Aaron Taylor's Blog

Maturity [2 Corinthians 13:9]

2008-09-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-09-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-09-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-09-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-09-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

[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]

2008-09-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-08T06:44:00.000-07:00

“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]

2008-09-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-28T20:14:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-27T07:04:00.001-07:00

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]

2008-08-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-08-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-08-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-08-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-08-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-08-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-08-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-08-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-08-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-30T07:12:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-29T08:10:00.001-07:00

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]

2008-07-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-07-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

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]

2008-07-02T06:57:00.001-07:00

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]

2008-07-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

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

"Pull one over on God" [Genesis 18:11-15]

2008-07-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

Gen 18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
Gen 18:12 So she laughed to herself: "After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?"
Gen 18:13 But the LORD asked Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Can I really have a baby when I'm old?'
Gen 18:14 Is anything impossible for the LORD? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son."
Gen 18:15 Sarah denied it. "I did not laugh," she said, because she was afraid. But He replied, "No, you did laugh."

Abraham and Sarah had been promised a son by God many times, although God never told them when they would receive their son. At one point they even tried to speed up the process by Abraham sleeping with Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar. There was a son from that union, but not the son of the promise.

What we read here is the Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre. Abraham had his servants prepare a meal for his visitors and he served them under the tree. The Lord then inquired of Abraham “where is your wife Sarah?” “There, in the tent,” he answered. Then the Lord makes a statement to them that they had been waiting on for many years, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year's time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” The time had come for them to bear their heir! We would expect to see uncontrolled excitement from them, but we see in verse 12 that Sarah just laughed about what God had said. She began to reason in her heart, “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?” She laughed at God and did not truly believe he had to power to bring her a son in her and Abraham’s old age.

Lets look at verse 15, “Sarah denied it. ‘I did not laugh,’ she said, because she was afraid. But He replied, ‘No, you did laugh.” She tried to hide the fact that she did not believe in God’s promise. She tried to hide the fact that she did not believe nothing was impossible for Him, but God knew her heart. She could not hide her inner thoughts from Him.

When we look at our lives, it is safe to say that we do a lot of thing that are not pleasing to God. How many times do we try to “hide” our thoughts and even our sins from Him? Almost as if we think we can “pull one over” on God. We read in Psalm 94:11, “The LORD knows man's thoughts.” We can’t hide from God. I would encourage you to make your sin known to God. Don’t try to keep it from Him. He already knows about it, so go ahead and put it on the table.

God is good!

Aaron Taylor

Fear of God [Luke 12:4-5]

2008-06-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

Luke 12:4 "And I say to you, My friends, don't fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more.
Luke 12:5 But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!

What is the fear of God? It seems that in churches today we have been caught up in the “lovey-dovey” God and the God who is “just so beautiful”. With that kind of a mindset, the fear of God is simply (as I have heard before) “God is just so wonderful” and “I just respect Him so much.” Seriously? Ok, let’s think about something for a minute. If I receive Christ as my personal Savior I get to spend eternity with Him. I no longer have to incur the judgment of God for the payment of my sin. Now let’s take a quick turn, if I don’t accept Christ what happens? I must pay for my own sin. How is that? I will have to endure God’s wrath which has the power to send me to hell.

Fear of God. Is part of it God being wonderful, yes. Is part of it respect, yes. Those are great, but it seems that true “fear of God” has more to do with what God can do with my soul if I do not turn my life over to Him. As martyr Bishop Hooper said, “life is sweet, and death bitter; but eternal life is more sweet, and eternal death more bitter.” Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!

(if you need more information on how to escape eternity hell and spend eternity with Christ, email me at adtaylor2@liberty.edu)

Aaron Taylor

Malachi 4:2 [Selected Scriptures]

2008-06-17T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to take a little different approach to this. Jason (Youth Pastor at First Baptist) came across some interesting information that I would like to share with you. He noted that there are a lot of things in the Bible that we overlook because we do not understand the Jewish meanings. Here is one of them:

If we turn over to Numbers 15:38 we read, “"Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout their generations they are to make tassels for the corners of their garments, and put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner.” In the Jewish culture, these “tassels” or “fringe” (as translated elsewhere) on a cloak were often referred to as “wings”.

