Today we look at the call to be peacemakers for Christ.
As Christians,. we pray for peace in our world. The Bible shows us that peace is far better than war, for we long for the time of Jesus Reconciling all things, when war shall be no more, and when swords shall become plows for the tilling of the field.
But peacemaking is not just the work of diplomats like the Secretary of State. Peacemaking begins right on the street where you live. It is not just about international affairs – it is about personal problems between people you may know, about local domestic strife, racism, injustice and hatred.
As Christians we are followers of the Prince of Peace. We should strive to be peacemakers in our churches and communities, showing kindness and love and compassion to all we meet. Think of How Gods reputation is affected by how we treat others?
Jesus said in John 17: “My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me." Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker and true peace can only come through him. He makes us at peace with God so that we might pass that peace to others in our lives.
God intends for us to be at peace --with God, within ourselves, and with others
Jesus paid the ultimate peace price & He wants us to pay the peace price
Dying to self and own desires Dying to the right to be indignant
Dying to the right of reply learning to say ‘Sorry’ and mean it
Peacemaking is a lifestyle not just for conflicts, but in all of life
Sadly, many do not know there is such a thing as peace and forgiveness
Lies that destroy peace include --look out for number one! Dont get mad, get even! I NEED REVENGE! Then there are the lies of prejudice and intolerance, some fostered by misinterpretation and misapplication of some religious Holy books, even at times the Bible itself.
What if we were to see every situation as allowed by God for a specific purpose for good?
How would your feelings, attitude and behaviour change if you saw this situation as an assignment from a loving, all powerful God for your good?
Acknowledge God in prayer, bringing your situation to Him
Resolve to Obey Gods commands
Resolve to Serve others even in conflict
But first, we must get that log out! Jesus said, "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:5)
At its root, peacemaking stands on Jesus Golden Rule from the Sermon on the Mount. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7:12, NIV)
I firmly believe if we would all begin to live by the Golden Rule in every area of our lives, this world would become a much better place to live. Jesus said “This sums up the Law and the Prophets” – the heart of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Keeping the Golden Rule should be a goal for every Christian each day of their lives. As peacemakers following the Prince of Peace, let us strive to make 2008 the “Year of the Golden Rule.”
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Day Four -- God Blesses You -- Be a Blessing to Others
As Christians we are called to serve Christ in all we do. God blesses you so that you might be a blessing to others. The Holy Spirit gives us a desire to serve others though our local church, to be a blessing for the Lord. The desire to serve is a wonderful sign of spiritual fruit in your life. Your God-given gifts and talents are given the chance to blossom when you serve your church body. The Bible tells us that we are a family, and we need each other. The apostle Peter taught, "Each one should use whatever gifts he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:10). "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).
The Lord put us together where we are to bless one another, and to complement one another. "Various forms," Peter said in the verse above. That means we are not all given the same gifts. Some may be gifted in the arts like writing, music or art. Others excel in organizing, children's ministry, youth work, counseling, teaching, construction, crafts, hospitality….and many spiritual gifts. The Spirit gives us great gifts! We want to encourage you to use your gifts for God.
Now you may be trying to decide just what area of ministry to serve, in determining your place in the body of Christ. Know this – God has a place for you to serve and He will use your unique blend of experiences, talents, traits, and gifts to best accomplish His work. We each have a part to play in God’s great symphony.
The Apostle Paul calls us the '"Body of Christ," and like our human bodies, each part has a specific purpose. You were designed for a specific work and we want to make sure that you serve where your gifts will best be used. One of the main reasons for burnout in ministry is people serving in areas where they are not truly called. Carefully praying and discerning your gifts will maximize the potential for you to experience one of the greatest joys you'll ever know - being used by God in the capacity for which you were designed. God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes.
Just look at the witness of the Bible – He used an old man named Abraham to father many nations; He used a prisoner named Joseph to become Governor of Egypt; He used a shepherd boy named David to defeat the great warrior of his day and to later become king; and he used a carpenter named Joseph to be earthly father to the Son of God, who was born to a peasant woman. There is no doubt that God can multiply our abilities when we give ourselves to Him.
The blood of Christ can make you as new, and the Spirit will make a place for you to serve in the body of Christ. May you become involved where God will be glorified through the gifts and talents He has given you. I encourage you to trust God to place you in the perfect area of ministry for which He has equipped you. When we become part of a church body we are not only on the receiving end of others' gifts, but we get the opportunity to use our gifts to bless others. May God richly bless you as you experience the abundant joy of serving Him with all your heart!
The Lord put us together where we are to bless one another, and to complement one another. "Various forms," Peter said in the verse above. That means we are not all given the same gifts. Some may be gifted in the arts like writing, music or art. Others excel in organizing, children's ministry, youth work, counseling, teaching, construction, crafts, hospitality….and many spiritual gifts. The Spirit gives us great gifts! We want to encourage you to use your gifts for God.
