hballinger1 Comment

Will You Join in my Struggle?

Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:30 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.15.30.NLT

Do we care enough to join in the struggles of other believers?

I have to admit that for me,  the answer is – “Not often enough,  but I’m learning to change.”

In our Friday night small group,  I’ve explained that one of our key goals is becoming a closely knit group that cares about each other. Not just a group that prays the grocery list of prayer requests,  but that digs into the emotions and spiritual struggles of each others’ situations both together in action and together in prayer – so that we mourn together and we celebrate together.

Unity in the body of Christ,  I have to believe is less about the facts and details of our theology and more about being of one mind and direction, seeking God’s will as communicated in the Word of God, being draw closer to the Lord in our walks, and in turn closer to one another. And when we are in unity seeking first the Kingdom of God and righteousness, all those other things, those things that Christ explains to the Pharisees are the lesser things – they will be added to us.

Doesn’t He tell us that love fulfills the law? Doesn’t He tell us that there is no law against the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Doesn’t He tell us that we should keep in step with the Spirit and not walk in the flesh?

So why is there so much bickering and argument over these lesser things, over the details of the law? Why are men so interested in learning about God in their minds but refusing to love in their hearts?

And someone might say, but what if I love someone or something that the Lord doesn’t love? And I say, how can this be unless it is sin,  unless it is evil?

And they will say,  but how can I know if someone is evil? And I say,  the Lord tells us that our enemies are not flesh and blood, that He does not wish that even one should perish, that we should love and pray for even those men and women whom we think are our enemies. Not to pray for their evil or wickedness to prevail,  God forbid! But that we pray that they come to know Christ closer and be delivered from those unseen forces that are influencing their lives because of the sin they have not yet released from their clutches.

Sinners cling to sin, that’s what we as men and women of flesh and blood do until it is cast out – until He who is in us overcomes it. But until then, we hold onto it,  we even try to hide it from ourselves. We act foolishly as if we can hide it from God,  like Adam and Eve in the garden. So we all need to be made aware of sin wherever it exists in our lives, and we need to pray for deliverance through His strength,  not just our own striving. We need to be opposed to sin, both in our lives and the lives of others – not so that we can consider ourselves perfect or expect others to be perfect – but so that we can do our part to minimize sin’s affect on ourselves and others.

You see,  God gives us divine instruction because He knows what is best. He wants to protect us from those things in the world that will harm us spiritually and eternally, and lead us into the life that is most rewarding. Now I must mention, that sometimes, worldly rewards, pleasures, and treasures can lie in direct opposition to us obtaining those eternal treasures. The divine instructions are about eternal treasure, not about the temporary things of this world. But the amazing thing is that once we set our eyes upon the eternal,  He provides for the temporary as well.

So this is the understanding that we want each to come to. And it isn’t a logical conclusion that we have calculated in our minds. It is not a theological proof that we are looking to exercise and manipulate within the world for our own profit and gain. It is a divine wisdom and understanding given to those who are unveiled Children of God, who are seeking His will, and not our own.

And it is foolishness to the wise of this world,  and even to the religious, because it isn’t about things that can be measured and compared between men. It isn’t even about something that we can fully lay claim to for ourselves until this race is at its end and we kneel before the one we call Lord.

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
Matthew 7:21-23 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.7.21-23.NLT

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things.
If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.
For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
Philippians 3:12-21 NLT
http://bible.com/116/php.3.12-21.NLT

It is the most important realization of our lives – that we are not worthy,  and neither are they – but that God in His mercy and grace extends His love to us, who will believe,  and who will follow,  and who will lay down their lives and be raised to a new life in Christ, running this race to the end,  understanding that we are temporary travelers in a strange land, headed along the narrow path back to our Father’s house, where He awaits with open arms.

I’m not concerned with the party. I’m not concerned with the celebration. I’m not concerned with the house that He’s prepared with many rooms. I’m not concerned with the riches and rewards.  I’m seeking my Father’s arms. Set toot eyes upon your destination, friends. Choose today what you are seeking,  for you will receive your heart’s desires – but will your heart’s desires be what you want in the end?

And if we want these things for ourselves,  shouldn’t we want them for others? If we say we love Him,  shouldn’t we love like Him. So go, get to know your brothers and sisters personally, and grow together during this temporary journey, and prepare yourself to return to His arms.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35 ESV
http://bible.com/59/jhn.13.34-35.ESV

hballinger3 Comments

Hospitality or Entertaining?

