Growing In Wisdom

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“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
Growing in wisdom means growing in Christlikeness.

Perhaps you’re asking, “Shouldn’t believers acquire more wisdom?” Yes, we should. No matter how much of God’s wisdom we have, we should always hunger for more. The Bible tells us that we have all the principles we need to walk in wisdom, and yet there’s much more available to us. We should “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), and we should be more and more conformed to the image of Christ by the transforming work of the Spirit of God. Our wisdom should increase, as should our godliness, but we are given the basic principles at salvation. Even though a person may not know all the truths in the Bible, God’s Spirit, who is resident in him from the moment of salvation, will convict and convince him of righteousness and sin.
What do you do if you want more wisdom? First, worship. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Make it your goal to have a worshipful heart throughout each day and to be faithful in attending the Lord’s house regularly (see Heb. 10:25). Second, pray. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Make it your continual prayer to ask God for more of His wisdom. Third, receive instruction. The apostle Paul encouraged “admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom” (Col. 1:28). If you want more wisdom, one good way to receive it is to be instructed by someone who is wise. Finally, study Scripture. In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” Set up a regular Bible study time, and let the Holy Spirit teach you.
What about you? Are you growing in wisdom? If not, make it your priority.

Being Wise in Adversity

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“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom” (James 3:13).
Wisdom teaches us how to handle adversity.
In his wonderful commentary on the book of James, Robert Johnstone wrote the following about meekness:
That “the meek” should “inherit the earth”—that they bear wrongs, and exemplify the love which “seeketh not her own”—to a world that believes in high-handedness and self-assertion, and pushing the weakest to the wall, a statement like this of the Lord from Heaven cannot but appear an utter paradox. The man of the world desires to be counted anything but “meek” or “poor in spirit,” and would deem such a description of him equivalent to a charge of unmanliness.
Ah, brethren, this is because we have taken in Satan’s conception of manliness instead of God’s. One man has been shown us by God, in whom His ideal of man was embodied; and He, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously: He for those who nailed Him to the tree prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” The world’s spirit of wrath, then, must be folly; whilst than a spirit of meekness like His, in the midst of controversy, oppositions, trials of whatever kind, there can be no surer evidence that “Jesus is made of God to His people wisdom” (The Epistle of James[Minneapolis: Klock & Klock, 1978], 272-273).
Johnstone recognized more than a hundred years ago what we need to know today—that the wisdom of man is arrogant, conceited, and self-serving, whereas the wisdom of God is humble, meek, and non-retaliatory.
The contrast between false wisdom and true wisdom is crystal-clear. Be sure you handle adversity in a Christlike way, knowing that every detail of your life is under God’s sovereign control.

Be Filled With the Spirit

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“Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
God wants every aspect of the believer’s being to be under the complete control of the Holy Spirit.
Pleroo, the basic Greek word for “be filled,” offers three shades of meaning that illustrate what Paul’s command to be Spirit-filled means. First, the word describes the pressure of wind filling a ship’s sails and moving the vessel across the water. That parallels the Holy Spirit’s leading us down the pathway of spiritual obedience. We aren’t primarily motivated by our own plans and desires, but we allow the Spirit’s gracious pressure to move us in the right direction.
The well-known pain reliever Alka-Seltzer effectively illustrates the second meaning, permeation. If you drop two Alka-Seltzers into a glass of water, they immediately fizzle and soon transform themselves into clear bubbles throughout the water and permeate it with a distinct flavor. That’s how God wants the Holy Spirit to fill our lives, so that there will be no doubt in others’ minds that we possess the distinct and pervasive savor of the Spirit.
Pleroo’s third and primary shade of meaning is that of domination or total control. In Luke 6:11 the scribes and Pharisees “were filled with rage” when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. Jesus said, “Sorrow has filled your heart” (John 16:6) when He described the disciples’ reaction to the news that He was soon departing. In those two examples, pleroo denotes an emotion that thoroughly dominated the people’s thoughts and excluded everything else.
In regard to earthly concerns, such overwhelming feelings can be wasteful, foolish, and even harmful. But it is beneficial and completely in agreement with the Lord’s will when we yield every thought, feeling, and action to the absolute domination of the Holy Spirit. This yielding will occur in our Christian lives only when we obey another of Paul’s commands, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Col. 3:16). In practice, the Spirit-filled walk is a matter of knowing God’s Word and obeying it. (John MacArthur)