Now let’s read Malachi 4:2 with that in mind, “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.” Could the sun of righteousness be referring to Jesus? Let’s continue to read.

Matthew 9:20 says, “Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel on His robe.” This woman came and touched the tassel (wing) of Jesus’ robe and if we continue to read we find out she was completely healed. Does this sound like Malachi 4:2? Let’s look at one more verse.

Mark 6:56 says, “Wherever He would go, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch just the tassel of His robe. And everyone who touched it was made well.” People would just touch the tassel (wing) on Jesus’ robe and be healed. Again, does this sound like Malachi 4:2?

As Jason told me, it is interesting how many times we overlook verses because we “think” we know what they mean or we simply do not understand them and do not want to put the time in to study the verse out. A simple study of Malachi 4:2 revealed that this was a prophecy of Jesus, something I had never seen before. I encourage you to take the time to understand verses that are difficult. You never know what things you might uncover!

Aaron Taylor

Shamed for His name [Acts 5:38-42]

2008-06-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Act 5:38 And now I say to you, Withdraw from these men and let them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will come to nothing.
Act 5:39 But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God.
Act 5:40 And they obeyed him. And calling the apostles, beating them, they commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Act 5:41 Then indeed they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be shamed for His name.
Act 5:42 And every day in the temple, and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching the gospel: Jesus Christ.

We see here part of the story of the apostles teaching the message of Jesus Christ. The apostles were preaching the message of Jesus without reservation and proclaiming His name in the streets. Well, the high priests were not happy about this. They had the apostles arrested and put into prison. We all know how the apostles were, like prison would stop them! Yeah right! That same night an angel of the Lord came and opened the doors to the prison and told the apostles to “Go! Stand and speak all the words of this Life to the people in the temple.” (Acts 5:20).

When the high priests came to the prison the next morning they found the cells empty. The high priests then had the apostles brought to them and asked them “Did we not strictly command you that you not teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us.” (Acts 5:28). We see God speaking directly through Peter with his response, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” God told the apostles to preach the message and men were not going to stand in their way. With this response the high priests determined to have the apostles killed, until Gamaliel stood up and spoke.
Gamaliel told them that they needed to let the apostles go. Why was this? He knew that if the apostle’s message was not from God that it would eventually fade away, but if it was from God they could not fight it.

Well, the apostles were beaten by the high priests and then they were ordered not to preach the gospel anymore. Now, this is where we see faith exercised by what is said about the apostles after being beaten, “Then indeed they departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be shamed for His name.” They were excited because they were found worthy to be beaten for Christ.

I know many times when I am faced with opposition in my faith, I get down and discouraged. Why am I being opposed? What did I do? This verse is very refreshing to see knowing that we need to count opposition as a joy. God counted us worthy to shamed for His name.

Aaron Taylor

Contentment. [Philipians 4:11-13]

2008-06-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Php 4:11 I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Php 4:12 I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content--whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.
Php 4:13 I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

I do not think that we fully understand how awesome our God really is! Yesterday, I found out that the job that I formerly held no longer needed me. As some of you know, I work an internship at my home church, but do not get paid for the position. So, loosing this other job meant that I had no money to live off of except what was in my accounts. My world somewhat came crashing down upon me yesterday. So, what do we do when this happens? PRAY! When I was praying I told God that I knew the internship I was in was under His blessing, I knew that He had opened the doors in January for me to do it and I knew that He would continue to provide.

I was trying my best to live out what Paul discusses her in Philippians. He says that in whatever situation we are in we need to be content. Whether we have a lot or a little, we need to understand that God has blessed us with that much. Whether I had a job or did not have a job, God was blessing my life either way. It was when I realized that and truly believed it that God opened another door for me.

