"Suffering Together"

There are different depths of love. I believe one of the deepest levels is experienced through "suffering together". This is when we share a pain or hurt, hardship or loss, together. We are there for each other. If we can do something, we do it. We help. If we can't, we're just there, there letting the other person know we care and we are for them. We want them to know they are not alone in whatever they're facing or going through. We want them to know that we love them and are not abandoning them when they need us the most.

In Acts 9:16, Jesus shares that Paul will have to "suffer" a great deal for Him and His cause. Thats not an invitation I really want to hear. Imagine that...Jesus comes to you and says, "Hey, I'm so glad you've decided to follow me. Now, I have some great things to show you." What are they? "I want to show you the great things you must suffer for my sake." Ouch! Not what I would be expecting. But, you know what, years later this is what Paul says to a church. "I want to know Him, in the power of His resurrection, and the "fellowship of His sufferings"(Philippians 3:10). Did you catch that last part? Paul said He wanted to know Christ in the "fellowship of His sufferings". Wow!!! Paul had learned that there is another level of love, a depth of fellowship, this powerful closeness that comes through sharing pain and difficulty together with someone.

I CONCLUDE WITH TWO BIG QUESTIONS:

1) Are You Willing To Share In Suffering With Christ?

Here's the deal - it's not really a question of are we gonna experience difficulty or test or pain, the question is - when it comes, how are we gonna handle it? Are you willing to suffer together with Christ, if that is what's required? "If God wants you to suffer, it is better to suffer for doing what is right than for doing what is wrong." (1 Peter 3:17 NLV)

2) Are You Willing To Share In Suffering With Others?

Now, here's the other question. Are you willing to share the hurts and pains of those in the family of God? “Share each other's troubles and problems. In this way you obey the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2 NLT) Let's do it. Let's continue growing in our love for others and experience a new level of love like never before through the "fellowship of suffering" together.

Live Well

2 Timothy 2:1 "Timothy, my son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus."

Grace has been defined as God giving everything for nothing to those who don't deserve anything. I like that! Somehow, many times grace is viewed as that which connects us to salvation and then we disconnect from grace in our daily lives. But, grace is also the new desires and ability to please God. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God that works in you the desire and ability to do what pleases God." Thats Grace! Grace doesn't just unite us with God, but it also changes us to become like God! It is the very life and nature of God living in us.

Think of this - does God have to force Himself to desire and do good things? No. Its His very nature! Does a sinner have to force himself to commit sin? No. Its his very nature to. So with us, our relationship with Christ gives us a new nature to love and live in a way that pleases God. Watch this - 2 Peter 1:4 declares "we have been made partakers of Gods very own nature". Just begin to let your faith grow in what the Word of God declares is true about you. By grace thru faith, what God has declared in His Word will be your experience in reality!

Because I have been serving God since I was 6 years old, people have asked me from time to time how I managed to make it thru my teen and early adult life without falling back. My answer is always the same. The same grace that saves us is the same grace that keeps us.

Titus 2:12-15 in summary says, Gods grace that brings salvation to us also teaches us how to let that salvation be lived out through us. It enables us to say no to wrong things and yes to right things. Salvation is a work of God from beginning to end. It doesn't start with God, and then we finish it. No! Philippines 1:6 says, "I am certain that God, who begin the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Jesus Christ returns." What God starts, He finishes. He is the "author and finisher of our faith". He is the "alpha and omega, beginning and the end". Trust Him all the way, not just in the beginning.

Remember 3 things:

1) Our faith active in God keeps His grace active in us.

All tests, temptations, trials, adversities that you face are an attempt to pull you away from faith in God. This is why Paul urges us to "fight the good fight of faith" in 2 Timothy 6:12.

2) Gods grace empower us with holy desires and supernatural strength.

Romans 4:16 says, "Therefore, it is of faith that it might be by grace". You see, our faith in God allows His grace in us. And His grace in us is what enables us to live like Him. Thats why Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

3) Grow IN Gods grace, not AWAY from it.

