Tag: knowing God

Thanks for Grace!

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November 8, 2022

1 Corinthians 1:4-5 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,  that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—

I love this verse as it gives us a glimpse into the heart of the Apostle Paul and his love for believers. He was sharing with them his thanks that they were recipients of God’s Grace. Why did this truth cause Paul to be so thankful? God is filled with grace and showers His grace on His created beings. Theologically, grace is defined as God showing His unmerited favor towards us. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor or grace. We are definitely inferior beings in relation to God, as He is the Creator and we are created beings. His grace is filled with mercy, kindness and compassion. God directs His grace to every believer. God has it to give and gives it freely to every believer. We cannot make or demand grace be given to us. God alone is the deliverer of His grace. We can however cultivate grace within our lives and show it towards others.

When we become a believer in Christ, the Holy Spirt comes to dwell within us. Graciousness comes from God and as we live and walk with Him. He gives us grace to give to others through our words and actions. Colossians 4:6 describes this: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Paul and Peter often started their letters, like here in Colossians, with references to grace. 1 Peter 1:2b “May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” God wants us to live graciously speaking and acting with His spirit of love and acceptance and showing favor towards all with impartiality just as God has done for all of us.

Paul was thankful for the actions and words of grace that he was hearing about the Corinthian Christians. How would someone characterize you? Do you show grace towards others? Are your words gracious? As impossible as this sounds for us to live graciously, God impowers us through His Holy Spirit to live lives filled with grace. I’ve found that the more I learn about God’s grace and see it working in my life the more thankful I become and the more gracious in my living. May it be the same with you.

A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I can have godly character. Through the power of God’s Holy Spirit within me, I can be the new creation of 1 Corinthians 5:7 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Knowing Christ as savior brings Him into my life and I am indwelt by His Spirit. The Spirit’s work with me brings about a transformation of spirit and the fruits of the Spirit become evident in my life. Galatians 5:23-24 “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.” Praise God for His transforming power and grace in changing me into the man/woman He knows I can be in Him.

Linda

The How to of Putting on the New Life in Christ

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Colossians 3:1-10 gives us why we are to ‘put on a new self in Christ’. Paul begins in verses 3:1 with the reason for our new self.  “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”  Our faith in Christ aligns us with Him and causes us to want to seek the things of God. 3:2-4 Tells us more about our new allegiance to Christ and how our thinking needs to be aligned and set on heavenly things. 2 “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Having our minds set on Christ causes us to be hidden within Him, protected by His righteousness and salvation. Paul also mentions our future is set with Christ in heaven.

With those reasons in our hearts and minds, Paul leads us to the list of unsavory actions that unbelievers or those not committed to Christ indulge in: Verses 5-7 5 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  Paul reminded the Colossian believers that this was what their ‘unsaved’ life looked like but No More! They are now in Christ and must put these things away and focus on their new life in Christ.

Paul tells the Colossians, and us too, that the time for action is right now, today! 8 “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.“

Putting off, turning away from and turning to Christ brings a new life in Him. With that new life comes renewal and knowledge of God. It is a blessed life that is renewed and lived hidden in Christ, protected by His love and righteousness. Today’s truth is: Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can have a new life that is renewed in Christ and leads to greater knowledge of God. Do you desire this new life? Christ has it. Turn to Him with a penitent heart and accept His gift of faith. He will lead you all the way!

Linda

Wisdom, foolishness- which is it for you?

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Our Stream of Water this week is from 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. This is a powerful portion of scripture as it answers the questions so many unbelievers ask, “How can you believe in God? How can you believe all that ‘stuff’?” Verses 18-19 tell us the cause of this problem, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,  and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” The unbeliever sees the truths of God, the cross and the resurrection as foolishness. No one or nothing can change this until they encounter God himself and turn to Him. God will continue to thwart their foolish plans and continue to woo sinners unto himself. God desires that all come to know Him and that none should perish! (2 Peter 3:9) Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers to keep on preaching and giving out the truth of the gospel. Because when the unbeliever opens themselves to God, they can experience His love and power in their lives. As believers we know the truth of verse 25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” By far, God is stronger and wiser than any thing, circumstance or person we will ever encounter and wiser than all He has created.