God gave me an old position back at my previous employers that will not hinder my internship. I will still be able to work at the church the same hours that I currently am. It will not cut into any of the study time that I have commited to college. I will not have to give up any of the classes that I currently teach in the youth ministry. God will provide. I will actually be making almost double what I previously was and be in an environment where I can boldly share my faith. Is God good? Oh yes He is! Oh yes He is!

I would encourage you today to look at your life and the situations that God has brought your way. Why not try living out what Paul discusses in these verses above? It is truly possible to be content in all your circumstances and eventually God will show you what He has in store for you next.

And remember: If God brings you to it, He will definitely bring you through it!

Christ’s Slave,
Aaron Taylor

Sexual Temptations [Proverbs 23:26-27]

2008-06-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Pro 23:26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
Pro 23:27 For a prostitute is a deep pit, and a forbidden woman is a narrow well.

It is safe to say that the common driving force behind media today is sexuality. From alcohol ads to reality shows to even what is considered to be “family time” on the major television stations. They are all plagued with sex temptations. What message does that send to people? “It’s your body, do what you want with it.” Are we serious? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tell us that our bodies do not belong to us, but they are the Lord’s. Christians house the Holy Spirit! But it’s my body, I can do what I want with it…

Let’s take a moment and observe what Solomon tells us about the sexual temptations we are faced with:

Let me first begin with a story. Recently, I attended a graduation party for a friend of mine. In the house where this party was held there was a twenty foot deep well, about 16 feet of it was filled with water and leaves. There was a bunch of boys playing in this backyard all around the age of 11. Time and time again these kids would run by the well, stop, look in and move on. As time passed, they became more and more intrigued by what was inside. Eventually, one of the boys pressed down too hard on the sheet of wood that was covering the top and he fell in head first! A twenty foot well, sixteen feet of murky water and leaves now trapped this helpless child. In his own strength he could not escape. It was only when his grandfather came over in a panic and pulled him out by the arm.

The analogy that Solomon gives is comparable to the story of the well. He calls these sexual temptations a narrow well when they are followed through with. It starts with just a look down the well, then we get more curious, and more until eventually we are trapped in sin. Just as the child was held by the murky water, so too can this sin entrap us.

There is hope though! The child’s grandfather pulled him out. Guess what? Jesus can pull us out if was ask. He is more than willing to forgive and restore. Remember 1 John 1:9?

Are you trapped right now? Does it seem like you can not get out? Ask God, He’s waiting right by the well, ready to take you out and clean you up!

Master Sin [Genesis 4:6-7]

2008-06-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

Gen 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you furious? And why are you downcast?
Gen 4:7 If you do right, won't you be accepted? But if you do not do right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it."

We read in the verses that precede this about Cain and Abel’s offerings to the Lord. Cain was a farmer and he presented the Lord with some of the land’s produce. Abel was a shepherd and he presented the Lord with the firstborn of his flock and its fat portions. As we continue to read, we see that the Lord did not accept Cain’s offering. Why was that? There are a few different interpretations of why God did not accept his offering, but the most widely recognized is that it was not a blood sacrifice. Abel offered a God a blood sacrifice, Cain did not. This caused Cain to become very angry with God; anger so deep that the Bible says he was “furious”. Cain was beginning to meditate on the idea of killing Abel. God confronted him with this and told him he had the option to do right or to let sin take control of him.

As I was studying this week on what it means to be “Ninja for God” (Romans 12:1-2), I came across this verse in Genesis dealing with sin. The first step in being “Ninja for God” is to put away sin in your life, eliminate it. I have come to realize that many times we come to accept the sins in our lives. We brainwash ourselves into believing that it is just another part of our day and we can not get rid of it. Well, I’m here to tell you that is a lie straight from Hell. Sin is a choice; every time we sin, we choose to. God was telling this same thing to Cain. He had the choice to allowing sin to have him, or to master sin. That’s right, master sin. Master it meaning not allowing it to control you, but getting rid of it.

