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Saturday, November 4, 2017

DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 11.4.17


Judgment in the New Testament
“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)
 
Many critics have decried what they contend is the Bible’s inconsistency. The Old Testament is a harsh indictment of human sin and warning of coming divine judgment, they say, whereas the New Testament stresses God’s grace and love.
 
The fact is, however, that the Old Testament contains numerous testimonies of the love and merciful lovingkindness of God (e.g., Psalm 103). Similarly, the most striking and fearsome warnings and prophecies of judgment to come are found in the New Testament. The above text for the day is an example, with its revelation of the coming eternal separation from God of all who reject Christ and His saving gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself uttered more warnings of future hell than anyone else recorded in either testament. He said, for example, that those “on the left hand” will be commanded to “depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Jude spoke of ungodly men “to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever” (Jude 1:13).
 
And, of course, the very last book of the New Testament, written by John, the disciple who stressed God’s love more than any other writer, focuses especially and in detail on the coming period of God’s judgment on a rebellious world. The climax of these warnings is Revelation 20:15: “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” God’s grace and full forgiveness are free to all who receive Christ, but certain judgment will come to all who refuse. HMM
 
The Captain - By Greg Laurie -
 
Jesus replied to Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!" -Luke 5:10
 
In Luke's Gospel we read of Jesus using Simon Peter's boat as a floating pulpit of sorts. The crowds had been pressing in on Him, so the Lord launched out a little from the shore as He spoke to the people. Afterward He told Peter, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch" (Luke 5:4).
 
Now, Jesus was what we might call a landlubber. He was a rabbi. He wasn't someone who typically spent time on the water.
 
Peter replied, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." Peter's response included a unique nautical term that could be translated this way: "We have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless, Master (or Captain) of this boat, we will do it."
 
Peter could have been saying, "With all due respect, Lord, when it comes to teaching, You are the Man. We hang on Your every word. But this is kind of our thing. We've already been fishing. It's a waste of time."
 
When they launched out into the deep, however, there were so many fish, their nets began to break and the boat began to sink. Another boat was brought up, and it was overwhelmed with fish as well. Peter was blown away. He said to Jesus, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" (verse 8).
 
Effectively he was saying to Jesus, "Don't waste Your time on me. I'm going to disappoint You. I'm not going to measure up. Don't even bother with me, Jesus."
 
But Jesus said, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!" (Luke 5:10).
 
Is Jesus the captain of your boat? Let Him be that for you. Let Him take control. 
 
 
How to Foster True Friendships
 
All people long to be in genuine relationships. God created us with this need, as we were not meant to live in isolation.
 
Our world is so driven by technology that many people today try to ease their loneliness through computer relationships. However, this can never satisfy or compare to the human fellowship that the Creator designed. But healthy friendships don't just happen. They require intentional effort.
 
Yesterday, in looking to Jonathan and David for a biblical model of godly companions, we saw how mutual respect is vital in a healthy friendship. Now, let's look at two more aspects of their relationship. These two men had an emotional love for one another; their hearts were knit together (1 Sam. 18:1). When one man experienced joy or sadness, the other man felt it too.
 
They also had genuine devotion to each other, which is a type of commitment that involves giving: to show loyalty, Jonathan gave his friend material items--his robe and weapon. But these two men also selflessly offered more: Jonathan even risked his life and future kingship in order to save David from execution. Notice, too, that Jonathan was often the initiator, and the one who gave more. He was a prince, whereas David was a lowly shepherd. Social status shouldn't interfere with cultivating a true friendship.
 
We were designed for true companionship based on mutual respect, genuine love, and commitment. This requires not only time and selfless devotion but also transparency--which means being real, even about our faults. Taking such a risk requires trust. Such relationships are well worth the effort.
 
Our Living Lord
“Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.” (John 14:19)
 
We who believe on Christ have the promise of everlasting life because He lives, and we see Him by faith. Christ Himself is “our life” (Colossians 3:4), in fact.
 
