Blog post Monday Novemeber 19th

Faith in action James 2:18-3:18

Today's reading was a reminder of what we just read last week in Hebrews 11 - Faith is meant to be lived out in our actions for our benefit and the benefit of others.  We can't just say that God is worthy of our trust and then try to live in unsurrendered control. We can't just say that God is a loving God to us and then go treat others without love.  We can't just say that God is our hope and future and then live life as if this world is our everything.  We can't just say spiritual things, quote scripture, sing praise song, tell people how great God is and how important he is to us...faith is not just words and proclamations made with our mouths.  Faith is meant to be alive, to have hands and feet, to be seen in our lives so that how we live reflects what we say and believe.  

Today I encourage us all to pray and ask God to show us what areas of our faith we are not living out the way we should, the way God calls us to.  Then we need to ask him to help us, to give us the determination, the perseverance, the know how and ability to live out our faith and live it well.  May we encourage each other to live our faith like those we read about last week in Hebrews 11 and to live it well so that we can be a "cloud of witness" a community of witness to what faith truly looks like and bring hope to those who have yet to take hold of faith for themselves. 

Sunday, November 18

James 2

Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. James 2 starts exactly with that: " Don't show favoritism."  Don't discriminate, but love. It tells us that every time we assess and treat differently a person, based on the outside appearances- job, clothes, car, jewelry, zip code, looks- we discriminate and " become judges with evil thoughts". James 2:4. We are reminded that the worldly standards are different than the kingdom standards. What  is perceived as inferior in this world ,could be the  exact opposite in God's kingdom. James 2:5 

"Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? " James 2:6  I grew up in a small village in Romania. My parents were simple farmers. They had such a veneration for people who were highly educated, had good jobs and got to live in the city. For a while I held the same values. However, I slowly realized that all those things we valued,  were simple masks.  The inside of a person is what matters.  I've learnt that beautiful, perfect masks more often than not, hide evil characters.  Very often that beautiful mask doesn't hesitate to hurt, lie, mistreat. Real beauty, honesty, sensitivity are found a lot of times, under a not so perfect mask.

James 2  is an invitation to look deeper,  under the mask.  It will be, on one hand,  for our own benefit. "Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Mat 10:16.  "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pe ` arls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." Mat  7:6 On the other hand, when we look under a person's mask, we can determine how to love that person. "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?   Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-17

We fortunately live in a society where we don't have to worry about our basic needs. But how many people around us,  are starved spiritually? Jesus is the daily food and clothes. How can we  put our love and faith into action for these people?

Happy Thanksgiving! 

#blog

November 17: Of Persistence, Struggle and Undeserved Wisdom

Ezekiel 35:1-36:38

James 1:1-18

Psalm 116:1-19

Proverbs 27:23-27

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."

Pure joy is difficult under the best of circumstances.  But when facing trials?  How does one consider it pure joy when one is very sick?  Or out of a job? Or worried they can't make the next bill payment?  When their children might reject the very idea of God?  When one continues to struggle, and to fail, with the same sins, perseverance seems like a pipe dream.  

It would seem that recognizing, experiencing this joy in the middle of trials would require an ability to see and understand things differently than we normally would...would require a wisdom we might not have.  Where to find that wisdom?  

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Wow.  "...gives generously to all without finding fault..." - I don't have the wisdom I need to obey His instructions, so He gives it to me when I ask, whether or not I deserve it.  

So let's not let our sins or shortcomings discourage us.  Let's not let the persistence of our failures cause us to give up.  When we struggle, when we doubt, let us ask for His guidance, and His wisdom.  He will give us the wisdom we need.  He said so.  

November 16

Ezekiel 33

Becoming Watchmen

 

What is the role of watchman? Ancient cities were protected by walls. Watchmen were posted along the walls to warn their families, friends and neighbors of any approaching enemy. They were responsible for the safety of the entire city. They always had to stay alert and sound the trumpet when danger was imminent.

So, who are the watchmen today? Who is going to say there is danger ahead, the enemy is approaching, we are under attack? Will the CBS and CNN news anchors sound the alarm?  Will politicians warn us of the approaching horsemen of the apocalypse? Sadly, even Christ followers have gotten caught up in the spirit of the age and have neglected this sacred duty. Rather than warn of the imminent danger we have actually joined the enemy forces. 

 

What are the enemies that are approaching the gates?

1. Godlessness: living life without centering everything on our relationship with our creator.

2. Consumerism: thinking the accumulation of stuff will satisfy our souls.

3. Socialism: putting government as the savior of our nation.  

4. Comfort: living with my comfort and safety as the highest goal.

5. Destruction of the family: even attempting to change the definition of a family.  

6. A culture of death: death and violence dominate our entertainment. We are so confused we're unable to define when life begins and how it should end.  

 

There has never been a better time for us to offer the alternative of living according to God's light.