When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Romans 12:13 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.12.13.NLT

Today, instead of my own commentary I’m sharing directly a few of the resources that I use when studying a topic:

1) Life Application Study Bible
2) http://www.OpenBible.info
2) http://www.WhatChriatiansWantToKnow.com

Life Application Study Commentary
REF: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/59-life-application-study-bible-devotion

“Christian hospitality differs from social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host: The home must be spotless; the food must be well prepared and abundant; the host must appear relaxed and good-natured. Hospitality, by contrast, focuses on the guests. Their needs-whether for a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or acceptance-are the primary concern. Hospitality can happen in a messy home. It can happen around a dinner table where the main dish is canned soup. It can even happen while the host and the guest are doing chores together. Don’t hesitate to offer hospitality just because you are too tired, too busy, or not wealthy enough to entertain.”

OPENBible.info Topical Search
REF: http://www.openbible.info/topics/hospitality

Matthew 25:34-46 ESV
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

What does the Bible say about Hostility? A study by Derek Hill
REF: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-hospitality-a-christian-study/

Hospitality is a term that seems to be fading away in today’s culture.  People are becoming much more reliant on themselves.  Unfortunately, this is creating a mindset of “I don’t want someone to have to do something nice for me.”  I remember growing up and going to visit my grandma.  I realize now that I am older that I loved going to her house so much because of her hospitality.  She always fed us three square meals a day and she let us use her home as if it were our own.  She loved us through action and not just by saying “I love you.”  Now-a-days, people would rather go out to a restaurant than invite people over and cook for them.  Entertaining can be a chore with all that goes into it, but the benefits outweigh the pains.  Let us look into scripture and see what God says about hospitality:

Hospitality Requires Kindness
1 Peter 4:9 says, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”  Have you ever watched someone do something because they had to and not because they wanted to?  Most of the time people will neither show joy nor gladness when they are doing something simply out of duty.  I remember working in the fast-food industry.  I served people food all of the time.  I was usually doing it out of duty because that was my job.  I also found myself complaining about my job sometimes.  I wasn’t being hospitable towards my customers at all.  Hospitality requires sincerity and kindness.  I should have served my customers with the mind-set of “I care about you as a person.”

Hospitality Should Be Shown To Everyone
Leviticus 19:34 says, “You shall not treat the stranger that sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”  Every single person on this planet deserves love because we have been shown the ultimate love  through Jesus’ death and resurrection for our sins.  Jesus showed us the perfect model for hospitality because “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  Before you and I accepted Christ, He already paid our debt on the cross.  He loved us enough to die for us all.  I can’t even love someone enough to give them a ride somewhere sometimes.  God calls us to love everyone and hospitality goes a long way, especially to those who don’t expect it from us.  So, give your co-worker a ride home, even if you don’t know them very well.  Share your lunch with other people that have none.  Invite some friends over to your house and entertain them.  You will plant a seed that God can grow.

Hospitality Goes Further Than You Think
God calls us to love everyone, including strangers, but you may be doing much more than you thought when you do this.  Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”  What a phenomenal passage of scripture!  When we show genuine hospitality to a stranger, we may be serving an angel of God.  This is absolutely amazing!  There are stories of angels appearing before men all throughout scripture, but angels still appear before us today.  How amazing will it be when you are in heaven and an angel says, “thank you”, to you because of your hospitality?

Hospitality is the Velcro that Joins us Together
Hospitality comes from deep within your soul.  It is a symptom of the joy that is in your heart.  When you hold the door open for someone, help an elderly person with their groceries, offer to babysit for free, buy the person’s food behind you in the drive-through lane, or any act of kindness, the reaction is almost always the same.  The person that you have helped will usually say, “thank you”, and they will feel good deep inside their soul because of your kindness.  Doing good for others many times makes them want to do good for someone else too.  It feels good to serve others.  Serving others makes them want to be around you more and it makes them better people too.  Look in the New Testament.  Read the Gospels.  Jesus is the model of hospitality.  He had crowds in the thousands following Him because of His compassion for them.  Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 all encompass the sermon that Jesus gave on a mountain.  He came down the mountain in chapter 8 and healed a leper.  Then He healed a Centurion’s servant.  Then He went into Peter’s house and healed Peter’s mother-in-law.  That evening He healed many who were oppressed by demons.  Then He calmed a raging storm while He crossed the Sea of Galilee.  When He got to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, He healed 2 men with demons.  He left there immediately because He was asked too, so He went back to Capernaum and then He healed a paralytic man.  After that He calls Matthew to be His disciple, and the story keeps going.  Do you see what I mean?  Jesus was hospitable to everyone.  He had compassion to keep going on and healing the sick while spreading His story of redemption.  Look at how many people joined around Jesus because of His “Velcro.”