Now you may be trying to decide just what area of ministry to serve, in determining your place in the body of Christ. Know this – God has a place for you to serve and He will use your unique blend of experiences, talents, traits, and gifts to best accomplish His work. We each have a part to play in God’s great symphony.
The Apostle Paul calls us the '"Body of Christ," and like our human bodies, each part has a specific purpose. You were designed for a specific work and we want to make sure that you serve where your gifts will best be used. One of the main reasons for burnout in ministry is people serving in areas where they are not truly called. Carefully praying and discerning your gifts will maximize the potential for you to experience one of the greatest joys you'll ever know - being used by God in the capacity for which you were designed. God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes.
Just look at the witness of the Bible – He used an old man named Abraham to father many nations; He used a prisoner named Joseph to become Governor of Egypt; He used a shepherd boy named David to defeat the great warrior of his day and to later become king; and he used a carpenter named Joseph to be earthly father to the Son of God, who was born to a peasant woman. There is no doubt that God can multiply our abilities when we give ourselves to Him.
The blood of Christ can make you as new, and the Spirit will make a place for you to serve in the body of Christ. May you become involved where God will be glorified through the gifts and talents He has given you. I encourage you to trust God to place you in the perfect area of ministry for which He has equipped you. When we become part of a church body we are not only on the receiving end of others' gifts, but we get the opportunity to use our gifts to bless others. May God richly bless you as you experience the abundant joy of serving Him with all your heart!
Day Three -- Growing with Christ
Christians value personal growth because growing – increasing, gaining, developing – is something God has programmed into us as human beings. And we know from what God teaches us in His nature that growth takes care and nurture. Witness the growth of a plant in the garden or of a kitten becoming a cat, or a baby human child becoming a toddler.
Luke's concluding comments about Jesus' Childhood in Luke 2 are insightful about our own growth. (2:52) “And Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in grace with God and man.”2. Jesus grew in four ways Wing his youth according to verse 52:
a. Intellectually - "in wisdom"
b. Physically- "in stature"
c. Spiritually - "in favor with God"
d. Socially - "in favor with man"
There are four major areas of human growth and life -- they are all touched upon in Luke 2:52. Jesus grew in a balanced way, a four-fold way. As we begin the New Year it is a good time to give ourselves a check-up in these four areas.
How are we growing in wisdom? Are we studying God's Word? That is where the ultimate wisdom is found. Earthly wisdom, such as how to operate in a trade or a job, can be helpful. But ultimate wisdom is found in God's Word, and we acquire much of it through reading, study and meditation with the minds that God so wonderfully gave us. What are you doing to increase your wisdom this month?
Physical exercise is of some worth to us, because we get around in these physical bodies and we need to take care of them so we can do the Lord's work in this world. What can you do to help yourself physically? Do you need to exercise a bit more. Do you need to make better choices in your eating? The old rule I learned in computer class goes for our bodies, too. Garbage in, Garbage out. Junk food makes our bodies junky. This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. But it is a true one. What are you doing to increase or maintain your health this month?
Our social life is very important because God made us to be with other people. This has been true since Genesis and Adam and Eve. We are connectional people. One important lesson we learn is to choose our friends carefully. Who you hang out with can hang you if you make bad choices of friends. That is why it important for Christians to socialize with other Christians, to help each other and lift each other up. That is why church is so important. How is you social life? If you are married, can you show your spouse more love? How about your friends? Do you lift them up, or do they bring you down?
Finally, there is the foundational area that affects all areas in a wonderful way -- the Spiritual part of life, the part that connects us with God. Have you asked the Holy Spirit to fill you and to be your guide? Do you nourish yourself with daily prayer and Bible Reading and going to church every week? What can you do to foster your own spiritual growth and to help others to grow in the Lord this month?
We all need to grow, to be like the Sea of Galilee, with life for ourselves and to be life-giving to those who come near us. We must not be Dead Sea people, stagnant and lifeless, and not helping to sustain and affirm those who come near. Grow with God in 2008!
Luke's concluding comments about Jesus' Childhood in Luke 2 are insightful about our own growth. (2:52) “And Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in grace with God and man.”2. Jesus grew in four ways Wing his youth according to verse 52:
a. Intellectually - "in wisdom"
b. Physically- "in stature"
c. Spiritually - "in favor with God"
d. Socially - "in favor with man"
There are four major areas of human growth and life -- they are all touched upon in Luke 2:52. Jesus grew in a balanced way, a four-fold way. As we begin the New Year it is a good time to give ourselves a check-up in these four areas.
How are we growing in wisdom? Are we studying God's Word? That is where the ultimate wisdom is found. Earthly wisdom, such as how to operate in a trade or a job, can be helpful. But ultimate wisdom is found in God's Word, and we acquire much of it through reading, study and meditation with the minds that God so wonderfully gave us. What are you doing to increase your wisdom this month?
