Being Immersed

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
Colossians 3:16 (NKJV)

Immersion schools develop children in a specific language through an education program done in another language.  This means that classes dealing with things like math are done in another language.  So, while the children are learning the different subjects, they are also developing their language skills.  Another example of immersion would be if you were underwater scuba diving or deep sea diving and doing something while you were underwater.  You are involved in some activity, and the entire time you are doing it you are immersed in the water.

The word immerse means to submerge something, to be put into something that entirely covers and surrounds a person or a thing.  If someone or something is immersed in something, then what they are being immersed in covers every part of the person or thing.  In a sense, being immersed in something could also be used to describe someone who is so caught up in, and focused on something that this thing dominates who they are and what they do, such as someone involved in training for a sporting event, or someone studying in a university.

In Colossians 3:16, it says we need to let the Word of Christ, God's Word, dwell in us richly.  This is talking about our making God's Word a priority in our life so that our thinking, our actions, and our words all have their roots in biblical principles.  We have to immerse ourselves in God's Word on a daily basis so that it is the main influence in our lives.  If we are not immersed in God's Word to the point where it dwells in us richly, and it guides our life, then what is the governing factor of our life?  We need to be immersed in God's Word so that it makes a difference in every area of our life.

Are You Fully Convinced?

"He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God."
and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."
Romans 4:20-21 (NKJV)

When you believe something strongly enough, and you are convinced about something, there is nothing that can persuade you otherwise.  When you are completely convinced something is true, no one can change your mind about that.  But what if you had an idea about something, but you were not sure if it was right or wrong?  If you were not completely convinced about something being true, someone might get you to believe that something else is true.  But once you are convinced something is true, nothing can change that.

Faith is a key element in the life of a Christian.  Faith is believing in something, and having faith in something means you accept that thing as true.  If you are in faith about something you find in God's Word, then God's Word is your evidence of the truth and accuracy of that thing, despite what you might see or experience around you.  Faith is something that can be developed to the point of having unshakable faith where you are fully convinced about what God has said, and nothing can change that.  But to get to the point of being fully convinced, we may need to have our faith more developed.  

Romans 4:21 says that Abraham was fully convinced that what God had said was true.  Abraham was strengthened in faith as he kept his focus on what God had said, and by saying what God had said.  We may read something in the Bible about what belongs to us in Christ, or what God will do in our life, but it may not seem real to us.  That is when we need to be like Abraham and keep our focus on what God has said, and we need to keep on saying what God's Word says.  By doing this, we can become fully convinced that what God has said is what He will do for us. 

Are You Stopping In The Wrong Places?

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. 
Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil."
Proverbs 4:25-27 (NKJV)

In Germany, there are different types of trains: regional trains, regional express trains, intercity trains, and intercity express trains.  Regional trains make more stops on their routes than the intercity express trains do, so the intercity trains are able to get you to your destination much faster than the other trains do.  Depending on where you need to go, there may be one specific train you need to take, but no matter what, the best train is the one that will get you to the right destination without making any unnecessary stops.

The Bible says that we are on a path in life, that there is a way we should be going, and we need to be sure we are on the right path to get to where we need to go.  If we are following the path that God wants us to take, then our goal should be to do what we can to reach our destination without unnecessary delays or stops along the way.  If we make unscheduled stops in our journey, or take the wrong route, we will be delayed in reaching our destination and we may not reach our goal the way that we should.  

In Proverbs 4, we are told to keep our eyes looking straight ahead, to ponder (consider), the path we are on, and not to turn to the right or the left.  Just like some trains in Germany make a stop at every station, while others make less stops and travel faster, we can make stops in the wrong places in life and get off track in the plan of God, through getting involved with people and things that are not part of God's plan.  We need to find the best way to reach our destination in life, to be sure that we fulfill the will of God, and that we do not get bogged down with excessive delays and stops along the way.

Honorable In The Sight Of Everyone

"providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men."
2 Corinthians 8:21 (NKJV)

Have you ever seen people going to some type of meeting or convention for people who take part in role playing games, or for fans of sci-fi fantasy movies or television shows?   Often people will dress up as a favorite character to attend these meetings as that character.  In those types of conventions, everyone dressed up as some character looks fine and fits in well, but what if someone dressed that way and went to their work as a doctor or a police officer?  If they dressed the same way in both places, they would look out of place in one of those two locations.

It is one thing to live in a way where you are just trying to please people and fit in for the sake of fitting in, but it is something else to do things that do not create some kind of problem.  While we should not live a two-faced type of existence where we behave one way with a certain group of people and then another way with a different group, there is a way to live where we can fit in to whatever situation that we might find ourselves in.  If we fit in well in one situation, and we look completely out of place in another, we may need to check into what we are doing.

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul said that the way he was doing things was "honorable," not just in the view of God and Christians, but even with others outside of the church.  Integrity is an important quality that every believer, and especially leaders, needs to have.  Do we have a good reputation with those outside the church, or just with the people in our church?  If we only look good to other believers, and in our church group, but not to the rest of the world, we have lost at least some of our influence with those people.  We need to do things that everyone will see as honorable and good, and not just by those closest to us.  

Every Tool Has A Purpose

"from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."
Ephesians 4:16 (NKJV)

There are many different companies that make tools for different uses, but no company would make a tool that would never be used.  Every tool and piece of equipment that is made is made for a reason, there is some purpose that the tool was created for.  No successful business would create a tool that no one had a reason to use for something.  Some tools are very simple and easy to use, and some tools are more complicated.  But no matter the kind of tool, each tool has a purpose, and it was designed for that use.

Feeling useless and not having a purpose is a terrible thing, and many people today are living a purposeless life, but it should not be that way.  God has a plan and a purpose for everyone.  One of the greatest things in life is discovering the purpose God has for our life.  Once we become a Christian, we need to grow up spiritually and learn about who we are in Christ and about the plan and purpose God has for us.  As Christians, we should not live a purposeless life, because God has something for each of us to do in life.