Our Christian walk demands of us to be a living sacrifice for God (Ninja for God). As I said before, to do this we have to make a choice: am I going to master sin or is it going to master me? Pose yourself with that question and remember this verse next time you are faced with sin. Master it.

Aaron Taylor

Take up your cross [Luke 9:23]

2008-06-09T07:28:00.001-07:00

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

This is the first mention of the word “cross” that Jesus speaks to His disciples. What did the cross represent to them? It was a violent torture device used by the Romans for execution. It caused excruciating pain in the hands and feet. The nerve endings in both we overloaded by the bodies weight on the nails; the signals sent to the brain would be unbearable and cause one to wish for death. The diaphragm was stretched out, making breathing nearly impossible. The only hope for a breath was to push up on the nails in the feet. It was a sign of a violent death. A degrading death. A death that no one would want to experience.

What was Jesus asking of His disciples? Total commitment. Jesus wanted a willingness from them to die for Him. Total commitment.

Did we see that from them? There were areas in their walks where they stumbled, but got back up. As we look at church history, we see that the only one of the disciples that did not die a martyrs death was John, but he was willing to give his life by following Jesus all the way to the cross. All the others were crucified (some upside down), beheaded, or skinned alive. Total commitment was not just a word for them, it was their life.

Are we willing to give that type of devotion to Jesus? I don’t believe that this is a “when I get to that point in my walk with Christ, then I commit to that” type of promise. Jesus does not say “when you ready to do this let me know.” His command is, “if you want to follow me, you give me total commitment.” Anything less is not enough.

Total commitment. Are you willing?

Think about it... [Hebrews 13:2]

2008-06-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

Heb 13:2 Don't neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.

Yesterday, I heard someone make this statement, “Maybe that was an angel God put into my life and I didn’t even know it.” Have you ever thought about that? I sat here and looked back on my life briefly, trying to remember different people I have encountered only once. How did I treat them? As I thought about it I think I have failed more in showing hospitality more that I have succeeded. Until yesterday, it never really hit me that it could have been an angel from God sent to minister to me. How many times did I brush off the man at the gas station? How many times did I overlook someone needing help carrying groceries? How many times? We never know if who we are neglecting was sent by God; could it be a test? Think about it.

Aaron Taylor

Don't Worry [Luke 12:29-31]

2008-06-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

Luk 12:29 Don't keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don't be anxious.
Luk 12:30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
Luk 12:31 "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.

Recently my family has been struggling with the whole concept of “worry”. My dad has been on the chopping block at work for sometime now. They tell him that he needs to “shape up” and “do better”. There is one problem with that: it is not justified. He is currently running the best numbers in his district in customer satisfaction and in sales. How can you shape up out of that? He is doing all that he can to do his best. When this situation escalates and falls, the thought always creeps into your mind “What if we don’t have food? What about clothes?” I know that my family knows that we will not run out of food, we will have a place to stay and everything will be ok. Though, the thought is still there. What are we to do when this “worry” of what comes next plagues our mind? Let’s look at what Jesus has to say:

Jesus initially poses us with the illustration of the ravens. They do not go out and plant seed, in order to come back later and harvest that seed for food. Nor do they store up food to come back to it later for a meal. They just do not operate like that. What do they do? When meal time comes, they find food and eat it. God takes care of them. They do not worry about their next meal. What do you think?

Jesus also poses the illustration of the grass and the flowers. The flowers have no worry of what they will be clothed with. All they do is what they were designed to do and that is grow. Look at a field: the flowers are clothed with umatched beauty, clothed in beauty greater than that of Solomon. What do you think?

Jesus asks us a question about worry, “Can any of you add a cubit to his height by worrying?” What will worrying about anything accomplish? It is not going to make you taller, nor will it add years to your life. So, why do it? What do you think?

