From Ben Fronczek... A Closer walk with God

A Closer walk with God

                                                                    

Introduction

I believe that if you ask most Christians they will tell you that they would like to have a a closer relationship with God. Apart from accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior many of us are not quite sure what God wants and expects from us personally.  In Micah 6:6-8 we have an answer to that question. And what does our Lord and God really want from us? Are we to make all kind of offering and sacrifices or huge contributions to Him? No. Out of obligation to Him do we need to recite a list of prayers over and over for hours each day or go to church each time the door is open? Does God want and expect us to sell our homes and move to Africa to become missionaries? What exactly does God want and expect from you and me?

Read Micah 6:6-8 Here we see exactly what the Lord wants of us… 

“To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

“To act Justly” to me means that we need to act and be fair when it comes to how we act around others. It involves being honest and always doing the right thing. If we want to be close to God we can’t go around lying to and cheating others.  We need to give our best. This also includes our employers.

Then he said we need to…“To Love Mercy” to me this has to do with how we treat others.  The Hebrew word that Micah uses here and translates “mercy,” is a rich one. It is also carries the idea of, tender mercies, loving-kindness, steadfast love.  In relation to God’s mercy, it is used most often refers His grace, or of UNEXPECTED kindness. We are also to fill our hearts with compassion and kindness towards one another and be kind.

Notice also that the requirement here is not that we simply HAVE mercy, but rather we are to LOVE mercy. There is a big difference between the two. One is to do acts of kindness from a sense of obedience or obligation, but when we Love mercy and do kind acts it says a lot about one’s heart.

And finally Micah reports that God also really wants us to “HUMBLY WALK WITH HIM.”

“What does it mean to walk with God?”
 

Answer: There are several people described as “walking with God” in the Bible, for one, Enoch in Genesis 5:24. Noah is also described as “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God (Genesis 6:9).

Walking with God is not an activity reserved for a select few. God desires all of His children to walk with Him.

What happens when we walk with someone? Imagine that you and a close friend are enjoying a walk down a country road or path.

You are in close proximity. You talk, laugh, listen, and share what’s on your hearts. Your attention is focused on this person to the exclusion of almost everything else. You notice the beauty around you or an occasional distraction, but only to point it out to your companion. You share it together. You are in harmony, and you both enjoy the peaceful time together.

Walking with God is kind of like that. When we enter into a heart felt relationship with God, He becomes our heart’s greatest desire and primary focus.

We need to realize that going to church and listening to a preacher or listening to a sermon on TV isn’t really time with God. Over and over in scripture we are told not to substitute anyone or anything for God. There is not substitute for spending time with God Himself, talking with Him, sharing our hearts with Him, and quietly listening for His response.

When we do this, things begin to happen.  As He becomes everything to us we are strengthened. Worship our Lord become an everyday part of us.

This walk is so much more than just going to church on Sunday morning.  A. W. Tozer states that the goal of every Christian should be to “live in a state of unbroken worship.” This is only possible when we walk with God.

Just like walking with a close friend requires saying “no” to other things we could do, walking with God requires letting go of anything that would be a distraction.

When the Bible speaks of “walking,” it often refers to a lifestyle. We can walk in the ways of the world as well. In the New Testament, walking with God is often called “walking in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:4).

To walk with God means you have aligned your will with His. You don’t have to be perfect; none of us are. But our heart’s desire is to seek Him out and commune with Him and do our best to please HIM, and be willing to let His Spirit commune with us and conform us to the image of His Son.

I love the story of Enoch and his walk with God    

In Genesis 5:21-24 it says, 

 “²¹ When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. ²² After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years.   ²⁴ Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” NIV

^{The NLT put it this way “ 21} When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. ²² After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. ²³ Enoch lived 365 years, ²⁴ walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.” NLT

I like how the Amplified Bible translates this…

“²¹ When Enoch was 65 years old, Methuselah was born. ²² Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God after the birth of Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. ²⁴ And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him].”

It is evident that Enoch was a great man because:

- The writer stop in a long list of recited names to mention Enoch’s special relationship with God.

- Then Later in Hebrews 11:5 Enoch is listed with those in the ‘hall of fame of faith’. It says,  

“⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”

So what are some Results of Walking with God. David was a man who walked with God. One thing I like about David is how he wrote thoughts down which we now have preserved in the book of Psalms. For me it’s like peering into his personal diary or journal seeing his most intimate thoughts. In Ps. 16 we can read what spending time with God gave him.

Read Psalm 16:7-11

⁷ I will bless the Lord who guides me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

⁹ No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
¹⁰ For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
¹¹ You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.

For David walking with God provided Him with: Blessings, guidance, instruction, a sense of security knowing that His God was always right beside him. It enables him to rest, feel safe, it showed him the way of life, it gave him joy and gave him the hope of eternal life.

