Maturity [2 Corinthians 13:9]

2Co 13:9 In fact, we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this: your maturity.

In this verse in Corinthians, Paul tells the Corithian believers that he is praying for their maturity. What does it mean for a Christian to be mature? Let's take a moment and examine this.
The idea given here is a believer that is fully living out the commands of God given in Scripture. Barnes says they are living in such a way that their is not need for discipline to be brought upon them. Their life lines up with God's Word.
Using the illustration of the body, as Paul likes to do, a hand would be acting as a hand. A foot would be acting as a foot. An eye would be acting as an eye. More specifically, those who are merciful would be exercising mercy. Those who give cheerfully, would be giving cheerfully. The body of Christ would be functioning as it was intended to.
Maturity in the life of a believer is more than how much Scripture knowledge we have or how that knowledge is understood. It is how we apply that knowledge in our lives and then in the life of our church.

No Praise for Me Please :) [Acts 14:12]

Act 14:12 And they started to call Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the main speaker.

Paul and Barnabas had just made their way from Iconium to a town called Lystra to preach the gospel (Acts 14:6-7). When they arrived there they found a man who was paralyzed from his waist down, unable to walk (Acts 14:8). After seeing the faith this man had in God's message, Paul declared to him in a loud voice that he had been healed (Acts 14:10). The response of the crowd is interesting. They did not begin to praise the God that Paul was preaching, instead they began to praise Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:13). They were calling them Zeus and Hermes, the Greek gods (Acts 14:12). It would have been very easy for Paul and Barnabas at this point to take credit for the healing of the man. They could have claimed that it was by their power, instead they were disgusted by the crowds response (Acts 14:14). He explained to them that it was not by their power that these miracles were done, but by the power of the living God.

Believers need to give all credit to God for everything He is doing around and through us. Make sure people are aware that it is by the power of God we can do what we do and couldn't by any abilities of our own. Follow the example of Paul and Barnabas in this passage and defer the praise to God for all good things in your life.

Free Will/ Freedom [Genesis 3:6]

Gen 3:6 Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

One of the greatest blessings that God gave man was our ability to make choices, our “free will” as some like to call it. The problem is man has taken this free will and distorted it and actually made it a “curse.” Humans tend to like their freedom and as we see in the story of the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve quite a bit of freedom and the ability to choose. The only thing He asked was that they stay away from one tree. Why? Because the result would be death. Do you think Adam did not believe God? Even though the serpent told them otherwise, you still would think they would believe the one who created them! No, they made a choice because they wanted their freedom. With that choice came the consequences that God had promised: death. Physical death? Eventually. Spiritual death? Right then. He had given them a lot of freedom and the ability to choose within the that freedom, but they disobeyed.

God has given believers a lot of freedom within our lives. There are things that He allows us to do and things that He forbids. Why? Because He is protecting us. While sin may only last for a moment, consequences last a lot longer, even a lifetime.

Obey God. It’s so much easier.

Devotion [Acts 2:42]

Act 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.

What does devoted mean? To be loyal to; dedicated; faithful; to someone or something. In the onset of the early church, we read about a mass conversion of people to Christianity (at least 3000) on the day of Pentecost. Immediately following that event, we learn what the new believers devoted their lives to. First, they devoted themselves to learning about God’s Word. Second, they made it a priority to spend time with other believers in fellowship and over meals. They were developing relationships with other Christians. Finally, they were spending time in prayer. The text does not say in prayer for what exactly, but I think it is safe to assume they were praying for each other and themselves.
What holds your devotion? Many of us would probably say our job or our family or some other activity, but how many of us can honestly say that God or His church holds our devotion? The early church gave us an excellent model of what we should strive for and seek to model. Take a moment and examine your life. Where is your devotion?

Aaron

Christian Camp Experience [Galatians 4:11-20]

[11] I am fearful for you, that perhaps my labor for you has been wasted. [12] I beg you, brothers: become like me, for I also became like you. You have not wronged me; [13] you know that previously I preached the gospel to you in physical weakness, [14] and though my physical condition was a trial for you, you did not despise or reject me. On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. [15] What happened to this blessedness of yours? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. [16] Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? [17] They are enthusiastic about you, but not for any good. Instead, they want to isolate you so you will be enthusiastic about them. [18] Now it is always good to be enthusiastic about good--and not just when I am with you. [19] My children, again I am in the pains of childbirth for you until Christ is formed in you. [20] I'd like to be with you right now and change my tone of voice, because I don't know what to do about you.

Have you ever heard of the “Christian Camp Experience?” When we go to camp it is almost impossible not to get fired up for God. For an entire week you are surrounded by Christians, great teaching, and feeding off of each others enthusiasm. Our walk with Jesus goes to an entirely new level. Then what happens most of the time? We come back and stay fired up for a couple weeks. Why is that? Most of the time its distractions. We loose the focus that we had. Other things overtake what we finally had as most important. Our desire to become like Christ slowly fades.
This is similar to what Paul is writing the Galatians about. When he was visiting and preaching to them, they were on fire for Jesus. They were walking examples of Christ. Paul even throws in a little humor by saying they would have “torn out their eyes” and given them to him. They were literally holding nothing back to glorify God. Then what happened? Paul left. They got distracted by other teachings and their focus on Christ slowly faded.
Everyone reading this can certainly remember a time when they were growing rapidly in their walk with Jesus. Has that faded? Have you wandered from your “Christian Camp Experience?” Surround yourselves with Christian that can keep you accountable and keep you growing.