He is the very sustainer of our life. He is both the “living water” (John 4:10) that is “springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14) and “the living bread which came down from heaven,” such wonderful bread “that a man may eat thereof, and not die” (John 6:50-51).
 
Not only does Christ give us His living bread and living water, but also He provides Himself as the living way to God. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20).
 
He is also the solid foundation on which we build our lives, and that very foundation is vibrant with life. “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:4-5). Our spiritual lives are built on a living stone, nourished on living bread and living water while entering by a living way into the presence of the living God!
 
He “hath begotten us again unto a lively hope [same as ‘living hope’] by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). All this is ours through our loving, living Lord! HMM
 
Spiritually Shortsighted Luke 16:19-31
In Luke 16, Jesus told a story about a rich man who lived for himself and ignored God. After death, he experienced the consequences of his choices--eternal separation from the Lord.
Jesus described him as one who lived in luxury every day (v. 19), providing for himself the best that money could buy but giving little to the poor at his gate. It is important to realize that this man wasn’t judged harshly by God because of his wealth. The heavenly Father is not opposed to our success. Nor was the man separated from the Lord because of his lack of charity toward others. He did not deliberately harm others but, rather, overlooked those in need and focused on himself.
The rich man’s mistake was that he prepared everything for the body but nothing for the soul. Our culture practices a similar style of living. Acquiring material riches and satisfying self is the primary pursuit of many in our world. Having what one wants seems to be the goal whether it’s a struggle to make ends meet or the bank account is overflowing.
Scripture says we were created to be in a relationship with the Father through faith in His Son. The rich man ignored God and paid the ultimate price. Our eternal destiny depends on our decision about Christ.

Despite what our culture thinks, life is not about us. It’s about having a relationship with the Lord. Whoever accepts Christ’s gift of salvation will live eternally with Him in heaven. Those who reject God will suffer. If you know any spiritually shortsighted people, pray that they will trust in Jesus.
No Condemnation
 
 
Some believers are plagued by feelings of condemnation. Either they think they'll never live up to God's expectations for them or they're nearly drowning in guilt over past sins. These men and women cannot seem to shake the sense that God is displeased with their puny efforts at being Christlike.
 
The book of Romans confronts this lie head-on: "There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). When the Savior went to the cross on our behalf, He lifted the blame from our shoulders and made us righteous before God. Those feelings of condemnation do not belong to us; they are from Satan. He amplifies our guilt and feelings of inadequacy and then suggests that's how the Lord feels about His "wayward child." Nothing could be further from the truth. Our sins are wiped clean, and we are chosen and loved by God.
 
Condemnation is reserved for those who reject the Lord (John 3:36). Sin is a death sentence (Rom. 6:23). Anyone who chooses to cling to sin instead of seeking divine forgiveness must pay the penalty, which is an eternity separated from God. Two synonyms of condemn are 'denounce' and 'revile.' Those words certainly describe Jesus' statement to unbelievers in Matthew 25:41: "Depart from me, accursed ones."
 
There is no condemnation for those who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior. The believer's penalty for sin is paid, and he can stand blameless before God. Trust in the Lord's love and let go of Satan's lie. God's beloved children are covered by His grace and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.


