needed and no generosity is seen.
We are called, as Christians, to labor honestly in order that we may share with those in need, and this is for all Christians not matter where you are in life.
So make sure that you are not getting lazy, or that the honest labor you are doing is not only for a check and a pleasing of the Lord but so that you can share with others...not only with your money, but with time and encouragement as well

Ephesians 4: 22-24

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness

It doesn't take much in a day to see the corrupt sinful nature in us
Paul knew it, and knew that it wasn't a simple thing that you can just decide one day to stop sinning and live for God
Even with the strongest will and faith it will be impossible to keep from your "old self" if you are not following this word of God
It seems obvious now but I have so often missed the two parts to this passage
I get the whole "putting off of the old self" meaning getting rid of temptations and keeping myself from sin, but the second part is just as important and even more so..
"Putting on the new self"
Our new self with is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness is the complete opposite of the sinful nature within us, and if I am ever to keep myself from sin and follow God I must be putting on my new self
What is this "new self"? Well Paul talks about this all throughout the book of Ephesians.. it's about being unified in the body of Christ, being loving and kind to everyone, and humbly walking with God
This is the righteousness and holiness that God has originally purposed us for
So as I call myself a Christ and desire to live that way..
Am I living according to my sinful nature
or Am I living according to my new self in true righteousness and holiness the way God has purposed me to

Verse of the day - Romans: 11:36

It's more like the verse of the week or pretty much lifetime
I was reminded this morning as my dad texted me this verse why I had been studying this whole past week
My goal of study is not, contrary to popular belief, to get a good mark, it is to bring glory to God.
If bringing glory to God was about getting good marks then wouldn't that mean if I did terrible God would get less glory
Of course not
As I studied and as i wrote each of the three exams i had this weekend, God was glorified in my acknowledging His sovereignty and His provision.
I learned a lot this week, mostly that as I hear of my family and friends praying for me and as I remember to come before God, He provides much more that I could have imagined.
As He gave me strength through the week and kept me focused, and provided me with a memory to recall things as I wrote each test, I knew it was not of me
Now as the weekend is over I must continue to acknowledge and worship God for His great love and provision.
I am reminded that God is not glorified in giving bad gifts but in the provision of good gifts, that we may praise Him
For from Him...I received patience, endurance, and wisdom as I wrote my exams, and through Him I live and breath and finished all three, and to Him are the results of all three and my praise and worship to Him with thanksgiving
Forever and ever
Amen

Verse of the day 2 Timothy 4:8

"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

I just read an email that my dad sent me of a kind of written sermon almost talking about the coming of Christ
As I read through it I felt convicted as I started to read some parts a little faster in order to get it over with. I'm busy and it was long. But he was talking about Christs return and the reasons why he loves it and thereby telling others why we should love it. As I kept reading, I slowed down and really started to think about what he was saying. The Bible speaks of Christs return many more times than of other doctrines that I have felt much more passionate about at times and is clearly something that God loves. I remember a conversation I had with my whole society class in gr. 11 about the return of Christ, at a Christian school you'd think there would be at least a few people pumped up about it... one guy said "well as long as its after my tv show tonight",
To be honest I thought myself to be excited, well in comparison, but really I do think much more this world and all that I have to do, instead of longing and praying for the return of Christ
This man who wrote this quoted several of the most influential evangelists and Christians used by God, all of whom were fired up for Christs coming
I want that to,
At the end of the paper he said
"But the best is yet to come, for there is this above all: we shall meet our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and actually look upon His face"
This truth is so amazing that there really are not words to describe it and I pray that it will continually be made more evident to me and to every Christian as we wait for Christ to come
Pray for His return, long for it, and from that a life truly devoted to service in Christ will emerge and as Paul wrote in 2 timothy will have a crown of righteousness laid up

here's the sermon.. read it, http://www.swordofthelord.com/onlinesermons/LoveChrist%27sAppearing.htm

Verse of the day - Ephesians 3:19

"And to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God"

To know the love of Christ is greater than any knowledge there is
As I am studying at University and always learning things about science and the amazing wonder of God's creation, I'm always struck by how much there is to know
Still, I never really have a problem with understand how much more amazing the love of Christ is than any of that information.
However this passage is not just a reference to the knowledge of science, history, politics, etc. It is also addressing the knowledge of so called "religious" things. I love to learn new things about God and His word and I love to tell others about that, but I can so often get caught up in the knowledge of these things and start to think its so great.
The knowledge is really nothing if I don't first look at it through the knowledge of the love of Christ.
The knowledge of God's word is a great thing, especially since all of it is a means to point to the love of Christ.
God has written this book to allow those who read it and proclaim it to others may see one thing: The love of Christ
As Christians it is so important to make sure that as we study God's word and teach others that the purpose is to experience God's love and to understand it more

Verse of the day - Romans 10:10

"For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved"

