Daily Reading March 14 2010 from Titus 1 NIV

Day 63

Titus 1:1-16 NIV
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness–2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, 4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. 5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.7 Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless–not overbearing, not quick‑tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self‑controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. 10 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group.11 They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach–and that for the sake of dishonest gain.12 Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”13 This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

Actions speak louder than words -
Today we are beginning the Epistle of Titus. Paul again is writing to one of his proteges and this time it is Titus. Just as Paul sent Timothy to the Ephesians Titus has been sent to Crete to organize the church and to appoint its leaders from city to city. You will notice here that Paul uses the same language in reference to Titus as he did Timothy, "my true son in our common faith". Paul was obviously close to Titus and had entrusted him to go and help complete the work he had begun. Paul warns Titus that false teachers are present in Crete and have been successful in leading entire homes astray with their false teachings. Paul says they are "liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons" and says to rebuke them so they will come to a more sound faith and reject the "Jewish myths." He goes on to describe impure people "their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions deny Him. They are detestable and unfit for doing anything good." As you can see Paul is being the usual politically correct character we have grown accustomed to in his writings. By this time in our reading we have come to know that this Apostle pulls no punches in speaking his mind. There is so much to be learned from these writings as they are direct letters to the churches and the individuals who have been given the task of further establishment of individuals churches. Paul goes over what to look for in leadership for these fledgling churches that he has entrusted to the care of Titus. We would do well to read these lists of attributes and strive to live a life comparable to the standard Paul is invoking.

Things like:

* being blameless
* not quick-tempered
* not given to drunkeness
* not violent
* not out for dishonest gain
* hospitable
* lovers of good
* self-controlled
* holy and disciplined
* sound in doctrine

This is quite a list and no doubt it would be a daunting task to live up to any such list. While I don't believe in developing lists for individuals to live by I do believe that God can help us to grow in Him as we live in obedience. As we seek His will and come to know His voice we begin to live out His will for our lives. When we hear and know His voice we then begin to please Him because we bear the fruit of obedience. Knowing His voice helps us to become increasingly sensitive to the small nudges of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit within us helps us to know what is acceptable to God and convicts us when we stray from the plan. Notice I used the word convicts and not condemns. Remember, it is satan that accuses and wants to condemn us. We often participate with him in these accusations by not forgiving ourselves. The Spirit of God quietly convicts us and when we act in obedience we are quick to repent and turn to God. Paul wasn't telling Titus to look for perfect individuals just those who knew God and were seeking to be more like Christ. Those concerned about their character who were unhappy when they hurt the name of Jesus with their disobedience. We need more individuals like this in our churches and society today. Jesus made a way for us to be righteous before the Father and a way for us to overcome the flesh! Are you striving for holiness in your daily life? Not condemning yourself when you miss Him but repenting and submitting your all to His care? If so God is pleased with the life you have offered unto Him. After all our life is our reasonable sacrifice! Just as Paul said that some claim to know God but their actions tell a different story I want people to know that I know God through my actions. I want to bear fruit to where there is no question as to whom I serve.

Blessings,

Pastor Larry

Daily Reading February 18 2010 from 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 NIV

Day 39

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 NIV
1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. 11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

A life pleasing to God!!!
"Finally, brothers, we instruct you how to live in order to please God!" Wow, what a daunting task. How can I live in a way pleasing to God? Paul proceeds with what is a pleasing or sanctified life; avoid sexual immorality, learn to control your body, do not walk after the lust of the flesh, don't wrong or take advantage of your brother, lead a quiet life, and to mind your own business. This is quite a list but it is only a list, this isn't a how to but rather a what to do. Paul began with this is how to live in order to please God not here is what you need to do in order to please God. See we cannot instruct one another in living a holy life because none of us of our own accord accomplish this. It is only when we live in Christ that we are holy or that we can walk in holiness. Paul is referring here to sanctification but he isn't talking about a one time experience with God that causes us to be holy, he is speaking of a life of commitment to God and obedience to Him. Paul goes on to say you are not trying to live out my ideal Christian life but rather the life the Holy Spirit would instruct you to lead. They are warned not to neglect the instruction of the Lord through the Holy Spirit. I once worked with a woman who had been involved in a multitude of sins. Many of us would have met her and deemed her hopeless. She was a meth addict, lived with a man who was not her husband, and on and on. The list is far to long to recount. There were those around us who wanted to correct her and change her but God continued to say allow Me time to work in her life. She came to church and we laid hands on her and prayed and she was instantly delivered from her drug addiction, what a miracle it was. There were still those around who were pressing me to challenge the other issues in her life but I was resigned to leave her in the hands of God who was surely working in her life. After about two weeks she called and acknowledged that God (through the Holy Spirit) was dealing with her about living with a man who was not her husband. That next weekend we helped her move out of that home. It was like this over and over we simply stepped back and watched as God transformed this hungry believer. The thing I want to point out is this, God didn't love her anymore after her deliverance than before. God simply honored her hunger for change and made it possible for her. We could have taken a legalistic approach and given her a list of how we felt she should live but this would not have provided for her deliverance, God has a better way. I have learned that hungry people obey God the bible says "they that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled", most of the time we are little more than spectators to what God is doing. Oh yes, we pray and seek God we teach and preach, we serve as we are led but ultimately it is God who changes individuals into His pleasure. I simply love watching God at work in a hungry, desperate life, it is a beautiful thing. So in review our job is to preach the hope of Jesus Christ and pray for those who don't know Him but it is God's job to change people and He will do so when we commit individuals into His care. He will do it His way in His time and we cannot manipulate this process. Enjoy the view and do your job! Are you doing your job or are you trying to get into God's business? Paul instructed these people in how to live a please life but he also knew that it was God who changed his heart and God would have to change these submitted believers. This way if someone isn't changed we are not responsible all we can do is communicate the hope of Christ and there level of hunger and faith will determine how much they are changed by the transforming power of a loving Father in heaven. Are you pleasing God? Are you still hungry for Him? When your hunger subsides you will cease to change in other words as long as we hunger and thirst we will continually be filled but when that stops we cease to grow. Examine your life, are you growing?

Blessings,

Pastor Larry