FAVORITES

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. James 2:8

Someone needs to tell James that it’s hardly fair to throw the great commandment into a discourse on showing favoritism. It’s one thing to talk about how wrong it is to favor a rich person over someone who is poor, but when the discussion escalates to the level of loving my neighbor as if he or she were me, things get uncomfortable, at best.

The problem with favoritism isn’t with the other (rich or poor—or otherwise) person. It’s clear that we play favorites in many situations, and the favoritism is usually the same—we favor ourselves. The natural inclination is to favor myself—to cater to my wants and needs—and perhaps, if it’s convenient, bring my neighbor along for the ride.

The truth is, it’s really impossible to love others as much as we love ourselves. That kind of love was demonstrated on the cross by Christ, and His love is evident in our lives only as we live in obedience to Him.

Father, I want to do right and love others without favoritism. I know there’s a long way to go, but I ask You to continue to change me so that I can show Your love to others. Thank you for showing Your love to me.

Grace to you
Jim

THANKFULNESS

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29

For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about thankfulness. Specifically, I’ve been trying to uncover what thankfulness teaches us about God.

God’s people are exhorted again and again—in various ways—to be thankful: there are thank offerings and psalms of thanksgiving, worship includes thankfulness, Jesus offered thanks before he multiplied the loaves and fish, thanksgiving is to be included in prayer, and the Christian is to be thankful. (In the realm of religious faiths, are the ones based on the God of the Bible the only faiths that hold thankfulness in high regard?)

Certainly, we are to be thankful for who God is and all that He has done for us. We can never thank Him enough for redeeming us from the curse of sin and for His ongoing work in our lives to make us more like Christ. God’s comfort and presence in times of difficulty is another reason to be thankful; we are thankful for our families and friends—the list goes on and on.

If the verse were to read: “let us be fearful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire,’” our relationship with God would be quite different. Our worship would be mandated and there would be a separation between us and Him. However, that we can come before God with thankfulness means that He is for us (He has our best interest at heart) and that He is a personal God (He invites us into His presence).

Thankfulness points to the goodness of God. We would have good reason to fear an all powerful, all knowing, ever present deity, but add to that the quality of true goodness and there is every reason to respond with thankfulness (and praise).

Father, there is so much to thank You for: salvation, sustaining grace, provision, strength to face temptation—the list is endless. Thank You for today and for Your presence. I praise You because You are good.

God’s grace to you,
Jim

Looking Forward in Faith

"Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." Hebrews 11:10 NLT

In obedience to God's call Abraham left the comfort of his home and the advanced culture of Ur to go to the backwoods of Canaan and live in a tent. But seeing with eyes of faith he had something greater in view than the comforts he left behind. Living in a tent for a few years was a worthwhile price to pay for the eternal city toward which God was leading him. By faith he wanted to be a part of the greater things of God and was willing to pay the temporary cost to do God's will for eternal gain.

Are you living for the eternal or for the temporary? We can become so focused on our comfort and dreams for this present world that we lose sight of the eternal world. If we truly catch sight of the greatness of God's eternal kingdom we will suddenly reorder our life to get in on what God is doing and to go where God is leading. It may not make sense to the world around us but we are seeing and living for something they do not see or understand.

Father, open my eyes to see by faith the things that are eternal and to live for them rather than the temporary comforts of this world.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Too Clever for God?

"So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle...But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor." 1 Kings 22:30, 34

The prophet had delivered the word of the Lord to King Ahab declaring that he would die in battle. This was God's judgment on Ahab's wickedness. Ahab thought he could cleverly disguise himself and hide from the judgment of God. But one cannot escape from God's judgment no matter how clever he may be.

We may hide our sins from the eyes of men but we cannot hide them from the searching eyes of the Lord. Proverbs 28:12 warns, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper." While we can never escape God's judgment by hiding our sins there is another way to escape God's judgment. The above proverb goes on to declare, "But whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Or as 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Father, reveal any hidden sin in my life so that I may confess and renounce it and receive your mercy.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

WHO / WHAT / WHEN

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25

Who: Jesus
What: intercedes
When: always

It is for you and me that Jesus—THE SON OF GOD— is interceding. Who else would you want in your corner?

Not only did he pay the price for our sins, he continues to be our advocate before the throne of God. Because of this, there can be no doubt that he is able (and willing) to save us. Nothing will fall between the cracks; we are and will be completely saved.

Thank you, Lord, for saving me. Thank you for continuing to intercede for me at the highest level I can imagine. You are a great God.

Grace to you,
Jim

Listen and Obey

"Now Elijah...said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the nest few years except at my word.'" 1 Kings 17:1

What a bold declaration Elijah made to King Ahab! On what basis did he make this prediction? He spoke for the Lord "whom I serve." The King James Version reads "before whom I stand" where the New International Version has "whom I serve." Putting the two translations together we get the full picture communicated in the original Hebrew. Elijah stood before the Lord as a servant listening for His voice and ready to obey His command. When the Master spoke the servant went from His presence to obey. The Lord gave Elijah this message to deliver to Ahab and, at risk of his own life, Elijah delivered the message of judgment obediently.

This is a good picture of what our own relationship to the Lord should be. We stand before Him as His servants with ears attentive to His Word and then we go from His presence to obey what He has said, no matter the cost. When we open our Bibles we take the posture of a servant ready to hear the Master. When we close our Bibles we take the position of a servant ready to obey the Master.

Father, may I learn to be more attentive to Your word and then obedient like Elijah. Give me ears to hear, a heart to believe, and hands to obey.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Slow Learner?

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. - Hebrews 5:14

The writer of Hebrews labels the recipients of his letter slow learners (v.11). He tells them that they should be teachers by now (v.12). Reading his remarks leads me to ask myself the following questions, and I would invite you to ask yourself these same questions.

• How much do I depend on others to teach me the Word of God? Am I too reliant on others to feed me spiritually?
• Am I studying God's Word for myself?
• Is my faith immature? Do I have to relearn the same simple lessons of faith over and over again?
• What have I done to train myself to distinguish good from evil?
  

Father, examining myself with these questions reveals that I am weak and undisciplined. I know that you desire me to be mature, "lacking nothing." I need your grace to overcome my shortcomings and to grow into the person you desire me to be. Lead me to grow in faith, knowledge and obedience.

By His grace,
Matt