Aaron

Why do you love Him? [1 Peter 1:8]

1Pe 1:8 You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy.

Is it possible to love someone you have not seen? What is it about Christ that compels us to love Him having not seen Him physically? What is it about Christ that would make us even take notice of Him?

First, His love was displayed to us by the giving of himself. His love was express in sacrificial gift of His life. (John 3:16)

Second, His death set us free from the chains of sin. We are no longer slaves to sin, but to Christ. (Romans 6:17-18)

Third, He experienced the life of a human. He lived 33 years among His creation with temptation breathing down His neck. He did this so He could comfort me in my times of temptation and affliction in this life. (Hebrews 2:6-9)

Fourth, He allows me to have fellowship with Him. Christ bridged the gap between God and us. (1 Corinthians 1:9)

The list of the ways God showed His love for us is unending, but the statement remains, “You love Him though you have not seen Him” Why?

We love [Him] because He first loved us. [1 John 4:19]

How do you express that love to Him? What about those who haven’t experienced His love?

Aaron Taylor

The Christian Life

“Which is best—To fight for a short time, to carry stakes for the stockade, to bear arms, and to faint under heavy battles in order to rejoice as victors forever, or to become slaves forever because we can’t endure for a single hour?” –Jerome

Is the Christian life worth it?

You tell me.

Aaron

Our High Priest [Hebrews 7:26-27]

Heb 7:26 For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
Heb 7:27 He doesn't need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do--first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when He offered Himself.

Looking back before the death of Christ, priests had to offer sacrifices for the sins of themselves and then the people they were over. They would offer a sacrifice to cleanse their sin, and then they were in the proper spot to offer a sacrifice for the sins of others. What did it take for Jesus to be the final sacrifice for sins? He was the embodiment of sinless perfection; everything about Him resonated holiness; He was without fault; without blame. As our high priest, it is not necessary for Him offer a payment for sin daily, for He was the payment. He did not offer a calf or goat, but Himself. Himself for all mankind.

Coffee Shop Logo

As some of you know, recently I began thinking about opening a coffee shop after I graduate from college. I want a place where local bands (because there are whole lot of them) can play on the weekends and get their name out there. I want a place where "known" bands can come and play. I would like to have a bible study/ sermon on Tuesday evenings for teenagers around town (parents are welcome too), so it does not interfere with the youth groups they are already involved in or if they aren't they will have a place to connect. I want a place where teenagers can come and hang out. A place where parents will know they are safe and were youth can have a good time. I know God has called me into youth ministry, eventually I believe to be a youth evangelist/ speaker, so this is where I believe my first step begins. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Here is a logo I came up with for the shop. A name I thought of the other day "The Company" really stuck with me, but knowing me that will change within a week :)

John 3:16

John 3:16 "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

God, θεος (theh'-os), loved the world. Many translations say God loved the world SOOO (emphasis added) much that He gave His Son. Indicating the God’s love for humanity was so vast that He gave Jesus. While that is a true statement, God giving Jesus was not a result of His love, but an expression of His love. What the verse says is God loved the world “ουτως” (hoo'-to) or “in this way.” God expression of His love for humanity was the giving of Jesus as sins final and perfect sacrifice. Christ was God’s sole child, His only heir, the “only begotten,” one of a kind. For what purpose? What was the purpose of giving the sacrifice? To open the gate to eternal life. All those who believe, entrust their life, commit, have faith in Jesus (action required on our part) inherit eternal life. All those who don’t will “αποληται” (be destroyed fully).

Sometimes it is good to review verses that we often overlook because they are “common.” Share this verse with someone and tell them about God’s expression of His love for them.

Where Does My Help Come From? [Psalm 121:1-2]

Psa 121:1 I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?

Psa 121:2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

This psalm written by King David gives us such a visual word picture of the scenario being described. We imagine a man in the bottom of a valley, all alone. A man looking up and seeing at the top of the mountains that make up this valley, enemies on every mountain crest. Bows and arrows drawn the enemy is ready to finish the man off. With such an advantage, their arrows would gain speed traveling down the mountain side into the valley below. What is the man to do? He could sit and wait in the valley, but the enemy would likely charge. He could take his chances by running up the mountain, but being totally surrounded his chances of survival are slim. What is the man to do? Where will his help come from?

We have all felt this way before. We get ourselves into situations or situations seem to just find us where there seems to be no escape. Any effort that we give to set ourselves free seems hopeless. The world seems to surround us, waiting for us to move in the slightest direction, so they can strike. Where will our help come from? God does not want us to live in that state of fear. He does not want us to wonder who will rescue us from the danger. He will. We must call out to Him. He will rescue us.

