The Ongoing Battle

     The Bible clearly portrays the apostle Paul as a man who struggled daily with his sinful flesh (Romans 7:18-20). However, God motivated Paul to be a man of action, and his demonstrations of his faith—the works he performed out of love for Jesus—give validity and credibility to his writing. For when he writes about the true marks of a Christian he says,

     

     Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in the Spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Romans. 12:9-12). 

This passage is paralleled with Paul’s letter to the Galatians, saying, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22). The Spirit and the flesh are two opposing forces, and for the Christian—those in the Spirit—it is a constant battle. Paul’s letters reveal his firsthand experience fighting this battle. Yet it also expresses the victorious truth that we have the greatest force on our side, Jesus. He is the one who humbled himself for us, empowers us to act against our flesh, and to keep in step with the Spirit. 

I'm Out of Control!

 On Sunday, the worship leader said something that struck me. He said,

"When I'm in control, I'm out of control."

   
     The truth is, when we allow the Lord to envelop us in his love and guidance, notice his work in our lives, and pray diligently, our lives begin to order themselves. It may not be an easier life, but when faith is placed in Him it's a more joyful one!

Notice God's Magnificence Poured Over the Earth

   We notice God’s truth sprinkled in every nation and area–but it’s not just sprinkled, it’s poured everywhere. The whole earth is drenched with the evidence of our King, and we, as Christians, spend our whole lives striving to notice the magnificence of God. In truth we've only found a drop of water, when there is an entire ocean, a wonderful sea to discover. I encourage you to start a God journal--try to write down one thing you noticed God doing in your day every day for as long as possible. Noticing Him allows us to love Him more. 

Three Essentials for Successful Bible Study

There are really only three things you need to possess in order to study the Bible in a new, deep, and exhilarating way. You need:

1) A Bible
2) A willing heart
3) A journal to record questions, thoughts, prayers and brainstorms.

While diving into a study of a certain book or chapter remember Luke 10:27,

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"

 Unquestionably, loving the Lord involves loving His Word as well. It is not just something we process with our head, but something we love with our heart. Remember this as you begin to study a book of the Bible!

"Inconceivable!"

     Have you ever seen the movie Princess Bride? It is an incredibly cheesy movie, the "bad guy"-- who is very silly-- always says, "INCONCEIVABLE!" when he is astounded by something, which is very often in the movie. Hopefully a picture was formed in your mind, or you imagined the voice in your head. It's a great family movie by the way, but that's a different bunny trail to hop down sometime. 
      In all seriousness, do you know what truly IS inconceivable? Paul reminds us of an undeniable truth, one we need to be often reminded of. Titus 3:5 reads, "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" (NIV). 
     I certainly cannot say more than that verse says there. I just want to add, that nothing fulfills EVERYTHING like the Word. God bless your New Year.