"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13
How many times have you said, "I can't do that"? How many times have you said that when you read the Bible and it gave a specific command? How many times have you said that to the Lord when He asked you to do something? This often seems to be our immediate response to most situations. But the scripture says we can do "all things" through Christ, not some things, not a few things, not only certain things, but all things.
This means that I can love those who hate me. This means that I can go the second mile. This means that I can forgive those who have done me wrong. It means that I can turn the other cheek. It means I can lay aside the weights that so easily beset me. It means that I can run the race that is set before me. It means that I can obey Him in every area of my life. It means that I can go where He tells me to go, do what He tells me to do, respond the way He tells me to respond, live the way He tells me to live.
So, what is the thing that is your "I can't"? According to God's word, whatever it is, it is something that you "can do" through Christ's strength and grace. Go to God, turn that thing over to Him, let Him give you what you need to turn your "I can't" into "I can"-- because "yes, you can".
Have a great day. There are no "I cant's", only "I cans" through Christ.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
"Childlike"
"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
Jesus said that we have to become like children to enter into the kingdom of heaven. One child like quality is humility. Children aren't full of pride and act like they know everything. We adults tend to think we are too big for God, we are too smart, we are too wise, we are too strong or we are too important for God. (Well, even if we don't think it, we sure act like it.)
We act like it when we go on with our own plans and do not stop to acknowledge Him. We act like it when we neglect His counsel. We act like it when we when don't pray or read His word. We act like it when we think that we have all our own answers and can solve our own problems.
When we become adults, there are childish things that we must put away. But our dependency on and humility toward God is not among them. It doesn't matter how old we get, how smart we become, how strong we are, we will never reach the place where we don't need God. When I was little and I would get a haughty or rebellious attitude toward my parents (when I thought, and acted like, I knew better than they did), they would say that I was getting "too big for my britches". Are you "too big for your britches"? Do you think you know more than God knows? Do you think you can make it without His help? Do you think that you have it all under control? Then you have ceased to be like a child. Humble yourself in repentance and ask the Lord to give you a childlike faith, a childlike heart, a childlike spirit and a childlike trust in Him.
Have a great day. Are you "too big for your britches"?
Jesus said that we have to become like children to enter into the kingdom of heaven. One child like quality is humility. Children aren't full of pride and act like they know everything. We adults tend to think we are too big for God, we are too smart, we are too wise, we are too strong or we are too important for God. (Well, even if we don't think it, we sure act like it.)
We act like it when we go on with our own plans and do not stop to acknowledge Him. We act like it when we neglect His counsel. We act like it when we when don't pray or read His word. We act like it when we think that we have all our own answers and can solve our own problems.
When we become adults, there are childish things that we must put away. But our dependency on and humility toward God is not among them. It doesn't matter how old we get, how smart we become, how strong we are, we will never reach the place where we don't need God. When I was little and I would get a haughty or rebellious attitude toward my parents (when I thought, and acted like, I knew better than they did), they would say that I was getting "too big for my britches". Are you "too big for your britches"? Do you think you know more than God knows? Do you think you can make it without His help? Do you think that you have it all under control? Then you have ceased to be like a child. Humble yourself in repentance and ask the Lord to give you a childlike faith, a childlike heart, a childlike spirit and a childlike trust in Him.
Have a great day. Are you "too big for your britches"?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
"Rooted"
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love." Ephesians 3:17
Almost twenty-five years ago when we moved into our home, I planted a rose bush that had come from my great grandmother's house. It grew, and grew well. I was always having to trim it back. I several years later I decided to get rid of it- or at least move it somewhere else. I cut it down, but it grew back. I cut it down again, it grew back again. I tried to dig it up, but the roots were too big that I couldn't- so it grew back. I even tried to chop it up, but it was still there. After several attempts, I thought I had finally succeeded. I didn't see any more signs of it for three or four years. About three years ago we decided to put a patio in the same area where the rose bush had been. When the men who were going to do the job began to excavate the spot, guess what we found? That rose bush. It was still there, it was not dead, it even had new sprouts buried under ground.
How "rooted" are you? How "well rooted" are you? Are your roots in Christ deep or shallow? Can you be easily uprooted? Can tribulations "chop" on your life and destroy you? Can problems dig you up? When your faith is tested, does it stand the test? When life gives you a hard time, does it "pull you up- roots and all"?
