God's Prerogative

At times, understanding God seems easy, but at other times, it can seem quite difficult. It seems easy when God refers to himself simply as “I AM”, when he defines himself as “love”, and when he says that it is his desire that none perish. But, we also know that God is sovereign. And at times, the box we’ve put him in no longer fits. Even as believers, we look for a logical reason for everything that happens in life. We look for patterns of consistency when it comes to the behavior of God. And we form our moral code based on what the Bible says pleases God. Though it is wise, and correct, to assume the behavior of God based on what we’ve come to learn about him, we must always acknowledge the sovereignty of God. Even though he never changes; even though the pattern of behavior that God has shown us is a valid indicator of how he may behave in the future, ultimately he is God and can do whatever he wants. He can choose to have mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he can show compassion to whom he wants to show compassion even though these actions may be different than what we’d expect. Paul said in Romans, chapter 9, verses 15 and 16:

“For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” 

In the verses prior, Paul mentions that it was God’s prerogative to prefer Jacob over Esau even before either of them had been born or had done anything good or bad. In the verses that follow, Paul reminds us that God raised up Pharaoh so that he could harden his heart and display his power so that his name might be proclaimed in all the earth. In all things, we need to remember that God is the ultimate authority. He is King, he is Lord, and he is God. We can take heart that his character will not change, nor will his laws and commands. From his word, we know what pleases him and we know what angers him. Even still, in all things, he can choose do whatever he wants. He can show mercy and compassion on one who is undeserving, or he can purpose for someone to be his adversary to accomplish his goal even before that person has done anything good or bad. God is good, but he is also sovereign. It would do us well to always remember that.

—-

God is good, but he is also sovereign. He said, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” And Paul concluded by saying “it does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy”. So if you are saved today, I would encourage you to thank God for his mercy and compassion towards you. It was by his Spirit that you were called to him. He didn’t have to do it, but he chose to. By this you have become the son or daughter of the Most High! Appeal to God for those who do not yet know him, but remember that it is ultimately his prerogative to have mercy on whom he will have mercy and to show compassion on whom he will show compassion.

Links:
Free “Lord of My Life” Books: https://www.ktfproductions.com/books
Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/lord-of-my-life
Web Page: https://www.ktfproductions.com/loml-home
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktfproductions/
Subscribe to the KTF Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2n9Lprk

Contact Us:
Email: writecmv@hotmail.com

Christian Attitude

The Bible never said that the life of a Christian would be easy. On the contrary, Jesus said that we will be persecuted and that the world will hate us. The Bible reminds us that it will rain on the just and unjust alike. So calamity can come to anyone. It doesn’t matter how righteous you are. And Paul reminds us that believers are called to maintain a different attitude than other humans. We are to be overly merciful, overly loving, and in some cases un-human. It is the nature of humanity to be selfish, to want to repay evil to those who are evil to us, and to be proud. But, the Bible teaches us that the character of a Christian should be the exact opposite. In Romans, chapter 12, verses 12 through 18, Paul said:

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” 

Becoming a true follower of Christ, exhibiting the Christian attitude that Jesus and Paul tells us that we should have, is counter-culture and counter-human. It reminds us that we are to always take the high road when in conflict with others, we are to always think of others with a loving, merciful and empathetic heart, and we are to be completely faithful in our mission to know God. I encourage you to re-read these verses in Romans and pay close attention to each and every sentence. This is what it means to have a Christian attitude; to trust God, build a close relationship with him, love our enemies, empathize with others, strive to be at peace with one another, check our base human instincts, and to be perfect in the eyes of others. That is a tall order. But isn’t it nice that Paul lays it out so clearly for us? As we reflect on these few verses, we are able to get a clear picture of the attitude we should all have as we occupy space on this earth. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can train ourselves to be counter-culture and un-human. And over time, we may even prefer it.

