Encouragements to Godliness...

Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

2012-01-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

“But the fruit of the Spirit is…peace.” ~Gal. 5:22

Brothers,

Three months, SteveJobs died. He left a thriving company, millions of shares of stocks, and a namethat had gained fame across the country. Even with being one of the mostsuccessful businessmen in the world, even with having a mansion, an expensivevehicle, and all the latest technology, he still died a poor man who lackedinner peace. Unbelievers can never knowspiritual peace. But as believers, ourlives should be marked by spirits that quietly rest in the Lord. One thing I’ve come to realize over the pastfew years is how much a deficiency in peace can affect one’s spiritual growthas a whole. For example, you cannot be joyful if you are not first content. Youcannot be truly loving if there is turmoil going on inside. You will not beself-controlled in your speech if you do not first have a desire for peace. Peaceas used in this passage means “quietness, rest, or harmony.”It sounds plain andsimple, but is it really that easy? Ask yourself how many times you have trulysought unity or harmony during a fight with a sibling. Before you startcongratulating yourself, however, count up how many times you haven’t soughtpeace during a fight. But does peace just mean stop fighting? The answer is no.True, when we stop fighting with others we help create an atmosphere wherepeace can thrive, but that is not the full essence of peace. These past fewyears there have been times when I’ve been melancholy and depressed becauseI’ve thought of things that are depressing or because I’ve been discontentabout not having a certain item, or about how long I have to wait forsomething, or even about getting a smaller or less appealing portion of a plateof food. No matter what it was, all these things resulted in a turmoil and adisturbance of the mind and heart that led to a lack of patience, a lack ofself-control, a lack of joy, and a lack of love. Peace is not just a turning ofthe other cheek. Peace is the result of trusting the Lord to provide everythingin His timing and of seeking to bring Him glory in every situation. Of course,this will result in turning the other cheek, but this act of suffering forChrist is merely the evidence that peace exists in your heart. So as always, what is the practical application?Well, as I implied earlier, it is almost impossible for peace to exist in aplace where there are arguments and contentions. So first, stop bickering!Second, as is always my advice, read and apply the Word. When your heart isburied in the Word, it is impossible for the fears of the world and the worriesthat so often leave one discontent to penetrate your heart. Third, make aconscious effort every day to thank the Lord for all the multitude of blessingsHe has bestowed on you. A heart overflowing with thankfulness leaves no roomfor bitterness. Lastly, pray. One of the best ways to be at rest and to bequiet is to be alone praying, for a conversation with the God of heaven andearth is like rain to parched ground: it revives the soul when it is weigheddown with cares and it renews the spirit when it is laden with worries. Sopeace be with you this week and may the God of peace strengthen you!

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness

2011-11-13T21:08:00.000-08:00

“But the fruit of the Spirit is…gentleness.” ~Gal. 5:23

Brothers,

When I first began to write this letter, I thought that it would be an easier fruit to write on. But after starting this letter over again four or five times, I’m beginning to realize how much is implied in that single word. A soft answer, a calm touch, humility and a spirit of peace. Like so many of the traits listed in this section in Galatians, gentleness overlaps some of the others. We speak more gently when we are self-controlled, peaceful, loving, joyful, and kind. What is gentleness? According to Strong, it is another word for humility or meekness. And what is humility? As one author put it, humility is not the state of always degrading yourself, but is the state of always being so focused on God that you forget yourself. So again, what is gentleness? It is one of the results of forgetting yourself. Think about all that that means. When your days are filled with meditating on the glory of the Lord and on the majesty of His name and the excellence of His Word and the breathtaking beauty of His creation, when you lose track of time when you are on your knees singing praises to God and laying your cares at the foot of the Mercy Seat, when your lips are constantly turning your conversations with others to the greatness of the Lord, when someone compliments you on a job well done and all you can do is thank the Lord for seeing fit to bless your way, then, I assure you, the Lord will give you a spirit of gentleness. Now you may be saying, “Yes, yes, but what are some practical ways to apply this? You have said what must come first, but you haven’t yet said what comes after. What does it look like to be gentle towards others?” Well imagine that one of your siblings has asked you where a certain book is and you give an answer. After your sibling looks around for that book, comes back, and tells you it’s not there, you get up, walk over to where you said it would be, and sure enough, there it is. All at once you are irritated at having to get up out of your comfy seat, annoyed at the tone of voice your sibling used, and frustrated that they didn’t actually look where you said. All that you feel like doing is either to walk sullenly back to your seat without saying a word or to make a sarcastic comment that is by nature cruel. Gentleness would be to simply say, kindly, “There you are” and hand them the book. Now one of the hard things about writing on the fruit of the Spirit is, like I said earlier, in some cases, traits overlap. In the case above, gentleness is a combination of self-control, love, longsuffering, and kindness. Take another situation: a family at church has just received news that while they were on vacation, their house flooded and thousands of dollars worth of furniture and belongings was destroyed. Or imagine that a friend’s grandmother just died the morning before. In each of those situations, gentleness wouldn’t be shown so much in words as in actions. Especially right after the loss of a loved one, people sometimes just need an understanding hug or a shoulder to cry on. When confronted with a situation where it is difficult to discern what the right response is, again, forget yourself. First, eliminate any response that would not give God glory. Second, with the remaining options, try to find the one that does the best job at either soothing, comforting, encouraging, or bringing joy to your neighbor. I know it is hard to remember to do so when the situation actually presents itself and that analyzing the situation could take longer than you have. I’m not saying that it is easy to be gentle. What I am saying though, is that the more you practice being gentle, the easier it will become. So forget yourself! Keep your focus on the Lord by memorizing, praying, and living out the Word. Build up and do not destroy; mend and do not break.