Knowing God is wise, why would He give the message of hope and salvation to us to give out? Why us? How did we become plan A for making Him known to the world? Verses 27-28 give us part of His reasoning “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ” God did not want anyone to boast about ‘saving the world’. He chose to use the weak, us as frail flawed humans, so that when we accomplish things for Him we will know for sure that God is the one who enables, provides and directs. God wraps up this discussion through Paul in verse 30-31, “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Only Jesus, the perfect sinless Son of God could save us. Through Him we receive His righteousness, sanctification and redemption for ourselves and all those we pass on the message of the gospel. We cannot brag about doing the Lord’s work, winning people to Christ or saving anyone. It is all Christ working through us.

May the truth of God’s Word cause you to continue giving out the gospel confident in God’s ability to save any who will turn to Him.

Linda

Entire passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 “

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,  not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

What #hashtags of joy do you have today?

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How do you view your life’s accomplishments?  The Apostle Paul was an elite, famous, learned man in his day and yet he said all the accomplishments in the world amounted to ‘garbage’ when compared to what he had in Christ.  In Philippians 3:7-11, Paul explains his point of view and wants us to view life through the lens of Christ.

” I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.  For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

Paul’s listed benefits:  

  • Knowing Christ as his Lord and Savior (8)
  • Being one with Him (9)
  • Being righteous through faith in Christ and not by his own efforts (9)
  • Being ready to suffer with Christ (10)
  • Being assured in resurrection with Christ (11)

Just like Paul, every Christian can claim these same promises and rejoice in Christ each day.  I revel  with JOY in the knowledge that I can get to know Christ through His Word and the teaching of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  I can depend upon Christ’s righteousness imputed to me by faith.  I can experience His resurrection power in my life and be assured I will be with Him one day in heaven.   #joy #joyfilledlife #joyinJesus #JesusbringsJoy

Pray these will be your hashtags today!

Linda

Promised Growth- are you seeing it? If not why not?

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When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the plan of salvation and provided a way for us to be reconciled to the Father.  After His return to heaven, He promised a helper would come to empower us to take His message of salvation, forgiveness and love to all the ephesians 4 11world.  In Ephesians 4:11-13 Paul explains some of the resources the Holy Spirit gives to believers (His church) so that we might live fully equipped lives for Christ.  “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”   Not all believers are called to be pastors or teachers but all of us are called to be recipients of good godly teaching so that we may be equipped to do God’s work.   Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can trust God’s Word to grow and mature us so we can be fully and completely equipped to live for Him.

Where are you getting your good godly teaching? Is that teaching based on the Word of God or is it more a social, feel good type of message?  2 Timothy 3:16-17 promises 2 Timothy 3-17God’s Word is complete and sufficient for our training in right living.  “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 

Ask God to guide you to a place of worship that stands on the Word of God and gives it out regularly.  You will be blessed.  

Linda

P.S  Due to the Corona Virus, this Sunday, March 22, 2020, my place of worship will be live streaming  the service. Tune in to YouTube:   wearecrossroads  at 10:15, the service begins at 10:30 AM PST     If you miss it live, that’s okay- it is still there for your viewing or reviewing thanks to YouTube.

Let’s be Practical about Faith- #1 to Practice Devotion to God!

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How can I be or show more devotion and love for God?   I came across a list of 9 practical ways for God’s people to experience love and commitment to God.  I want to pursue each way with you as I know I need my faith to be real and practical.  God desires that I know and seek Him each day.