Finding True Contentment

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“To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
True contentment is found only in Christ.
There has never been a society in the history of the world that has had as many commodities as Americans have. We are living in affluence that is unheard of in the world’s history. The key philosophy behind it all is this: only as you accumulate enough assets to satisfy your particular lifestyle can you really be happy.
Sad to say, Christians have bought into that philosophy. Now, there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with commodities, but it is wrong to think you’ll find true happiness in them. If God chooses to give you material possessions, it’s because of His good pleasure. But if you make those possessions the love of your life, you’re being deceived about true contentment.
In Philippians 4:11-12 the apostle Paul says, “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” He was saying, “I have contentment that is absolutely and totally unrelated to possessions.”
Where did Paul find his contentment? In Philippians 1:21 he says, “To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He found it in Christ, not in material possessions. Professor Howard Vos said of Paul, “Christ is all to him, he lives only to serve Christ, he has no conception of life apart from Christ. . . . Christ’s goals, Christ’s orientation to life and society and mission, are his.” If you want to be like Paul and have true contentment, make Christ the love of your life, not material possessions.

Integrity Means No Compromise!

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“O Lord, who may abide in Thy tent? Who may dwell on Thy holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart” (Psalm 15:1-2).

To love Christ and to be characterized by ever-increasing fidelity to biblical truth is the heart of true integrity.
Christian integrity has been defined as the absence of compromise and the presence of biblical convictions. In the words of the psalmist, it is to work righteousness and to speak truth from the heart (Ps. 15:2).Many people in Scripture demonstrate exemplary integrity. For example, Jesus spoke of Nathanael as an Israelite “in whom is no guile” (John 1:47). To be without guile is to be truthful and unpretentious, which is another way of saying Nathanael had integrity. Daniel also was a man of uncompromising integrity, Daniel’s example demonstrate the power, characteristics, and blessings of biblical integrity. The spirit of compromise is flourishing all around us: in politics, in sports, in business, and sadly, even in the church. But Scripture calls us to an uncompromising standard that reflects the integrity of Christ Himself. As the Apostle John said, “The one who says he abides in [Christ] ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). I pray that the Lord will strengthen and encourage you, and that you will be one who truly “walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart.”

The Yolk of Christ

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Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”Matthew 11:29.

The  more we seek Christ the more we are transformed to His image. As Christians we must come to Jesus Christ as our Ruler, and submit ourselves to him ( v.29). Christ is exalted to be a Prince, a Saviour and a Priest upon his throne. The rest he promises is a release from the drudgery of sin, not from the service of God. We were previously under a yoke which made us weary but Christ is saying shake that off and take mine, which will make it easy for you. To take Christ’s yoke upon us, is to put ourselves into the relation to servants (1 Tim. 6:1) and subjects (1 Kings 12:10) to him, and then to conduct ourselves accordingly, in a conscientious obedience to all his commands, and a cheerful submission to all his disposals: it is to obey the gospel of Christ, to yield ourselves to the Lord: it is Christ’s yoke; the yoke he has appointed; a yoke he has himself drawn in before us, for he learned obedience, and which he does by his Spirit draw in with us, for he helpeth our infirmities, (Rom. 8:26). A yoke speaks some hardship, but if the beast must draw, the yoke helps him. Christ’s commands are all in our favour: we must take this yoke upon us to draw in it. We are yoked to work, and therefore must be diligent; we are yoked to submit, and therefore must be humble and patient: we are yoked together with our fellow-servants, and therefore must keep up the communion of saints: and the words of the wise are as goads (to motivate) to those who are thus yoked.

