Spiritual Growth Must Be Intentional

By Rick Warren

“Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12b-13 NIV).

Growth in the human soul requires a commitment to grow. A person must want to grow, decide to grow, and make an effort to grow.
Spiritual growth begins with a decision. It doesn’t have to be a complex decision, but it does have to be sincere. When Jesus’ followers decided to choose his way, they didn’t understand all the implications of their decision. They simply expressed a desire to follow him, and that was the beginning of an exciting journey of the soul. Jesus took that simple but sincere decision and built on it.
In Philippians 2:12b-13, Paul offers insight into spiritual growth while speaking to people who already believe: “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (NIV).
Notice that it says “work out” -- not “work on” -- your salvation. There is nothing you can do to save yourself spiritually; Christ took care of that by his life, death, and Resurrection. The important thing to note is that God has a part in our growth -- but so do we. We must make an intentional effort to grow.

Talk It Over

• What does it mean to “work out” your salvation?
• In what specific ways are you making an intentional effort to grow spiritually? What else might you do this year?
• Why do you think God requires effort on our part for spiritual growth?

How Are We Like Sheep?

Greg Laurie

There are certain people in my life that I regard as true friends, friends whom I know I can trust. A true friend is someone who will keep your confidence. You can reveal your heart to a true friend. You can trust a true friend. You can tell a secret to a true friend.

Not only that, but a true friend tells you the truth. A true friend will speak the truth, even if it is not easy. Proverbs 27:6 says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

God is our friend, and He always will tell us the truth. Not only that, but He wants to reveal His secrets to us. In Psalms 25:14 we read, "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. . . ." God wants to speak to us. In fact, Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).

That Jesus compares us to sheep is not a compliment, by the way. Sheep are among the dumbest of all creatures. Most animals, in many cases, will survive if released into the wild. They will learn to fend for themselves and make it. But a sheep released into the wild cannot survive. Sheep have no survival skills whatsoever. They are totally dependent upon the shepherd - just like we are. The sheep come to know that when the shepherd speaks they should follow because his plan for them is better than their plan for themselves.

It may be that one of the reasons we don't know the will of God in certain areas is because we have not applied what is clearly the will of God for all areas. Obedience to revealed truth guarantees guidance in matters unrevealed.

Taken from "a friend you can trust" by Harvest Ministries (used by permission).

Praise Defeats the Enemy

I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
Psalm 22:22, nkjv

One way to drive Satan to distraction, and to overcome him, is through praise of Jesus. Regardless of whether the enemy is a visible foe in front of us like the Scribes and Pharisees or an invisible foe outside of us like the devil himself or an invisible foe inside of us like depression, praise drives the enemy away. In the very prophecy that describes Jesus’ inmost thoughts and feelings as He hung on the cross, tortured, bleeding, and dying, the psalmist declared, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises . . .” of Your people (Ps. 22:3, nkjv).  In other words, He is enthroned--He rules in power, authority, and supremacy--through our praise.
In some supernatural way, praise ushers the authority of God into any given situation. One practical way to maintain your praise is, every time you pray, to begin your prayer with praise. First praise Him for Who He is. Then praise Him for something He has done for you. Start now!

My Heart’s Cry, (Nashville: W Publishing, 2002).

(c)2004 Anne Graham Lotz. All rights reserved.

Unbelief and Doubt

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18)
There is an important difference between unbelief and doubt. Doubt is a questioning of faith and so, by definition, it is something that only believers can do. Doubting Thomas was a disciple of Jesus. Unbelief is different. It is a settled refusal to believe. When a person says, “I don’t believe! I won’t believe! I can’t believe!” What lies behind that? What is the pathology of unbelief?

The issue here in John 3:18 is that some do not believe. Why don’t they believe? What lies behind a person’s unbelief? “This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light…” (3:19).

The roots of unbelief lie in loving the wrong things
God made us to love. He made us to love him and to love each other. All his commandments are summed up in these two things: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. 

The effect of sin is that we love the wrong things. Paul says that in the last days people will be “lovers of self, lovers of money… [and] lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:2, 4). This will be the effect of sin getting into the human bloodstream. 

If you love self, or money, or pleasure, you will not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, because he calls you to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him. So long as you love yourself, your money, or your pleasure more than you love Jesus, you will not believe and follow him. 

Do you see some of the roots of unbelief in yourself? How so?

from https://www.facebook.com/UnlockingTheBible/

Desires of Our Heart

Let's allow Him to teach us how to satisfy the desires of our heart.
We often talk about the gift of Salvation as a transformation of the heart. Jesus came to give us eternal life through faith in Him and His sacrifice on the cross. His death established a new covenant for all who would come to Him in faith; "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sin" (Matthew 26:28).

When we enter into this covenant we are transformed; "I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). This is the same transformation referred to by Paul: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is also referred to as the "circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit" (Romans 2:29).