God has a purpose for us, to help fulfill His plan for the Body of Christ and the world.  Just like every tool was created for a purpose, God has given us an ability that we can use to supply something in and to the Body of Christ, which will then impact the world.  We are God's children, He loves us, and He wants to use us to bring a supply of something to the Body of Christ and the world.  We need to get into God's Word and follow the direction of the Holy Spirit to learn who we are in Christ, what ability God has given us, and how He wants to use us to fulfill His will. 

Flight Delays And The Will Of God

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.  Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
Habakkuk 2:3 (NKJV)

More than once, for various reasons, I have had a flight delay. The flight was not cancelled, so it was going to leave the airport and arrive at the planned destination, but it was leaving later than expected.  While I am never thrilled to have a flight delay, I do not get into a panic that I will never get to my desired destination, I know that what is happening is only a delay in my eventual arrival.  Whenever this happens, I do what I can to make the best of the extra time I have, to keep the right focus, and be productive as possible in some way while I wait.

When things are delayed, and we do not get what we want when we want it, we can become concerned, frustrated, and even give up on ever getting what we want.  In our world today, so many things can happen so fast that when things do not happen quickly, we can become upset and wonder what is going wrong.  But while something may be delayed, it does not mean that what we are waiting for is not coming, it is just going to get to us later than we had planned and would have liked to have had it.  

There can be times in our Christian life when things do not happen as soon as we would like them to, but that does not mean that it will not happen.  In Habakkuk 2:3, God told Habakkuk that even though the vision might tarry, or be delayed, it would come.  Just because something does not happen in our time frame does not mean that it will not happen.  What God has promised us may take longer to get to us than we would like, but we can be sure that God's plan and purpose for our life will come to pass as we follow His direction and act in faith on His Word.

When Will You Be A New Creation?

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

A lot of kids, and people, have dreams about something they want to be, someday.  For example, when kids are growing up, they will talk about becoming something they want to be when they are older.  A child might say they want to be a doctor, or a singer, or something else.  But it would be very strange for a child to say they want to be a doctor one day, and then when they become a doctor to keep wishing they were a doctor.  Once a person becomes a doctor, they need to focus on being that and not just keep hoping to be a doctor one day.

When discussing Bible truths, we can see two things.  First, there are things that God has already done for us, and second, that we need to take advantage of those things and live in the reality of what God has already done.  Salvation is a good example of this.  Through Jesus, God has provided a way for mankind to come into a right relationship with God, but a person still needs to act on that.  God does not need to send Jesus back to die on the cross again, a person just needs to act on what has already happened through Jesus.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation, the old is gone and everything has become new.  We are a new creation in Christ, right now!  We are the righteousness of God, our past mistakes are washed away in the blood of Jesus, and we have a bright future with God!  This is not something that is going to happen one wonderful day.  We need to find out everything the Bible says about who we are as a new creation and start living that way, not just wish we could be that one day.  We are already a new creation in Christ, and we have to live in that reality. 

A Family Resemblance?

"Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?  He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father?"
John 14:8-9 (NKJV)

People sometimes talk about a "family resemblance" when someone in a family looks like, or even acts like another member of the family.  Often, this is referring to something in a positive way, but it can also be referring to a negative thing.  Someone may look like or act like someone else in that family, in a positive or negative way, and that will make other people either want to get to know that family or avoid them.  Based on something one person does, it can make their entire family seem more or less appealing to others.

When people hear us and see us do things, they will often associate our behavior with who we are connected to: our family, our place of work, and even our beliefs.  We are either a good reflection of who we are connected to, naturally and spiritually, or we are a bad reflection.  We should never do or say things that would make anything we are connected to look bad, and that is especially true with what we believe.  Christians can sometimes do and say things that make a relationship with God and Jesus look like something much less than it really is, and that should not be.  

In John 14, Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father.  Jesus said to Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."  Jesus did and said the same things as His Father, there was a family resemblance, and what Jesus did and said made other people want to get to know His father.  What about us?  When people hear us and see us do things, are they hearing and seeing our Heavenly Father?  Is there a "family resemblance" between us and who we are related to spiritually?  There should be.  Our life should be a reflection of our spiritual Father, and encourage others to get to know Him and His Son Jesus.

Don't Just Hear It, Do It, Use It

"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
I fed you with milk and not solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;
for you are still carnal.  For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?"
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NKJV)

Having something is one thing, but doing something with what you have is another.  Whether it is some device, a skill, money, or something else, just gaining that thing and having it is only part of the picture.  You could get or be given something very important, exactly what you need, but if you never make use of it, then that thing is wasted.  Some people think that if they could only have this thing or that thing it would make a big difference in their life, but once they had that thing, they would still have to put it to its proper use.

The Bible is clear that we not only need to hear God's Word, but we also need to put it into practice.  God told Joshua to meditate on the Word and do the Word (Joshua 1:8).  In Deuteronomy 29:29, it says that the things that have been revealed to us are the things we need to do.  And in James 1:21-25, we are told to receive and do the Word, and that those who do the Word will be blessed.  So, we can easily see that we have to know God's Word and act on it.  Once we have heard God's Word, we then need to do what we have heard.  

The Apostle Paul had a great understanding of what God did through Jesus, and Paul spent his life as a Christian teaching others about that.  Paul told the believers at Corinth that he could not talk to them as spiritual people, but carnal.  The Corinthian believers had the Word, but they were not acting on it and making it a part of their life.  We need to read, study, and hear good teaching about God's Word, but then we still need to put it into practice.  If we don't, then we will not live in the blessings of God as we should, and we are in danger of living a life contrary to God's plans and purposes.

Personal, Or Professional Problem?

"But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!" 
Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called the place the Rock of Escape."
1 Samuel 23:27-28 (NKJV)

There is a difference between business and pleasure, personal and professional things.  It can be that a person's business, their profession, is something they thoroughly enjoy, but there is still a business aspect to their work that does not allow things to become just an entirely personal activity.  But, if someone loses sight of the professional side of their life because of a personal issue with someone else, or a personal problem of their own, that can take away from the effectiveness they should have in their profession.

