Anger Part 2...

Yesterday, we began a look at what the Apostle Paul taught concerning anger.  If you would like to read yesterday's post, please click here.  Today's post will be part 2.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Second, Paul tells us “do not let the sun go down on your anger.”  What in the world does this mean?  Well, I’ll tell you.  We have already discussed how anger (sometimes) is a good thing and we are commanded to have it at times.  However, this righteous anger can turn sour.  If left unattended it can cause us some major problems.  It can easily turn to bitterness, resentment, and an “I’m better than you” attitude.  Even the best motivated anger can spoil and we need to put it aside at the end of the day.   

Why must we do this?  Paul tells us in verse 27.  Paul says tells us to do this so that we “give no opportunity to the devil.”  If we leave our righteous anger unattended and if we do not lay it down at the end of the day, the devil will use it.  He will use what was once good and godly for his “devil-like” purposes.   

There is another reason we must “put our anger to bed” at the end of the day.  Anger has the ability to come upon you in a moment and overtake you.  Because of this it has a nature to grow and fester and turn you into a big, huge, angry monster.  Anger should be dealt with immediately.  We need to confess it.  We need to leave it.  We need to give it to God for cleansing before we lay down at the end of the day.  

What does all this mean?  Let’s review.  First, there are certain circumstances where it is not only okay for us to be angry, but we are commanded to be angry.  What does this look like?  This type of anger might display itself when students are bullied at your school, when a child is physically abused by a parent or another adult, or after reading stories or watching videos of children dying of hunger.  It is important to note, these types of situations are the only time the anger is not only permitted, but it is commanded.  

Second, if your anger is only “serving” you, it is sinful anger.  If the only time you are angry is when something bad happens to you, we must give the anger to God to be dealt with.  We must not act on it.  This type of anger is self-destructive, self-serving, and extremely dangerous if left unattended.  We must not “let the sun go down” on this type of anger.  Why?  It gives the devil an opportunity to use it for his good. 

Here are some practical steps you can take to help deal with the anger in your life.  These steps are nothing out of the ordinary, but they are essential.  First of all, talk to God about it.  We must pray.  Tell Him why you are angry.  Tell Him about the injustices going on around the world and ask Him for ways that you could be involved in dealing with these issues.  Ask Him to help you lay your anger down at the end of the day.  Ask Him to help you keep the devil from using your good anger for his good.   

Second, talk to someone that you trust about your anger.  Find a godly friend, a youth pastor, a pastor, or a parent who can help you with your anger.  Tell him/her about what is going on in your life that is making you angry and ask them for advice on how to deal with it.   

Finally, in those times when you are not handling your anger well, place your attention on others and serve them instead of using your anger to get back at those individuals who you are angry at.  These practical steps will help you (and me) not turn into the Incredible Hulk or a fire-breathing dragon. 

 

Anger...

In many ways, this is not easy to write.  This has forced me to think deeply, study diligently, and repent frequently.  Anger is not a simple subject to deal with.  Actually, it may not be that difficult, but it is extremely difficult for me.  You see, I struggle with anger and to be honest, it feels good to admit it.  It is something that I have battled since childhood.  There are times when I get so angry that I feel as if I am going to turn into the Incredible Hulk and destroy anything and everything that gets in my way.  There are times, for no reason at all, I want to scream and shout and turn into a fire-breathing dragon and spew fire on anyone and everyone.  I justify my behavior by blaming others, by blaming circumstances, or by blaming any other thing that takes the guilt off me.  The sad reality is that I do not have anyone or anything to blame but myself.  Thankfully, I can go to the Bible and get help.  I can go to the book of Ephesians and get some advice from the Apostle Paul.  Ephesians 4:26-27 really helps.  Let’s dive into this passage and see how. 

