Checking For The Signal

"Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner."
John 5:19 (NKJV)

Several years ago, I had a "Radio Controlled Clock". which kept accurate time, and even the temperature, because of a signal it received from a main location.  This clock did not keep these readings accurate on its own, but it was dependent upon a signal that it received; which meant that the clock needed to have a regular connection with that signal.  If that signal was disrupted somehow, then the readings of the time and temperature were no longer reliable, because the signal had been lost.

One thing we see in the life of Jesus is that He did not just do whatever He wanted to do.  We see how He would often pray before he acted.  A good example of that is in Luke 6:12-13, where Jesus spent the night in prayer, and the next morning He chose twelve of His disciples to be apostles.  What was Jesus doing?  Undoubtedly Jesus was talking to God about the upcoming decision He was going to make about those who would be closest to Him, those that He would spend time teaching and training.

In John 5:19, Jesus said that He only did what He saw His Father do.  What was Jesus talking about?  This is the same thing that we see in Luke 6, Jesus was checking in with God and getting the signal, so to speak, to know what to do.  In our life and relationship with God, we need to check in with God on a regular basis in prayer, by reading and studying God's Word, and by following the direction of the Holy Spirit, so that we are "checking for the signal" from God to know what to do, where to do it, and when.

That One Key Thing

"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge
to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love
For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
2 Peter 1:5-8 (NKJV)

Have you ever heard something being advertised as the one thing that you need for this or that?  Often this is the kind of thing that is presented for those who want to succeed in business, financial things, or areas of self-help and improvement, and someone is offering to show them that one key thing that they need to do.  But the real truth is, the majority of the time there is not just one key thing, but many things that are necessary in achieving these goals and having success.

It is unfortunate, but this kind of mentality is sometimes seen in Christianity, where something is presented as "that one key thing" that is needed to make someone a super-spiritual Christian, or to give someone the breakthrough in their life, or the thing that is needed to move forward in the plan of God.  But, just like in the secular world, the majority of the time, what believers need is a combination of several things to help them be what they ought to be and to do what God wants them to do.

One thing you don't see presented in the Bible is that there is just one key thing that you need to be a spiritual success.  As it tells us in 2 Peter 1:5-8, there are many things that are necessary for believers, and there are things that we need to add to our faith in order to be fruitful.  Don't be misled by the idea that all you need is that one key thing in life.  Put God's Word into practice, follow the direction of the Holy Spirit, and you will find what it is that you need, to do what God has called you to do.

What Gift Did You Get?

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."
1 Peter 4:10 (NKJV)

When I was a child, I remember that after Christmas every year, my friends and I would all ask each other, "What gift did you get?" because we all wanted to hear what each of us had received.  We would all talk about our gifts, and often we would go to each other's homes to look at the gifts that each one of us had received.  While not all of us received the same gift, and some gifts were more outstanding than others, we all had gifts and we all wanted our friends to see the gifts we had.

One thing that some Christians do not understand is that each of us has a gift from God.  Most Christians know that God has given people like pastors and evangelists gifts to serve Him and to help others.  But, as 1 Peter 4:10 tells us, and as we see throughout the Bible, all of us have a gift and we have been created by God to do something special.  While it is true that some people have a gift from God that seems more amazing than the gifts other people have, the fact remains that each of us has a gift from God. 

First, we need to recognize that God has given each of us a gift.  Secondly, we need to discover that gift and learn how God wants us to use it; in 1 Peter 4, and in Romans 12, various gifts are listed, and this is a good place to start.  God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to help us discover our gift, and also to help us learn how to make the best use of that gift.  We each need to make sure that we recognize that God has given us a gift, that God wants to help us use and develop our gift, and that God can use the gift He has given us to help others. 

Sharp Or Dull?

"If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but with wisdom brings success."
Ecclesiastes 10:10 (NKJV)

If you have ever tried to cut something with a dull knife or scissors, you know that it can be hard to do, and even frustrating.  The same thing applies to cutting down a tree with an ax or a chainsaw.  If the tool you are using to cut something with is dull, you may be able to cut what you need to, but it will not be an easy process.  The best thing to do is to make sure the tool being used is sharp and ready for use, if not, then the tool needs to be sharpened to be effective.

Things can become dull through simple everyday use, and this is why things need to be sharpened on a regular basis.  It is not a bad thing if a tool becomes dull, but it is foolish not to then sharpen that tool so that it can produce the desired results.  As Christians, it is easy to become "dull" spiritually, just through living our life every day and doing things that need to be done.  Sometimes Christians become spiritually dull without realizing it and it then seems that living the Christian life and serving God becomes very difficult. 