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

2011-11-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” ~2 Peter 1:5-8

“But the fruit of the Spirit is … goodness.” ~ Gal. 5:22

Brothers,

When we think of the fruit of the Spirit, we often think of a whole list of qualities and traits that we should strive for. What we rarely think of is the first passage above. Yes, we should strive for the fruit of the Spirit, but what we often miss is that there is an order to things even then. Some traits cannot be added unless others are first in place. Think of a skyscraper: you cannot build it starting from the top. First you must lay the foundation and then add one story at a time until you reach the top. Such is the case with us spiritually. We will not love others if we are not first kind to them. We cannot gain true knowledge unless we already have a fear of the Lord. So instead of tackling the fruit of the Spirit in the order that it is listed in Galatians, I’m going to go in the order of 2 Peter.

What is virtue? Some use it as a general word for all godly traits. But what it really means is excellence or, as Strong’s definition says, manliness. It seems to imply a more general foundation for the Christian life. Virtue is not self-control or brotherly love which are more specific, potentially harder to learn traits, but is simply goodness. That is why it comes first in Peter’s list. Self-control in holding one’s tongue comes after one learns to speak kindly, which in turn comes after learning what kindness is which results from imitating those who are godly examples to us. Virtue is like the stump of a tree that the other traits spring from. Because of this, some unbelievers can be good, but not self-controlled. They may act like upright citizens and believe that man is not to murder or steal or lie. All that is goodness and virtuous. But it is not godliness. However, it is the first step towards godliness. Without having a foundation of virtue, of solid values and principles, we cannot continue to build. Only the man who orders his life according to God’s law can truly be a Christian. In other words, unless you obey God, you cannot love others or be self-controlled or patient. So my encouragement for you is this: strive with all diligence to obey God. Evaluate your life and serve Him fully for by doing so you are strengthening your foundation and practicing goodness.

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

Rise Up, Little One!

2011-11-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

“The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time." Isa 60:19-22

Brothers,

Instead of going on to the fruit of the Spirit like I had said I would, I’ve decided to wait one more week because there is something else I want you to hear. Two weeks ago, we were in the car and I was flipping through my Bible and I came upon the passage above. The following week, our family was at a Homeschool Camp where the speakers spoke about the persecution of the Church throughout the world. In their talks, these speakers encouraged us to preach the Word at all times, to conquer our fear, and to be bold. One of the main things I’ve always struggled with, though, is the actual act of starting a conversation. I’ve always been able to lay out the situation in my head and to think of all the good arguments, but when I actually have to do it, I almost always get so afraid that I don’t take action. The Lord brought that issue to light a lot in these past few weeks. Opportunity after opportunity was missed, all because I was afraid. One day, three guys asked what religion I was and I answered, but instead of taking that perfect opportunity to share the gospel, I remained silent. The next day, two boys were talking about the differences in several religions and again, instead of taking a stand for Christ, I remained silent. Throughout that week, chance after chance came my way, but I didn’t take any of them. At the end of the week, my family headed up to the Camp I described earlier. At the end of camp, I kept on praying that the Lord would give me yet another chance and would help me to actually take it. The very next morning, I was given that opportunity and the Lord answered my prayer.

As some of you know, Casey and I, out of necessity, are taking some classes on a campus this year, and in one of those classes, we have to do a debate. That morning I was able to speak to my whole debate group. Now, if the Lord could work through me, who has been given more opportunities than I can count, He can certainly work through you. The openings may not always be obvious, but with the Lord’s help, we can see them every time. Why don’t we take action? We allow fear to take hold of us. Look at the passage. When you read that, does it not send shivers down your spine? Does it not excite you and energize you? How can we read such a passage and be afraid of speaking the truth? I have spent 17 years being afraid and have only just started to cross the first hurdle. But let me tell you, the joy in being able to share the Gospel is worth the discomfort of standing out. Yes, I was nervous. Yes, I was afraid even when talking. Yes, I was shaking from head to foot. But I was also excited, joyous, praising the Lord for helping me through. That first hurdle, when you look at it seems enormous, but the Lord is bigger than that obstacle. So my encouragement to you is to remember this passage the next time you are given the opportunity to share the Word. “A little one will become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation.” May the Lord be your strength and your support. For what is a few moments of awkwardness here on earth when compared to the reward when we get to heaven and hear the Lord say to us, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”? Never be afraid, brothers! Take up your sword and go to battle! The battle is not won by sitting, but by swinging with all your might. Rise up and go to war!

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

Fruit of the Spirit: Walking in the Spirit

2011-11-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” ~Gal 5:16-17

Brothers,

In looking for a topic for this week’s letter, I came upon the end of Galatians 5, which talks about the fruits of the Spirit. My plan is to go over those individually in the coming weeks, but first I wanted to take a look at what comes directly before it. Take a look at the passage above. Whenever we read passages of Scripture or even letters, such as this, our tendency is to look over it without paying much attention to it, but remember, when we read Scripture, we’re reading the inspired word of God. Even if it didn’t talk about such important topics, it would be important merely because of the One who spoke it. But it is made all the more significant because of what it says, so read it again. Now in Eph 4:24 it says, “put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” In other words, we are to walk in the Spirit. Yet what does this tell us about ourselves? If we truly put off the old man and put on the new, if we truly walk in the Spirit, we would not gratify the flesh. And yet every day, we struggle with our fleshly desires and often we give in to those desires. This means that we have disobeyed a direct command of God Most High. We shy away so much from the thought of hard training and pain that we continue in sin. For what is the opposite of walking in the Spirit, but walking in the flesh? If we are not doing one, we are assuredly doing the other.