God knows all that we need to survive in this life and He promises us that He will provide for all of our needs. What are we to do? Let’s take a look at verse 31, “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.” We need to serve God and not worry about ourselves. Whether that be witnessing to the neighbor, helping with VBS, or teaching a Sunday school class. God has kingdom work for each one of us to do. That should be our focus. What is going to matter more in the scheme of eternity: what you did to worry about you? Or what you did for God? What do you think?

Aaron Taylor

What happens to me when I am saved? [Ephesians 4:22-24]

2008-06-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

Eph 4:22 you took off your former way of life, the old man that is corrupted by deceitful desires;
Eph 4:23 you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds;
Eph 4:24 you put on the new man, the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

What happens to me when I am saved?

When we are saved we take off our former way of life. Imagine walking down the road and doing a 180 degree turn and walking the opposite direction. We leave the old life behind, in the dust, and live in a way that is totally opposite than before.

When we are saved we take of the old man, the old man that is corrupted by deceitful desires. When we going shopping and buy new clothes, an entire new wardrobe, what do we do with the old clothes? Get rid of them! Throw them out! We read in Romans 6:6 that our old man was crucified with Christ so that sins dominion over the body is no more. Our old man is out the door and no longer has control over us.

When we are saved we are renewed in the spirit of our minds. The very make up of my being is changed. What makes be tick is renovated. My heart, my attitude, my thoughts, my desires, my everything, is renewed. Made clean.

When we are saved we put on a new man. My former way of life is gone; the old nature I possessed is out the door; my very being is being transformed; all for the regeneration of what I was created to be. I was created to be like Christ. Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created man in His own image. I was created in God’s image. I was created to be a center piece for my maker. One who gives praise and lives in such a way as to express praise. I was created to be like Christ.

For many people this is a very simple subject. Then why can’t we get it right?

For those of us that are saved, why are we holding on to those sinful desires of the past? Christ tells us in Luke 5:36-39 about this. No one who has tasted new wine wants the old. That’s crazy! Why do we do this? We are not fully dependent on God. If we can just hold on to that shred of the past, we still have control. Turn that control over to God. He won’t let you down and you definitely will not want the old man ever again.

For those of you that are not saved, what’s holding you back? God is waiting and willing to let you let Him be the master of your life. As you read above, even Christians struggle with fully submitting to God. We are not perfect. The difference is once you are saved, God is on your side.

Think about it. Feel free to contact any of the administrators of the Christian- Ninja Alliance for more information.

Doesn’t it feel good to be a child of God?

Aaron Taylor

Taming the Tongue [James 3:7-10]

2008-06-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Jas 3:7 For every creature--animal or bird, reptile or fish--is tamed and has been tamed by man,
Jas 3:8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Jas 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God's likeness.
Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way.

I was reading an article a few days ago by a man who is an atheist. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that term, it is someone who does not believe in God. His article talked about how many Christians are hypocrites. We say one thing and act one way when we are in “church” mode and then the moment that turns off we are just like everyone else. We talk like everyone else; we act like everyone else; what difference is there? Upon reading it I became very disturbed; not because I disagreed, but because I agreed with this man. In my life, I don’t see this occurring to the extent that he was portraying, but I can only speak for myself.

We read in James about being a hypocrite. This portion dealing with our tongue. The most powerful muscle in our body, small in size, but capable of a lifetime of scarring. James tells us that no man can tame the tongue and it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. Our tongue has the capabilities to do some serious damage. We have the ability to say things that can burn someone to the core. What is interesting is while our tongue has the ability to hurt and the ability to praise, it is not limited to one or the other. Hypocrite?

With the same mouth that we praise God, we can also tear down our brother. With the same mouth that compliments a friend, we can disgrace our enemy. With the same mouth that expresses thanksgiving, we can tell a lie. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. James tells us very clearly this is not acceptable. We are new creations in Christ, created for good works which God prepared ahead of time (Eph. 2:10). So, why do we continue to live as before?