 

First of all, verse 26 tells us to be angry.  Wait!  We are allowed to be angry?    Before we get too “jacked up” in our thinking, let’s define what this means.  Anger is not always a bad thing.  There are times when anger is good.  For example, when Jesus saw that the so-called “righteous people” were extorting money from people in the temple, He got angry.  In Mark 3, Jesus expressed righteous anger at the hard-heartedness of the Pharisees (so-called “righteous people”) who did not like it that Jesus healed a man with a messed up hand on the Sabbath.  We are allowed to be angry at things like injustice (child abuse, sex trafficking poverty, hunger, etc.), immorality, and ungodliness.  

But we cannot stop the discussion here because that is not where Paul ended his statement.  He said, “Be angry and DO NOT SIN…”  Sinful anger is anger that is only being expressed for the purpose of you; it is self-defensive and self-serving.  This type of anger, according to Matthew 5:21-22, leads to murder and judgment.  This type of anger has no place in the life of someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ.  This type of anger must be dealt with; it must be given to God.   

To recap, anger that is unselfish, and is based on a love for God and a concern for others not only is allowed but is commanded.  John MacArthur says this, “Genuine love cannot help being angered at that which injures the object of that love.”  Let’s be angry, but let’s not sin.

Tomorrow, we will continue to look at this passage from Ephesians 4 regarding anger.  Blessings for now!

6 Don't Statements...

I love the "practical application" that the book of Proverbs has to offer the reader.  I received some good advice from a pastor friend of mine several years ago concerning the book of Proverbs.  This is what my friend told me and it is advice that I would offer (free of charge!) to you as well. 

As you might know, the book of Proverbs has 31 chapters.  My friend told me that part of his morning routine in spending time with God is to read a proverb a day.  If the month has only 30 days, then on the last day you read 2.  If the month has 28 days (thanks February for messing up the system) then figure it out yourself. 

Anyway, every so often I will do a 31 day study of the book of Proverbs.  I just began this journey again on Sunday, September 1.  Today is Tuesday, September 3.  If you have not read Proverbs 3 in awhile, I would encourage you to do so today.  It is chalked full of rich nuggets of scriptural truth for today.  I am not going to unpack the entire chapter today for you, but I would like to let draw you into a portion of it.

In Proverbs 3:25-32 there are 6 "don't" statements (if you are reading from the ESV).  Listen to these truths and apply the word of the Lord to your life.

#1:  Don't Be Afraid...
What are we to not be afraid of?  The writer tells us.  We are not to be afraid of sudden terror or of the "storm" of the wicked when they come.
Why can we not be afraid in these circumstances?  Well, scripture says that "the Lord will be our confidence."  "The Lord will keep our feet from being caught."

#2:  Don't Withhold Good...
We are not to withhold good from those people to whom goodness is due.    We are not to do this especially when it is in our power to control the situation.

#3:  Don't Say...
Don't say to a neighbor, "Go, and come again tomorrow I will give it."  Why would we do this when we have it with us at the present time?

#4:  Don't Plan Evil...
We are not to plan evil against our neighbors.  This is speaking of those people who live (dwell) trusting beside us.

#5:  Don't Contend...
We are not to contend with a man for no reason.  Don't be unnecessarily contentious.   This is true especially when the person has done you no harm at all. 

#6:  Don't Envy...
We are to envy those people who do violence.  We are not to choose any of their ways.  Why is this the case?  The devious person is an abomination to the Lord.  On the other hand, the upright are in His confidence.  

All...

Two days ago we looked at the first word of a very familiar verse of scripture. It comes from 1 Peter 5:7. The word is "cast."
Here is a quick review of what we learned (at least what I learned).

"Cast" means three things that are all connected. First, it means "to place upon." Second, it means "to throw over. Finally, it means "to bond to." Here is the question, however. What are we going to cast? Glad you asked.

We are going to cast...ALL! All of what? All of your anxiety. Some Bible translations say "cares."

Let me ask you a very blunt question.  What worries you?  What keeps you awake at night?  What do you find yourself thinking about constantly wondering its outcome?  These things are what worry you.

Risking persecution, here are mine.