As we continue our walk with God - as we continue our journey with a new and transformed heart - we begin a process of being "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29). This transformation, which begins in our heart, continues for all the rest of our days. We may call this process growth or maturity, but the result is a heart which is becoming more and more like Jesus.

Psalm 37:4
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

This verse is sometimes misinterpreted to say that God has promised to fulfill all our current desires. There are people all over the world thinking that if they "pursue" God, they will receive an increase in their financial status - a better job, a nicer car, or a bigger home. This is a sad misapplication of scripture! When we are far from God, our heart is full of worldly desires. Apart from God, we will spend a lifetime trying to fulfill these desires only to find we are never satisfied or content.

But God says we need not spend our life chasing these unfulfilling desires. As we are diligent to draw close to God, learn of His ways, and become obedient to His commands, He gives us new desires. As we love the Lord with all our heart, our current desires are replaced with something infinitely better, the desires of Christ. The single desire of Jesus was to glorify His Father by completing the work He was given to do (John 17:4). Jesus was content beyond our comprehension because He was truly one with His Heavenly Father!

The wonderful blessing from God is that as we delight in Him, He transforms our desires and also gives us the ability to fulfill these desires. This is the only way we will ever find true contentment and peace. Let's learn to live each moment delighting in our Lord. Let's allow Him to continue the transformation by giving us, and then teaching us how to satisfy, the desires of our heart.

Have a Christ Centered Day
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

Getting Past the Giants

By Rich Cathers
Sometimes change is good. And when God is involved, it's definitely good. But change doesn't always come easy. In fact, sometimes change is a bit scary. 

When God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He saved them for a purpose. The goal wasn't just to get out of Egypt, the goal was to get them into their Promised Land. And so as they sat on the border of this land, God told them to send spies to see what the land was like (Num. 13). The spies came back with good news and bad news. The good news was that the land really was an awesome place, "flowing with milk and honey". The spies came back weighed down with all kinds of grapes, pomegranates, and figs. Now for the bad news. There were giants in the land. Big, hairy giants. The kind that eat little Israelites for breakfast. 

Were the spies wrong in their report? No, they hit the nail on the head. The problem wasn't with the truth of the report, the problem was in the response to the report. God had already delivered them from Pharaoh, split the Red Sea, and fed them manna in the wilderness. Now God was planning on helping them fight their battles as well. But the people just couldn't see it. All they could see were the giants.
Is it time for you to change? Does the change seem a bit scary? Beloved, if God is for you, who can be against you?

Pondering Thoughts

ECONOMICS: It would be a novelty to have this country's fiscal policy managed by someone who has been compelled to earn a living.
We owe a great deal to our forefathers, and that's another debt we will probably never repay.
Old accountants never die...they just lose their balance.
The modern way to do things is; to drive a car that is still unpaid for, on an expressway that is bond-financed, using gasoline bought with a credit card.

EDUCATION: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. (bumper sticker)
A hundred mistakes are an education if you learn something from each one.
Most people are willing to pay more to be amused than to be educated.

EFFECTIVENESS: If your efficiency doesn't have Christ's sufficiency, it will result in deficiency.

EGOTISM: Egotist; "I have many faults, but being wrong isn't one of them."
When two egotists meet, it is a case of ''I'' for an "I".
His conversation was on a "boast" to "boast" network.

ENCOURAGEMENT: He who climbs the highest is he who helps another ascend. The best thing to do behind a person's back is...pat it!

ENGAGEMENT: Getting engaged is an urge on the verge of a merge.

ENVY: People who are green with envy are ripe for trouble.

ETERNITY: My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there. (C.F.Kettering)
He who provides for this life, but makes no provision for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever.
We humans make provisions for this life as if it would never end, and make provision for the life to come as if it would never begin.
We will have all eternity in which to celebrate our victories, but we have so little time left in which to win them.

EVOLUTION: First, he was a pollywog...beginning to begin; Then he was a froggy...with his tail tucked in; then he was a monkey...in a banyan tree; Now he is a doctor...with a Ph.D!
The probability of life originating by accident is comparable to the probability of the unabridged dictionary resulting from an explosion in the print shop.(Edwin Conklin)

If you meet a fella who claims he descended from a monkey, don't argue with him...because after all, he knows his family better than you do.

Prevent The Sparks

Let's begin today to fill our heart with His Word and prevent the sparks.

Every year, sparks from hot campfires or careless matches start fires which consume millions of trees in beautiful forests. Once begun, these fires move unrelentingly through hills and valleys - nothing is safe from the fury of the flames.

Every year, sparks from hot tempers or careless words start fires which consume millions of lives in beautiful relationships. Once begun, these fires move unrelentingly through self-esteem and trust - nothing is safe from the fury of the tongue.

James 3:5-6
"Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body."

Our tongue has incredible power to build up and encourage, as well as tear down and destroy. And though our sins are eternally forgiven when we place our trust in Jesus, the day will come when our careless words are revealed and we see the full extent of the damage we have done; "men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken" (Matthew 12:36).

