WITHOUT COMPLAINING

“Do everything without
complaining and arguing,
so that no one can criticize you.
Live clean, innocent lives
as children of God,
shining like bright lights in a world
full of crooked and perverse people.”
Philippians 2:14-15 NLT
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At times all of us complain about the weather – the traffic – our work load or whatever “gets our goat” at the moment. But some people complain none stop - about anything and everything. A constant complainer can be as annoying as “a dripping faucet.” We all prefer the company of people who are more positive and see their glass as “half full rather than half empty.” God miraculously provided Israel with daily “manna” in the desert, but they kept on complaining about it. “So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.” God sees continuous complaining as sin!

Israel was complaining that they didn’t have the food they had in Egypt, ignoring that they had been delivered from slavery. All of us need to focus more on what we have rather than on what we don’t have. As believers we have been set free from spiritual slavery, and gratitude should dominate every facet of our life. Complaining reveals a selfish, ungrateful attitude. When we get our eyes off of our wants, and begin to focus on what we have – enough to eat – a roof over our heads – a family - transportation – a measure of health – living in a free country and on and on – gratitude to God will begin to flow.

We live in a fallen society with chronic complaining at every hand, but if we Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, doing everything without complaining and arguing . . .we will shine like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. That will be pleasing to our Lord and bring gratitude and joy to our own hearts.

REFLECTING JESUS

“When they saw the boldness of Peter and John,
they could see that they were ordinary men
with no special training in the Scriptures.
They also recognized them
as men who had been with Jesus.”
Acts 4:13 NLT
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The moon we see in the night sky does not have any light of its own. The light it gives off is the reflection of the sun. The image we see on the water of a mountain lake is not the mountain; it is the reflection of the mountain. The smoother the water, the sharper the reflection.

Jesus was not the reflection of the Father’s glory, but rather the revealer of that glory, because he and the Father are one. He taught with divine authority, not having to depend on quoting the religious leaders of the day. His life and miracles clearly demonstrated that he had all power in heaven and on earth.

The religious leaders thought they had gotten rid of Jesus once and for all when they crucified him. Now here were these ordinary “blue collar” people with no formal religious education demonstrating the same boldness as Jesus did. They “recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” They were unmistakably reflecting him.

Whether we lack formal education or have a string of PhD’s after our name, as followers of Jesus we all have the privilege of reflecting him. The question is, how unmistakable is it to others that we have “been with Jesus” - how clear and sharp do we reflect him?

“Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me -
All His wonderful passion and purity!
O Thou Spirit divine,All my nature refine
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.”
- Albert Orsborn

CHRIST'S AMBASSADORS

So we are Christ’s ambassadors;

God is making his appeal
through us.
We speak for Christ
when we plead,
“Come back to God!”

2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT

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According to the American Heritage Dictionary, an ambassador is “a diplomatic official of the highest rank appointed and accredited as representative in residence by one government or sovereign to another, usually for a specific length of time.”

As Christians, Christ has appointed us as his highest rank diplomats to represent the Kingdom of God here on earth. We are here on a temporary assignment as his “ambassadors.” When this tour of duty is over, he will call us to our eternal home with him in heaven.

Paul writes, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” Philippians 1:27. If our conduct brings dishonor to the Gospel message, it will jeopardize our mission as his “ambassadors,” which is to “speak for Christ” – pleading with people to “Come back to God!”

What an awesome privilege and responsibility, to be Christ’s official representatives to everyone our lives touch – family – relatives – friends – neighbors – fellow workers – contacts of every kind!

The message that we are “Christ’s ambassadors” has really spoken to my heart recently. I encourage you to give it some consideration as well.