#1:  Lost Family and Friends
There are several people that are extremely close to me that need Jesus.  Many of them "believe" that God does not even exist.  As you can see, this presents a huge problem.  I worry about the consequences of their beliefs.

#2:  The World
I am very concerned about the world that we live in.  We are under attack.  As a country, we are considering legalizing things like homosexual marriage.  We have doctors who are aborting babies (both unborn & born) by the thousands.  Here is where my worry comes.  If for some reason the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, decides not to return and my 3 boys make it to age 30, what will this world be like?

#3:  Success
Let's be honest, we all want to be successful.  No one sets out to be a complete failure.  I want to have a successful family.  I want to make money.  I want to have a large, broad ministry (if you have problems with this, we can talk).  Therefore, I worry about success.

I have only named a few of mine, but I think you can see that worry is real.  Let me ask you again.  What worries you?  I have got good news about my worries and your worries.

We need to "place them upon," "throw them over to," and "bond them.  We need to take everything that burdens us, worries us, makes us bite are nails over, and cast them.  Where you ask?  This will be the subject we conquer next.

For now, blessings!

Cast...

I ran across a verse today that, if you've been a Christian for any length of time, you should know or at least have heard.  

1 Peter 5:7

 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Have you heard it before?  

I thought so.  

I was doing some studying on this verse today because I really wanted to unpack its meaning.  I think often times we take the familiar scriptures that we have known since childhood for granted.  I think the familiar is often dangerous for this reason. 

For example, have you ever though about the word "cast" or "casting?"  Let's think about what this powerful word really means.  There are three possible meanings that are all connected.

#1:  "To Place Upon"
I recently received the opportunity to speak at a Wednesday Afternoon Bible Study at a nearby assisted living facility.  We were discussing this verse.  Here is the (cheesy) analogy that I used.  If I am standing in the kitchen cooking dinner for my family and I want the food to be placed on the table so that my family can consume it, how is that going to happen?  Can I say, "Food, go to the table?"  No, that is crazy talk and I should be placed in a facility for crazies.  I must pick-up the food carefully and "place it on" the table.  I must "place it upon."

#2:  "To Throw Over"
Have you ever seen someone put out a small fire by throwing something over the fire?  Often times this is something like a wet blanket or dirt or (hopefully) something that will put the fire out.  One is "throwing something over" the fire with the intention of putting it out. 

#3:  "To Bond To"
I have a candy dish in my office that belong to my hero, my Grandma.  At some point in the candy dishes history the lid got broke into two pieces.  My Grandpa, being the "Tim the Tool Man Taylor" that he is glued the lid back together.  To this day, if you come visit me in my office, you can see the huge bead of glue that was require to "bond" the two pieces back together. 

The Candy Dish Mentioned Above

Now, after looking at the meaning of the word "cast," do you see why this is intriguing?  If not, its okay.  We are going to unpack more of the verse tomorrow.  This will help bring this powerful word into sharper focus.  

For now, blessings. 

Pretenders--Luke 20

Luke 20 contains some very captivating dialogue between Jesus and the "religious" people of the day.  In Luke 20:1-8, Jesus' is doing what Jesus did.  He was teaching and preaching the gospel in the temple.  The chief priests, scribes, and elders came to Jesus and asked Jesus a question.  They asked, "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority."  I do not think this is, necessarily, a bad question, but they were asking Jesus.  Jesus did not answer the question.  He asked them a question.  They did not answer him, so Jesus did not answer them.  This brings us to Luke 20:9-18.

