A Good Habit Jesus Had

"So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read."
Luke 4:16 (NKJV)

A habit is something that can be described as a regular practice or a routine behavior that someone engages in on a consistent basis.  A habit would not be something that a person only does one time, or once and a while, but a habit is something done repeatedly and often.  People can have good and bad habits, and while we certainly want to eliminate bad habits, we should develop good habits.  By developing good habits and avoiding bad habits, we can build a routine in our life that is positive for ourselves and those around us.

In the Gospels, we get a picture of who Jesus was and what He did.  We can see the kind of life that Jesus lived, and that can be a great example for us.  Of course, we know that Jesus lived a sinless life and fully did the will of God.  This can make it seem impossible to follow in Jesus' footsteps, but there are some things that Jesus did that are a pattern for us to follow.  And of course, if Jesus did something positive, and it is possible for us to do it, then we should follow His example in that thing.

Jesus is our example of how to live and serve God.  Luke 4:16 tells us it was Jesus' custom, His practice, His habit, to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.  This would be similar to Christians attending a church.  Some Christians say they do not need church or to interact with other believers, because if they are in a relationship with God, then that is all they need.  But even Jesus had a habit of meeting with other people who believed as He did.  Being a part of a life-giving, Word of God believing group of people and being involved there is a good habit that Jesus had, and every believer should have that habit too.

Good And Bad Doctrine Both Do Something

"Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Matthew 16:12 (NKJV)

Leaven is something you can put into dough that will cause the dough to rise, the leaven will cause a reaction in the dough.  If you put air into a balloon, the balloon will inflate, the air will cause a reaction in the balloon.  You could put some food coloring into some dough, and that too will cause a reaction, but it will not be the same thing as putting leaven into the dough.  And you could put water into a balloon, which will also fill the balloon, but this will cause the balloon to act in a completely different way than if you had filled it with air.

One thing we are warned about repeatedly in Scripture is false teachers and false teaching.  There are a lot of ways for us to receive teaching today, but not all of it is good.  For example, anyone can post something on social media to say whatever they want to say, but that does not make what they are saying correct or good in any way.  Good teaching based on biblical principles will help us in our life, but bad teaching will harm us.  We need to be sure the teaching we hear is good, Bible based teaching, and we have to be careful to avoid the wrong kind of teaching that will harm us.

In Matthew 16, Jesus warned His disciples about the "leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  At first, His disciples thought Jesus was talking about natural bread, but Jesus was actually warning them about the teaching of those religious leaders.  Jesus compared their teaching to leaven, because just like leaven will create a reaction in dough and cause it to rise, the teaching we hear will cause a reaction in us and have an effect on our life.  Good Bible based teaching will help us in our life, but bad teaching will harm us.  We need to be sure the teaching we hear is good, Bible based teaching.

Something "Old" In The New Year

"For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,"
2 Peter 1:12-13 (NKJV)

When a "New Year" starts, people often think about making changes and doing something different in their life.  But the New Year is not really new, we just change the number of the calendar year that we are in.  We still have the same 12 months, we still have the same 52 weeks, and we still have the same seasons, so nothing is really new.  Making changes and adding something new to improve our lives is a good thing, but we often already have much of what we need, and it is not that we need something new, we just need to make use of what we already have.

At the start of the New Year, and sometimes at the end of a calendar year, Christians will talk about what they believe the emphasis of the New Year should be.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes Christians get the idea that something new and different is needed to improve their life and relationship with God.  No matter what the year is according to the calendar, there are some things we have now that we will still need each and every year, and one of those things is the Bible.  No matter the year, we need to read and study God's Word again and again.

In 2 Peter 1:12-13, Peter made a great point when he told the people he was going to continue to remind them of something, even though they were established in that truth; Peter was talking about God's Word.  We have to be careful that we do not fall prey to the idea that there has to be some new thing in our life to make the New Year better.  We need to keep doing the same "old" things of spending time with God in His Word and through prayer, putting God's Word into practice, and being led by the Holy Spirit.  These are the things that we need to keep on doing in our "New Year," and every year.

