October 7, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22.
The common mistakes that those who “underdo” make in their walk with God are due in large part to their attempts to become a Christian on their own. They try to tackle sin alone, they read the Bible without asking for the Spirit’s guidance, and they isolate scripture to back up their position. However, God never intended for us to do anything alone, and that is why He sent the Holy Spirit to us. The repercussions of their actions can be severe, and are evidence of their inability to see the magnitude of Jesus sacrifice.
First of all, God’s gift to us of forgiveness should not be taken for granted. For example, imagine you invested a lot of time and money into picking out a gift for your child, and knowing they have not taken care of gifts before, you tell them not to damage it. However, they do not listen and they destroy the gift. Although you would forgive them, you feel hurt, ignored, and as if your sacrifice and generosity were taken for granted. Likewise, our sin hurts God. “The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” Genesis 6:6.
Second, the underdoer is showing a refusal to trust in God to help them overcome the things they do not want to do with the Spirit’s guidance. The Spirit that was so powerful in the Holy of Holies that if sin encountered Him or anyone looked upon Him they would die, now lives within believers because Jesus shed human blood. The magnitude of that event should be enough not to use it as an excuse to go out on our own knowing we will be forgiven. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10:26-27.
Third, the idea that we do not have to answer for what we do is false. Once we committed to Christ, each of us individually became a part of the “Body of Christ”, and our membership in that body does not make us immune from judgment. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10.
If you are a believer who is walking out on your own, you are putting your own will ahead of God’s, but you are forgetting that you are held to a higher standard. "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:47-48.
Fourth, God wants us to repent for our sins. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9. Repent means we turn back from what we are sorry for, thus it is more than an apology, it is an action of showing God that we truly mean what we say. For example, when you tell your child not to do something and they tell you they are “sorry”, but they do it over and over anyway only to repeatedly say “sorry”, you are less likely to believe that they are truly sorry for what they have done.
God’s power of forgiveness is greater than we could ever imagine, and has reached the worst of sinners. One famous example is seen in the well known Bible story of the woman who was going to be stoned for adultery. We are told what Jesus said to those who were going to stone her. “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7.
What many forget is what Jesus also said to the woman. “Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:10-11. Jesus let her know she was forgiven, but He also told her to leave her life of sin. The meaning we should walk away with is that we should quit doing what we are sorry for, and the Holy Spirit will help us do so.
When Jesus died, the veil or curtain that separated us from being able to access God’s Spirit in the Temple in Jerusalem was torn down and now God’s Spirit could live within believers. The Holy Spirit has specific ways of guiding us and changing us (to be discussed in a future part to this series). The bottom line is that God tore down that curtain to give us access to Him so that we could be transformed and avoid sin and its consequences, but the “underdoer” hangs that curtain back up so that they can do what they wish.
The end result is that they walk down their own path only to reach a dead end, and question why God did not help them. The answer to that question is obvious. What many people do not understand is how our own obedience affects the timing of God’s response.
The reality is that no matter how many curtains we hang so we can do as we wish,
God can see through them.
**Part VIII of the "Now What?" Series will discuss the other path people walk on their own instead of staying on God's path, the "overdoer".
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Avoidance and Delay...(Now What? Series Part VI)
October 6, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” Matthew 7:21-23.
Knowing that sin means to “miss the mark” and that this does not just include our intentional wrongs, one would think that we would make an effort to stay on course with God. “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:29-30.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Those who attempt to tackle the sin in their own lives through avoidance are best defined as “underdoers”. In most cases, they turn away from God out of a sense of condemnation or shame. In other cases, they refuse to commit to the change that God wants to bring in their lives because it is not something they wanted. In turn, they tell themselves that they will walk on their own and God will forgive them, but because we cannot be perfect there is no need to try at all. Simply put, they cover up their lack of obedience with God’s promise of forgiveness for all sins.
To justify their actions, they will tell you that we are all sinners and we are all forgiven. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:22-24. This is absolutely true, but the application is problematic. Put simply, they are misusing their gift, and misusing such a miraculous gift has serious repercussions.
In all truth, we do not have to cover up our shame by avoiding change. First, as a believer, there is no condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death..” Romans 8:1-2. What the “underdoer” does not see is that they will be able to follow the rules with the Spirit’s guidance, but they have to ask.
Likewise, the expectation of perfection “or else” is not warranted. Even when we fall and show our own lack of faith, God remains faithful. With the Spirit living in us, to be unfaithful to us, God would have to disown himself, and that He will never do. “…if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13.
However, through their choice to pursue this walk, what the “underdoer” fails to realize is that avoiding change does not make God’s will for change in their life go away, but
Their avoidance will only delay the good that only His change can bring.
**Part VII of the “Now What?” Series will discuss the ways the “underdoers” misuse the gift given to them by God.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” Matthew 7:21-23.
Knowing that sin means to “miss the mark” and that this does not just include our intentional wrongs, one would think that we would make an effort to stay on course with God. “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:29-30.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Those who attempt to tackle the sin in their own lives through avoidance are best defined as “underdoers”. In most cases, they turn away from God out of a sense of condemnation or shame. In other cases, they refuse to commit to the change that God wants to bring in their lives because it is not something they wanted. In turn, they tell themselves that they will walk on their own and God will forgive them, but because we cannot be perfect there is no need to try at all. Simply put, they cover up their lack of obedience with God’s promise of forgiveness for all sins.
To justify their actions, they will tell you that we are all sinners and we are all forgiven. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:22-24. This is absolutely true, but the application is problematic. Put simply, they are misusing their gift, and misusing such a miraculous gift has serious repercussions.
In all truth, we do not have to cover up our shame by avoiding change. First, as a believer, there is no condemnation. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death..” Romans 8:1-2. What the “underdoer” does not see is that they will be able to follow the rules with the Spirit’s guidance, but they have to ask.
Likewise, the expectation of perfection “or else” is not warranted. Even when we fall and show our own lack of faith, God remains faithful. With the Spirit living in us, to be unfaithful to us, God would have to disown himself, and that He will never do. “…if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13.
However, through their choice to pursue this walk, what the “underdoer” fails to realize is that avoiding change does not make God’s will for change in their life go away, but
Their avoidance will only delay the good that only His change can bring.
**Part VII of the “Now What?” Series will discuss the ways the “underdoers” misuse the gift given to them by God.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Under or Over...(Now What? Series Part V)
October 4, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
When we are given a gift, the person who gave it to us usually expects one thing and that is use. In using that gift, we have to use it for the purpose in which it was made. Realizing the gift of our salvation from God, and the promise that the Holy Spirit will live within us and guide us can be hard for many to understand. In trying to gain understanding there are trip falls that must be avoided because they cause us to put the focus back on us and off of Him, and when we do we are starting to walk out on our own instead of following God.
Chances are that when some of us were told the Holy Spirit lives within us, we were also told that we better not do anything wrong because now our “body is the temple”. While that is absolutely true, the message affects people differently, and there are two different reactions that can surface and cause people to fall off of their path with God. The two reactions are best described as “underdo” and “overdo”, and both are problematic for many reasons, and are often due to a lack of knowledge about the role the Holy Spirit has in our walk with God.
Before considering either reaction, it is important to know that the word “sin” is what causes a believer to fall off of God’s path and start walking on their own. Both “underdoers” and “overdoers” try to attack the concept of sin in their lives on their own. When this happens, they have dropped their guard on the fact that they were supposed to ask their guide for help.
Understanding the true definition of sin should have an effect on both the “underdoer” and the “overdoer” and bring them back to their path with God. On Earth, we usually define wrongs as intentional conduct, but the word “sin” in the Bible is from the Greek word hamartia, which means to “miss the mark”. If we miss that mark, it is a sin, whether we intended to miss it or not. And it is not only our own sin that causes us to fall off of God’s path, but the sins of others can cause us to do so as well. Armed with all of that knowledge, the two reactions take shape, and both cause God a lot of bad press, so to speak.
To avoid falling victim and aligning with one of the two sides, the best advice is to make sure that you do not apply any definitions or rules to your life by yourself based on your own meaning, but instead you use your gift properly, and
Ask your guide for help.
**Part VI of the “Now What? Series” will discuss in detail the “underdo” reaction, and the truth and mistruths that are those people follow.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
When we are given a gift, the person who gave it to us usually expects one thing and that is use. In using that gift, we have to use it for the purpose in which it was made. Realizing the gift of our salvation from God, and the promise that the Holy Spirit will live within us and guide us can be hard for many to understand. In trying to gain understanding there are trip falls that must be avoided because they cause us to put the focus back on us and off of Him, and when we do we are starting to walk out on our own instead of following God.
Chances are that when some of us were told the Holy Spirit lives within us, we were also told that we better not do anything wrong because now our “body is the temple”. While that is absolutely true, the message affects people differently, and there are two different reactions that can surface and cause people to fall off of their path with God. The two reactions are best described as “underdo” and “overdo”, and both are problematic for many reasons, and are often due to a lack of knowledge about the role the Holy Spirit has in our walk with God.
Before considering either reaction, it is important to know that the word “sin” is what causes a believer to fall off of God’s path and start walking on their own. Both “underdoers” and “overdoers” try to attack the concept of sin in their lives on their own. When this happens, they have dropped their guard on the fact that they were supposed to ask their guide for help.
Understanding the true definition of sin should have an effect on both the “underdoer” and the “overdoer” and bring them back to their path with God. On Earth, we usually define wrongs as intentional conduct, but the word “sin” in the Bible is from the Greek word hamartia, which means to “miss the mark”. If we miss that mark, it is a sin, whether we intended to miss it or not. And it is not only our own sin that causes us to fall off of God’s path, but the sins of others can cause us to do so as well. Armed with all of that knowledge, the two reactions take shape, and both cause God a lot of bad press, so to speak.
To avoid falling victim and aligning with one of the two sides, the best advice is to make sure that you do not apply any definitions or rules to your life by yourself based on your own meaning, but instead you use your gift properly, and
Ask your guide for help.
**Part VI of the “Now What? Series” will discuss in detail the “underdo” reaction, and the truth and mistruths that are those people follow.
Tearing the Veil...(Now What? Series Part IV)
October 4, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4.
Knowing that man’s fall into sin caused us to be separated from a holy and perfect God who could not be around sin, something big had to take place. People needed to be able to access Him and have His Spirit for guidance so they could continue on the right path, and the rules were failing to make that happen.
Prior to Jesus death, God’s Spirit lived in the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem. That portion of the temple was separated by a veil or heavy curtain, and only the High Priest could enter with blood as a sacrifice for sin. When Jesus died, that veil or curtain was torn down and no longer was it arranged where only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies where God’s Spirit lived.
The difference between that time and after Jesus was unimaginable to the believer. Before the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies annually, but Jesus sacrifice was a one time event. Also, Jesus sacrifice involved the shedding of His own human blood, rather than animal blood as a sacrifice for sin. “Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:25-26.
The magnitude of this sacrifice allowed us access to God despite our sin, and God’s Spirit no longer needed a building in which it could live to be among His people. Where God’s spirit lived after Jesus’ death is the key to realizing the power you have to maintain your course in following God. Before He died, Jesus told us all where God’s Spirit would live. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17.
Now, God’s Spirit lives within the believer. “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. The moment you committed to Christ, you were marked with a seal, and that seal was the Holy Spirit. “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14.
From the beginning of time, God’s law written for us to follow is holy, but it is our own nature that goes against doing what we are told and always looking to break the rules. “Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.” Romans 7:7-10.
Knowing that people were failing to follow the rules, or law, God knew that we would need a guide, and the Spirit was sent to us to accomplish that task. Now it is the Spirit living within you who will help you remain on course with God, but you have to understand how He works in order to listen to His guidance. This is a gift given to you from God at the moment of your salvation, and as with any gift, to realize its true value,
You have to use it in the manner in which it was intended.
**Part V of the “Now What? Series” will discuss the two ways many people misuse their gift of the Holy Spirit and frustrate their ability to hear His guidance.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4.
Knowing that man’s fall into sin caused us to be separated from a holy and perfect God who could not be around sin, something big had to take place. People needed to be able to access Him and have His Spirit for guidance so they could continue on the right path, and the rules were failing to make that happen.
Prior to Jesus death, God’s Spirit lived in the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem. That portion of the temple was separated by a veil or heavy curtain, and only the High Priest could enter with blood as a sacrifice for sin. When Jesus died, that veil or curtain was torn down and no longer was it arranged where only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies where God’s Spirit lived.
The difference between that time and after Jesus was unimaginable to the believer. Before the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies annually, but Jesus sacrifice was a one time event. Also, Jesus sacrifice involved the shedding of His own human blood, rather than animal blood as a sacrifice for sin. “Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:25-26.