Our roots in Christ need to go very deep. If that rose bush had had a shallow root system I could have pulled it up at my first or second attempt. Our roots need to be wrapped tightly around God's word so that even when trying times test us we don't lose our hold. We know that the Lord Jesus told us we would have tribulation in this world. We know that things aren't going to get better only worse before the return of the Lord. We know that there are difficulties now on every hand. Therefore, we MUST make sure, very sure that our roots are deep and secure in Christ. Like the song says, "Be very sure, your anchor hold and grips the solid rock". A plant's anchor is it's root system. Christ and His Word is our root system, and our anchor.
Have a great day. How well rooted are you?
Almost twenty-five years ago when we moved into our home, I planted a rose bush that had come from my great grandmother's house. It grew, and grew well. I was always having to trim it back. I several years later I decided to get rid of it- or at least move it somewhere else. I cut it down, but it grew back. I cut it down again, it grew back again. I tried to dig it up, but the roots were too big that I couldn't- so it grew back. I even tried to chop it up, but it was still there. After several attempts, I thought I had finally succeeded. I didn't see any more signs of it for three or four years. About three years ago we decided to put a patio in the same area where the rose bush had been. When the men who were going to do the job began to excavate the spot, guess what we found? That rose bush. It was still there, it was not dead, it even had new sprouts buried under ground.
How "rooted" are you? How "well rooted" are you? Are your roots in Christ deep or shallow? Can you be easily uprooted? Can tribulations "chop" on your life and destroy you? Can problems dig you up? When your faith is tested, does it stand the test? When life gives you a hard time, does it "pull you up- roots and all"?
Our roots in Christ need to go very deep. If that rose bush had had a shallow root system I could have pulled it up at my first or second attempt. Our roots need to be wrapped tightly around God's word so that even when trying times test us we don't lose our hold. We know that the Lord Jesus told us we would have tribulation in this world. We know that things aren't going to get better only worse before the return of the Lord. We know that there are difficulties now on every hand. Therefore, we MUST make sure, very sure that our roots are deep and secure in Christ. Like the song says, "Be very sure, your anchor hold and grips the solid rock". A plant's anchor is it's root system. Christ and His Word is our root system, and our anchor.
Have a great day. How well rooted are you?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
"Walk To Please God"
"That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory." 1 Thessalonians 2:12
How's your walk? In other words, how are you living? What type of lifestyle do you exhibit? Is it a self centered one? Is it loose- having a lack of morals? Are you living a very materialistic lifestyle, always after more, never satisfied with what you have? Are you living as if it's all about you? Are you living to please yourself?
The Christian lifestyle is never about pleasing one's self. It's all about pleasing God. It's about living your life in a manner in which He would be pleased. It's about living according to His will, not your own. It's about denying yourself. It's about decreasing. It's about dying to self.
I wonder why we have to be reminded about this so often. I wonder why living a life that pleases God and denies self is such a foreign concept to so many Christians. What is so hard to understand about Jesus' words,"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself."? How much plainer could He be? He didn't "stutter" when He said them. He didn't whisper them where they could not be heard. He didn't speak in a riddle. He didn't "mince" words. And these aren't just the words of a disciple, an apostle, a preacher, another man, these are the exact words of Jesus telling us what He requires and desires of us. These are the words of our Savior, our Lord, our King- the One we love and serve.
So back to the original question. How's your walk? Is it in line with what Jesus requires? Is it pleasing to God? If not, then today would be a good time to start making a change toward pleasing Him and denying yourself.
Have a great day. It's all about pleasing Him and not ourselves.
How's your walk? In other words, how are you living? What type of lifestyle do you exhibit? Is it a self centered one? Is it loose- having a lack of morals? Are you living a very materialistic lifestyle, always after more, never satisfied with what you have? Are you living as if it's all about you? Are you living to please yourself?
The Christian lifestyle is never about pleasing one's self. It's all about pleasing God. It's about living your life in a manner in which He would be pleased. It's about living according to His will, not your own. It's about denying yourself. It's about decreasing. It's about dying to self.
I wonder why we have to be reminded about this so often. I wonder why living a life that pleases God and denies self is such a foreign concept to so many Christians. What is so hard to understand about Jesus' words,"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself."? How much plainer could He be? He didn't "stutter" when He said them. He didn't whisper them where they could not be heard. He didn't speak in a riddle. He didn't "mince" words. And these aren't just the words of a disciple, an apostle, a preacher, another man, these are the exact words of Jesus telling us what He requires and desires of us. These are the words of our Savior, our Lord, our King- the One we love and serve.