Jesus tells a parable about "wicked tenants."  I will let you read this parable for yourselves, but Jesus is obviously speaking indirectly about the scribes, chief priests, and elders.  Then beginning in verse 19 (after Jesus finished the parable) we read this:

The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

They wanted Jesus gone.  They wanted Jesus dead.  They wanted Jesus done away with.  Tthey were terrified of the people.  They were fearful of the backlash against them if they did not do something.  Beginning in verse 20, we can see what they decided their strategy would be.  Read what Luke 20:20 says:

 So they WATCHED him and SENT SPIES, who PRETENDED to be SINCERE, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. (emphasis mine)

They watched Jesus.  They sent spies to watch Jesus, but these were no ordinary spies.  They were pretenders.  They were pretending to be sincere.  They were pretending to be interested in what Jesus was doing so they could get close to him.  Why would they want to get close to him?  They wanted to get close to him so that they could catch him in something that would ultimately lead to his death.  They wanted to "deliver him up."   Listen to their words in Luke 20:21-22

So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.  Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?"

Now, I want to say this.  Before we come down to hard on these "so called religious folks," one needs to realize that we do the exact same thing.  We, more times than we will ever admit, are pretenders.  We pretend to honestly care about the things of God, but in all reality we are really just seeking self-righteousness.  We are seeking to justify our positions.  We are seeking to justify our lifestyles.  The sad thing is we fool a lot of people and these men probably fooled some of those who were watching.  They DID NOT fool Jesus. 

But he perceived their craftiness...

Jesus knew what they were up to even if no one else did.  Question, who are we trying to fool?  Ourselves?  Others?  God?  One might succeed in his or her attempts at fooling the first two groups, but one will NEVER fool God and these men did not either.  Jesus gave them some teaching about "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."  Notice how this section ends.

And they were NOT able in the presence of the people to CATCH him in what he said, but MARVELING at his answer THEY BECAME SILENT.

We must stop trying to fool ourselves, others, and God.  We must marvel at the teachings of the Christ that we say we believe in and trust.  We must become silent in the ways of this world and rest in the comfort and teachings of Christ.  Did these "pretenders" in this text come to Christ?  I do not know and you do not know either.  I do know one thing, however.  There is still time for you and I.  Let's stop pretending and marvel at the teachings of Christ.

Blessings!

 

What Do You Need to Leave Behind?....

I generally read several chapters from Scripture in the mornings when I first get to my office at the church.  Today has been no different except I can't get through 11 verses.  I recently finished a several day (maybe week) journey through the Gospel of John during my reading time.  Beginning two days ago (Monday), I felt that I needed to begin a journey through the Gospel of Luke.  I read the first 4 chapters on Monday.  Yesterday I did some different things throughout Scripture (I like to change it up every now and then).  Places like John 14 and 1 Corinthians 3. 

This morning, I returned to Luke 5, but I just cannot get beyond verse 11.  Here is what it says in the English Standard Version:

And when they had brought their boats to land, they LEFT EVERYTHING and followed him.

(emphasis mine)

Hopefully you see why I cannot get beyond verse 11 of Luke 5.  They (Peter, James, and John) once they had an encounter with Christ, they left it all.  What specifically did they leave?  To answer this question you must look back at verses 4-6.  They read:

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!  But at your word I will let down the nets."  And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

There are several things that I think we can see from theses three verses.  

First of all, the command of Jesus.  Jesus told three experienced fisherman how to fish.  Does this seem odd to anyone else?  

Second, notice the response from Peter.  Don't you realize that we have been fishing all night long and we have caught nothing?  Don't you realize that we are the experienced fishermen here, not you?  Don't you realize that we are in lots of trouble financially because we didn't catch anything?  After all, this is how we make our living.  Somehow, though, Peter (or Simon) obeyed.  We are not told why, but he did.  Peter and the others let down their nets.

Finally, notice what happened.  After putting their nets down into the deep, they caught so many fish that their nets could not hold it and their nets began to break.  If we were to read verse 7 we would see that Simon called for James and John to come over and help him.  When the three men finally got all of the fish in their two boats, the boats were so full that they began to sink.  

Now, back to the original question.  What did they leave behind to follow Jesus?  They left a fortune (think about how much they could have gotten for all those fish).  They left their jobs or professions.  They left their security.  They left their families.  They left their possessions.  They left themselves.  For what?  To follow Jesus and "catch men" (verse 10).  Christ is requesting the same of you and I.  