It is amazes me the depth of spiritual knowledge one can attain by spending much time with God. David understood so many things including the fact that God would allow him to be swept away at the end of his life, but rather he would be granted the joy of God’s own presence and would live with Him in HIS presence, forever.

Enoch also had special knowledge. Listen to what Jude records about Enoch in his letter. 

“¹⁴ Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones ¹⁵ to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”  ¹⁶ These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.”

Where did Enoch get this information about the Lord’s return and judgement? There is only one place he could have gotten this information, and that was from God Himself as he walked and talked with Him.

There is another good and positive thing seen in scripture that comes with walking with God. In Hebrews 5:11 also mentions the fact that Enoch pleased God. What Father doesn’t what his children to love him and be around him and share with him?

And finally, 

there is another blessing of walking with God;  Eternal Companionship. Somehow David knew and possessed the hope that he would one day live in God’s presence, forever.

In Enoch’s case, one day God simply took Enoch away. He probably took him home in Heaven.

Do you really want to be happy and know that you are doing what pleases God? Then act justly, always be fair, Love mercy, love to see it in others, love being kind on all occasions.

And learn to walk with God more. Get close to Him. Realize like David, that He is ever present; in your home, at work, in your car, in your bed, in church, everywhere, and then make it a practice to talk to Him. Share your inner most feelings and thought with Him. Thank Him and praise Him for His awesome nature and blessings. Like David share you concerns and fears and your belief that He will take care of you. And take time and be silent and just listen. I believe that God has His own special ways of communicating with us, of bringing us comfort, joy and strength.

It’s not something you have to do to get to heaven but it will make your life so much more better. I challenge you to make it a life goal to walk with Him, knowing that at any moment He is ready to walk with you.

From Jim McGuiggan... BIG, PLAIN, RICH TRUTHS

BIG, PLAIN, RICH TRUTHS

What is “sunrise”? It’s when the sun first appears over the horizon as the result of the earth spinning on its axis. This is true and we’re glad. But that isn’t “sunrise”! GK Chesterton would say: Sunrise is when God says to the sun, ‘Get up!’ GKC liked dictionaries but he knew they had real limits. They reduce everything to bare definitions but we’re not to criticize them for that—they’re doing the best they can.

There’s a habit of thinking that reduces so much. We can be carried away with information, explanation, definition and cognitive, rational instruction. We need information, don’t you know, but it’s too bad when we allow information to limit our vision to the dictionary or a grammar or even a pursuit of correctness.

Ask Jesus about that field of flowers and he’d say, “Beautiful isn’t it! Solomon in all his grandeur never looked that good. My Father clothed that field.” He goes onto say that before you know it the flowers will wither and be burned and yet the Father never tires of pouring out such glory. How gloriously generous He is in his giving.

Jesus would look at sparrows and speak of his Father’s generous and faithful provision. He’d pass a woman adding yeast to her dough and he’d think of his Father’s kingdom and say something like, “Remind me to look at this on our way back.” He’d see tired oxen with ill-fitting yokes that rubbed their necks raw, dragging a plough up and down, up and down, up and down a field and donkeys, heads down and burdens up to the sky on their backs. He sees them and thinks of the burdens of people and how he had come to deliver them and wishes they'd come to him. He looks up into the limitless heavens and sees them as his Holy Father’s “theater of glory”. Everything he saw, even the sadness and hurt of the world, made him think and speak of and act for his Father and his Father’s eternal purpose.

I’m for exegesis; I’m for the use of grammars, lexicons, literary models, sociological insights, hermeneutical approaches—or anything else within my reach and competence—that help us to grasp the meaning of a text, section or book. Of course!  But all the Bible study, however rich in technique and however successful in getting at “authorial intent”—if it doesn’t lead us to the massive subtext that lies beneath all the verses and all the books, if it doesn’t open out eyes to life and all there is and help us to see as Jesus saw, it’s worse than wasted time [note John 5:39]. I don’t say I know very well how to gain such insight much less that I have gained it to a marked degree. But I know as sure as I live that I know the kind of writing or speaking that doesn’t carry us there.

I’ve seen more than one lovely young person carried away by scholarship, seduced by literary and philosophical conundrums; left close to speechlessness. Well, at least, left not knowing what to do with the biblical witness to feed the people of God. Every text and even the Bible itself, becomes problematic; every biblical claim has to be rigidly scrutinized in the heady realm of academia before the scholar can make use of it for Church-feeding—especially in the presence of his scholarly peers. And while they talk to each other the People of God starve [or are left to the ceaseless and banal moralizing that passes for Church-feeding or to the rigidly religious with their exhaustive blueprints, slide-rules and books on logic placed in the church pews for the listeners to become acquainted with].