As believers, our main focus should be on our relationship with God and spiritual growth, which enables us to be an effective part of the Body of Christ.  It is vitally important for us to find the purpose God has for us, and understand the plan He has for us to fulfill that purpose.  But we have an enemy, the devil, who will do everything he can to hinder us from understanding God's plan and fulfilling it.  The devil will try and keep us ignorant of what God has planned for us, and if this fails, the devil's secondary plan is often to create personal problems to distract us.  

Saul was the first king of Israel, but he had some problems.  Saul became jealous of David, which clouded Saul's judgment, causing him to lose his focus on God's plan for his life.  In 1 Samuel 23, while Saul was pursuing David, focusing on this personal issue, the kingdom was in peril as the Philistines invaded the land.  The same thing can happen today if we allow personality issues, jealousy, or something another person has done to distract us from doing what God has called us to do.  We need to keep our focus on God's plan, and not allow personal issues to get in the way of our doing the will of God.

Given To Me, For You

"For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles - 
if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,"
Ephesians 3:1-2 (NKJV)

One of the first jobs I ever had was delivering auto parts for an auto parts store.  Different places would call our store to order various parts that they needed to work on cars.  Then I would get those parts from our inventory and deliver them.  My job was not just to get the parts that someone else needed and keep them for myself, those auto parts were needed by other people to be able to do the work they were involved in.  The only reason I had the parts was to give them to someone else, not to keep them for myself.

The Bible shows us that Christians make up the Body of Christ, and that each part of the Body has something to supply that contributes to the overall operation of the Body.  All the parts of the Body of Christ are connected and have to work together.  God gives each of us a grace, a gift, that we need to use to supply something to the Body.  As each part gives what it has to supply, the entire Body benefits, and if some part of the Body of Christ would somehow withhold what it should supply, there would be a problem in the Body.  

In Ephesians 3, Paul talked about how God had given him grace, a gift, and that God had actually given it to him for the benefit of the people of Ephesus.  In the same way, God gives each of us a grace gift.  One of the goals in our life is to discover and develop the grace, the gift, the ability, that God has given us.  We need to not only recognize the gift that God has given us, but we must also understand that what we have been given, was given to us for others.  The grace, the gift, the ability, that God gives us is meant to be used to help other people and not just kept to ourselves.

Where Is Your Focus?

"Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin.  But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."
1 Samuel 17:45 (NKJV)

What you focus on and what has your attention is very important.  You might be driving a car, but if your focus is on something other than the road, you can have a serious problem.  You might have a deadline for a project to be done where you work, but if you are focused on planning your vacation instead of working on the project, you will likely have trouble.  It could be that what we are paying attention to is really not the most important thing, so we need to be sure we understand what is important and focus on that.

For the Christian, spiritual realities are more important than our natural reality.  This does not mean that our natural situation does not exist, or that it is not something we should be aware of, but the spiritual side of our situation is what we need to be focused on.  In our life, generally speaking, and in specific situations, we need to look past the natural reality and focus on the spiritual side of things; we need to know what God and His Word have to say about our situation, and we need to put our attention on that.

One of the things we can learn from the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, is that David was victorious because he focused on the spiritual side of things, while everyone else was focused on the natural side.  David recognized that Goliath was defying and fighting against God, but Saul and the army were looking at Goliath's size and listening to what he said, rather than focusing on God and what He said.  David succeeded because he looked past the natural situation and focused on the spiritual side of things.  God is on our side, and no matter how big the "giant" that we face is, by focusing on God and His Word, we will win.

Give Or Get?

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

Christmas is a favorite time of year for most people, because that is when they receive gifts.  But, while everyone likes to receive something, not everyone is quite as excited about giving something.  Most people do not get excited about Christmas because it is an opportunity to give something, but it is all about getting something.  There is a biblical principle here however, that is seen in the natural world, that to get you first have to give.  Getting something is great but giving something is actually a key to getting something.

The principle of sowing and reaping, giving and receiving, is seen throughout the Bible.  Unfortunately, many people have reduced this to just a monetary situation where someone talks about giving money in an offering, or helping someone by making a donation for some cause, and this has sometimes clouded the true nature of this principle.  What most people do not understand is that the principle of sowing and reaping, giving and receiving dominates much of our life, often without our realizing it.

In Luke 6:38, Jesus talked about giving and receiving, and while He was not specifically talking about money, this principle does work with material things.  Too often we only think about what we can get, without looking at what we can give.  What if everyone in a church, family, relationship, or on a job, looked for ways to give and help others instead of just getting something?  What would happen is that these situations would improve and everyone would reap benefits.  If we really want to be blessed and have what we need, we should first focus on giving, not getting.

Who Are You?

"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God."
Romans 1:1 (NKJV)

We all have various forms of identification.  We might have a passport, a driver's license, a library card, or even a membership card to some store or organization.  When you go to different places, you need a valid form of identification.  For example, when I travel to different nations, I cannot show them my library card, which is not a valid form of identification outside of the library.  Although I may really like my local library, my library card is not my main form of identification, it is a secondary form of identification.

Knowing who we are is very important, and who we are is more important than what we do, especially as Christians.  The first and most important way we need to identify ourselves is in our relationship with God, not what we do for God.  To be someone that fulfills the calling of God and is a help to other people, we need to first develop in our relationship with God.  People can have problems if they focus more on what they do for God than they do on maintaining a strong relationship with Him, because doing what God has called us to do starts with our relationship with Him.

In the letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul first identified himself as a "bondservant" of Jesus Christ.  Then, after that, he talked about what he had been called to do.  Paul correctly identified himself first of all based on his relationship with God, not on what God had called him to do, his ministry work.  Just like Paul, we need to put our identity in Christ first.  What we are called to do is not as important as who called us to do it.  We are first of all children of God, then servants of God.  That is where it starts, and what we do for God grows from that.

Who Do You Give The Ball To?