When the Bible Blows Your Mindby John Piper
The Bible teaches us to expect mental jolts when we think about God. It teaches us that our familiar ways of seeing things may be replaced. For example, it says, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33). Or again, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9).
One of the reasons (not the only one) that some people reject the biblical teaching of unconditional election is that it seems and feels to them out of sync with other teachings in the Bible - like the compassion of God for people or the moral accountability of people before God. It seems to many that God can't choose unconditionally to save some and not others and then also feel compassion for those he does not choose and hold them accountable for their sin.
The problem here is that our instinct or intuition for what is right or possible for God does not fit Scripture. And the danger is that we shape Scripture to fit our feelings.
The Scriptures teach that God chooses who will be saved before we are born or have done anything good or evil (Romans 9:10-12). "It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy" (Romans 9:16). The Scriptures also teach that we are responsible for the obedience of faith and will be judged if we are disobedient. "But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury" (Romans 2:8). We are chosen (or not chosen) unconditionally for salvation. And we are accountable for our faith (or unbelief).
As I said in my sermon on 12-8-02, I do not fully understand how God renders certain the belief of the elect and the unbelief of the non-elect. If you want to go deeper into this, I recommend Jonathan Edwards' book The Freedom of the Will. It is slow reading, but you will grow more from the effort than you can imagine.
To help you accustom yourself to living with such felt tensions (unconditional election and human accountability) consider two similar ones from the example of Christ.
First, we see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem because the things of the kingdom were "hidden from [their] eyes." But on the other hand we also hear Jesus say that God has "hidden these things."
<strong>Luke 19:41-42. And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes."</strong
<strong>Luke 10:21. In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."</strong
Second, we see Jesus feeling compassion for those who were sick - irrespective, it seems of their faith. On the other hand, we know from illustrations and teachings elsewhere in the Bible that God is finally and decisively in control of sickness. So we have Jesus feeling sorry for people who have sicknesses that God's wisdom has ordained (at least for a time).
 <strong>Matthew 14:14. When [Jesus] went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.</strong
<strong>Exodus 4:11. Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?"</strong
<strong>1 Samuel 2:6. The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.</strong
An Acceptable Sacrifice
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)
 
Our text instructs us that we, as a corporate church and as individuals, are designed for the purpose of offering up acceptable sacrifices to God. These are not animal sacrifices as before but “spiritual” sacrifices made “acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” What kinds of spiritual sacrifices are acceptable?
 
Prayer: An amazing scene is recorded for us in heaven, for an angel is seen at the altar offering up to God incense mingled with “the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 8:4, see also 5:8). Our prayers are precious to Him.
 
Giving: The use of our financial resources for the furtherance of His Kingdom becomes “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18).
 
Praise: In some way not fully comprehended by us, we can “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).
 
Good work and sharing: “But to do good and to communicate [share] forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). Remember, we are saved entirely by God’s grace but also created specifically unto good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).
 
Ourselves: We have a distinct privilege in that we may “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is [our] reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
 
God is a magnificent God! He can be trusted with our prayers, our resources, our praise, our works, and our lives. His perfect sacrifice has made it possible for our sacrifices to be meaningful. JDM
Fallow Ground
“For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.” (Jeremiah 4:3)
 
Fallow ground is ground that has been plowed and readied for sowing but then is withheld and allowed to lie useless and unproductive. God, through His prophet, had to rebuke His people not only because they had left their prepared ground unused, but because they were actually sowing their seed on thorn-choked ground. That is, they were turning to idols and forsaking God.
 
The word “fallow” occurs one other time in the Bible and to the same effect: “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12). It is poor stewardship and a bad testimony, at best, for the people of God to ignore His righteousness and fail to cultivate His grace in their lives, choosing instead the philosophies and pleasures of the ungodly world around them.
 
Now, if the ancient Israelites had much unfruitful fallow ground in their lives, many modern Christians are still more blameworthy, for we have far greater opportunities and privileges than the people of ancient Israel.
 
Most of all, we have the complete Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit, yet our lives are even more cluttered with the thorny ground of worldliness and paganism than theirs. We urgently need to break up our fallow ground, to sow righteousness and reap mercy.
 
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8). HMM
Paying Attention to How We Live
Luke 12:16-21
One day we’ll give an account of ourselves to the Lord (Romans 14:12). We must, then, pay attention to how we live.
The rich man in Luke 16:19-31 made the tragic choice of living for himself without regard for the Lord. He also made two other mistakes.
First, he invested everything for himself and nothing for the life to come. When we are blinded by our own desires and personal satisfaction, it is easy to become lukewarm about spiritual matters. We forget that this life is not all there is. Scripture tells us to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Where our treasure is reflects where our heart is (Matthew 6:19-21).
The rich man’s other mistake was to prepare everything for himself and nothing for others. Crumbs falling from his table (v. 21) were the only form of assistance he gave a poor man named Lazarus. The one who had much wealth did not share it with the one who had little. Jesus explained what our priorities should be to love the Lord wholeheartedly and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27).
We see the rich man’s mistakes repeated in another parable. This time a wealthy man builds bigger barns to store crops so he will have plenty for the future. God calls him a fool for such shortsightedness (Luke 12:20).