One of the leading gurus of a generation or two ago, one who specialized in the biblical Wisdom literature, ended up believing in virtually nothing distinctively Hebrew/Christian though his understanding of OT biblical texts is still highly regarded. Sigh! We can end up “correct” or seriously seeking to be and end up clinically depressed or without convictions or hope—ceaselessly on the probe for intellectual consistency and "integrity"; worshipping at the shrine of the goddess, Knowing All.

We all begin with some “givens”; with convictions we take as the foundation of whatever we’re going to build on them. Everyone does! There's no getting to a place where we can prove beyond debate and with “geometrical certainty” what we believe. The ceaseless search for indisputable truth is a losing game. God hasn't left us in the dark or short of truth and there's something sinister about our insatiable hunger to make our claims academically respectable.

Look for, ask people to help you find, ask God to provide the help you need to find the big, plain, rich truths the Bible offers and makes much of. Find those, purposing to throw in the stubborn ounces of your weight into God’s glorious and loving purpose toward humanity and cheerfully march on under the banner of Jesus Christ.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.

From Mark Copeland... Do Not Be Ashamed (2 Timothy 1:8,12)

                    "THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY"

                       Do Not Be Ashamed (1:8,12)

INTRODUCTION

1. Imprisoned and facing death, Paul encouraged Timothy not to be
   ashamed...
   a. Of the testimony of the Lord (i.e., the gospel, doctrines) - 2 Ti 1:8
   b. Of Paul himself as a prisoner of the Lord - 2Ti 1:8
   -- For Paul himself was not ashamed, nor Onesiphorus who visited him
      - 2Ti 1:12,16-18

2. It is important that one not be ashamed...
   a. Of the Lord and His gospel - cf. Mk 8:38; Lk 9:26
   b. Of suffering in His name - cf. 1Pe 4:16
   -- Have you ever been ashamed of Jesus?  His gospel? Suffering in the
      name of Christ?

[If you have ever been embarrassed about being a Christian, let the
apostle Paul share with you the reasons why he was not ashamed.  He
overcame any shame...]

I. BY KNOWING THE LORD

   A. HIS IDENTITY...
      1. "I know whom I have believed..." - 2Ti 1:12
         a. Paul had knowledge of the true person and identity of Jesus
            Christ
         b. This knowledge gave Paul courage to suffer any price - cf.
            Php 3:8
      2. Who is this Jesus we follow as the Christ?
         a. In the words of Isaiah - Isa 9:6-7
            1) Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God
            2) Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
         b. In the words of Peter - Mt 16:16
            1) The Christ
            2) The Son of the Living God
         c. In the words of Paul - Col 1:15-18
            1) The image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all
               creation
            2) By Him, through Him, and for Him were all things created
            3) He is before all things, and in Him all things consist
            4) He is the head of the body, the church
            5) He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in
               all things He may have the preeminence!
         d. In the words of Jesus Himself - Re 1:10-11,17-18; 22:16
            1) "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last"
            2) "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive
               forevermore."
            3) "I have the keys of Hades and of Death."
            4) "I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and
               Morning Star."
      -- When we know our Lord's true identity, how can we ever be
         ashamed of Him?

   B. HIS FAITHFULNESS...
      1. "I am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed
         to Him until that Day." - 2Ti 1:12
         a. Paul had committed his very soul to Jesus
         b. He was confident that Jesus was able to save him on the day
            of Judgment
      2. How faithful, dependable, is this Jesus in Whom we trust for
         salvation?
         a. He is able to aid those who are tempted - He 2:18; cf. 1Co 10:13
         b. He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God
            through Him - He 7:25
         c. He is able to transform our lowly bodies into glorious
            bodies - Php 3:21
         d. He will give eternal life to those who come to Him, and
            nothing can snatch them out of His Father's hand - Jn 10:
            28-29
      -- When we know our Lord's faithfulness, how can we ever be
         ashamed of Him?

[The more we know and appreciate our Lord, the less likelihood we would
ever be ashamed of Him.  The same is true regarding His Words.  Again,
Paul provides an example:  he overcame any shame...]

II. BY KNOWING THE GOSPEL

   A. THE POWER OF GOD...
      1. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the
         power of God" - Ro 1:16
         a. Paul knew that the message he proclaimed was powerful
         b. Even though to some it might seem foolishness - cf. 1Co 1:18
      2. What power is contained in the gospel of Christ?
         a. The power to save those who believe - Ro 1:16
         b. The power to cause one to be born again - 1Pe 1:22-25
         c. The power to work effectively in those who believe - 1 Th 2:13
         d. The power to produce fruit in those who know and understand
            it - Col 1:6
      -- When we know God's power in the gospel, how can we ever be
         ashamed of it?