"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
But God be thanked that though you were slaves to sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered."
Romans 6:16-17 (NKJV)

Soccer is played around the world, and it is a relatively simple game.  The goal of soccer is for one team to use the ball to score more goals than the other team.  But, what if only one team was able to use the ball?  The result would be that the team with the ball would score all the goals and win the game.  It would be foolish for the team without the ball to wonder why they lost the game, because obviously they never had the ball.  Whoever is given the ball, whoever controls the ball, will always win the game.

We all have choices in life about what we do.  And, while this is true, there are still some Christians who believe that God is in control of everything.  But, if God was in control of everything, then the Bible would never tell us that there is a right way and a wrong way to live our life, we would never be told to resist the devil, and there would be no point to the encouragement for believers to walk by faith and not by sight.  The truth is that we all have choices in life, and what we choose will have a major impact on the life that we live.

In Romans 6, Paul said that we should not allow sin to reign in our life.  Paul also said that whoever or whatever we yield to will become our master.  Just like in a soccer game, the team that is given the ball will score the goal.  In the same way, spiritually, whoever we "give the ball to," who we yield ourselves to, will become dominant in our life.  We can yield to God's direction and guidance of how to live our life, or to the wrong attitudes, actions, and desires.  Who we yield to is who we give the ball of our life to, and that is who will have dominance in our life.

Stay In Your Lane

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"
Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

One thing that is very important while driving is to stay in your lane.  Although there may be times you will change lanes while you are driving, generally you need to stay in your lane.  The same concept is true in many events in track and field, where each runner needs to stay in their assigned lane during the race.  If you cross over to another lane while you are running, you could be disqualified, and if you move into another lane while you are driving, you could have an accident.  The best thing to do is to stay in the lane you are traveling in.

God has a plan and purpose for every person, and in the Bible this is sometimes compared to a race.  A race is a specific course that is followed by someone to reach a desired destination.  In our individual race, as a part of the plan that God has for our lives, there are things we are called to do, and there are things other people are called to do in their race.  We need to understand the race we are called to run, and encourage others in their race, but we should never judge anyone for the race they are running, just because it is a different race than ours.

Hebrews 12:1 talks about the race that is set before us, which is talking about the plan that God has for us.  It is our race, that is set before, in front of, us.  My race is what I need to run, and your race is what you are called to run.  In God's plan and purpose for our lives, His will is unique for each of us and the course of our life, so each person's race will look different than someone else's.  To successfully run our race, we need to stay in our lane and do what God has called us to do, and not get into the lane, the calling, that God has for someone else.

Walking In Love - Are You Keeping Score?

"does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;"
1 Corinthians 13:5 (NKJV)

Have you ever met someone who remembers the score from some sporting event, or the last time their team played a certain opponent?  Then, the next time that important type of game comes up, or when the other opponent is mentioned, that person remembers exactly what happened in the last game, what the score was, and they can even tell you about specific parts of the game.  That can just be a dedicated sports fan, or it can be someone who is obsessed with something in the past.  It is one thing to be a sports fan and have a favorite team, but often past games and scores are better left in the past.

People want to remember the good things in life, and to forget the bad things, usually.  But some people will keep in mind something that someone else did, that offended them or actually hurt them, and the person who was offended or hurt will remember that thing more than they should.  Everyone has been offended and hurt by someone else, but if we are keeping track of the wrong things people have done, and in some way we are keeping "score" with exactly what happened, when it happened, and how terrible it was, that is the kind of thing that can develop into a serious problem. 

In 1 Corinthians 13:5, we see that one of the characteristics of the God kind of love is that it "thinks no evil."  The word "thinks" here, in the NKJV of 1 Corinthians 13:5, means to take an inventory, with the idea of "counting up" something, like someone would keep score in some sporting event.  If we are going to walk in love, where we are fulfilling the will of God, living in the blessings of God, and being helpful to other people, we will need to learn to forget about past wrongs, accidental or intentional, and walk in love towards others.  We need to stop keeping score and start walking in the God kind of love.

What Is Your Supply, Your Share?

"from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."
Ephesians 4:16 (NKJV)

You cannot give someone something that you do not have.  If someone asks you for a pen, but you do not have a pen, then you cannot give them a pen.  But if you have a pen, you could simply give it to the other person.  But what if you had a pen in your pocket, that you had forgotten about, or what if you had something else that someone asked for, but you did not know that you had it?  If you had forgotten what you had, or you somehow did not know you had something, you would not be able to give that item to someone, until you realized you actually had that thing.

A basic Bible fact is that believers make up the Body of Christ; Jesus is the Head, we are the Body, and each person has some gift from God, some ability that they can use as a part of the Body of Christ.  But what if someone does not understand that?  What if someone only thinks some people have a gift, but they themselves do not?  If you do not understand that you have a gift, you will not use that gift.  The result will be that your part of the Body of Christ will be lacking what you should give, and that is not good.

Ephesians 4:16 says that every part of the Body of Christ has a gift, something to supply and to share, so that the entire Body of Christ will grow and develop.  But some people do not even know that they have a gift, a supply, something to share.  We need to learn who we are in Christ, and what God has equipped us to do, through God's Word, and then be led by the Holy Spirit about how God wants us to give our supply, to share what we have, so that God's plans and purposes will come to pass.  What is your supply, what is it you have to share?

Just Turn On The Light

"For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life."
Proverbs 6:23 (NKJV)

Imagine being in a dark room, and you need some light.  And imagine you were next to what you knew was a light switch that could turn on the light.  What would you do in this situation?  Would you call out to a friend in another room to come and turn on the light for you?  Would you just give up and sit on the floor thinking that maybe it is better not to be able to see anything, or would you just do the simple thing of turning on the light?  It is hard to imagine that someone would not use the easiest solution and turn on the light with the switch that is already there.

