Tag: direct

Love & Obedience

Love & Obedience

We have studied, on more than one occasion, the various blessings of obedience to the Lord and obedience to His Word.  A long life is one such blessing as we see in the verse below.

Keep God’s laws and you will live longer; if you ignore them, you will die.  (Pro 19:16 GNT)

But there’s another aspect of obedience that I’d like us to consider today.  It’s the fact that love and obedience go hand-in-hand.  Similar to:

  • peanut butter and jelly or
  • shoes and socks or
  • a pencil and pen set.

Let’s look at some Bible verses about this topic:

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.  (Joh 14:21 NLT)

When we receive and obey God’s instructions, we demonstrate our love for Him as well as our respect for Him.  As we live obediently, God promises to return our love and to give us revelations of Himself and His ways. Wow! That is not only a blessing but an honor.

But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it.”  (Lk 11:28 NASB)

We are BLESSED when we hear God’s word and allow it to influence and direct our lives into living obediently to His ways and commandments.

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome . . .  (1 Joh 5:3 NIV)

Lastly, for those of us who love the Lord, His teachings and lessons are not taxing to obey.  Rather, we enjoy availing ourselves of the grace of God that He gives us in order to live in obedience to His commandments.  Hallelujah!

Live as Christ Lived

Live as Christ Lived

Do you think that you can live as Christ lived?  What do I mean by that?  Let’s review some passages from the Scriptures.In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.  (Phil 2:5 NIV)This verse of Scripture advises us to have the same outlook or convictions that Jesus had.  Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest.  (Mt 11:29 CEV)Jesus calls us to wear the same “yoke” that He wore. He says in so doing, we will find rest for our souls.To whom or to what are we yoked (or coupled)?  Once we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are linked to Him.  This means that we humbly do His will and allow Him to guide and to direct our lives.The one who says that he abides in him must live the same way he himself lived.  (1 Joh 2:6 (ISV)We must live the same way that Jesus did.  He lived in obedience to the will of the heavenly Father, and He operated in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was our example.For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  (Joh 13:15-16 NKJV, emphasis added)

We are called to the same lifestyle, and to the same love for and obedience to our Father God that Jesus had.  And God has given us the necessary grace that we need to empower us to do so.  Hallelujah!

The Tough Decision to Follow Jesus

<strong>The Tough Decision to Follow Jesus</strong>

The Scriptures remind us that when we make the decision to follow Jesus, we should “count the cost.”  (Lk 14:27-29)  In other words, Jesus wants us to know what it means to fully follow Him.  This is a serious subject with genuine consequences.

Just as the building of a physical house has a definite cost, so does the decision to follow Jesus have a cost.  We’re told that we must take up a CROSS and deny ourselves, in order to follow Jesus.  Let’s read what the Scriptures have to say:

And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.  (Mt 10:38 KJV, emphasis added)

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  (Lk 14:27 NASB)

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  (Mt 16:24 NRSV)

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  (Mk 8:34 NKJV)

First, we must deny ourselves!  What does that mean?  It means that we put Jesus and the Holy Spirit in charge of our lives.  We give up the throne that is our life, and ask Jesus to sit on the throne and to direct us by His Spirit.  We cannot follow Jesus and the world’s way at the same time.  Neither can we serve God and money at the same time.

Following Jesus may mean that we lose relationships, dreams, material things, and even our lives.  Our relationship with Jesus must take priority over everything else in our lives and must be of the supreme importance to us. 

We must, in essence, declare:  “I’d rather have Jesus than anything.”

If a day comes when someone threatens us with death if we do not renounce our faith in Jesus Christ, then we should happily choose Jesus and eternal life above staying here in our earthly body.  Pray for God’s blessings and grace in order to live boldly for Jesus.

May God’s grace strengthen you and empower you.

Servants of Christ

Servants of Christ

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, a number of things occurred in our lives.  Here are just three things that took place:

  • We became children of the Living God.  (Rom 8:16; 1 Joh 3:1-2)
  • We became bondservants of Jesus Christ.  (Eph 6:6; 1 Pet 2:15-16)
  • We passed from darkness to light.  (Col 1:13)

The Scriptures show a number of apostles and disciples who identify themselves as “bondservants” of Christ.  Every believer should identify with this claim.

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God . . .   (Rom 1:11 NKJV) 

For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.  (1 Cor 7:22 ESV)

. . . not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart . . .  (Eph 6:6 ESV)

A bondservant is a person who willingly becomes a slave to another person.  The Mosaic Law allowed an indentured servant to become a bondservant voluntarily: “If the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life” (Exodus 21:5-6).  Source:  GotQuestions.org. 

You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.  (1 Cor 7:23 ESV)  The Bible warns us NOT to become bondservants of human beings.

But we do need to settle it in our hearts that we are servants of Jesus Christ and of the Kingdom of God.  We need to be submitted to God’s will and plan for each one of our lives.  It’s important to remember that the Lord can see the end from the beginning.  He knows every possible outcome of our own, human decisions; but if we allow Him to direct our paths, we will fulfill His will for each and every believer.

Set aside some time to spend in meditation and prayer about this important concept.  Determine what yielding to the Holy Spirit will mean for your life.  God bless you.

A Kiss for a Right Answer!

A Kiss for a Right Answer!

But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them.  (25) He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.  (Pro 24:25-26)

This passage from the Bible has a couple of good spiritual points to make. 

  • The first recommends that we admonish those who commit evil, depraved, or heinous acts, rather than justifying or remaining neutral to what they do. Verse 24 says that that when we reprove the wicked, a blessing will come upon us.
  • The second point (v. 25 above) is shown like this in a reverse interlinear: “Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.”  In short, this means that plain, direct words are preferable to deceptive or ambiguous ones.  And that when someone speaks plainly to us, we should appreciate and value them. 

The “right answer” spoken of here is an answer that is filled with the wisdom of God.  The more we are acquainted with the Bible and familiar with the voice of the Holy Spirit, the easier it will be to recognize and value a “right answer” when we hear it.

All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; nothing crooked or perverse is in them.  9 They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.  10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold . . .  (Pro 8:8-10, emphasis added)

I believe that the purpose of these two verses is to help us to remember that ALL of the words of our lips are colossally important, both in the natural and spiritual realms.  Additionally, the Lord is giving us His advice on when to be critical of someone’s actions, as well as when to welcome and to be grateful for wise counsel or a useful and eye-opening insight.

By God’s empowering gift of grace, we’ll know when and how to apply this biblical wisdom.