Aaron

[Illustration modified from sermon at Thomas Road Baptist Church, "Christ's Fearless Ones"]

Look to the Night Sky [Psalm 19:1-2]

Psa 19:1 For the choir director. A Davidic psalm. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.
Psa 19:2 Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.

“People would live their lives differently if they would just occasionally look into the night sky.” I heard this quote a few nights ago and it really struck me. Over the next few days, that quote and this verse in Psalm 19 continued to resonate through my mind. So, after work one night, I decided to take a moment to look into the night sky. At that moment, all my problems, worries, distractions, literally everything disappeared and it was just me and God. I can say from personal experience that I allow my problems to be “bigger than God” and sometime I think that God may not be able to handle what I’m going through. Do you ever feel that way? It was that night that it was all put into perspective again. God, who created all that I can see in the sky, the moon, the stars, the “blackness”, the immeasurable expanse of space, truly cares about what is bothering me. Before He can help, He wants our full attention. That night God got my full attention.

If you are struggling, stressed or just seem to be distracted, look at the night sky. God is all around us and cares, sometimes we just need simple reminder.

Are you running well? [Galatians 5:7]

Gal 5:7 You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth?

From the outside looking in, what can other people say about your walk with Christ? How is it going? Are you daily developing that relationship into a deeper intimacy? Or are you neglecting the salvation that you have received? The greatest testimony that a Christians has is the life that they live. More specifically, allowing Christ to live that life through them. When this happens the world around us can’t help, but see Jesus. Again, how are you doing?

Apparently, the Christians that Paul is addressing in Galatia were at one time doing well in the “race of faith.” At one point in time they were “running well.” Come time of this writing that was not longer the case. No longer did they have drive in their Christian life. He then poses them with the question, “Since you are not doing so well now, why not?” (My paraphrase). The word we see translated here as “prevented” is ανεκοψεν which means “hinder or drive back.” Paul’s question is “what is hindering you,” “what is causing you to go back from the truth?” Why were they no longer allowing Christ to live through them?

If you are running well then take Paul’s statement as “You are running well!” and praise God for His working in your life. If you are not, ask yourself why? I’m sure you know.

Aaron

Out of Your Mind [2 Corinthians 5:13]

2Co 5:13 For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we have a sound mind, it is for you.

Are you crazy about God? Did you know its ok to be a little “nuts?” Christians need to have such excitement for God that we can not hold it in! We need to be so amazed at what God is doing in us that we seem to be a little “out of our minds!” It’s when we are like that that we are bringing praise to God. The Bible does not tell us to sit in a pew, fold our hands, wear a halo, hum a monotone sound and stare at the sky. How can we do that serving the God we do?

Tyndale says it well: “if we are esteemed to be sane, and sober-minded, as we trust you will admit us to be, it is for your sake. Whatever may be the estimate in which we are held, we are influenced by love to God, and love to man. In such a cause, we cannot but evince zeal and self-denial which may expose us to the charge of mental derangement.”

Are you out of your mind? Wait, out of your mind for God?

Aaron

You Can't Do It On Your Own [2 Corinthians 4:3-4]

2Co 4:3 But if, in fact, our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
2Co 4:4 Regarding them: the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Have you ever tried to do it on your own? Well, maybe I should clarify; have you ever tried to share the gospel on your own? We all have those times where we leave God out of the “equation.” According to this verse, we will fail 100% of the time if we do that. Why you ask? To those who are not believers, the message of the gospel is a riddle. They do not understand it; it is almost like reading another language. Their “spiritual eyes” have been covered by a cloak that does not allow them to see Jesus. There is good news though! Jesus can remove that cloak. He can lift it off and let His light shine through to them. I can’t do it, you can’t do, only Jesus can do it.

Next time you have the opportunity to share the gospel message (remember: ask God for those opportunities!), make sure you ask Jesus for His help. It is only through His power that the message can even get to their hearts.

Aaron

Distractions [Colossians 4:17]

Col 4:17 And tell Archippus, "Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it."

Do you ever find yourself becoming distracted by life? In this world of technology, it is very easy to get lost in other “stuff” and not focus on our ministries for the Lord. With such “necessities” as facebook and myspace, we can find ourselves caught up in “biblical debates” with no definite end (not that I have ever done that!). How about television? How much time do we spend watching the Olympics compared to preparing for our next ministry event or class? We find ourselves so enveloped in what seems “important” that in reality, we are ignoring what deserves our full attention. There is so much that we are confronted with on a daily basis that can deter us from serving the Lord. What are we missing out on because of this?

Refocus your time. Refocus your focus. What has God called you to do? Are you devoting the proper amount of time to it? Or are you not “paying attention” to your ministry?

Refocus.

Aaron

Open Doors [Colossians 4:3-4]

Col 4:3 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah--for which I am in prison--
Col 4:4 so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak.

Isn’t it nice to be comfortable? To have a place to live, to have enough food to eat, to have plenty of friends; comfort is almost viewed as a necessity. We don’t only like to be comfortable with our “things,” but also our “me space.” It seems the majority of us like to live in our little “bubble” and only allow certain people in. What about those that need to hear about Jesus? Are we pushing them away without even knowing it? Just so we can be “comfortable?” What would happen if prayed this prayer like Paul requests? Not only if we prayed it, but actually meant it. What if we truly desired to no longer be comfortable; no longer satisfied with an average Christian walk? How would our lives be different if we asked God to “open doors?”