So many people are looking for direction and help in finding the right thing to do, in specific situations and in life in general.  This is one of the biggest areas that people deal with, and it seems to be one of the hardest things for many people to figure out.  Christians want to do God's will, but exactly what is it?  It seems that many people look mainly for some spectacular or supernatural external way to be directed, and there is a place for that, but there is always a place for us to get direction from God's Word and the principles that God has already given us.

As we see in verses like Proverbs 6:23 and Psalm 119:105, God's Word is a lamp, and a light that will give us direction and guidance.  Getting "light" and direction from God can be as simple as the Holy Spirit reminding us of a Scripture, but it can also involve our searching the Scripture to find the guidance we need for our life, and for individual situations.  Sometimes people are looking for a dramatic, external way to "turn on the light" of wisdom and direction, while missing the easy way of just receiving light and direction through God's Word.  The light is there, in God's Word, we just need to "turn it on."

Every Part Is Valuable

"But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary."
1 Corinthians 12:20-22 (NKJV)

Playing chess can be complicated, because there are several different pieces on a chess board, and there are a variety of things those chess pieces can do.  You have to know how all the pieces work to do your best.  What would happen if someone played a game of chess with only half of the usual pieces, or if they had no idea how the different pieces moved?  Most likely, that person would do poorly.  But, if you had a person who was skilled at chess, and they knew how the pieces can move, that person would do well.

Some people think that there are only some Christians that God has a plan and a purpose for.  Every Christian, every part of the Body of Christ is valuable, and God knows this.  The devil knows this too, and he wants to limit our usefulness to God by trying to convince us that we are not necessary for God's plan.  But God wants to use all of us to do His will, and just like the natural body has many parts that all need to function correctly for the body to be healthy and do what it should, the same is true with the Body of Christ.  

God has a plan for each person and a way that He wants to use us.  And although we may have different functions in the Body of Christ, we are all a part of God's plan.  Just like every piece on a chessboard is valuable, and has a part to play, every part of the Body of Christ is valuable and has a part to play.  God knows us and how we can best function, but do we know that?  Are we doing things according to God's plan, or our own plan?  We all need to recognize our true value, understanding how God will use us, and be prepared to do our part in God's plan.

Are Big Steps The Best Steps?

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs His steps."
Proverbs 16:9 (NKJV)

When you are going somewhere, normally you want to get there sooner rather than later.  But if our goal is simply to get to our destination as soon as possible, we could actually go faster than we should and miss something along the way that could be important.  Or if we are in such a hurry to get to some place, we may accidentally leave something behind and not bring it with us on our journey.  The goal is not really how fast we get somewhere, but to get to where we need to be, with what we need to have when we get there.

Usually, when we have a goal in mind, the thing we obviously want to do is to reach that goal.  But we can make a mistake by just focusing on the goal itself and not on the best way to reach that goal.  We might think that the fastest way is always the best way, but that may not always be true.  We may think that if we can take one big step in the right direction it would be great, but is a big step always the best step to take?  It could be that we are trying to take a bigger step than we should take, or that we are able to take, and that can cause a problem.

Proverbs 16:9 tells us that our heart may plan the way, but God will direct our steps.  Moving in the right direction is more important than the size of the steps we take, or the speed we are going.  It is better to take the steps God directs us to take towards our goals, and in life in general, rather than just trying to take a big step that we may not be ready for; or we could be moving too quickly, and going in the wrong direction, which would be bad.  The steps we take, big or small, and the speed we are moving, are not as important as the direction we are going. 

A Trusted Source?

"But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,"
and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 3:14-15 (NKJV)

Today, it seems that everyone has an opinion on almost everything.  With the Internet, and social media, no matter what the topic is, you can find a lot of ideas and opinions about almost anything.  But we really need to know if that person, institution, or group that we are getting the information from is a reliable, and trusted source for the information.  How well do we know that source?  Do they always give good, reliable information that can be trusted?   If not, it would be foolish to get any advice from them.

Trust is not something that is built overnight, but when you know that someone is a trusted source of information, you can take their advice and the information that they give you.  There are many people and places we can get information from, but not every source is one we can always trust and rely on.  There are many people who could, and who would like to, give us information and advice, but are they a trusted source?  We need to test all things and hold on to what is good, which includes the source of our information.

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul told Timothy to continue with the things that he had learned, because Timothy knew who he had learned those things from.  Paul was not just someone who showed up one day and started to teach Timothy and give him advice.  Paul had taught Timothy, and he had a good relationship with him, so Paul was a trusted source that Timothy could rely on.  We should not just accept teaching or take advice from someone we have no real relationship with.  We can always trust the Word of God, but not every source of information is a source that we can trust.

Are These Your Only Choices?

"Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel.  And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these."
And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all the young men here?"  Then he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep."  And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him.  For we will not sit down till he comes here."
1 Samuel 16:10-11 (NKJV)

Having a wide variety of choices is often a good thing.  If you want to eat at a restaurant, there are different places that you could go.  But what if there was one restaurant located next door to you, but it did not have the kind of food you wanted, and it was more expensive than what you were willing to pay?  And what if there were other restaurants to choose from, but they were not as close to you?  Would you just go to the restaurant that was nearby, or would you go a bit farther to the place you really wanted to eat at?  Sometimes our choices are only as limited as we allow them to be.

When God directed Samuel to go to the home of Jesse to find the new king, Jesse showed Samuel seven of his eight sons, leaving David out of the group.  After Samuel had seen the first seven sons, he knew that none of them were God's choice.  Samuel could have just said, "Well, none of these are the right one, but these seem to be the only choices that I have, so I will just pick one of them and move on."  Samuel could have done that, but he would have missed what God wanted to do.  Samuel knew what God had said, and Samuel was not willing to settle for anything less than what God had promised.

Sometimes, when we see something in God's Word, we then pray and take a stand in faith, but we do not see the results we expect.  This is when the devil will tell us that we cannot have and experience what God has said, and our choices are limited to something that does not really agree with God's Word or meet the need.  That is when we need to make the choice to stay with what God has said.  No matter what choices it seems like we are facing, we must choose to believe that what God says is true, and take a stand on that to receive what we need; that is our choice. 