   B. THE WISDOM OF GOD...
      1. "but we preach Christ crucified...the wisdom of God" - 1Co 1:23-24
         a. Paul knew that the gospel contained the wisdom of God
         b. Even though it contained that which was considered
            foolishness to Greeks
      2. What wisdom is contained in the gospel of Christ?
         a. Wisdom beyond the ability of natural man to discern on his
            own - Ro 11:33
         b. Wisdom hidden for ages, but now revealed to the Lord's
            apostles - 1Co 2:6-10
         c. Wisdom that we can now learn by reading the apostles'
            writings - Ep 3:3-5
         d. Indeed, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
            especially for the truly abundant life and life eternal
            - Col 2:3; cf. Jn 10:10; 1Jn 5:11-13
      -- When we know God's wisdom in the gospel, how can we ever be
         ashamed of it?

CONCLUSION

1. Yes, we have very good reasons not to be ashamed...
   a. The Lord we serve is a great and marvelous Lord!
   b. His Word we proclaim is a great and marvelous message!
   -- All it takes is for us to be diligent in our study of such things
      - 2Ti 2:15

2. Here are two more good reasons we should not be ashamed...
   a. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren - He 2:11
   b. God is not ashamed to be called our God - He 11:16
   -- If They are not ashamed of us, how can we be ashamed of Them and
      Their Word?
 Do Not Be Ashamed (2 Timothy 1:8,12)
Finally, our greatest concern should be whether we will be ashamed when
the Lord returns:

   "And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we
   may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."
                                                         - 1Jn 2:28

Are we abiding in Jesus by obedience to His Word...? - 1Jn 2:3-6; cf.
Mk 16:15-16; Ga 3:26-27

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Gary... Grandeur, feeling and color

This picture describes a feeling I had this morning. Notice the intertwining complexities of this "wind sculpture".  It simply exudes magnificence in the complexity of its beauty. That is how I felt this morning, as I sat on my sofa, with a dog sitting on each side of me, as I viewed the bright sunshine reflecting from the yellowed sided trailer just behind ours.  The sunlight shimmered and danced with glee and even though it is only 38 degrees outside, I could feel the warmth of the blessing of God, warming my soul with its ubiquitous love. WOW, what a way to start the day!!!!  So, today's post is all about feeling, which naturally led me to think of heaven and of course, the following passage...

Revelation, Chapter 21

10 He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,  11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal;  12 having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.  13 On the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.  14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.  15 He who spoke with me had for a measure, a golden reed, to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.  16 The city is square, and its length is as great as its breadth. He measured the city with the reed, Twelve thousand twelve stadia. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.  17 Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.  18 The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass.  19 The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;  20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst.  21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.  22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.  23 The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.  24 The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.  25 Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),  26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.  27 There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Imagine if you will, what the feeling will be like as you enter the pearly gates and see the foundations of the NEW JERUSALEM!!!  Of course this picture does not really do it justice, as the light from Almighty God is not shining through the stones, giving them an iridescent quality, but just think a moment about the emotions these hues will evoke. The complexity and joy of the experience will be akin to the first time we are blessed to be in the presence of the Triune being HIMSELF!!!  Nature can be a wonderful thing to behold, but even its splendor is nothing compared to what awaits God's one true church.  Colors may never look the same to me again!!!!

From Ben Fronczek... You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat

OBJECT Lesson: 

Take a bunch of different kinds of junk food out of a bag and show to the congregation.  

Ask:   “Does this stuff taste good?”

-       “What do we call this kind of food?”  (Health Food? No Junk Food!)

-       “And what is Junk Food?” (Food that has no nutritional value, it usually taste good but is full of fat, salt or sugar, and it is not very healthy to eat)

If Junk food was the only kind of food you ate, how do you think that it would affect you?   There is actually a movie out called,  Super-Size Me.  It’s about a perfectly healthy guy who decides to eat only McDonald’s food for a whole month, to see if was a really that bad of a diet or not. Well after eating that diet for a month not only affected him physically but also mentally as well.

Even though junk food may taste real good, it’s some of the worst stuff we can possibly eat.  A lot of it is almost addictive in nature (eg. sugar and caffeine.) Eat or drink too much of it and you’ll get stomach aches, head aches, you’ll feel fatigued, you can develop skin problems, and even worst yet, digestive disorders, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, immune system problems, even cancer.

If that’s all you eat your body may experience nutritional malnutrition. Did you know that your body needs to consume at least 90 essential nutrients to maintain a healthy and strong physical body? That diet consists of 60 minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 essential amino acids, and 3 essential fatty acids, every day.  When we deny our body any of these nutrients, the body becomes weaker and even begins to break down and develop problems.

- Scientist known since the 50′s that Chromium and Vanadium deficiencies cause adult-onset diabetes (which makes up 85% of the diabetic population).