Have a blessed day!

Be Not Surprised

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“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

We can be certain of God’s love for us, no matter how unexpected or difficult any trial might be. Reassuring words are vital as we strive to deal with trials and sufferings in our Christian lives. Peter opens with a pastoral term (“beloved”) that conveys tenderness, love, and concern for his audience. It reinforces in a single word the concepts of fervent love for one another and love that covers sin (1 Peter 4:8). Such love is a welcome reality to lean on whenever anyone is undergoing suffering or persecution.Trials can easily tempt us to be discouraged and doubt God’s love. In Peter’s time the emperor Nero coated many, including children, in pitch and used them as human torches. With such cruel persecution going on, we can see why Peter wrote to fellow Christians—which includes us—to reassure them of God’s love. We should not be surprised at our trials, they should be seen as part of life. They might catch us off guard at first, but we can confidently deal with them, knowing that God’s loving care for us never fails.

SATAN IS DEFEATED

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Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

The more real Satan appears in our day, the more precious the victory of Christ will become to those who believe him.The New Testament teaches that when Christ died and rose again Satan was defeated. A time of limited freedom is granted to him, but his power against God’s people is broken and his destruction is sure. “The Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) “Christ took on human nature that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14) “God disarmed the
principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15)
In other words the decisive blow was struck at Calvary. And one day, when Satan’s time of limited freedom is over, Revelation 20:10 says, “The devil .. [will be] thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone . . . and will be
tormented day and night for ever and ever.” What does this mean for those of us who follow Jesus Christ?

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies!” (Romans 8:33)

“Neither angels nor principalities nor powers nor anything else shall separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 8:38)

“He who is in us is stronger than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

“We conquer him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.” (Revelation 12:11)

Therefore, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you!” He has been defeated, and we have been given victory. Our task now is to live in that victory and make Satan know his defeat.

WALKING IN OBEDIENCE

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His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” John 2:5 NASB

Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding celebration. When the wine ran out, his mother said to the servants: “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5) Our obedience opens the door to see God’s power manifested in our lives. Scripture says, “If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land.” (Isaiah 1:19 NASB) In other words, as long as you are obedient to God’s word, you will continue in the quiet and full enjoyment of all the blessings of it.  Our blessings are hindered when we approach God seeking His help pertaining to a particular situation, whether it is physical, social, financial or spiritual and all the while we are failing to be obedient in other areas of our lives, for example, harboring unforgiveness toward another person. My question this morning, “Are you doing all that God commands you to do through His word?” Today, ask the Lord to search you and whatever He says to you, do it!

PRAYER: Father, I humbly come to you in total submission. I desire to be obedient to your Word. Father, remove from me all that is not pleasing to you; transform me that your name may be glorified. I love you Lord in Jesus’ name.

TWO INFINITELY STRONG AND TENDER TRUTHS

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Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” (Isaiah 46:10)

The word “sovereignty” (like the word “trinity”) does not occur in the Bible. We use it to refer to this truth: God is in ultimate control of the world from the largest international intrigue to the smallest bird-fall in the forest. Here is how the Bible puts it: “I am God and there is no other. . . . My counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose” (Isaiah 46:10). “God does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’” (Daniel 4:35). “But he is unchangeable and who can turn him? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me” (Job 23:13, 14). “Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). One reason this doctrine is so precious to believers is that we know that God’s great desire is to show mercy and kindness to those who trust him (Ephesians 2:7; Psalm 37:3–7; Proverbs 29:25). God’s sovereignty means that this design for us cannot be frustrated. Nothing, absolutely nothing, befalls those who “love God and are called according to his purpose” but what is for our deepest and highest good (Psalm 84:11). Therefore, the mercy and the sovereignty of God are the twin pillars of our life. They are the hope of our future, the energy of our service, the center of our theology, the bond of our marriage, the best medicine in all our sickness, the remedy of all our discouragements. And when we come to die (whether sooner or later), these two truths will stand by our beds and with infinitely strong and infinitely tender hands lift us up to God.