What do you need to leave behind?

More Than Amazing...

I cannot get enough of this song recently.  I hope and pray that it ministers to you as much as it does to me.  Blessings!

"Remember"

Titus 3:1-8
#1:  Remind Them What They Are To Be--vv. 1-2

• Remind Them To Be...
• submissive to rulers and authorities
• obedient
• ready for every good work
• speak evil of no one
• avoid quarreling
• gentle
• show perfect courtesy toward all people

#2:  Remind Them What They Once Were--v. 3

• We Ourselves Were Once...
• foolish
• disobedient 
• led astray
• slaves to various passions & pleasures
• passing our days in malice and envy
• hated by others and hating one another

#3:  Remind Them What God Did--vv. 4-7

• But When...
• The goodness of God our Savior appeared
• The loving kindness of God our Savior appeared
• What Happened...
• HE SAVED US!!!
• Not because of works done by us in righteousness
• According to His own mercy
• By the washing of regeneration
• By the renewal of the Holy Spirit
• Whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ 
• Why?
• So that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life

#4:  Remind Them What They Are To Insist On--v. 8

• The saying is trustworthy
• I want you to insist on these things
• Why?
• So that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works
• Because they are excellent and profitable for people.

Powerful Video...Aaron

Failed Attempts Part 1...

Jacob and Joseph are now both dead.  Before his death, Jacob (now called Israel) moved his entire clan to Egypt.  They were given the land of Goshen in Egypt and God blessed them while they inhabited the land.  Exodus 1:7 reads, "But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them."

This presented a problem.  The king who reigned during there placement in the land was no longer in power.  There was a new king.  This king knew nothing of Joseph.  This king made the following statement in Exodus 1:9, "Behold the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.  Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and in the event of war, they also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us, and depart from the land."  To put it bluntly, they were somewhat scared of the sons of Israel. 

How would they deal with this issue they were facing?  How were they going to control the sons of Israel from growing stronger and mightier?  How were they going handle this situation?  Let's take a quick look at the text.

Exodus 1:11-14--They Worked Them
They appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor (v. 11).  They made them build storage cities for Pharaoh (v. 11).  They compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously (v. 13).  They made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field (v. 14). 

What was the outcome of all of this hard labor?  Look at verse 12:

"But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, 

so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel."

In our everyday vernacular we would say it like this:  they through everything but the kitchen sink at the sons of Israel to try and control them and they only made the problem worse.  

The Egyptians failed to realize one thing.  God was working for the sons of Israel.  The harder the Egyptians pushed, the greater God grew the sons of Israel.  The more sanctions and rigorous regulations the Egyptians placed on the sons of Israel, the more God caused them to spread.  

Tomorrow we will take look at another failed attempt by the Egyptians to control the sons of Israel.

"Does Dress Matter?..."

I am not saying that I agree or disagree with everything written in this article.  However, I do think that it could generate some good discussion.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

One of the most read and shared articles in 2012 from Christianity Today is about church dress.  Click the link below to read the article.

Clothing Matters: What We Wear to Church

Why what we put on may be more important than we think.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/januaryweb-only/clothingmatters.html?order=&start=1

2013 Goals...

2013 GOALS

1. Lose 50+ pounds/become healthier.
1. Is this not just about everyone's goal?
2. Broaden the scope of what I read.
1. Read more theology.
2. Read more biographies.
3. Read more books with my wife about marriage.
1. Apply their teachings to our marriage.
4. Read more books with my wife about parenting.
1. Apply their teachings to our parenting of our 3 boys.
3. Become more missions-minded as an individual, a couple, and a family.
4. Work with the Oversight Board of Ada First to make Christ's Church more missions-minded.
1. Both locally and globally. 
5. Drink coffee.
1. Already accomplished!
6. Write more notes to people.
1. Both digitally and handwritten. 
7. Become more involved in community efforts.