Physical exercise is of some worth to us, because we get around in these physical bodies and we need to take care of them so we can do the Lord's work in this world. What can you do to help yourself physically? Do you need to exercise a bit more. Do you need to make better choices in your eating? The old rule I learned in computer class goes for our bodies, too. Garbage in, Garbage out. Junk food makes our bodies junky. This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. But it is a true one. What are you doing to increase or maintain your health this month?
Our social life is very important because God made us to be with other people. This has been true since Genesis and Adam and Eve. We are connectional people. One important lesson we learn is to choose our friends carefully. Who you hang out with can hang you if you make bad choices of friends. That is why it important for Christians to socialize with other Christians, to help each other and lift each other up. That is why church is so important. How is you social life? If you are married, can you show your spouse more love? How about your friends? Do you lift them up, or do they bring you down?
Finally, there is the foundational area that affects all areas in a wonderful way -- the Spiritual part of life, the part that connects us with God. Have you asked the Holy Spirit to fill you and to be your guide? Do you nourish yourself with daily prayer and Bible Reading and going to church every week? What can you do to foster your own spiritual growth and to help others to grow in the Lord this month?
We all need to grow, to be like the Sea of Galilee, with life for ourselves and to be life-giving to those who come near us. We must not be Dead Sea people, stagnant and lifeless, and not helping to sustain and affirm those who come near. Grow with God in 2008!
Day Two -- Caring for Those in Need
Today we look at the values of Charity and Working to Help Others
How we live out our Christian faith is important. A pillar in our faith is the belief of charity towards others; taking a part of your own surplus and sharing it with others, especially the needy, but as an expression of your faith for God alone to see.We are called to a life of giving, Just as God gave to the earth His son, so we are to be givers and people that help those less fortunate than we are. Giving to the Food Pantry, helping the poor, visiting and praying with the sick, these are all acts of charity, and they are good.
We must fight the sin of the flesh that goes against giving. We must fight greed. All kinds of greed, which Jesus warns about, reflect a possessiveness about life. A perspective on life that is false. Possessions, whether few or many, will not be the answer to what life is about. Having things does not bring lasting happiness. Greed wishes us to think so. But it will just tie us up in knots. Positive emotions that we experience in life flow from life-giving and life-expanding sources. May we experience life, full life in Christ, and have it abundantly.
Certainly, we live in a culture of terrible greed and avarice. Too many people have become slaves to money and power, doing all that we can to acquire more. And when we are slaves to money, we cannot be servants to God. “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13)
What does Jesus say we should do instead? We should store up our treasures in heaven:
Matthew 6: 20-21
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Success can be measured in many ways, dependent upon whom you are and the culture you live in. Having material wealth often is viewed as a sign of accomplishment and is supposed to offer us security and freedom. Jesus however teaches otherwise. We are given the responsibility for our environment and our place in the world, and the next person and we are stewards, not owners, of the goods entrusted to us, both material or spiritual.
The Bible teaches us to trust in God for daily needs and to use his gifts to us as good stewards of his world. If we listen to His word and follow His instruction, we shall accomplish His purpose. Treasure will come to us in heaven. It will be beyond our imaginations. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:9: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” On that promise we can depend.
We are called to truly submit to His will and put our own wishes and thoughts in line with His thoughts. May the Holy Spirit help You to clearly see God’s will for your life and may you be a giver, and not a taker, a person of charity and not greed.
I Pray for that God will bless your richly,from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, and everywhere your feet may walk. May the Spirit Guide your thoughts and deeds to fulfill God’s purpose and plan for your life and the life of your community and your church. In Jesus Name, Amen.
How we live out our Christian faith is important. A pillar in our faith is the belief of charity towards others; taking a part of your own surplus and sharing it with others, especially the needy, but as an expression of your faith for God alone to see.We are called to a life of giving, Just as God gave to the earth His son, so we are to be givers and people that help those less fortunate than we are. Giving to the Food Pantry, helping the poor, visiting and praying with the sick, these are all acts of charity, and they are good.
We must fight the sin of the flesh that goes against giving. We must fight greed. All kinds of greed, which Jesus warns about, reflect a possessiveness about life. A perspective on life that is false. Possessions, whether few or many, will not be the answer to what life is about. Having things does not bring lasting happiness. Greed wishes us to think so. But it will just tie us up in knots. Positive emotions that we experience in life flow from life-giving and life-expanding sources. May we experience life, full life in Christ, and have it abundantly.
