1 John 5:10-13 by Brandi Peters

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." -1 John 5:10-13 ESV

There are a lot of speculations and opinions circulating in the world today regarding who is going to heaven. Many people are prone to question the salvation of others or even themselves. I know self-proclaimed Christians who, when asked about whether they're going to heaven, will say "I hope so." I know pastors who make a habit of preaching from Matthew 7 to spark fear about making sure you're in the kingdom.

There are many reasons to question salvation, some legitimate, but general fear and anxiety are not amongst them. Romans 10:9-10 tell us, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." This truth does not leave a lot of room for doubt.

As a believer, your faith should be as sure as the hands you've placed it in. It's not yours to doubt because you did nothing to earn it. It is your responsibility to believe and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. It is God's promise to grant eternal life. If you have believed and confessed, the rest is up to Him.

Yes, there are works involved. Yes, there is change to be expected in your life. These aspects are not to be ignored. They are however a byproduct of your salvation, not a way to achieve it.

Keep in mind, if you have true and lingering doubts about whether or not you are saved, consult a leader to ensure you have a full understanding of the gospel. This should not be a continual concern in the life of a Christian. If however, the enemy attempts on occasion to throw you off your confidence or keep you in a false place of humility where you can't speak what the Lord has done in your life, take heart. You can be sure!

Lord, thank You that my hope and my future are in You. I never have to question Your ability to bring all you've promised to fruition. Comfort and assure Your children in our struggles, in our human tendency to doubt. The depths of our heart trust You supremely. Thank You for that privilege. Amen.

Mark 4:35-41 by Seth Dunn

On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.”Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” 

Mark 4:35 - 41

In the month of February 2013, tornadoes devastated Adairsville, GA, just north of my home in Cartersville.  Unfortunately, this is not all unusual in the part of the country in which I live.  Later that same month, a tornado destroyed significant parts of Hattiesburg, MS.  A friend of mine captured that foreboding storm on video and it was broadcast nationally on the Weather Channel.  In both locations, people watched helplessly as the forces of nature destroyed life and property.  After the storms had passed, the best people could do was to gather together to clean-up and rebuild.  This pattern has repeated itself down through the centuries.  Despite mankind’s great technical and societal progress, there is little it can do to stand against the powerful forms of nature.  Storms, earthquakes, tidal waves, hurricanes, and tornadoes continue to wreak havoc upon mankind.  Sometimes these events bring out the best in human nature; sometimes they bring out the worst.

The gospels recount a story of bad weather bringing out the worst in Jesus’ disciples, exposing their crippling lack of faith.  Even in the presence of God incarnate, they still feared the weather.  Jesus, the divine ruler of the universe, calmed the weather simply by telling the wind and Sea, “Hush, be still.”  After doing so he reprimanded his disciples saying, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

This led the disciples to ask one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”  This question is still pertinent today.  As we are tossed about by the storms of life, both tangible and metaphorical, we must consider Jesus.  Who is Jesus that even the wind and sea obey Him?  He is the Lord of the universe, so much greater than we.

When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me
When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me
When the world is tossing me
Like a ship out on the sea
Thou who rulest wind and water
Stand by me

Matthew 6:24 by Jessie Holmes

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

-Matthew 6:24

Who is your master? Everyone is serving a master. Jesus in this verse mentions two of them: God and money (possessions). Servant and master are in no way the same as an employer and employee.  A slave or a servant was the property of only one Master. This slave or servant was in total submission to that master and committed their life to servitude under his authority. The servant who makes money and possessions their master is committing to a life of greed, discontentment, emptiness, and selfishness. We can look at the world and see how fleeting money and possessions can be. The things of the world are not constant, reliable, or provide joy. This master runs his servant until the only thing left is brokenness. This is the master that we see so many serving.

There is however another Master who is worthy of the title. He created the heavens and the earth. He sustains all things and controls all things. He is just, righteous, and faithful. A life committed to Him may not be easy, but that servant will find joy, purpose, fulfillment, and hope. God is the master I am describing and He selfishly wants the whole heart. He will not share. In reality it is impossible to seek the things of God and the things of the world. Both are going in two opposite directions. Much like Highlander, there can only be one.