These are just off the top of my head.  They might change.  They might increase.  They might decrease.  At the risk of the "cheesy police" coming after me, I will state this quote.  "If you fail to plan, you plain to fail."  I have got a plan.  Do you? 

Blessings!

"You Love Me Anyway..."

I never get tired of hearing this song.  Let it be a reminder to you today (as it was to me) that God loves you in spite of who you currently are and what you have done.  Blessings!!!

Acts 2 Thoughts...

Reading Acts 2 today in my daily Bible time, I simply took some notes. Here is what I came up with.

Acts 2 Thoughts:
1. It is interesting that the devote Jerusalem Jews' first thoughts were not that God was doing something, but that the people were drunk.--vv. 5-13

2. Peter's direct response to their ignorant statements was to preach the Gospel to them.--vv. 13-36

3. After hearing the Gospel, they were convicted and wanted to respond to what they had heard.--v. 37

4. Peter tells them to "repent" & "be baptized." Why? For the forgiveness of sins and to receive the Holy Spirit. It is for anyone God calls to Himself.--vv. 38-39

5. Peter continued preaching. Anyone who received his message accepted it and were baptized. 3,000 people in a day.--v. 40-41

6. The large group of people devoted themselves to three things: 1) the apostles teaching & the fellowship, 2) the breaking of bread together, and 3) praying.--v. 42

7. A fearful type of awe came upon everyone and the apostles did many signs and wonders.--v. 43

8. They were all together & had all things in common. Like : selling their possessions and belongs are giving the money away to those in need, attended church everyday together, ate together everyday in their homes, received their food with glad and generous hearts, and they praised God and had favor with all people. As a result of this, God added daily to their number those being saved.--vv. 44-47

To me, this looks like a great formula for the Church to follow. What do you think?

Blessings!
DA
Note: Sorry if there are errors. Did this on my iPhone.

In or Out....

I would love for all of you to check out my friend Justin's new blog. 

He is launching a program entitled "Faith and Family." 

He, through this blog, is going to take us on a 30 day journey of deepening our faith and strengthening our families. 

Here is a link to his site.  Blessings!

Pity, Touched, Healed...

I love to read about the miracles that Jesus performed.  They leave me in awe.  For example, reading the words of Mark 1:40-41:

"And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, 'If you will, you can make me clean.'  Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, 'I will, be clean.'"

Jesus displayed three actions that we need to display.  Jesus displayed three actions that we need to display when being the "salt and light of the earth."  

#1--Pity 

This is extremely difficult sometimes.  Often times people put themselves into the situations they are in and we often feel that if we help them get out of it that they won't learn anything.  I don't disagree with this.  However, Jesus displayed pity on this man who was in need.  Pity is defined has having sympathy or kindly sorrow evoked by the suffering, distress, or misfortune of another.  Do we have this definition in our dealings with the poor and afflicted in our communities?  If we are honest, the answer (most of the time) is no.  

#2--Touched

It would have been very politically and socially incorrect for Jesus to touch this man.  Why?  Lepers were considered as outcasts.  They were not allowed to mingle with the towns people.  They were not allowed to live at home with their families.  They were not allowed to touch anybody or anything.  They were considered unclean.  Leviticus 13 will tell you everything you want to know about this skin disease.  Jesus didn't care.  He knew that one of the huge needs in this man's healing was that he needed a touch.  Jesus didn't care about the social customs.  Jesus didn't care about what others would think.  He touched this man.  

#3--Healed

After showing pity and after touching the man, Jesus healed him.  Jesus told him that He could make him clean and then He did it.  It is important to understand that this wasn't a progressive healing.  It was immediate.  

Briefly, let's look at some applications.

#1--We must pray that God would give us an eye to see the needs of others and when we do see them, have pity.

#2--We must be willing to get our hands dirty.

#3--We must do everything we can do to heal.  What do I mean by this?  We must do everything we can to heal the greatest need that people have.  What is their greatest need?  Their greatest need is to enter into a right relationship with God.