Paul was never one to settle for comfortable or average. He was one of the most influential men the Christian world has ever seen. He tells us in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.” How about we start here? Ask God to open doors for you to share His story.

Aaron

Following the Leader [Galatians 2:11-13]

Gal 2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned.
Gal 2:12 For he used to eat with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party.
Gal 2:13 Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

I’m sure we have all heard the song “Following the Leader” and the famous line, “following the leader, wherever he may go…” The question is: Is this always right? We see in this passage the Jews separating from the Gentiles. Specifically, Paul mentions Peter no longer eating with the Jews and it seems that he even gathered a large following to separate with him. Even Baranabas fell into this trap.

Even though the leader is doing it does not always make it right. We have to make the decision based on what we know and read from God’s Word. What does it say? Does what my leader is asking me to do go against it? How should I respond? What should I do instead?
Our leaders deserve our respect and admonition, but don’t ever just “go with the flow.” Confirm what they say and develop your own conclusions based on truth.

Aaron Taylor

Riding the River [2 Peter 1:3]

2Pe 1:3 For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

Upon reading Hebrews 2, we see that God will bring punishment on believers who neglect His commandments. The illustration can be given based on the first two verses of someone floating down a raging river, drowning. At each point along there descent down the river there is a life vest just within reach; all the person would have to do is reach out and grab it. This is comparable to our lives as believers. We make decisions each day that can send us down this “raging river” without a life vest, where we can do nothing, but continue to drown. If we make decisions that are in agreement with God’s Word, it is as if we are floating down the river with the vest on. There is nothing to worry about because we are in the safety of the floatation device.

So, why do we make these wrong choices? We tend to blame it on “self” or “the temptation to sin got the best of me,” but if have died to sin and self (Romans 6), why do we continue to allow it to rule our lives? That’s a question you have to ask yourself. God has given us everything we need to live a life pleasing to Him, the moment you and I got saved. Everything we need for godly living was imputed to us at salvation. We choose to ignore it.

While that does seem grim and dark (it is!) there is hope! Remember back to the live vest illustration, at each point along the river the vest is always within reach. At each point in “bad decisions,” Jesus is right there waiting for us to turn back to Him. Where are you at now? Are you in the safety of the vest or trying to go down the river by your own strength?

Aaron Taylor

Fully Convinced [Romans 4:18-21]

Rom 4:18 Against hope, with hope he believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.
Rom 4:19 He considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb, without weakening in the faith.
Rom 4:20 He did not waver in unbelief at God's promise, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
Rom 4:21 because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

The story of Abraham is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. While there are many lessons and principles that we can gain from his life in Genesis, what I want to focus on today is what these verses in Romans say about Abraham.

When Abraham comes onto the scene in Genesis, right from the get go we see God’s promise of offspring go into effect. “Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.” (Genesis 18:11). The only hope that Abraham had for an heir was either a son born from one of his slaves, or the hand of God. As we continue reading the story we see that God restated His covenant with Abraham numerous times. Abraham did not waiver from belief in God’s promise, but he did try to speed up the hand of God (Genesis 16). Abraham knew what God had said and knew that He would keep His word.

Isn’t it hard at times to believe God? Not because God lies, but because His promises sometimes seem “out of reach,” whether by time or status. The popular verse in Numbers 23:19b says, “Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?” Today I’m asking you to look at your life and the promises that you know are from God. Do you hesitate to believe Him? Why?

Aaron Taylor

What Are You Trying to Achieve? [Ecclesiastes 2:10]

Ecc 2:10 All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles.
Ecc 2:11 When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

What are you trying to achieve in life? Many times as students and adult we will pursue things that at the time seem “important,” but in reality how important are they? What are we gaining by devoting our lives to their pursuit? Let’s look at a brief part of Solomon’s journey in this area:
We read that Solomon “built houses and planted vineyards” (vs. 4), “made gardens and parks for myself and planted every kind of fruit tree in them” (vs. 5), “constructed reservoirs of water… from which to irrigate a grove of flourishing trees” (vs. 6), “acquired male and female servants and had slaves who were born in his house” (vs. 7), “owned many herds of cattle and flocks, more than all who were before him in Jerusalem” (vs. 7), “amassed silver and gold for himself, and the treasure of kings and provinces” (vs. 8), and “gathered male and female singers for himself, and many concubines, the delights of men” (vs. 9). Solomon “…became great and surpassed all who were before him in Jerusalem; his wisdom also remained with him.”

Sounds like a lavish lifestyle, right? The life of a celebrity perhaps? The majority of which most of us would love to possess. What is wrong with these pursuits? They were all for Solomon to fill HIS desires, he was trying to fill a gap by his own futile efforts. As we continue to read, we see the realization coming over Solomon’s eyes that all his desires proved to be worthless, but at the end of this chapter he reveals to us an interesting truth that he saw acted out in his life- “For to the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God's sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.” (vs. 26).