But, how do we walk in the Spirit? First, by hiding God’s Word in our hearts. This is such an important part of the Christian’s life that it cannot be neglected without serious consequences, for how can we walk in the Spirit if we do not know what that entails? We can only find this out in the Word. Scripture is our daily bread; without it, we will starve. Second, we walk in the Spirit by applying the Word. In James we are told to be doers of the Word, not just hearers. While it is important to know what to do, after we find out how, we must actually do it. The final part of walking in the Spirit is prayer. Prayer is a refinement of our faith. It is one thing to think, “I need help,” it is another to be on your knees crying, “Father, help your servant.” Through prayer, we not only praise God for who He is, but we lay our needs at His feet. Through the combination of these three – hiding God’s Word in our hearts, applying the Word, and praying – we equip ourselves for the war against our flesh and work towards walking in the Spirit. As we will see in the next few weeks, many of the fruits of the Spirit are the result of this training. Humility, though not one of the fruits listed in Galatians, is the result of seeing our utter depravity before God and understanding that salvation is not through any act of our own, but only by God’s grace. Patience comes from imitating how Jesus lived His whole life, but as seen especially in the account of His crucifixion, where He didn’t respond to any of His enemies’ mocking comments or to their actions. Kindness is seen throughout the Bible in God’s continued mercy to His people despite their rejection and in His extended mercy to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Each of these virtues is achieved by first searching the Scriptures for instruction, then applying that teaching to everyday life, and finally in seeking help from God for the accomplishment of that goal. Be diligent and walk in the Spirit. Do not try to battle the flesh by your own strength, for you will fail, but hide, apply, and pray. Hide, apply, and pray.

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

"For By Your Words You Will Be Justified, and By Your Words You Will Be Condemned."

2011-11-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." ~Matt 12:36-37

Brothers,

During a talk with a friend this week, this verse was brought to my attention. That night, I was trying to figure out what it meant. I had said that the verse doesn’t mean we have to talk theology all the time, but then I got to thinking: what can we talk about? By the time I was done looking at the passage, I realized that I was trying to make the verse mean what I wanted it to mean. I’m sure neither of us can say we always have wholesome speech. I sometimes find myself go through a whole day with only a few scattered things that could possibly be called edifying, but which are spoken in an un-edifying tone. That night, I was trying to justify my speech by adding meanings to this verse. So, as I mentioned earlier, I asked myself what can we talk about? Or conversely, what can’t we talk about? In other words, what is idle speech? The answer: idle speech is speech that is idle. It does not edify, encourage, or strengthen. It is not wholesome, nor pure, nor good. Though it may not be bad, per say, it is not good. In this passage, Jesus doesn’t give us a choice between mediocre and good; He commands us to reject the mediocre and embrace the good. In Isaiah 50:4, when speaking of Jesus it says, “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.” That is what we are to be speaking. We are to encourage, to strengthen, and to bear each other’s burdens. A joyful heart brings joy to the Lord, but be careful that it is not foolishness you are laughing at. As you may know, I have a strange sense of humor that leads to obscure and odd jokes that often result in making me laugh (though no one else usually does). Is this merely idle speech? Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know where to draw the line on many things, therefore I can only give you the general guidelines laid out in Scripture: let your speech be wholesome and make sure what you say is worthy of being said. Can we talk about the weather, events, humorous stories, non-Christian literature, movies, meals, music, plants, or any of the other vast array of conversational topics? As far as my understanding reaches, there are times when we can speak of all these topics, for through them we can build relationships and bring joy to others. Yet in all this we are to keep the focus of our speech on that which brings God glory. So we are not to let a focus of strengthening relationships lead us to frivolous talk. As bearers of the image and name of Christ, we are to constantly bear witness of Him through our words and actions. Thus we have so many commands in Scripture to guard our tongues diligently. So my encouragement to you is this: “be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Meditate on what you are going to say. Before you talk, run a quick test and see if it meets the criteria. If you let yourself slip, an apology to the one you are talking to may be necessary. It is better to be humbled before man, than to lay up condemnation before God. May the Lord help us both in that task!

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

What makes music "good"?

2011-11-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” ~ Col 3:16-17

Brothers,

Over the years, many people have asked what type of music I like to listen to. Most of the time, my answer is that I don’t listen to much, but instead play music and whistle it. In the car last night, Kevin asked Casey and I a variation of that question: what kind of music do you like? I won’t attempt to recount the conversation, but parts of it and past conversations with others got me thinking about an important point: what defines “good” music? The obvious answer is anything that brings glory to God. The more difficult point to answer is how do we determine if something brings glory to God? To answer this question we need to look at the several components of music. The first component of music is the lyrics, the second is the tune, and the third is the way in which the music is sung or played. When lyrics are present in a song it is often easier to tell whether it has value or not. If it contradicts Scripture or conveys ideas that are contrary to Scripture, then it is not good music. But as Kevin said last night, what about Mary Poppins which has nonsensical lyrics or classical, which has no lyrics at all most of the time? Mary Poppins songs don’t really contradict Scripture, but they also don’t give one a sense of God’s presence. They really have little value other than making you smile at their outrageousness. Why listen to them? Personally, I have no answer. Contemporary Christian music is a different matter. It often has decent lyrics that talk about worthy things, though it rarely goes very deep. In addition, the music often takes center stage and either drowns out the lyrics or else focuses on impressing others instead of glorifying God. Lastly, many artists distort their real voices to make them sound “cooler”, again distracting from glorifying God. Now I’m not saying this is true of every Christian artist; I am mainly just talking about the ones who have strayed to the rock side of things. I am going to skip over a deep evaluation of country, punk, rock, jazz, pop, hip-hop, and all the others merely because they rarely exhibit the nature of God. Sometimes you may find a country song that stops talking about beer and girls long enough to share the Gospel, but you almost never find a good song among the other genres for this reason: the foundation for all good music is God. What I mean by that is all music must lead the listener to meditate on the Lord. Every time we hear about good music in Scripture it is about psalms, hymns, and/or spiritual songs. Classical, though it doesn’t have lyrics, has a level of complexity and beauty that reflects God’s beauty and complexity. Music doesn’t always have to be joyful either to praise God. Many psalms were about the destruction of David’s enemies, so even the haunting melodies can remind us of the power and wrath of the Lord. Some people argue that electric guitars don’t glorify God. I disagree. David writes to praise the Lord with clashing cymbals, trumpets, harps, stringed instruments, and I think he might have added electric guitars if they had existed at the time. However, I also believe that the electric guitar, by nature, has the ability to distract us, so I personally like it less than other instruments, though it can certainly be used to praise God. My ultimate point is this: Music is meant to exhibit something about God, whether it be His beauty, His complexity, His character, His joy, His wrath, His power, His mercy, or some other attribute. Whenever music does not accomplish that purpose, we have strayed from good music to less worthwhile things. I am not saying that I am perfect, for I often listen to things that may seem funny, but have no real value. But what I am saying is that we have absorbed our culture’s love for entertaining music and have strayed from music that truly makes us think and music that leads us to a closer relationship with the Lord. For that is what needs to and what must happen when we listen to music, otherwise we have failed to obey Philippians 4:8. And so, brother, listen to that which is good!

