Enter into life

Enter into life

S-Matt 19 NASB

16And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; 19HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” 20The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. 23And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24“Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

O- There is a lot here to to unpack as a person just like me came to Jesus, he had been listening to and likely following Jesus’ ministry from afar.   He gathered the courage to ask Jesus what is there that he should do to earn eternal life.   “What good thing..”.   Was the precise thing that caused Jesus to react for he knew there was no act that earns eternal life, but living within God’s laws is the good thing that gives you good life,  following Christ is what gives you eternal life.   Both are then and today.

A-    The application convicts me and is a reminder that I am not to seek good works to earn eternal life, but I am to follow God’s word because it is the key to a good life.   I am to follow Christ because he saved me, and have shown me love and mercy.  Out of this my broken heart has been healed and I know have the capability to love those he has put in front of me.  I am reminded today that I have been saved to serve and love those Christ is trying to reach.  I have to beware the stumbling block of the rich man, that my wealth and treasures on earth might not get in the way of my following Christ.

P-  Lord I thank your for your word and your reminder, that as I sit here very comfortably in your provision that you have a mission for me.  Lord I am sorry if in anyway money or things have gotten in the way of me following you.  I pray that you help me in my impatience to understand what I am to do with this gift of time and abundance.  I pray all this in Jesus name.  

Judging Others

S - Matt 7

Judging Others

1“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2“For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3“Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

O - Jesus is teaching this principle of judgement to His disciples, and was certainly talking about the Jewish leaders as well, and most importantly was delivering it to all of us.   Starting with His disciples, Jesus knew he would send them, and that they were to reach the lost and the sinners. How impossible would they be to reach if your heart and mind were constantly judging them.   Extreme emphatic and yet righteousness is required to reach the lost.  Jesus needed his disciples to reflect on themselves so that they might understand what it means to fall short, i.e., we all have flaws and sins that we have lived with if then we find someone who sins more than us or more severely than us, does that then allow us to become their judge... absolutely not,  it should make us emphatically with them,  pray for them,  what to see them free from their sins.

A - I know I felt convicted to write about this today because I often have a suspicious attitude towards those I feel might not be on my side of things.  I see people doing things that are wrong, and I want to help them make them right.    I recognize now that so frequently I am wrong about people’s motives and circumstances, and especially their feelings, that I spend a lot of time judging them.  I am convicted by the words of Jesus because I know how bad I feel when I am being judged and yet I would not want to be judged like I am judging others.    I am not yet sure what the answer is other than pray the Lord would remove the log from my eye so that I might accurately see others as God see’s them,  imperfect but still His creation, redeemable and loved.

P - Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for today’s lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray that you would help me to see people as you see them.  Help me to focus on my own sins that I need to repent for and deal with so I might see the good in people and love them the way you do.  I pray all these things in Jesus name, Amen.

Exhortation to support the work of the saints

Exhortation to support the work of the saints

S-2Cor 8 NASB

3For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. 6So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.

3For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. 6So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. 7But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.

O - Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians is to follow the other church’s examples who give and serve beyond what is comfortable, and that they do not give to receive but so that others will receive.  Paul’s ministry is funded not by the church’s which he is at but church’s which is has come from.   When those church’s become engulfed in the mission of the church at large they do not look at their personal circumstances but rather that of the saints in Jerusalem that are fighting the good fight at establishing the church and to those places that are yet to be reached with the Gospel.   This take real work and sacrifice.  Paul is exhorting the Corinthians to reflect on this.

A - The application for me is that I am convicted that in in my work in my life and challenges I have faced in this past season I have once again focused too much on me an forgot my compulsion to support the saints that are doing the work of the ministry.  I must once again look to provide the tithes to the local church at the tithe that I know I owe, not out of compulsion but out of God’s provision in my life.   I also must look to serve, and not just at work.  There is so much there at work but it is not all that I am called to serve.  I am called to serve my wife and children.  I feel good about where I am with service at work and at home but need to begin giving out of God’s abundance to support my extended family and the local church.  I must seek to see what God would have me do, and be satisfied with my role in this season.

P -  Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your service to me and my family.  I know that you have been with us through this last season, and that you are preparing us for a new season.  Lord I pray for forgiveness as I have again become self centered and protective of my time and money.  I pray that you would guide me on where I can give out of the abundance you have provided to me.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Led by the spirit, not by my flesh

Led by the Spirit not by the flesh

S- Galatians 5 NASB

16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

O -  Paul is speaking to the church at Galatia who is finding themselves being drawn back to the Jewish tradition of circumcision and the law.  He knows that the way of the law is one in which man has fallen short of being able to within his own flesh stay obedient to the covenant that circumcision represents.  But there is a new covenant with Christ, one that doesn’t rely on man but instead relies on God’s grace and Christ’s redemption and substitution for our sin.  The lesson is that we are not to live by our own flesh but  by the Spirit of God that is in us.   It is what will enable us to resist the immorality that our flesh often desires.  The spirit of God in us will allow us to despite external circumstances to response with fruit of the spirit,  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

A -  The application for me is to remember to stay in tune with the Holy Spirit in me and know that my reactions should be led by this spirit, and not my flesh.   I know that this will be my challenge as situations become stressful at home or at work,  but I am committed to dig deep inside and seek the Lord’s spirit in me,  to delay the response of my flesh, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide me.  

P -  Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this reminder to continue to allow your Holy Spirit to speak to me and guide my hands, heart, and mind.   I pray Lord that you help me to stay open to hearing your spirit, and avoid the inclines of my flesh.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Seek the favor of God, not man

Seek the favor of God, not the favor of man

S - Galatians 1 NASB

10For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

Paul Defends His Ministry

O-        Paul writes this to the church at Galatia as he is calling them out that they have received the one true Gospel of Christ, and that he is about to rebuke them for departing from the true gospel for one that is reshaped by men’s thoughts.   Later on in this chapter Paul explains that He received the Gospel through revelation and not through man,  and that over the years he has fought to keep the Gospel pure, not influenced by the old Jewish  traditions, or man’s desires.  In his early years in the faith he did not even confer with the Apostles for many years but simply the truth of what Christ revealed to him.   I imagine Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus had a lifetime of impact.  When Christ met him and revealed to him the truth of the Gospel he revealed to him many truths of the kingdom of God that brought great clarity to Paul.  Some might say that his revelations in that time was even greater than that of the Apostles who walked 3 years with Jesus.   While their experience of who Jesus was on earth, and their practical understanding of the ministry was powerful,  Paul’s understanding of the scripture, followed by his revelation of Christ was significant as it came to reaching the entire world (Gentiles) with the Gospel.  

A -  This scripture impressed on me the fragility of my own faith and commitment to the Gospel.  I am just as easily influenced by men over time as the church at Galatia may have been.  In the season of this last year I have made it through a trial period in which I have personally grown as a leader but may have regressed as a follower of Christ.  I find myself on the other end thinking about the pleasing of men in my career and worrying about their thoughts as I think about my future.  I am reminded I have given my life to Christ as a servant of the God.   I need only to submit to Him, and trust in his direction to me.

P - Dear Heavenly Father thank you for this lesson and reminder today.  I am sorry I have wasted so much time worrying about what others think or even what I think about my reputation or my future.  I submit myself to you for you to use for your purposes.   I pray that you continue to give me an opportunity to lead in the Navy and shipyard business, and that if it your will that I one day lead Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, that you guide me an prepare me to do so in a way that honors you, and serves the people in the shipyard and in Hawaii.