How Can You Finish Your Race?

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)

There are many different kinds of races: races that people run, car races, horse races, and other types of races.  While there may be different things involved with a specific race, every race has some things in common.  No matter what type of race, there is always a starting point, there is a specific course, and there is a finish line for the race.  But what is probably the most important part of the race is the start.  If you do not know where to start, or you never actually start the race, you certainly cannot finish the race.

Our life is similar to a race.  The Bible refers to a race we must run (Hebrews 12:1), and Paul said he had finished his race (2 Timothy 4:7).  Paul was no different from the rest of us in the sense that we all have a race to run, for God, and we all should want to finish our race and do what God has called us to do.  But to finish the race, we first have to start the race.  Starting the race is done first of all by being born again and getting into a relationship with God, and then by discovering and following God's plan for our life, which is our race.

God has a plan and purpose for our life, which is what Paul meant when he talked about finishing his race in 2 Timothy 4:7.  For Paul to finish his race, he had to start his race, and so do we.  While we may not be where we should be, or want to be, we need to start moving forward, from where we are now, doing what we know to do, and allow God to direct us in any course corrections we need for our race.  God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to help us know and understand what He wants us to do, to find and run the race He has called us to.  With God's help, we can successfully finish our race.

Being Led In The Little Things

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."
Romans 8:14 (NKJV)

There are many decisions that we all make every day.  Some decisions we make are big decisions, and some are not.  Deciding what subject to study at a university, what job to take, or the best way and place to educate your children are all big decisions that require some serious thought and may take some time.  But decisions like what color shirt to wear, what to have for breakfast, or what to watch on television are not big decisions, but they are still decisions.  Making the best decision, in every situation, is always a good thing.

One of the best things about being a Christian is having a living relationship with a God who cares about us and wants what is best for us.  It is good to know that God is aware of what we are facing in life, and that He wants to help us deal with the situations we face and the decisions we need to make.  God has given us His Word, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us live the life that God has planned for us.  God is not just interested in helping us make the big decisions in life, but God even wants to help us with what might seem to us to be the little things.

Some Christians think that God's help is mainly, or only, available to us for the big decisions of life.  Of course, there are many "little decisions" we can make on our own, but God is interested in every decision we have to deal with.  As it says in Romans 8:14, the children of God are to be led by the Spirit of God, in every area of our life.  The good thing is that this is not limited to just the "big" decisions in life.  God loves us and wants the best for us, and He wants to be a part of our decision making process, in both the big and small areas of our life.

Work Until He Comes

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."
Titus 2:11-13 (NKJV)

In many places that I have worked, there was a bell or whistle that would sound at the end of the work day.  Like most people, it was a sound that I was glad to hear, because it meant my time at work was done for the day.  One thing I never had to do was to worry that the bell or whistle would not be sounded.  And no matter what job I was doing that day, the bell or the whistle would sound regardless of how hard I had been working.  My job was not to look at the clock all day waiting for the bell or whistle to sound, my job was to keep on working until the end of the day.

One of the most controversial areas in Christianity is what is known as the end times, which includes the return of Jesus.  There are many ideas and opinions that people have about what is happening in the world today, what those things mean for Christians, and what it might mean concerning the return of Jesus.  The fact that Jesus will return is biblically without question, because Jesus Himself said He was coming soon (Revelation 22:7), and there are many other references to that in the New Testament.

In places like Titus 2:13, the Bible talks about how we look for the blessed hope of the return of Jesus.  Although there may be different views about how and when Jesus returns, our work here needs to continue until He does return.  No matter what anyone believes about how and when Jesus comes again, our time on earth is limited, and so is our time to do the things God has called us to do.  We need to make the most of our time here, doing the will of God in our life, because Jesus will return, and our time on earth will come to an end; we need to be busy working until He comes.

What Are You Waiting For?

"Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV)

Imagine standing in front of a door to some room, and inside of that room is something you need.  While you want to go into that room to get what you need, the door is locked, and you are waiting for someone to bring the key to open the door.  That would not be good, because you have to wait to get into the room to get what you need.  Then imagine that you already have the key to the door.  It would be foolish to keep waiting at the locked door then, because you can open the door right away.  All you need to do is take the key you already have and open the door to get what you need.

In all my years as a Christian, especially when teaching in Bible schools and churches, I have met and talked with many Christians.  One thing that I have repeatedly seen is that many Christians are waiting for something.   They are waiting for a special message, as special meeting, or someone special to pray for them, so that they can overcome some situation or get what they need, to do what they see God wants them to do.  The problem is that these people are waiting for something that they already have, but they just do not seem to know it.

Christianity is a relationship with God, based on what Jesus did for us.  But do we really understand that, or are we waiting for something to happen to help us get what we need and do what we are supposed to do?  Do we really understand 2 Peter 1:3, where it says that we have already been given all things that pertain to life and godliness?  We need to know the truth of what Jesus did and take hold of it in faith to be partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).  The real issue is not that we need to wait for something else to happen, but we need to act in faith on what God has already provided for us through Jesus.

How Thankful Are You, Really?

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

Have you ever met someone who just bought a new car, just came home from a dream vacation, or who just had some big thing happen in their life?  And the reason you know this is because it seems that all they want to do is tell you about it.  In this kind of a situation, you do not have to ask the person to find out about these things, because they want to talk about it so much.  In fact, you almost have to try and find a way to have them talk about something different, because they are so preoccupied with their big event, that it is all they seem to be able to talk about.

The Bible is very clear that God's people should be thankful people.  But sometimes this is a principle more than a practice.  In the United States, the fourth Thursday of November is called Thanksgiving, and it is traditionally a time for people to be with family and friends, but it is not always a time of being thankful.  Sometimes at these gatherings of family and friends, people will talk about something they are thankful for, and this is good, but how grateful are we really if our being thankful is mainly limited to one day in the year?  Shouldn't we be more grateful and thankful all the time? 

As Christians, there is so much that we can, and should be thankful for.  But very often, we find it easier to focus on and talk about the things we are not so happy about or grateful for.  So, how thankful are we, really?  Christians should be the kind of people that are known for being grateful, people who always have something they want to tell you that they are thankful for, rather than people who never seem to be grateful.  When we think about all that God has done for us, and all He has provided for us, it should be easy for us to be thankful.

Who Do You Act Like?

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children."
Ephesians 5:1 (NKJV)

Recently, I was having lunch with a friend.  This friend is someone I have known for my entire life, and they were also good friends with my parents.  While we were talking, my friend reacted to something I said and made the comment, "You have the same sense of humor your dad had."  This person had heard something I said, and it reminded them of something my father said.  This was not a surprise, because being his son, and having spent so many years with my father, it was very natural for me to act like him.  This is very common in families; children take after their parents and act very much like them.

There are two families in the world today, the family of God, and the family of the devil.  Everyone belongs to one of these two families, and the difference is that those in the family of God left the family of the devil by receiving Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they were born again into a new family.  And, as Paul said in Ephesians 5, as the children of God, we need to imitate our heavenly Father.  In the same way, Jesus told the Pharisees that they did the work of their father, the devil (John 8:44), they were in the wrong family. 

Paul said in Ephesians 5:1 that the children of God should imitate God.  This of course does not mean that we are trying to become God, but we should act like Him, we should display the same traits as our heavenly Father.  If we are not acting in the way that our heavenly Father and Jesus would act, then who do we act like?  If we are not following the example of Jesus, who was the will of God in action, then who are we imitating?  Just like children would imitate their natural parents, it should be natural for the children of God to behave like God, our lives should reflect the spiritual family we are in and who our spiritual father is.

Sweet Words, Or Bitter Words?

"Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing, my brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter water from the same opening?
Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Thus no springs yields both salt water and fresh."
James 3:10-12 (NKJV)

In Germany, and other nations, there are springs of water that you can go to and get very fresh, sweet water.  Rivers high up in the mountains have water that is also very fresh, and you can drink right from those rivers.  Unfortunately, sometimes a spring or river can become polluted.  When that happens, no one should drink from that water, because the water would be harmful.  Once the water is polluted, it is no longer fresh, even though it was at one time, because water cannot be fresh and polluted at the same time.

One theme that is seen again and again in the Bible is the importance, and power, of our words.  While some people have taken this topic to an extreme, the fact remains that the Bible shows us how our words can help or harm people.  If we are consistently speaking negative and harmful words to others, we will only hurt them.  But, if we speak positive and kind words to others, we will build them up and encourage them, because our words do matter.  The words we speak about ourselves, and others, will have an impact on us and those we speak to.

In James 3, it compares the words we speak to water that comes from a spring, which can be fresh water, or it can be bitter water, but it cannot be both at the same time.  In the same way, our words can be a blessing, like fresh spring water, or a curse, like bitter water, but our words cannot be both at the same time.  And if our words are sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse, the result is that the words we intend to be good words are diluted and will not have the value and impact that they should, because our words are inconsistent.  We need to watch our words and speak words of life that bring fresh water to others.

Places Everyone!

"But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased."
1 Corinthians 12:18 (NKJV)

When there is a production of something like a play, there are different characters in the play, there are people working behind the scenes, and there can even be some musicians involved.  When the play is ready to be performed and about to start, the director will say something like "places everyone," to let people know it is time to be in their assigned place.  If someone is out of place, it can affect the entire production and cause problems.  For everything to go smoothly, everyone involved needs to be in their place doing their assigned task.

As soon as someone receives Jesus as their Savior and Lord, that person becomes a part of the Family of God, they become a part of the Body of Christ.  There is a place and purpose in the Body of Christ for every believer.  In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul compared the Body of Christ to our natural body.  Just as there are no extra or unnecessary parts in the human body, there are no extra or unnecessary parts in the Body of Christ.  We may look at ourselves that way sometimes, but God has a part for every believer in the Body of Christ.

As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:18, God has set each of us in the Body of Christ as He pleased.  It is not up to us to pick our place in the Body of Christ, but it is our responsibility to learn through God's Word and with the help of the Holy Spirit what our place is, and how to best function as the part of the Body of Christ that we are.  If we are not in our place doing the work that God has planned for us to do, something will be missing and there will be problems.  Today, God is saying "places everyone," to all of us in the Body of Christ, because there is a world to reach, and a harvest to reap, and we need to do our part.

What Are You Equipped To Do?

"Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen."
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NKJV)

There were several places that I worked at in the past where I had to do different things.  Most of the time, when I was given some new thing to do, I would be trained to do that work.  But when I was trained to do some new job, which was different than what I had previously done, I could not just do things the way I had before.  If I tried to use some skill from a previous job to do my new job, it may not have worked, and it would certainly not have been something that pleased my boss.  To do my job effectively, I had to do the work I was trained for.

The Bible is very clear that God has a plan for each person, and God will help us in what He has planned for us to do.  But the key is that the plan God has for each of us is His plan, not our plan.  If we want to have success in life, and especially in the things that God has called us and equipped us to do, then we need to follow His plan.  If we do not follow God's plan, and we try to do our own plan, then we will be doing something we are not really equipped for, and as Hebrews 13:21 says, we will not be well pleasing to God.

God will help us and equip us do what He has planned for us, including helping us do what His Word says to do.  The key is as Hebrews 13:21 says, that God will help us do His will and what is well pleasing in His sight.  God will equip us to do His will, but if we are following our own will, we will be trying to do something we are not equipped for, we will not have the success we should have, and we will not be well pleasing to God.  The best thing for us to do is to find the will of God for every part of our life, get in line with God's will, and work with God in His plan.  

What Is Your Inheritance?