Solomon realized that his efforts to gather for himself added up to nothing, but gathering for those who were pleasing to God. It wasn’t until he was pleasing in God’s eyes that he would gain His blessings. His life efforts meant nothing if they were not for the glory of God. As said before, what are you pursuing? Are they things to “fill” a void? Or are they things that will honor God?

Aaron

How long must I wait? [Psalm 27:14]

Psa 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be courageous and let your heart be strong. Wait for the LORD.

This verse sums up what I view as the most difficult aspect of the Christian life, waiting on God to work. There have been many times in my life (and even as I write this) where I knew God was telling me to wait for Him to act. So, what makes that so difficult? When you have to wait to get a paycheck or wait to see a friend, most of the time we have a general idea of when the event will take place, with God it is rarely like that. It seems (at least in my life) that I know what I am waiting for, but when its conclusion is going to take place is a mystery. Let me give you a bit of encouragement from my life that has always made the waiting bearable- Spend time in God’s Word. Every time I get “down and out” waiting for God and I go and read the Bible, God shows me things I had previously overlooked, many of which I share with you through these devotionals on a weekly basis.

The question today is: What is God telling you to wait on as you are reading this? How are you reacting? If you learn something new in these tough times, share them with me. I will gladly write you back and discuss what you have written.

Wait on God, His timing is always right.

Aaron Taylor

Wake Up People! [Romans 13:11-14]

Rom 13:11 Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Rom 13:12 The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Rom 13:13 Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy.

Rom 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.

Yesterday we looked at Romans 13:8-10 and we saw how we are still fulfilling the Law. When we love each other, we are fulfilling all of the Law in our lives. Today, we are going to finish up Romans 13. So, let’s get going!

Paul tells us in this verse that we need to awaken from our sleep. What does that mean? Christians need to wake up from their spiritual “stupor”! He is telling us, “Why are you sitting around! There is so much to do! Our time is short!” Our salvation is closer than when we first believed? From the moment we got saved time is continuing to pass and as it does we are coming closer and closer to our glorification with Christ. This life that we are residents of has almost come to an end; it is only a vapor. As this life ends, stay in eternity is growing closer. What are you going to do to prepare? Let’s continue…

Christians need to live such a life that the daylight has nothing to expose; a life that is not characterized by darkness, but saturated in Jesus. We are given examples of lifestyles that characterize those walking in the dark: drunkenness, sexual impurity, jealousy, etc. Let’s say not to ourselves, our plans, our wants, our desires, anything characterized by “I” and say yes to Jesus, His plans, His wants, His desires and anything characterized by “Him.”

Aaron Taylor

The Law? Or Love? [Romans 13:8-10]

Rom 13:8 Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 The commandments: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment--all are summed up by this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Rom 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

How many times have you heard in church: "The Law does not apply to me…" or "I’m a New Testament believer, so I don’t have to follow what is in the Law." I have heard this on more than one occasion. As I was reading through Romans, I came across these verses that deal with this issue.

Now I know that if we look at verses likes Romans 6:14 which say, "For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace," we know that as Christians we are free from the Law. This is not the issue I would like to deal with because I do believe that we are free from the Law; what I find interesting is that we still fulfill the Law without even knowing it.

How do people know that we are Christians? John 13:35 says, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Our love for other Christians (that "one another" statement means "one of the same kind" so this is referring to Christians not unbelievers) is the proof of our love for Christ. According to Romans, that love is the fulfillment of the Law in a Christian’s life. How is that? Any commandment (don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, etc.) is encompassed in the command to "love your neighbor." To love your neighbor (love one another) is the main commandment for Christians.

We may not be bound by the Law anymore, but as Christians we are still fulfilling the Law in our lives when we are obedient to Christ through our love.

Aaron Taylor

Was Jesus real?

I know this is extremely long, but please take the time to read it. I was posed with the argument today that Jesus never really existed and Christianity is basically a hoax. I also was called a false prophet and a liar. Which was kind of exciting (the prophet part) because God has called me into ministy to be a prophet (one who proclaims the Word of God)! I thought it was interesting how an unbeliever made that statement. What we have to understand is that those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, the Bible is not always a "valid source" of historical information. What I provided below (Most of it came from Gotquestions.org) is a listing of why Christianity is unique and reliable sources outside the Bible that show the existence of Jesus. I hope this helps you in your Christian walk.

What makes Christianity different from other religions and how do we know Jesus existed?

• Christianity is the only religion where God pursues a relationship with us- Other religions all make a pursuit of their god. Christianity is the only religion where God made a pursuit to man through Jesus.

• Jesus claimed to be God- No other world religions key figure claimed to be God.

• Jesus showed his deity by doing miracles (which are also recorded in extra biblical sources)- Other world religions had people who gave “good” messages, but none of them showed their miraculous power like Jesus did.