—-

As you examine the Christian attitude that Paul suggests every believer should strive to maintain, which directive do you find to be the most difficult? Which area trips you up the most? Is it a lack of faithfulness to prayer? Is it difficult for you to give to those in need? Do you find it hard to empathize with those who are mourning, or are you jealous of those who are blessed and find it difficult to rejoice with them? Are you too proud to associate with those who you feel are beneath you? Do you want to hurt those who hurt you? Whatever your failing, I would challenge you to allow the Holy Spirit to conform you into the likeness of Christ. Jesus was in step with all of the mandates highlighted by Paul in these few verses, and we should aspire to do the same. It is true that these mandates are counter-culture, and some are even counter-human. But we are called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. And taking on these characteristics, with the help and the power of the Holy Spirit, will guide us toward that goal.

Links:
Free “Lord of My Life” Books: https://www.ktfproductions.com/books
Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/lord-of-my-life
Web Page: https://www.ktfproductions.com/loml-home
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktfproductions/
Subscribe to the KTF Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2n9Lprk

Contact Us:
Email: writecmv@hotmail.com

The Carrot

In the parable of the prodigal son, the good son showed contempt for the mercy and forgiveness his father gave his unfaithful brother. The son who squandered his inheritance, using it to engage in all manner of sin and indulgences was welcomed back with open arms upon his humble return. All the while, the faithful son looked on, judging his brother and stewing in his anger as he considered why his father would show such love and attention toward someone so rebellious. It is human nature to pass judgment on those who we think are less righteous than ourselves, and to show contempt toward those who seem to be rewarded for their bad behavior even if in our heart we know that we are susceptible to that same sin. It is difficult to comprehend the extreme mercy of our God, but it is his desire, and his nature, to show incredible kindness, tolerance and patience toward mankind because he wants his kindness, not his judgment, to lead us to repentance. Paul says this in Romans, chapter 2, verses 3 and 4: 

“So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” 

It is God’s desire to use the carrot, not to stick to lead us to repentance; to use kindness, tolerance and patience, not the punishment, rebuke and condemnation that we would expect. Though we may want to strike the guilty with a stick to correct their sinful behavior, God wants to use the carrot to kindly lead them back to himself. And when he does; when he shows love to the rebellious, we witness firsthand someone avoiding what they deserve. We see that they are not being punished for their rebellion. Even if they repent and are broken and contrite before God, to us, a lack of consequence still may seem unjust. To us, it may seem like they are being rewarded for their bad behavior. But in reality, it is a merciful and forgiving God using his kindness to lead them to repentance. So I would challenge you to honor the methodology God chooses to use to lead us back in right relationship with him. Because when we, ourselves, fall and rebel, there is no question that we would want God to use the carrot over the stick in leading us back to him as well.

—-

Like the angry crowd who caught the woman in the act of adultery, we are so ready to throw our stones at those who sin. But God is different. Instead of a stone, Jesus gave the woman his hand. Instead of condemnation, Jesus showed mercy. If God, who is holy, all powerful and the one who created the laws and commands chooses to show mercy, shouldn’t we who are sinful, weak and who are just as guilty do the same? This portion of scripture doesn’t only show us the character of God, it is a lesson to us. God uses love over judgment to draw those who are rebellious back to him. So we should be likeminded?

Links:
Free “Lord of My Life” Books: https://www.ktfproductions.com/books
Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/lord-of-my-life
Web Page: https://www.ktfproductions.com/loml-home
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktfproductions/
Subscribe to the KTF Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2n9Lprk

Contact Us:
Email: writecmv@hotmail.com

Pattern of Teaching

Humans are creatures of habit. As for myself, every morning I follow the same routine in preparing to go to work. Then, I drive the same route to get to work, and once I arrive I go through a sequence of hanging my coat, putting my lunch in the refrigerator and turning on my computer before getting a glass of water. The pattern of behavior that I’ve built over the years I do without much thought. It is as if I’ve taught myself how to behave through the routines that I’ve established. We all have patterns and routines; sets of habitual behaviors that we do almost without thinking. Some of them are good, and some are not. Obedience to God can also become a pattern; a pattern that we can teach ourselves in an effort to daily reflect our allegiance to the Lord. Paul says in Romans, chapter 6, verse 17: 

“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.” 

