Don't Know? Don't Go!

"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)

Have you ever been driving in some unfamiliar area and you come to an intersection where you are not sure which direction to turn? If the direction you need to go is not clear, then you should check which way to go before proceeding further.  But what if you just decided to keep driving anyway?  What if you thought that going some direction is better than doing nothing?  What if you had the idea that if you start driving fast in one direction you would at least accomplish something rather than taking the time to sit there and check the directions?  Most likely if you just start driving without any idea of where you are going you will get lost.

Jesus is our great example and there are many, many things we can learn from Him.  One very important thing we can learn from Jesus is about what to do in every situation.  While the Bible does not give us a detailed list of every action we need to take in life we do know that the Holy Spirit will help to lead and direct us (Romans 8:14).  Jesus said in John 5:19 that He only did what He saw the Heavenly Father do.  We also read that Jesus did the will of His Father (John 5:30; 6:38), Jesus only said what His Father told Him to say (John 8:28), and Jesus only did things that pleased His Father (John 8:29).

Jesus was successful in everything He did because He only did what He knew God wanted Him to do.  Too many Christians do things just because they think it is a good thing, but it is not the thing that God wants them to do.  So many believers act before they really know if what they are doing is the right thing for them to do or not, this happens sometimes because people feel pressured and think they have to do something.  We need to follow God's direction in His Word and by the Holy Spirit to know what is right to do in every situation.   If we don't know what to do then we need to find out, but if we don't know, we don't go.

A Lifestyle Of Faith

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

Every person has some kind of lifestyle.  Our lifestyle is our unique way of living; it is how we do things.  How we live is often a result of how we were raised, where we live, and the values we consider important.  We of course all like to have a type of lifestyle that we enjoy and one that fits with how we believe life should be.  No one would normally choose a lifestyle that would lead them into problems.  If there were bad things coming into our life as a result of our lifestyle choices, then any wise person would make the necessary changes.

There is a certain type of lifestyle that God has planned for His children, it is a lifestyle of faith.  In 2 Corinthians 5:7 it says that we walk by faith.  The word "walk" here is really referring to a way of life and not just an occasional stroll somewhere.  The way a Christian is supposed to live is by faith and nothing else.  Faith is based on what God has said and a lifestyle of faith means that no matter what happens our life is based on and governed by what God has said in His Word.  What we do and what we say must be founded on God's Word, this is what it means to walk by faith.

It is very easy to live a life based on what we see, hear, feel, and think; but this is not a lifestyle of walking by faith.  Too many people are mainly focused on what their circumstances and senses tell them and not on God's Word.  We must follow the guidelines God that has given us for every area of our life and Hebrews 11:6 even says that without faith, without a life lived by faith, it is impossible to please God.  God has given us His Word but it will not produce the desired results in our life if we do not act on it.  The lifestyle of faith is the best way to live, it is the way that God has designed us to live.

Have You Graduated Yet?

"that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ -"
Ephesians 4:14-15 (NKJV)

Every school year there are graduations.  Graduation is not really an end but a time of transition.  For example, those who are graduating from a high school are transiting into college or university, some trade school, or into the work world.  Those people graduating from college, university, or some other school are transiting into a time when they will put all of the things they have learned to use.  To have a graduation, or a transition, means that there has been some development.  Without learning, growth, and development a person will have no transition or graduation but they may have to do more courses or go back to redo the school.

Spiritually we are in a continual state of learning, growth, development, and even graduating from one level of spiritual maturity to another.  The Bible talks a lot about spiritual growth and development.  In Ephesians 4, and in other places, Paul talked about believers growing up and doing their part in the plan of God.  Paul said in Ephesians 4 that we need to stop being children who are so easily swayed and grow up in all things.  We need to know who we are in Christ and take our place in the Body of Christ so that we are able to do our part and contribute to God's work in the earth.

As Christians we should be growing from one level of spiritual development into another.  But for us to graduate and move into another level of spiritual maturity we need to learn and grow.  If we do not learn, grow, and develop then we will not move forward in the plan and purpose that God has for our life.  Spiritual growth and development come through learning God's Word and putting it into practice in our lives.  God needs mature, spiritually developed believers to help carry out His plan on the earth; if we remain spiritual children, we limit the amount of things God can do through us.