I confess that I often dread the day when I must account for every careless word; there are indeed many. Perhaps the purpose of that day is to permanently etch in our soul a full appreciation for God's love. Even with all my careless words, He loves me and wants to spend eternity with me in fellowship. Amazing! But how I long for better control.

David prayed that God would "set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalms 141:3). While this is a wise prayer, our lips must be seen as an absolute last line of defense - once our words escape they can almost never be fully recovered. We must strive to control the sparks at the true source; "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).

If our heart is filled with the ways of the world, our mouth will naturally speak the world's wisdom which is "foolishness in God's sight" (1 Corinthians 3:19). Rather, we must fill our heart with the ways of God and allow our mouth to overflow with His love; "I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You" (Psalms 119:11).

Have we been the cause of some raging fires or smoldering embers? If so, we must pray for healing and believe that "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). We must fill our heart with the power of His Word and "not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths" (Ephesians 4:29). Let's stop the destructive fires. Let's begin today to fill our heart with His Word and prevent the sparks.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

What Does GOD Say About Hypocrisy

Luke 12:1-7  (1) In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. (2) For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. (3) Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. (4) "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. (5) But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! (6) "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. (7) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 

Hypocrite originally had a neutral sense, “someone who answers,” and hypocrisy meant “answering.” Initially, these words were used of the normal flow of question and answer in conversation or discussion. They later became connected with question-and-answer sections in plays, naturally followed by the idea of acting a part. Eventually, “hypocrite” came to describe one who is never genuine but always play-acting. The basis of hypocrisy is insincerity.

Hypocrites inhabit every walk of life, trying to impress others in an attempt to hide who they really are. In the Christian life, a hypocrite is someone who tries to appear more spiritual than he really is. Such a person knows that he is pretending and hopes he will not be found out. His Christianity is a shallow charade.

As the crowds following Him grew, Jesus decided to warn His disciples of this spiritual pitfall. They could easily surrender to human nature, giving in to the temptation either to gain popularity by pleasing the crowds or to avoid trouble by pleasing the Pharisees. Human nature drives us to want people to like and admire us, and it seems so easy to “act the part” that others want to see.

Jesus compares hypocrisy to leaven, symbolizing sin (I Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:9). Like leaven, hypocrisy begins small but grows quickly and quietly, infecting the whole person and eventually the whole society. When a person is puffed up with pride, hypocrisy flourishes and character deteriorates (I Corinthians 4:6, 18-19; 5:2). Like all sin, it must be stopped before the underlying pride has an opportunity to spread (James 1:14-15). The longer he waits to deal with it, the worse it gets. Nothing can really be hidden (Mark 4:22), which makes hypocrisy foolish and futile. So why keep pretending?

Jesus was perhaps concerned that His disciples might be tempted to compromise the truth to avoid offending the crowds or the Pharisees (see Luke 8:16-18; 11:33). Many who profess to be God's ministers do something like this to remain in their pulpits. God's truth is like light, not leaven, and it must not be hidden.

Jesus mentions “fear” five times in these verses, teaching that a basic cause of hypocrisy is the fear of men. People will do almost anything to avoid embarrassment or harm. When we are afraid of what others may say or do to us, we try to impress them to gain their approval, and our human nature will stoop to deception to accomplish its purposes. Sadly, many of the Pharisees were more concerned about reputation than character—what people thought about them than what God knew about them. The fear of men always brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25), and Jesus wants His disciples to avoid it and be stable in their faith. As Scottish novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott, wrote, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive.”
— Martin G. Collins

Pondering Thoughts

CRITICISM: If you must publish someone's faults, then why not publish your own?
They who row their boat generally don't have time to rock it.
Those who put antiknock in their automobiles, ought to take a dose of it themselves.
When I start to find fault with all that I see, it's time to start looking for what's wrong with me.
A good way to avoid heart trouble;...Don't run upstairs, and ...Don't run down people.
The most loved folks in our community seem to be the ones who never can recall anything bad about any of us.

CURIOUSITY: If you tell someone there are 300 billion stars in the universe, they'll believe you. But if you tell them a park bench has just been painted, they have to touch it to be sure.
Some folks aren't interested in anything unless it's none of their business.
There is only one fellow who doesn't mind if you stick your nose into his business...That's the guy who makes Kleenex!