Are You Ready To Move Forward?

"And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them.  So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.
Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?  Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?"
Exodus 14:10-11 (NKJV)

Moving from one thing to something better is good.  Receiving a promotion at work, having an increase in our finances, or getting some new phone or tablet, are all good things.  But, what if we get promoted, and we cannot actually do the work, what if we have an increase in our finances, but we do not manage our money well, and what if we get some new device, but we really do not know how to use it properly?  To truly be successful in anything and do well, we need to be ready when the opportunity comes.

God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt to lead them to the Promised Land.  But, as we see Israel traveling to the Promised Land, not long after they left Egypt, there were problems.  Israel came to the Red Sea, and then they saw Pharaoh and his army coming after them.  Sadly, rather than call out to God to deliver them, just as He had already done, at the first sign of trouble, the people started to panic and complain. Even though God had delivered Israel from Egypt, Israel was not really ready to move forward with God.

Everyone would like to be successful and see things improve in their life.  But what if when the opportunity for improvement comes, and God starts doing something great in our life, we are not ready for it?  When God brings us an opportunity to do something for Him and to experience His blessings in our life, are we ready to move forward with God, or will we stay stuck in our old habits and attitudes and end up not really moving forward?  We need to live by faith and continually grow and develop spiritually, so that when God is ready to do something then we are ready too.

The Right Amount

"This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 'Let every man gather it according to each one's need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.'"
Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.
So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.  Every man had gathered according to each one's need."
Exodus 16:16-18 (NKJV)

Have you ever ordered food at a restaurant, and when it arrived, the amount of food was not what you expected, and it was less than what you wanted?  Or you may have had the experience of ordering something, and when it arrived you realized it was too much, and you would not be able to eat the entire meal?  Getting the wrong amount of food, or something else, whether it is not enough or too much, is not good.  While there are some things you can do to fix these situations, it would be great to always get the right amount the first time.

God's Word is spiritual food that will help us grow and develop spiritually (1 Peter 2:2).  Every Christian is at a different level of spiritual development, and what one believer needs from God's Word is not the same as what someone else needs.  So, what each person receives from God's Word would also be different than what someone else receives for their situation in life.  When we spend time with God in His Word, He can and will speak to us and show us the things we need to see, for us to grow and develop spiritually and to deal with the situations we face in life.  

When Israel was in the wilderness, God sent manna to feed them, and each person had to gather what they needed.  Some gathered more than others, but each person had just what they needed, no one lacked, and no one had too much.  In the same way that they needed to go and gather manna daily, we need a daily time in God's Word to get the spiritual food we need to grow and develop, and to help us to deal with our life situations.  By spending time with God in His Word, we can get exactly what we need, without having too much for us to handle, or too little to satisfy us. 

Where Does The Road Take You?

"Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."  This is desert."
Acts 8:26 (NKJV)

There are many places I have traveled to by car in the USA and in Europe.  Sometimes the roads have not been as nice to travel on as they were at other times.  There are places I have traveled to where the roads were not as good as other roads, but while the road was not so good, it did not change the quality of the destination.  There were times that I have traveled to some very nice places, but the road to get to that place was not very nice.  The type of road we are on is not an indication of our destination.

Many Christians have strange ideas about how God leads and directs His people today.  Sometimes we might think that to get to where God wants us to be, the road we need to take to get there will be a perfect road.  But while the road we are on may not seem to be the best, by following God's direction, we will always get to a great destination.  The point is not what the road you are on is like, but what is important is where you are going.  Your road may be small, but the destination can be big. 

In Acts 8, God directed Philip to go on the road that went down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which was desert.  Philip had been preaching in the city of Samaria, and great things were happening, but God led Philip to a place that was a desert for the next step in Philip's ministry.  Philip then met the Ethiopian eunuch, who received salvation before Philip was taken to another place.  God sent Philip to a place that looked bleak, but it led to a man's salvation.  God may lead us in a way that does not seem like the best way to go, but the results are always worth it.

What Identification Are You Using?

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Colossians 3:1-3 (NKJV)

After I moved to Germany, there were times that I had to show someone my identification.  What I learned very quickly was that the form of identification that I always used in the USA, my driver's license, was not a valid form of identification in Germany.  When someone in Germany asked for my identification, I needed to show them my passport.  Even though my driver's license was once my valid form of identification, I cannot use it where I live now, because it is the wrong kind of identification.

There are many ways that we can identify ourselves, but not every form of identification is valid in every situation.  As Christians, we have been spiritually raised with Christ, and our real life is hidden in Christ.  Some Christians identify themselves by the church group they are a part of, some Christians identify themselves by a certain type of doctrine that they follow, and some Christians identify themselves by their title.  But, the only valid form of identification we have as a member of the Body of Christ is who we are in Christ.  

Colossians 3:3 says, our life is hidden in Christ in God.  Who we are now is based on who we are in Christ.  It does not matter what nation we come from, it does not matter who is in our natural family, it does not matter how much money we have or what our education level is; in God's Kingdom, the only valid form of identification is who we are in Christ.  If we are going to live in the blessings of God that were provided through Jesus, and if we are going to fulfill the will of God in our life, we have to identify with who we are in Christ.

Feed On God's Faithfulness

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness."
Psalm 37:3 (NKJV)

There are different kinds of food that you can eat that will help you in some way.  For example, eating carrots is helpful because carrots contain beta-carotene, that the body converts to vitamin A, which is good for your eyes.  Other examples would be things like spinach, which is high in vitamin K and good for the bones, salmon, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids and helps brain and heart health, and almonds, which are high in vitamin E and good for skin health.  Having these foods as a consistent part of your diet will help you in different areas of your health.

What we eat can be a benefit to us naturally, and what we spend our time with, what we feed ourselves in that way, can help us as well.  Trust is something built on relationship, the more time you spend with someone, the better your relationship with them will be, and this results in your ability to trust that person.  Some Christians do not have a great deal of trust in God, because they have not developed in their relationship with God.  But the more we learn about God and get to know Him and His character, the greater our trust in God can become.