What We Do And Who We Are

"Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."
Luke 11:1 (NKJV)

Several years ago I had a job that involved training people to work on different machines.  While I was not an expert at operating all of the machines that we had in this factory, I did know how to use them well enough to do what needed to be done.  This was one of the reasons I was put in charge of training others, I knew what had to be done and I knew how to do it.  The majority of the people I trained had no previous experience working with the machines we had but I showed them how to do the work until they could operate the machines on their own.

Jesus had His twelve disciples but there were many other people who followed Jesus besides the twelve.  As these disciples followed Jesus they learned through His teaching and His life examples how to live the best kind of life, a life connected to and in service to God.  The story in Luke 11 is interesting because we see that it was after Jesus was done praying that His disciples asked if He could teach them how to pray too.  It was not just that Jesus knew a lot of principles about prayer but Jesus knew how to pray and that was the key to Him being able to teach His disciples how to pray.  Prayer was not a theory to Jesus it was a part of who He was.

Jesus was successful in teaching His disciples how to pray, how to live by faith, how to deal with people, and how to teach and preach because Jesus knew how to do these things.  What Jesus did was not something that was separate from who He was, it was a part of Him.  Too often people learn how things work but there is no practical experience involved, theories are being passed along by people who have no real experience in what they are talking about.  What we do for God should be a reflection of our relationship with God.  What others see us do they can do too and we can teach them how, if what we do is a part of who we are.

Great Minds Think Alike

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

In my lifetime I have met people from all over the world and from all walks of life.  There have been several times when I have met someone who was very successful in the business world or in ministry.  One thing I have noticed with these successful people is that they have a different way of thinking than most people do.  There were times when I was in a conversation with someone who was successful where I realized that how they thought and how I thought was very different and I wanted to think more like them; to have their kind success I realized I had to change my thinking.

Some people have the idea that God and His thoughts are completely unknowable to us; God certainly has different thoughts than we do but we can change how we think.  How does God think, what kind of thoughts does He have?  Does God look at situations and think He will fail or does God have thoughts of success?  Does God have depressed and fearful thoughts or does God have thoughts of peace?  Does God look at people and think that they will never change or does God think He can help people?  While it is true that He is God and we are not, God has given us His Word to help us change how we think to be more like Him.

To live a successful life our thoughts must become more like God's thoughts, this is something the Bible calls renewing the mind (Romans 12:2).  Reading and studying the Bible can change how we think, which will change how we live. As we fill our mind with the Word of God we are filling ourselves with God's thoughts.  We may have old thought patterns from the past that are holding us back from doing the things that God wants us to do and that is why we need to change how we think.  As our thoughts become more like God's thoughts we will see changes happening in our lives as we are transformed to become more like Him.

Where's The Fruit?

"because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;"
Colossians 1:5-6 (NKJV)

Several years ago there was a humorous and well know television commercial that featured a couple of elderly ladies at a fast food restaurant.  They had ordered some hamburgers but when they received their order, one of the ladies looked at the hamburger with disappointment and said, "Where's the beef?" because the hamburger patty was so small.  She was obviously expecting something bigger and better.  Her idea was that by ordering this hamburger it would include much more beef than what she had received; for a hamburger to be a good hamburger there has to be some good beef.

When someone gives their life to Jesus there is a spiritual transformation, they become a new creation in Christ.  While there may not be any outward evidence of this at first the Bible is very clear that every believer should have some fruit in their life, an outward demonstration of the inward change that has taken place.  Paul wrote to the people in Colosse that the Gospel was "bringing forth fruit" in all the world as well as in them.  The words Paul used here in the original Greek show a continual process that is taking place.  Just as fruit is produced on a healthy plant there should be fruit seen in the life of a healthy Christian.