Our first practical step in showing devotion and love for God is to recount His attributes.  There are many examples for us to follow in scripture of praise given to God for who He is.   1 Samuel 2:1-10 is a prayer of praise given by Hannah  because of her love and devotion to God who gave her the desire of  her heart, a son named Samuel.  Here is 1samuel2 1verse 1-2 ““My heart rejoices in the Lord!
    The Lord has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
    I rejoice because you rescued me.
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
    There is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.   Hannah praises God in her heart and knows He alone is holy, steady and all powerful. 

David praises the Lord in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 as God has provided all the materials they will need to build the temple.  See here in verses 11-12 how David praises God for his greatness, power, glory and majesty.  He realizes that God owns, creates and is sovereign ruler of all things.  “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.”

Psalms is another good source for finding praise for who God is and what He alone can do.  Psalm 93 is short but packed with praises for who God is.

The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty.
    Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength.
The world stands firm
    and cannot be shaken.

2 Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.
    You yourself are from the everlasting past.
psalm 93 13 The floods have risen up, O Lord.
    The floods have roared like thunder;
    the floods have lifted their pounding waves.
4 But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
    mightier than the breakers on the shore—
    the Lord above is mightier than these!
5 Your royal laws cannot be changed.
    Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever.   The psalmist sees God as eternal, all powerful, reigning king over all creation, unchanging and majestic beyond measure.

How do you see God?  Can you praise God for His attributes because you have personally experienced them in your life?  Join Hannah, David and the psalmist in praising God for those ways He has impacted your life with His marvelous character.  God has shown me His mercy, comfort, love, grace, hope, compassion, guidance, power, accessibility, and each day the list lengthens as God is unchanging and eternally present in my life.  Thank you Lord.

God-Attributes
Recount His Attributes today!

Have a blessed day as you meditate on the ways God has personally ministered to you because of who He is not because of who you are.  Praise Him today!

Linda

No God, No Thanks = useless thinking

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What are the effects of not acknowledging God and being thankful?  As I pondered that thought I was led to Romans 1:19-22.  “For what can be known about God is plain Romans-1-20to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”  Paul is explaining that all people know about God because they see His power in nature, and the creation that is all around them.  He says they have no excuse for not knowing there is a God.  Creation is too magnificent to have happened by chance and the power of the wind, rain, sun and seasons are so orderly and precise they could not have been by happen-chance.  Paul continues, “21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”    Paul is saying that when people continue to not acknowledge God they become futile, ineffective, useless in their thinking and their hearts turn away from God with dark and foolish thoughts of pride, contempt, greed, and gain. The center of their life’s focus is on them and what they can get or achieve.  

Francis schafferPaul was talking about people who did not believe in God, who refused to believe He exists and how it effects their thinking and future.  However, part of this lesson could be applied to the one who takes credit for all the good things in their life, their success at work, having a great family or home, having money in the bank and being able to take great vacations.  All of those things come to us from God.  He is the source of all wealth and honor and the glory, praise belongs to Him.  I need to call myself up short if I begin to go down that road with that kind of futile thinking as it leads to dishonoring God.

Today as you consider all you have- thank God for those things, for the ability to do the things you do, for your health and family, your job, your home and most especially your faith in Jesus…. Philippians 4:19 is one philip 4 19of my favorite promises and reminds me who the provider of all is. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Linda

Saved by Jesus! Amazing and True!

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Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have a Savior.  A savior is by definition is one who saves.  Jesus saved me from sin.  Romans 6:23  “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   Jesus saved me so I could know God personally.  Psalm 91:14-16 describes this relationship with God and what God will do because I love and trust in Jesus. “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver Trust mehim;  I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

One of my favorite passages that explains how and why Jesus is my Savior is Titus 3:4-7.  Titus was a young convert of Paul and did missionary work with him after his imprisonment in Rome.  They went to Crete together to spread the word about Jesus.  In his letter to Titus, Paul explains the truth about Jesus, His gracious mercy in coming, His cleansing and renewing of our lives with His Holy Spirit and His marvelous grace.

