January 6, 2011

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

In one of my recent posts I mentioned that the final verse of this twelfth chapter states the purpose of every believer, "Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil with good."

Someone might challenge that notion by saying that Matthew 28:19-20 is the purpose statement for believers. Matthew 28:18-20 says this, "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I would suggest that is a strategy for overcoming evil with good. And an effective one at that! Becoming a disciple of Jesus certainly makes you better and helps you be better and do better things.

Someone else might argue that the First Commandment would be the purpose statement of Christians. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39

Love is the deal! There is no doubt about that! But that is the source of doing good. Loving God is doing a good thing. There is no better thing. When you love God you will do what is best for Him and for you. And, when you love God you will do good for others as well. That sort of divine love WILL most definitely overcome evil.

So, living on purpose is a matter of loving on purpose. Loving God and loving others is evidence that God has overcome the evl in you, making you good and enabling you to overcome evil with the goodness of God.

Love is the power of your purpose and disciples are the proof that His purpose is operating in you!

January 5, 2011

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

This great chapter of Romans would be just as great even if you read it backwards. You can start at the end and it still communicates the same great truths. Romans 12 has much to say about discovering God's purpose for your life and this final verse is the purpose statement.

The purpose of every believe is to overcome evil with good! Is that a great goal or what? Who could be against that? Why wouldn't everyone want to sign on with that purpose?

I can think of at least two reasons why this is not as easy as it sounds:

First, how can we overcome evil when we ARE evil?

What? Me evil?

Yes, you! And me. Thanks to Adam, all inherit an evil fallen moral nature. Everyone of us have been born into sin and that sin separates you and me from God. So, the fallen moral nature is cut off from the only hope it has of changing. So, the first evil that has to be overcome in the evil within!

Second, who defines good?

Does it make sense that evil people would be left to define what is good? No way! We would define goodness down to such a level that there would be little difference distinguishing good from evil. That largely describes where our culture is today. Goodness has been defined down because moral absolutes have been abandoned. So, goodness becomes the subjective opinion of each individual based on what works best for them. That is the moral chaos we see around us today. That is why we have political correctness. God has been replaced by the government and the worship of the earth, so goodness is defined by what is good for the state and what is good for the earth. Think where that ultimately leads - whoever has the most strength and power will ultimately define what is good and what is not. It is called totalitarianism. God is the Only One Who is good and only He is the source of all that is good! Good is what God says it is! Good is what God is!

Verses 1 and 2 of Romans 12 tells you how to overcome the WITHIN you so you can confront evil in the world AROUND you. That is your purpose. It is the only way you can fulfill the purpose statement delineated for you and me.

Tired of the evil within? Ready to become an overcomer? Begin living on purpose today!

January 4, 2011

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

The key to knowing God's purpose for your life is to know God on purpose. Paul, writing to the Romans, says that if your want to know God's purpose for your life make knowing God your purpose. If you do that, He promises that He will reveal His will for you.

Why is it important to know your purpose for living?

If you are not guided by your purpose, you will be misguided by your personal preferences. A purpose gives you something to live for that is bigger than yourself and what you want. A life guided by personal desires never seems to end well.

If you are not guided by your purpose, you will be misguided by your passions. A purpose takes emotions and emotional decision out of play. How many good decisions have you made when you were overcome by your emotions? A purpose begins with the end in mind and chooses or decides based on what accomplishes your purpose.

If you are not guided by your purpose, you will be misguided by your prejudices. A purpose is based on a process and on principles not on personalities or people. A purpose is focused on arriving at a certain result and prioritizes according to whatever accomplishes the purpose rather your petty personal judgments.

Are you living on purpose? Do you have a clear idea of what your life is to accomplish? If so, it is because you have purposed to know your purpose. You have purposely made knowing God your purpose. That purposeful quest has lifted you above your personal preferences, above your passions and above your prejudices.

Know God, know purpose. No God, no purpose.

January 3, 2011

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

What if someone offered to trade you his 2011 BMW straight up for your 2005 Toyota Corolla? Would you take that deal? You certainly would want to check him out and make sure he actually owns the car and has the title and registration for it. But once that all checked out, don't you think you would be eager to make that deal?

If you pass on that deal I hope you would call me so I would have a chance to take it! That would be an amazing deal! You would be exchanging something of high value for something of significantly less value.

Don't hold your breath waiting for a deal like that. I seriously doubt it will happen. Who would take something of less value in trade for something of much greater value?

God would!

This Sunday I will begin a study on finding your purpose. Unfortunately, many people live and die without knowing why they were here. A life is a terrible thing to waste!

One of the first things you need to understand before you find your purpose is your value. You need to know how valuable you are and to whom and how that value is determined. Afterall, if you don't know your own value, how can you determine the relative worth of yourself against other things of value?

Getting back to my illustration, if you don't know the approximate value of your Corolla or the ballpark value of the BMW, how can you determine what sort of a deal you have been offered?You could miss out on the deal of your lifetime!

If you want to determine your purpose for being on earth you must understand you value and how that value is determined. You must be prepared to recognize a good offer in case one is made to you!