- Selenium reduces the risk of cancer from 50 to 80%, depending on the type of cancer

- Copper deficiencies can lead aneurysms, Your arteries’ elastic fibers need copper for tensile strength.

- If you are not getting enough calcium it can cause back pain, bone spurs, cramps and twitches, Degenerative Arthritis, Headaches, High/Low Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Insomnia, Joint Pain, Kidney Stones, Osteoporosis, Panic Attacks, PMS.  

These are the effects that can occur by depriving yourself of just a few minerals.

 That which is true of the physical body is also true of the spiritual body.

We are not just flesh and blood, we have a spiritual part that needs to be fed a healthy diet as well.

Just like particular symptoms of malnutrition appear in the physical body when we deprive it, symptoms of spiritual malnutrition will appear if you stave it or feed only on spiritual junk food.  And just like in the physical body, when negative symptoms appear, we need to do something about it right away before we really get sick.

How may of you feel like you are weak or maybe even dying spiritually?

Maybe, religion and Church isn’t as interesting anymore. You are going through the motions of going to church every Sunday, but even then your mind is somewhere else; you just aren’t into it anymore.  You find you are saying things that you know aren’t right for a Christian to be saying, or doing things that aren’t right for a Christian to be doing… and you don’t know why.

These just may be symptoms of spiritual malnutrition.

After Peter reminds these early Christian who they really are and how much they have been blessed in 1 peter chapter 1, In I Peter 2:1,  he admonishes his readers to get rid of certain negative traits. I like the way the Amplified Bible translates these verses, it says, “So be done with every trace of wickedness (depravity, malignity) and all deceit and insincerity (pretense, hypocrisy) and grudges (envy, jealousy) and slander and evil speaking of every kind.”

Peter lists some things that show us that those early Christian needed a healthier spiritual diet..  

He told them to

1^st Get rid of Malice, ill will, or the desire to inflict pain on others.

2^nd Get rid of  “Deceit”, lying or being crafty in a negative way.

3^rd Get rid of Hypocrisy that’s pretending to be what one is not.

4^th Get rid of Envy or that strong desire to have or possess what belongs to others; always feeling like you are not getting what other have.

5^th Get rid of Slander which is using the tongue to gossip, deceive, or destroy the reputation of someone else.

As I see it when we start feeling down, negative, and acting without Christian love towards others, in one way or another this may be a symptom that our spiritual being  is getting weak or sick.

Peter told them they needed to get rid of those things!

Feeding on spiritual junk food will do this to us. What is spiritual junk food?  Like physical junk food, it’s those things that we ingest that have no nutritional value. Those things may be as pleasing as Ice cream, or fudge, but in all reality spiritual junk food are things with no spiritual value and lead to/ or cause symptoms of spiritual malnutrition.

Did you know that you can consume all the vitamin and minerals you need each day but if you eat too much refined sugar your body will not reap the benefit of those minerals.  Spiritual junk food can have the same effect. You may read your Bible and pray every morning after you get up, even listen to a good sermon on the radio, but  if you feast on negative gossip or course joking when you get to work it’s like feasting on sugar after eating organic produce and meat.

Want some examples of some other spiritual junk food you need to avoid:

-          Some of the things we watch on TV or in movies (I believe those thing we have watched on TV or in movies have desensitized us to too many things that were thought to be unacceptable, crude, inappropriate if not vulgar a generation ago… the blood, the gore, improper sex scenes, or improper relationship which are seen even by our children have become to common place.) TV, and movies have the potential of being very good and educational, if not edifying if we become more selective. We have to be careful of those shows that can poison our mind and spirit.

-          Also we have to be careful of things that we read. Some books and magazines can be as bad for our mind and spirit as some TV shows.

-          Some of the music or talk shows we listen to are horrible.

-          Even some people we hang around with and interact with can harm our spiritual condition; especially when they start complaining, or slandering another, or just talk negative. It discourage us. It like junk food for our Christian mind.

-          Some stuff on the Internet is dangerous as well.

There are more things than I can mention today that can hurt or even starve our spirit. If what we are exposed to is not building up our spirit then they are probably hurting it. And if that is happening, before you know it you will start to develop some symptoms of an unhealthy spirit like those early Christians which Peter wrote to.

The good news is that Peter provides a healthy solution. He goes on to encourage his readers to crave God’s Word just as a baby craves milk.      ^2” Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [completed] salvation.”

Here he is encouraging us, even emphasizing the energy we should exert to get good spiritual food. Babies demand milk as if their very life depended on each feeding. They even cry and scream out for it when they are denied it too long. We need good nutritious food to live a healthy physical life. We also need to hunger and crave that which will feed our spirit and make it strong.