Here’s the challenge. We know the capabilities of our tongues. We know what we can do and what we should do as Christians. Let’s take the first step today and give our tongues to God. Let Him take control of our speech. We read in Ephesians 5:19, that our speech to each other should always be a praise to God. With God’s help, it is possible. If we go it alone, we will continue to be hypocrites.

Make sure you keep each other accountable. For those of you that know me and see me weekly, keep me accountable. God tells us in Proverbs 27:17, we can sharpen each other. We can help strengthen each other. It is possible, we just have to be willing.

Aaron Taylor

Discipline [Proverbs 3:11-12]

2008-05-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

Pro 3:11 Do not despise the LORD's instruction, my son, and do not loathe His discipline;
Pro 3:12 for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, just as a father, the son he delights in.

When I was a child, my parents were not one’s to lack in discipline. My sister would babysit me quite frequently when they would go out or were away. I had quite the mouth on me when it came to my sister back then (come on, I was like 7!) Every time my parents would leave, I would start using cuss words towards my sister. Trust me, this made her furious. Each time this happened, mom and dad would come home, hear the whole story from her about what happened. Well, me being as adorable as I was (yeah right!) would deny it all each time. Guess what? My mom and dad believed me! So, time and time again this occurred and each time I got away with it. One night after my parents got home, my sister told the same story about me using language towards her, but this time was different… she recorded it! My mom sat me down and played the tape for me and asked, “Did you say that?” Yes mother, I said that, I’m a very disobedient son and deserve punishment. Are you kidding me? No, I didn’t say that! I denied it up and down. Well, as you can guess that didn’t work out to well. After all, they did have proof. So, I got disciplined. At the time, I think it is safe to say that we all had that “I hate you and will never forgive you attitude” towards our parents discipline. Looking back, I’m thankful. That discipline helped shape my character and develop me into the person I am. My parents were just steering me on the right track.
God is very much like this. If there is sin in our life, God will discipline us to rid us of it. We have two options: we can continue in that sin and continue to get disciplined or we can cut of the sin and abide by the Lord’s teaching. My parents only disciplined me because they loved me and wanted me to turn out properly. God disciplines us because He loves us. His discipline is actually proof of His love.
Are there areas of sin in your life that you need to get rid of? Maybe God is disciplining you by laying it on your mind all the time, or maybe your world is crashing down upon you. Either way, get rid of it. God is showing it to you because He loves you and wants you to succeed.

Aaron Taylor

I am not ashamed [Romans 1:16-17]

2008-05-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17 For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

As we all know Peter was not what we would consider “prime choice” for an apostle of Jesus. He made irrational decisions on a whim. Oh, his intents were good, most of the time, but when the pressure came, he crumbled. For example, Jesus told him in Matthew 26:34, "I assure you," Jesus said to him, "tonight--before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times!" His response was, "Even if I have to die with You," Peter told Him, "I will never deny You!" If only that was true. In Matthew 26:74 it says, “Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, "I do not know the man!"’ When the pressure came he crumbled. So, what does it take to not be ashamed of the gospel? Let’s continue with Peter. According to church tradition, Peter died a martyr’s death. It is said that he was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy of being killed in the same manner as his Savior. Listen to this though: he was forced to watch his wife be crucified upside down as well. Do you know what his last words were? “Remember our Lord.”

Peter was no longer ashamed of the gospel. We see in Acts, a man who preached the Gospel with power! Peter was not ashamed of the gospel. So, what is the key to this power, this power from God? Let’s look at verse 17 in Romans chapter 1:

“The righteous will live by faith.”

Those justified by God have confidence in His power. Peter initially did not have full confidence in God’s power, until he saw Him conquer the grave. Our faith in God, the power that we see Him exercise gives us strength to stand for His word. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Can you say that?