Why is it that some Christians seem to produce an abundance of fruit while others seem to have no fruit at all?  We can find an answer for this in Colossians 1:5 where Paul talked about the word of the truth of the Gospel.  Some people do not produce fruit because what they spend their time with is not the truth of the Gospel; they are producing something but it is not fruit for the Kingdom of God.  We need God's Word to help us grow and develop spiritually so that the life of God on the inside of us is seen on the outside.  So what about us?  When people look at our life do they see fruit or do they ask, where's the fruit?

Is It My Will Or God's Will?

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)

Over my years of traveling I have gone through dozens of airports in different states and countries.  In some ways all airports are very similar and in some ways they are different.  There have been times that I was in an airport looking for the right concourse and gate for my flight when I have not been sure exactly which direction to go.  Sometimes because airports look so similar I think I should go one way when actually I need to go in a different direction.  If I had not checked the information that was provided I could have gotten lost thinking I was going the right way when really I was going the wrong way.

One of the biggest questions that Christians have about the will of God is if the direction that they have is from God or if it is from them.  Sometimes people even wonder, "Was that from God, me, or the devil?" when they have some idea about what to do.  The Bible says that as believers we are led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).  The problem we have with decisions that we need to make is that we have trouble separating our own ideas and thoughts from the ideas that God gives us, or even from what the devil might say.  We are often very familiar with our own thoughts and emotions but not so familiar with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We can have a hard time distinguishing between what God is saying and what our own thoughts and emotions are saying, not because God is not speaking to us but because we do not recognize His voice, His leading.  This is where the Bible can help us.  The Holy Spirit guided people to write the Bible (2 Peter 1:20-21) and so God will speak to us through His Word.  By spending time in the Bible we not only become more familiar with God and His ways, which helps us know the direction God wants us to go, but we learn to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us.  As we spend time in the Word of God the will of God in our heart becomes clearer and clearer.

A Need To Know Basis

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."
John 16:12-13 (NKJV)

Sometimes I like to watch movies about spies and espionage.  Often in these movies there is someone on a mission to right some wrong or even save the world.  The main character sometimes runs into a situation where things are not what they seem to be because of something else that is going on.  When the main character asks their superiors about what is happening the response sometimes is that they are asking about information that is only available on a need to know basis and the information that the character currently has is all they need to know to get their job done.

God has a purpose for each of our lives; we do not need to be in some teaching or preaching ministry leading a church or organization for God to have a plan for our life.  No matter who you are or what you are doing for God there is a plan and a purpose that needs to be followed.  God has given us His Word and He has sent His Holy Spirit to live in us to help us and to guide us.  Everything we need for our success in life has already been provided for us through Jesus.  But there are times that we feel like we are missing information and we want something more from God.  This is when we need to realize that God has us on a need to know basis.

Before Jesus went to the cross He told His disciples that there were still many things He needed to say to them, but they were not ready to hear those things.  The good news is that Jesus did not stop there but He said that the Holy Spirit would come to help us and to guide us into all truth.  The question is, what truth, what information do we need from God to do what He is calling us to do?  There may be things we want God to talk to us about but that is information that we don't need to know.  We need to operate in the truth that we do have from God and trust the Holy Spirit to give us the truth we need as we need it.  Whatever God is calling us to do, we need to realize that He knows best and will give us whatever we need when and if we need it.

Jump Right In

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"
Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)

At one time or another most people have gone swimming.  The whole point of swimming is self-explanatory: to swim.  You don't go swimming to look at the water or have someone else tell you about their experience, you go swimming to swim for yourself, or else you are not swimming!  How people go about swimming is another matter.  Some people jump right in while others slowly wade into the water.  Some people just get into the water a little and decide that swimming is not right for them.  Others never get into the water and the only thing they know about swimming is what they see or hear from someone else.

In some ways being a Christian can be compared to swimming; to really find out how great the Christian life is you just have to jump right in.  Some people find out about how Jesus died for their sin and took their place on the cross so they jump right in.  Then, as the live their life for God they follow His plan and do what He says.  But, there are other people who hear the truth about God without ever acting on it.  These people might wade into things a little bit to get a feel for what church is like or they might watch how others live and think that there being a Christian is not right for them.  Sadly, these people do not know what they are missing.