Peter calls God’s Word pure, meaning uncontaminated, unpolluted by fraud or deceit. Jesus said God’s Word is truth John 17:17. David says that God’s Word is flawless, like silver refined in a furnace seven times (Psalm 12:6);                In Psalm 1 David also said that God’s Word is something that we should meditate on day and night if we want to be blessed.

I believe, Peter is teaching us that reading and studying God’s Word promotes spiritual growth and good health just like good food can help us physically. But unfortunately like junk food we don’t reach for that first.

Jesus said, we do not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God - Mt 4:4

He also said, ”The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”- Jn 6:63 & 68

If you stop feeding on God’s Word, which is full of life and spiritual vitamins and minerals for our soul, we grow weak and become malnourished.

I can’t help but believe that Satan wants to see us weak and spiritually starved. He probably helps keep us that way by introducing us all kinds of tempting spiritual junk food.. new movies, new television shows, new gossip and more.

Earlier in this letter, Peter challenged those early Christians by telling them that they needed to refocus their minds. Read what it says in 1:13-17 “ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

¹⁷ Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

   -They needed to really prepare their minds for action

   -They need to get under control or be self controlled

   – And re-focus on the hope we have as Christians

And what is the best way to do that, to prepare our mind so that we can have more self control and live as a people full of hope? It starts here in the mind, and so we need to feed our mind and spirit the right diet.

You’ve all heard the saying, ‘You are what you eat!’  Or how about this one, ‘Garbage in garbage out!’ Decide in your mind today that you are not going to let Satan or anybody else rob you of the Christian joy that you should have or your spiritual health. Decide not deprive or starve your spirit.  Just like when you are on a diet, set limits on what you are going to feed your mind and spirit.

Prepare your mind for action. Do what you need to do to feed you spirit on good things.

- Start feeding on God’s Word daily! Read it and study it in such a way expecting to find spiritual nuggets to feast on. And when you find them, underline them, jot them down, maybe even put them up on your refrigerator so you can feed on them over and over.

- Listen to good music that lifts your spirit!

- Read things that will stimulate and encourage your inner spirit to praise God.

- Listed to spiritually edifying sermons and lesson on the radio or computer.

- Find and hang around individuals that are full of the Spirit, those that will build you up and edify you, maybe even challenge you to grow as a Christian.

- If you watch TV or go on the computer, watch things that educate or stimulate you and your spirit.

These are choices you have to make for yourself, just like you decide what to put into your mouth. Change is sometimes hard. At first it may be difficult to give up some old habit and begin new one’s, but in the end if you do the right things you will feel better.

Many times when people go on a healthy diet they go through their house and get rid of all the junk food so they will not be as tempted to indulge in things that are unhealthy for them.

Instead of junk food they fill their pantry with healthy alternatives.  Maybe you need to do the same thing to improve your spiritual health. Maybe you need to take action and get rid of some things that you come in contact with that tempts you spiritually. Maybe you have HBO and Cinemax or other channels on your TV that you may need to do away with or block, and then watch healthy alternatives like, the National Geographic channel, the Family channel, or something else less provocative.  Maybe you need to get rid of your TV all together.

Or maybe you need to throw away certain books and magazines and buy some more Bibles and good spiritual books and leave them all around your house if you like to read.

Or maybe for you it’s what you listen to on the radio, or sites you go to on the internet. Choose a healthy alternative and you will be happier.

Or maybe you need to give up spending time with certain people. You know, those who are foul, negative, complainers, those who make fun of or put down others, and then find new friends to hang out with who will stimulate you in a positive way.

Just like with your body some changes in your diet are hard to make.

But remember, you can do all things (especially those thing which are good for you) thru Christ who will give you strength.

We are capable of so much thru Christ.

Close by reading Psalm 1

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”

From Jim McGuiggan... Yes, No, Yes, No

Yes, No, Yes, No

A severely neurotic person constantly wanting to be assured that he/she is loved and wanted, constantly wanting assurance despite the fact that the one that says he/she loves them has invested years in them—that person’s a burden. A beloved burden no doubt, but a burden just the same. The years of "being there" aren’t enough, the lover’s constant reiteration that he/she will always be there isn’t enough. Who has difficulty seeing that this would be tedious—a wearing experience? I suppose we’d finally acknowledge that such a poor soul is sick. It would still be a burden but at least, if we believe that the constant harping is a symptom of neurosis, it would make it a bit easier to bear.

Does it wear on God that we must have ceaseless assurance that he is for us? It’s hardly surprising that the assurance we want we want in the form of specific prayers answered or favours granted or specific answers to specific questions. If these don’t come (or don’t come as often as we ask for them or don’t come in a form that we recognise) the vaporous, ghostly doubts begin to take more solid forms. Any other form of assurance lacks credibility. Biblical texts aren’t enough, even biblical texts about God’s redeeming work in and as Jesus Christ.