• Jesus rose from the dead- Many times in his life Jesus told that he would be crucified and rise from the grave three days later. He wanted to prove without a doubt His deity. It is interesting that the Roman authorities knew this was His pursuit so, what did they do? The posted 11-14 man group of guards (who knew if they failed at their duty they would be killed) and also sealed the tomb with the Roman insignia (which warned others to stay clear). Despite this, three days later his body was gone and he was seen by more than 500 people over 50 days. No other religion claims that their key figure rose from the dead (or even claimed to). • The message of the Bible is unique- The Bible is not a collection of poetic, disjointed ideas (some poetry can be found in it). The Bible (in its original manuscripts) is found to be without error. All attempts to find error have been dismissed.

What are some extra Biblical sources that show the existence of Jesus?

• The first-century Roman Tacitus, who is considered one of the more accurate historians of the ancient world, mentioned superstitious "Christians " ("named after Christus" which is Latin for Christ), who (Christians) suffered under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius.

• Suetonius, chief secretary to Emperor Hadrian, wrote that there was a man named Chrestus (or Christ) who lived during the first century (Annals 15.44 ).

• Flavius Josephus is the most famous Jewish historian. In his Antiquities he refers to James, “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.”

• There is a verse (18:3 in Josephus’ works) that says, "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats. . . . He was [the] Christ . . . he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him." One version reads, "At this time there was a wise man named Jesus. His conduct was good and [he] was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. But those who became his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion, and that he was alive; accordingly he was perhaps the Messiah, concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders."

• Julius Africanus quotes the historian Thallus in a discussion of the darkness which followed the crucifixion of Christ (Extant Writings, 18). (Also seen in Luke 23:44)

• Pliny the Younger, in Letters 10:96, recorded early Christian worship practices including the fact that Christians worshiped Jesus as God and were very ethical, and includes a reference to the love feast and Lord’s Supper. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

• The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 43a) confirms Jesus' crucifixion on the eve of Passover, and the accusations against Christ of practicing sorcery and encouraging Jewish apostasy.

• Lucian of Samosata was a second-century Greek writer who admits that Jesus was worshiped by Christians, introduced new teachings, and was crucified for them. He said that Jesus' teachings included the brotherhood of believers, the importance of conversion, and the importance of denying other gods. Christians lived according to Jesus’ laws, believed themselves immortal (eternal life), and were characterized by contempt for death, voluntary self-devotion, and renunciation of material goods.

• We can almost reconstruct the gospel just from early non-Christian sources: Jesus was called the Christ (Josephus), did “magic,” led Israel into new teachings, and was hanged on Passover for them (Babylonian Talmud) in Judea (Tacitus), but claimed to be God and would return (Eliezar), which his followers believed - worshipping Him as God (Pliny the Younger).

While these are great sources, let me remind you of the greatest proof of Jesus in the life of a Christian: What Christ did in your life. The change that occurs in the life of someone with a personal relationship with Jesus is the best proof of the existence of Jesus and him being different from other religions.

This is Love for God [1 John 5:3]

1Jn 5:3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,

As you can probably tell, I am liking this study out of 1 John. So, today we are going to continuing looking at this book, but moving on to the next chapter, chapter 5. Leading up to this we have talked about out love for God and reaching perfection in love. What was that? It was when we fall so in love with Christ, that there is not more discipline that has to occur. The passage talked about there being “no fear in love.” The fear was the fear of punishment. Next, we talked about our love for other Christians and how we claim to “love God,” but turn right around and hate our brother. What did John call this kind of person? A liar. We were posed with the question of how we can love God whom we can not see, yet not love our brother whom we can? Today we are going to continue looking at this idea of love, but jump back to loving God. So, let’s jump into it!

In verse three, John gives us a very basic definition of what love for God is: Keeping His commands. Initially, I thought: “So, if I force myself to follow the commands of God, that means I love Him, right?” I’m going to say no. This is saying that keeping God’s commands is the natural response of those who love Him.

“Yeah, but God’s commands are just a set of rules, they are too hard to follow.” The text says that God commands are not a burden. The Greek word here actually means “heavy.” God’s commands are not “so far out there” that we are not able to do them. If we get our hearts right with God, meaning we are at a good relational status with Him, we won’t even see his commands as a burden. As I said before, they will just be a natural response out of love.

To finish this up, I like what Matthew Barnes says on this verse, “They find His service easier than the service of sin.” Who is talking of here? He is talking about Christians that are so in love with God it is unexplainable. To them, sin’s commands seem like a burden, they seem “heavy.”
Where are you at? Do you naturally obey God’s commands or are there areas where your love for Him just is not complete? I think most of us would fall into the second category, but I want to provide you with a little encouragement here. I think many times when we read Scripture and especially passages like this, we make ourselves think that the bar set by God is “just a little too high.” Let me tell you something, you can achieve this “perfection in love” we have covered over the past few days; it is within reach. The only question is what are YOU doing that is holding YOU back? God’s already there and waiting to help you along the way, you just have to say, “I’m ready.”

Aaron Taylor

I Love God? [1 John 4:20]

1Jn 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

We talked in the previous section about the fear of God in three aspects: the sense of awe, the fear of punishment, and the fear of discipline. We concluded that the fear of discipline can be removed when we fall completely in love with God. This verse in 1 John 4:20 is a continuation of that thought.

John makes a very bold statement to Christians who claim to “love God.” How can we say that we “love God with all our heart,” yet despise our Christian brother sitting two rows up from us? We cant, it is a lie.