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

The Lord is in Control

2011-11-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” ~Matt 6:31-34

Brothers,

This week at the dinner table, my family went over the Lord’s Prayer and talked about each of the different components of it. One of those parts was Matt. 6:11: “Give us this day our daily bread.” In other words, we pray that the Lord would give us what is necessary for that day. Some people take this to mean that we should work to provide for our families just for the day, or even in some cases, not at all, taking this to mean the Lord will provide all our needs. Now I don’t mean to give the impression that they don’t do other things with their time. George Müller, a man who ran several orphanages in England, did so by prayer. He did not work outside of the orphanage; his work was training up the children under his care, making decisions for what repairs were to be made and what tasks were to be taken up. Yet he never asked for money and didn’t work in a job that paid money. But God provided for his needs and gave him all that he needed. Sometimes they didn’t have breakfast to serve the children until God providentially provided milk and bread in the form of a milkman and baker who both were having trouble with their wares and so gave them to the orphanages. This was a noble attitude, but the Bible also talks about a man providing for his family and suggests that preparing for the future is a good thing. So what is right? Should we work and save for the future? Should we work only for a day’s wages? Should we work at all, trusting instead on God to provide for our needs? Let’s look at the last one first: Should we work at all? My answer: yes. George Müller had the job of training up children and providing for their needs. Like the disciples described in Luke 10:7 who preached the Word without pay, yet were given food and shelter by Christians, Müller was also a “laborer…worthy of his wages.” He had a job working for the Lord and the Lord provided for his needs. Should we work for the Lord only and not for man? No, for the Law holds many rules centered around business. We also have a clearer example: Paul was a tentmaker who worked while ministering and Jesus was a carpenter who worked for all but the last several years of His earthly incarnation, at which time He devoted Himself fully to ministry. So it is Biblical to work. Should we work for a day’s wage only? No; Solomon tells us to take a lesson from the ant which stores up food for the winter. Throughout the Old Testament we see inheritances where the firstborn is given a double portion, but all the rest is divided between the remaining sons. Dowries also are given for daughters. So it is not only Biblical to save for your future, but the futures of your children. The essence of the passage is not to become John the Baptists who live in the desert on locusts and honey, but to trust the Lord for our provision, however great or small. We are not to worry when finances grow thin, for the Lord will provide. We are not to hoard money or resources, for to do so would put them on a higher pedestal than God. We are not to let our focus be towards what we will do with our resources, for when it becomes our primary focus, again we have placed it higher than God. This passage is a warning: Don’t let material possessions become your worry or god. Save, provide for your family, but do not let money become your focus. The Lord will provide when circumstances seem grim. When our goal is to show His love by blessing others, He Himself will bless us. Therefore, prepare for tomorrow, but do not be anxious or worried about what tomorrow holds. The Lord has all things under control.

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

The Hand of the Lord

2011-11-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

Brothers,

This week, instead of the normal type of letter I typically write, I want you to read something much more encouraging and inspiring than I could ever pen. In the following verses from various Psalms, focus on the hand of the Lord and all He does: from rooting out the wicked to gathering His people to protecting them and ultimately calling them to be with Him. May these passages be to you what they truly are – the inspired Word of God which brings fear to the sinner and hope and joy to the righteous and therefore elicits all three responses (fear, hope, and joy) in us.

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

Psalms 85:4-7

Restore us, O God of our salvation,

And cause Your anger toward us to cease.

5 Will You be angry with us forever?

Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?

6 Will You not revive us again,

That Your people may rejoice in You?

7 Show us Your mercy, Lord,

And grant us Your salvation.

Psalms 107:28-32

Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He brings them out of their distresses.

29 He calms the storm,

So that its waves are still.

30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;

So He guides them to their desired haven.

31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Psalms 106:47-48

Save us, O Lord our God,

And gather us from among the Gentiles,

To give thanks to Your holy name,

To triumph in Your praise.

Psalms 5:4-6

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,

Nor shall evil dwell with You.

5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;

You hate all workers of iniquity.

6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;

The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Psalms 5:11-12

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your name

Be joyful in You.

12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;

With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Psalms 8

O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth,

Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have ordained strength,

Because of Your enemies,

That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4 What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man that You visit him?