In Romans 12:1-2, God makes an incredible offer that gives an insight on how He values you. Here's the deal, He offers to reveal His will and purpose for you if you are willing to surrender your life to Him. You offer yourself to Him and He will give you as much as you can receive of Him!

Wow! That is a deal! You may want to give that some SERIOUS thought!

January 2, 2011

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

You have had it happen and so have I. It always happens at the most inconvenient time. You hurry to your car, slip the key into the ignition and turn the key but - nothing happens. Maybe you get a click or maybe not, but your battery is dead and your car is not going to start. What a horrible feeling! Your car needs a source of power to get started and your battery has no power. You are stranded! What will you do?

Obviously, you need to find a source of power to help start your car. You need a jump start. You need to get next to someone who has a poweful battery that your battery can draw power from. And since you are unable to move from where you are, someone needs to come and bring the power to you. When that helpful person arrives, either they or you should have some jumper cables to connect the powerless to the powerful. That transfer of power will get you started and on your way again! What a relief!

God sent His powerful Son, Jesus, to a powerless world to help jump start your joy. That is what Christmas was all about! God doesn't want you to be spiritually stranded. He is not pleased when your spiritual battery runs down. And since you were powerless to move, God sent Jesus to you! Jesus came with the power to jump start your joy!

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6

"He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— " John 1:11-12

That is the "good news of great joy" that the angel was sharing with the shepherds! That is the good news I share with you! You don't have to start a new year powerless! You don't have to be stranded in some lifeless useless unfulfilling spiritual place. God wants to connect with you to jump start your spirit and restore your joy! Jesus is the key! Not only is He the power source - He is the jumper cable. Not only does He recharge your spiritual battery, he replaces it!

On this second day of 2011, do you need a jump start? Are you tired of being spiritually powerless?

Connect - or reconnect with Jesus!

January 1, 2011

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" II Corinthians 5:17

Happy 2011! May God bless you with a healthy and joy-filled year!

Time marches ahead relentlessly and a new year is upon us! Will you make the New Year new or will you drag the same old pain and problems across the threshhold of time?

Speaking of time, the Apostle Paul reaches across the centuries with this solid reminder that only in Christ can all things be made new! So, the New Year cannot be truly new unless you are "in Christ".

What needs to be gone in your life? What did you carry in 2010 that you don't need to drag into 2011? Is there a sinful habit? Is there shame over your past? Is there an unhealthy relationship? Is there a spiritual stronghold? Is there a lack of discipline? Is there discouragement or depression? Is there spiritual apathy? Is there outright rebellion against spiritual truth?

The promise is that if you are "in Christ" you can be made new and the old, painful, unproductive, and harmful things can be gone!

So, what does it mean to be "in Christ"?

It means to live in trust. When you trust "in Christ" for your salvation and stop trusting in your own goodness or righteousness, then you can enter into a spiritual relationship with Him.

It means to live in truth. When you are "in Christ" you surrender to His truth and "lean not unto your own understanding". His truth is expressed through His Word, the Bible. Living in truth means that you commit to defining what is real in your life based on what the Bible says is real. You live by its principles. You order your life by its priorities. You shed your past and plan your life according to its promises and you prevail in life according to its power.

The New Year can only be new if you are made new! It can only be happy if you are made whole - and holy!

As you turn the page on the calendar will you turn a page in your spiritual experience? Will you be "in Christ"? Will you trust His truth to transform you into a "new creation"? Will you allow Him to make "all things new" in you?

You can be "in Christ" or in crisis. It's up to you.

December 31, 2010

"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2:10

As you know, I have been talking about joy for several days because joy is such a hallmark of Christmas. And, also, I want to comment on joy one more time because joy is such a powerful force but such a rare commodity.

Here is a good illustration of joy:

“I have everything I need for joy!” Robert Reed said.

His hands are twisted and his feet are useless. He can’t bathe himself. He can’t feed himself. He can’t brush his teeth, comb his hair, or put on his underwear. Strips of Velcro hold his shirts together. His speech drags like a worn out audio cassette. Robert has cerebral palsy. The disease keeps him from driving a car, riding a bike, and going for a walk. But it didn’t keep him from graduating from high school or attending Abilene Christian University, from which he graduate with a degree in Latin. Having cerebral palsy didn’t keep him from teaching at St. Louis Junior College or from venturing overseas on five mission trips. And Robert’s disease didn’t prevent him from becoming a missionary in Portugal.He moved to Lisbon, alone, in 1972. There he rented a hotel room and began studying Portuguese. He found a restaurant owner who would feed him after the rush hour and a tutor who would instruct him in the language. Then he stationed himself daily in a park, where he distributed brochures about Christ.

Within six years he led seventy people to the Lord, one of whom became his wife, Rosa.

I heard Robert speak recently. I watched other men carry him in his wheelchair onto the platform. I watched them lay a Bible in his lap. I watched his stiff fingers force open the pages. And I watched people in the audience wipe away tears of admiration from their faces. Robert could have asked for sympathy or pity, but he did just the opposite. He held his bent hand up in the air and boasted, “I have everything I need for joy.”

His shirts are held together by Velcro, but his life is held together by joy. - Max Lucado.

That is joy! Joy is enjoying God's favor and knowing His fullness!

Robert Reed knows that joy. Do you?