So here’s the punch line: Our lives reflect whom we are serving. People around us will see, because both masters produce fruit in our lives. The question is, which master is worthy of our time, attention, devotion, and commitment. Take some time today and look at your week. Look at how you have spent each of your days and ask yourself this question: Who am I serving?   

Are You Narrow-Minded? by Patrick Fuller

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matt. 7:13-14

            Are you narrow-minded?  The title is actually more of a comical way to say “Have you set off on the narrow way of following Jesus?”  The truth is I am not talking solely about being called closed minded.  I am talking about the status of your relationship with Jesus Christ.  Perhaps you’ve been going to church all of your life, perhaps you are neither here nor there, or perhaps you are totally against the idea of having a life changing relationship with Jesus.  Jesus is making a divide here and now though.  He wants us to see that the Christian life is a different life from non-Christians.  He is saying that those who want to follow him are going to have to be dedicated and wholly divided unto him and his teaching.  The broad way has many followers, many options, many gods, and many ways of living that ALL lead to self-destruction.  Jesus commands us to live one way and that way is only found in his true teaching of the Bible.  He is patient and awaits your choice.

Holy Spirit, please guide us down the narrow path of Jesus and invite others to join us on the way.

In The Fight by Katie Kilgore

Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Matthew 5:11-12

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Over the course of the past several weeks Satan has been very busy in and around my life.  He continues to attach through those I love, those I worship with, those I don’t even know, even my job.  He is a good schemer. 

I read Ephesians 6 about putting on the full armor of God in the midst of one day recently that was particularly difficult.  I had been persecuted by, none other, than those with whom I worship with on a weekly basis.  I was pretty down in the dumps about it.  Then, I read about putting on God’s full armor of protection.  As I considered God’s armor, I realized that I am a part of His army, fighting this battle of life, on His behalf.  I also realized the importance of Him allowing me to wear His armor.  Not only does His armor protect physically, but it also provides a spiritual and emotional shield as well.  Even after my “battle” had ended, and I felt bruised and tired, I was not defeated, but only because of His shield and sword.

As I consider persecution, I should think of it as a privilege rather than a battle.  If others are insulting me or saying evil things against me, could it mean that I am living a life of obedience to Christ?  He never promises a life of ease, however, he does promise a life of persecution.  And, then in Matthew 5:12, He tells us to “rejoice and be glad” in the midst of our persecution.  Jesus was not exempt from persecution, so why should we expect to be?  We shouldn’t, we just don’t want to deal with it because it is painful.  But, in the pain, comes the beauty of growth and strength that can only come from walking with Christ.

So, as persecution finds you, as it will continue to do, remember to rejoice in the Lord and be especially thankful that He gives us the protection and the armor that we need to fight the battle!  I am staying In The Fight, what about you?

Lord, I want to fight this battle of life, but only with you guiding and your armor protecting me.  Help me to see that persecution is a good thing, even when it hurts and leaves a bruise!  Help me to rejoice and be glad when persecution comes my way.

Amen

The Prodigal Son or The Perfect Father? by Brandi Peters

"And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." -Luke 15:20 ESV

I'm not a runner. I don't enjoy running or desire to become better at it. I often joke with people that if I'm ever seen running, the police need to be contacted, because someone is chasing me. Then again, that's not entirely true. I am a runner. An excellent runner. I am good at running from God. I'm not alone in this talent.

Who doesn't love the story of the prodigal son? Who, in his own way, hasn't at some point in his life been the prodigal son? I am intrigued by the story because I relate to it. I can see the futility of the young son's actions, squandering his life and reaping what he's sown. I am aware he's getting exactly what he deserves, but still I am sympathetic because I know I have acted similarly. As easy as it would be to condemn him and leave him starving in the slop, I am secretly hoping there is some sort of out, not particularly because I have come to like him, but because I recognize his fate could be my own. I want to see him rise above this circumstance so that I can have hope in mine.

He hits rock bottom and finally comes to his senses. At this point, I've been wondering why it took him so long. He could've always gone home with his tail between his legs, right? I want to feel like this would've occurred to me before I got to the point of starvation, but that's probably an oversell.