Does it wear God down that when he reminds us that he has given us his very own heart, his Son—that we say (in various ways), "Yes, I know about the Christ and that was good of you, and that helps, but...I need more than that"? Is that not an awful saying? Is there not in it the implication, "Yes, it’s true that you have given me your own heart but that isn’t enough"?

I don’t doubt that there are some intellectual difficulties and puzzles attached to God and how he relates to us (is that surprising?) but people have a hard time believing that our sin affects our ability to think (compare Romans 1:21). Those who think that a person with a huge lower lip, shaped by a magnificent pout, thinks well at that moment—they need to think again. God help us, it isn’t only the ill people that can’t be assured; the narcissistic among us have the similar symptoms without the chemical imbalance. We must not only love them, we must love them in the way that they have determined they should be loved—if love is to have any "real" meaning, don’t you know.

Yes, but humans are sinned against and sinful, and it might be hard for them to believe that One so exalted and holy would want them or could go on bearing with them. This is certainly true, for there’s no doubt that hosts of people have difficulty relying on the love of God. We’re sin-sick, aren’t we? The explanation for such a condition is complex, but obviously our own inability to be completely trustworthy shapes our view of God and others. And our numerous experiences in life with many that promised with blood-red earnestness that they had come to stay and then walked off never to return—that has shaped us. The problem doesn’t lie in God—it never did! In our bitter and cynical moments we call all men liars—or at least, we think their "talk is cheap"—and it’s in such a spirit that we glance in God’s direction. Then, in addition, if our pet projects don’t prosper despite our fervent prayers or some major crisis isn’t averted—again, despite fervent prayers—our cynicism spreads heavenward. And that spirit gets around. Our not-hard-to-understand disappointment becomes a whine and before long everyone around us is whining in support.

"Blessed are the moaners, for they shall be heard."

"There’s no need to be sarcastic!" I wouldn’t dream of it and, more to the point, neither would God! At least, not about people that have something to beat on God’s chest about. As for the rest of us, maybe a bit of well chosen sarcasm would get through where being too "understanding" only gets a whine in return. It’s never good for a poor high-strung soul for us to take their side against God. It’s perfectly acceptable and understandable that we sympathise with them in their pain and help alleviate it but to weaken their relationship with God by making God out to be "the ultimate child-abuser" as one writer put it—this isn’t part of our obligation one to another. I think I recall a glorious man do a deeply distressed friend a huge favour by "strengthening him in God." Yes, I’m sure I came across that somewhere.

I know that God knows very well that we’re sinful and that we make sinners out of one another and as a consequence we can’t see him very well—because it’s the pure in heart that see God and we’re a long way from that—don’t you think? But God incarnate, in and as Jesus Christ, found our lack of trust something to marvel at (Mark 6:6 and numerous other texts that move in that direction). I’m not suggesting that therefore he wants nothing more to do with us. Far from it! No, it makes him want to cure us! But we need cured! It’s an ugly world that looks at One that has eternally pledged himself in love to us, and with a slight curl in the lip we say, "Well...maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t."

However we explain our ceaseless demand for assurance, in the end, the heart of God, seen in and as Jesus Christ, is acknowledged and blithely passed by as if it were simply another good thing among many that God has done for us. Other gifts will surely persuade us that God really cares for us—we think. But if his giving us himself in and as Jesus Christ will not persuade us, why would we think that other things would do it?

"Just one! One real sign that he hears me and cares what I have to say. Just one indisputable sign and I’d need no more." Really? Hmmm.

The old timers used to say that the one that has God and everything else has no more than the one that has only God. (What do you think of that?)

The only God there is for believers is the one that relates to us in and as and though Jesus Christ and if that’s not the one we want there might as well be none for there is no other.

Be assured, even if you can’t be assured, God thinks you’re worth dying for.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com

From Mark Copeland... What Kind Of Men God Makes (2 Timothy 1:7)

"THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY" 

What Kind Of Men God Makes (1:7)

INTRODUCTION

1. The relationship between Paul and Timothy was like that of a father
   to a son - 2Ti 1:1-2
   a. Whom he prayed for daily - 2Ti 1:3
   b. Whom he longed to see - 2Ti 1:4
   c. Whom he remembered fondly - 2Ti 1:5

2. As any father would his son, Paul sought to encourage Timothy to be a
   man...
   a. To make good use of the blessings and opportunities given to him
      - 2Ti 1:6
   b. To become the kind of man God intended him to be - 2Ti 1:7

[What does God intend for a man to be?  What kind of man is God willing
to create for those who submit to His workmanship?  Using Paul's words
in 2Ti 1:7, we note that...]