If we really want to be the kind of people that God can use in His Kingdom the way He wants to, we have to be sure that we are having a regular time of reading and studying the Bible, as well as a regular time of praying and talking to God.  Doing this will help us to be sharp spiritually and ready for whatever God asks us to do, and we will also be ready for any challenges we face in life.  Don't be a dull believer, keep yourself sharp through reading the Word, spending time with God in prayer, and putting the Word into practice.

Adding Strength

"And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches."
Acts 15:41 (NKJV)

If you have ever done any kind of exercise or physical training, you know that it is something that takes place over a longer period of time and not just on one day.  If you are doing a certain exercise, you don't just do it once and see instant results, you keep on doing the exercise to develop the muscles and gain strength.  If you are interested in becoming a better swimmer, for example, you don't just spend one day in the pool, you repeatedly train and develop the technique and muscles that are necessary to be a better swimmer.

In the Book of Acts, we read about the Apostle Paul and how he traveled, teaching, preaching, and starting churches.  And in his traveling, we can see that Paul went to some places more than once.  In Acts 14:22, 15:41, and 18:23, what Paul did is described as "strengthening" the churches and disciples.  Different translations may use different words in these verses for the word "strengthening", but the meaning of the word being "to strengthen more" or "to render more firm" is there in every case. 

The principle we see from what Paul did is something that can help us today, personally and when dealing with other people; we can further develop and strengthen ourselves and others on a continual basis.  We all need a regular time of reading and studying the Bible, time in prayer, and spending time with other like-minded believers.  As we continue to do these things, we will develop and add strength to ourselves, and we will be a greater asset to God and to our local church.

Everyday Life, Or A Special Event?

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)

There are some things all of us do, or should do, every day of our lives.  For example, we should brush our teeth every day, that is not something that should only be done once a week, or even less.  On the other hand, there are some things that we do not do every day, but they might only happen once and a while.  Things like a vacation, attending a birthday party, or eating at a favorite restaurant are not something you would do every day, they are more of a special event.

We all tend to like the special events, and sometimes things like going on a vacation are things that we wish we could do more often than the things we do in our everyday life, like brushing our teeth.  As Christians, it is also easy to develop a "special event" mentality and think that being a Christian is all about Sunday or some special event or seminar.  But Christianity is built on a relationship with God, which should be a part of our everyday life. 

Christianity is not just something that happens on a Sunday or during some special event.  But if we are not careful, we can get caught up in the experience of the special event and neglect the everyday things, like reading our Bible and talking to God in prayer, that make up the basics of a Christian life.  As God told Joshua, the Word of God should be a part of our life, day and night, every day.  Don't allow yourself to get into the special event mentality and neglect the everyday life of being a believer.

Alternate Reality

"They are of the world.  Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
We are of God.  He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."
1 John 4:5-6 (NKJV)

Have you ever met someone who seemed disconnected from the world around them?  Maybe the other person was talking on the phone, or texting someone, or listening to some music and they don't even seem to notice that you are there.  You could say that because this other person is so caught up in something else that they are in an alternate reality and they are not really aware of the world around them.  This person is more connected to their alternate reality than the world that they live in.

Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8:23 that He was "not of this world" and in John 18:36 that His "Kingdom is not of this world".  While Jesus was living in this world, He did not identify Himself with what was happening in the world around Him, but instead Jesus was focused on His Heavenly identity.  This does not mean that Jesus was totally unaware of what was going on in the world around Him, but Jesus had more of an eternal perspective than a natural one.

Just like Jesus, we need to live in the "alternate reality" that we are citizens of Heaven (Philippians 3:20) and that our true identity is in Christ (Colossians 3:1-3).  Of course, we should not totally detach ourselves from this world and ignore reality so that we are not aware of what is happening around us, but we need to keep our focus on spiritual things and not earthly things.  It is easy to get caught up in all the things that are happening in this world, but our real life is in Christ and that is the "alternate reality" that we need to live in.

Proper Navigation

"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;"
Colossians 1:9-10 (NKJV)

In the past, explorers traveled by ship to distant destinations for trade, exploration, and even to bring the Gospel to others.  When traveling by ship, one thing that was always important was proper navigation.  If the captain and the other sailors on the ship did not know how to correctly navigate their way through what were sometimes dangerous waters, they would not only never reach their destination to do what they needed to do, but they could suffer shipwreck along the way.