DEATH: No one ever repented of being a Christian on their deathbed.
I am standing on the seashore. A ship spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the ocean. I stand waching her until she fades on the horizon, and someone at my side says, "She is gone."
Gone where? The loss of sight is in me, not in her. Just at the moment when someone says, "She is gone", there are others who are watching her coming. Other voices take up the glad shout. "Here she comes", and that is dying. (Henry Scott Holland)
This isn't death I'm facing, but it's life forevermore. It's not the end I'm nearing; it's entering heaven's door. The way ahead is fairer than it's ever been before. For It's glory, yes it's glory over yonder! (H.H Savage)
I am in perfect peace, resting alone on the blood of Christ. I find this amply sufficint with which to enter the presence of God. (Mel Trotter)
The Sun is setting, mine is rising. I go from this bed to a crown. Farewell
(S.B.Bangs)
This isn't death...it's glory; It isn't dark...it's light; It isn't stumbling, groping or even faith...It's sight! It isn't grief...it's having the last tear wiped away; It's sunrise, it's the morning of my eternal day!
Two fellows watched the funeral procession pass by...the richest man in town had died. "How much did he leave?" asked one. "He left it all," was the answer. We never see a hearse going to a cemetery with a U-Haul trailer behind it, loaded with the dead man's possessions. No man can take even his golf clubs with him.
Suzie: "Why does your grandmother read the Bible so much in her old age?
Jeannie: "I think it's because she's cramming for her final exams."
Let us endeavor so to live that when we die even the undertaker will be sorry. (Mark Twain)
All we can hold in our cold, dead hands is what we have given away. (Old Sanskrit Proverb)

DECEIT: You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. (Abraham Lincoln) Added: You cannot fool God any of the time.

DELAYS: Let us not rebel against delays. We must not steal tomorrow out of God's hands. God is never too late. He is always right on time.

DENTIST: The favorite song of dentists is; "The Yanks Are Coming!"

DEPRESSION: When you are down in the mouth, remember Jonah. He came out all right.
Don't despair because you have occasional sinking spells of despondency...just remember the sun has a sinking spell every night.

DISCIPLESHIP: Sonship costs us nothing, Jesus paid the price.]
Discipleship costs us all we have. A total sacrifice.

DISCONTENT: Don't be a cloud because you failed to become a star.

DISOBEDIENCE: If you go against the grain of God's laws, you get splinters!

DRIVING: When driving your car, watch the car that is behind the car in front of you.
Always try to drive so that your licencse will expire before you do.

Testing Jesus: The Greatest Commandment

by Rev. Kerry Doyal
"Testing, testing. One, two, three, testing"

Ever helped with a sound check? 

Jesus endured people's "sound checks" - people trying to see if He was doctrinally "sound". In truth, they assumed He was unsound & wanted to trip Him up, expose Him.
Two examples from Matthew 22: 

"Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words." (vs. 15) 

"That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question." (vs. 23)
Questions asked with biases & assumed answers are lies. We pretend to seek truth while we really want to make a statement or embarrass the one we ask.
All-wise Jesus can use evil questions to teach. After enduring & exposing two other phony truth-seekers, Jesus teaches us the greatest commandments in response to another foolish & futile entrapping enquirer. 

"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:34-40 - NIV)
Quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 & Leviticus 19:18, Jesus answered [in a way most unexpected]. He often does. Making us even more accountable. 

God's Greatest Commandment, His Top Priority:
Love Him fully, with all you are and all youse gots. 

Commandment #2: Love others,
just like you already fiercely love yourself. 

Do this & you will fulfill all the Law. Love for God & others is the heart, the essence of the Law. 

Be done with your evasive questions. 

Repent of convenient confusions. 

God is abundantly clear in His expectations of us: 

Love Him
Love others 

Aren't we glad we asked?

Teach The World His Grace

Let's live out Jesus' new command and, through love, teach the world His grace.

When Jesus was asked to name the greatest commandment, He said; "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). Jesus clearly said the most important thing we can do in this life is to love God with absolutely every part of our being. But Jesus immediately added, "the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).

After our love for God, we are called to love others with a love which flows from the love of Christ. At the end of His ministry, on the night before He was crucified, Jesus set a new standard for our love.
John 13:34

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
Love for others had always been important, but Jesus called the command "new" and changed the standard from the way we love ourselves to the way He loved us. Why is this significant?

Jesus came into the world with the single purpose of dying for the forgiveness of our sin so we could be restored to a right relationship with God - this is true love; "God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son..." (John 3:16). We didn't do ANYTHING to deserve this love. While we were completely lost in a world of sin, God looked down on us, and loved: "God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
This degree of love, poured out for those who are utterly undeserving, is the definition of God's grace. Peter said we are saved by this undeserved love; "it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved" (Acts 15:11). Paul said the same in many different ways: "{We} are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24), and, "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). God's love is demonstrated through grace!

The concept of grace is essential in beginning our relationship with God as well as continuing with every step of our journey along His path. But, try as we might, we can never adequately convey the meaning of God's grace with words. We must continue to proclaim His truth through spoken and written words, but in this important area of God's grace, we are given a "new command" to teach through our actions - to teach through our love.

We have been given an incredible gift! We are given a gift we can never repay, but it's a gift we must share. The world is in great need! It is lost and desperate to know the grace of our Lord and Savior. Let's pour out love to those around us in the same manner it was poured out on us - undeserved and without restraint! Let's live out Jesus' new command and, through love, teach the world His grace.

Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

Pondering Thoughts:

CONCEIT: Those who pride themselves on being hardboiled are often only half-baked.
Give some people an inch and they think they are rulers.
Conceit is the only disease that makes everyone sick except the one who has it.
No one can push themselves ahead very far by patting themselves on the back.
Those who sing their own praises often get it in a key that's way too high.
Those who stand high in their own estimation are a long way from the top.
Those who have a good opinion of themselves are usually a poor judge of human nature.
The ones with an inflated opinion of themselves are generally "flat tires."

CONFESSION: The easiest thing to confess is...the neighbor's sin.
Oftentimes the one who most desperately needs help is unwilling to admit they have a need.

CONFIDENCE: Those who can see God's hand in everything can best leave everything in God's hand.

CONTENTMENT: The richest people are the one's who are contented with what they have.
If you cannot get what you like, why not try to like what you get?
Contentment makes poor men rich; Discontentment makes rich men poor.

CONVICTIONS: Stand for something...or you'll fall for anything.

COOPERATION: As Christians, we should always work "heart to heart" even though we do not always see things "eye to eye".
Sometimes people are smart enough to realize it's easier to move a load by pulling together. We call that "horse sense."

COURTESY: It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

CRISIS: There is no such thing as a crisis with God. We are the ones always getting into jams. We are the "Jammer-uppers."

Devoted To The Fellowship

Acts 2:42
(42) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Two key ideas are important if we are to grasp the biblical teaching on "fellowship." The first is that, in the New Testament, what we have in common is shared, to begin with, because of a common relationship that we all have together in Christ. We can have fellowship and share with each other because we have a relationship with Christ; we share Him in common.

Paul writes in I Corinthians 1:9, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." The Revised English Bible translates I John 1:3 as, "It is this which we have seen and heard that we declare to you also, in order that you may share with us in a common life, that life which we share with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ."

Fellowship is first the sharing of a common life with each other through a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We were all individuals with little in common until the Father's calling separated us from everyone else in this world, and we became part of Christ's body through His Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13, 27). In this, we can see that true Christian fellowship is primarily a relationship rather than an activity.

In Acts 2:42, the young church was not merely devoting itself to common activities but to a vital, spiritual relationship. It was this relationship that produced an active sharing in other ways. Many of us have gotten this backwards—that the activities produce the relationship. Not so! The relationship comes first, then the common activities follow.

It is so important that we grasp this. Fellowship means that we belong to each other in a relationship because we share with one another the common life and grace of Jesus Christ. From this flows additional sharing of our time, experiences, wisdom, and many other things.

The second key idea derives from the fact that both New Testament Greek words for "fellowship," koinônia and metochos, mean "to share together" in the sense of a partnership. As sharers together with Christ, we are automatically copartners with Him and with our brethren in His enterprise here on earth. His work is our work.

A business partnership is always formed in order to attain a known objective, such as providing a service to the public at a profit for the partners. In the same way, the concept of a spiritual partnership implies that it is created with godly objectives, the most important one being glorifying God. Just as we are united in a relationship, so we are all united in a partnership formed to glorify God by completing His work.
Paul writes about Christian unity in Romans 15:5-6, explaining that its aim is to glorify God: "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Peter also states that our service for God is ultimately to bring Him glory: "If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen" (I Peter 4:11).

Thus, fellowship also means that we have been brought into partnership with our Savior and with each other to fulfill God's will and glorify Him.

To summarize what true Christian fellowship is, relationship describes what we are, a community of people bound together by our common life that we share through our union with Christ. Partnership describes how we interact within that relationship—we are partners in a calling and an enterprise in which we are to work harmoniously with a shared purpose to achieve mutual objectives to glorify God and to do the work of Jesus Christ.

While many today consider it to be of little importance, fellowship in the body of Christ is certainly no side issue. In Acts 2:42, as one of the four activities to which the early church devoted itself, it was listed alongside Bible study and prayer. God has called us and put us together as His Family to accomplish His purpose in us and ultimately in all of mankind. We should not forget that when we fellowship, we are sharing and working together toward a common goal, the Kingdom of God.
— Clyde Finklea

Spiritual Hermits

By Rocky Henriques

One young man was 19-years-old when, without explanation, he disappeared into the woods in Maine. He lived alone for 27 years, living on what he could steal from camps in the area. People in the area had never seen him, and they weren't even sure he existed, that he was only a legend. They called him "The North Pond Hermit." Now they know his name is Christopher Knight, and police estimated he committed more than 1000 burglaries. When he was arrested in April of 2013 after being caught on a surveillance camera, he spoke to a police officer, the first human being he had had contact with since a brief hello to a hiker on a trail in the mid-1990's. 

It's a fascinating story, but there is a remarkable parallel between that story and the large number of people who claim allegiance or membership in some church somewhere, but who have simply disappeared, without a word. They live without fellowship with other Christians and with no spiritual support from a local body of believers. There are others who show up every once in a while, but who disappear for weeks or months at a time. 

