Active and Effective

Active and Effective

2 Peter 1: ⁵ For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; ⁶ to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; ⁷ to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love. ⁸ These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But if you do not have them, you are so shortsighted that you cannot see and have forgotten that you have been purified from your past sins.

 

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After learning the basics I felt pretty good about myself. It was very hard to get over the hump of learning the basics and I felt I deserved to remain right where I was. “Now we want you to learn this other thing” was the challenging statement.

 

• I was worn out just learning the basics.
• I did not think I needed to go any further than the basics.
• I felt I was doing enough by simply doing the basics.

 

Peter challenges believers to go further than “faith” in JESUS. He may have seen behaviors that seemed childish when it came to spiritual growth. His challenge was to add goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, Christian affection and love. He also challenged everyone to be “active and effective.”

 

My Observations:

• Accepting JESUS as my Savior was the beginning of my faith.
• GOD wants me to grow up by adding goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, Christian affection and love.
• GOD also wants me to not think more highly of myself so I can point people to HIM for the remainder of my life.

 

Wanting to feel like I have arrived is a problem. I mean, instead of reaching a point, in my walk with GOD, that I think I have done enough and learned enough and I can just coast; I should constantly look for ways to grow in the LORD.

 

GOD expects HIS children to grow. HE knows the huge responsibility that is out in the world and HE needs people who are willing to do more than the basics of belief in JESUS. HE wants “Active and Effective” believers to seek HIS kingdom. I am willing to grow in the LORD by adding these things.

 

Challenge

• What is the opposite of the writer’s appeal to be “Active and Effective?”
• Have you ever thought you have arrived with CHRIST?
• Will you continue to grow spiritually so you can be “Active and Effective” in growing GOD’s kingdom today?

Getting a Do Over

 

Getting a Do Over

Titus 3: Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way. ² Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude toward everyone. ³ For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, ⁵ he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us.

 

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After taking the bait of an argument, I said all the wrong words. My apology could not erase what was said. After sliding on ice, I hit a pole, damaging the passenger and my car. Grousing about the weather could not undo the damage. After taking a test, I realized I made a costly mistake. It was too late.

 

• I wish I could have a do over in many instances.
• I wish I could rewind time and not do or say what was done or said.
• I wish I could install a second chance button for times when life seems to go wrong.

 

Paul reminds everyone to act peacefully because “we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient and wrong.” He then explains the root of the solution, namely JESUS. He said “HE saved us.” Paul then explains that the HOLY SPIRIT “give us new birth and new life by washing us.”

 

My Observation

• I was foolish until I met the LORD.
• I was lost and a slave to my own passion and pleasures until JESUS rescued me.
• I was the problem BUT GOD gave me a second chance.

 

Getting a do over in life would be nice. I mean, I look back at the mountain of mistakes I have made and would love to erase them. But they linger. JESUS decided to do something about them. HE died for every mistake I have made. HE was raised from the dead and placed in authority over all. HE sent the HOLY SPIRIT to live in me so I could get a second chance on eternal life.

 

This do over enables me to live a life that is pleasing to the one who sacrificed HIMSELF. This is a loving relationship that knows no bounds. There is no limit to the amount of love poured out on me when I realize where true love comes from. I gladly give my life to HIM and I am thankful for a second chance.

 

Challenge

• Why do people need to be reminded by the writer?
• Have you ever done or said something that you regretted?
• Will you give your regrets to JESUS today by believing you need HIM for salvation so HE can give you a new life through the HOLY SPIRIT?

Fulfilled

 

Fulfilled

2 Thessalonians 1: ¹¹ That is why we always pray for you. We ask our God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live. May he fulfill by his power all your desire for goodness and complete your work of faith. ¹² In this way the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory from you, and you from him, by the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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Life had gotten hard during this stretch of time. My car was barely working, I had debt up to my ears and barely enough income to pay monthly bills. I watched a commercial of people winning large sums of money by simply having a magazine subscription. I tried it, no payoff. I played the lottery in months to follow. I bought one ticket. Each number miraculously was off by one digit.

 

• I was jealous of someone “winning” money.
• I was frustrated that I had no money and no way to get out of debt, or so I thought.
• I wondered why “everyone else” seemed to be doing better than me.

 

Paul, Silas and Timothy provide a prayer for everyone who believes in JESUS as the Savior. They knew it is not possible for a human to be worthy of GOD’s calling, so they prayed for GOD to make them worthy. They also prayed for desires for goodness to be fulfilled by GOD and for everyone to complete their work of faith.