There are people who take a stand on what the Bible says and live a life based on what they see in it.  These are the people who are walking by faith and not by sight and they experience the best that God has to offer.  Other people think that following God and living a godly lifestyle is not realistic or much fun, but they have never even had the experience for themselves! Too many people have missed out on the best things in life because they are holding back and not really getting into the things of God for themselves.  Christianity is not a spectator sport; we need to jump right in!

An Example To Follow

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV)

Have you ever seen someone do an imitation of another person?  Maybe they did their impersonation of some celebrity from a television show or a movie, it might even have been a politician, an athlete, or just some local person that everyone knows.  When that person did their imitation, the way you recognized who they were imitating was in the way they talked, what they said, and how they behaved.  If the person doing the imitation did not sound like the person or act like the person that they were imitating, then it was not really an imitation at all.

The Bible talks about Christians imitating God like a child would imitate their parent (Ephesians 5:1).  Paul told people to imitate him just like he imitated Christ.  The word "imitate" that Paul used is the Greek word for "follow".  In 2 Timothy 3:10 Paul mentioned to Timothy that Timothy knew Paul's teaching and way of life.  Once again Paul is showing that he was an example that others could follow.  Paul was a spiritual leader who understood that other people need examples to follow, people need to be able to see someone who is a pattern of how to live a godly life.

Christians would agree that Jesus and even Paul are great examples for us, but neither Jesus or Paul are with us on the earth today.  So while we can read about them and learn from them in that way we don't have their example for us to see and learn from and we can't ask them questions.  All of us need some good examples of what it means to live the Christians life, how we should talk and how we should live.  Each of us should also be a good example that others can follow.  If we said what Paul did, imitate me as I imitate Christ, would we be a good pattern for others to follow?  If not, what changes do we need to make to become that example that others can follow? 

Doing Some Good Things

"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him"
Acts 10:38 (NKJV)

It may seem strange, but some people do not do what they could do because they set a standard that is too high.  This can be true in many different areas.  For example, some people think that to succeed in school they have to get the best grades and when they get less than the best they become discouraged and even quit.  Some people think that learning a new skill means that they have to be an expert at it within a short period of time, when this does not happen they give up.  The same is true with saving money, people think of saving some huge amount when really just starting by saving a small amount is a good start.

Often when people think of Jesus they remember of course that He was raised from the dead, He healed lepers, and He performed miracles.  While these are all things that Jesus did that was not all that He did, Jesus did not do miracles twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  We often just think about the amazing and miraculous things that Jesus did but Acts 10:38 says that besides healing the sick that Jesus went around doing good.  Jesus was anointed and empowered by God to do miracles but God also helped Jesus do good things for others; this is an example that all of us can follow.

God wants us to do great things but He also wants to help us in every area of our life.  Instead of thinking about doing some miracles, how would it be if we would ask God to help us be a better employee or employer, a better parent, husband, wife, son, daughter, brother, or sister?  What if we would expect God to help us improve in walking in love and treating others with the respect and honor they deserve?  Maybe we don't know any lepers but do we know anyone who could use our help in some way, could God empower us to be helpful to a friend or neighbor?  What good thing can God help you to do in your life or the lives of others?

Did You Hear That?

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
John 10:27 (NKJV)

Have you ever been in a crowded room or an airport where a lot of people were talking?  There can be so much noise that it is hard to hear anything clearly.  There have been times when I was in a crowded part of an airport that I received a phone call or had to make a call.  To be sure that I heard the phone conversation clearly I had to stop whatever else I was doing, get away from the crowd of people, and focus on what was being said; I had to do something to be sure I could clearly hear what the other person was saying.

The majority of Christians want to do what God wants them to do, but they are not always sure what that is.  When people ask me about how to hear from God I always explain that we can hear God talk to us through His Word, the Bible.  People often reply that they need more specifics from God about things pertaining to their life, their work, their family, and so on.  It seems that they are lacking direction from God and they need to hear from Him.  But the issue is not really whether God is speaking to us or not, it is more that we are not clearly hearing what He is saying.