The magnitude of this sacrifice allowed us access to God despite our sin, and God’s Spirit no longer needed a building in which it could live to be among His people. Where God’s spirit lived after Jesus’ death is the key to realizing the power you have to maintain your course in following God. Before He died, Jesus told us all where God’s Spirit would live. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17.
Now, God’s Spirit lives within the believer. “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. The moment you committed to Christ, you were marked with a seal, and that seal was the Holy Spirit. “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14.
From the beginning of time, God’s law written for us to follow is holy, but it is our own nature that goes against doing what we are told and always looking to break the rules. “Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.” Romans 7:7-10.
Knowing that people were failing to follow the rules, or law, God knew that we would need a guide, and the Spirit was sent to us to accomplish that task. Now it is the Spirit living within you who will help you remain on course with God, but you have to understand how He works in order to listen to His guidance. This is a gift given to you from God at the moment of your salvation, and as with any gift, to realize its true value,
You have to use it in the manner in which it was intended.
**Part V of the “Now What? Series” will discuss the two ways many people misuse their gift of the Holy Spirit and frustrate their ability to hear His guidance.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Breaking the Rules...(Now What? Series Part III)
October 3, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.” Romans 8:3.
As believers, God has provided us with a guide to help us stay on His path, and that is the Holy Spirit. Understanding how to access our guide for help requires that we understand the magnitude of Jesus sacrifice.
Prior to Jesus death, God’s Spirit dwelled in the Temple in Jerusalem in a part known as the “Holy of Holies”. In this way, He could be among the people and help them, but having God around us took a lot of work for us to be able to access Him.
For example, the “Holy of Holies” was separated from the rest of the Temple by a veil or a heavy curtain, and not just anyone could enter because as a holy and perfect God, God could not be around sin. Man’s fall into sin in the Garden of Eden separated us from God and placed a barrier in between. For this reason, only the high priest was able to enter into the “Holy of Holies” and never without animal blood as a sacrifice for sin. Simply put, he had to be cleansed. “When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” Hebrews 9:6-7.
It is important to remember that God’s presence is so powerful that if the proper precautions were not taken by the High Priest, or if anyone else should enter they would die. His presence is so great that to even look upon Him would cause death, not as punishment, but as if we put our hands into fire. Holiness and sin do not mix. “He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he will not die.” Leviticus 16:13.
Even with His presence in the Temple, man continued falling into sin. God had given Moses all the rules that people should follow, but those rules, or the law, were not enough for people to stay on the right path. One reason is the rules were often not followed due to our desire to go against them and break them.
Another reason is the fact that more is required than just following those rules, and even when people followed them they forgot why they were doing so. God always wanted us to follow His commandments, but that was just the “what” we do. He also wanted us to look at the “why” we are doing it. “…acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.” 1 Chronicles 28:9. Each person should examine their motives even if the “what” they are doing is a good thing, such as quoting scripture, giving offerings, or attending church. If the “why” the person is doing such a good thing is to impress others, then the meaning behind the action is lost. "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:1.
A key illustration of this is seen in the Old Testament where people were giving offerings in the Temple, like we do in church today, and quoting scripture and commandments, but they had forgotten about the fact they were supposed to be doing it for God. “I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6. Instead, they were obeying commandments to gain others approval by impressing them with their vast knowledge and contributions, and breaking the commandment that told them to put God first. They appeared obedient, but God knew their heart was absent.
God’s displeasure was evident. Man was still falling into sin, regardless of the rules in place, and God knew we needed access to Him directly. In order to provide us with a way to stay on His path, He would have to remove the sin barrier that separated us from Him.
And that is exactly what He did.
**Part IV of the “Now What? Series” will discuss how removing the barrier between us and God provided you with the Holy Spirit to help you stay on course.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.” Romans 8:3.
As believers, God has provided us with a guide to help us stay on His path, and that is the Holy Spirit. Understanding how to access our guide for help requires that we understand the magnitude of Jesus sacrifice.
Prior to Jesus death, God’s Spirit dwelled in the Temple in Jerusalem in a part known as the “Holy of Holies”. In this way, He could be among the people and help them, but having God around us took a lot of work for us to be able to access Him.
For example, the “Holy of Holies” was separated from the rest of the Temple by a veil or a heavy curtain, and not just anyone could enter because as a holy and perfect God, God could not be around sin. Man’s fall into sin in the Garden of Eden separated us from God and placed a barrier in between. For this reason, only the high priest was able to enter into the “Holy of Holies” and never without animal blood as a sacrifice for sin. Simply put, he had to be cleansed. “When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” Hebrews 9:6-7.
It is important to remember that God’s presence is so powerful that if the proper precautions were not taken by the High Priest, or if anyone else should enter they would die. His presence is so great that to even look upon Him would cause death, not as punishment, but as if we put our hands into fire. Holiness and sin do not mix. “He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he will not die.” Leviticus 16:13.
Even with His presence in the Temple, man continued falling into sin. God had given Moses all the rules that people should follow, but those rules, or the law, were not enough for people to stay on the right path. One reason is the rules were often not followed due to our desire to go against them and break them.
Another reason is the fact that more is required than just following those rules, and even when people followed them they forgot why they were doing so. God always wanted us to follow His commandments, but that was just the “what” we do. He also wanted us to look at the “why” we are doing it. “…acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.” 1 Chronicles 28:9. Each person should examine their motives even if the “what” they are doing is a good thing, such as quoting scripture, giving offerings, or attending church. If the “why” the person is doing such a good thing is to impress others, then the meaning behind the action is lost. "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:1.
A key illustration of this is seen in the Old Testament where people were giving offerings in the Temple, like we do in church today, and quoting scripture and commandments, but they had forgotten about the fact they were supposed to be doing it for God. “I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6. Instead, they were obeying commandments to gain others approval by impressing them with their vast knowledge and contributions, and breaking the commandment that told them to put God first. They appeared obedient, but God knew their heart was absent.
God’s displeasure was evident. Man was still falling into sin, regardless of the rules in place, and God knew we needed access to Him directly. In order to provide us with a way to stay on His path, He would have to remove the sin barrier that separated us from Him.
And that is exactly what He did.
**Part IV of the “Now What? Series” will discuss how removing the barrier between us and God provided you with the Holy Spirit to help you stay on course.
Come What May...(Now What? Series Part II)
October 2, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26.
In practice, the commitment to stay on God’s path and follow Christ is filled with temptation to deviate and start walking on our own path. Fighting that temptation can seem overwhelming in practice even to the most committed follower.
As humans, we are used to trying to control everything, and once we are told that we have to walk in faith, we search for how to do it using our own worldly knowledge. When we fall, we convince ourselves it is too hard, and we do not understand how God could have given us such a huge task with no help. The irony is that this is also the moment we beg Him to tell us the future so we can know what to do when, in reality, we cannot even handle the present.
The truth is that walking in faith requires us to ask Him for the help we need to follow. Some people find it troubling that they have to ask an all-knowing God, who can change anything, for help. But before we ask why He cannot just change everything so we do not need help, we should consider the relationship of a parent and child. A parent would not jump in to do the child’s homework for them, but would stand by and see how much the child knows to do on their own. If the parent did the opposite the child would not learn anything. It is out of love the parent watches until the child struggles with something and then asks for help.
Understanding the magnitude of Jesus sacrifice is key to understanding the help God provides to us. Most believers do not understand how to talk to their guide, and that misunderstanding is because they do not see the link between the Old Testament and the New Testament, when Jesus had come to Earth. The guide is the Holy Spirit, and Jesus sacrifice has everything to do with how you access Him for assistance.
Once you learn to access Him, you will retain not only help and assistance, but strength and power that you could hardly imagine. And that strength and power will show you exactly how to follow God,
Come what may….
**Part III of the “Now What?” Series will discuss the link between the Old and New Testament that helps you to understand the Holy Spirit’s role in you staying on course with God.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26.
In practice, the commitment to stay on God’s path and follow Christ is filled with temptation to deviate and start walking on our own path. Fighting that temptation can seem overwhelming in practice even to the most committed follower.
As humans, we are used to trying to control everything, and once we are told that we have to walk in faith, we search for how to do it using our own worldly knowledge. When we fall, we convince ourselves it is too hard, and we do not understand how God could have given us such a huge task with no help. The irony is that this is also the moment we beg Him to tell us the future so we can know what to do when, in reality, we cannot even handle the present.
The truth is that walking in faith requires us to ask Him for the help we need to follow. Some people find it troubling that they have to ask an all-knowing God, who can change anything, for help. But before we ask why He cannot just change everything so we do not need help, we should consider the relationship of a parent and child. A parent would not jump in to do the child’s homework for them, but would stand by and see how much the child knows to do on their own. If the parent did the opposite the child would not learn anything. It is out of love the parent watches until the child struggles with something and then asks for help.
Understanding the magnitude of Jesus sacrifice is key to understanding the help God provides to us. Most believers do not understand how to talk to their guide, and that misunderstanding is because they do not see the link between the Old Testament and the New Testament, when Jesus had come to Earth. The guide is the Holy Spirit, and Jesus sacrifice has everything to do with how you access Him for assistance.
Once you learn to access Him, you will retain not only help and assistance, but strength and power that you could hardly imagine. And that strength and power will show you exactly how to follow God,
Come what may….
**Part III of the “Now What?” Series will discuss the link between the Old and New Testament that helps you to understand the Holy Spirit’s role in you staying on course with God.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Bells and Whistles...(Now What? Series Part I)
October 1, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
In life when we make a big decision we usually expect two things. We expect an instantaneous feeling of peace, and we expect our decision to have a huge impact. The momentary feeling hits us that we have finally done something, and we expect the bells and whistles to go off.
The decision to become a Christian is no different. In fact, once you commit to Christ, you make a huge decision, and you expect the impact to be equally huge. Churches and Christian leaders everywhere provide non-believers with the information on how to become a Christian, and the tone is usually the same. The person prays for Christ to come into their heart, forgive them for their sins, and take over their life.
However, more often than not, the person who has just committed themselves to Christ is not told what takes place after that prayer is over and they open their eyes. This moment is the one where the new believer expects to see an entirely new world, and often expects that everything will run smoothly from that point on.
In reality, an entirely different life awaits you, but you may not feel the instant gratification that you are used to searching for. At that moment, the old you is gone, and a new you takes shape. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Simply put, you are an infant, and not an adult. You do not know how to walk and talk, but you will spend time learning how to. In truth, many Christians struggle their entire lives with this only to take a hard fall and find out that they did not learn how to walk and talk at all.
Many people know the story. God sent His son to die to save humankind. That is seen in the famous scripture, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. What this means for you is that God gave you this option through His love for you. However, never drop your guard on the fact that faith is attached to that, and to receive the gift you have to believe.
However, your faith does not just stop with your belief. Beyond that, faith walks and talks. “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17. Your job is to take His promise and gift and honor it in every step you make. The key is to remember that at the moment you committed to Christ, you committed to give your life to Him and follow Him. When you follow someone you walk in trust placing your steps behind theirs.
To learn how to walk and talk, you have to continue on His path even when you fall. The ones who deviate from that path usually come in two forms. First, there are those who spend a lifetime struggling only to find out they never truly developed because they insisted on walking their own path only to scream out to God for help when their own path reached a dead end. And even for those people, God is waiting for them to walk back over to His path and start to follow. He remains faithful even when we do not. “…if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13.
Second, others will continue to walk their own path knowing that God’s gift offers a promise of complete forgiveness. However, that promise is never an excuse to continue walking your own path. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10:26-27. God wants us to repent, and repentance means that we turn away from the sins that take us off of His path and onto our own. Thus, it is an action, not merely an apology.
When you feel that you cannot possibly continue to follow because you do not know how to stay on God’s path, you have to remember that although He holds the map,
He has given you a guide.
** Part II of the “Now What” Series will discuss the Guide God has given you that helps you stay on His path.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
In life when we make a big decision we usually expect two things. We expect an instantaneous feeling of peace, and we expect our decision to have a huge impact. The momentary feeling hits us that we have finally done something, and we expect the bells and whistles to go off.
The decision to become a Christian is no different. In fact, once you commit to Christ, you make a huge decision, and you expect the impact to be equally huge. Churches and Christian leaders everywhere provide non-believers with the information on how to become a Christian, and the tone is usually the same. The person prays for Christ to come into their heart, forgive them for their sins, and take over their life.
However, more often than not, the person who has just committed themselves to Christ is not told what takes place after that prayer is over and they open their eyes. This moment is the one where the new believer expects to see an entirely new world, and often expects that everything will run smoothly from that point on.
In reality, an entirely different life awaits you, but you may not feel the instant gratification that you are used to searching for. At that moment, the old you is gone, and a new you takes shape. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Simply put, you are an infant, and not an adult. You do not know how to walk and talk, but you will spend time learning how to. In truth, many Christians struggle their entire lives with this only to take a hard fall and find out that they did not learn how to walk and talk at all.
