The Generation of Self

As I was reading the Bible today, I was reading out of Proverbs 30. Verse 11-13 caught my attention.

There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,yet is not washed from its filth.
There is a generation—how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks.

I think that this so true of our generation today. Especially in the more advanced countries of the world like the United States and Europe. The new generation in general does not have the same respect for their parents as the older generation. Often, children are arrogant towards their parents and even hostile.

The new generation in developed countries think they can do no wrong. Everyone can live as they please. Whatever makes them feel good, and doesn't hurt others (at least in their minds), it is fine. What God calls sin or evil, they see no wrong in it. This generation is quick to criticize and judge others, but doesn't accept criticism or corrections well. Each person is a man or woman unto himself.

Basically, those from developed nations have become haughty and pretentious. Pretentious according to the Bing dictionary is - self-important and affected: acting as though more important or special than is warranted, or appearing to have an unrealistically high self-image.

Sadly to say, we often find these attitudes in the church. Lord help us to guard against this and walk humbly before you.

God's Unchanging Character

When we look at Psalm 22, we see that king David is in distress and he call out unto the Lord.

Psalm 22:1-2 - "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest."

How often do we feel the same way as David. While in the midst of a trial we call out to God and we don't get the answer we want. It seems that God does not care or even powerless to help us. We can't understand why He isn't acting on our behalf when we know that he can. It can be down right frustrating and bring us to despair. We may even question His character, goodness, faithfulness and strength.

Yet, God's character does not depend on our circumstances, nor can we determine who God is by them. God is above our circumstances and in control of all things.

Psalm 22:3 - "Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises."

He is saying to God even though I don't see your deliverance, it does not change who you are. You are still the God of Israel and remain on your throne.

He goes on to remember God's faithfulness in the past and how the fathers of the past cried out and He answered them. When we face times of great difficulty, we need to remember God is on His throne and He is love and faithfulness towards us has not changed. He is still the all powerful God who has compassion and delivers those who are in trouble. Reflect on how many times in the past that He has helped us and others. Praise Him for what He has done and trust that He will do it once again.

Like the Apostle Paul

Titus 1:1-3 - "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness ² in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, ³ and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,"

When I read this verse this morning I was reminded of what God has called me to do. He has called me to build up believers faith, teach them the Word of God and to give hope of eternal life. I am not only to teach but preach the commands of God.

Later on in 1:9, Paul says  elders are to encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

I think these days, there is a tendency not to put such importance on doctrine. Many in the church would say, all that matters is that we are in  Christ Jesus. We have gone down this path because we have seen how doctrine divides the church. In the name of unity, we throw doctrine aside. It doesn't really matter what you believe the Bible says because no one really knows the truth. What is important is that we walk in love and be supportive of one another. This is all good, but it shouldn't make us sacrifice doctrine: sound teaching and the truth. There is one correct interpretation of God's Word, and we should seek to know what this is and walk in it. 

We focus today on practical application, but wrong doctrine will produce wrong application. With out a solid theory, application of that theory will not produce the desired result. We need to be balanced in this. Good theory (doctrine) without application is ineffective. Application without a solid theory is faulty. 

Measure of Christian Maturity

 1 Corinthians 13:11-13

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” NKJV

 

In this portion the Apostle Paul writes about moving from childhood to maturity in our speech, understanding, and thought. This transition is purposeful. We don’t mature naturally over time any more than a child growing big makes him more mature. It takes willful, intentional decisions with the discipline to carry them out. He says we have to “put away childish things.” This is a process from seeing dimly and knowing in part to seeing Christ face to face and knowing Him as He knows us. It is a life-long process that we must pursue with our whole being.

 

The measure of maturity is faith, hope, and love. The Apostle says, “now abide these three.” These are the three pillars of the Christian life that we should constantly be developing which produce eternal results. This is a progressive work that the Holy Spirit wants to do in us. Romans 1:17 says, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Unveiled faces mean that we have to be transparent before God, if this maturity process is going to happen.

 

Maturity in faith comes through the Word because “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Maturity in love is a development of our character. I Corinthians chapter 13 clearly demonstrates that anything that is done that does not spring from love has no value. Love is manifested in obedience. Jesus said in John 14:21,“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.” The manifestation of love is in the fruit of the Spirit. Maturity in hope is demonstrated in ministry because hope exalts God and His kingdom. 1 Corinthians 9:10 says, “For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope , and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.”

 

Maturity requires that we grow in all three areas: faith, hope and love. Some people may exude love but have no faith or hope, and so produce little. Others may have great faith and hope resulting in great ministry, but their life is bankrupt of love. We often measure ourselves and others by our strongest area, when, in fact, our level of maturity is as great as our weakest area. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

 

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things….And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

 

Surprise

Luke 1:26-33

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her,"Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!.... Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

 

I know the announcement above was a huge, off-the-chart surprise to Mary, an unwed virgin from an unknown family of an unexpected village called Nazareth. In fact, the saying of the time was, “What good thing could come out of Nazareth?” But we serve a God of surprises, a God of the unexpected, who loves to do the impossible. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 says, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”

 

The hall of faith in Hebrews chapter eleven is a chapter full of surprises. God creates a world out of nothing, has a carpenter build a huge boat on dry land for a flood that would cover the earth, and chose a barren woman to be the mother of a people that would be as numerous as the stars of the heaven and sand on the seashore and through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed.