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, November 15, 2018

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018


"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (Hebrews 12:14,15)

"As water reflects a face,/ so a man's heart reflects a man." (Proverbs 27:19)


These verses from Hebrews explain, in part, why churches may struggle. Ultimately, each individual coming to the body has responsibility unto the others to seek God wholeheartedly, to live in purity, and to show grace. These ethics not only strengthen our personal relationship with God, but also for others in their relationship with God.

Our Western culture generally considers the individual to have precedence over the group. Our Constitution and its interpretation stresses the principle of "voluntary association." We are grateful for the freedom of speech that this right avails.

As followers of Christ, we immediately become part of His body while remaining present in this world. Living in holiness allows our practice and testimony to line up for a watching world. In addition, purity before God strengthens our connection with Him: "Blessed are the pure in heart,/ for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8) Due to human reality, holiness will not translate into perfection; after all, we remain fallible in our humanness, drawing us closer to God. Yet, holiness involves yieldedness and surrender to God's plan as superior to our own and His Spirit as our strength and guide. Living outside of this channel leads to disappointment and upset hearts and minds. May we seek this yieldedness today!

Furthermore, the writer of Hebrews urges us to settle accounts with others, not allowing bitter roots to grow. These bitter roots emerge after a period of unforgiveness. This unforgiveness saps our energy, drawing us away from God and causing us to dwell on the hurt we've encountered. Often, this pain will result in legitimate grievances; in no way should we diminish this reality. Still, we have the freedom to choose forgiveness or unforgiveness, and we only have the strength to forgive because of the forgiveness from sin that Christ has won for us on the Cross. Because of this vertical forgiveness, horizontal forgiveness is not only possible, but entirely consistent with our status as grace-bought believers.

May God bring us into this place of yieldedness and sensitivity to seek Him fully and to forgive others freely. It will allow our hearts to experience real freedom, joy, and love. And God will be glorified and real to us!


Lord God, thank You for seeking us out through sending Your Son to this earth. Pour into us a hunger and thirst after You. Help us to live in purity and to extend forgiveness to others. Give us victory this day, that our hearts and minds might be "white as snow." Thank You for anchoring our freedom in Christ by the completed work of the Cross. In Jesus's Name, amen.


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Nov. 14

Hebrews 11-12

Hebrews 11, the infamous "Hall of Fame", outlines Jewish heroes who, by faith, followed God in spite of obstacles and even persecution. Each person knew the assignment given to them by God and walked worthy of their calling. What an incredible example this sets.  As we get into chapter 12, it doesn't read "By faith, Jesus ran with endurance the race set before Him", but let's look at what it does say because I think it goes way deeper than that.  "For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame; and He has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God".  Do you really think that Jesus would have gone to the cross if He didn't know He was 100 percent correct in that this was the only way that we could be made right with God? Take a moment to think about that, AND He did it with joy!  Nothing else mattered to Him because He knew when it was all said and done, He was going to sit down at the right hand of the throne of God and we would not only have salvation but we would also spend eternity praising Him!  Yes, our Old Testament heroes were great examples of faith in action, and Jesus is the initiator and perfecter of that faith!  He doesn't replace it, He completes it. So knowing this is truth and holding onto God becoming a part of the human family so that we could become a part of his heavenly family,  keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, how would you fill in this sentence, "by faith, _____________________ (fill in your name), did___________________.  Here's mine: Being born into a Jewish family, by faith, Randi stepped out and received Yeshua as her Lord, Messiah, The Word that became flesh. By faith, she believes what she can't see, believes all Scripture is God breathed and runs the race set before her.  I pray we all make a statement of faith knowing that God is faithful and will keeps His covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. (Deut. 7:9)

Randi 

Today's blog "Pride and prejudiced"

As we read today, I will start with a joke: When was meat first mentioned in the bible? Punchline at the end (don't scroll down to see it, read down to see it).

In Ezekiel, we read about Pride and how it can bring down kingdoms and countries.

In the Hebrews reading we see sinful, messed up people living by faith, and through that faith accomplish great things because of their obedience oh and most certainly reluctant obedience at times. 

In Psalm reading we see Gods is faithful when we are not. We see God is graceful when we do not deserve it. We see God keeps His promises always! We may not understand the timing and the method He uses, but He is an on time God. He is never late nor is He ever early, He is an on time God. 

The Proverb reading I will not address since today Ruth and I celebrate our 25th anniversary. 

God today show us area's of pride which get in the way of what you want to accomplish in and through us! Lord show us area's in which we need to show grace and love in difficult situations. God today and we start our day give us forbearance to take on the day in Your strength and nor our own! Helps us today as we encounter our spouses, children, coworkers, neighbors, and all of the random people that we will pass by today without thought! Help us to pause today and say hello, reach out, engage, embrace, and show the love of Christ through our care, our hearts, and our actions. Punchline: When Noah brought HAM into the ark, Gen7:13. 

      

Chuck Goulart
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 "Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter." –Francis Chan