Many people know the story. God sent His son to die to save humankind. That is seen in the famous scripture, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. What this means for you is that God gave you this option through His love for you. However, never drop your guard on the fact that faith is attached to that, and to receive the gift you have to believe.
However, your faith does not just stop with your belief. Beyond that, faith walks and talks. “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17. Your job is to take His promise and gift and honor it in every step you make. The key is to remember that at the moment you committed to Christ, you committed to give your life to Him and follow Him. When you follow someone you walk in trust placing your steps behind theirs.
To learn how to walk and talk, you have to continue on His path even when you fall. The ones who deviate from that path usually come in two forms. First, there are those who spend a lifetime struggling only to find out they never truly developed because they insisted on walking their own path only to scream out to God for help when their own path reached a dead end. And even for those people, God is waiting for them to walk back over to His path and start to follow. He remains faithful even when we do not. “…if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13.
Second, others will continue to walk their own path knowing that God’s gift offers a promise of complete forgiveness. However, that promise is never an excuse to continue walking your own path. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10:26-27. God wants us to repent, and repentance means that we turn away from the sins that take us off of His path and onto our own. Thus, it is an action, not merely an apology.
When you feel that you cannot possibly continue to follow because you do not know how to stay on God’s path, you have to remember that although He holds the map,
He has given you a guide.
** Part II of the “Now What” Series will discuss the Guide God has given you that helps you stay on His path.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Set it Free...(Dealing with Others Series Part IV)
September 25, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 118:32.
The saying “if you love something set it free…” is a favorite in society. Truthfully, this saying has more application to our own lives than we often realize. Something we love we often have to set free. God is no different. “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:18.
Sometimes God knows that setting us free from certain relationships will keep us focused on Him. It is no secret that others cause us to fall. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Genesis 3:6. When God sees your fall as a possibility, expect Him to do whatever He can to protect you.
As Christians we have obligations to help and forgive others. What is missed is that in carrying out our obligations to others, we are to work to stay right with God. Many of our own misperceptions have hampered our ability to do both, and the belief is that when we walk away we are judging and are unforgiving, but this is not necessarily so.
The misperceptions and difficulties come from our “either / or” mentality. For some reason we are under the impression that we cannot remove ourselves from a relationship without judging the other person or refusing to forgive them. In this situation, God is not asking you to decide “either / or”, but He is asking you to choose “and”.
A common misperception is that we can only walk away from relationships that consist of a Christian and a non-believer. “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14. The truth is that God will protect you from any relationship that is causes you to fall. “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6.
“Brother” can mean anyone, including those of us together in the Body of Christ. “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” 1 Corinthians 5:11.
True freedom comes from knowing the truth, and the truth is that you can walk away and forgive. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32. When we convince ourselves that it is “either / or” we have taken the focus off of God. If you pray for a person that you have walked away from based on God’s instruction, you have shown God that you forgive them. When you trust Him to help that person, you are showing that you are not judging them, but you are hoping He will help them. Always remember when you are forgiving others; you are doing it for God. He is the one that needs to know before anyone else. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17.
On the other side, people often convince themselves that they can leave just anyone that they do not feel is up to their standards. "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-39.
However, God is not asking us to suffer, but He is asking us to trust first in the only one that will not cause us to feel the mistrust and pain that we cause each other, and that is Him. When both people put Him first in a relationship, not merely in words, but in their lifestyle and actions, there is guarantee of success. “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17.
In reality, you should never walk away from any relationship without His instruction to do so. Your heart will tell you when it is right if you are relying on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Only then will you know it is the truth, and moreover,
That you have been set free.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 118:32.
The saying “if you love something set it free…” is a favorite in society. Truthfully, this saying has more application to our own lives than we often realize. Something we love we often have to set free. God is no different. “You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:18.
Sometimes God knows that setting us free from certain relationships will keep us focused on Him. It is no secret that others cause us to fall. “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Genesis 3:6. When God sees your fall as a possibility, expect Him to do whatever He can to protect you.
As Christians we have obligations to help and forgive others. What is missed is that in carrying out our obligations to others, we are to work to stay right with God. Many of our own misperceptions have hampered our ability to do both, and the belief is that when we walk away we are judging and are unforgiving, but this is not necessarily so.
The misperceptions and difficulties come from our “either / or” mentality. For some reason we are under the impression that we cannot remove ourselves from a relationship without judging the other person or refusing to forgive them. In this situation, God is not asking you to decide “either / or”, but He is asking you to choose “and”.
A common misperception is that we can only walk away from relationships that consist of a Christian and a non-believer. “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14. The truth is that God will protect you from any relationship that is causes you to fall. “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6.
“Brother” can mean anyone, including those of us together in the Body of Christ. “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” 1 Corinthians 5:11.
True freedom comes from knowing the truth, and the truth is that you can walk away and forgive. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32. When we convince ourselves that it is “either / or” we have taken the focus off of God. If you pray for a person that you have walked away from based on God’s instruction, you have shown God that you forgive them. When you trust Him to help that person, you are showing that you are not judging them, but you are hoping He will help them. Always remember when you are forgiving others; you are doing it for God. He is the one that needs to know before anyone else. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17.
On the other side, people often convince themselves that they can leave just anyone that they do not feel is up to their standards. "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-39.
However, God is not asking us to suffer, but He is asking us to trust first in the only one that will not cause us to feel the mistrust and pain that we cause each other, and that is Him. When both people put Him first in a relationship, not merely in words, but in their lifestyle and actions, there is guarantee of success. “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17.
In reality, you should never walk away from any relationship without His instruction to do so. Your heart will tell you when it is right if you are relying on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Only then will you know it is the truth, and moreover,
That you have been set free.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Stacking the Deck...(Dealing with Others Series Part III)
September 24, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14.
When someone hurts us, we feel unstable and want to remedy the imbalance. We want to have faith that God will move in to change the situation. When He does not, often we feel that He is punishing us for something we have done. In this situation, we stack the deck against ourselves and place God on the side with the person who hurt us.
In turn, we try to understand why this is happening, and whether God is angry at us. In seeking advice, we are told that there is one thing in particular we should do for the person who caused us the pain, and that is to pray for them. Many people have difficulty praying for someone who hurt them, and moreover, they have difficulty praying for that person to a God that they fear is punishing them.
Deep in those painful situations are opportunities that we often miss due to our hurt. It can be difficult to grasp why the Bible says we should consider these life trials a good thing. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4.
These opportunities are a chance to grow, and are not about punishment, but are about discipline. “When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone…” James 1:13. What God is doing, like a parent, is disciplining His children. When we translate “discipline” into “punishment”, we build a wall where we are scared to trust God and become resentful.
True discipline builds character and strength. When we see a person who is able to resist situations and things they should not give in to, or do certain things that they should, we call them “disciplined” not “punished”. That is because they show strength. “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:9-12.
In those hard situations, when you force yourself to pray for a person who hurt you, you are showing that discipline. And with a true understanding of how God works, we would know that prayer for a person who hurt us is exactly what is needed. Put simply, life is short and we do not get many opportunities to get it right. In a painful situation, we have the opportunity to get it right and change. We should pray for those who are capable of hurting us so that they might get the opportunity to change also.
Also, we should know that we cannot ask God to forgive us when we are not willing to do so for others. When we do, we are not appearing as a person who is truly sorry, but we appear as a hypocrite. When we pray for those who have hurt us, we are showing God that we have forgiven them.
Most importantly, forgiving others can change your life inside and out. There is a peace that comes from being able to do something kind to someone who has wronged you that only God can provide. All too often, when someone hurts us we feel our peace has been yanked away, and we feel unstable. In the middle of that circumstance, we have the opportunity to build up with discipline and become a person who relies only on God for our peace and stability, with full assurance,
That only He deals the cards that take the crown.
**Check back for Part IV in the “Dealing with Others Series” on forgiveness when the Bible says you are to have nothing to do with someone.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14.
When someone hurts us, we feel unstable and want to remedy the imbalance. We want to have faith that God will move in to change the situation. When He does not, often we feel that He is punishing us for something we have done. In this situation, we stack the deck against ourselves and place God on the side with the person who hurt us.
In turn, we try to understand why this is happening, and whether God is angry at us. In seeking advice, we are told that there is one thing in particular we should do for the person who caused us the pain, and that is to pray for them. Many people have difficulty praying for someone who hurt them, and moreover, they have difficulty praying for that person to a God that they fear is punishing them.
Deep in those painful situations are opportunities that we often miss due to our hurt. It can be difficult to grasp why the Bible says we should consider these life trials a good thing. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4.
These opportunities are a chance to grow, and are not about punishment, but are about discipline. “When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone…” James 1:13. What God is doing, like a parent, is disciplining His children. When we translate “discipline” into “punishment”, we build a wall where we are scared to trust God and become resentful.
True discipline builds character and strength. When we see a person who is able to resist situations and things they should not give in to, or do certain things that they should, we call them “disciplined” not “punished”. That is because they show strength. “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:9-12.
In those hard situations, when you force yourself to pray for a person who hurt you, you are showing that discipline. And with a true understanding of how God works, we would know that prayer for a person who hurt us is exactly what is needed. Put simply, life is short and we do not get many opportunities to get it right. In a painful situation, we have the opportunity to get it right and change. We should pray for those who are capable of hurting us so that they might get the opportunity to change also.
Also, we should know that we cannot ask God to forgive us when we are not willing to do so for others. When we do, we are not appearing as a person who is truly sorry, but we appear as a hypocrite. When we pray for those who have hurt us, we are showing God that we have forgiven them.
Most importantly, forgiving others can change your life inside and out. There is a peace that comes from being able to do something kind to someone who has wronged you that only God can provide. All too often, when someone hurts us we feel our peace has been yanked away, and we feel unstable. In the middle of that circumstance, we have the opportunity to build up with discipline and become a person who relies only on God for our peace and stability, with full assurance,
That only He deals the cards that take the crown.
**Check back for Part IV in the “Dealing with Others Series” on forgiveness when the Bible says you are to have nothing to do with someone.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Forgive and Forget...(Dealing with Other Series Part II)
September 21, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." Mark 9:50.
Growing up we are taught the famous phrase, “forgive and forget”. Forgiveness is one of the hallmarks of Christianity. In situations where we have to forgive others things can seem difficult and ironically, some of the most troubling situations are when two Christians are involved. In this instance, trouble usually does not come with the “forgive” part, but comes with the “forgetting” part. We are all sinners, and God made forgiveness available to us, but that sinful nature is what hampers our ability to “forget”.
Without question, relationships between Christians are special. On their good side they posses power and understanding beyond what the world has known. However, when one or both of the people fall down, not only do they cause each other to weaken in faith and doubt, but they cause non-believers watching to as well. In many areas of the Bible, God makes it clear to us that He cares very much about what we show non-believers.
Our difficulty with forgetting should cause us to be extremely careful in what we do and say about others. If we do or say something wrong and are forgiven, we know that things are usually not the same. Trust is extremely hard for us to give away, and even harder to give back to someone who has damaged it. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?” Mark 9:50. When Christians, armed with the Bible and its principles get caught in this situation with each other, things can get ugly. One or both may fall into self-righteousness and judgment and convince themselves, backed up with scripture, that they are correct.
Clearly, when someone is causing us to fall, God gives a way out. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.” Titus 3:10. The key is that we have warned the person directly. All too often, we see Christians discussing someone within a church body, bible study, and the like, with everyone but the person they are talking about. There are few things that shatter a Christian more than feeling disliked in the place they go to seek God’s help.
In a situation where God is using people to help others, when someone falls off and causes disruption, there is a feeling of total devastation. The person who feels hurt may turn away and react in a sinful manner. We should always ask ourselves what reactions our actions are likely to cause. "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” Mark 9:42.
Also, the person talking about their fellow Christian to others in a negative manner causes a great deal of strife for the rest of the group. The leader of the group or Pastor of a church has to deal with questions of why, and small group leaders have to answer why they invited a person who was capable of violating someone else’s trust. Put simply, the situation caused by someone else’s tongue catches fire and spreads. “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” James 3:5.
When someone has befriended us, or joined our church or small group with the pure purpose of growing closer to God, and we judge them and make them feel like an outcast, they often walk away thinking we are representative of the God they are seeking. And only with God’s help can what we have done be undone. “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4.
We should not do anything to prevent others from seeking God. “On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12-13.
Rest assured, it does not matter if we are the most well-known minister, best missionary, most generous giver, best in attendance on Sunday, leader of the church choir, or seen as the best Christian on the block, God pays attention to all of His sheep. Work to make sure that you are not just benefiting others, but you are not harming anyone else as well. "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” Matthew 25:40.
Remember, God knows who you are benefiting, so make sure that during the time when He would be rewarding you for doing so,
He does not have to spend it correcting your wrong instead.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." Mark 9:50.
