We are special because we belong to God. A museum may be filled with quite ordinary things: hats, canes, shoes, and so forth; but they are significant because they once belonged to someone famous. God takes ordinary people, and because He has taken them, they are special.
0 Comments
It is staggering to think of how totally death has reigned under Adam. Everyone who is born dies - the mortality rate is 100%. No one survives. When a baby is born, it isn't a question of whether the baby will live or die - they will most certainly die; the only question is when. We think of this world as the land of the living, but it is really the land of the dying, and the billions of human bodies cast into the earth over the centuries proves this. But Paul says that the reign of life through Jesus is much more certain. The believer's reign in life through Jesus is more certain than death or taxes!
(Guzik) If persecution or the threat of persecution makes us draw back from speaking and preaching God's word, then in some measure Satan has won a victory. His threat of persecution may not have succeeded in harming us, but in holding back the work of the Word of God.
"Fear not what cannot be avoided if you would be of any use. Fear suits not an apostle any more than a soldier or a sailor, who both take coolly the risks of their calling." (Bruce) Colossians 2:6-10
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. And the gospel has always, as its natural effect, evangelism, reaching the lost, but not so those who are carriers of heresy. They want to be parasites. They want to live off the church. They want to bring to the church some new revelation. "Our ministry is not really to the lost; our ministry is to the church. Our truth that we have to share, it's for the church." And so he points them back to the beginning, as you've received Christ Jesus so walk ye in Him. Don't get carried off with some of these new revelations that God has just unveiled in these last days. Actually, we don't need any new revelations of truth. What we do need is new experiences in the established truth. God has given to us all that we need for the life of godliness in His word; it's all there. We don't need any new revelations. But what we do need is fresh experiences in the old truths of God's word. So beware, lest any man would beguile you with enticing words. For as you've received Christ, so walk ye in Him. Rooted and built up in Him. Christ is the base, the foundation. But He is also the One on whom we build. Our lives are to be centered in Jesus Christ. (Commentary Chuck Smith) "…those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land" (Psalm 37:9b, NASB).
While I was meditating upon the phrase, "those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land," I realized that you cannot get an inheritance without there being a death. Through the waiting process, you may experience grief and sorrow or even a "death" of what you want or desire. Inheritances come to those who have waited, but they have waited through sorrow and grief. They wait—they die—to themselves, even to their future. This is part of Jesus' call to us in Matthew 16: "…If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it..." (verses 24-25). (Commentary Mark Martin) "Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out" (Proverbs 17:14).
"Interfering in someone else's argument is as foolish as yanking a dog's ears" (Proverbs 26:17). Don't get drawn into someone else's quarrel because it will usually end up hurting everyone more. For one thing, most people who are upset are not objective and you are only hearing one side of the issue. You could come out looking rather foolish if you took a stand before you have all of the facts. Wisely King Solomon says, "Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish" (Proverbs 18:13). This verse may also be translated, "Answering before listening is both stupid and rude" (MSG). Often we're in danger of making a judgment concerning an individual or even some matter concerning the church with which we fellowship without having the full story. Way too many times people "spout off before listening to the facts." Have you ever done this? Jesus says, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24, NASB). The New Living Translation puts it, "Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly." If you've misjudged someone or have spoken out without having checked your source or digging out the facts for yourself, take responsibility for your actions. Do your very best to make amends and disseminate correct information. (Commentary Mark Martin) The priests "…must wear linen turbans and linen undergarments. They must not wear anything that would cause them to perspire" (Ezekiel 44:18).
The priests were to clothe themselves in white, clean linen. They were never to wear wool because wool causes one to perspire. God didn't want His ministers to be serving Him with sweat. They shouldn't be offering their service with perspiration; they should be operating out of inspiration. If we're sweating in the ministry, we've put on the wrong clothes. When the Lord asks us to serve Him He wants us to say, "Sure, Lord, no sweat." When we're sweating we're serving in the flesh rather than serving in the Spirit. The Lord says, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts" (Zechariah 4:6b, NASB). So, don't sweat it; serve in His power. (Commentary Mark Martin) 1 Corinthians 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
The three great pursuits of the Christian life are not "miracles, power, and gifts"; they are faith, hope, and love. Though the gifts are precious, and given by the Holy Spirit today, they were never meant to be the focus or goal of our Christian lives. Instead, we pursue faith, hope, and love. What is your Christian life focused on? What do you really want more of? It should all come back to faith, hope, and love. If it doesn't, we need to receive God's sense of priorities, and put our focus where it belongs. |
Authorhttps://www.facebook.com/Its-Not-About-Me-Its-About-You-Jesus-137394136305292/ Archives
July 2017
Categories |