Psalm 37:3 tells us to trust in the Lord and feed on His faithfulness.  We can develop greater trust in God by feeding on God's faithfulness by reading in the Bible about who God is, what He has done for others, and by reminding ourselves of all of the times that God has been faithful in our lives.  If we just look at our circumstances and think about the problems that we face, wondering what we are going to do, it makes it more difficult to trust God, because we are "feeding" on the wrong thing.  We need to feed on God's faithfulness and reject feeding on things that are contrary to that. 

Who Influences You?

"that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
Hebrews 6:12 (NKJV)

There are some people today who are referred to as "influencers."  Generally speaking, these are people who create content, mostly on social media, which gives them some level of credibility in some area and because of this they have gained a following.  People will follow some influencer to see what they are saying or doing about a certain thing.  The people who follow these influencers are paying attention to what the influencers are saying, as a source of information about how they themselves can do things like the influencers have done.

There are many people in the world today who are exerting an influence on other people, but that is not always good.  Sometimes people have some level of credibility with people for whatever reason, but what is really being represented is not so good.  We are all influenced by others in some way, and it is good to have examples in our life and people that we can look to as a pattern of how we can do things successfully.  But if someone has not really done something of lasting or significant value, should we really be following that person and allowing them to be an influence in our life?

Long before the world came up with the term of "influencer," God already knew the value of a person's influence.  As Hebrews 6:12 tells us, we should imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  There are many "influencers" today, but we should not just imitate someone who seems popular according to the world's standards.  The people we should follow and allow to be an influence in our lives are those who have successfully followed God and fulfilled His purpose in their life, they are a pattern of how we can do the same things and succeed in our own life. 

A Deposit Has Been Made

"who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"
2 Timothy 1:9 (NKJV)

Everyone likes to have something credited to their bank account, and if a deposit has been made to your account, you need to know about it.  It is possible that you could have some kind of credit made to your account that you were not expecting or possibly not aware of.  Or you might receive the deposit of an unexpected gift and find it hard to believe that the deposit was really made.  Of course, if you checked your bank account and you could see the deposit listed there, you would then be sure that the amount was actually in your account.

One of the biggest problems that Christians have is a lack of knowledge concerning Bible truths.  This is something I have seen over and over again as I have taught God's Word in Bible schools, churches, and other venues.  There have been times where people have literally sat listening to Bible teaching with their mouths hanging open in amazement, as they hear what God's Word actually says about them.  This shocked reaction is often replaced by joy as people begin to understand who they really are in Christ and what God has provided for them through Jesus.

In the Bible, we learn that God has given us each something, He has made a deposit of something into our lives.  As 2 Timothy 1:9 tells us, even before time began, God gave us a purpose, and God gave us grace, the ability to fulfill God's purpose.  If we do not know about the grace given to us, we will not make use of it, and we will not fulfill the purpose of God, the calling, for our life.  By spending time with God through His Word and in prayer, we can discover exactly what this purpose and grace in our life is.  We have an eternal deposit from God, and we need to discover it and use it.

The Best Kind Of Peace

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
John 14:27 (NKJV)

When people think of peace, they generally think of some problem coming to an end and everything becoming calm where things were once in turmoil.  That kind of peace is based on circumstances and an absence of conflict.  But even if there are no problems happening, people can still be at a place where they lack true peace, because there is always the possibility of further problems.  So there is really no peace in this situation, just a lack of problems at the moment, which is not true peace.

Jesus talked about a peace that He gives and a peace that the world gives.  The kind of peace that comes from the world is mainly based on an absence of negative circumstances or problems, but the peace that Jesus gives is something that can be had even when there are negative circumstances or problems.  In Philippians 4:7, Paul talked about a peace that passes understanding, which is really talking about the same thing.  The peace that Jesus gives is a peace that is not limited to just a lack of negative circumstances.

In John 14:27, Jesus told His disciples that He would give them peace, but not the kind of peace that the world gives.  Jesus went on to say that the disciples should not let their hearts be troubled or afraid.  This is only possible with the peace that Jesus gives, because we often face challenges and problems that tempt us to be troubled and afraid.  This requires us to keep our focus on God in faith, regardless of our situation.  Only Jesus can give true heart peace where we can be at rest, even while there are negative circumstances or problems. 

The Best Reason For Doing Something

"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith."
Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV)

There are many reasons that we might do things.  We could do something because we had received some good advice from someone, we could do a thing because we saw a lot of other people doing it, or we could do something because of some other reason.  Some reasons we have for doing something are good and some are not.  If we do things for the right reason, it is always a good thing, and it would be especially good if we do something for the right reason that results in some great benefit for us as well.

One thing that is always good for Christians to do is for us to consider why we are doing what we are doing.  There are many reasons that believers will do things, in their own lives, in their churches, and in other ministry activities.  The best reason for us to do things is because it is biblically the right thing to do, and of course because we are led by the Holy Spirit to do a certain thing.  If we are just imitating what someone else has done, doing something because it is a current Christian trend, or even continuing to follow a pattern of something we have always done in the past, we may end up having problems.

Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah prepared an ark in faith, because he was following God's direction, not because he had a natural reason to do so.  Noah did not build an ark because it was the popular thing to do, because the weather looked bad, or because the local home improvement store was having a sale on ark building kits.  We need to be like Noah and do what God tells us to, acting in faith, no matter what things look like in our natural lives, and no matter what other people are doing. We need to always follow God's direction, in faith, no matter what we see, hear, or feel. 

More To The Story

"This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.
So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.  When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately."
Acts 18:25-26 (NKJV)

Years ago, there was a magazine that would publish condensed versions of popular novels.  When you read the condensed version of the book, you had the basic story, but you did not always have all of the details from the story.  The condensed version of the book published the main, and most important parts of the novel, but there was still more to the story.  And while it was true that you had the necessary facts to understand the story, in the condensed version, there were actually more details available in the regular version of the book.