And this is a wide-spread problem, unrelated to any particular denomination or geographical location. A woman was talking about the small attendance at her church. "It gets so bad on Sunday morning," she said, "that when the minister says, 'Dearly Beloved,' it makes me blush." Billy Graham once observed, "Jesus spoke about the ox in the ditch on the Sabbath. But if your ox gets in the ditch every Sabbath, you should either get rid of the ox or fill up the ditch." 

The Power which God worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms is a Power which makes a difference in the way we live out our faith as we do it together. And while following Christ is a personal decision and one that no one else can make for us, God never, never, never intended for Christianity to be a "just me and Jesus" way to live.

Like a Thief in the Night

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:2

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: There was a man who went shopping and left his car and house keys in the ignition. When he returned, his car was gone. The next morning he discovered his car in the driveway with a note that said, “I was in an emergency. I’m very sorry. I needed your car. Here are two tickets for the Dallas Cowboys game.”

The man went in and told his wife, “You won’t believe this! There’s our car, and look! We’ve got tickets to a Dallas Cowboys game!” They went to the game, and when they came home, their house had been cleaned out!

Friend, they never expected it, and that’s the point. That’s how the Lord Jesus Christ is going to come as a thief in the night.

How would you live your life differently today if you knew that Jesus was coming back in 24 hours?

Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

Pondering Thoughts

CHRISTIAN: The problem with the average Christian is that they are just an average Christian.
A true Christian loves not the world, yet they loves all the world.
It's good to be a Christian and know it; It's better to be a Christian and show it!
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile. (Billy Sunday)

CHRISTIANITY: Some have a Christianity that is ... joyless, powerless and juiceless.
Others have a Christianity that is ... true-blue, snow-white, 100 percent, crystal-pure, fire-proof, guaranteed and insured to last forever!
Christianity is like a nail...the more it is hit, the deeper it goes.

CHURCH: What kind of a church would my church be if all of its members were just like me?
Our church is full of willing people; a few are willing to work and the others are willing to let them.
The work of the church is to produce Christian fruit...not religious nuts!
God put the church in the world; satan seeks to put the world in the church.
Some churches are certainly sound...sound asleep!
Too many Christians and churches want to settle for a tune-up job when they need a complete overhaul. (Vancr Havner)
Going to church in the morning is nullified if you plan to go to the devil in the evening.
Attending church regularily is a wonderful way to get your faith lifted.

CIGARETTES: D.L. Moody was asked: "Are there any verses in the Bible against the use of tobacco?" He pondered a moment and then said, "ZNo, but I can give you one in favor of it, namely Revelation 22:11..."He which is filthy, let him be filthy still."

CIRCUMSTANCES: Circumstances are like a mattress; when we're on top, we rest in comfort; when we're underneath we're smothered.

COMFORT: God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.
God has given me the ministry of comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. (Lance Havner)

COMMITMENT: Give your life to God: He can do more with it than you can! (Dwight D. Moody)

COMPLAINING: Don't grumble because you don't have what you want...rather be exceedingly grateful you don't get what you deserve!
We mutter and sputter, we fume and we spurt. We mumble and grumble our feelings get hurt. We can't understand things, our vision grows dim. But all that we need is to surrender to Him!
It's not the greatness of my trials but the littleness of my faith that causes me to complain.

Living A Meaningful Life

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26
(24) Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. (25) For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I? (26) For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. 

While concluding the thoughts of chapter 2, these verses also provide a smooth bridge to the instruction in chapter 3. They are the first positive, solid instructions that Solomon has given about both God and life. They pave the way for accepting truly thrilling instruction about God in relation to time and a Christian's life of faith.

Solomon, to this point, describes life as a waste of time and energy, seemingly meaningless, monotonous, repetitious, and unendurable. This occurs even though one's life may be busy, just as Solomon's was. To those who have little or no relationship with God, and therefore have no clear knowledge of His purpose, what Solomon has written to this point is a realistic assessment. Recently, while in a supermarket, I saw a young woman wearing a shirt that proclaimed, “Life is divided between miserable and horrible.” To many, it seems as though life has no object except to bring difficulty and pain.

Ecclesiastes, however, provides a message directly from our Creator about what our attitude must be if we are going to make the best use of the awesome opportunity He has given us—and especially of the instruction in chapter 3.
In the first two chapters, Solomon's approach to life is completely “under the sun.” “Under the sun” implies that his teaching has not positively considered God; it is an entirely earthy view, thoroughly self-centered and carnal. God is mentioned only in Ecclesiastes 1:13, where Solomon calls life “a burdensome task God has given the sons of man.” His assessment closely parallels the words on the woman's T-shirt in the supermarket.

In the final verses of Ecclesiastes 2, Solomon takes a sudden, sharp turn to an “above the sun” approach, advising that we should enjoy good in our labor because it is from God. His statement, “This also, I saw, was from the hand of God,” is important. Our attitude toward labor, he counsels, should be that it is a gracious gift from our Creator. Laboring is a God-designed and -assigned responsibility of man.
Apart from angels, we are the only created beings who can labor like this. We can work using creativity, objectivity, and purpose, but no animal can. We need to give thanks for such ability because it places mankind in a category that no animal can ever enter. We are still less than God but so far above animals that there is no adequate comparison.

