Posts Tagged ‘ Walk ’
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him
Colossians 2:6, NASB
We receive Christ by hearing and believing the gospel. Likewise, we should be sharing the gospel and doing good works to help others come to the same saving faith.
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2, ESV
The best way to love your neighbor is to walk with them through life’s struggles.
whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
1 John 2:6, ESV
How did Jesus walk?
He was a servant, was a teacher and defender of God’s Word, and gave sacrificially to the point of death, and all through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of the Father.
How are we to live?
The same way.
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV
With all that we see is wrong in this world, it can be easy to lose hope.
But we walk in the faith that Christ has promised to return and take us to be with Him forever.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7, ESV
Salvation is a moment. Both 2000 years ago and the moment you believe.
However, we walk out our salvation for the rest of life, as we follow the Light of Christ and let Him continue to cleanse us.
Walk in wisdom with some help from Proverbial Thought!
This month I have discussed new year’s resolutions, the state of the Church, and overcoming our own faults.
The poem today is about realizing just how close our Lord is to us, and it is the result of overcoming due to our resolving to follow Christ.
Do you walk with Christ? Do you live in the power of the Holy Spirit? Do desire to walk with Him?
walking with
in our walk with our Savior
we long to be walking with
Him right next to us or
at least one of the angelic
we pray that we might see
with our eyes being trained
Him walking with us down the street
and to know we are safe
but our God tells us anew
that He has been there all along
He is always with me and you
and will be until He comes
Hurry over to Proverbial Thought for some wisdom from Proverbs!
Once again, I bring a story of our wonderful puppy! (You may remember the entries found here, here, and here.)
When we go out for a walk, we frequently find things of interest.
At least, he finds things of interest, things I usually find less interesting.
These things range from fast food wrappers, bones, other pieces of trash, spills on the walkway/blacktop, larger dogs, and cats.
He may not always be aware of the danger posed by such things, such as germs/bacteria, parasites, or fights with other animals. I am aware of these dangers, and I am quick to say “Not good for us. Come on!”
Here is what usually happens: he tugs on the leash toward the desired item until I give a quick tug right back, then he runs full speed away!
Perhaps you see where I might be going with this:
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
Genesis 39:6-12, NIV
Sin is rather glamorous to us. We should face the facts: it can be fun and enjoyable to sin. If it was not enjoyable, there would be little or no problem with sin in our world!
It may look attractive, fun, or sweet, but, like with my puppy, it is garbage and dangerous.
We may strive to get close to it, to push our boundaries of what might be safe. It is just like Joseph with Potiphar’s wife. Odds are Potiphar knew his wife was “easy,” and Joseph could have alerted him to the situation. Instead, he only tried to ignore it instead of deal with it. (To be fair, he was only a servant, but work with me here!)
Eventually, he knew the cost of disobeying God was too great, and he literally ran. Because he toed the line too long, even though his master probably knew the truth, it cost him.
Notice my puppy still finds things and has to run away.
How many times do we fail to run away?
What thing or person do you refuse to run away from to protect yourself and honor God?
Online pornography? An attractive co-worker? Too much time on Facebook/P!nterest/news sites? Weekly lottery tickets? Gossip? Taking the excess [anything] from work? Driving too fast? Cutting corners to save time/money?
Stop pulling at the leash. Stop ignoring situations and God’s commands.
RUN!
Sometimes it means putting away the computer, or even giving it up completely (I would miss you, but I understand). Sometimes it means avoiding the store or certain people. Sometimes it means asking for a transfer or even quitting your job. Sometimes it means giving up the keys.
RUN!
Sin is never worth the cost.
Besides, I like cuddling with and getting kissed by my puppy.
God likes being close and indwelling us.
If my puppy gets into the garbage or a fight, I am wary of even touching him or letting him touch me.
Our sin is pushing God out.
RUN FROM THE TEMPTATION AND THE SIN!
RUN TO THE OPEN ARMS OF GOD!
Play it safe and get some wisdom from Proverbial Thought!
In early May I talked about my wonderful puppy and the lessons he helps us learn about our walk with God (here and here).
Now for another puppy inspired lesson!
He has a really funny habit.
Whether it is something we are eating/using/moving or something we left sitting out and he wants it, he makes an attempt to get whatever it is.
We sternly warn him to stay away (“Not for puppies! Stay away!”).
What does he do?
He gets as close as he can, laying down with his nose a few inches away. Then he scoots closer, without standing or even sitting up, to the point that his nose is less than an inch away. He might even try to lick at whatever he is not supposed to have when we look away.
We calmly say, “No. Not for you.”
He growls, bares his teeth, yips, and scoots back an inch or two … only to scoot closer, again.
Draw near to …
How many times do we do this very thing?
God’s Word warns us “Do not commit adultery.” Jesus goes as far as to say, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).
Yet, we ask our pastors “How far is too far when dating?”
God’s Word warns us “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22, ESV)
Yet, we watch all manner of TV programs and movies full of things promoted as good that the Bible warns are dangerous or evil.
God’s Word warns us “Do not gossip.”
Yet, we ask for prayer requests for our neighbors, and share way more information than is necessary.
God’s Word asks us to “Draw near to God . . . resist the devil” (James 4:7-8).
Yet, we say we are satisfied attending church once a week and never sharing or faith or helping others … or we never open or Bible … or never pray … and we say “I am so close to God!”
We spend more time walking as close as we can to sin while maintaining the appearance of righteousness.
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
Proverbs 4:10-17“Woe to you, . . . you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Matthew 23:27-28
Rather, what we should be doing is this:
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:4-10
Do not stray from knowledge; rather find wisdom through Proverbial Thought!
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Philippians 2:12-18
Needing to Go for a Walk
Last week I wrote about my dog and God’s control over our lives. I return to the topic of my dog this week.
My little puppy is a joy to have around . . .
. . . especially when he begins to make a lot of noise.
. . . especially when he nips at our hands and heels.
. . . especially when he tears at furniture and furnishings.
. . . especially when he destroys things.
Usually, there is a simple fix: he just needs to go for a walk!
When all he does is get fed and hang around the home, eventually things build up inside that must be released. He needs to walk around, meet with others, and “release” all that is locked up inside. Only then does he behave well.
Needing to Go for a Walk
We can get the same way in the Church.
Many people grumble and make a lot of noise about what they do not like or how they think things should run.
Many people complain about others, and they begin to gossip and fight.
Many people tear apart relationships and congregations over meaningless squabbles.
Many people destroy their own or their families lives.
You may already know where this is going:
The biggest problem with many in the Church is that they do not get out of the Church enough.
They sit in their chairs and get fed, and they are surrounded by (and even help) others who are constantly being fed. Yet, they almost never step outside to meet others and share what they have been fed and thus lead them to salvation.
14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Jude 1:14-23
When we hold onto all of the good things God has given us, even attempting to keep His Holy Spirit to ourselves, what really builds up inside is our own selfishness and pride. We build our sin instead of righteousness.
Then we lash out and complain.
All we need to is go Walk.
a simple man of God 