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There are times in our day when we should allow the Lord to speak to us. Now, the Lord DOES have ways to get our attention and speak to us, but how often do we sit quietly before Him awaiting His Word of instruction, guidance, counsel, and encouragement? This time can also be associated with your time before Him in prayer and meditation.
Speak Lord…
Photo courtesy of freeimages.com/Charlie Balch
May 9, 2009
Being Born Again
John 3:1-7 – There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
As Nicodemus conversed with Jesus, He explains that a man cannot see the kingdom of God unless is he born again. Though Nicodemus considered the physical aspect of being born again (enter the second time into his mother’s womb), Jesus had another meaning altogether…
There was a man that owned a very nice car. This car was fully loaded and built to his specifications. It was a one-of-a-kind car that had everyone’s head turning. With such a car, this man felt compelled to keep it clean and detail it on a regular basis.
Even though he tried to keep the car clean (rain or shine), he found little problems with the car. Many of the problems were not major, but cosmetic issues that seemed to irk him – which kept him a bit humble. In time, the Lord shared with the man that he was like the car in many ways:
1. Outward Appearances. Many times he dresses himself to present a certain ‘image’ to those passing by, but a detailed view into his life would reveal some not-so-evident flaws that would definitely keep him humble. The man understood that just as his car is ‘flawed’ so is his life in certain areas. The flaws on the car can be fixed with some additional detail just as his life can be renewed through Jesus.
2. Cleaning Up. The man would clean his car for hours at a time. Just as he cleaned his car, such attention should be given to cleaning his life before man and God.
3. Glorification. Nice looking cars gather attention. Just as the car receives attention, the Lord wants the attention drawn to Him. He wants people that pass by to see the man’s life and good works and bring glory to Him. So many times the attention the man receives is for himself (and the car), but he must strive to ensure God receives glory from his life.
Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of Stock.XCHNG.com/flitcroft
There are many reasons why we make the decisions we do. When we look back at the outcome of some of the decisions we made, sometimes we can’t understand how we got into such predicaments, how to get out of them, or what we can do to live as God desires. Listed below is an outline of why we make the decisions we do; the consequences behind them; and how we can make good (and godly) decisions.
1. What consumes our decision making?
- Fear of Man (Proverbs 29:25; John 12:37-43)
- Motives (Proverbs 16:2; James 4:2-3)
- Friend of the World (1 John 2:15-17)
- Emotions (Proverbs 19:2)
- Sin/Temptation (John 3:19-21)
Proverbs 22:24-25 – Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
In the scripture above, Solomon warns of making friendships with angry and furious men for fear that his son learn their ways and become snared. In line with this, we must also be careful of all friendships and associations we choose to make.
In many friendships, you may find that you will take some of their ways (traits) or vice versa. For example, when growing up, you may have dressed the same as a friend; shared the same laugh; and acted in the same manner – even today. Within the church setting, think about the places of worship we choose or people (ministries) we watch on television. Given some time you may find that you purchase the same bible, speak the same messages, and even take on many of the preacher’s mannerisms (good and bad).
Take the time to consider the friendships and associations you have and how they may have affected your life. Ask the Lord to reveal friendships that have possibly snared your soul and seek friendships that inspire you to live as our Father desires.
Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of Stock.XCHNG.com/johnnyberg
Mark 8:36-37 – For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Though there are many things the ‘world’ would consider being important (i.e. family, job), the most important is your soul. For different people, gaining the world will mean something different. At the root, gaining the world is anything that does not place your spiritual life before God first, causing your soul (and eternal salvation) to be at risk.
There are many times when the world comes knocking on our doorstep. Be it promotion, position, or people, they call for our attention at the expense of our soul. These desires seldom originate from outside ‘elements,’ as our flesh is the culprit for all types of lustful desires (James 1:14-15). If we place our focus on these desires, we find that they begin to draw us away from the thing that should matter most in our lives–God. Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t love your family or be a good worker (as scripture says we should – Matthew 22:34-40; John 13:34-35; Colossians 3:22-24), however, we must not love them more than the Lord (Matthew 10:37-39).
We can obtain the highest position at our jobs or gain the popularity of an entire country, but if our soul isn’t ‘right,’ it profits nothing!
Think for a second…what would your life be like if you placed the condition of your soul as the top priority? There would probably be a lot of decisions you wouldn’t make, a lot of places you wouldn’t go, and A WHOLE LOT of things you wouldn’t do.
What is preventing you from serving God fully and focusing on your soul? …and are you willing to give up those things hindering you? Remember, the flesh (and lust) will not allow this decision to be made without a fight (Galatians 5:16-17).
The decision you make may cause you to lose a promotion, popularity, or some other ‘benefit,’ but what you gain is the GREATEST benefit of all and lasts for an eternity! Think about it and choose wisely!
Photo courtesy of freeimages.com/Zern Liew
Proverbs 6:25-27– Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
There are beautiful people in the world and we see them everyday. For some of us, they live next door to us or share the same office space. However, a problem arises if we ever begin to lust after their beauty in our hearts. When we lust after their beauty, we become captivated by their looks, think about them way more than we should, and desire to spend more time with them than we normally would (if even for a moment).
So what’s the problem?!
Luke 15:11-32 – And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
There comes a time in our lives when we feel confident about a decision to make. We think about it, mull it over, ask others about it…then we act. Thinking about the younger son above, I’m sure his decision to ask for his inheritance early may not have been a spontaneous decision. He might have thought about it and believed it was the best decision for his life at that time. However, it is intriguing that the father didn’t say anything to the younger son.
Time is a precious gift. Each person receives the same 1,440 minutes each day. Some people have made great use of their time, and others…not so much. There are no returns on time, once it’s spent, it’s spent, but we don’t give it much thought until it’s gone. Many times we regret the time we lost because we didn’t make the best use of it. We invest much of our time in things that will never give us a great return, but we continue to do them out of habit or desire. Then we feel like we let ourselves (and others) down because we knew better…only to do again…and again.
You don’t have to stay on the same path. You can make a decision today…right now to make the most of your time.
Galatians 6:9-10 – And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Take a few moments to think about the greatest investments of time you can make. There are many people and purposes that have an outstanding return when invested in:
Spiritual life. A devotion of time to pray, study, and live out Jesus’ commands is a great investment of your time. Allow your calling (and talents) before the Lord to be the greatest investment you can make (see Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:12-28).
Personal life. Just as you invest in your spiritual life, you must also invest in yourself. As adults, we sometimes forget that we laughed and played as children. Remember to rest as well! Above all, don’t allow your personal life (and desires) to get in the way of your Father’s business.
Relationships. People sometimes forget to invest their time into the people that are closest to them. Ensure you spend time with your family (as a whole) and each member of your family individually. Each of your family members will need a different type of investment. This may be based on THEIR likes, dislikes, and hobbies. You must also invest your time in your friends, co-workers, and those you meet to and fro.
Lastly, some of the greatest investment opportunities will come when you least expect it. Each investment will require flexibility and diligence, so don’t be become upset if you missed your favorite TV show to invest in someone. You can always tape a show, but not a relationship.
Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of Flickr.com/junnn. Image covered under Creative Commons License.
There may come a time in your life or ministry when things are going well. Everything is in its proper place and life is on ‘auto pilot.’ Then one day, a feeling comes over you that you should be doing something…anything. Where you are in your life is no longer OK. You need to change. You need to move…
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