Titus 3 5But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Luke 1 47Truly, there is no Savior other than our Lord Jesus. Let us join Mary today in saying, “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” Luke 1:47

Linda

Suggestion: We know Jesus saved us from sin but what did He save you to?  Think of at least 5 things that you can do now because you are saved by Jesus and have a relationship with God.  (Hint- I can pray and know He will answer, I can ….)  When you finish your list- offer it up to God with Praise and Thanksgiving in Jesus’ Name.

Are you tapping into God’s wisdom? If not, why not?

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Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, I have access to God’s wisdom.  In James 1:5 we learn that though Christ we have the ability to ask God for james 1 5wisdom. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.”   James makes it known that God gives wisdom to help us in our daily decisions and won’t put us down in any way for asking.  James also assures us that God generously wants to give us wisdom for living.  We can trust that all God’s advice is good.  Nahum 1:7 assures us of God’s goodness and Jeremiah  29:11 reminds us that all God’s plans and purposes for us are good. Therefore, we can be assured that good advice always comes from Him.   Nahum 1:7 “The LORD is good a refuge in times of trouble, He cares for those who trust in Him.”  Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  God is good; it is an integral part of His character.  We can trust Him and know that He will not give us bad advice or lead us in the wrong way.  I don’t know about you, but it comforts me to know that God is willing to share His wisdom with me and guide me.

How do I get godly wisdom?  Proverbs 1:7 tells us “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;  fools despise wisdom and instruction.”   Having the right heart attitude that shows reverence for God and His great wisdom is the place to start.  Then look into God’s Word, spend time in prayer fellowshiping with Him allowing God the opportunity to lead you in His way.  If we are diligent and patient, God will reveal His perfect will to us. God tells us “We do not have because we do not ask.  We do not receive because we ask with wrong motives.” James 4:2b-3  Prayer that is honest, sincere and heartfelt is required.  One other thought, the Lord promises to give us wisdom generously.  We won’t get just a little bit of wisdom but enough to do what God has for us to do!

Lindaneed wisdom

Suggestion:  Think of a problem that is coming up this week, a relationship that needs work, or a task that needs to be accomplished.   Pray and seek God’s wisdom in how to specifically proceed.  Then wait and be amazed at the results.

 

 

 

Faith=treasure, truth, peace and knowledge of God

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care-trustAs the psalmist nears the end of his lengthy outpouring of praises and petitions to God in Psalm 119:161-168, he lays bare before God his struggles with persecutors.  He relies upon God’s Word and character to uphold him.  “Powerful people harass me without cause,  but my heart trembles only at your word.   I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.“(161-2)  He knows that God’s Word contains power to overcome and sustain.  He considers it a treasure.  He also discovered that as he called upon God throughout the day he received peace and had strength to face the tough circumstances he encountered. ” I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just.  Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. (164-5)  The psalmist concludes with what he knows about God.  He is the one who saves.  “I long for your rescue, Lord, so I have obeyed your commands.” (166)   God knows him intimately and loves his obedience. “Yes, I obey your commandments and laws  because you know everything I do.” (168)  

Is God’s Word a treasure for you? Do you gain power to overcome by reading and meditating upon it’s truths?  Do you pray throughout the day reminding yourself of the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit?  Do you find peace? Do you obey and trust God because you know His character?  Do you know that He knows you personally?   Can you join the psalmist in obedience to God’s Word because of who He is and what He does?  The psalmist trusted God in all things and called upon Him throughout his day in faith.  Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1 and 6 “Faith shows the reality of faith tells mewhat we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”  “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”   Making God real involves faith in who He is and what He has done for us in Jesus.  Pleasing God involves seeking Him and accepting the gift of faith in Jesus.  He promises sincere seeking will be rewarded by faith.

Walking by faith in God and His Word is the psalmists answer to life’s problems, may it be mine also.

Linda