Obedience is a pattern of behavior based on a pattern of teaching. Later, Paul reminds us the we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness. Are you teaching yourself to follow a pattern of slavey to righteousness? The term “slavey” may sound unsettling to modern-day Americans, but it was a common and accepted practice in Bible times. To us, slavery connotes an unwilling, or forced, servitude. But in this context, I believe it is more of a willing dedication; a heartfelt submission; a love for the one we serve. So, if we are no longer willingly dedicated to sin, but have now submitted ourselves to righteousness, and continue to follow that pattern on a daily basis, there should come a time when our walk becomes a pattern or even a routine. We may begin to daily wake up with Christ on our minds, pray before we get out of bed, look for opportunities to serve others and read our Bible before we settle in for the night all without thinking. That is the kind of pattern I hope we all adopt.

—-

What patterns have you formed in life? Some may be good, others neutral, and yet others evil. It should be our desire, as followers of Christ, to pattern our lives after him. I encourage you to read the gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, to see how Jesus lived and adopt his patterns and routines to your life. We should all take stock of our lives, examining our daily walk, and determining whether what we do, and how we behave without thinking, should be adjusted or maintained. Once we integrate a pattern of righteousness, we may be able to attest to the words Paul used when addressing the Romans; that we have come to obey from our heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed our allegiance.

Links:
Free “Lord of My Life” Books: https://www.ktfproductions.com/books
Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/lord-of-my-life
Web Page: https://www.ktfproductions.com/loml-home
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktfproductions/
Subscribe to the KTF Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2n9Lprk

Contact Us:
Email: writecmv@hotmail.com

Grace Outpaces Sin

When Jesus came to earth to live for us, die for us and to be raised from the dead he impressed on the lives of every believer the power of his salvation. That is why we remember him often through the taking of communion and that is why we celebrate his love for us every year on Easter. But I would argue that his sacrifice did much more than what we see on the surface. If granting us eternal life through himself wasn’t enough, he set in place a new law of understanding. He set in place a paradigm of where sin increases, grace increases all the more. He put in motion the truth that through him, grace will always outpace sin. Paul says this in Romans, chapter 5, verses 20 and 21: 

“The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Through Jesus grace reigns. We did nothing to deserve his grace or his mercy. On the contrary, we deserve his wrath and his judgment. The Bible reminds us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That is the love of our God. And not only do we receive his grace, but through Jesus we are made righteous. We are made right before God, where we were once separated from him. And as we continue to fall short, it is comforting to know that there is, and always will be, enough grace to cover us all.

—-

Paul said “where sin increased, grace increased all the more”. Isn’t it comforting to know that there will always be enough grace to cover our sin; that grace will always outpace our sin? It’s kind of like having more than enough money to pay for a life saving operation. Wouldn’t it be nice to say to the surgeon, “money isn’t an object. Spare no expense in saving my life”? That is what Jesus did for us. He spared nothing and provided us with more than enough grace to cover our sins. If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to bend a knee to our Lord and Savior today and thank him for what he did for us. He did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves, and he did it overwhelmingly. Even now, where our sin abounds, grace much more abounds. And if you are one who hasn’t accepted what Jesus did on the cross, know that his grace is available for you. His death and resurrection can put you in right relationship with God so that when you die, God will not see your sin, he’ll only see the righteousness of his Son. Then, you too will be admitted into heaven - not because of what you did, but only because of what Jesus did.

Links:
Free “Lord of My Life” Books: https://www.ktfproductions.com/books
Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/lord-of-my-life
Web Page: https://www.ktfproductions.com/loml-home
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktfproductions/
Subscribe to the KTF Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2n9Lprk

Contact Us:
Email: writecmv@hotmail.com