NEED SOME GUIDANCE FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING?
BIBLE PASSAGE(s):
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
(Philippians 2:3)
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love
and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are
in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all
the more as you see the Day approaching. If we deliberately keep
on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no
sacrifice for sins is left
(Hebrews 10:24-26)
Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind.
(Matthew 22:37)
“If you love Me, keep My commands.
(John 14:15)
MEDITATION:
The scriptures give us some very basic and simple instructions
for Christian living.
Be humble and consider others better than ourselves:
This keeps us from becoming ‘discouragers’, gossips, egotists,
backbiters, and prideful (the scriptures say that God HATES
pride – whatever He hates, should not be a part of our life).
Spur one another:
We should be encouragers to each other; make efforts to do and
say the things that will encourage others to show love and do good
deeds.
Meet together:
This brings us all together for a common purpose and encourages
us to keep on keeping on. Together, we lift each other up; together,
we hear from God through the one He has selected to share His
Word with us; together, we worship and praise the Lord; together,
we are stronger!
Stop sinning:
We may fall short at times, however when we continually sin, the
sincerity of our faith (and salvation) comes into question. How can
we combat habitual sins? We starve the “flesh” and feed the “Spirit”
(a very simple, but profound challenge).
Love God with all we have:
When we do this, our total being becomes so filled with “good things”
that there is little room left for “worldly things”. We have an inner
desire to spend time with God and to obey His commands, including
the ones that are challenging and the ones we don’t like because they
interfere with our desires for unrighteous things (the things that we
want to do, even though we know they are not pleasing to God; the things
that we justify in our minds to be permissible, but God doesn’t approve of
them).
God gives us these simple, easy to understand messages for one primary
reason – He loves us and wants what is best for us. The world can’t even
come close to showing this kind of love and concern for us.
“Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!”
ACTION:
Questions to consider:
– How am I doing in each of the five areas outlined in the scriptures?
– Am I practicing humility?
Note:
Humbleness is not a sign of weakness, but it describes someone
with a gentle strength. Am I more focused on myself than I am
on the needs of others?
– Do I make special efforts to encourage others?
How often do I try to lift the spirits of others? When is the last
time I encouraged a pastor, missionary, teacher or anyone else
who is actively serving the Lord in some capacity?
– Do I frequently meet with other believers?
Do I enjoy the time with brothers and sisters who follow Jesus, or
do I endure them until I can get back to the things I want to do?
When I meet with other believers, is it a time I spend worshipping,
or do I expect to be entertained and do I spend time being critical
of others in attendance?
Worship is what we make it. Our responsibility is to listen to God’s
Word and not focus on the delivery of the speaker. Remember we
are visiting God’s house, so He should be our primary focus.
– Am I continuing with sin, or do I try to avoid what has its grip on me?
Are there any things I’m doing that I would not do if Jesus was
sitting in the room looking at me (drinking, cursing, gossiping.
watching pornographic movies or images, etc.). Our adversary
is much more powerful than we are and he has been busy with
his evilness for much longer than we have been alive. That means
we need God’s help to overcome Satan’s temptations and to break
free from the sins that are trying to control us.
– Do I love God with all my being and all I have?
God asks for a return of 10% of the blessings He has given us;
am I obeying His command? If I am, do I obey Him cheerfully?
Do I appreciate the 90% I have been given?
– If I were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough
witnesses to testify that my actions and attitudes prove I love
God?
Jesus says we prove our love for Him by “keeping His commands”.
We can see signs of an imminent return of Jesus and the Final Judgement
as evil continues to accelerate. The signs are showing up in the weather. It
wasn’t many years ago that most people had never heard of tsunamis. We
see devastating floods and fires increasing, and stronger earthquakes are
occurring more frequently.
Wars are on the rise which are affecting the distribution of critical oil and
gas used for power. The level of wartime attacks has increased in intensity
and the brutality of innocent people has become more heinous (senseless
beheadings, tortures, and rapes of those who aren’t involved in combat…it
is a heightened form of evilness).
Because of the increase of wickedness,
the love of most will grow cold
(Matthew 24:12)
Efforts to reduce law and order are causing an increase in crime.
Government corruption has escalated and the lack of honest
reporting by the media makes it difficult to determine what
is truth and what is fiction.
We could list many more instances of signs that Jesus could be returning
soon, but it’s important for followers of Jesus to realize the source of the
evil that is increasing in our world. It is Satan who is influencing the minds
of more people because he knows his time is short.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone
down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that
his time is short.”
(Revelation 12:12)
As followers of Jesus, we must take seriously our responsibility of obeying
God’s commands and becoming witnesses to the lost by what we do and say.
We should be using the spiritual gifts God gave us with salvation to contribute
to His efforts of reaching lost souls. God doesn’t want anyone to perish and
neither should we.
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some
understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you,
not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come
to repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9)
We need to transition from being religious to becoming righteous. If we
are in self-denial about our sins and the kind of relationship we have with
the Lord, we could be included in the group of people who hear Jesus say,
“I never knew you”.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of
My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that
day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and
in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform
many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew
you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’
(Matthew 7:21-23)
The scriptures are clear, only God knows when Jesus will return,
but we are told there will be signs indicating His return is nearing.
As believers, we need to ask ourselves,
“Am I obeying the Lord’s commands and participating in His
efforts to reach lost souls? What changes do I need to make in
my own life to exchange unrighteousness for righteousness?”
For those who have been following the devotionals the Lord has given
me to share with others around the world, you’ve probably noticed how
God has recently been providing more devotionals about our relationship
with Him and the impact our lives can have on others.
I am convinced (and grateful) that He is the true Author of the devotionals,
and that they are relevant to the sinful condition of the world. I believe His
devotionals provide us with what we need to know to live as Christians who
have chosen to follow His Son, Jesus, and obey His commands.
The first year (2013) He tasked me with sharing His devotionals, there were
a few hundred who viewed them. For this year (2026), the views are tracking
toward 1.3 million in all 50 states and 120 foreign countries. In my opinion,
that confirms God is actively changing lives with what He gives me to share.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know the struggles we face every day
and You know how helpless we are without your presence.
Help us to grow ever closer to you and give us the strength
and encouragement we need for “starving the flesh” and
“feeding the Spirit”.
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Discussion
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