Certainly, we live in a culture of terrible greed and avarice. Too many people have become slaves to money and power, doing all that we can to acquire more. And when we are slaves to money, we cannot be servants to God. “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13)
What does Jesus say we should do instead? We should store up our treasures in heaven:
Matthew 6: 20-21
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Success can be measured in many ways, dependent upon whom you are and the culture you live in. Having material wealth often is viewed as a sign of accomplishment and is supposed to offer us security and freedom. Jesus however teaches otherwise. We are given the responsibility for our environment and our place in the world, and the next person and we are stewards, not owners, of the goods entrusted to us, both material or spiritual.
The Bible teaches us to trust in God for daily needs and to use his gifts to us as good stewards of his world. If we listen to His word and follow His instruction, we shall accomplish His purpose. Treasure will come to us in heaven. It will be beyond our imaginations. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:9: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” On that promise we can depend.
We are called to truly submit to His will and put our own wishes and thoughts in line with His thoughts. May the Holy Spirit help You to clearly see God’s will for your life and may you be a giver, and not a taker, a person of charity and not greed.
I Pray for that God will bless your richly,from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, and everywhere your feet may walk. May the Spirit Guide your thoughts and deeds to fulfill God’s purpose and plan for your life and the life of your community and your church. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Day One -- We are Called to Love Others
Praise the Lord! This week we will be looking at Christian Values. Today we look at the value of Love.
A teenager recently told me that she thought Jesus taught a "crazy kind of love." with all His talk of helping the poor, and putting others first, and turning the other cheek, and laying His life for us. Yes, to the world it is a crazy kind of love. But to Christians it is our heartbeat and our calling card.
When you think of the "commandments" of Christ, two things come to mind. One is the Great Commandments When asked what the greatest commandment of all is, Jesus replied that we are to "love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength -- and to 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Adding, “There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)
Jesus then underlined this idea of love with His "New Commandment" that He gave to his disciples in the Upper Room during his last evening with them.
"I give you a new commandment, that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." It's that last part that makes this so difficult. We might want to get away with "sort of" loving one another, or "I love you but I don't like you" game playing -- but Jesus defines the kind of love we are supposed to have for one another. It's a life sacrificing, outer limits kind of love. Love that gives up self for the other.
And if that is not enough, the actual meaning of the term Jesus used for one another allows no escape hatches or 99 44/100 % loving one another. It means "each one should love every other one." It is no accident that Jesus used the term "commandment" three times in the Upper Room that last night with his disciples. Always in connection with this issue of loving one another. In fact this is the only time Jesus actually said "I command you" with anything.
Why did he lean so heavily on this issue? The First Letter of John takes this so far as to insist that if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars! [1 John 4:20] The way we know we are spiritually alive is that we love each other in the family of faith. [ 1 John 3:14] In other words, mutual love between Christian people is the evidence of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
To put it even stronger. The reputation of Jesus Christ is on the line in our relationships with each other in the church! You see, Jesus had informed his disciples that, the world would know they were his disciples if they loved each other. [John 13:35]
To think that God would not grant me even one exception to this commandment is sometimes hard to take. But here's where the wonderful part of loving God and keeping the commandments of Christ begins. Just at the point where we recognize our inability to do this on our own, the gifts of Christ come into play.
A teenager recently told me that she thought Jesus taught a "crazy kind of love." with all His talk of helping the poor, and putting others first, and turning the other cheek, and laying His life for us. Yes, to the world it is a crazy kind of love. But to Christians it is our heartbeat and our calling card.
When you think of the "commandments" of Christ, two things come to mind. One is the Great Commandments When asked what the greatest commandment of all is, Jesus replied that we are to "love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength -- and to 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Adding, “There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)
Jesus then underlined this idea of love with His "New Commandment" that He gave to his disciples in the Upper Room during his last evening with them.
"I give you a new commandment, that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." It's that last part that makes this so difficult. We might want to get away with "sort of" loving one another, or "I love you but I don't like you" game playing -- but Jesus defines the kind of love we are supposed to have for one another. It's a life sacrificing, outer limits kind of love. Love that gives up self for the other.
And if that is not enough, the actual meaning of the term Jesus used for one another allows no escape hatches or 99 44/100 % loving one another. It means "each one should love every other one." It is no accident that Jesus used the term "commandment" three times in the Upper Room that last night with his disciples. Always in connection with this issue of loving one another. In fact this is the only time Jesus actually said "I command you" with anything.
Why did he lean so heavily on this issue? The First Letter of John takes this so far as to insist that if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars! [1 John 4:20] The way we know we are spiritually alive is that we love each other in the family of faith. [ 1 John 3:14] In other words, mutual love between Christian people is the evidence of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
To put it even stronger. The reputation of Jesus Christ is on the line in our relationships with each other in the church! You see, Jesus had informed his disciples that, the world would know they were his disciples if they loved each other. [John 13:35]
To think that God would not grant me even one exception to this commandment is sometimes hard to take. But here's where the wonderful part of loving God and keeping the commandments of Christ begins. Just at the point where we recognize our inability to do this on our own, the gifts of Christ come into play.
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