 

If your life is kind of boring and mundane with no surprises, then you are not walking with the creative God of the unexpected. There are a few basic key elements to walking with the God of surprises. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”

 

These surprises are for those who love Him. This love is a commitment to God above all others and above all things. It means putting God first and trusting Him all the time, no matter what happens in our lives. Secondly, we have to be in tune to the Spirit because God reveals these surprises to us by His Spirit, and they are fulfilled as we walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh. These surprises are birthed into our life by the Spirit and always fulfilled by the power of the Spirit. They are impossible for man to understand or to fulfill.

 

Are you ready for a surprise?

7 Ways to Stop the Adultery Epidemic

It happened again. For the third time in six months, the pastor of a large church in my hometown of Orlando, Fla., has resigned from his pulpit because of adultery. I’m sad. I’m sick. I’m sorry for the pastors, and sorrier for the congregations that are having to deal with the fallout caused by bad choices.
I’m also cringing because an increasingly hostile public sees these train wrecks as evidence that Christians are hypocrites who preach one thing and live another. We stand for biblical marriage between one man and one woman, but in many cases those marriages are failing. No wonder the gay community hates our flimsy platitudes.
Why are we witnessing this epidemic of moral failure? Many factors could be cited (easy access to pornography, sex-saturated entertainment, the devil and his demons, etc.)—but I don’t think we need a list of excuses today. I’m tired of excuses. The devil does not make us do this. It is totally possible for Christian men and women to live in holiness today. The power of His grace is not affected by social trends or hell’s attacks.
Maybe we’ve made this too complicated. Let’s go back to some basic ways we can stay pure:
1. Practice regular “fire drills.” Paul told Timothy to “flee” from youthful lusts (2 Tim. 2:22). But you can’t flee a burning building if you don’t know where the exits are. If you don’t map out your plan of escape, you won’t run when you are confronted with a lustful glance, an X-rated website or a brazen proposition. When faced with temptation, don’t play with it, talk to it, stroke it, analyze it or revisit it in an hour. Just bolt for the door!
2. Don’t live in isolation. Many people are vulnerable to moral compromise because they spend so much time alone. God designed us to live in community. If King David had not left his brothers on the battlefield and returned home, he would not have seen Bathsheba skinny-dipping on the roof. You are less likely to succumb to temptation if you are surrounded by family or Christian friends.
3. Stay faithful in spiritual disciplines. Nothing makes the heart colder than a lack of quiet time with God. Charles Spurgeon said, “Prayer will make you leave off sinning, or sinning will make you leave off praying.” If you have spent time with Jesus in the morning, you are not going to invite Delilah to cut your hair off that evening. If you are too busy with your work to pray and read the Bible, you are already headed for a spiritual train wreck.
4. Be ruthless with temptation. Today’s wimpish Christian culture encourages us to be soft toward sin. Yet the apostle Paul used athletic imagery when he taught about the strenuous effort of resisting sin. He wrote, “I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27, NASB). If you can’t resist looking at a pornographic website, you are a spiritual baby. If you can’t run when Potiphar’s wife turns on her charm, you need to get your jellyfish spine in shape. Grow up and quit making excuses for your weak morals.
5. Confess your sins regularly. Last weekend during a men’s conference in Philadelphia, one brave brother shared openly how he had been molested as a child—and how the trauma of abuse led him into a pattern of fornication. After he shared his weakness, dozens of men felt the freedom to come to the altar and confess their sexual sins. Transparency is the path to sexual purity. You cannot expect to be pure if your inner life is a cesspool of ugly secrets. Tell somebody. Get the monkey off your back.
6. Keep the home fires burning. I’ve met many Christian men who struggle with all kinds of sexual temptation. But after talking with them, I learn that they have no regular intimacy with their wives. The apostle Paul taught that husbands and wives have an equal responsibility to fulfill each other sexually (1 Cor. 7:3). If the fires have gone out in your marriage, find a counselor or enroll in a marriage course in your church. God can rekindle romance and repair your communication breakdown before your chilly marriage freezes beyond repair.
7. Get regular spiritual checkups. Adults are supposed to see a doctor annually to prevent heart ailments, cancer and other problems. Yet many of us never open our lives to input from pastors or mentors. (And many pastors have no one to examine them!) Learn to ask for prayer and counsel. Share your struggles and weaknesses. If you detect a weak spot in your armor, don’t wait until the devil blows you out of the water to ask someone for help.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of the Mordecai Project (themordecaiproject.org). You can follow him on Twitter at @leegrady. He is the author of Fearless Daughters of the Bible and other books.

Right Sacrifices

Are you making sacrifices for God and His kingdom. This is good if it is right sacrifices.

Psalms 4:5 - "Offer right sacrifices,  and put your trust in the Lord.

When we look in the Old Testament, they offered many sacrifices to the Lord. Yet, not all sacrifices were equal in the eyes of the Lord. Not all sacrifices were right and pleasing to Him. We this with Abel and Cain. 

Genesis 4:5-7 - "but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it."

We could look at many examples through out the O.T. of sacrifices that were not pleasing to the Lord. As believers, it good when we are willing to make sacrifices, but are the right sacrifices. Some Christians make great sacrifices seemingly for the kingdom of God, but in reality they are doing it for their kingdoms. Sacrifice alone is not enough, but what is the motive behind the sacrifice. God was not pleased with many of the Israelite's sacrifices because they were given with wrong motives. They were given only to appease Him, but not in repentance. They were only giving God lip service. They often were not given in the manner prescribed by God. Often they would give the sacrifices to see what they could get from God.

Maybe you are making sacrifices for the kingdom of God, but in reality you are doing it please others, seek others praise or to build your own kingdom. God wants sacrifices that come from a repentant and clean heart. I believe sometimes we make unnecessary sacrifices, ones that He has not required.

Let us give right sacrifices.