He comes up with a plan, one that seems like a bit of a scheme to me. There's no justifying what he's done. He knows this. I picture him repeating the spiel to himself over and over all the way home until he's almost convinced it will work. That's where we pick up in verse 20, with a major shift occurring and it becoming evident that the story of the prodigal son isn't really about the son at all. It's about the father, who is a picture of God.

This focus is not on the knucklehead behavior of the son. It's on the perfect forgiveness of the father. The people listening to Jesus would've understood this, if for no other reason than this: the father ran. Respectable Jewish men did not run. It was considered unbecoming. This father would've been owed the graveling the son was about to give, that and much more. He asked for no payment though. He accepted the son's repentance and showed grace.

Why? He loved his son and desired a relationship with him, just as God desires a relationship with each of his children. God made a way for that when he sent Christ to bear the punishment for our sins. We can be encouraged by this as we approach the father. He's done all the work. We just need to turn toward Him in humility. Wherever we are, He will come running!

God, thank You that You are the perfect Father. Though we fall and fail, You are always patient and loving with Your children. Keep us close. Show us more of who You are and help us to honor You daily. Amen.

Tradition or Tradition, You Choose… by Katie Kilgore

You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3 (ESV)

I am currently reading a text called Who Stole My Church.  The author, Gordon MacDonald, speaks about a church being so filled with tradition and thoughts of the way we have always done this or that that our vision and need for reaching the lost gets lost.  MacDonald discusses the essential need for change in order to reach non-believers and how we get stuck in the same ol’ same ol’.

MacDonald says, “Tradition is a stage of shelf life where people do things over and over again but have no idea why.  They’ve lost their memory of the original need and vision.  You could say they’ve become addicted to institutional life and keep doing things over and over again without really asking why.  And to stop doing those things would be like going through withdrawal.  Church wise, it’s the moment when the insiders – the folks who have always been there – see themselves as more important than the people outside the church whom we were supposed to be reaching.”

So, I must ask, does this tradition become like a god set before us as our idol, our “only way,” our tainted vision?  I contend that this tradition, in fact, takes on a life form of its own, a monster, a force of great strength, the tradition becomes our god.  I would even say that we become so fixated on serving this god of tradition that we lose sight of anything beyond the walls of our church, we concentrate on ourselves.  We are now focused inward, which is exactly where Satan wants us to be.

Does any of this sound familiar to your current church situation?  It is sad, but true, our god of tradition takes on more conversation, more energy, and many more efforts than the God whom we are supposed to be worshiping.  We must choose to put aside our traditional mind-set, our opinions of “this is the way it should or shouldn't be done,” and choose to worship God, the one true living God.

Dear Lord,

Please help me to see when tradition is becoming a god and is idolized before you.  Help me to see your guidance for when and where change is needed in order for your vision and your needs to be met in our congregation, but even further, beyond the four walls of our church building.  Help us Father not to allow this god of tradition or any other god to be put before You.

Amen

What’s On Your Mind? by Patrick Fuller

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” Romans 8:6

            Brother Lawrence, famous for his 17th century writings and simple faith once wrote about his relationship with God saying, “I worshiped him as often as I could, keeping my mind in his holy presence and recalling it back to God as often as I found it had wandered from him.”  This was the daily habit of his thought life in which he was able to encounter God in an intimate way even amongst mundane tasks.  His ability to recover wandering thoughts whenever possible and keep his mental focus on God and his good attributes helped him experience the spiritual exercise now known as practicing “the presence of God”.  This brought him great joy and peace over time even though he was a simple man in humble circumstances for most of his life.  How much more so will it help us in our fast paced lives to slow down and remove our thoughts from Facebook statuses, Twitter feeds, and our ever present worries?  Remember that Paul wrote that if we live by the flesh in our mindset we will experience death, but if we are set on the Spirit of God we will experience life and peace.  Just think about that for a while.  It will undoubtedly change your mind.

Lord God, let us always be aware of You and walk in step with your Spirit alone.  Amen.

Brother Lawrence.  The Practice of the Presence of God.  Translated by John J. Delaney.  New York: Doubleday, 1977.