Peter ends his last letter with this, "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). See how this verse shows growing in the grace of God is synonymous with growing in a relationship with God. Take note, we don't grow AWAY from grace - we grow IN grace.

Be encouraged, the sure Word God spoke to Paul is good to us as well, "My grace is all you need" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Live well

Forever...with Him

Why am I alive? Does my life matter? Does my life have purpose?

Have you ever asked these questions or questions like them? I have. Others have too. These questions have been asked for thousands of years prior to you and me asking them. Here is the answer. The truth - you and I are important and we do matter.

Here's why? God did not have to create you, He chose to. In essence, God said something like this about each of us, "I strongly desire to create _(your name)_, because it is my will for him/her to experience my love and know me personally." Now, if you and I were just a little important, God could have created us to just live for a short period of time. God could have created us in such a way so that when this life on earth was over that was it for us. But He went so far as to "plant eternity in our hearts". He created us to live forever. Think about it. God doesn't just want to spend 80 or 90 years with us; He wants to spend the rest of forever with us! God wants us to live forever...forever with Him!

Yes - you and I, and all of us - every single person is very important. We really matter. We are alive because there is a God who loves us and desperately wants us to know Him! Do you know Him? Are you experiencing His incredible love? Just know, He desires for you to. Trust Him.

Listen - grace is....God accepts us because of Christ. Faith is....us accepting that God accepts us because of Christ. And yes, we have a purpose for being alive. I like to say it like this, Gods purpose is not just to save us, but He also saves us for a purpose. Your purpose in this life is to prepare for the next life. Think of it....forever with Him!

Live well.

"CHARACTERISTICS OF A WARRIOR"

Have a pure heart! Have mercy! Be a peacemaker! Expect persecution! Hunger and thirst for righteousness! Wow - this is warrior talk in case your wondering. Christ is detailing the characteristics of someone filled with the Holy Spirit and engaged in warfare. Let's look at them briefly to get a feel. This is good stuff!

Characteristics of a WARRIOR:

1. SENSES real needs - Matt. 5:3

The real Warrior senses their deepest needs and has them met by the one person who can - God! This is that perfectly balanced Warrior who recognizes "without Christ I can do nothing" BUT "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". Theirs is the kingdom of God!

2. SHARES emotionally - Matt. 5:4

Warriors share emotions that channel change in themselves and ignite change in others! Don't be mistaken - this is not shallow emotionalism. This is the real deal - the genuine response to God intervention on mans helpless state. Real Warriors are open with their emotions and this is something that confounds the wise and strong of this world. This is good warfare!

3. SHOWS inner strength - Matt. 5:5

To conquer poisonous passions and tame wild thoughts is the Warriors "inner strength". Not only this, as wonderful as it is - it goes further and gets better. Their inner strength guides them in clear thinking and visionary movements to help create a future of good. He inherits the earth! Their mighty influence on others is anointed by the mighty influence the Holy Spirit continually has on them.

4. SEEKS God's righteousness - Matt. 5:6

They are bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1)! Those who stand in the righteousness of Christ always are. They don't trust their own goodness or morality. They are good and moral, but that is not the source of their confidence - but the result of being filled Gods righteousness - who is the ultimate, undefeated, unending WARRIOR! They LIVE righteously because they ARE righteous! Don't be mistaken however, its not their own righteousness, but its the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ that they wear! They live with the conscience reality of being accepted and pleasing to God through their child-like faith in Christ! This is strong Warrior language! Those Warriors on the front line always wear well the breastplate of Christ-righteousness! They defeat the enemy every time - when he points to their imperfections and deep flaws - they point him to the blood of Jesus Christ and His finished work alone! The tactics of the enemy test their faith and strengthen it at the same time! What their enemy mean for evil against them God uses it for their good!