Growing up we are taught the famous phrase, “forgive and forget”. Forgiveness is one of the hallmarks of Christianity. In situations where we have to forgive others things can seem difficult and ironically, some of the most troubling situations are when two Christians are involved. In this instance, trouble usually does not come with the “forgive” part, but comes with the “forgetting” part. We are all sinners, and God made forgiveness available to us, but that sinful nature is what hampers our ability to “forget”.
Without question, relationships between Christians are special. On their good side they posses power and understanding beyond what the world has known. However, when one or both of the people fall down, not only do they cause each other to weaken in faith and doubt, but they cause non-believers watching to as well. In many areas of the Bible, God makes it clear to us that He cares very much about what we show non-believers.
Our difficulty with forgetting should cause us to be extremely careful in what we do and say about others. If we do or say something wrong and are forgiven, we know that things are usually not the same. Trust is extremely hard for us to give away, and even harder to give back to someone who has damaged it. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?” Mark 9:50. When Christians, armed with the Bible and its principles get caught in this situation with each other, things can get ugly. One or both may fall into self-righteousness and judgment and convince themselves, backed up with scripture, that they are correct.
Clearly, when someone is causing us to fall, God gives a way out. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.” Titus 3:10. The key is that we have warned the person directly. All too often, we see Christians discussing someone within a church body, bible study, and the like, with everyone but the person they are talking about. There are few things that shatter a Christian more than feeling disliked in the place they go to seek God’s help.
In a situation where God is using people to help others, when someone falls off and causes disruption, there is a feeling of total devastation. The person who feels hurt may turn away and react in a sinful manner. We should always ask ourselves what reactions our actions are likely to cause. "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” Mark 9:42.
Also, the person talking about their fellow Christian to others in a negative manner causes a great deal of strife for the rest of the group. The leader of the group or Pastor of a church has to deal with questions of why, and small group leaders have to answer why they invited a person who was capable of violating someone else’s trust. Put simply, the situation caused by someone else’s tongue catches fire and spreads. “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” James 3:5.
When someone has befriended us, or joined our church or small group with the pure purpose of growing closer to God, and we judge them and make them feel like an outcast, they often walk away thinking we are representative of the God they are seeking. And only with God’s help can what we have done be undone. “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:4.
We should not do anything to prevent others from seeking God. “On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12-13.
Rest assured, it does not matter if we are the most well-known minister, best missionary, most generous giver, best in attendance on Sunday, leader of the church choir, or seen as the best Christian on the block, God pays attention to all of His sheep. Work to make sure that you are not just benefiting others, but you are not harming anyone else as well. "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” Matthew 25:40.
Remember, God knows who you are benefiting, so make sure that during the time when He would be rewarding you for doing so,
He does not have to spend it correcting your wrong instead.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Do to Others...(Dealing with Others Series Part I)
September 19, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31.
One of the most challenging things we encounter in life is dealing with others. Few problems occur when we do to others what we want done to us. The hard lessons come when we do to others what we would not want done to us, and as a result, what we do comes back as a lesson for us to learn from.
When others hurt us a different problem arises, and that is our reaction. Instead of dealing with the hurt, we often react with judgment and pride, and end up making things much worse. Simply put, in our reaction we usually do not do what we would want done.
There are certain ways to handle these situations. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17.
First, ask yourself if your hurt is based on personal experience. Personal experience means something has been done to you directly. As stated, it is a sin “against you”. Each situation needs to be evaluated and dealt with individually not collectively. We should not collectively transfer past wrongs others have committed onto others, nor something done to someone else onto ourselves, and we should not sway others to do so either.
Second, ask yourself if you have gone to the person alone before you went to anyone else. As stated, that should be the first step. If not, you are likely to gossip about the situation to others or confront the person publicly instead of talking to them alone. These reactions occur because we want validation, others to see our side, and to embarrass or get even. We work to show others how horrible the person is, and try to impress them with comments about how we would never do the same thing. However, the true goal is to change harmful behaviors. Outsiders to the situation cannot change the behaviors we complain about, and confronting a person in front of others will only cause embarrassment and anger. If we are really bothered by something a person does, we would go to them alone first, where change can actually occur.
We may feel validated momentarily, but in the long run we suffer because the validation is replaced by mistrust in us. When we gossip about a person or embarrass them in front of others, all we show is what we are capable of and others maybe next. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.” Romans 12:17.
Also, we suffer because we are doing something just as bad. God covers all bases, and tells us to go to the person first, and if we do not go to the person first and we attempt to slander them to others, He tells them not to associate with us. “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” 1 Corinthians 5:11. Instead we are to “be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” Titus 3:1-2.
Third, go back to the mirror, and examine whether you have done the same to anyone else. This is the one time you should be collective in your thoughts on who hurt who. If you did the same thing to someone else, you are receiving the “comes around” of the “goes around”. The truth is what we do to others will be done to us. “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:2.
Always examine whether your own actions are causing hurt or pain, and look back to see how you felt when the same things were done to you. When we do this, we know that we should only act from personal experience because we would not want others judging us for a situation that had nothing to do with them. Also, we know that we should go to the person who hurt us alone first, instead of gossiping or embarrassing them because that is what we would want done for ourselves. Moreover, we know if we go against those principles, we are doing to others what we would not want done to us, and in turn,
We will suffer from exactly what we are complaining about.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31.
One of the most challenging things we encounter in life is dealing with others. Few problems occur when we do to others what we want done to us. The hard lessons come when we do to others what we would not want done to us, and as a result, what we do comes back as a lesson for us to learn from.
When others hurt us a different problem arises, and that is our reaction. Instead of dealing with the hurt, we often react with judgment and pride, and end up making things much worse. Simply put, in our reaction we usually do not do what we would want done.
There are certain ways to handle these situations. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15-17.
First, ask yourself if your hurt is based on personal experience. Personal experience means something has been done to you directly. As stated, it is a sin “against you”. Each situation needs to be evaluated and dealt with individually not collectively. We should not collectively transfer past wrongs others have committed onto others, nor something done to someone else onto ourselves, and we should not sway others to do so either.
Second, ask yourself if you have gone to the person alone before you went to anyone else. As stated, that should be the first step. If not, you are likely to gossip about the situation to others or confront the person publicly instead of talking to them alone. These reactions occur because we want validation, others to see our side, and to embarrass or get even. We work to show others how horrible the person is, and try to impress them with comments about how we would never do the same thing. However, the true goal is to change harmful behaviors. Outsiders to the situation cannot change the behaviors we complain about, and confronting a person in front of others will only cause embarrassment and anger. If we are really bothered by something a person does, we would go to them alone first, where change can actually occur.
We may feel validated momentarily, but in the long run we suffer because the validation is replaced by mistrust in us. When we gossip about a person or embarrass them in front of others, all we show is what we are capable of and others maybe next. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.” Romans 12:17.
Also, we suffer because we are doing something just as bad. God covers all bases, and tells us to go to the person first, and if we do not go to the person first and we attempt to slander them to others, He tells them not to associate with us. “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” 1 Corinthians 5:11. Instead we are to “be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” Titus 3:1-2.
Third, go back to the mirror, and examine whether you have done the same to anyone else. This is the one time you should be collective in your thoughts on who hurt who. If you did the same thing to someone else, you are receiving the “comes around” of the “goes around”. The truth is what we do to others will be done to us. “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:2.
Always examine whether your own actions are causing hurt or pain, and look back to see how you felt when the same things were done to you. When we do this, we know that we should only act from personal experience because we would not want others judging us for a situation that had nothing to do with them. Also, we know that we should go to the person who hurt us alone first, instead of gossiping or embarrassing them because that is what we would want done for ourselves. Moreover, we know if we go against those principles, we are doing to others what we would not want done to us, and in turn,
We will suffer from exactly what we are complaining about.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Tree of Life...
September 11, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17.
When tragic events take place, we embark on a search for answers. The bad things that happen throw us off balance, and our natural instinct is to bring the scales back to level position. The questions of why God lets bad things happen, and why He allows people to suffer consequences for the sins of others abound. When we ask those questions, we are forgetting that God was and is on our side, not wanting any sins or consequences to flow.
From the beginning of time, He tried to prevent this from happening. “And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:16-17. God gave us choices, and when He told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the “knowledge of good and evil”, He walked away.
When man chose to disobey Him there were consequences. Often we do not want to pay the price ourselves, but when others wrong us we want them held accountable. For one to pay and another to slip by is an injustice. As the author of justice, for God to pretend the sin never took place would be unjust, and justice requires consequences. Once man fell into sin, God could not allow man to eat from the tree of life. “And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." Genesis 3:22. As a parent, He has trust in our abilities, and consequences for our falls.
When we lose focus in the right direction, the tempter moves in. "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5.
But God is so just that He made sure there were consequences for the tempter as well. After Adam and Eve’s admission of guilt, God told Satan, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15. Enmity is hostility, and God put that hostility between us and Satan. In turn, Eve’s offspring would crush Satan’s head, and Satan would strike his heel. And this is the way God would right the wrong.
Instead of doing it this way, God could have chosen to end all sin, but that would have meant ending all of us. He flooded the world with Noah, but the world filled with evil once again. God showed us that to truly end sin’s power over us it would take something huge to allow us to access the tree of life again. Somehow, we would have to be cleansed of our sins. As the perfect and just God that He is, He kept His word, and sent one of Eve’s offspring to accomplish the task. Through Jesus death and resurrection, the grave was conquered and Satan was defeated. He is so loving that instead of ridding the world of all sin, and thus ridding the world of us, He took our mistakes upon Himself.
As such a loving God, we never get less than all that He has, and even with the possibility of forgiveness through Jesus, He knows we will sin, but He gives us every opportunity not to. Even with one of Eve and Adam’s sons, He was there telling him to turn back. “Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:6-7. As it was in the beginning, we still have the choice to make. When others do not make the right choice, we all suffer the consequence, just as mankind suffered for Adam’s fall.
God brings light and victory into tragedy, seen through Jesus death. Through our obsession with tree that caused the fall of man, we often forget that there were two trees in the garden. The other tree was the tree of life. Now we know that the tree of life is Jesus Christ. “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. And even prior to the prophesy of Eve’s offspring crushing Satan so early on in the Bible, Jesus always was. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13.
Still, there is an enmity between mankind and Satan, and he spends his time working to strike every heel that he can. When he does and we see the tragedy and horror before our eyes, he knows that we will seek answers. That is the exact moment he whispers to us, “don’t you want to know why God is letting this happen?”.
That is when you remember that buying into his question of knowledge is what caused all the bad to start with, and in remembering that fact,
You just answered your own question.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17.
When tragic events take place, we embark on a search for answers. The bad things that happen throw us off balance, and our natural instinct is to bring the scales back to level position. The questions of why God lets bad things happen, and why He allows people to suffer consequences for the sins of others abound. When we ask those questions, we are forgetting that God was and is on our side, not wanting any sins or consequences to flow.
From the beginning of time, He tried to prevent this from happening. “And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:16-17. God gave us choices, and when He told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the “knowledge of good and evil”, He walked away.
When man chose to disobey Him there were consequences. Often we do not want to pay the price ourselves, but when others wrong us we want them held accountable. For one to pay and another to slip by is an injustice. As the author of justice, for God to pretend the sin never took place would be unjust, and justice requires consequences. Once man fell into sin, God could not allow man to eat from the tree of life. “And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." Genesis 3:22. As a parent, He has trust in our abilities, and consequences for our falls.
When we lose focus in the right direction, the tempter moves in. "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5.
But God is so just that He made sure there were consequences for the tempter as well. After Adam and Eve’s admission of guilt, God told Satan, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15. Enmity is hostility, and God put that hostility between us and Satan. In turn, Eve’s offspring would crush Satan’s head, and Satan would strike his heel. And this is the way God would right the wrong.
Instead of doing it this way, God could have chosen to end all sin, but that would have meant ending all of us. He flooded the world with Noah, but the world filled with evil once again. God showed us that to truly end sin’s power over us it would take something huge to allow us to access the tree of life again. Somehow, we would have to be cleansed of our sins. As the perfect and just God that He is, He kept His word, and sent one of Eve’s offspring to accomplish the task. Through Jesus death and resurrection, the grave was conquered and Satan was defeated. He is so loving that instead of ridding the world of all sin, and thus ridding the world of us, He took our mistakes upon Himself.
As such a loving God, we never get less than all that He has, and even with the possibility of forgiveness through Jesus, He knows we will sin, but He gives us every opportunity not to. Even with one of Eve and Adam’s sons, He was there telling him to turn back. “Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:6-7. As it was in the beginning, we still have the choice to make. When others do not make the right choice, we all suffer the consequence, just as mankind suffered for Adam’s fall.