So back to the original question. How's your walk? Is it in line with what Jesus requires? Is it pleasing to God? If not, then today would be a good time to start making a change toward pleasing Him and denying yourself.
Have a great day. It's all about pleasing Him and not ourselves.
Monday, June 8, 2009
"Under The Blood"
"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." Exodus 12:13
A few weeks ago I kept hearing a noise. I finally discovered the source. It was a bird that kept flying into the windows in the sunroom. I watched as it repeatedly flew into the windows- I suppose it was trying to get in. The next day it was back- at the sunroom windows, my office and the living room windows. The next day you could hear him flying into the windows again. This went on several times a day for almost two weeks. I wondered what was wrong with that "crazy" bird. You would have thought that it would have finally discovered that it could not get in through those windows, but it would not let up.
Being a person who knows that God sometimes reveals things to us through natural things and often uses illustrated sermons, I even asked the Lord about this, if it meant anything. After all, it was not natural for this bird to act this way and continue to act this way. One day about a week and a half after this started I was praying as I was walking through my house- through the sunroom- and I got an understanding of something concerning that bird. Now, I don't know if this was the reason that kept happening, but it did turn out to be a very good illustrated sermon.
I was praying for the Lord's protection over my home and began to say, "Father, thank You for Your protection. Thank You for the blood of Jesus that protects us and keeps us safe from the enemy, just like these windows are a protection to keep things from coming into my home that don't belong in here. Father, thank You that just as these windows were a barrier to keep that bird from coming in, Jesus' blood keeps the enemy from coming in to harm me." I finally got it. What a great illustration!
The blood of Jesus saves us and covers us. It is a protection for us from the enemy. When we are "hid" under the blood, the enemy cannot find us. When we are under the blood death has no sting, the enemy cannot destroy us, no weapon formed against us shall prosper. That bird tried and tried to get through those windows but they were too strong for him to penetrate. The enemy is persistent in his attacks against us. He will try and try to find a weak spot to get in through. He is relentless and will not give up. But as long as we stay "under the blood" he will not be able to "get in". The blood is stronger, it is more powerful, it is too powerful for him. It is what destroyed him when it was shed at the cross!!!
By the way, the bird finally quit and has not been back. I guess he finally realized he couldn't get past those windows. The enemy may come for a season trying to get in to destroy us, but he too realizes that he can't get past the blood!
Have a great day. Stay under the blood!
A few weeks ago I kept hearing a noise. I finally discovered the source. It was a bird that kept flying into the windows in the sunroom. I watched as it repeatedly flew into the windows- I suppose it was trying to get in. The next day it was back- at the sunroom windows, my office and the living room windows. The next day you could hear him flying into the windows again. This went on several times a day for almost two weeks. I wondered what was wrong with that "crazy" bird. You would have thought that it would have finally discovered that it could not get in through those windows, but it would not let up.
Being a person who knows that God sometimes reveals things to us through natural things and often uses illustrated sermons, I even asked the Lord about this, if it meant anything. After all, it was not natural for this bird to act this way and continue to act this way. One day about a week and a half after this started I was praying as I was walking through my house- through the sunroom- and I got an understanding of something concerning that bird. Now, I don't know if this was the reason that kept happening, but it did turn out to be a very good illustrated sermon.
I was praying for the Lord's protection over my home and began to say, "Father, thank You for Your protection. Thank You for the blood of Jesus that protects us and keeps us safe from the enemy, just like these windows are a protection to keep things from coming into my home that don't belong in here. Father, thank You that just as these windows were a barrier to keep that bird from coming in, Jesus' blood keeps the enemy from coming in to harm me." I finally got it. What a great illustration!
The blood of Jesus saves us and covers us. It is a protection for us from the enemy. When we are "hid" under the blood, the enemy cannot find us. When we are under the blood death has no sting, the enemy cannot destroy us, no weapon formed against us shall prosper. That bird tried and tried to get through those windows but they were too strong for him to penetrate. The enemy is persistent in his attacks against us. He will try and try to find a weak spot to get in through. He is relentless and will not give up. But as long as we stay "under the blood" he will not be able to "get in". The blood is stronger, it is more powerful, it is too powerful for him. It is what destroyed him when it was shed at the cross!!!
By the way, the bird finally quit and has not been back. I guess he finally realized he couldn't get past those windows. The enemy may come for a season trying to get in to destroy us, but he too realizes that he can't get past the blood!
Have a great day. Stay under the blood!
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