5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,

And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

9 O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Psalms 84:1-2

How lovely is Your tabernacle,

O Lord of hosts!

2 My soul longs, yes, even faints

For the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Psalms 84:10-12

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

The Lord will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly.

12 O Lord of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalms 90:1-2

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

Avoiding a Divided House

2011-11-13T20:41:00.000-08:00

“‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.’” ~Matt 12:25

Brothers,

Today, many people have the strange idea that in order to share the gospel, one has to become like one’s audience. Most of the time, this entails dressing in all the latest fashions, speaking the common slang, and listening to the music that’s at the top of the charts for the month. Of course, other evangelizers have the opposing idea that in order to get the full message into people’s heads, one must only talk of the fire and brimstone to come in order to scare people into repentance. Still others merely say, “Jesus loves you” and treat that as sharing the gospel. Sadly, all these ways are wrong. Yes we are to be in the world, but not of the world. But we are not to just speak fire and brimstone either. The message of the Cross is about resurrection and though they need to first know that they were dead in their sins, we bring hope, not fear. Finally, the message of the Cross is much deeper and needs much more attention than just “Jesus loves you.” I bring this all up to make a point from the verse above: “Every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” Most of the time we think about the clearer meaning of this passage: that we shouldn’t fight or argue, but as with all Scripture, there is, I believe, another layer of meaning.

Psalm 119 is a meditation that has a central recurring theme: how precious God’s law is to His sheep. Over and over, the verses speak of a longing and desire for God’s righteous judgments and precepts. This should be our focus as well. However, the moment we add the foolishness of the world and the sins of the flesh to our “evangelistic methods,” or incorporate mistruths or partial truths to our faith, our house begins to waver. Just like the parable of the man who builds his house on the rock, when we make Christ our Cornerstone and the Word our foundation, we will not be overcome no matter how fierce the waters rage. Yet the moment we replace Him with a block of worldly wisdom and foolish philosophy and make the base of our house out of sinful behavior and thoughts, the Lord will send the waters our way and our house will crumble to the ground. Hide God’s Word in your heart; reject all that is ungodly. I do not say reject the world, for to do so would be to reject the field that is waiting to be harvested. But do not desire to become one of those unharvested stalks. Rather rejoice that you have been beaten and sifted out and look instead to the Lord and desire to become like Him. Live in the world, minister to the world, and even do some of the same things as the world. For it is not that things here on earth are all sinful and worthy of our reproach, but that when our focus is linked to those things and not to the Lord, then it is sinful. We can dress in the latest fashions, but we must dress modestly and not make our looks our idol or even a “tool” to reach others. We can speak the common slang as long as it is God honoring speech. We can listen to popular music as long as it is redeeming and directs us to focus more on the Lord. Always ask yourself these two questions: “Does this add to my witness for Christ?” and “Does this add to the spiritual growth of both myself and others?” I apologize if this is a little unclear, but I hope you understand the point I am trying to make. Make the Word your foundation and do not mix it with the sinful ways of the flesh, or your house will assuredly be divided.

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

Live the Gospel!

2011-08-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

“God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” ~Martin Luther

Brothers,

The quote above tells of how we can see the work of God all around us. Mark 16:15 says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” We are clearly called to share the “Gospel” with unbelievers, but what is the Gospel? It can be summed up in two words: Jesus Christ. Whenever we evangelize, these two words should be the words we speak the most. Without them, there is no good news. The Gospel starts with the creation of the world and the Fall. Sin entered the world, but salvation was promised one day through a descendent of Adam. This Savior was Jesus Christ who was incarnated in the flesh, was crucified, and rose again on the third day to pay the penalty for man’s sin. The Gospel, Jesus Christ, is the cornerstone of our lives and He should permeate our speech, lifestyle, dress, actions, thoughts, and ideals. Remember the Gospel. Live the Gospel!

Your brother in Christ,

Nick

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.” ~St. Francis of Assisi

Do Not Lose Heart!

2011-07-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame… For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed — always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body…Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” ~2 Cor. 4:1-2; 6-10; 16-18

Brothers,

Many times in my life I have struggled with depressed spirits. These times often follow periods of stress, tension, emotional struggles, or busy periods of time. With each one, however, I ask myself why even these circumstances would cause me to doubt God’s ultimate plan and purpose, for that is all that depression is: a spirit that is troubled because the focus is not on God, but on our own cares and worries. Yet all the powers of this feeble world cannot overcome the light that is within us. Tortures that make us cringe at the thought of so much pain carry the force of a feather against these verses. For what can man do against the Spirit of the Lord? I am in no way saying that you won’t experience any pain or struggle. In fact, unfeeling as it may sound, I pray that you would suffer pain and torture for Christ’s sake, for through such trials you will be purified and refined and you will be given a crown of glory in heaven. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, the grace of God is a costly grace: “costly because it calls us to follow, and grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. Costly because it costs a man his life, and grace because it gives a man the only true life.” Depression is but a tool of Satan to distract us by directing our thoughts to earthly troubles rather than heavenly power. Do not let the things of this world come first: career, marriage, finances. Instead make the Lord your focus and let your job be a way of showing the diligent, faithfulness of Christ. Let your marriage be a way of expressing the love and devotion which Christ showed to His errant sheep. Finally, let the way you handle your finances demonstrate the way that Christ provides for His Church. Do not lose heart, brothers, for though the battle seems long and painful to us now, the grace of the Lord is sufficient to carry us through it all and bring us to a land that is free of pain and sorrow and instead is full of joy in the presence of the Lord. How precious is that thought! May you rest always on His promises and may you hide them in your heart and remember them in you darkest hours. May His name be glorified!

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

The Blessing of the Lord's Leading Hand

2011-07-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

"And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him."

