I Corinthians 4:6: ". . . Do not go beyond what is written. . . ."
The local fellowship my wife and I attend recently celebrated their seventh year of existence. The church has blossomed to around 1500 in attendance each Sunday. Has there been a marketing plan put in place by a large group of intelligent corporate types? No. What has been expressed by the pastor and the staff is a return to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Repentance - grace - relationship with the Living God. People who have been turned off by "church" are now getting excited about the Living Christ.
Meditate On This!
How much of your life as a Christian is lived with extra biblical expectations? Are you living your life on borrowed convictions? Have you really searched the Scriptures to see that God cares about every aspect of your life? Is your Christian life more about all the "things" you dont do, rather than focusing on how much you love God?
I challenge you to center in on the Person and love of God, running your life by the Spirit of God through the Word of God, and rethinking which issues in your life are biblical and which are cultural. That will be a big test this week!
Romans 8:33: "Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies."
Most courtrooms in the United States are backlogged with cases of people suing one another and exposing injustice. We listen to the news on TV daily and hear names that are familiar to us such as "Monica", "Whitewater", "Starr", etc., because of litigation.
Meditate On This!
The reality is that we have "all sinned and come short of Gods glory," and the "evil one" often brings charges against us. This week as you are confronted about your sin, confess it! If you have already confessed it, realize that it is erased "as far as the east is from the west" in the eyes of the Lord. He will never bring it before you again.
Any time you have an accusation against you in an area of sin that you have truly confessed and repented, remind Satan that you are covered in the blood of the Creator and Messiah, Jesus Christ. Carry that theme with you this week and confess sin immediately. Then confront Satan biblically.
Psalm 73:28: "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds."
Those of us who follow sports have our favorite teams. We have a sense of loyalty, dedication, and sometimes even affection toward them. Is the same true with our affection toward God? Let me give you a short Bible study.
Our affection should be:
1) Supremely set upon God. (Deut. 6:3)
2) Set upon the commandments of God. (Psalm 19:8-10)
3) Upon the worship of God. (Psalm 26:8)
4) Upon the people of God. (Romans 12:10)
5) Upon heavenly things. (Colossians 3:12)
6) Zealously engaged for God. (Psalm 119:139)
7) It should not grow cold. (Psalm 106:12)
8) Carnal affection should remain crucified. (Romans 6:6; Galatians 5:24)
Meditate On This!
Where are your affections toward God today? Look at the list above and go through each of the topics and verses. Set for yourself a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most extreme affection. Add up your points and see how you rate. This is not about works, this is about gauging where your affections really are.