It seems the point John is trying to make here is how can you not love another Christian, who is created in the image of God, but claim to love the One whom that image came from? Again, it is a lie.

This is not a difficult passage, but I think I hold a lot of weight because we just can’t seem to get it right. As you go through the rest of your day/ week, think about Christians in your life that you have a “severed” relationship with. Mend those; fix them, because until that happens your love for God will not be complete.

Aaron Taylor

No Fear in Love [1 John 4:18]

1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.

Let’s first take a moment and examine what the “fear of God” is. From what I can find, there are three aspects of the fear of God:

The first is: Awe and reverence for who He is. This is that feeling of complete amazement that you get when you look over a field of flowers, knowing that God placed each one individually. It’s the realization you get when you look into the sky and see the vastness of space; knowing that the God who holds that in the palm of His hand, cares about you individually. It’s Laminin (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xg_ZVS6Kecw). It’s the fact that our God is the only God and in His awesomeness and His greatness, He is unfathomable.

The second is: The fear of His punishment. What makes us deserving of God’s punishment? Sin. If we have sinned, we no longer live up to God’s righteous standard and are deserving of His punishment. Matthew 25:46 tells us that the unrighteous will go away into eternal punishment. In Jude 1:7, we read that sinners will be cast into eternal fire. That is definitely something to fear! There is good news though! If you are a Christian you no longer have to fear that punishment. That punishment has been paid by Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. That fear has been removed.

The third (this is the one I believe this verse deals with): The fear of His discipline. Proverbs 3:11-12 tells us that God will discipline the ones He loves. Just as a father disciplines his child for doing wrong, so does God. A child does not look forward to getting spanked by his father, in reality, he fears that. It is a painful experience.

It seems that this verse is talking about the fear of God’s discipline in the Christian’s life. When we do things contrary to God’s Word, it is sin. In order to get us back on track, God will correct that sin and as we said before, that is not pleasant. It is when we love God with our entire being, with everything we are we desire to grow more and more intimate with Him, that this fear is removed. No longer will we be caught in the fear of discipline because God will not have to discipline us. This is the perfection in love talked about. What areas do you need to change to reach “perfection in love?”

Aaron Taylor

Canon of Scripture [Gotquestions.org]

Last night I was posed with the question of “How did the early church know which books belonged in the Bible?” The person I was talking to brought up the fact that archeologists are finding new books (Book of Judas, etc.) so, how do we know that they were not meant to be in the Bible? Today, I am going to take a moment and talk about how the early church decided the “canon” of Scripture. This could be beneficial to everyone because this is not the first time I have been asked this question. (The text to follow is from Gotquestions.org, with slight modifications for understanding.)

The term "canon" is used to describe the books that are divinely inspired and therefore belong in the Bible. The difficult aspect of determining the Biblical canon is that the Bible does not give us a list of the books that are to be included. Determining the canon was a process, first by Jewish rabbis and scholars, and then later by early Christians. Ultimately, it was God who decided what books belonged in the Biblical canon. A book of Scripture belonged in the canon from the moment the Holy Spirit inspired its writing. It was simply a matter of God convincing His human followers which books needed be included in the Bible.

Compared to the New Testament, there was very little controversy over the canon of the Old Testament. Hebrew believers recognized God’s messengers, and accepted their writings as inspired of God and authoritative as Scripture. There was undeniably some debate in regards to the Old Testament canon, but by A.D. 250 there was nearly universal agreement on the canon of Hebrew Scripture. The only issue that remained was the Apocrypha (books written during the time between the Old and New Testament. Not considered equal with Scripture due to historical and theological errors)…with some debate and discussion continuing today. The vast majority of Hebrew scholars considered the Apocrypha to be good historical and religious documents, but not on the same level as the Hebrew Scriptures.

For the New Testament, the process of the recognition and collection began in the first centuries of the Christian church. Very early on, some of the New Testament books were being recognized. Paul considered Luke’s writings to be as authoritative as the Old Testament (1 Timothy 5:18, Luke 10:7). Peter recognized Paul’s writings as Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). Some of the books of the New Testament were being circulated among the churches (Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27). Clement of Rome mentioned at least eight New Testament books (A.D. 95). Ignatius of Antioch acknowledged about seven books (A.D. 115). Polycarp, a disciple of John the Apostle, acknowledged 15 books (A.D. 108). Later, Irenaeus mentioned 21 books (A.D. 185). Hippolytus recognized 22 books (A.D. 170-235). The New Testament books receiving the most controversy were Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 John, and 3 John. The first “canon” was the Muratorian Canon, which was compiled in A.D. 170. The Muratorian Canon included all of the New Testament books except Hebrews, James, and 3 John. In A.D. 363, the Council of Laodicea stated that only the Old Testament (along with the Apocrypha) and the 27 books of the New Testament were to be read in the churches. The Council of Hippo (A.D. 393) and the Council of Carthage (A.D. 397) also affirmed the same 27 books as authoritative.