God brings light and victory into tragedy, seen through Jesus death. Through our obsession with tree that caused the fall of man, we often forget that there were two trees in the garden. The other tree was the tree of life. Now we know that the tree of life is Jesus Christ. “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. And even prior to the prophesy of Eve’s offspring crushing Satan so early on in the Bible, Jesus always was. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13.
Still, there is an enmity between mankind and Satan, and he spends his time working to strike every heel that he can. When he does and we see the tragedy and horror before our eyes, he knows that we will seek answers. That is the exact moment he whispers to us, “don’t you want to know why God is letting this happen?”.
That is when you remember that buying into his question of knowledge is what caused all the bad to start with, and in remembering that fact,
You just answered your own question.
Hands and Feet...(Power Within Series Part III)
September 11, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6.
We are taught from a very young age that actions speak louder than words. The idea is that we should love and serve others not merely with promises we do not intend to keep, but in carrying out what we promise to do. In fact, God is a God of action. “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18.
However, in many cases, words are the action required to serve others. God made it clear there is power in our words. We are not told that He made the world by atoms and molecules, but we are told that He spoke it into existence. “And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.” Genesis 1:3. As His children, our own tongue carries enormous power to speak things into existence as well. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21.
Clearly our words affect others. For years courts have dealt with issues involving the strength of words. For example, if someone is standing on the edge of a cliff and you run up and yell “boo” behind them, their physical reaction may be to fall forward. Or if you run into an auditorium and yell “fire”, people will know to physically leave the building.
God uses the power in our words so that we can help each other. “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13.
He knows the trials and tribulations we face, and through giving us the gift of encouragement, He will provide His strength to others in need. “But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see." Deuteronomy 3:28. A person faced with making a difficult decision may pray for guidance, and then God may work through you to encourage them to make the right decision. Or a person going through a terrible time may pray for strength, and God may work through you to encourage them not to give up.
All too often, we do not speak these words because we are afraid of looking intrusive or foolish. Simply put, we don’t like rejection. That is when we have to remember that we work for God, and when God works through us to help others, He is not rejecting us. The only rejection we fear is a person’s rejection, and that should never be our focus.
God wants to ease our suffering. Just as when He commissioned Moses to lead the slaves out of Egypt, He had heard the peoples cry. “The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Exodus 3:7-8.
Frequently, we complain that God is not answering our prayers. We have to remember that He works through us, and we are His hands and feet here on Earth. One of the best opportunities to show Him that you have truly put Him ahead of yourself is to speak encouragement to someone even when you fear rejection. In doing so, you show God your allegiance, you conquer fear, and most important,
You become the answer to someone’s prayer.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6.
We are taught from a very young age that actions speak louder than words. The idea is that we should love and serve others not merely with promises we do not intend to keep, but in carrying out what we promise to do. In fact, God is a God of action. “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18.
However, in many cases, words are the action required to serve others. God made it clear there is power in our words. We are not told that He made the world by atoms and molecules, but we are told that He spoke it into existence. “And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.” Genesis 1:3. As His children, our own tongue carries enormous power to speak things into existence as well. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21.
Clearly our words affect others. For years courts have dealt with issues involving the strength of words. For example, if someone is standing on the edge of a cliff and you run up and yell “boo” behind them, their physical reaction may be to fall forward. Or if you run into an auditorium and yell “fire”, people will know to physically leave the building.
God uses the power in our words so that we can help each other. “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13.
He knows the trials and tribulations we face, and through giving us the gift of encouragement, He will provide His strength to others in need. “But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see." Deuteronomy 3:28. A person faced with making a difficult decision may pray for guidance, and then God may work through you to encourage them to make the right decision. Or a person going through a terrible time may pray for strength, and God may work through you to encourage them not to give up.
All too often, we do not speak these words because we are afraid of looking intrusive or foolish. Simply put, we don’t like rejection. That is when we have to remember that we work for God, and when God works through us to help others, He is not rejecting us. The only rejection we fear is a person’s rejection, and that should never be our focus.
God wants to ease our suffering. Just as when He commissioned Moses to lead the slaves out of Egypt, He had heard the peoples cry. “The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Exodus 3:7-8.
Frequently, we complain that God is not answering our prayers. We have to remember that He works through us, and we are His hands and feet here on Earth. One of the best opportunities to show Him that you have truly put Him ahead of yourself is to speak encouragement to someone even when you fear rejection. In doing so, you show God your allegiance, you conquer fear, and most important,
You become the answer to someone’s prayer.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Sweeping Your Doorstep...(Power Within Series Part II)
September 4, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” Ephesians 2:1-2.
As Christians, who have the Holy Spirit living within us from the moment of our salvation, we often fail to see the power we have in us. Jesus told us all that we would do even greater things than He did. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12.
When Jesus went to live with the Father, He sent to us the Holy Spirit. One of the Holy Spirit’s roles in your life is to work on your disobedience through conviction. Conviction is the point of action based on a Spirit’s message that you did something incorrectly. “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:8-11.
Unfortunately for many, a conviction is missed due to a feeling of condemnation. Someone feels so guilty about something they have done in their own lives that they start trying to cover it up. The way they cover it up is by judging others, acting self-righteous, and making moral judgments about everyone but themselves.
Those people frequently like to play victim and discuss how horrible the world has treated them or how wrong everyone else is. Given that we are all human, and sinners according to God, that is hypocritical at best. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Matthew 7:3-5. Simply put, the old saying is true, sweep your own doorstep first before telling other people how to sweep theirs.
Falling victim to self-condemnation is a huge missed opportunity because listening to and following convictions are the best way to bring about the most positive change in your own life. That is because they is coming from God.
In life, it is hard to deal with someone who refuses to follow their own convictions and judges everyone else. They have a tendency to bring you down and then you will stop listening to your own convictions because you will feel their condemnation. Simply put, their negativity can spread to you.
The best thing you can do when confronted with those people is to not judge them because then you will be judged as well. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2. Remember what they are doing is causing you pain, and they will be judged for it. Do not sign up for what they are going to get by doing it in return.
However, you are under no obligation to stick around and listen or answer to them. "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” Matthew 7:6.
The way to avoid feeling condemned and continue following the Holy Spirit’s guidance on your own convictions is to recognize these people, and refuse to give in to their negativity. You can try with many people and succeed, but you will not succeed with everyone. In this instance, God gives you an out. “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” Titus 3:9-11.
Remember it is God’s approval that you are working for and not mans. The most you can do is recognize the power of following your own convictions, love others, and then when you see someone judging you because of their own faults do not judge them and tell them how dirty their own doorstep is, instead smile and tell them God loves them, and then,
Hand them a broom.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” Ephesians 2:1-2.
As Christians, who have the Holy Spirit living within us from the moment of our salvation, we often fail to see the power we have in us. Jesus told us all that we would do even greater things than He did. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12.
When Jesus went to live with the Father, He sent to us the Holy Spirit. One of the Holy Spirit’s roles in your life is to work on your disobedience through conviction. Conviction is the point of action based on a Spirit’s message that you did something incorrectly. “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:8-11.
Unfortunately for many, a conviction is missed due to a feeling of condemnation. Someone feels so guilty about something they have done in their own lives that they start trying to cover it up. The way they cover it up is by judging others, acting self-righteous, and making moral judgments about everyone but themselves.
Those people frequently like to play victim and discuss how horrible the world has treated them or how wrong everyone else is. Given that we are all human, and sinners according to God, that is hypocritical at best. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Matthew 7:3-5. Simply put, the old saying is true, sweep your own doorstep first before telling other people how to sweep theirs.
Falling victim to self-condemnation is a huge missed opportunity because listening to and following convictions are the best way to bring about the most positive change in your own life. That is because they is coming from God.
In life, it is hard to deal with someone who refuses to follow their own convictions and judges everyone else. They have a tendency to bring you down and then you will stop listening to your own convictions because you will feel their condemnation. Simply put, their negativity can spread to you.
The best thing you can do when confronted with those people is to not judge them because then you will be judged as well. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:1-2. Remember what they are doing is causing you pain, and they will be judged for it. Do not sign up for what they are going to get by doing it in return.
However, you are under no obligation to stick around and listen or answer to them. "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” Matthew 7:6.
The way to avoid feeling condemned and continue following the Holy Spirit’s guidance on your own convictions is to recognize these people, and refuse to give in to their negativity. You can try with many people and succeed, but you will not succeed with everyone. In this instance, God gives you an out. “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” Titus 3:9-11.
Remember it is God’s approval that you are working for and not mans. The most you can do is recognize the power of following your own convictions, love others, and then when you see someone judging you because of their own faults do not judge them and tell them how dirty their own doorstep is, instead smile and tell them God loves them, and then,
Hand them a broom.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Power Over Pride...(Power Within Series Part I)
September 3, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8.
Often we want others to change in ways that benefit us. This is because we do not want to do the work it takes to bring about change in our own lives and we fail to see the power that is within us. However, we spend countless hours trying to convince others to change, and if we would invest that time into recognizing our own abilities, we will have completed the change we desire.
People often get caught up in judgment, revenge, complaining, and self-righteousness. When we do this we are tapping more into our pride than our power. For example, nothing hurts quite as much as when we fell unappreciated. Whether it is at work, in relationships, at home, or anywhere else, people hate to feel that their worth as a person is going unnoticed.
This is a common problem in our society. We are much better at saying “please” when we want something than we are at saying “thank you” when we have what we want. When we focus on the fact that someone did not say “thank you” we are showing that our pride is hurt and we tend to dwell on that fact.
If you catch yourself dwelling on your pride rather than your power remember that your Savior is the “same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. Through listening to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, that inner voice inside of you, you are working to be more in line with your Teacher. “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40. Simply put, you need to work in your own life to be consistent, and the same now, tomorrow and forever. Consistency equals dependability. Simply put, keep acting and stop reacting.
Remember you will be judged for your own actions, and not those of someone else. You are working to be like your Teacher, and He is the Judge. He will hold those accountable that need to be held accountable. You keep moving forward knowing that you are working for Him. “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:46-48.
Remember, you are aiming for rewards, not judgment. For every time you served someone else who forgot about you once their dilemma was over, God will bless you. Just as we are not to seek revenge, we are to seek only His reward and not that of man, with full assurance,
In Him, no good deed will go unnoticed.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8.
Often we want others to change in ways that benefit us. This is because we do not want to do the work it takes to bring about change in our own lives and we fail to see the power that is within us. However, we spend countless hours trying to convince others to change, and if we would invest that time into recognizing our own abilities, we will have completed the change we desire.
People often get caught up in judgment, revenge, complaining, and self-righteousness. When we do this we are tapping more into our pride than our power. For example, nothing hurts quite as much as when we fell unappreciated. Whether it is at work, in relationships, at home, or anywhere else, people hate to feel that their worth as a person is going unnoticed.
This is a common problem in our society. We are much better at saying “please” when we want something than we are at saying “thank you” when we have what we want. When we focus on the fact that someone did not say “thank you” we are showing that our pride is hurt and we tend to dwell on that fact.
If you catch yourself dwelling on your pride rather than your power remember that your Savior is the “same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8. Through listening to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, that inner voice inside of you, you are working to be more in line with your Teacher. “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40. Simply put, you need to work in your own life to be consistent, and the same now, tomorrow and forever. Consistency equals dependability. Simply put, keep acting and stop reacting.
Remember you will be judged for your own actions, and not those of someone else. You are working to be like your Teacher, and He is the Judge. He will hold those accountable that need to be held accountable. You keep moving forward knowing that you are working for Him. “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:46-48.
Remember, you are aiming for rewards, not judgment. For every time you served someone else who forgot about you once their dilemma was over, God will bless you. Just as we are not to seek revenge, we are to seek only His reward and not that of man, with full assurance,
In Him, no good deed will go unnoticed.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Finish Line...(Change Within Series Part IV)
September 1, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24.
Part of running the race in life is to make sure that we engage in fair competition. People often say that nice guys finish last, which leaves us with the impression that if you are not nice, you will come in first.
In truth, nice guys finish last because they thought of everyone else but themselves. While we define the winner as whoever comes in first, God does not. “Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." Luke 13:30.
In every race there are rules that we must obey in order to make sure we are not disqualified. “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:25-27.
For many runners, winning seems as if it is the most important accomplishment. The problem is when the idea of winning becomes so important to us that we make a decision to run our own race in ways to reach the finish line first.
Jesus told us all how to run our race. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 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.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40.
What this means is that every step we take, and every rule and command we obey during the game, should be because of one of the two commandments Jesus discussed. What we do, or do not do, should always be out of love for God and love for others. When we fail to do either, we may appear to the world as if we crossed that line first, but in reality we gained nothing. Moreover, no one else gained from the way we ran our race either.
For instance, if we knock others down to get ahead, we end up losing. “Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” 2 Timothy 2:5-7.
When we break the rules to get ahead, we become hypocritical. When it comes to everyone else we want only those who obey the rules to get the crown. We want chief executives put in prison for cheating their workers and gaining wealth, and we want our politicians to answer for even the smallest of sins. Simply put, we are quick to call out other runners faults with no regard to our own.