The verse previous says pretty much that same thing, that it is both the heart and mouth that is needed. So often as I strive for one of these two things I forget the other. I find myself so fired up about confessing Christ to others and sharing what I've been learning and I neglect the heart of the matter and forget how Christ has changed my heart. I will not be an effective tool for God even if I have all the right words and have the whole Bible memorized if my heart is not in the right place of believe that Christ is Lord and He died for me.
Similarly, it is not enough to just believe in Christ and do nothing about it. We can study God's word and pray in humility and love for a passion and understand of what Christ has done for us, but if we don't share this with others, and teach what Christ has taught us, then what purpose is it.
"if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved"
It is so necessary and so awesome to experience the life that God has called us to in Christ as we share with others the the belief we hold in our heart, that Christ has saved us. Don't be all about teaching, don't be all about keeping your beliefs to yourself, be all about Jesus Christ and confessing Him as Lord

Ephesians 3:8

"To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ"

Some context: Paul is proclaiming the mystery of the gospel of Christ - namely that He is not only for the Jews but for the Gentiles as well.
How awesome is that! God established before the foundations of the world that Jesus Christ would come and die and be raised to life for the whole world. Paul, in humility, states that although he has been given this task of preaching to the Gentiles, he is the very least. Paul recognizes that it is only because Christ has first saved him that he can preach Christ to those who do not now Him.
Even more amazing is what he is preaching. "The unsearchable riches of Christ". So often I can find myself in this plateaued state of life where I think to myself I know pretty much all there is to know about God. This verse is a great reminder that there is no end to the depth of what can be know about Christ, and even better, it is all RICH. So as Paul is preaching the "unsearchable riches" he is also learning more about them himself. God is infinitely big and unknowable, which makes it so important and awesome to know that I must be continually reading His word and proclaiming Him to others that I may fall into these riches and glorify God because of them.

Verse of the day - 1 Timothy 6:12

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses"

A bit of context: Paul is writing to Timothy about the necessity of contentment with what God has provided. In verse 9 he states that those who desire to be rich fall into temptation which will plunge them into destruction.
Instead of seeking the things of this world, as Christians we are to take hold of the eternal life to which we are called. Paul isn't referring to the point of conversion, but to a daily task of remembering and seeking that salvation that came from our confession of faith. All that God has in store for us in heaven is far greater than all that you could imagine here on the earth, and although God does not promise prosperity here on the earth, He does promise to provide our needs. The more we seek His kingdom and are thankful for eternal life, the more content we will become with what we have here on the earth and will stay farther from the temptation of seeking after riches. While it is not wrong to be rich, it is wrong to continually seek more as it is quite obvious in the world today that those who continue to seek more will never be satisfied
The only true satisfaction comes with laying hold of eternal life in Jesus and to be continually thankful in all circumstances for His provision

Verse of the day - Ephesians 1: 21

"far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come."

Paul is referring to the place which God has established Jesus Christ. If ever there was a verse to show to those skeptics out there who say that Jesus was just a good guy, or a prophet or whatever, this is that verse. Jesus is not only above all rulers past, present (while Paul wrote this), AND future (today and forever), He is FAR above, it is not even a competition. So although there has been and continue to will be new people who say they're the new way to God or they've realized they are the second coming or anything like that, we know that Christ has already be established by God as the authority and power over all and we will most assuredly know it is Him when He returns, praise God for that as we remember to pray earnestly that He might come today :)
With all the elections going on, even though I'm more apathetic than I should be about it all, there are far to many Christians worry about whats going to happen
It is necessary and a good thing to vote and to know what is going on, but it is so much more important to keep the focus on Christ who is in authority over everything, especially our lives.
Don't worry about tomorrow, the authority of today and forever is in control and He always comes through

Verse of the Day - Ephesians 1:14

"who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

Talk about a guarantee
This isn't one of those guarantees you get when buying a car, or like some amazing mattress, this is the guarantee of Jesus Christ
What an amazing thing to remember that we have a 100% assurance that our home is in heaven with God and that it is waiting for us after living on this earth for Christ
All of this being "to the praise of His glory"
Not only do we have the best guarantee there is, we have the knowledge that the reason for this is to glorify God. He is not guaranteeing us to make us feel better, or so we can brag to un-christians about our future place in heave, the purpose is to glorify Him.
As I wait for the future inheritance, which I pray for everyday to come, my perspective of that future should be one that makes me drawn closer to God and desire to bring Him glory as I live. Everyday that I am faced with new trials and persecutions and as the final day draws nearer I should be struck with the realization that God is continually being glorified and I am a tool that He will use if I am willing to be used. I am not a tool for anything but bringing God glory and that awesome thing is that from that I have an inheritance in heaven

Verse of the day - Galatians 6:8

"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."