I. GOD MAKES FEARLESS MEN

   A. MEN OF GOD DO NOT ALWAYS START OUT BOLD...
      1. Peter displayed cowardice on several occasions - Mt 14:30;
         26:69-75; Ga 2:11-12
      2. Paul confessed fearful tendencies - 1Co 2:3

   B. YET MEN OF GOD DEVELOPED BOLDNESS...
      1. The council noted the boldness of Peter and John - Ac 4:13
      2. Paul later confessed confidence in the face of trial - Ac20:24; 21:13

   C. HOW GOD MAKES FEARLESS MEN...
      1. As faith and love increase, fear decreases
         a. Fear is indicative of little faith - Mt 8:26
         b. Love casts out fear - 1Jn 4:18
      2. Boldness comes through prayer
         a. The apostles prayed for boldness - Ac 4:29-31
         b. Paul solicited prayer in his behalf for boldness - Ep 6:
            18-19

[As men of God grow in faith, love, and prayer, God removes the spirit
of fear.  As we return to our text (2Ti 1:7), we also observe that...]

II. GOD MAKES STRONG MEN

   A. MEN OF GOD START OUT WEAK...
      1. Even the apostles had their moments of weakness - Mt 26:40-41
      2. All disciples start as babes in Christ - cf. 1Co 3:1

   B. YET MEN OF GOD ARE TO BE STRONG...
      1. As Paul exhorted the Corinthians - 1Co 16:13
      2. As he exhorted the Ephesians - Ep 6:10

   C. HOW GOD MAKES STRONG MEN...
      1. By providing the right kind of armor - Ep 6:10-17
      2. By providing the aid of His Spirit in the inner man - Ep 3:
         16,20
      3. By providing a relationship with His Son - Jn 15:5; Php 4:13

[As we grow in truth, righteousness, faith, and prayer, God's Son and
His Spirit will provide what aid we need to be strong in the service of
the Lord.  From our text we also learn that...]

III. GOD MAKES LOVING MEN

   A. MEN OF GOD DO NOT ALWAYS START OUT LOVING...
      1. The apostles were often jealous of one another - Mt 20:24; Lk 22:24
      2. James and John developed the reputation as "Sons Of Thunder"
         - Mk 3:17; cf. Lk 9:54

   B. YET MEN OF GOD DEVELOPED LOVE...
      1. John, "Son of Thunder", became the apostle of love - 1Jn 4:
         7,11
      2. Peter would refer to Paul as "our beloved brother" - 2Pe 3:15

   C. HOW GOD MAKES LOVING MEN...
      1. By loving us - 1Jn 4:10-11; cf. 1Th 4:9-10
      2. By providing Jesus as an example of love - 1Th 3:16; cf. Jn 13:34-35

[As we allow ourselves to be moved by God's love for us, we will grow in
our love for others.  Finally, we see from our text that...]

IV. GOD MAKES SOUND MEN

   A. WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A SOUND MIND...
      1. The Greek word is sophronismos - "1) an admonishing or calling
         to soundness of mind, to moderation and self-control; 2) self-
         control, moderation" - Thayer
      2. "The Greek word denotes one of sober mind; a man of prudence
         and discretion. The state referred to here is that in which the
         mind is well balanced, and under right influences; in which it
         sees things in their just proportions and relations; in which
         it is not feverish and excited, but when everything is in its
         proper place." - Barnes
      3. It depicts one who is stable and self-controlled in both life
         and doctrine

   B. THIS QUALITY TO BE FOUND IN MATURE CHRISTIANS...
      1. Bishops (elders) must be sober (sophrone) - 1Ti 3:2; Tit 1:8
      2. Older men are to be temperate (sophrone) - Tit 2:2
      3. Older women are to teach (sophronizo) younger women
         a. To be sober (sophronizo) - Tit 2:4
         b. To be discreet (sophrone) - Tit 2:5
      4. Young men like Timothy - 2Ti 1:7

   C. HOW GOD MAKES SOUND MEN...
      1. Through obedience to the words of His Son - cf. Mt 7:24-25
      2. By setting one's mind on the things of the Spirit (i.e., the
         word of God), producing the fruit of the Spirit - cf. Ro 8:5-6;
         Ga 5:16,22-23

CONCLUSION

1. For those willing to submit to the workmanship of God, He will
   create...
   a. Fearless men
   b. Strong men
   c. Loving men
   d. Sound men

2. Such qualities are not limited to those of the male gender...
   a. They are virtues found in women as well
   b. Especially when older women exemplify and teach them to the
      younger women

3. We may not start the Christian life with these qualities; new
   Christians often have...
   a. Cowardice
   b. Weakness
   c. Hatred
   d. Instability

But God is willing to "give us" (2Ti 1:7) courage, strength, love, and
stability.  Are we willing to submit to His workmanship in our lives...?

Note:  The main points for this outline was taken from a sermon by
Alexander Maclaren, in his "Exposition Of The Scriptures"

xecutable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011