Is there a reason such a disparity exists? He adds two verses later that God gives gifts like wisdom and knowledge to those who are good in His sight, another positive reason for a person to approach life in a different attitude. Can an animal by reason appreciate life? Does a beast have the knowledge and wisdom to add value to its life?

Our attitudes and demeanors, however, are often highly variable. Overall, without directly using the terms, Solomon is saying our attitude should be thankful and contented. Why? Foremost, for the very fact that we even have life. Directly tied to this is that we have been given a mind that can think about God, that can look forward to the future on a basis of truth within His purpose, that can realize that we are the called of God, that can think spatially, and that can read and understand. We should be thankful that we can be given even more gifts because of these factors.
— John W. Ritenbaugh

Moved with Compassion

- Mark 6:34-44

INTRODUCTION

One’s actions demonstrate true compassion. Five times the Bible uses the phrase moved with compassion (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:14
; Matthew 18:27
; Mark 1:41
; Mark 6:34
). Four of the five references refer to Christ’s compassion toward others. True compassion always moves people to do something for others. In Mark 6:34-44 , the disciples wanted to send the crowd away hungry, but Christ refused to send them away empty. He would not allow the multitudes to leave His presence still in need. In this one example, Christ's compassion fed thousands when others would have sent them away faint and hungry. The Lord not only fed thousands with two small fishes and five loaves of bread, but also produced a miraculous amount of leftovers.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): Jesus loved the people and did not want them to go away hungry. Amazingly, He fed a hungry crowd of more than 5,000 men with one boy’s lunch. Dad and mom love you and ensure that you always have food enough to keep you healthy. 
• (For everyone): It is obvious, from the context, that the Lord and His disciples were very tired. Yet, we find the disciples learning an important lesson about serving others. What does this teach us about serving others rather than making excuses?
• The Lord performed a miracle of compassion using what the disciples already had. What does this teach us about what the Lord wants us to use in serving Him?

PRAYER NEEDS

• How do you feel about your level of compassion for others? Is this something with which you need God’s help?
• Ask God to open doors of opportunity for you to demonstrate your compassion toward others. 

  from http://www.facebook.com/kingjamesbibledailydevotions.

Wanting Him More Than Anything

by shani4jc

“Help me want the Healer more than the healing; help me want the Savior more than the saving; help me want the Giver more than the giving; help me want You, Jesus, more than anything...”

This is the chorus to “More Than Anything” by Natalie Grant. I wonder how many of us are guilty of seeking what Jesus can do for us rather than seeking Him. I wonder how much intimacy with Him we have sacrificed because we are seeking what He can do instead of who He is. It’s easy to get caught up with the attitude that God is a genie in a bottle just waiting to grant us our wishes. But, when we live with that expectation, we rob ourselves of truly knowing Him. Knowing Him intimately is priceless! There is nothing that He can do for you that compares to the fact that He desires to reveal Himself to you. When you find Him, you have found all you will ever need.

Feeling Stagnant? Are You Running the Race?

by Jack Graham

In [Hebrews 12:1-2], the author of Hebrews compares living the spiritual live to running a race. Now imagine running a race with barbells on your shoulders or wearing scuba diving equipment. While that sounds ridiculous, it's essentially what many Christians try to do when they hold onto sin in their lives!

Now the Scripture tells us in Romans 1:1 14:23 that "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." That means that when you're not accomplishing what God wants you to do by faith, you are living in sin!

So often, people come up and tell me, "Pastor, I just feel stagnant in my walk with Christ and I don't know why." But do you know what their problem usually is? They aren't living by faith. Sure, they're moral people and live good lives, but they've never really stepped out and completely trusted God. Their "walk" is just that, a walk and not a race!

Now in your race, you may be avoiding the sins of commission like drunkenness and lust. But are you unknowingly committing sins of omission like not serving others or failing to step out in faith?

My prayer is that you learn to trust in God with everything: your relationships, your finances, and even your own life. When you begin to do that, your spiritual race will be taken to whole new levels, and you will finish well!

Taken from "laying aside sin and running the race" by Power Point Ministries (used by permission).

Quote of the Day

"What are we to make of the man, Nicodemus, who visited Jesus in the middle of the night and whose conversation sparked this verse? What motive did he have in coming?"
~Alfred Edersheim (from "was nicodemus a follower of christ?")

Life to the Full

Verse: John 10:10

Of all the gifts God has given us, life, both physical and spiritual, is the most fundamental and the most precious. In Jesus, God reaffirms the gift of life he bestowed on humanity in the beginning of time and provides the antidote to the culture of sin and death that was introduced by the fall. In the introduction to the encyclical Gospel of Life (Evangelium vitae), Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) proclaims the preciousness of the gift of life.