"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."
Ephesians 1:17-18 (NKJV)

An inheritance is something that you receive from someone, usually a relative, after that person has died, and it is not something you earn or choose for yourself.  Depending on the family you are a part of, that person who died may leave you money, some possession, or even in some cases an official title.  Someone else in the family might receive something different than you as an inheritance, but you are not allowed to just take what someone else has and try to make it yours, each person is given their own inheritance.

The Bible has a lot to say about our inheritance in Christ.  Colossians 1:12 says that we have been qualified to be partakers of the inheritance, so it is not something that we earn.  While all the things we need to live a godly life have been provided for us through Jesus (2 Peter 1:3), we need to know specifically what God wants each of us to take hold of as our part of the inheritance in Christ.  We do not just pick our own inheritance, God is the One who gives it to us, and He will show us our part in the overall inheritance of Christ, and how to make use of it in our life.

In Ephesians 1, Paul prayed that believers would understand the inheritance we have in Christ.  As a part of God's family, because of what Jesus did for us through His death and resurrection, we have an inheritance in Christ.  That inheritance belongs to all of us, but there are some things that belong to us individually as a part of God's plan for our life.  For example, Psalm 2:8 says that we can claim the nations for our inheritance, but Psalm 47:4 says that God will choose our inheritance for us.  We learn about our inheritance in the Word of God, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can learn what our part of the inheritance is.

Walking In Love - Plank Awareness

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."
Luke 6:41-42 (NKJV)

It can be easy to notice problems other people have, and be irritated and offended by them, without having any awareness of issues in our own life that cause problems for others.  A good example of this is how people deal with their luggage when boarding a plane, and they sometimes bump into others with their things.  And then they store their bags without any thought of how what they are doing affects anyone else.  It would be better if everyone paid a little more attention to what they were doing, and how it affects others.

While people seem to get more and more self-absorbed, this is not a good thing, and it is definitely contrary to what the Bible teaches.  Too often people are caught up in their own world and what matters the most to them, and they have no thought for how what they are doing affects others.  It can be hard to break the habit of selfishness, and to not be offended when other people act poorly, but as Christians, we have the love of God in our heart, and we can be kind and walk in love towards others.

In Luke 6, Jesus talked about people who saw a small problem that someone else had (which He compared to a speck), and how these people seemed oblivious to the problem they themselves had (which Jesus compared to a plank).  It is easy to see the faults of others and miss the things in our own life that need to be dealt with.  Rather than look at other people's problems (the specks), we need to walk in love and have some "plank awareness," through the help of the Holy Spirit and living by the standard of God's Word.  That way we can be more effective in helping others.

Prior Plan For Provision

"Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
"Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.
And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.
1 Kings 17:2-4 (NKJV)

Putting things off until the last minute is a normal part of life for many people.  If we are wise, we will plan ahead for things, instead of waiting until the last minute for something to happen, and then we would be ready and able to meet whatever challenge we face.  While we do not know everything, there are some things that we can do now to be prepared for what is coming in the future.  The better we are prepared for the future, the easier it will be to deal with whatever situation we might face.

No one knows the future, or is wise enough to be ready to deal with everything that will happen in the future.  But as Christians, our Heavenly Father knows the future and He is always ready to help us with whatever need may arise in our life.  Our God is the God who sees ahead, and He has a prior plan for provision.  No matter what the future holds, no matter what need may arise, or what situation we will face in the future, God already knows about it, and He is ready with the help we need to succeed in those situations.

In James 5:17, we are told that the prophet Elijah was just like us, he was not someone special who had a relationship with God that no one else could ever have.  In 1 Kings 17 we see that when Elijah had a need, God directed Elijah where to go and what to do so that the need would be met.  God was not surprised by the situation and had to tell Elijah to come back tomorrow for an answer.  God always has a prior plan for provision for our life, no matter what we face.  It is up to us to trust God, follow His direction, and do as He says so that as we move forward in our life, the provision that God has provided for us will be ours.