Blessings!

The Fame of Jesus...

I love verse 28 of Mark 1.  Read these words and be stirred.   

"And at once his [Jesus'] fame spread everywhere throughout 

all the surrounding region of Galilee."

Did you catch it?  Jesus' fame spread.  

Question:  What are you doing and/or what is your church doing to spread the fame of Jesus? 

I don't have anything else to say about it.  

This is something that is haunting me and that I am dealing with.

YOU MUST DEAL WITH IT TOO!

Let's spread the fame of Jesus.  Blessings!

The Message of Jesus Christ...

I just started a reading plan through youversion.com.  I am going to be reading the entire New Testament over the next year.  This pretty much consists of a chapter a day.  At first I thought, "One chapter a day?  That is not very much." 

However, I am excited for the opportunity to really allow the pages of scripture to soak in.  I am excited to not have so much going on in my mind that I can really try and think through what is being taught and think through how it should be applied.  We all need to do this more.

My goal in this study is gain a nugget from scripture that I can "chew on" throughout the day, apply its truth to my life, and hopefully (as time allows) share it with others.  Below is what I want to share today.

Mark 1:14-15.

John the Baptist has been arrested and Jesus has come to Galilee.  Once He arrived in Galilee, He began His preaching ministry.  Verse 15 of Mark 1 summarizes for us what Jesus main message was going to be throughout His earthly ministry.  Somehow I think this should be our message too.  He summarizes His message in 3 statements.

#1--"The time is fulfilled..."

• The time has come for the old system (the law) to be done away with and a new system (Christ) to be ushered in.  
• This symbolizes the beginning of God reconciling all men to Himself.
• The "once and for all" sacrifice has arrived.

#2--"...the kingdom of God is at hand..."

• Although it is going to come in stages, it has arrived.  

#3--"...repent and believe in the gospel."

• I feel like that we get sidetracked sometimes from this message.  
• This should be grafted into every sermon you and I preach.

I needed to be reminded of this today.  I needed to be reminded that in my personal life I need to repent and believe the gospel.  I needed to be reminded that this message of Christ should be the dominate theme in every message I preach, every deed that I do, and in every word that I speak. 

I am thankful for the message of Jesus Christ.  May His message become our message.  Blessings!

A New Pair Of Jeans....

Today is going to be a huge "ramble."  Some of you will not like this very much.  I don't like it, but what I am about to say is the truth.  Many of us (Big D included) don't want sin out of our lives.  I want to have a life where my sin is comfortable.  Don't get me wrong, I want God.  I want God to transform my life to make it look like Him, but I still want my sin. 

Look at it this way.  Sin is kind of like a new pair of jeans that you bought at your favorite clothing establishment without trying them on.  You get them home and try them on and they are too tight.  They are not extremely too tight, but they are tight enough to make you uncomfortable when you wear them.  If you are like me at all, you don't like to take things back to the store and exchange them.  I'll just put up with the discomfort. 

Sin is just like this.  We want the comfort of a new pair of jeans that fit just right, but we want it in the new pair of jeans that are too tight.  What we should do is take the pair of jeans back to the store and get rid of them.  We need to turn them in for a pair that fit perfectly.  Do you see the comparison?

We must (daily) exchange our sin for the righteousness of God.  We must get rid of the things in our lives that don't fit right.  We must not get to the point in our lives where we are okay with wearing things (sin) that are too tight.  If this happens, are relationship with God suffers, are relationship with others suffer, and we will suffer.  Sometimes it might seem like a hassle to take the clothing back to the store, but in the end there is nothing like a pair of jeans that fit perfectly.  At this point I am prepared to make you (and myself) a promise:  if you try on the righteousness of God, it will fit.  This is the way that God designed it.  I must end this post now.  I have some jeans in my closet that need to be returned for ones that fit perfectly.  Happy repenting. 

Blessings!