Conclusion
Hospitality is an action of love shown to those we love and those we do not love.  It is contagious and warms the hearts of those it touches.  I encourage you to be as hospitable as possible while you are still here on earth.  God calls us to it and He deserves our all.  God bless you as you continue to live a life worthy of the calling.

hballingerLeave a comment

Beautiful Feet

And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
Romans 10:15 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.10.15.NLT

Jesus demonstrated the importance, even after having washed the whole body, of continually washing each others’ feet. He is talking about after baptism and a profession of faith, there should be a continual walk of fellowship, service, accountability, correction, and building each other up in the Word of God. Our hearts and desires are to be touched and changed.

Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.”  For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
John 13:10-11 NLT
http://bible.com/116/jhn.13.10-11.NLT

We are rescued and set upon the rock of Jesus, Christ,  our hope and our salvation.

Psalm 40:2 ESV
He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

As part of the full armor of God in Ephesians 6, the readiness in the gospel of peace is given as protection for our feet.

Ephesians 6:15 ESV
And, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace

The Word of God is divine instruction from God that will guide us in the c way we should walk.

Psalm 119:105 ESV
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

And His angels will guard and deliver us from temptations and the attacks of the enemy.

Psalm 91:11-13 ESV
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

And He does these things to protect us, but also to grow us and prepare us for going out,  for being sent.

2 Samuel 22:32-35 ESV
“For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

And His purpose is for us to go forth and for others to have the opportunity to hear this Good News.

Isaiah 52:7 ESV
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Because we are not to be wicked like the traitor Judas, nor like the fallen one who turns His back on God.

Psalm 1:1-6 ESV
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

Remember, we are given authority and power over the enemy to step on their heads and crush them – to free people from their captors through the Word of God,  the gospel of peace,  the name of Jesus Christ.

When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!  Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.  But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
Luke 10:17-20 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.10.17-20.NLT

So it is important that we pay attention to how we are walking.

Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil

Even if we are unsure exactly where the Lord is taking us or how He is going to bring us through.

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

So what is our part? Will we use these feet to walk? Will we run?

Ephesians 5:8 ESV
For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

So what does that walk look like? Are we keeping in step or have we fallen behind?

Colossians 3:16 ESV
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God

.

Romans 12:2 ESV
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Ephesians 4:1-5 ESV
http://bible.com/59/eph.4.1-5.ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:16-26 ESV
http://bible.com/59/gal.5.16-26.ESV

I encourage you,  friend,  to walk in love.

Ephesians 5:2 ESV
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Love and serve one another.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Galatians 5:13-15 ESV
http://bible.com/59/gal.5.13-15.ESV

Our life is an example and an influence upon others. How will you walk today? How will you serve? Will you wash the feet of your brother or drag Him into the fiery pit?

hballingerLeave a comment

Our whole life

Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
Romans 6:13 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.6.13.NLT

What have we held back in our lives from God? What part of our lives have we kept of limits from the touch of God? Have we, allowed Him into some areas,  while leaving Him out of others?  Are we picking Him up at times,  but also leaving Him on the shelf sometimes? Do we tell God that we’ll spend time with Him later while we go about our day content with our own choices and decisions and will being fulfilled?

We are blessed with an amazing opportunity to commune with God. He will come and abide with us –

“If you love me, you will  keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.  
“I will not leave you as orphans;  I will come to you.  Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
John 14:15-18, 23-24 ESV
http://bible.com/59/jhn.14.15-24.ESV

How often do we trade this great blessing and become satisfied with being separated from God? Giving up our opportunity to abide with the, Lord and instead settling with hearing about Him through someone else –

Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”
Exodus 20:18-19 ESV
http://bible.com/59/exo.20.18-19.ESV

Don’t let your fear of God or your interest in the temporary things of this world distract you from the blessing of His presence, of His annointing, of His constant guidance and participation in your life. He knows the best path and purpose for your life today. Are you keeping in contact with Him? Are you walking in the Spirit, meditating upon His Word as the divine instruction for your thoughts,  your actions,  and your words?

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Matthew 16:24-26 ESV
http://bible.com/59/mat.16.24-26.ESV

We let ourselves get into a hurry,  and unfortunately we forget God. It humbles me when I understand that I’ve let that happen. But He is my advocate and He offers me forgiveness even in those slip ups.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
1 John 2:1-6 ESV
http://bible.com/59/1jn.2.1-6.ESV

I am not perfect yet,  but I’m also not going to be content remaining the same, without growth and change and spiritual maturity taking place in my life. I don’t want my Jesus to be just words or empty religious rituals a few times a week –  I want to live and walk and talk with Him constantly. I want Him to touch every part of my life.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.  Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Philippians 3:12-21 ESV
http://bible.com/59/php.3.12-21.ESV

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:11, 14-15, 17-21 ESV
http://bible.com/59/2co.5.11-21.ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.  By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
1 John 4:7-13 ESV
http://bible.com/59/1jn.4.7-13.ESV

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 4:18-21 ESV
http://bible.com/59/1jn.4.18-21.ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:13-26 ESV
http://bible.com/59/gal.5.13-26.ESV

hballingerLeave a comment

Walking dead?