"And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel."

"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine, because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.'"

Numbers 3:5-6, 9, 11-13

Brothers,

If you are like me, some of the Old Testament verses like the ones above can seem a bit boring and lacking in application. Before my devotions this morning I prayed that the Lord would make my reading productive. When I read these verses, it struck me that the Levites could not even choose their own occupation. Then I thought, "Well, is that a bad thing?" Do we "control our destinies," as corporate America would say? Of course not! Each and every one of us is called to follow Christ's leading in all our decision-making--including career choices.

The only difference between us and the Levites is how we determine God's will for our lives. Whereas God gave a direct decree through Moses telling the Levites what they would do, we discern this through prayer, counsel from godly authorities, etc. The end result is the same--we do NOT control our lives. If you think about it, that’s actually a blessing. Our loving, Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Heavenly Father orchestrates our lives for our good and ultimately for His Glory! This realization convicted me that I have been focusing on my own material betterment and not on finding my God ordained place in the Body of Christ.

It is so easy to focus on good goals and treat them as an end in themselves--finishing high school/college, finding a good career, finding a spouse, raising a family some day, etc... However, as the catechism puts it, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever"! That goal trumps all others! Have you taken time to enjoy God this week?

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Your brother in Christ,

Joel C.

Be stayed upon the Lord

2011-06-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3: 5,6

Corey,

Countless times I have dismissed this passage from my mind, especially in stressful situations. When a problem arises, my first instinct is to worry, looking with anxiety into the unforeseeable future to try to see the outcome. Suddenly, my whole world revolves around this one complication, and I desperately strive to fix it or set it right with all the speed that my frustrated self can muster. Afterwards, I find myself reflecting back on my reactions and I ask myself, "Was that a biblical response to trouble?"

In Proverbs 3, Solomon gives an answer; a very famous answer known and repeated by so many believers; so much so that at times we have lost the real comfort that lies in these words. "We are to trust in the Lord," he says, and not to rely on what we can see. To put our confidence in our Lord is to rest in the assurance that He has reasons for everything He does and that sooner or later, somehow, He will set it right. This means we have nothing to worry about. We are being led down the road of life by the hands of a glorious creator who has planned our life down to the tiniest detail, and we need to remember this wonderful truth in times of worry or trial. What a relief it should be to us to know that our all-knowing God will direct our paths.

Judges 7 is a good example of this. Gideon, with three hundred men armed with only pitchers and trumpets defeated the huge army of the Midianites and Amalekites. Gideon had faith in God's promise, the promise that He would deliver Gideon's enemies into his hands.

I understand that some problems are bigger than others, and I am not suggesting that you can't pray for the outcome to be favorable. On the contrary, the Bible encourages such supplication. But whether it's an upcoming CLEP test, or the misplacement of a certain item, or the decisions of the government, or the salvation of your relatives or friends, in every circumstance, no matter how trying or painful, our faith and trust should always be in the Lord who knows the results of our problems before the foundations of the world. "We have a strong city; He sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26: 3,4

Your Brother in Christ,
Tru

The Triumph of Christ

2011-06-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

I've come to understand more and more how much of a treasure the Scriptures are. New readings of the same passages seem fresh and I am given the perception to see things I hadn't seen before. There are sadly days where I am rushed in the morning (which is my fault) and I quickly read through and as a result, I am not nourished by the Word at all that morning. Or there are the dreaded days where I am distracted and robbed of focus, or even days where I neglect to do it at all. But the Word is so sweet to me. I don't have a greater treasure in my room. I used to feel discouraged when I couldn't understand a passage, but now I feel excited! It excites me to encounter those passages where I am forced to stop and ask, “where did that come from?”; those passages where it feels like it came up out of nowhere and seemingly has nothing to do with the previous passage, or seems insignificant – which means there is something significant about it. Now I love those moments. I pray that God would help me understand His word, and the meanings of it. In my recent reading, this verse especially made me stop and think:

“And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.”

Mark 1:13

Now, this verse isn't out-of-the-blue where it was, but there was a phrase in it that grabbed my attention. It was the phrase, “and was with the wild beasts”. Really that piece of information seems unsurprising, being apart of the wilderness setting Jesus was in. However, I had to stop at this verse and ask why Mark even puts it in here. It is appropriate to the setting, but seemingly insignificant. One might think it could easily be taken out and nothing would change, so why is it there? Obviously there is a reason that that little phrase is inserted in here. Nothing else comes of it really; there is no incident where it goes on to account Christ being threatened by a wild animal. So this verse struck me.

After praying, I took notice of the temptation aspect in this account. This was the passage where Christ was being tempted by Satan. Then I saw something in this passage that I thought was really cool! And it all came from that moment where I took notice of the strange, seemingly insignificant phrase.

Other than Christ's temptation, what is the most significant temptation you can think of in the Scriptures? I am going to guess you'd say the temptation in the Garden. This is what I saw in this verse. I this verse, we get a picture of the contrast between the first Adam and the Second Adam: where the first was in the Garden of Eden, the Second was in a wilderness; where the first had a secure, plentiful supply of food, the Second fasted; where the first had a helpmeet, the Second was alone; where the first was around tame animals of no threat, the Second was with wild beasts; and where the first was tempted once and failed miserably to the death of mankind, the Second, in the very trying setting, was tempted more than once and was victorious for the life of those who are given to Him!

What an amazing contrast! I know I have not said anything new; just read Paul's writings. Jesus has done what we could not do. He suffered greatly and remained absolutely faithful. He is not a mere man, but God in the flesh. And He did not die, but conquered death, by raising Himself from the grave. It is the greatest miracle and work of God. He is living now, and coming soon. Let's be ever watchful as we eagerly wait for Him. Brothers and sisters we have a great hope we wait for! When this is all gone we will all be with Him, for eternity, in perfection. He suffered for that.

