Do What is Right
1Pe 1:8-9 (NIV) 8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Romans 12:17-18 (NIV) 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Have you ever known someone who just must have the last word? That was me! When I was a child, my mother said I didn’t start a fight with my twin, Cheryl, but I was going to finish it. After years of prayer and some amount of perseverance I finally am able to hold my tongue. Let things go. And, if it is possible live at peace.
Some might call this behavior being a people pleaser. But you know I am much more interested in pleasing God. And when we please God, we are on the pathway to holiness.
May we seek God’s guidance as we go through each day, knowing, believing and understanding that when we honor our fellow man, we honor God. And that is a blessing to all.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Scriptures of my Life
Psalms 27 Psalm 27
Of David.
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation —
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
Psalms 42:1-2 1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
Psalms 91:2-4 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Isaiah 40:29-31 29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Lamentations 3:22-23 22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Micah 6:8 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
Romans 8:28 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Ephesians 2:4-5 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 6:10-17 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Philippians 1:6 he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:23-25 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
1 Peter 5:6-7 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him be
When I preached, I often began my sermon with the phrase, “Today I am reading one of my favorite scriptures.” I said this so often that upon retirement, my congregations bought me a new Bible, and they highlighted some of their favorite scriptures.
What are some of your favorite scriptures? Is there a theme that sustains you? Do you know these scriptures by heart? I have to admit my memory has holes in it, so I am in the midst of trying to relearn these scriptures that have been so important to me.
May we be so intentional in our discipleship that we relearn some of our favorite scriptures so that we can pluck them from our memories whenever they are needed.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Conform to the Spirit
1 Peter 1:14-21. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
17 Since you call on a father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
What is precious to you? Is it your family, your church, your job, or perhaps your reputation? Well, for God it is we who are precious in his sight, and we are bought with a great price.
It is important for us to grasp the concept that God did not create us first , and then saw that we could not be holy, and ultimately developed a plan for our salvation. No, long before we committed that first sin, God put into place a redemptive plan. We either accept God’s plan or we behave like Jonah, running in the opposite direction until God creates a fish big enough to swallow us whole!
Remember, when God says, “I am holy, be thou Holy too, it is not a suggestion, it is a commandment.
May we be obedient to the Spirit, disregarding our flesh.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
since Jesus came into my heart!
I have light in my soul for which long I had sought,
since Jesus came into my heart.
Refrain:
Since Jesus came into my heart,
since Jesus came into my heart,
floods of joy o’er my soul like sea billows roll,
since Jesus came into my heart.
Our Coming Salvation
1 Peter 1:3-9 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Many of us are taught from an early age the importance of knowing the date we were saved. You know what I’m talking about—the date you walked the aisle to accept Jesus as your Savior.
Perhaps you were in Vacation Bible School, or maybe you were in Church Camp. As the preacher talked about sin, your heart felt as though it would beat out of your chest, so you lunged forward, not quite sure you understood what sins you had committed at eight years of age, but quite certain that whatever your sins, your soul was bound for hell.
Now you are old, and things are somewhat clearer. You have come to understand that the salvation experience you had all those years ago was only the beginning. In fact, you might say that salvation has been an ongoing experience and the completion of your salvation will only occur when you cross into heaven.
But what does that mean?
To me, it means that our passport into heaven has not yet been stamped. We have been saved and we are being saved all at the same time!
May we live in this world with the joyful expectation that heaven is not only the end of our journey, but the completion of our salvation.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. .
Let Us Pray
James 5:13-16 13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
If we ever wonder why we should pray for one another, James offers a few reasons in these verses. You see, God loves corporate confession, corporate petition, and corporate praise. There is something powerful that occurs when God’s people come together in praise, worship and intercession.
The term righteous means we are in right standing before God. It does not mean we are holier than others, but instead that we have surrendered our whole selves to God. When we are surrendered, we understand the importance of spending time in prayer for ourselves and for others.
May we reach out to others and up to God as we seek to live according to His will.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 