In reality, we have only our own lane to run in, and nothing we do can force another runner to run a certain way. The best thing we can do is run our own race in a way that motivates others to do the same. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
Running the race in this manner assures you that when the world points out runners ahead of you in an attempt to convince you that you are losing, you will know the truth of what lies ahead. As you keep going in faith through those moments, you are in training, growing stronger,
While God measures you for your crown.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24.
Part of running the race in life is to make sure that we engage in fair competition. People often say that nice guys finish last, which leaves us with the impression that if you are not nice, you will come in first.
In truth, nice guys finish last because they thought of everyone else but themselves. While we define the winner as whoever comes in first, God does not. “Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." Luke 13:30.
In every race there are rules that we must obey in order to make sure we are not disqualified. “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:25-27.
For many runners, winning seems as if it is the most important accomplishment. The problem is when the idea of winning becomes so important to us that we make a decision to run our own race in ways to reach the finish line first.
Jesus told us all how to run our race. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 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.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40.
What this means is that every step we take, and every rule and command we obey during the game, should be because of one of the two commandments Jesus discussed. What we do, or do not do, should always be out of love for God and love for others. When we fail to do either, we may appear to the world as if we crossed that line first, but in reality we gained nothing. Moreover, no one else gained from the way we ran our race either.
For instance, if we knock others down to get ahead, we end up losing. “Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” 2 Timothy 2:5-7.
When we break the rules to get ahead, we become hypocritical. When it comes to everyone else we want only those who obey the rules to get the crown. We want chief executives put in prison for cheating their workers and gaining wealth, and we want our politicians to answer for even the smallest of sins. Simply put, we are quick to call out other runners faults with no regard to our own.
In reality, we have only our own lane to run in, and nothing we do can force another runner to run a certain way. The best thing we can do is run our own race in a way that motivates others to do the same. “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
Running the race in this manner assures you that when the world points out runners ahead of you in an attempt to convince you that you are losing, you will know the truth of what lies ahead. As you keep going in faith through those moments, you are in training, growing stronger,
While God measures you for your crown.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Walking in Place...(Change Within Series Part III)
August 29, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4.
People often say that revenge is a dish that is best served cold. This is because the revenge that comes later is not expected by the person deserving of it, so the blow is twice as strong.
In this world, the enemy frequently uses others to hurt us and damage our faith. In turn, we try to wrap our minds around “why” something happened. When we do this, we focus on the problem and forget the solution. That is the goal your enemy sought to accomplish. The problem is the person who hurt you, and possibly the way you handle them in return. The solution is God. If you focused on your solution your problem would go away, and you would praise God for helping you. That is the last thing the enemy wants.
When someone has hurt us, even though we are the victim, we often fall immediately into behaviors we should not. The reason this happens is because the enemy is the one who hits you and then tells you how to handle it. As a result, you end up seeking revenge and justice in your own timing.
On the other hand, if the enemy attacks you using someone else, and you bring it to God, He will likely send people your way for you to lean on. In this way, if the person is a Christian, they also have the Holy Spirit living inside of them, and He can use them to communicate with you. Remember timing is key. Ask yourself if you brought the situation to God first, and whether you reached out to the person in God’s name.
God has gone to the ultimate length to teach you about the power of forgiveness. Your job is to forgive, come to Him for strength, and lean on others He sends to you to help you through it. Wait for His timing. “Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.” Proverbs 20:22.
Even in the situations where another person has done something painful to us, if we wait in faith, and trust in God, we do not need to get revenge. Through our faith, we know that He is a God of justice, and He will turn it all around. “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.” 2 Thessalonians 1:6.
Often justice is served without us even knowing it. For example, if your loved one wronged you and you no longer communicate with them, you have no idea how your name is brought up around them, and what they feel inside when they hear it.
Remember God is everywhere at all times. If you are trusting in Him, walking in faith through your struggle, and working on forgiveness, He will make sure the loved one sees what they lost. If you never see it, then continue your walk. He is not teaching you revenge, He is teaching you forgiveness. “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26. In faith you have to remember, He will right every wrong placed upon you.
His goal in this situation is to bring about change within you, strengthen your faith, and carry you forward. When you run out and seek revenge and justice on your own, you are not moving forward, but you are walking in place. The only way that someone who has wronged you will see what they have lost is to see you moving forward and becoming a person that they wish they knew. And rest assured,
God will see to it.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4.
People often say that revenge is a dish that is best served cold. This is because the revenge that comes later is not expected by the person deserving of it, so the blow is twice as strong.
In this world, the enemy frequently uses others to hurt us and damage our faith. In turn, we try to wrap our minds around “why” something happened. When we do this, we focus on the problem and forget the solution. That is the goal your enemy sought to accomplish. The problem is the person who hurt you, and possibly the way you handle them in return. The solution is God. If you focused on your solution your problem would go away, and you would praise God for helping you. That is the last thing the enemy wants.
When someone has hurt us, even though we are the victim, we often fall immediately into behaviors we should not. The reason this happens is because the enemy is the one who hits you and then tells you how to handle it. As a result, you end up seeking revenge and justice in your own timing.
On the other hand, if the enemy attacks you using someone else, and you bring it to God, He will likely send people your way for you to lean on. In this way, if the person is a Christian, they also have the Holy Spirit living inside of them, and He can use them to communicate with you. Remember timing is key. Ask yourself if you brought the situation to God first, and whether you reached out to the person in God’s name.
God has gone to the ultimate length to teach you about the power of forgiveness. Your job is to forgive, come to Him for strength, and lean on others He sends to you to help you through it. Wait for His timing. “Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.” Proverbs 20:22.
Even in the situations where another person has done something painful to us, if we wait in faith, and trust in God, we do not need to get revenge. Through our faith, we know that He is a God of justice, and He will turn it all around. “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.” 2 Thessalonians 1:6.
Often justice is served without us even knowing it. For example, if your loved one wronged you and you no longer communicate with them, you have no idea how your name is brought up around them, and what they feel inside when they hear it.
Remember God is everywhere at all times. If you are trusting in Him, walking in faith through your struggle, and working on forgiveness, He will make sure the loved one sees what they lost. If you never see it, then continue your walk. He is not teaching you revenge, He is teaching you forgiveness. “And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26. In faith you have to remember, He will right every wrong placed upon you.
His goal in this situation is to bring about change within you, strengthen your faith, and carry you forward. When you run out and seek revenge and justice on your own, you are not moving forward, but you are walking in place. The only way that someone who has wronged you will see what they have lost is to see you moving forward and becoming a person that they wish they knew. And rest assured,
God will see to it.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Asked and Answered...(Change Within Series Part II)
August 27, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13.
Our life is a search for answers. Most times we seek answers when something is going wrong. When we feel we have been wronged in any way we want an explanation of how someone could do something so horrible.
One of the worst injustices we bring upon ourselves is the fact that we ask others to provide things that we are not willing to give ourselves. We demand answers from others, and run when others demand them from us. Put simply, we are famous for not practicing what we preach.
If a person hurts us, we isolate the moment and convince ourselves that the pain we are feeling is the only pain taking place on Earth, but it is not. Everyday people live their lives thinking of only themselves, and hurting God continually. Instead of coming down seeking revenge and demanding our accountability, God waits in His own timing. That does not mean the answers will not have to be provided by us, but it does mean that they are often delayed for the time being.
Moreover, there is a bigger problem at hand. When we are hurt, we ask God to tell us why. If we are confused and unsure of what to do in a painful situation, we ask Him to show us what we should do. Then, more often than not, we run around telling everyone that He has not answered us. For example, we do not know if He wants us to take a certain job, try to date and establish a relationship with a certain someone, stay in a current relationship, go to a different church, go back to school, buy a house, car, or something else, so we tell everyone else that we wish He would just tell us what to do. Meanwhile, the real truth gets buried in our complaining.
That real truth is that chances are, God has already told you why something has happened, or has told you what you need to do in a situation. First and foremost, He has given us the Bible, His word, which is living. Living means that every story, every situation, every sacrifice, every explanation, every meaning applies to you right here, right now, today. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Secondly, when we ask Him to let us know what we should do through our confusion and pain, the Holy Spirit living inside of us as Christians provides the answer. “'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'” Jeremiah 33:3. When we do not like the answer, we tell ourselves that it was not clear enough, that something else has happened that makes it seem that it could not be God sending that signal, and if it were God we would know what we should do.
The problem is not that He is not telling us what we should do, but the problem is that He is not telling us what we want to do. In our mindset as humans, when we seek answers to our questions, we already have a preconceived answer in mind. In essence, we have already answered the question we have, but we want someone else to answer it our way. When they do not, we simply cannot understand how they are so off the mark, and we confuse ourselves further.
God has already told you what you need to know, and will guide you in your current situation through His Spirit. However, you do not get to pick and choose what you like and what you do not. When you ask the question, and you want Him to give you understanding, you have to be willing to accept the answer and carry it out even if you do not like what He is saying to you.
Many of us want God to be clearer so we know exactly what to do. However, chances are that He has been clear, but you just did not like what He had to say. If you convince yourself that it is too hard to believe what He is saying and to walk it out in your own life, then remember that He has also told you to rely on Him for strength to carry out His commands.
How often do we hear someone say to their child, “I have told you and told you”?
Now imagine how God must feel.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13.
Our life is a search for answers. Most times we seek answers when something is going wrong. When we feel we have been wronged in any way we want an explanation of how someone could do something so horrible.
One of the worst injustices we bring upon ourselves is the fact that we ask others to provide things that we are not willing to give ourselves. We demand answers from others, and run when others demand them from us. Put simply, we are famous for not practicing what we preach.
If a person hurts us, we isolate the moment and convince ourselves that the pain we are feeling is the only pain taking place on Earth, but it is not. Everyday people live their lives thinking of only themselves, and hurting God continually. Instead of coming down seeking revenge and demanding our accountability, God waits in His own timing. That does not mean the answers will not have to be provided by us, but it does mean that they are often delayed for the time being.
Moreover, there is a bigger problem at hand. When we are hurt, we ask God to tell us why. If we are confused and unsure of what to do in a painful situation, we ask Him to show us what we should do. Then, more often than not, we run around telling everyone that He has not answered us. For example, we do not know if He wants us to take a certain job, try to date and establish a relationship with a certain someone, stay in a current relationship, go to a different church, go back to school, buy a house, car, or something else, so we tell everyone else that we wish He would just tell us what to do. Meanwhile, the real truth gets buried in our complaining.
That real truth is that chances are, God has already told you why something has happened, or has told you what you need to do in a situation. First and foremost, He has given us the Bible, His word, which is living. Living means that every story, every situation, every sacrifice, every explanation, every meaning applies to you right here, right now, today. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Secondly, when we ask Him to let us know what we should do through our confusion and pain, the Holy Spirit living inside of us as Christians provides the answer. “'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'” Jeremiah 33:3. When we do not like the answer, we tell ourselves that it was not clear enough, that something else has happened that makes it seem that it could not be God sending that signal, and if it were God we would know what we should do.
The problem is not that He is not telling us what we should do, but the problem is that He is not telling us what we want to do. In our mindset as humans, when we seek answers to our questions, we already have a preconceived answer in mind. In essence, we have already answered the question we have, but we want someone else to answer it our way. When they do not, we simply cannot understand how they are so off the mark, and we confuse ourselves further.
God has already told you what you need to know, and will guide you in your current situation through His Spirit. However, you do not get to pick and choose what you like and what you do not. When you ask the question, and you want Him to give you understanding, you have to be willing to accept the answer and carry it out even if you do not like what He is saying to you.
Many of us want God to be clearer so we know exactly what to do. However, chances are that He has been clear, but you just did not like what He had to say. If you convince yourself that it is too hard to believe what He is saying and to walk it out in your own life, then remember that He has also told you to rely on Him for strength to carry out His commands.
How often do we hear someone say to their child, “I have told you and told you”?
Now imagine how God must feel.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Spreading Like Wildfire...(Change Within Series Part I)
August 26, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9.
Negativity has a tendency to spread like wildfire, and makes everyone, including ourselves, feel bad. Why we continue to spread something that makes us feel terrible is a question that is difficult to answer.
One action taken by a person affects many people. For example, if someone is cut off in traffic and goes to work and takes it out on everyone else their colleagues may have a bad day as a result of their action. If those colleagues go home and take out their frustration on family members, those relatives may have a bad night. The next day they may go to work and take it out on their colleagues, and on and on it goes.
People get bogged down and obsessed with the negative. Over and over, you will hear people telling of horrible things going on in their lives. The irony is that the more they complain about it the more upset they seem to get.