The Bible repeatedly warns us to pay attention to spiritual matters--the Lord is to have first place in our lives and be the center of our affections. He urges us to store up heavenly treasure by caring for the lost and hurting people around us. On whom is your attention focused?
Godly Deliverance
“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.” (Psalm 34:17-22)
 
The ultimate contrast is comparison between the redemption of the righteous and the “slaying” and the “desolation” of the wicked. One day this world and all that is in it will be burned up (2 Peter 3:10). The Lord of the universe will build a “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). The One who saved us will dwell with us and be with us, ruling from a new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-3) in which no thing or being will enter that “defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie” (Revelation 21:27).
 
All that is evil and all who are evil will be purged from this new world, and all that hurts and destroys will be removed from the very memory of those who are part of the redeemed (Isaiah 11:9). We who own Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, as our Savior and Lord now will rest in the “peace [that] passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
 
In that “real world” of eternity prepared by our Lord Jesus, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Even so, come, Lord Jesus. HMM III
 To the Other Side - By Greg Laurie -
 
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." -Mark 4:35
 
One day Jesus said to His disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side." So they boarded their boat and were cruising across the Sea of Galilee, a large freshwater lake known for its unexpected storms. And sure enough, a storm came. This one was a doozy, because even the seasoned sailors were despairing of life.
 
Meanwhile, what was Jesus doing? He was asleep in the boat. The disciples woke Him up and said, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" (Mark 4:38). In other words, "Hey, Lord, are You paying attention? Don't you care that we are going through this? Wake up and do something."
 
So Jesus rebuked both the storm and the disciples. He turned to the storm and said, "Peace, be still!" (verse 39), and it stopped. But then He turned to His own disciples and said, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" Jesus was saying, in effect, "Boys, you haven't learned anything. I said, 'Let's cross over to the other side.' I didn't say, 'Let's go to the middle of the Sea of Galilee and drown.' " Jesus didn't promise smooth sailing, but He did promise a safe passage.
 
It's better to be in a storm with Jesus than anywhere else without Him. I would rather be in a fiery furnace with Jesus than in a palace without Him-or in a lion's den with Jesus, or in a prison, or even shipwrecked. As long as I know the Lord is there, then I can get through it.
 
Remember, God is with you, regardless of what storm, regardless of what shipwreck you are going through right now. You are not alone. He cares. And He will never leave you or forsake you.
 Surviving the Setbacks - By Greg Laurie -
 
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. -2 Corinthians 4:8
 
Sometimes people think that when they are in the will of God, they'll have smooth sailing. However, that was not true of the apostle Paul. He seemed to face every kind of adversity imaginable. He had so many enemies who were jealous of his success that they would follow him around and undermine him, intending to actually destroy him. He had so many setbacks in life that involved beatings and physical harm. And he had a physical disability that he wanted to be healed of, but the Lord said no.
 
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians, "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed" (4:8-9).
 
Today lot of preachers love to focus on prosperity, and some are even classified as prosperity preachers. I think, unfortunately, they have hijacked a biblical word. For many, prosperity means you will never be sick. You will never have problems, and life is going to be just great.
 
The reality is that you can live a prosperous life in the will of God and still face conflict. Paul went through shipwreck on his way to Rome, but he had a prosperous journey by the will of God because of what it ultimately accomplished.
 
We all will face storms, difficulties, and yes, shipwrecks, in some way, shape, or form. We cannot control the circumstances that come our way, but we can control our reaction to them.
 