And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.
Romans 6:8-9 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.6.8-9.NLT

Have you died with Christ?

Our baptism in water signifies this very event that is spiritual and eternal and invisible to others. It is an outward testimony that is physical and temporary and visible to others. The water baptism is important as an act of obedience. 

Acts 2:38 ESV
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 22:16 ESV
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

John 3:5 ESV
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

1 Peter 3:21 ESV
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Mark 16:16 ESV
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

So again,  I ask,  have you died with Christ?

Are you ready to live with Him?

Our lives and how we live each day,  even with each breath, are preparing us for our final destination. We are choosing to either do life with Christ,  learning to draw closer and closer to Him – learning and growing in our faith and our new areas of surrender and obedience and love in our lives – or we are practicing being without Him,  practicing being separated from God’s will and purpose for our lives, practicing for that final and eternal separation that some will know at judgement.

So I ask you again, are you ready to live with Him?

And if we are ready, and if we are already learning to live with Him,  if we are becoming more aware of His presence in our lives, day by day,  lesson by lesson,  prayer by prayer – aren’t we given an assurance by His faithfulness,  by the amazing way in which He orders our steps and brings us into such amazing places of inner peace – even amidst the fiery trials of this world. You see,  He is the solid foundation that we can stand on,  and watch those same winds and waves that used to control us and send us scattering this way or that – we can now watch those spiritual forces at play in the world around us and we can discern the ways of the enemy.

You see,  death has no power over Him,  and now that He is in us,  it has no power over us either.

Luke 10:19 ESV
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

He is our rock. He has given you a new name. He has blessed us. And this truth was not revealed by men of flesh and blood, but was revealed to you by God Himself. Know wroth confidence and assurance that if you are His vessel set aside for His special purpose that the gates of hell shall not prevail against you. Also remembering and testing yourself to prove yourselves not bound for destruction.

Matthew 16:15-19 ESV
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

John 20:19-23 ESV
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

John 6:67-71 ESV
So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.

But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.”  In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”
Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.”  So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.
Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?”
When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.
Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, “Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.” And, “Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”
Romans 9:11-26 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.9.11-26.NLT

Jesus also told them other parables. He said, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son.  When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come! “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’  But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business.  Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them. “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town.  And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor.  Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’  So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding.  ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply.  Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:1-14 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.22.1-14.NLT

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Friend or Foe?

And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
Romans 5:9-10 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.5.9-10.NLT

Friend or Foe?

We use to play soldier games when I was younger. I grew up in the days of the original G.I. Joe and transformers cartoons where it was about a group with integrity and honor doing battle against a group with evil intentions.

One of the things we would do when playing was stand watch and ask “Friend or Foe” if anyone approached our guard post. Now, you didn’t ask this expecting an enemy to actually respond with the word “Foe”, because the enemy is a liar if you are the good guy. The enemy believes that it is okay to lie,  cheat,  steal,  and kill as long as it furthers his agenda. ( Reminds me of the written tenets of our enemies even today. )

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Groanings

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
Romans 8:26-27 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.8.26-27.NLT

I once asked myself,  how can I pray to God if I don’t yet know who He is? I asked, How can I make sure that I’m not praying to some construct of my own mind, or some false substitution, or some idea or image of God that the world has given me that isn’t quite “the one true God”.

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No excuses, faith. Oh, yeah, and don’t forget about the law.

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.
People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 
Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
Romans 3:19-28, 30-31 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.3.19-31.NLT

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Excuses?

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.
Romans 1:20-22 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.1.20-22.NLT

How many will claim with their mouths that they know God? How many of these same people will not worship Him or give thanks to Him? And I’m not just talking about showing up to a church service once a week or saying a memorized set of words before eating  a meal – those actions can be empty and devoid of any true worship or praise. I’m talking about worship and praise – recognizing and demonstrating to God with a heartfelt reaction that we love Him and that He alone is worthy of our attention, our drive, our focus.

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Not Ashamed?

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.
Romans 1:16 NLT
http://bible.com/116/rom.1.16.NLT

What things do we do that demonstrate to the world and even to ourselves that we are not ashamed?

What things can we do to grow bolder and more confident in the Word of God, in the Good News of Jesus Christ?

Will we do them?

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