I sometimes wonder if people realize that the Bible has some pretty strong words about horoscopes? Isaiah 47:13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you.

 

Sitting at Our Lord's Feet

The theme of our devotions this morning was Fight for Your Relationship with God.  Our relationship with God does not come automatically.  Like any relationship, it takes time and some effort on our part.  I’m reminded of the event in Luke 10:39-42 where it says that Martha had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  (40)  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!  (41)  Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, (42)  but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.  We, like Mary, need to make sure that we take the necessary time to sit at the feet of Jesus and not allow life to get in the way.

Staff Photo

Here is our staff at the International Christian School of Lima.  Great group of people!

Sunday Message

I will be teaching this Sunday morning at the Union Church of Lima.  The service starts at 10:30 a.m. and my text will be John 1:1-5.

A New Commandment

To go along with the theme of our devotions this morning, it says in 1 John 2:7-11 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.  (8)  Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.  (9)  Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.  (10)  Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.  (11)  But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

Two things can be learned from these verses.  The first is found in verses 9-11.  We need to be honest with God and confess our feelings of hatred for other people so that God can replace that hatred with His love.  It has been said that Hate is like acid in that it can damage the vessel in which it is stored as well as destroy the object on which it is poured.  It’s the equivalent of burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.

The second thing that we can learn from these verses is that the commandment to love is both old and new.  The old commandment said, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself in Leviticus  19:18.  However, the new commandment spoken by Jesus in John 15:12 says, This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  There is certainly a big difference between loving others the way I love myself and loving others the way that Jesus loved me!

Sanctified For Obedience

I Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,  (2)  who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 

We have been and are being sanctified for obedience to Jesus Christ.  As a matter of fact, there can truly be no sanctification without obedience.  John 14:21a reminds us that whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. 

It’s been said that He who believes obeys, and he who obeys believes. 

May we be obedient servants of our Lord. 

Where our Captain bids us go, 'tis not ours to murmur no; He that gives the sword and shield chooses too the battlefield where we are to fight the foe.

Obedience

You call me Master and obey me not; You call me Light and see me not;

You call me Way and walk not; You call me Life and desire me not;

You call me Wise and follow me not; You call me Fair and love me not;

You call me Rich and ask me not; You call me Eternal and seek me not;

You call me Gracious and trust me not; You call me Noble and serve me not;

You call me Mighty and honor me not; You call me Just and fear me not;

If I condemn you BLAME ME not!

I Wasn't Talking to You!

Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

That reminds me of a story.  Every night this mother would kneel on the floor with her little 4 year old to pray. And then one night the little girl asked if she could pray. The mother consented and the little girl began to pray. The more she prayed the softer and softer her little voice became, until her mother could no longer hear her speaking. And then finally the little girl said, Amen! The mom said, Honey, I didn’t hear a word you said. The little girl answered, Mama, I wasn’t talking to you.

The Uniqueness of Community

We spoke about the uniqueness of community this morning in staff devotions.  In Ephesians 1:4-21, Paul shared with us how he specifically prayed for the church.  That’s not a bad idea to share with people how we specifically pray for each other!  

In vv.22-23 we see that nothing is over the head of Christ (except God according 1 Cor. 11:3).  All things are under His feet (that’s you, me and all of our problems).  Pastor Jon Courson says, “Jesus is in absolute control of every situation, be it financial, physical, relational, vocational, or parental. Whatever might seem to be rolling your way, ready to sink your boat and wipe you out is already under His feet—and might be the very path He chooses upon which to walk to you.  

The name of the game is community. We need another. We need to be with brothers and sisters who pray with us and care about us because the more closely we're linked to the body, the more clearly we'll experience the authority of Jesus' headship. That's just the way it works.  For one to separate themselves from community is not in God’s divine plan. 

The Spiritual Journey

In regards to a devotion I heard this morning called "Your Spiritual Journey”, I was reminded of what Gordon MacDonald said one time, “In order for us to know where we each are in our individual journey with God, we must first figure out what road we are on.”  Our spiritual journey should be characterized by our continually observing, seeking and finding (Titus 3:3-8).  Christ will always force us to define our position.  Our only choice is to move closer to Him or to become increasingly resistant.