What is true about finding the way to go naturally is also true spiritually.  We need to know how to properly navigate our way through life to find the right way to go and to avoid unnecessary problems, and God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to help guide us.  If we do not understand how to properly chart our course in life, we may suffer shipwreck along the way and never reach our destination of doing what God has called us to do, and having the things God has provided for us through Jesus.

As Paul prayed in Colossians 1, we need to not only be filled with the knowledge of God's will, but we need wisdom and spiritual understanding as well.  God will fill us with the knowledge of His will, and give us the wisdom and spiritual understanding we need, through His Word and by the Holy Spirit, so that we can properly navigate through life.  It is vitally important for us to understand proper spiritual navigation, and to learn to follow the Word and Spirit to properly chart our course in life.

Past Tense, Present Tense, Future Tense

"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)

Understanding grammar is important, especially when learning a language, and one of the things you learn about in grammar is the various tenses of past, present, and future.  Past tense is of course something that already happened, present tense is what is happening now, and future tense deals with what will happen sometime later.  How these things are expressed in each language can vary, but to be able to communicate correctly you have to understand the proper use of tenses.

Past tense, present tense, and future tense are not only important in a language, but it is an important concept in Christianity as well.  If we do not have a proper understanding of what God has done for us through Jesus, which would be past tense, then we will not have a proper understanding of our present situation, and of what is coming in the future.  However, if you talk to some Christians, they put some things that are past or present tense into a future tense. 

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it talks about someone who is in Christ, present tense, and that the old things have passed away and all things have become new.  We are now a new creation in Christ, this is not something that we are looking forward to in the future.  So often, Christians talk and act like all of the things provided in the past through Jesus are waiting for us some day in the future, but those things belong to us today!   We need to understand everything that God has done for us through Jesus and recognize who we are in Christ as a present tense reality.

Always Profitable

"For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come."
1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV)

When you grow up in Wisconsin, like I did, you have some clothes that you will only use in the Wintertime and some clothes you will only use in the Summertime.  For example, in January, a Winter coat is essential, but you don't need to wear it in August.  Or, if you have a pair of sandals, you could wear them in July, but you would not want to wear them in December.  So, there are some things that are only useful at some times, but something like shoes are useful items of clothing for every season.

Just like there are some types of clothing that are only beneficial at some times during the year, and some types of clothing that are useful year-round, there are things in life that are like that too.  As Paul pointed out in 1 Timothy 4:8, bodily exercise is good, but it is only useful in this life, while godliness is useful in this life and in the life to come.  There are a lot of things we can do in our life that have some benefit, but a life lived for God is something that has present and future benefits. 

The word godliness in 1 Timothy 4:8 means, piety, towards God, and reverence.  What this is telling us is that living a life that honors God, a life that puts godly character in first place, a life that is based on God's Word, is something valuable today and in the future.  While things like exercising our body are good and helpful, doing things that honor God and are based on His Word are even better!  By living a godly life today, we are putting ourselves in the place where God can work in our life, and we are laying a good foundation for the world to come.

Just Waiting?

"And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated.
He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword.  The Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder."
2 Samuel 23:9-10 (NKJV)

There are a lot of people who, when they face a challenge, wait for someone else to do something or something to happen to make a change in that situation.  So many times, it seems that people wait for another person to take a stand, for their local church to do something, or even for the government to do something.  While all of those things could happen, what if we looked for what we could do about the situation rather than just waiting for something to happen?

David's Mighty Men in the Old Testament are amazing to read about.  The story of one of these men, Eleazar the son of Dodo, has always been one of my favorites.  When he was faced with the enemy, and others ran away, he attacked!  Instead of waiting to see what the Philistines would do, instead of waiting for someone else to do something, Eleazar attacked the enemy!  We can be the same way in the things we deal with in our life; we can wait to see what happens, or we can be proactive and do something.

When we know who we are in Christ and we understand our God given authority, we don't have to just wait for something to happen.  We need to look to God's Word and the direction of the Holy Spirit to see how we can pray, or take a stand in faith, or do something in some way with what is happening in our life. The next time you are faced with a challenge, don't run away, and don't just wait for something to happen, act on God's Word and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to make a difference.