~Brenn

Take your job seriously

2011-06-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

“The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” ~Col 1:26-29

Brothers,

A common error many Christians fall into, no matter how old or young, is that when reading Scripture, the mind is continually wandering to other things. This is especially true when the text is something that is hard to understand. The last time I read through Romans, I had to reread each chapter about three times each because I couldn’t concentrate. The reason we aren’t able to concentrate is that we let the cares of the day and the week take such a high priority that we no longer care about reading the Bible. Now, that may seem a little strong; after all - you may think - I’ve never disliked reading the Word. I would agree: I’m not saying that we dislike reading the Bible, but rather that we don’t like it as much as we should or need to. If we truly loved delving into the richness and wisdom of the Scriptures, we would hardly be able to tear ourselves away from our Bibles to take care of earthly needs. Which is why it is so important that we memorize, so that we never have to be without the Word. However, to get back to the point, when you read the Word, whether it is in the morning when you get up, during the day, or when you go to bed at night, hide God’s Word in your heart. Take joy in the fact that the Lord has seen fit to reveal the “mystery” to you. Take your job seriously. Not your job of earning a living to support your family or your duty of taking care of what the Lord has given you in terms of a house and property. You have a different job which is spiritual, not physical. You are to warn unbelievers of the impending disaster that is ahead of them. It seems that it takes things like natural disasters, such as the recent tsunami in Japan, in which thousands were killed, to awaken our sorrow to concern over lost souls. Shouldn’t we be concerned about that every day? We pass people on the streets so often and all we ever really say to them is “hi” or “hello.” Reading the Word of God should embolden your spirit and inflame you with a righteous zeal for the saving of souls. Yet also remember the second part: “teaching every man in all wisdom.” Study the Scriptures so that you are able to help lead your family and other believers through the deep, meaty passages. Again, take your job seriously and may the Lord help you in your task.

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

Meditate on these things

2011-06-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” ~Phil 4:8-9

Brothers,

Recently, a slew of new movies came out: Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Thor, Kung Fu Panda 2, and some I don’t even know. If you’re like me, you like watching movies. The acting, the plot, the creativity behind it is all interesting and engrossing. However, before we watch any movie whatsoever, from Bob the Builder to Pirates 4, we have to ask whether it portrays things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Does Bob the Builder portray things that are honorable? Sure, it’s about a construction worker and his team serving others and though a children’s show, it encourages behavior that many adults in today’s world could stand to learn. Does Pirates 4 portray purity, truth, and virtue? From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like it. Now ultimately, you are the one watching the movie and you have to put it through the Scriptural test yourself. Also, I know that you may have already seen Pirates 4 and I didn’t bring it up merely to call you on a movie that I might judge as worldly and sinful, but more as a reminder to constantly compare the things you watch, say, think, do, and write against the standards of the Word. A while back, my dad checked out Gladiator from Blockbuster for us to watch on ClearPlay, but even though it filtered out almost all of the bad stuff, after getting halfway through, I finally decided to not watch anymore. Now I like action as much as anyone, I enjoy seeing the physical maneuverability of the human body evidenced in eye blurring martial arts and sword fighting as much as anyone. But the theme of the whole movie was revenge, bloodshed, and un-Scriptural motives. True, there was heroism and nobility, but the bad was so much more than the good, that my conscience convicted me and I went and read a book instead. Again, I am not trying to put myself on a pedestal as a “goody-goody,” but am instead trying to exhort you to greater diligence. In fact, far from being an example, most of the time I grumble and talk to myself about bad parts of shows or books or speech, but I rarely take action. Stand up for what you believe in. Be respectful; do not cause a brother or sister to stumble, but stand firm. If you believe something to be unprofitable or un-Biblical, don’t watch or read it. If a believer uses the name of the Lord in vain, humbly correct them and bring to light their error. If they will not listen, then the fault is their own, but better to try and encourage them than to live in a constant compromise of faithfulness to the Lord and diplomacy. If it helps, make a list that you can run through to examine things or even better, memorize Scripture for each requirement. Take a stand, brothers, for if we don’t, who will?

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

Get to Know Your Family

2011-05-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

“Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.” ~1 Sam. 23:16

Brothers,

Over the past week, we were blessed with the presence of about 80 brothers and sisters in Christ from across the United States. We got the chance to talk, play, and rejoice together. Our voices were lifted in unison that was not only beautiful to listen to, but filled me with a desire to hear the combined chorus of all the saints and angels in Heaven, shouting praises in perfect harmony to the Most High God. Sometimes, however, due to tiredness, emotions, or merely shyness, we back away from the chance to find out more about our family. We shy away from introductions, convincing ourselves that we couldn’t think of any interesting topics, or that they wouldn’t want to talk anyway, or we shy away because we want to remain in our own close-knit circles of friends without any distractions from others we’ve met only once. Yet ask yourselves this question: If you are nervous about meeting new people, or to put it another way, about meeting your brothers and sisters in Christ, how will you ever possibly be bold enough to share the Gospel with an unbeliever? These are family members, precious children in the sight of God, joint heirs of a kingdom everlasting. If we never meet these people, we will never get a chance to see how truly wonderful they are. But introductions are only the first steps. After that comes the truly fun part: mutual enjoyment, edification, and encouragement. So many times, we find it a chore to think of things to say about the Lord. Yet this is only because we have a wrong relationship with the Lord. When we have a real, strong, one-on-one relationship with Him, we will find it not only easy and natural, but a great joy to speak of the One who has given us the greatest gift imaginable. Look at the verse above: Jonathan arises and travels hundreds of miles to an outlaw who is being sought by the king, for the sole purpose of strengthening David’s hand in the Lord. What an example to us! Like Jonathan and David, our hearts should be knit to fellow believers and we should be willing to risk our lives, possessions, and earthly inheritances to encourage and strengthen them in their stand for the Lord. These past few days, our brothers and sisters in Christ have come to visit us and though we may not have had time to talk to every single one, we at least have had the opportunity, as was said this week, “to extend the right hand of fellowship” to them. Don’t hesitate to meet others you may only see once every year or two. These people are not only your family here on earth, but in heaven, as well. If you are going to spend eternity in their company, why wait to get to know them? When you find a good book, you immediately sit down and begin reading, you don’t set it aside for years until you are retired and have more free time. How blessed we are to start learning and benefiting from the company of our friends so soon! May your friendships here on earth grow so strong that instead of meeting at the gates of Heaven as distant acquaintances, you meet with a shout of joy as you embrace as brothers and sisters! Hallelujah! May God be glorified!