God communicates with us through His Word and by the Holy Spirit.  The reason that what God is saying is sometimes not clear to us is because there are other things around us that drown out what God is trying to tell us.  We have distractions from the world, people's opinions, our own feelings and thoughts, and many other things that make it hard for us to really hear what God is saying.  Make it a point to take the time to get into God's Word and listen to what He has to say, expect God to help you to see what to do in your life.  The key is to get to where you can clearly hear what He is saying. 

Working In Your Field

"Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Matthew 9:37-38 (NKJV)

Farms that grow crops like corn, wheat, or barley can have a lot of different fields.  Some fields on a farm can have different types of crops and often the fields are different sizes.  When it is harvest time the people who work on that farm have to go out into the fields and bring in the harvest.  Who works in each field and how that work is done may be different, depending on the field and type of crop.  On some smaller farms some of the same people work in many different fields but on larger farms many people are needed to go into the fields and do the work.

In Matthew 9 Jesus talked about the harvest and the need for workers in the harvest.  If the harvest was plentiful and abundant with a lot of work to do when Jesus was on the earth, then how much greater must the harvest be today?  There is still a great work to do in God's harvest and plenty of work for all of us.  Jesus said we need to pray that there would be more laborers going out into the harvest.  But we need more than just a lot of people out wandering around in the harvest fields, we need people in the right field, skillfully doing the right kind of work.

While there are no lack of jobs in God's harvest there is a lack of people who are properly trained for the work and there is a problem with people not knowing what field they belong in.  It is important for every believer to grow and develop spiritually so that they are equipped to do what God has called them to do, and it is equally as important for each Christian to be in the right place and work in the right field.  What field and work has God called you to?  If you don't know then it is time to get with God and find out, the harvest fields are ready and waiting!

Transformation Time

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

Metamorphosis is the biological process of change that takes place in the life of an animal or insect.  This process of transformation is something that occurs naturally as an animal or insect matures into adulthood.  If there were no change, no metamorphosis, then something would be wrong.  This process of transformation can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on the animal or insect, but no matter the length of time that is involved the important thing is that the transformation does take place.

The English word metamorphosis comes from a Greek word and it was that same Greek word that Paul used in Romans 12:2 when he talked about believers being transformed by the renewing of their mind.  This transformation is a normal process that happens when a Christian grows and develops spiritually.  How long this process of transformation takes depends on the person, for some the changes may happen faster than for others.  Someone looking at the process from the outside may not notice that any changes are taking place at the time, but a transformation is happening.

There are areas in all of our lives that need to be changed and developed, we need to be transformed into who and what God wants us to be.  This process is necessary for us to mature into spiritual adulthood and if no changes are taking place then something is wrong.  Paul talked about being transformed by the renewing of our mind, which means we line up our thinking and our lifestyle with what we see in the Bible.  As we do our part in the transformation process by reading, studying, and doing Gods' Word we will find a metamorphosis taking place in our life.

Are You Ill-Equipped?

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

Years ago I worked in a factory.  There were several things I was responsible for there and one of those things was some light maintenance.  When I first started to work at this company I did not have any tools to use so I was not prepared to do the work required of me.  As I took the position where I was responsible for some maintenance work, I needed to buy some tools and a tool belt; I had to go to the store that sold the proper equipment and get that equipment.  Without the right tools I was ill-equipped and no matter how committed or sincere I was I could not do my job.

When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, Paul told Timothy about how profitable God's Word is, it is beneficial in many ways.  Paul went on to say that God's Word will make us complete and equip us to do every good work that God has planned for us.  By looking at this verse in a little different way we get the idea that if we are lacking something, if we are not properly equipped to do what we are doing for God, then a lack of God's Word may be our problem.  If we are struggling in our Christian life it could be that we are ill-equipped, we need more of God's Word.

We may love God and want to do our best for Him but without a thorough understanding of God's Word we will not have what we really need to do God's will.  Too many Christians are under developed spiritually and when they face a challenging situation in their life they are not prepared to deal with it and failure is the result.  God has given us His Word to equip us and prepare us for the life He has called us to lead; we need to be sure we are spending time reading and studying His Word to be developed and properly equipped to do the will of God.