Turn to God

Have you ever done something really bad? Or at least you perceive it to be so bad that you are ashamed to tell anyone about it, and it weighs heavy on you like a yoke around your neck that you can’t remove? There are some feelings of despair and shame that only God can remove. But the first step is to come clean with Him. Acts reminds us that only then will we find the refreshing that only the Lord can provide. In chapter 3 verse 19 it says:

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."

God has the power to give us a peace that passes all understanding. And no matter what you’ve done, or how ashamed you are, God can forgive you of your sin. Acts tells us that when you repent and turn to God, that he can wipe out your sins. But it also goes so far as to say that he will give you times of refreshing that can only come from the Lord. If you have something weighing heavy on your heart, the only way to truly remove it is to come to God. Repent, turn to God, humble yourself before him and let him wipe out your sin and refresh your soul.

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“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” The older I get the more I’m amazed at what evil humanity is capable of. But in spite of all that, God has the power to forgive any sin, any wrong - even if we’re unable to forgive ourselves. So, I encourage you, if you’ve done something wrong, no matter how bad you think it is, heed the words of Acts. Repent, turn from your sins and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out and that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Build Others

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me”. Well, you don’t have to have lived many years in this world to know how utterly false that statement is. Our words matter. And sometimes they can hurt worse than sticks and stones because our words can be powerful. You may have heard another saying that is absolutely true - with great power comes great responsibility. As believers, we have a responsibility to use our words to build up, not to tear down. Paul says in Ephesians 4 verse 29: 

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

The book of James has a lot to say about the tongue. He says it is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body - that no human can tame the tongue. But Paul encourage us to make an effort. We need to watch what we say, and how we say it. Unwholesome talk is unbecoming a Christian, but words of encouragement, words that build others up are the type of words that Jesus would speak. So, I encourage you to be careful what you say. If you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything. Being slow to speak is a virtue that can certainly help you in your efforts to speak words that build up, instead of speaking words that you’ll regret saying later.

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“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” I encourage you to heed these words. Don’t use your words as a weapon. And don’t be in a rush to speak, but consider your words carefully. I know it’s not always easy to do, especially if we’re not in tune with the Spirit. But if we are, He can help us speak words that are helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Lukewarm

Have you ever read the book of Revelation? It can be scary, controversial and honestly, a bit confusing. But there are some things from that book that are perfectly clear. Early on, John records Jesus’ words to the seven churches. In many of these letters, he encourages, reprimands and warns against the actions of these churches. By reading these letters, we can know God’s heart when it comes to certain thoughts and behaviors of those who call themselves believers. One that always sticks out to me is what He says in chapter 3 verses 15-16 in his letter to the church in Laodicea which says:

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

I was reminded recently that when something is lukewarm, its original purpose was for it to be hot. So, don’t let this portion of scripture confuse you. God most certainly wants us to be hot for him, not cold. But this shows just how much God hates the state of being lukewarm when it comes to our thoughts, dedication, deeds and affection towards him. He would rather that we’d never known him or that we were opposed to him than we be lukewarm. I encourage you not to let your fire for God cool to the point of being apathetic toward him. Heed this warning, and keep your fire blazing for him.

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“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” It isn’t difficult for us to let our spiritual fervor cool for the Lord, but it is a serious mistake if we do. God sends a warning to us through the church of Laodicea that this is the absolute worst place we can find ourselves in. It is so bad that he’d prefer that we’d be cold - or totally against him than to be lukewarm. So, I encourage you to remain hot for the Lord. Do everything you can to keep your thoughts, love and affection on him. It is my goal, and I hope it is yours to, to be not only hot, but boiling hot - scalding hot, for him. Because that’s where he wants us.

Don't Compare

Do you ever find yourself comparing your Christian walk with other believers? Do you think in your heart that another believer is more righteous than you, or that you are more righteous than them? Do you compare your good deeds, faithful church attendance, bible reading or prayer life with others? Do you judge others who have fallen into sin, or are acting in a way that you deem as “unchristian-like” behavior? Paul teaches us to redirect those thoughts from others, and use that energy to examine ourselves. Galatians chapter 6 verse 4 says: 

"Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,"

Christianity is certainly an outward faith. But in many regards the walk takes place in our hearts. The kind of “pride” Paul is talking about here is not pride that would exalt ourselves, but pride in knowing that we are right with God, and also remembering that your ability to obey comes from the aid of the Holy Spirit. This kind of pride leads to peace, not sin. It is human nature to compare ourselves with others. Whether we realize it or not, we compare our jobs, families, possessions, physical appearance, and more with those we come in contact with. Whether that is good or bad, I can’t say. But I can say that our Christian walk should not be a competition because that is what Paul says. So I encourage you, to run your own race. Yes, we should care about others, we should disciple others, and we should correct others in the church, but we shouldn’t compare our walk with others. Because that kind of comparison only leads to unholy pride or condemnation.

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“Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.” Paul says that we need to test our own actions. Consider how your walk is going compared to the word of God, not compared to someone else. If we are able to examine ourselves in light of God’s word, we can take holy pride in our walk if it is in line with scriptures, realizing that our success is not our own, but it is because of the power and the aid of the Holy Spirit. That is why Paul can say that if he boasts he boasts in the Lord.

Dark Deeds

The moral culture in America is changing so fast that it is difficult to ignore. Things that are moralistically right, biblically speaking, are called wrong and things that are wrong are called right. How can we stand firm in Christ in a world that continues to challenge his holy authority, without us eventually questioning it ourselves? In Ephesians chapter 5 verses 11 and 12, Paul tells us:

"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret."

Television teaches us that it is okay to have premarital sex and extramarital affairs, our culture applauds the greedy and the prideful, and our laws favor unholy behavior and anti-Christian beliefs. We are saturated with the deeds of darkness in our work places, neighborhoods, and our country. Paul tells us that these “deed of darkness” are fruitless, and that we should have nothing to do with them. But he also goes so far to say that we should expose them. But expose them to who? I believe the exposure he is talking about here is exposing the deeds of darkness to believers - not really to unbelievers. It is believers who strive to live by biblical standards over cultural ones. Until a person agrees that their sin is wrong, they will not accept that their deeds are dark. But at the same time, we can’t allow ourselves to get sucked in to agreeing with the political correctness of it all ultimately compromising the firm foundation of the bible. Paul tells us to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but we need to expose them so that we don’t accept wrong as right.

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“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.” Living the life of a believer in todays world can be a real pickle. We see things going one way and instead of remembering that sin is still sin, little by little we begin to agree with the politically correct behavior of our society. I encourage you to concentrate on your walk with Christ, and don’t compromise the truth, even in light of the times we live. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them - admitting to yourself and reminding other believers about the truth of God’s word. As the world continues to drift deeper and deeper into darkness, let us stand strong to the unwavering truth of God’s word.