When storms come our way, when hardship strikes, what we do is our choice. We can get mad at God. We can get bitter. Or, we can completely surrender and say, "Lord, I trust You no matter what."
 
Obeying God Acts 5:27-32
The high priest ordered Peter and the apostles to stop teaching about Jesus, but they ignored the order. When questioned about their actions, Peter replied, �We must obey God rather than men� (v. 29). What motivated them to follow the Lord with such conviction?
God�s Sovereignty. Peter and the other disciples recognized that God had carried out His divine plan of redemption in Jesus� life, death, and resurrection. Convinced that salvation was found in Christ alone, they had the courage to speak boldly about their faith. They didn�t alter their words, even in front of a powerful authority. Instead, they gave allegiance to God and obeyed Him.
Thankfulness. Their obedience was also motivated by gratitude. After betraying the Lord, Peter had wept over his failure (Mark 14:72). Think of the disciple�s joy to realize that Christ had forgiven him for his mistakes and restored him to a right relationship with God (Mark 16:7; John 21:15-17). With his past behind him, Peter became a leader of the Jerusalem church, with a passion to obey fueled by a thankful heart.
God is in charge of our lives. He has rescued us from the bondage of sin, forgiven us, and brought us into His family. Grateful obedience should be our response too.

Each day we have a choice. We can acknowledge God�s sovereignty and trust Him, or we can turn away and follow our own plan. Cultivating a thankful spirit will motivate us to stay the course and obey the Lord. Like Peter, let�s commit to following our heavenly Father wherever He leads.
Root of Bitterness
�Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.� (Hebrews 12:15)
 
Bitterness and a bitter spirit should never characterize a person who has experienced the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ. No matter how seriously one may have been wronged, if he has known God�s forgiving grace for his own wrongdoings, he should manifest that same grace in his life toward others, even though they do not merit it (for neither did he merit God�s forgiving grace himself).
 
Bitterness is a characteristic of the ungodly �whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness� (Romans 3:14). A Christian must never try to rationalize it as �righteous indignation� or to think that certain injustices give him the �right� to be bitter and resentful. �If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish� (James 3:14-15). Rooted bitterness will soon �spring up,� not only robbing the bitter believer of joy and true fruitfulness, but bearing bitter fruit whereby many others will �be defiled.�
 
The antidote, of course, is never to �fail of the grace of God.� That is, we need to be �looking diligently,� moment by moment, at the wonderful grace of God by which we were saved through faith and in which we continue to live each day.
 
Therefore, �let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ�s sake hath forgiven you� (Ephesians 4:31-32). Otherwise, we not only hurt both ourselves and others, but we also grieve �the holy Spirit of God� (v. 30). HMM
 The Promises of God
 
The Christian life rests on a foundation of God's promises for today and for the future. We can trust everything that our heavenly Father has said because His Word shows Him to be...
 
Truthful. The Lord knows what is true and speaks honestly in all matters. We can be assured of this because He is holy; there is no sin in Him. He is also omniscient and understands everything (Heb. 4:12-13). His promises are based on His infinite knowledge and truthfulness.
 
Faithful. Scripture compares the Lord to a shepherd who "gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart" (Isa. 40:11 niv). What He has planned for us, He will bring to fruition (Rom. 8:28). Our heavenly Father does not waver in His intentions or will.
 
Loving. God's love for us was demonstrated at the cross. He sent His Son Jesus to die by crucifixion and thereby take the punishment for our sins. The Savior experienced God's wrath against iniquity so we might know only His love. This is the ultimate proof of His devotion to us.
 
All-powerful. Divine power created the world and raised the Savior back to life, so we know God has the ability to carry out all His plans. Our omnipotent Father can keep every one of His promises.
 
A promise is valuable only if the one making it has trustworthy character and the ability to carry through. Our heavenly Father is truthful, faithful, loving, and all-powerful. We can base our entire life on His promises, secure in the knowledge that He will do just as He has said.
 
