March 25, 2014

"Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  Matthew 9:2

When Jesus says you are forgiven, you are forgiven! The fear of disappointing God resides in the fear that God hasn't or won't forgive you. Perhaps you have played fast and loose with sin and abused grace. That is not good. It is unwise. It will give the devil a field day for condemning you and accusing you.

Don't confuse your own guilt and feelings of condemnation with God's failure to forgive. Listen to Jesus' words to this fellow who apparently was so consumed with guilt that he was literally paralyzed. The Master looked at him and said with authority, "Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven." And then to demonstrate His power to forgive AND to prove that He had forgiven He then healed the man!

If you fear that you have disappointed God and He won't forgive you, consider this sampling of His promises throughout the Word of God:

“Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2

“He who believes in Him is not condemned.” John 3:18

“We are delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of the Son He loves.” Colossians 1:13

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” I John 5:13

“If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” I John 3:20

“If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” I John 1:9

"as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."  Isaiah 43:12

"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12

"Then he adds:  “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” Hebrews 10:17

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2

Never sell God's grace short nor the power of His forgiveness! He has given you faithful, fearless friends to help you deal with your fear of disappointing God. AND, He has assured you of His amazing grace that forgives you of your sins and lifts the weight of guilt from your conscience!

Could this be what John meant when he wrote, "Perfect love casts out fear"?

March 24, 2014

"Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”  Matthew 9:1-2

As with most things involving Jesus, they are amazing at several levels. So it is with this story. Not only does Matthew record it here, Luke also was inspired to write it down in chapter 5 of his gospel.

This morning I want to focus on a powerful weapon God has given us to overcome fear. It is on display in this story. What is it? Faithful, faith-filled, fearless friends!

Here is a man who badly needed an encounter with Jesus but because of his physical limitation was unable to get to the Master. We find out in the story that not only was he sick, he was a sinner. In fact, as you read this account it seems to imply that his sickness and his sin were related.

This poor man was blessed to have some friends who believed in him and believed in Jesus and made sure that their friend would get to Jesus. They had faith but they were also faithful and put feet to their faith.

We don't know how far they carried him but it really doesn't matter! The fact that they carried him to the place where Jesus was is impressive. Even more impressive is how they climbed up to the roof, tore a hole in the roof and lowered him down to where Jesus was! Wow! They were fearless!

Matthew and Luke both mention that it was THEIR faith that impressed Jesus, not necessarily the man's faith! He may have been faithless. He could have been fearful. We don't know - but it really didn't matter! He had friends who did!

Jesus forgave this man and then healed him, because of how faith-filled his friends were! Do you have friends like this? Are there people in your life who will make sure you get to Jesus when you can't get to Jesus? Do you have friends who are faithful to you when you have lost faith in yourself? Do you have friends who are faith-filled when you have lost faith in Him? Do you have fearless friends who encourage you when you are overcome with fear?

This man did! I hope you do, too. I hope your church is populated with people like that. I hope you have friends in your fellowship who are so committed to you and so committed to Jesus that they will carry you to Him and rip off a roof if they have to! I would like to think there are some people at FredWes who are like that.

Let me ask you a more important question, "Are you a friend like that?"

One of the inspiring truths that emerges from this amazing account is the power of friendship and what a strong resource faithful friends can be for helping overcome fear!

March 23, 2014

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." I Thessalonians 5:11

Do you find encouragement from your marriage?

Are you breathing courage into your spouse by the way you treat them?

Marriage is intended to be the most "encouraging" human relationship you have, second only to your walk with the Lord.

Definitions of encouragement :

1. give somebody hope or confidence: to give somebody hope, confidence, or courage
2. urge somebody to do something: to motivate somebody to take a course of action or continue doing something encouraged me to finish the course
3. foster something: to assist something to occur or increase encourage new solutions to traffic problems

How do you encourage someone? What should you do to breathe courage into a spouse?

Allow me to suggest several things:

1) Pray

Pray for and with your spouse. Let them hear your supplications and intercessions for them.

2) Obey

Know what the Bible requires of you and lovingly invest that into your spouse.

3) Play

Have fun with your spouse. Do things with them that they enjoy. Laughing together is one of the best things you can do. Laughter and joy knit your souls together.

4) Display

Show you love in every action and attitude. Express your affection and devotion daily.

What will you do today to make your home like the "Home On the Range"? You know, "where never is heard a discouraging word......"

March 22, 2014

"so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

The Word of God saves!

The Word of God shapes!

And the Word of God sharpens!

You become sharper as you study and learn more about the Word of God. You get sharper as you study and teach the Word to others.

You become sharper as truth challenges your thinking, as truth confronts your conduct and as truth convicts you of immorality.

The work of a thoroughly completed servant of God is to sharpen other believers in the way he has been sharpened.