GRACE and PEACE

“May God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ
give you grace and peace.”
1 Corinthians 1:3 NLT
~~~~~~

Pastor Jared may have been doing this all along, but I just recently noticed that he closes his letters to the church with “grace and peace.” The phrase is used by Paul in his letters as part of his greeting to his churches and co-workers. Peter used it, and so did John.

“Chairein” -“Grace to you” and “Shalom” - “peace” were the standard Greek and Jewish greetings. “Chairein” sounds like “Charis”- “grace” and Paul connected a deeper theological meaning to it.

“Grace” is commonly referred to as “unmerited favor.” It is God showing us kindness – giving us gifts which are totally undeserved. Everything that God does and gives to his children is “grace.”

Salvation is a gift of “grace” which is ours through faith in Jesus Christ, and even that faith “is the gift of God.” It’s by his “grace” that “God shall supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” No matter how difficult our situation in life may be, his promise is, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

By God’s “grace” we experience “peace” with God – with others and ourselves. The Hebrew word “Shalom” translated “peace” means a lot more than what comes to mind when we use the word. According to Strong's Concordance it means, “Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.” WHAT A RICH GREETING!!

“GRACE AND PEACE” TO YOU AND YOURS!!!

GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES

“He has given us great and precious promises.
These are the promises that enable you

to share his divine nature
and escape the world’s corruption

caused by human desires.”
2 Peter 1:4 NLT
~~~~~

A promise is only as good as the one who makes it. Some people make promises with no intention of ever keeping them. Others are totally sincere and have every intension of carrying out what they promise, but because of circumstances beyond their control, it’s impossible for them to deliver. God doesn’t have problems like we do. His very nature makes it impossible for him to be insincere or come up against a situation he can’t handle. Not only are his promises absolutely reliable, they are “great and precious.”

All of us, to some degree or another, are affected by “the world’s corruption” which surrounds us on every hand – calling - enticing – pressuring us to conform to its’ ways and values. Left to ourselves, we are naturally part of it with no way to “escape.” But by faith in Christ we are the recipients of “great and precious promises.” “God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29 “And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Be encouraged! The more we become like Jesus, the more we escape the corruption of this world.

JEHOVAH JIREH

“Abraham called the name
of that place Jehovah-jireh:
as it is said to this day,
In the mount of the LORD
it shall be seen.”
Genesis 22:14 KJV
~~~~~~

“Jehovah” is the personal name of God, and is traditionally translated “LORD” in English. “Jireh” conveys the idea “will provide” and literally means “will see to it.” In other words - The LORD will see to it that the need will be provided for. Genesis 22 is the account of God providing Abraham with a ram as a substitute sacrifice in place of his son Isaac. And in response Abraham names the place “Jehovah-jireh.”

“Jehovah Jireh My provider
His grace is sufficient
For me, for me, for me
Jehovah Jireh My provider
His grace is sufficient for me.

My God shall supply all my needs
According to his riches in glory
He will give His angels
Charge over me
Jehovah Jireh cares
For me, for me, for me
Jehovah Jireh cares for me.”
By Don Moen

The God of Abraham is also our provider. If we walk in obedient faith as he did, the LORD “will see to it” that our need will be met, no matter how desperate it may be. May we be encouraged by this truth as we face the uncertainties of 2010.

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THE NAME OF THE LORD

“The name of the LORD
is a strong tower:
the righteous run into it,
and are safe.”
Proverbs 18:10 KJV
~~~~~

Life all around us keeps changing – things and bodies grow older and wear out, but “The Name of the LORD” doesn’t change, it remains “a strong Tower” of protection forever!

In ancient days, towers and castles were built on high places to provide protection against plundering invaders. When the alarm was sounded announcing an approaching enemy, people would as quickly as possible, get into the tower for safety. Because the tower was difficult to conquer, the invaders would usually move on to an easier target.

As believers in Christ, we have been made right with God (righteous) and that makes us prime targets for the enemy of our soul. As always, this New Year will not be an exception, he will be on the prowl day and night looking for opportunities “to steal and kill and destroy.”

Let’s not be fooled into thinking we can fight him off on our own. The only way we can be safe from Satan’s assault, is by trusting in “The name of the LORD,” which represents all that God is.

Whatever assaults may come our way in 2010, if we run into the strong tower of the LORD’s name, we will be safe!!