Modern Day Moses

"So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle."
And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses,"
Exodus 12:1-2 (NKJV)

Sometimes we see someone who we believe has an unfair advantage over us, and we wish that we had what we see they have.  Sometimes, people do have something unique to them that we cannot have, but many other times, what someone else has is actually available to us, and it is just that we do not have that specific thing.  Very often, we can find a way to have those things the other person has, if we are willing to make the effort, and sometimes by making a change in our life.

Until Jesus came, no one could be born again and have a close, personal relationship with God.  Today everyone can have a relationship with God, and a better relationship than anyone in the Old Testament ever had.  In Exodus 12, we see how Moses had a special relationship with God.  Moses would go to meet with God, but all that the other people could do was just watch.  Today we are all a modern-day Moses, so to speak.  We can all talk to God whenever we want, and the Spirit of God even lives in us!

We don't have to wish we had a deep relationship with God like someone else has, because we do have that type of relationship with God, we may just need to develop it more than we have.  Today, we don't need to have someone go to God on our behalf or go to someone else to get what God wants us to have, we can go to our loving Heavenly Father ourselves, because of our relationship with Him through Jesus.  We have direct access to God, and even better than Moses had!

Worth Remembering

"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)

There are some things that are worth remembering because they are vitally important for us, or because they are special to us in some way.  Other things are not worth remembering because they are unnecessary or unimportant.  It is worth remembering the PIN for our bank card, because without it we cannot access our finances.  It is worth remembering birthdays and anniversaries because they are dates of importance and significance to our family and friends.

In his second letter, Peter said he wanted to always remind the people of what was important.  Some people think that if you have heard something once, it is enough.  Peter understood that there are some things that are necessary for us to be reminded of, no matter how many times we have heard those things.  Peter acknowledged that what he was writing about was something that the people were already established in, but he said that as long as he was able, he was going to stir them up by reminding them of the things that were significant.

Peter understood the importance of repeating the truth again and again.  If something is true, and especially if it is something necessary for our life, then we need to keep on hearing that truth.  And, no matter how many times we have heard the truth of God's Word, there is always more depth to it than what we currently understand, there is always more to learn.  Keep hearing the truth and remind yourself of what God's Word has to say, because no matter how many times you have heard it, God's Word is worth remembering.

Open The Book

"Your words were found, and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts."
Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJV)

What if you needed some tool for your work or home and you did not know where to find it?  What if someone then told you where to find the tool and the address of the store it was sold in?  Then imagine you go to the store, but you never go inside, even though the store is open.  You might think the store looks nice, and even talk to other people about how much you need the tool, but if you never go inside the store to actually buy the tool, you will never have the thing that you need.

We live in such a wonderful time, with God's Word being so easily available to us.  Personally, I have numerous Bibles, in different translations, I have a Bible program in my computer, and I have Bible apps in my phone.  But, while all these things are wonderful, I still have to open the Bible itself, or the Bible program or app, to actually see what is inside of the Bible and to learn the things I need to live the kind of life that will please God, and that will help me fulfill God's will for my life. 

Over the years, as I have been teaching in Bible schools and churches in Europe and the USA, time and time again I meet believers who do not even know basic Bible truths.  Christians often do not really know what God did for them through Jesus, who they are in Christ, and they do not understand how to do what God wants them to do, and all the while they have a book that shows them these things.  We need to open the book, the Bible, spend time reading and studying it, and then apply it to our life, and it all starts with opening the book.

Can You See That?

"For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins."
2 Peter 1:22-23 (NKJV)

One time, as I was driving through a part of the United States, I saw a sign that indicated I could turn off of the main road to go to an area where there was a "scenic overlook".  So, I did stop, but it was very hard to get a good view of the "scenic overlook" because some trees were blocking the view.  After I moved around a bit, I was able to see the sight, but at first my view was obstructed, and until I avoided the trees that blocked my view, I was unable to really see the intended sight.

The Bible tells us about many things that God has done for us through Jesus, and how we can live the life that God has planned for us.  In 2 Peter 1, Peter gives us a list of things we need in our life: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.  Peter wrote that with these things we will never be unfruitful, and he also says that if we lack these things, we are short-sighted, even to the point of blindness, spiritually speaking.

Sometimes people have let things get into their life, and the view, the understanding, they should have of spiritual things has been obstructed.  Things like bitterness, focusing on past sin and mistakes, unforgiveness, and even wrong doctrine can cause us to miss seeing the truth that God's Word shows us.  We all need to make sure that we have an unobstructed view of the truth so that we can clearly see what God has done for us through Jesus, who we are in Christ, and how to do what God has called us to do.