How is that?

He sharpens other believers by teaching the Word faithfully and effectively so the Word can rebuke them and correct them and train them in righteousness.

To me, that sounds a lot like the Great Commission!

It sounds a lot like the work of making disciples.

Every Christian should have a plan for sharpening himself and others!

Every Christian should have a person that is sharpening him and a person he is sharpening!

Every Christian should have a place where he can be sharpened and sharpen others!

Let me ask you a couple of important questions:

Where are you sharper in your faith than you were a year ago?

Who have you made sharper over this past year?

Do you have a plan to be spiritually sharpened?

Do you have a person to help sharpen?

Do you have a place where you can be sharpened spiritually?

March 21, 2014

^“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”  II Timothy 3:16

From Paul's letter to Timothy we get three big purposes for the Word of God:

1) To save you

2) To shape you

3) To sharpen you

In my last post I focused on the necessity of finding salvation through Christ and how only the Word of God will lead you to that relationship.

What happens after you come to faith in Christ?

Does that render the Word of God less important?

Not at all!

In fact, it makes it MORE important because you need it to shape this new life that has birthed within you. 

Paul informs Timothy that Scripture is "God breathed". So, whenever you read the Word God is literally breathing into your Spirit!

That brings us to the second purpose of the Word. The Word shapes you!

It will shape your beliefs!  The Word is profitable for teaching - “teaching” = challenge with truth. You MUST begin with a solid foundation of true Biblical teaching to have your beliefs correctly shaped.

It will shape your thinking! The Word is profitable for “rebuking” = confront thinking. You need the Word to keep you thinking properly. Having a corrupted mind you are prone to think in the wrong way and about the wrong things. You need the truth to confront your "stinking thinking".

It will shape your conduct ! The Word is profitable for “correcting” = confront conduct. When you believe correctly and think Biblically you are more likely to act rightly. But when your conduct is unseemly the Word of God will convict you. 

It will shape your character! The Word is profitable for - “training” = calling to righteousness. When you are believing right and thinking right and living right it is evident that the Word has shaped your character!

When the Word of God is "breathed" into your mind and your intellect and your will and into your spirit it will shape you! And it will shape you into the righteousness of Christ!

So, what sort of shape are you in this morning?

March 20, 2014

“and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”  II Timothy 3:15

Paul, writing to the young believer Timothy, outlines three purposes for the Word of God. Those three purposes are:

1) To save you, V, 15

2) To shape you, V. 16

3) To sharpen you, V. 17

Let's look at that first purpose in this post!

The purpose of the Word is to save you!

Save you from what?

 Your sin!

Romans 3:23 declares, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Sin separates you from a holy God. Since He cannot become unholy, the only hope you have of having a relationship with Him is to have your sins forgiven. And the only chance you have of knowing how to find forgiveness is to read the Word of God. 

The Gospel is the "power of God unto salvation".

Your selfishness!

s   Selfishness is a function of sin. Selfishness tries to use God  instead of allowing God to use you. The temptation that enticed Eve was the thought that she could become like God and as God, she could do whatever she wished without consequences.

      

   A regular student of God's Word will find himself consistently challenged to reject sin and selfishness   humbly obey the Word.

     Your stupidity!

Yes, I said, stupidity!

The definition of stupid includes; "dense", "dull", "ignorant", and you are all those things AND MORE apart from the Word of God.

Your stupid, depraved human nature will tell you that you're good enough to please God - or you can be with a little work!

Reading God's Word will confront your pride and foolishness bound up in your human nature.

You need the truth and wisdom of God's Word to save you from your sin and your selfishness and your stupidity! 

It is sinfully stupid not to depend on the Word of God!

March 19, 2014

“But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned [them], And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus [through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:14-17 (AMPLIFIED VERSION)

I like the Amplified Version of the Bible when I study simply because it more clearly reflects the Greek meanings.

The insight given to the meaning of wisdom is “leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness”.

So, Paul’s idea of wisdom that leads to salvation involves an understanding of Scriptural truth that results in you having the wisdom to trust His wisdom rather than your own!

Wisdom that leads to salvation is wisdom to know you can’t save your soul and only He can!

Wisdom that understands the need to trust God for salvation is the wisdom that manifests in confession of sins and true repentance.

Such wisdom only comes from studying the Scriptures and believing those Scriptures are divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit of God!

The truths expressed in this portion of Scripture would be a New Testament equivalent of this Proverb –“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Wisdom in the Bible is associated with investing your faith in God, loving Him, trusting Him, living for Him and serving Him! Wisdom means trusting Him in your heart and in your head and with your habits!

Wisdom begins with learning from the Word and then leans upon the Word and then loves the Word and, as a result, lives out the Word in daily living!

That’s a Word to the wise!