Archive for the ‘ Lifestyle ’ Category
And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.
Zechariah 14:9, ESV
We are able to share the good news that one day God will put an end to all evil and suffering, and to be a part of it all only takes faith in the work of Christ.
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12, ESV
Kindness and mercy are definitely important, but we should not forget grace and forgiveness as well as sharing God’s Word with all people. There is nothing more loving than pointing each other to God.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4, ESV
We are blessed when we realize our wretchedness compared to God, and we mourn the sin the separates us from God – our own sins and the sins of others.
For only then can we seek the blessing of forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus Christ.
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 145:18, ESV
God wants us to draw near, not merely waiting for us but even coming for us, but in His truth.
Don’t chase a fake god. Pursue the Gut of the Bible.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Matthew 9:37-38, ESV
Prayer for the pastors, missionaries, and evangelists of Christ is always welcomed and necessary.
Pray also that your heart may yearn to share the Word and help reap the harvest of saved souls.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV
The tithe was essentially a tax to pay for the Temple and priests in Israel.
Now, we give because we love Christ’s Church and want to support the spread of the Gospel. Ten percent can be a guide to giving, not necessarily the standard.
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1, ESV
Christ has freed us from the hold of sin that we might choose to serve God and love others with His love.
Only in Christ can we find true freedom. Let us share Him with everyone.
I have started a small group series on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). I am sharing my notes in case anyone else wants to use them with their group.
Matthew 5:1-2:
Jesus wants to teach the crowds: Who are they? Jewish disciples: People who understand the
Scriptures (at least to a point). Notice from 7:28 the crowds still came along, but this teaching is for His disciples.
What does “blessed” mean?
Based on the first twelve verses, blessed means realizing our own wretchedness and need for a Savior. In other words, it is becoming/being a Christian.
Matthew 5:13:
Properties of salt:
• Made from stuff that can kill us (chloride, as in chlorine, which is poisonous to us; sodium is not very good for us by itself)
o No one can see God’s face and live (Exodus 33:20), yet we shall see God face to face through Christ (1 Corinthians 13:12)
• Enriches flavor
o 1 Peter 2:12 – We make life better as we point others to God’s Hugh standards.
• Preserves
o 2 Peter 3:9 – God withholds His wrath until all who will be saved are saved.
• Can melt ice
o Romans 10:13-14; Ezekiel 11:19 – The preaching of the gospel can change people’s hearts (via the Holy Spirit) from hardness to receptivity (see also Parable of the Sower/Seeds [Matthew 13:1-23], implying God may change the soil of the heart)
• Is used to make soap
o 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 – We help cleanse the world through defending and spreading truth over lies of evil spirits/demons/Satan
• Has a high melting point (it is not easily melted/burned: paradoxically lowering the boiling point of water while making it harder for water to boil)
o Isaiah 43:1b-3a – We hold back God’s wrath (see “Preserves” earlier) as the world gives more reason for His wrath to come. Further, we pull people from the fires of damnation (see Jude)
Can we lose our saltiness? (Refer, again, to Parable of the Sower – holding to the understanding that the first three refer to unsaved people [“churchians”?]) (Short answer: not really. Salt does not become not salt. It either is salt or is not.)
But how do “we” save them?
Matthew 5:14-16
• Firstly, v. 16: what does it mean to shine our light?
• It is there: “see your good works and glorify …”
• Secondly, What does it mean to glorify God?
• Mark 12:32-34; 1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8
• Glorifying God means obeying Him and showing love and mercy.
• We share the Gospel – Romans 10:13-17; Matthew 28:18-20
• Hebrews 11:6 – It is impossible to please God, to glorify God, if we do not believe in Him properly if at all. So we share the Gospel. Our greatest good work.
How we shine:
• Ephesians 5:1-21
• Philippians 2:12-16
• 1 Peter 4:1-11
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
Psalm 127:1, ESV
We want to do great things for God – start ministries, care for the poor, plant churches – but without a foundation in prayer and God’s Word, seeking His will in all things, we may be wasting our efforts.
Seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness.
a simple man of God 