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

Why do the wicked prosper?

2011-05-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

“Now the Angel of the Lord said, ‘Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?’ … And the Angel of the Lord said to her: ‘Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son…because the Lord has heard your affliction….His hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.’ ” ~Gen. 16: 7-8; 11-12

Brothers in Christ,

Many times in our lives, we will encounter situations in which we will be in dire need of help. For these situations, and in fact every situation, the first one to seek help from is the Lord. The Lord will always help us, but not always in the ways we expect or desire. Sometimes the Lord helps those who don’t even believe in His Name. Though we don’t know the state of Hagar’s heart, based on some statements she makes, it doesn’t seem like she had a firm faith in God. Nevertheless, the Lord takes compassion upon her and gives her a seed that, like the lineage of Isaac, “shall not be counted for multitude.” But look at the ultimate purpose: Ishmael is raised up to be brought down. Why? Why is often a question that many people can’t answer, but by searching God’s Word, He gives us an answer. Ishmael is raised up so that God can show Himself glorious. Examples like Ishmael sober, humble, and remind us not only of God’s justice, but also of His mercy. We were doing a family Bible study the other night and we were going over Judges 3:1-4, which says that the Lord permitted various Canaanite nations to remain that He might test those Israelites “who had not known any of the wars in Canaan.” The Lord did so not only, as the passage says, to train them in warfare, but also to test their loyalty to Him. So the answer to “why?” is so that the Lord may instruct and test those whom He has predestined to eternal life. Kings, criminals, ordinary laymen all may be blessed with riches, success, or power for a time, but they are an example to us. How merciful is the Lord, that He has preserved us from eternal separation from Him! How thankful we should be that He has blessed us with eternal life! I asked my dad a while back if he thought that many Native Americans or ancient North American civilizations were saved. He said that some may have been, but we can’t know for sure. How sobering it is to think that besides a few here and there, the Lord may have seen fit to inflict judgment on all the peoples of the earth, except His chosen people: Israel. Next time you ask yourself why the wicked are prosperous, be reminded of your eternal reward and of the mighty deeds of the Lord. For there is another purpose behind their success: that we might see it and glorify God for His mercy towards us in preserving us from the punishment that they will one day receive.

Your brother in Christ,
Corey

"By this we know that we know Him..."

2011-03-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked.” ~1 John 2:3-6

Nick,

Besides containing many personal pronouns that are somewhat confusing, this passage is one that many have struggled with. At first glance, we begin to analyze ourselves, asking whether we have kept His commandments and are thus, in Him. Where many people struggle is in thinking that they are not in Him, because they have not fully kept His commandments. This leads them to doubt their salvation. It’s true that, if keeping His commandments was wholly up to us, we would utterly fail. However, because of Christ’s death, that burden has been lifted. He kept all the commandments and so paid the price for our sin. We can never and could never earn our salvation; it has been freely given to us. Yet this does not mean we are not to follow His commandments. That is what this passage is talking about. It is not listing a way to obtain salvation. It is providing a way to see if someone is truly a Christian. We are not free to do whatever we want; we say that we abide in Him and so should strive to our utmost to “walk just as He walked.” As Matt. 12:33 says, “a tree is known by its fruit.” Faith is not evidenced in words, but in actions. As Christians, we should strive to be more like Christ with each passing day. Yes, we will stumble and be tempted, but the Lord is with us in all things. In the U.S. there are thousands of people that claim to be Christians. Yet because they do not change the way they live to focus on Him, their claim remains a claim. We also claim Jesus as our own. We claim that we have eternal life. Let us show by our actions that we do. Believe on the Lord, but as it says many times in Scripture, let your faith be perfected in works. We can say we believe, but if we do not act like we believe, that faith is dead. At the same time, though, works do not save us, but only the grace of God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As Jesus illustrates in Matt. 12:33-37, if a tree is good, it will bear good fruit. The fruit itself does not make it a good tree, but the fruit is the evidence of a good tree. Even so, let us be bold in spreading the Word, not only through our words, but by our actions as well.

Your brother in Christ,

Corey

"He who hates correction is stupid"

2011-03-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Corey,

Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” We must learn to love correction. Only those who love knowledge will receive instruction. Sometimes we feel that we will appear stupid if we ask how to do things. But if we don’t ask, we are already stupid. We need to be able to set aside our pride and learn. God hates the proud. Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” We see that to have the wisdom that is from above we must be humble. If we are proud we not only care about what we look or seem like, but we can also cause problems; by not doing the job right, etc. We need to set aside our pride to gain wisdom. Think of someone you know that is wise. Is he proud or unwilling to receive correction? No. That person is probably humble and willing to receive correction. Examine yourself; are you willing to receive correction?

Your BIC,

Nick