Our obsession stems from our inability to let go. When we feel insulted, our pride is hurt, and we have a tendency to hold on to resentment. God has warned us against doing this repeatedly. Out of love for us, He knows that when we hold on to the negative we feel horrible. He trains us to see Him through the problems of life because He is the one who turns them around. “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.” 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7.
Without the bad, we are unable to see what is good because we learn by opposites. For example, we know what the color red is because we have seen a different color, and we know we like to drive certain vehicles better because we have driven different types.
We expend so much energy dealing with the negative in life, and the truth is that if we would expend half as much of that energy dealing with the positive things, we would see a difference in not just ourselves but others as well. Nonetheless, we cannot ever change people, so it is best to change ourselves. We can do this by refusing to allow others and the world to define what type of mood we are in.
The most important lesson is that doing the right thing is sometimes a battle. We crave revenge, and when our pride is hurt we are willing to do whatever it takes to make a point. However, the point we make is fleeting and will only be remembered for the bad it spread to others. In the meantime we forget that it is the opposite that produces the good result. Doing the right thing may seem unpleasant, but later it is remembered, and you are remembered, for the good you did. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
Only out of the bad comes the good, out of the negative comes the positive, and out of adversity comes triumph. To obtain happiness, you must embrace the good and walk forward when the bad presents itself to you. Refuse to spread the negative through your own actions, and remember when you are facing the negative in life, you are about to inherit a blessing. When the blessing comes upon you, God shows everyone that by conquering the opposite it is His own hand at work. Do whatever you can to show Him you are willing to accept the blessing through your actions. Simply put, spreading the negative constantly tells Him you are refusing His blessing, which in turn hurts only you.
Face the bad with the mindset that good is right behind it. “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.” 1 Peter 3:14. In doing so, you not only stop lighting fires in others lives,
But you put out the ones in your own life as well.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9.
Negativity has a tendency to spread like wildfire, and makes everyone, including ourselves, feel bad. Why we continue to spread something that makes us feel terrible is a question that is difficult to answer.
One action taken by a person affects many people. For example, if someone is cut off in traffic and goes to work and takes it out on everyone else their colleagues may have a bad day as a result of their action. If those colleagues go home and take out their frustration on family members, those relatives may have a bad night. The next day they may go to work and take it out on their colleagues, and on and on it goes.
People get bogged down and obsessed with the negative. Over and over, you will hear people telling of horrible things going on in their lives. The irony is that the more they complain about it the more upset they seem to get.
Our obsession stems from our inability to let go. When we feel insulted, our pride is hurt, and we have a tendency to hold on to resentment. God has warned us against doing this repeatedly. Out of love for us, He knows that when we hold on to the negative we feel horrible. He trains us to see Him through the problems of life because He is the one who turns them around. “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.” 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7.
Without the bad, we are unable to see what is good because we learn by opposites. For example, we know what the color red is because we have seen a different color, and we know we like to drive certain vehicles better because we have driven different types.
We expend so much energy dealing with the negative in life, and the truth is that if we would expend half as much of that energy dealing with the positive things, we would see a difference in not just ourselves but others as well. Nonetheless, we cannot ever change people, so it is best to change ourselves. We can do this by refusing to allow others and the world to define what type of mood we are in.
The most important lesson is that doing the right thing is sometimes a battle. We crave revenge, and when our pride is hurt we are willing to do whatever it takes to make a point. However, the point we make is fleeting and will only be remembered for the bad it spread to others. In the meantime we forget that it is the opposite that produces the good result. Doing the right thing may seem unpleasant, but later it is remembered, and you are remembered, for the good you did. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
Only out of the bad comes the good, out of the negative comes the positive, and out of adversity comes triumph. To obtain happiness, you must embrace the good and walk forward when the bad presents itself to you. Refuse to spread the negative through your own actions, and remember when you are facing the negative in life, you are about to inherit a blessing. When the blessing comes upon you, God shows everyone that by conquering the opposite it is His own hand at work. Do whatever you can to show Him you are willing to accept the blessing through your actions. Simply put, spreading the negative constantly tells Him you are refusing His blessing, which in turn hurts only you.
Face the bad with the mindset that good is right behind it. “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.” 1 Peter 3:14. In doing so, you not only stop lighting fires in others lives,
But you put out the ones in your own life as well.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Here and Now...(God is Love Series Part III)
August 23, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5.
When we think of love, we usually define it by our past experiences. Whatever someone has done for us previously is worthy of our love in the present. We attach strings to our love, and define it by what has already been done. However, true love does not define itself by the past, present or future alone, rather it encompasses all three and beyond.
God’s love was so great that it not only gave us access to Him and forgiveness for our past sins through His son’s shedding of blood and sacrifice, but His sacrifice and love are so great that Jesus blood carries enormous power for your present and future as well.
Regarding your past, the power in Jesus blood carries forgiveness that we can hardly imagine. At the moment of your salvation, through your faith in Christ, you were justified and sanctified before God for all your past sins. “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11.
In regards to your present, you will see that as you carry out your new life, two wars are taking place. One is between your new life in Christ where the Holy Spirit lives within you, and your sinful nature. “For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:22-25.
The other war is between the new you and the enemy. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. Even in your new life, you will face problems. During those problems and trials of life, you need to understand the far reaching power of Jesus blood.
The new you is guided by the Spirit, who will help you keep the holiness and purity you received at the moment of your salvation. Jesus blood gave Him to you, and that blood can deliver you from any situation this world can place on you. “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Falling into sin just because you have been sanctified and justified before God is hardly a way to honor the new covenant He sent when Jesus died and was resurrected. You are now under grace, and the Spirit is here to guide you out of the sins you will have to answer for. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10:26-27. If you do fall, the Spirit will convict you and you must get back up, ask for forgiveness and move forward in faith.
During the hardest trials of life where the war going on within you and around you is great, the Spirit is there to help you, and will help keep you safe while you walk through this world. He helps you fight the war against your sinful nature by confirmation and conviction through testimony, guidance, reminders, and teaching. He can also help you fight the battles against your enemy through God’s word which is His sword. That word tells us all that when Jesus died, the enemy was defeated. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15.
When the enemy wages war against you, you can use the blood of Jesus to overcome all. “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1-2.
To do this, plead the blood of Jesus over any situation you need to be delivered from. Because you need to be delivered from a present situation in this instance, pray in Jesus name and literally say that you plead the blood of Jesus against whatever attack you are facing. His blood literally has the power to take you out of any situation you face.
You must have total faith in the power of the blood to help you overcome, and previously have turned these attacks over to God without trying to handle them on your own. Finally, you have to wait for God’s timing while you continue to seek the Spirit’s guidance. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12.
As His blood is lasting into eternity for us, so should be our faithfulness and lasting unto Him.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5.
When we think of love, we usually define it by our past experiences. Whatever someone has done for us previously is worthy of our love in the present. We attach strings to our love, and define it by what has already been done. However, true love does not define itself by the past, present or future alone, rather it encompasses all three and beyond.
God’s love was so great that it not only gave us access to Him and forgiveness for our past sins through His son’s shedding of blood and sacrifice, but His sacrifice and love are so great that Jesus blood carries enormous power for your present and future as well.
Regarding your past, the power in Jesus blood carries forgiveness that we can hardly imagine. At the moment of your salvation, through your faith in Christ, you were justified and sanctified before God for all your past sins. “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11.
In regards to your present, you will see that as you carry out your new life, two wars are taking place. One is between your new life in Christ where the Holy Spirit lives within you, and your sinful nature. “For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:22-25.
The other war is between the new you and the enemy. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. Even in your new life, you will face problems. During those problems and trials of life, you need to understand the far reaching power of Jesus blood.
The new you is guided by the Spirit, who will help you keep the holiness and purity you received at the moment of your salvation. Jesus blood gave Him to you, and that blood can deliver you from any situation this world can place on you. “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Falling into sin just because you have been sanctified and justified before God is hardly a way to honor the new covenant He sent when Jesus died and was resurrected. You are now under grace, and the Spirit is here to guide you out of the sins you will have to answer for. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” Hebrews 10:26-27. If you do fall, the Spirit will convict you and you must get back up, ask for forgiveness and move forward in faith.
During the hardest trials of life where the war going on within you and around you is great, the Spirit is there to help you, and will help keep you safe while you walk through this world. He helps you fight the war against your sinful nature by confirmation and conviction through testimony, guidance, reminders, and teaching. He can also help you fight the battles against your enemy through God’s word which is His sword. That word tells us all that when Jesus died, the enemy was defeated. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15.
When the enemy wages war against you, you can use the blood of Jesus to overcome all. “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1-2.
To do this, plead the blood of Jesus over any situation you need to be delivered from. Because you need to be delivered from a present situation in this instance, pray in Jesus name and literally say that you plead the blood of Jesus against whatever attack you are facing. His blood literally has the power to take you out of any situation you face.
You must have total faith in the power of the blood to help you overcome, and previously have turned these attacks over to God without trying to handle them on your own. Finally, you have to wait for God’s timing while you continue to seek the Spirit’s guidance. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12.
As His blood is lasting into eternity for us, so should be our faithfulness and lasting unto Him.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Covenant of Sacrifice...(God is Love Series Part II)
August 20, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20.
What we typically include in our personal definition of love is whether or not someone honors their side of the bargain. In our “give and take” nature, we want something back for putting ourselves out there. Because we attach those types of strings to our love, we see this as a contract.
However true love is not a contract, it is a covenant. Covenants have existed since early in time. For example, God made a covenant with Noah after Noah obeyed His command to build an ark promising that He would not flood the world again, and the rainbow was the sign of that covenant. Genesis 9. He also established a covenant with Abraham (then Abram) telling him that he would be “the father of many nations”, but he had to obey certain laws involving the flesh.
Simply put, a covenant is a promise from God to people on Earth, and there are two sides: God and the other person (or people). At times, these covenants appear as a promise from God without us having to do anything. Other times show that we act to fulfill our part of the bargain and inherit His promise. Regardless, God always does more on His part whether or not we do any work.
Under the old covenant, seen in the Old Testament, work done by people dealt in large measure with forgiveness. People were aware of God’s law, what sin was, and what we should and should not do. At that time animals were sacrificed by people as offerings for sins. “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.” Leviticus 17:11. But animals were not enough to cure our shortcomings. “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:3.
Our shortcomings came in large part from the fact that historically, people could recite the law but failed to follow it. Because of our human nature we are prone to those falls. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” Romans 7:18-19.
Something had to be done to save humankind. God established a new covenant, in the New Testament, that took the place of the old one, and Jesus was the final sacrifice and the way to God despite our sins. “Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:9-10.
The enemy has convinced people this story does not make sense, but Christians know better. After Jesus death, the Holy Spirit was sent to live within believers, and He is the guide into “all truth”. John 16:13. He provides the explanations we seek, including why this event took place. “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” Hebrews 10:15-17; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 59:21.
God gave us a way to follow Him through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. “And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4.
All that was asked of humankind was to believe. “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24.
In a contract, our obligation would not be equal to the work God had to do. In such an instance, the contract would likely be rendered unenforceable.
Luckily for us true love is a covenant and not a contract.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:20.
What we typically include in our personal definition of love is whether or not someone honors their side of the bargain. In our “give and take” nature, we want something back for putting ourselves out there. Because we attach those types of strings to our love, we see this as a contract.
However true love is not a contract, it is a covenant. Covenants have existed since early in time. For example, God made a covenant with Noah after Noah obeyed His command to build an ark promising that He would not flood the world again, and the rainbow was the sign of that covenant. Genesis 9. He also established a covenant with Abraham (then Abram) telling him that he would be “the father of many nations”, but he had to obey certain laws involving the flesh.
Simply put, a covenant is a promise from God to people on Earth, and there are two sides: God and the other person (or people). At times, these covenants appear as a promise from God without us having to do anything. Other times show that we act to fulfill our part of the bargain and inherit His promise. Regardless, God always does more on His part whether or not we do any work.
Under the old covenant, seen in the Old Testament, work done by people dealt in large measure with forgiveness. People were aware of God’s law, what sin was, and what we should and should not do. At that time animals were sacrificed by people as offerings for sins. “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.” Leviticus 17:11. But animals were not enough to cure our shortcomings. “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:3.
Our shortcomings came in large part from the fact that historically, people could recite the law but failed to follow it. Because of our human nature we are prone to those falls. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” Romans 7:18-19.
Something had to be done to save humankind. God established a new covenant, in the New Testament, that took the place of the old one, and Jesus was the final sacrifice and the way to God despite our sins. “Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:9-10.
The enemy has convinced people this story does not make sense, but Christians know better. After Jesus death, the Holy Spirit was sent to live within believers, and He is the guide into “all truth”. John 16:13. He provides the explanations we seek, including why this event took place. “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” Hebrews 10:15-17; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 59:21.
God gave us a way to follow Him through the Holy Spirit’s guidance. “And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4.
All that was asked of humankind was to believe. “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24.