When he presents the heart of his redemptive mission, Jesus says: “[I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full]” (Jn 10:10). In truth, he is referring to that “new” and “eternal” life which consists in communion with the Father, to which every person is freely called in the Son by the power of the Sanctifying Spirit. It is precisely in this “life” that all the aspects and stages of human life achieve their full significance.

The encyclical also addresses “the incomparable worth of the human person.”

Man is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveals the greatness and the inestimable value of human life even in its temporal phase. Life in time, in fact, is the fundamental condition, the initial stage and an integral part of the entire unified process of human existence. It is a process which, unexpectedly and undeservedly, is enlightened by the promise and renewed by the gift of divine life, which will reach its full realization in eternity (cf. 1Jn 3:1–2). At the same time, it is precisely this supernatural calling which highlights the relative character of each individual’s earthly life. After all, life on earth is not an “ultimate” but a “penultimate” reality; even so, it remains a sacred reality entrusted to us, to be preserved with a sense of responsibility and brought to perfection in love and in the gift of ourselves to God and to our brothers and sisters.

As stewards of God’s gifts, the pope admonishes every believer to celebrate, value and guard the gift of human life.

Even in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties, every person sincerely open to truth and goodness can, by the light of reason and the hidden action of grace, come to recognize in the natural law written in the heart (cf. Ro 2:14–15) the sacred value of human life from its very beginning until its end, and can affirm the right of every human being to have this primary good respected to the highest degree. Upon the recognition of this right, every human community and the political community itself are founded.

Think About It

*  What is your definition of life?
*  What makes life so valuable?
*  How might you celebrate, value and guard the gift of life?

Pray About It

Lord, thank you for the life that you give “to the full.” Help me to live in celebration of the life you have given to all people, and to be a good steward of this sacred reality--your life in myself and in all the people you have made.

The Whole Bible Guides Us Toward Jesus

By Rick Warren

“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (>Luke 24:27 NIV).

Only God could have put the Bible together. It contains 66 books written over 1,600 years by 40 authors -- and it has one theme.

Having a single unified theme is one of the reasons we know that the Bible is God’s Word. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is all about God redeeming humanity. Jesus is its star.

The fact that the Bible has only one theme is nothing short of a miracle. It’d be one thing if one person wrote the Bible. The Koran was written by one person, Mohammed. The Analects of Confucius were written by Confucius. The writings of Buddha were written by Buddha. You’d expect them to be uniform.

The Bible, on the other hand, was written by 40 different people, at every age and in every stage of life, on three continents. And they all wrote the same story: Jesus’ story. Prophets and poets, princes and kings, and sailors and soldiers all had the same story. Some were written in homes, others in prisons, and others on ships. You couldn’t have put together a more diverse group of authors.

Yet the story is the same.

Imagine if I gave 50 people each a piece of paper, and I told them to tear their pieces of paper into different shapes -- but I never said how I’m going to use them. What’s the likelihood I’d be able to take those pieces of paper and make a map of the United States out of them? Those odds would be astronomically low. If I did that, most people would think it was a trick.

That’s the miracle of how the Bible was put together.

We tend to think that the New Testament is about Jesus and the Old Testament is about Israel. But that’s not true. The Bible says in Luke 24:27, “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself”(NIV). The New Testament wasn’t even written then.

The pictures, the metaphors, the analogies, and the illusions -- from beginning to end -- are about God’s plan to redeem people and build a family for eternity. It all began with Jesus. You can see him in every book.

That’s a miracle.

Talk It Over

• How does your appreciation for the Bible reflect an understanding of the miracle of its cohesiveness?
• If you had to sum up the Bible in one sentence in your own words, what would you say?
• What are some ways you can make the Bible more personal to you?

Hope in the Midst of Pain

Lamentations 3:21-23

21 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. 22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."
NKJV

Lamentations is a difficult book because of the images of suffering that fill its pages. Yet, in the very middle of Jeremiah's words of pain and suffering are words of hope. In fact, it is as if the prophet simply turns a corner in his mind and begins thinking of God's character and nature rather than his circumstances. It's at that moment where we read these words, "Therefore, I have hope."

In a broken world, hope can be hard to come by. Each day, we are face to face with tragedy, sickness and death, but it is within this reality of pain that God brings hope. This hope is not founded on our situation or ability; our hope is founded on God. How can we have hope in God? Because He is all powerful, all knowing, never-changing, and He loves us. This means that no matter the pain, God is there. No matter the difficulty, God is guiding us and using that difficulty for our good. If you find yourself in the middle of hard times, do not fear, because the maker of heaven and earth is with you. Draw close to Him, and He will help you to live in hope, not fear.

Life Lesson: In life, we should think more about how great God is and less about how great our troubles are.

Dear God,
I know that I can often lose sight of Your love while I'm in the middle of hard times. Help me to be mindful of Your love, mercy, compassion and strength so that I can endure and even rejoice in my pain. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I may live in hope. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Cross the Bridge crossthebridge.com