The Bible is an amazing book, and it is something that we can continue learning from for our entire lives.  No matter how many times you read the Bible, there is always more to learn and understand from God's Word.  Because of that, we also have to realize that there can be more to what we know about the Bible than we already know.  This is why it is good to be a part of a good church, to hear good Bible based teaching, and it is why we should take advantage of all of the good teaching that is available to us in various forms today.

In Acts 18, we read about Apollos, who was teaching correctly, but he did not have all the available information, there was more that he needed to know.  Then we read how Aquila and Priscilla met Apollos and "explained to him the way of God more accurately."  In the same way, we too may know a lot about God's Word, but it is possible that someone can give us more understanding of the truth than what we already know.  We need to grow and develop spiritually, be ready to learn from others, and understand that no one knows everything, so there may be "more to the story" from God's Word than what we already know.

It Already Happened

"giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
Colossians 1:12-14 (NKJV)

What would you think if you met someone who was talking about how great it would be for a person to land on the moon one day?  Would you agree with them and say that it would be a great achievement, or would you tell them that it has already happened?  And what if you met someone who said it would be nice to be able to fly over the ocean in some type of a vehicle, instead of crossing the ocean on a ship?  Would you think that person was a great visionary, or would you wonder what was wrong with them, because they were looking for something to happen that had already happened?

One of the biggest areas we need to grow and develop in spiritually is learning about who we are in Christ.  Because of Jesus, we can become a child of God, we become a new creation in Christ, the righteousness of God in Christ.  If we do not understand what Jesus did for us and live in the reality of what has already been done, we will never really grow and develop spiritually.  If we are trying to earn a position with God or do something to be good enough for God to bless us, then we do not understand what has already happened through Jesus.

In Colossians 1:12-14, Paul talked about giving thanks to our Heavenly Father, because He has already qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, God has already delivered us from the power of darkness, and we already have redemption and forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus.  These are not things that we are looking forward to happening some wonderful day, but these are things that have already happened!  Instead of looking forward to something great happening for us sometime in the future, we need to understand what has already happened through Jesus and live in that reality. 

Faith Or Feelings?

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

There is something I have noticed in some news reports.  A reporter will talk about something that took place, and then they will talk to some person about that situation.  The reporter will usually give the person the basic information about the story, and then they will ask the person what their reaction is to what has happened, and how they feel about the situation.  I have often thought that how someone feels about a news story is not really relevant to what actually happened, so just asking someone about their feelings is not really noteworthy.

We all experience things in life, and having feelings and thoughts about the things that happen is normal.  But, if we only evaluate things by how we feel, or just by what we might think about a situation, we will not really go from the place of experiencing the situation, to being successful in dealing with that situation.  Our thoughts and feelings are not always correct, and if we stay in the place of just our feelings and thoughts about a situation, and we do not look at what God's Word says about it, we will have problems.

When something happens in our life, we have a choice to make, we can consider how we feel about it, we can contemplate what we think about it, or we can find out what God's Word has to say about it.  Just dealing with our life situations through our feelings and thinking is a road that leads to nowhere.  We need to live our life by faith, and faith comes through God's Word, not our feelings.  The next time you are confronted with some problem or a life circumstance, don't just check with your feelings or thoughts, check what God's Word has to say about it, and walk by faith into victory! 

Say What You See

"Then said I: "Ah, Lord God!  Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth."
But the Lord said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak."
Jeremiah 1:6-7 (NKJV)

There are many things that we talk about, and often we talk about what we see.  We might see something beautiful, something interesting, or something unusual, and when we do, we usually talk about it.  We also talk about what we think and feel, but talking about what we have seen and are currently seeing is very common.  It would be strange for someone to see something noteworthy and never talk about it, and that rarely happens, because most of the time we like to talk about, and tell others about, what we see.

One of the most important elements of the Christian life is faith.  Faith is not based on what we see, faith is based on God's Word.  Faith can be seen through someone's actions, and faith is something that can be expressed with our words.  Most often, we exercise our faith through our words, and this is why it is important to know what God's Word says, so that we can build our faith and speak our faith.  Our faith is released through our words, and we need to say what we see in God's Word to exercise our faith, and not wait until we see some natural evidence of something before we say something.

When God told Jeremiah that He had called him to be a prophet, Jeremiah's reaction was that he could not do it, because he was so young. Jeremiah based his faith, and his words, on what he saw in himself naturally.  But God told Jeremiah not to talk about what his natural situation was, but to say what God told him to say.  We have the same choice as Jeremiah, we can say what we see, naturally, or we can say what God says.  When we say what we see naturally, we are not always speaking in line with God's Word.  We need to see what God's Word says, and then say that.  

You Cannot Overpromise The Gospel

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."
Romans 1:16 (NKJV)

One thing that can hurt a business, and the product that it sells, is to overpromise anything about that product.  If a company is selling toothpaste that they say will make your teeth whiter, then that toothpaste cannot make your teeth any darker.  If a company claims that their new mobile phone network has better coverage than their competitor, but the coverage is actually worse, they have overpromised what their product can do.  This same principle works in many situations, and it is always better to be honest and not make any claims about something that cannot be proven.

The word gospel means, "good news."  Usually, when people use the word "gospel" today they are referring to either the four books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John or they are referring to the message that Jesus came to deliver.  The writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us about Jesus and how He came to bring the good news to people that He was the Way to God, and through Him people could be restored to a right relationship with God.  That is definitely good news and something that once someone takes advantage of can change their life for the better, and that is not overpromising anything!

Jesus came to bring us abundant life through a relationship with God.  Jesus' message of hope and freedom is something that is available to everyone, it is good news, the Gospel.  In Romans 1, Paul said that the Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation, and the good news is that today we can be set free from a life of sin and shame because of Jesus.  The Gospel message of how Jesus came to die for our sin and to enable us to become the children of God is something that can truly change a person's life.  This is not hype, over stating or overpromising anything, but it is the truth that will set people free!

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.