What am I sowing? When I asked this question to my small group and to myself, no one was quick with an answer. Most of them were confused as to what the question meant. I tried to explain it like this: The farmer who sows only corn, will harvest only corn, likewise to person who spends most of there time on the computer or video games or whatever will likely reap the benefits of that (not that there really are any).
So really the question is what am I doing with my life? Am I investing my time and thoughts in the things of my flesh or am I giving it all to the Spirit?
It is once again a humbling thing to look at this verse and see the difference between the two. As a fallen and sinful human I know how easy it is to sow from my flesh, and equally I know what it is like to reap corruption from that. I am humbled in that but also in the second part of the verse where it says the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. When I am dealing with the flesh it is all about me, and from me comes the corruption, but when I choose to put that aside and start focusing on God's Holy Spirit I do not gain good things from myself, no, it is from the Spirit that eternal life comes from.
As Christians it important not only to understand the need to be focused on sowing (meaning giving our time and thoughts and everything) to the Spirit, but also to understand that the results are from the Spirit and not some of our own ability. There is no good that comes from us, praise God for the mercy and blessings that He pours out as we live for Him

Verse of the day - Ephesians 1:4

"Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him."

It's an interesting and convicting thing to examine to purpose of God's will. For the most part, as Christians, we know a lot about the moral will of God (i.e what we should and should not do), but we often neglected to look at the purpose of His sovereign will. In this case the will of God in terms of our calling before the foundation of the world. God not only knew who would come to repentance, but He specifically called/chose those who would. Now I've never really had a dilemma in my mind with election; to know that God chose me is a very humbling and awesome thing, it brings about the knowledge that there couldn't possibly have been anything I've done in order to get it, even though I so often act like there is and I try to do it. But recently, as in today, as I read this verse, I was reminded of the purpose of this choice by God. It is again a humbling thing to know that the purpose God has for me is really again nothing to do with me. The verse simply states that the purpose of the who God called is that we should be holy and blameless before Him.
With all of my aspirations and goals to accomplish, I am reminded that my purpose needs to be nothing but the process of sanctification which is glorifying to God, He will use me as He will, but I must forget the idea that I have any ability of my own to make the will of God happen

Verse of the day - Malachi 1:11

"For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts."

The people of Israel had been giving sacrifices to God as He required, but instead of the first born and the best of the flock, they were giving the blind and the runts of the flock.
From this practice God speaks to the people through Malachi in a way that would make them all realize how stupid and prideful it what they were doing was. Honestly how hard is it, you've got tones of animals all God is asking for is your best, you'll still have lots left over
But in our lives today we don't give sacrifices so this passage doesn't really apply...
oh wait its pretty obvious and incredibly convicting that it does
God stood before the foundation of the world, His name is great and He is worthy of all praise, and we struggle as we follow Him to give our first. The first moments of our day, the first thoughts and conversations, the first of our possessions, the best of everything He has given to us.
Do I really think that giving some of my day to God right in the middle and getting right back at the rest of the things I need to get done will cut it. Am I studying my school work alongside with God's word or am I taking a specific set time to come before God and lean on His word alone? Am I praying constantly or just when I come across something I can't face and need God's help?

God is the Lord of Hosts. He deserves all of my life and the sacrifices of my life to Him need to be the best and the first, if they are not it is a mockery of God and all He has done for me

Verse of the day - Romans 15:22

"This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you"

Context: well clearly a context is need - who is it that Paul wants to go to...well that one is pretty easy because he is writing to the church in Rome, but what is the reason that he has been hindered?
The verse previous Paul quotes from Isaiah 52: 15 concluding that his only aim is to preach the gospel so that "those who have never been told of him will see"
If anyone needed a vacation it was Paul, he never stopped sharing the gospel, and he was kept from going to help the church and be helped by the church in Rome in order that he might continue to preach Christ
Talk about a lifestyle
Do I think and act like that? I would say hardly
My life of following Christ so often consists of serving in areas that I want to be in, the places where my friends are or where I know I will do well
Paul could have easily gone to Rome and been serving God there with the church he so desperately wanted to be with, but he didn't
God was calling him to something else and Paul chose to be where God needed him most
In our own service to the Lord we need to be willing to work where He calls us, no matter where it is, or who is or isn't there along side us, God will provide us with our needs the only thing that should matter to us is that we are where the Lord has put us and are serving Him with our whole hearts such that we too may be hindered in our return to our friends, family, or any place we desire to be.

Verse of the Day - Job 42:2

"I know you can do all things;
no plans of yours can be thwarted"

So today I went back at it
University is a tough place and I've put a lot of hard work into it so discovering today that I had apparently failed a class did not exactly make me smile
I didn't know what to do but with a few reminders ;) I quickly realized how God is sovereign over all things and there is nothing He lets out of His sight
Me freaking out about it and worrying till I get sick isn't helping, but coming before a God who's plans can not be thwarted is what I am called to do and is what brings Him glory
I am lacking in faith and in my understanding as to what is going on, but I know that He has always provided for me before and He will continue too as long as I continue to follow what He has called me to.
I will remember to pray this verse in the days to come and as I am continually faced with challenges in my live that God allows into my life
with all of this in mind I am sure that a mistake has been made and my final exam was not included in the mark so I believe everything will work out according to the purpose of God
Remember He can not be thwarted