Think on These Things
�Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.� (Philippians 4:8)
 
It is nearly impossible these days to turn on the TV, go shopping, go out to eat, read a newspaper, go online, etc., without our minds being cluttered and our thinking infiltrated by all sorts of improper thoughts. In our text, Paul gives us guidelines for our thinking. Let us investigate them.
 
True�or genuine, honest, and sincere. We should concentrate on honesty in all our dealings, for �God is true� (John 3:33) and Christ said, �my record is true� (John 8:14).
 
Honest�or better, honorable toward all. Strive to �lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty� (1 Timothy 2:2).
 
Just�or equitable. �Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal� (Colossians 4:1).
 
Pure�without spot or stain. �Neither be partaker of other men�s sins: keep thyself pure� (1 Timothy 5:22).
 
Lovely�literally, �towards love,� i.e., those things that demonstrate love or a response of love. This word only appears here in the New Testament.
 
Of good report�that which elicits praise.
 
Virtue�a standard of righteousness. He �hath called us to glory and virtue� (2 Peter 1:3).
 
Praise�our speech should be to �the praise of them that do well� (1 Peter 2:14).
 
Surely our lifestyle and thought patterns need adjusting as noted above, particularly when the verb tense in the command �think on these things� implies a lifelong habit�a continuous way of doing things. JDM
 
The Nature of Conviction
 
Jesus assured His disciples that it was to their advantage that He go away so that the Helper could come (John 16:7)--God sends Him to convict people of their sin. Since the Holy Spirit is unlimited by time or space, He can reach out to every individual on the planet. However, His work differs with regard to believers and unbelievers.
 
With regard to unbelievers, God's Spirit penetrates the heart and brings awareness of wrongdoing. He reveals that according to God's holy standard, they have sinned and stand condemned by their transgression. Unbelief is the greatest sin against God, so every prick of the heart is meant to point out their need for the Savior.
 
As for believers, the Holy Spirit deals with them on the basis of their relationship with Jesus Christ and convicts us of disobedience to Him. In other words, He makes us aware of specific sins and the Lord's attitude about them. But He also prompts us to be accountable before Christ for our wrongdoing by confessing it and repenting.
 
Convicting believers of sin is an important part of the Holy Spirit's job, but He is equally delighted to make them aware of the Lord's approval. God commends righteous living, obedient actions, and loving acts done in His name.
 
While conviction is often uncomfortable for unbelievers and believers alike, it's a beautiful demonstration of God's love. He desires to bring us into the center of His will and keep us there for our good and His glory. The Holy Spirit's work makes that possible, if we choose to follow His promptings.
 
 Trusting His Ways - By Greg Laurie -
 
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. -Isaiah 55:8
 
Things will happen in life where you find yourself saying, "I don't get this. Everything was tracking along just fine until now. I don't get this at all." You might even say, "God, why?"
 
It's okay to ask God why. Just don't expect an answer. It is not because there is no answer. The reason is that even if God gave you an answer, you wouldn't get it.
 
When I try to explain certain things to my grandchildren, there are some things they get and some things they don't. They are not ready to grasp them just yet.
 
In the same way, the infinite God could try and explain something to the finite Greg, and Greg would say, "Uh, I don't agree with that. I think it's a bad decision, even."
 
So God says, "I'm not even going to bother explaining it to you. I am with you. That is My answer. I am with you, and I will get you through it. And in time, you will look back and will see things working together for good. Ultimately, on the other side, you will get the big picture. But until then, you will have to just trust Me."
 
Maybe you're going through a storm right now. Maybe you've even had a shipwreck of sorts-a trauma, a tragedy. You're saying, "I don't know how to handle this. I don't know what to do." Here is my suggestion to you: believe God.
 
Do you believe God? Is He the Lord of your life? Have you said, "Lord, I want to do what You want me to do. I will go where You want me to go. I belong to You"?
 
Have you come to that place yet? It won't always be smooth sailing, but you will have a safe arrival.
 
 
  
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