In a contract, our obligation would not be equal to the work God had to do. In such an instance, the contract would likely be rendered unenforceable.
Luckily for us true love is a covenant and not a contract.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Running on Empty...
August 19, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 23:18.
Often when we grow older we put the innocence and faith we had as a child behind us in the past. We do everything we can to appear mature but when emotions kick in we fall back into childish ways of handling things. Simply put, we give up the good that comes from being a child and carry only the bad behaviors from our childhood into our adult future.
God wanted us to have faith like children and believe with the same faith we had when we believed in tooth fairies and Easter bunnies. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15.
He never wanted us to carry forward the behaviors we displayed as children when the world made us angry. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11.
When we act outwardly each actions guilt or innocence depends on whether we are acting out of faith or emotion. As humans, we usually drive our own car by whatever is in our fuel tank. If we are running off of emotion then we drive on emotion. If we are running off of faith then we drive on faith.
Only when we are driving on faith do we have true hope. Hope is an emotion that applies to the present or future. Only hope can move us forward. “But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” Romans 8:24. Driving off of emotion is usually done by applying something that happened in the past to a current situation in the present.
The purpose of driving is to change locations. Driving backwards into the past, or remaining idle while focusing on the future does no good. Taking that route cannot bring about change.
The reality is that if you are going to spend your energy and fuel running through life, you should not spend it all on fuel that does not give you change. Emotions come and emotions go, but rest assured…
Faith never leaves you empty.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 23:18.
Often when we grow older we put the innocence and faith we had as a child behind us in the past. We do everything we can to appear mature but when emotions kick in we fall back into childish ways of handling things. Simply put, we give up the good that comes from being a child and carry only the bad behaviors from our childhood into our adult future.
God wanted us to have faith like children and believe with the same faith we had when we believed in tooth fairies and Easter bunnies. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15.
He never wanted us to carry forward the behaviors we displayed as children when the world made us angry. “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” 1 Corinthians 13:11.
When we act outwardly each actions guilt or innocence depends on whether we are acting out of faith or emotion. As humans, we usually drive our own car by whatever is in our fuel tank. If we are running off of emotion then we drive on emotion. If we are running off of faith then we drive on faith.
Only when we are driving on faith do we have true hope. Hope is an emotion that applies to the present or future. Only hope can move us forward. “But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” Romans 8:24. Driving off of emotion is usually done by applying something that happened in the past to a current situation in the present.
The purpose of driving is to change locations. Driving backwards into the past, or remaining idle while focusing on the future does no good. Taking that route cannot bring about change.
The reality is that if you are going to spend your energy and fuel running through life, you should not spend it all on fuel that does not give you change. Emotions come and emotions go, but rest assured…
Faith never leaves you empty.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
No Strings Attached...(God is Love Series, Part I)
August 18, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10.
One of the hardest historical events people try to understand is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those who know the story, many write it off as a historical fable, while many more treat it as historic fact.
Often believers and non-believers have a hard time explaining “why” it happened rather than “how”. We are keenly aware that such a horrific event could take place on Earth. Knowing that, we often get caught up on “why” such an event would ever occur.
Even the most devout Christians have a difficult time explaining a loving God that would allow such a horrific scene only to save people, who through sin, were not worthy of Him at all. The difficulty does not lie in the facts surrounding Jesus death, but it lies in what we define as our concept of “love”.
On Earth, love comes with commitment and with many strings attached. Our concept of love usually falls into the “give and take” category. It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around someone doing something for us out of pure love with no ulterior motives.
That is when we all have to remember where the emotion of “love” came from. Without that emotion we are nothing more than animals with no conscience or ability to give at all. Because it is a good emotion, we know it comes from God. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17. God is the author of love, and that emotion does not exist without Him. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8.
Those who have difficulty with the fact that God sent His son as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind often miss the meaning of the term “sacrifice”. A “sacrifice” means you give to someone else while you take a loss personally. “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:25-26.
The real lesson is that love is not conditional, but love is sacrifice. That sacrifice comes with no strings and includes selflessness to the point where you are willing to take a loss in order to feel the emotion. True love is not about what someone can do for us, but it is about what we can do for them.
With the true definition in mind it is no wonder so many cannot understand what took place. Without God, we cannot love, nor can we understand it. “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7.
Any strings we attach are our very own doing. The true difficulty does not come from the facts surrounding Jesus sacrifice, but it comes from the fact that we can attach strings to an emotion that was given to us freely with no strings attached from the beginning.
When we realize this the true reality of love and sacrifice becomes apparent. God’s love was never about strings attached to force us to do things for Him, but it was about so much more.
That love was about His taking a loss through nails in His hands, so that someone else might gain.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10.
One of the hardest historical events people try to understand is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those who know the story, many write it off as a historical fable, while many more treat it as historic fact.
Often believers and non-believers have a hard time explaining “why” it happened rather than “how”. We are keenly aware that such a horrific event could take place on Earth. Knowing that, we often get caught up on “why” such an event would ever occur.
Even the most devout Christians have a difficult time explaining a loving God that would allow such a horrific scene only to save people, who through sin, were not worthy of Him at all. The difficulty does not lie in the facts surrounding Jesus death, but it lies in what we define as our concept of “love”.
On Earth, love comes with commitment and with many strings attached. Our concept of love usually falls into the “give and take” category. It is difficult for us to wrap our minds around someone doing something for us out of pure love with no ulterior motives.
That is when we all have to remember where the emotion of “love” came from. Without that emotion we are nothing more than animals with no conscience or ability to give at all. Because it is a good emotion, we know it comes from God. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17. God is the author of love, and that emotion does not exist without Him. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8.
Those who have difficulty with the fact that God sent His son as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind often miss the meaning of the term “sacrifice”. A “sacrifice” means you give to someone else while you take a loss personally. “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:25-26.
The real lesson is that love is not conditional, but love is sacrifice. That sacrifice comes with no strings and includes selflessness to the point where you are willing to take a loss in order to feel the emotion. True love is not about what someone can do for us, but it is about what we can do for them.
With the true definition in mind it is no wonder so many cannot understand what took place. Without God, we cannot love, nor can we understand it. “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7.
Any strings we attach are our very own doing. The true difficulty does not come from the facts surrounding Jesus sacrifice, but it comes from the fact that we can attach strings to an emotion that was given to us freely with no strings attached from the beginning.
When we realize this the true reality of love and sacrifice becomes apparent. God’s love was never about strings attached to force us to do things for Him, but it was about so much more.
That love was about His taking a loss through nails in His hands, so that someone else might gain.
Friday, August 14, 2009
House of Cards...
August 14, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint." Isaiah 57:10.
People have a bad habit of placing their trust in things that they want. Getting what we want on our own terms can result in it being taken from us in the blink of an eye. People are famous for building houses made of cards. If their hope and love are in that house, when it falls it is total devastation. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.
When those falls take place, what seems as a bad time in our lives is actually a golden opportunity. With patience running so short here on Earth, when we pray for hope, love, patience, and the like, we expect God to rain it down upon us and for us to feel it instantly. What we forget is that He has to give us the opportunity to be hopeful, patience, and loving.
Those opportunities are tests of our character. What most do not realize due to our own impatience is that if we wait out that test and keep our eyes upon Him, we will end up with a house much better than one we could ever build ourselves. “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4.
Most important, you will learn that in the future you will not have to make those decisions again and fear the fall that is coming. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21. That is exactly where we learn that true security is not something we are able to give to ourselves. That security comes from Jesus Christ.
Do not build a house made of cards. Instead, wait through the storms for God to build a house for you that is everlasting. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27.
Through the building process trust in Him for the patience and endurance you need, and remember that He is giving you the opportunity to be patient through your wait. Keep preparing for the house to be built as if it already has been done by walking in faith. Being unsure of the end result is no excuse for a lack of preparation. Do not start to build on your own. You did not design the blueprints for this house. The only blueprints you designed were the ones that resulted in a House of Cards. A rush to completion causes an incomplete work at best.
The truth is that security in life is not in getting what we want, but in placing the trust in the only one who can give us what we need. In the end, you will be a complete work living in a house that was built based on perfect blueprints. Moreover, you will have the security of knowing that the builder did not only design the blueprints for your house,
He designed the ones that were used to create you as well.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
"You were wearied by all your ways, but you would not say, 'It is hopeless.' You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint." Isaiah 57:10.
People have a bad habit of placing their trust in things that they want. Getting what we want on our own terms can result in it being taken from us in the blink of an eye. People are famous for building houses made of cards. If their hope and love are in that house, when it falls it is total devastation. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.
When those falls take place, what seems as a bad time in our lives is actually a golden opportunity. With patience running so short here on Earth, when we pray for hope, love, patience, and the like, we expect God to rain it down upon us and for us to feel it instantly. What we forget is that He has to give us the opportunity to be hopeful, patience, and loving.
Those opportunities are tests of our character. What most do not realize due to our own impatience is that if we wait out that test and keep our eyes upon Him, we will end up with a house much better than one we could ever build ourselves. “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4.
Most important, you will learn that in the future you will not have to make those decisions again and fear the fall that is coming. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21. That is exactly where we learn that true security is not something we are able to give to ourselves. That security comes from Jesus Christ.
Do not build a house made of cards. Instead, wait through the storms for God to build a house for you that is everlasting. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27.
Through the building process trust in Him for the patience and endurance you need, and remember that He is giving you the opportunity to be patient through your wait. Keep preparing for the house to be built as if it already has been done by walking in faith. Being unsure of the end result is no excuse for a lack of preparation. Do not start to build on your own. You did not design the blueprints for this house. The only blueprints you designed were the ones that resulted in a House of Cards. A rush to completion causes an incomplete work at best.
The truth is that security in life is not in getting what we want, but in placing the trust in the only one who can give us what we need. In the end, you will be a complete work living in a house that was built based on perfect blueprints. Moreover, you will have the security of knowing that the builder did not only design the blueprints for your house,
He designed the ones that were used to create you as well.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Seat of Honor...
August 12, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12.
The thought that when things are at their worse, we have nowhere to go but up is a popular idea of hope in troubled times. When we finally hit rock bottom, we feel a security that things can only get better from here on out.
This is a solid thought that has more truth to it than we often realize. Being humble is a great place to be in even if the world looks down upon it. When things are going exactly our way at the right moment there is nowhere to move upward in line. However, when we are at the back of the line, even in our impatience and frustration, there is a hope and expectation that eventually we will get ahead. That hope is a driving factor in most of what we do. “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” Romans 8:24.
We have God’s promise that those who humble themselves will be “exalted”. In our society we have seen this over and over. We route for the underdog to win, and when they do, that win feels better to us than seeing someone who frequently wins taking the prize.
Jesus told us all that honor would come from taking the lower seat for a while. “When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:7-11.
He also let us know that pride and arrogance does not get us any favors with God. “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14.
What we learn is that at some point all of us will be humbled. However, it is equally clear that it is better if we humble ourselves than if we wait for someone else to humble us. If our humility comes from someone else, we run the risk of embarrassment, judgment, and shame. If we do it on our own, we will only reap the benefit of being honored when we are told to move up in the line. The former appears as a punishment, while the latter appears as a reward.
When we struggle to get ahead in the line at the expense of others, we often discount the fact that those who waited patiently and humbled themselves will move ahead of us. Never discount the person behind you when you could end up in their position in a blink of an eye.
The reality is that working to get ahead may cause you to end up further behind.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12.
The thought that when things are at their worse, we have nowhere to go but up is a popular idea of hope in troubled times. When we finally hit rock bottom, we feel a security that things can only get better from here on out.
This is a solid thought that has more truth to it than we often realize. Being humble is a great place to be in even if the world looks down upon it. When things are going exactly our way at the right moment there is nowhere to move upward in line. However, when we are at the back of the line, even in our impatience and frustration, there is a hope and expectation that eventually we will get ahead. That hope is a driving factor in most of what we do. “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” Romans 8:24.
We have God’s promise that those who humble themselves will be “exalted”. In our society we have seen this over and over. We route for the underdog to win, and when they do, that win feels better to us than seeing someone who frequently wins taking the prize.
Jesus told us all that honor would come from taking the lower seat for a while. “When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:7-11.
He also let us know that pride and arrogance does not get us any favors with God. “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14.
What we learn is that at some point all of us will be humbled. However, it is equally clear that it is better if we humble ourselves than if we wait for someone else to humble us. If our humility comes from someone else, we run the risk of embarrassment, judgment, and shame. If we do it on our own, we will only reap the benefit of being honored when we are told to move up in the line. The former appears as a punishment, while the latter appears as a reward.
When we struggle to get ahead in the line at the expense of others, we often discount the fact that those who waited patiently and humbled themselves will move ahead of us. Never discount the person behind you when you could end up in their position in a blink of an eye.
The reality is that working to get ahead may cause you to end up further behind.
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