The councils followed something similar to the following principles to determine whether a New Testament book was truly inspired by the Holy Spirit: 1) Was the author an apostle or have a close connection with an apostle? 2) Is the book being accepted by the Body of Christ at large? 3) Did the book contain consistency of doctrine and orthodox teaching? 4) Did the book bear evidence of high moral and spiritual values that would reflect a work of the Holy Spirit? Again, it is crucial to remember that the church did not determine the canon. No early church council decided on the canon. It was God, and God alone, who determined which books belonged in the Bible. It was simply a matter of God convincing His followers of what He had already decided upon. The human process of collecting the books of the Bible was flawed, but God, in His sovereignty, despite our ignorance and stubbornness, brought the early church to the recognition of the books He had inspired.

Aaron Taylor

Servant. [Philippians 2:3]

Php 2:3 Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.

Today I think I have seen one of the greatest acts of servanthood that I have in quite a while. This morning my church began preparations

for our annual Clothing Giveaway. For those of you that do not know what that is:

We put about 40 tables up in our gymnasium. Over the period of about a year, we have a barn that gets filled with donations (clothing, toys, furniture, etc.). All of those donations are taken into the gym and separated out onto tables (Each table gets about a 4-5 foot pile of clothes on it). The day of the giveaway our church not only gives away the clothes, but also a hot lunch, drinks and a bible to each family.

Back to the point:
This morning I saw about 40-50 members out of our congregation take time out of their schedules to set up, haul and sort the donations. I don’t know about you, but I know that I could have found many others things to do this morning. On top of that, I was extremely hot and humid.

We see in Philippians, Paul talking about being a servant. We are to take on the attitude of Christ, who came to this earth to serve and not to be served. I definitely saw that this morning out of the members of First Baptist.

Great Job!
Aaron Taylor

(The clothing giveaway is this Saturday from 9-1. Spread the word!)

Your Testimony...! [2 Timothy 1:14]

2Ti 1:14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that good thing entrusted to you.

As all of you know, tomorrow is the fourth of July. The day that we celebrate the independence of our nation, the United States of America. I know where I live celebrations begin tonight, such as Red, White and Boom! Tomorrow will be full of many cookout, fireworks and just good times. So, what am I getting at? I don’t know how many of you reading this are professing Christians, those that have accepted Jesus’ death as payment for their sin. What I do know is there are some of you reading this who are. With celebrations like those we will be having today and tomorrow, it will be very easy for us to do things that could ruin our testimonies. If people know you are a Christian, they will look for opportunities to make you fail and when you do you will never live it down.

So, I know today’s devotion is extremely short, but take it to heart. Think about where you are going, who you will be with and what you will be doing during these July 4th celebrations. Is that someplace you would take Jesus? What will it do to your testimony?

Have a great 4th and God bless America!

Aaron Taylor

When Jesus Walked... [Colossians 1:16]

Col 1:16 because by Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.

How often do we really sit back and examine the awesomeness of God? Do we realize how big He is? Yet, He desires to live in and through me? As I was coming home from work last night, I heard a pastor on the radio give a “ministry minute” segment. This is basically what He shared:

Can you imagine what it was like when Jesus first walked among His creation? I can just picture Him walking along the Sea of Galilee, seeing the horizon in the distance and saying “I remember when I created this…” Or imagine Him traveling and seeing Mount Herman in the distance, “I formed you and you are still as mighty as the day I created you…”

Many times we take for granted that the creator of the universe came down in the form of a man, to die for the sins that I committed. Do we really understand or grasp the enormity of that? The One who spoke creation into existence, dwelt among man. Wow.
So, today when you look outside and see the blue sky which Jesus set in place or the green grass which He caused to grow, take a moment to say “Thank you.”

Aaron Taylor

Unto God, not men [Colossians 3:23-24]

Col 3:23 Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men,
Col 3:24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord--you serve the Lord Christ.

For those of you that do not know me very well, I am a part time delivery driver at Pizza Hut. It may not be the most glorious job, but you can’t beat the money! You may be thinking to yourself, “What does this have to do with the verse in Colossians?” Last night as I was coming in from my last delivery, I knew I would have to go over and finish up the dreaded DISHES. If you have ever worked in a restaurant before, you know what I am talking about. The dish room (the area you think would be the cleanest) is disgusting around the loading area. First of all, there are dirty dishes everywhere, the sink is full of leftover food and drinks, garbage disposal does not give off the most pleasant of odors, it is just not a pleasing place to be in.

Again, “What does this have to do with the verse in Colossians?” It is very easy to get discouraged when work we do does not seem “ideal.” We get the “I’m better than this” idea, “Why am I the one that has to do this?” Look at what Matthew Henry says about this: “Do it cheerfully, not discontented at the providence of God which put you in that relation.” When we are in these discontenting situations, we must realize that God allowed us to be a servant in that capacity. Matthew Henry also says, “We are really doing our duty to God when we are faithful in our duty to men.”

Dishes may not be the most appealing task for anyone, especially at a restaurant, but when I realized that I was glorifying God by having a good attitude, it was all worth it. What about you? What “duties” in your life have you discouraged? Next time they get you down, remember it is to be done enthusiastically and unto the Lord.

To God be the glory!

Aaron Taylor