 

My Observations

• Life is more than money and GOD wants me to be fulfilled by desiring what HE thinks is good.
• Only GOD can declare me “worthy” of the life HE called me to.
• Tasks given to me by GOD require my work of faith.

 

Life is not easy. I mean, it seems when one challenge is over, another pops up. Why can’t things just be peaceful? But they are sometimes turbulent. GOD sees when I look at life on the surface and get worried. HE provides an answer.

 

GOD calls me to serve HIS people. Wait… Don’t I have problems? Yes, BUT GOD sees beyond my problems and knows the true reward HE is storing up for me in heaven. HE places the HOLY SPIRIT inside me to prompt me to desire goodness and to complete my work of faith. I am glad GOD cares enough for me to call me to do HIS work.

 

Challenge

• What are the writers praying about?
• Have you ever felt your life is unfulfilled?
• Will you ask GOD to guide your desires to HIS goodness so HE will give you a work of faith to do, so your life will be abundant and fulfilled today?

 

Prayer

Dear LORD, please bless this reader with a calling that is worthy to YOU. Bless him or her to be fulfilled by desiring YOUR goodness. Clear the path to help us complete our work of faith. amen

Living in the Light

Living in the Light

Ephesians 5: ⁶ Do not let anyone deceive you with foolish words; it is because of these very things that God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him. ⁷ So have nothing at all to do with such people. ⁸ You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light, ⁹ for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

 

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Sneaking out the house under the cover of darkness, I was able to do what I wanted to do “without being detected.” In fact, many things I did that I did not want people to know, seemed to occur at night or in hidden moments.

 

• I was ashamed so I hid what I did.
• I was taught what was right and wanted to do wrong and hide it until I could figure out words to justify my actions.
• I did not want people to know the hidden side of me so I omitted the truth or ran with people who accepted what I was doing.

 

“Act like you belong to GOD” was the warning of Paul. He guided everyone to examine their old ways and to turn away from things that were not pleasing to GOD. This would come at a price. Some relationships would need to be severed and a new way of thinking needed to be pursued.

 

My Observations

• GOD wants to protect people from my dark ways.
• GOD wants me to turn from ways that are not pleasing to HIM so I can live for HIM without worry.
• GOD wants me to depend on HIS power to forgive and provide in the light.

 

Living in the light does not mean darkness goes away from my actions. I mean, I was born a sinner and this nature will remain until I am with CHRIST forever. But until then I have a choice that seems to fight each other.

 

People can easily fool me into believing something that is not pleasing to HIM or I can fool myself into falling away from GOD. BUT HE guides me back to HIM and gives me a better way to live. HE wants me to be brave enough expose my hidden sin so it will no longer have a hold on me. HIS light brings a rich harvest. I am glad HE brings goodness, righteousness and truth.

 

Challenge

• What is the writers warning to you?
• What does living in the light look like in your life?
• Will you examine yourself and see if there are ways that need to be brought to light so GOD can provide a rich harvest through you and in you today?

Good Fruit

Good Fruit

Galatians 5: ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

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Continuing on my thought of going to college, bearing the fruit of human nature and getting kicked out, I felt lost, let down and angry. I started thinking of excuses like “Nice guys finish last” and “They are simply trying to control people into being slaves.” I began searching for racial freedom and other forms of freedom, but I remained thirsty. Tired of “my” efforts I asked “What do YOU want from me?”

 

• I was losing hope but ready to hear GOD.
• I was always angry or frustrated but was now ready to surrender to GOD.
• I felt like people were letting “me” down but realized “I” could be part of the solution with GOD.

 

“But the fruit of the SPIRIT” are words that provide hope to everyone Paul wrote to. It takes pressure off of trying to be perfect by performing the Law correctly. One singular fruit is produced by nine wonderful actions.

 

My Observations

• Good fruit gives me rest assurance that GOD loves me dearly.
• The HOLY SPIRIT is responsible for guiding me to bear good fruit.
• I can rest well when I put aside my human nature and follow what the HOLY SPIRIT says.

 

Keeping “in step with the SPIRIT” is hard but doable. I mean, when I want things to go “my” way I usually want to speed the process up. When it does not happen as quickly as I would like, I lose patience and bear bad fruit.

 

BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT steps in and says, “Use patience” when I want to go fast or “Use joy” when I want to be happy but things are going wrong. All nine actions bear a single fruit which draws people back to GOD. I am grateful GOD gave me an alternative to “my” actions.

 

Challenge

• What part of the fruit could you use today?
• Do you have a problem with this list if people showed these actions towards you?
• Will you slow down and show these actions towards others without thinking you will get something in return?