5. SOOTHES others wounds - Matt. 5:7

Warriors are not afraid of being tainted by the wrongs and weaknesses of others around them. They restore those overtaken in sin with Christ. They forgive those who have wronged them. They have special abilities to bring healing in seemingly impossible situations. There goal is reconciliation and restoration. They understand the process of healing. The understand that "hurting people hurt people" and freely pardon when attacked. They also understand that "merciful people heal people". Mercy is not giving people what they deserve when it would wound them or condemn them. Warriors give others in their time of need what God gave them in their time of need! Warriors give guilty people what they need most by not giving them what they deserve most - mercy! Mercy soothes wounds - and myriads of people are carrying wounds everyday all around us and need what they don't deserve - MERCY! Fight the good fight - Warriors show mercy!

Live well.

"Mighty In God"

I can remember a time in my life when I struggled greatly with thoughts about whether or not I was saved. I can still recall the confusion and feelings of anguish of simply not knowing and believing my forgiveness hinged on every detail of my life - there was such condemnation and guilt.

Do you struggle from time to time with feelings of unworthiness? Do you ever doubt whether your life is really pleasing to God and feel that it's not? For example, what about your prayer life - do you ever feel guilty or condemned about not praying enough? The truth is, if you're like me, you too struggle from time to time in some area of your life with feelings of unworthiness or doubt in relation to God and His acceptance of you.

Gods Word has a lot to say about this subject. As a matter of fact, other than the message of salvation itself, this particular topic is the subject of conversation as much or more than any other. Paul and other writers call it "the Law". Paul says that living under the Law is when we try to measure our acceptance with God by what we do or don't do. It's me doing certain things and enough of them which draws me closer to God and then measuring myself by how well and how much I did or did not do those things.

In fact, the whole letter to the church at Galatia is centered around this theme and it is heavily sprinkled in all the other letters as well. In summarizing Paul's words to the Galatian church, he is teaching them that when you live your life that it will cause you to live under the dominion of sin but when you live under grace you will experience the power and freedom of the Holy Spirit.

Recognize a couple of things...

1. The Law is when you think and live like what you do and how much good you do determines whether or not God accepts you and blesses you.

2. The Word of God teaches that "the Law" is the strength of sin. In other words, as long as you live your life that way, you will consistently experience the defeat of sin dominating you.

3. Grace is Gods answer to the power of sin in our lives. Paul writes in Romans 6, "Sin shall not have power over you, for you are not under the law but under grace."

We will pick up here next time. You are probably wondering how you begin to live under grace and not under the law so you can experience the freedom and power of the Holy Spirit in your life. We will get there soon.

He Cares

1 Peter 5:7 "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

"HE CARES"

Do you know that? Have you forgotten? Let this serve as a gentle reminder - "He cares"..."He cares" for YOU.

Right now - in the midst of your circumstance(s) - "He cares"!

Listen, the secret to "casting" your cares upon Him is in you "coming" to Him! Many times, our focus is wrong when we are burdened or worried with the things of life. All we want to know is how to cast our cares on Him. But, He wants us to know how much He cares for us. The secret in knowing how to cast our cares on him is by realizing how much He loves and cares for us! Let this image sink deep inside your heart - the Father God, "caring" for you in this very moment, in the midst of whatever you're facing - "He cares"!

Several years ago, I was overwhelmed with many different struggles - working two jobs, going to school, feeling all alone, dealing with a bad relationship, living at that time away from friends and family. As I began to pray for God's direction and help, this verse, "He cares", came to my mind. While I asked God to help me understand how to cast my cares upon Him, I was reminded what I really needed was to know how much He cared for me! At that moment, the very presence of God covered me completely with love, peace, and joy.

Let me offer 3 suggestions for experiencing the reality of this truth for yourself:

1. BE SURE - Ask God to help you realize how much He cares for you.

a. Don't rest content until this thought impacts your daily life. He cares about the details of your life.

b. Look for other verses to reinforce this truth to you.

2. BE SURRENDERED - Make sure your whole life is surrendered under God's control.

a. If there are areas that are not under His Lordship, ask for forgiveness and help to change.

b. Yield those areas to Him immediately and daily!

3. BE STEADY - In other words, stay steadfast in the things you know are of God.

a. Don't be moved by circumstances. Many times we can't control what happens to us, but we can always control by Gods grace how we respond to what happens to us.

Live well.