Aaron Taylor

Praise Him? Praise Him! Oh Praise Him! [Ecc. 7:14, 6:12]

2008-05-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ecc 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: without question, God has made the one as well as the other, so that man cannot discover anything that will come after him.

Isn’t it easy to be joyful when things are going great? I got new car, praise God! I got a bigger house, praise God! I got the promotion at work, praise God! When things are going good we can see God in those situations. What about when things are not going good? That new car needs brakes, praise God? That bigger house has an unbearable heating bill, praise God? That promotion only lasted a week, now you’re out of a job, praise God? Sounds a little strange to say doesn’t it? God created both the good days and the bad days; the days that let are faith shine and the days that test our faith. God is the author of our lives. The condition of our lives should be such that in whatever situation we continue to pursue God.

Look at this verse:

For who knows what is good for man in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow? Who can tell man what will happen after him under the sun? (Ecc 6:12)

It is better to leave ourselves and our concerns in the hands of the Lord, than to keep them in our own (Andrew Clarke Commentary). Let’s praise Him, no matter what comes in life.

Aaron Taylor

God's Timing [Psalm 119:82, Genesis 12:1]

2008-05-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

God's Timing. I think its safe to say that it is not fun to wait for God. It can seem to be a burden on our lives when we have to wait to do what it next.

Read this:"My eyes grow weary looking for what You have promised; I ask, "When will You comfort me?" (Ps. 119:82)

Leave it to God to provide an answer for every question we have. David was struggling with God's timing, too. His eagerness for God's answer is comparable to when we look for a ship long expected, or for a friend long absent, or for help when in danger (Matthew Barnes Commentary). We need to understand something: God is trying the faith and patience of his people by mere delay (Matthew Barnes Commentary). He wants us to serve Him where we are with what we know. When we need to know more He will show us.

Look at the call of Abraham in Genesis:"The LORD said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father's house to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)

Abraham didn't know where He was going, but God promised to show Him. He held onto the part God told him, went, and waited eagerly for more instruction.It is hard to wait on God. Trust me, I'm doing it too. We all are. He will come through. He always does. Let's make Him proud by acting on what we do know where we currently are :)

Sold out to Christ? Sold out to Christ!

Aaron Taylor

Pray Constantly. [1 Thessalonians 5:17]

2008-05-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

1Th 5:17 Pray constantly.

We are dependent on God for every good thing we do. Without God and the grace that He exercises in our lives, we can do absolutely nothing. We need to be in a constant prayer with God and expressing our dependency on Him. As I expressed a few days ago, in Proverbs 3:5-6, we learned about trusting the Lord, not leaning on our own understand, and acknowledging Him in all our ways. This last part is the dependency we have on God. In everything that we do, we need to get it approved by our Master. My challenge is to be in that constant state of prayer and talk to God all throughout the day. You will develop a new level of intimacy with God when you pray constantly.

Aaron

Can You Still Use Me? [1 John 1:9]

2008-05-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I was thinking today about the whole concept of being Ninja for God, offering our entire lives as an offering to Him (for more information visit the facebook.com group “Christian- Ninja Alliance”. This life of sacrifice to God can be a really challenging thing. I don’t know about all of you, but I tend to mess up more than once each day and it can be really discouraging. The thought that always runs through my mind is: “Will God still use me after I said/ did that?” I talk myself into believing that God won’t forgive what I’ve done.
When I start thinking that’s normally when stupid things happen so, I went to my Bible to see what God says about me messing up. We read in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Woah. Ok, so we all have messed up, that’s a given. This verse says that if we need to confess our sin. What does confession me? It is not simple repeating to God what you have done, but it is a sincere acknowledgement and agreement with God that what you did was wrong. When we acknowledge what we did was wrong to God, it says He will forgive us! Now listen closely here, this is the point I want to drive home with you: He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness! All! Guys God can remove every trace of sin in our lives if we simply confess to Him. We can be made totally pure. Does this mean that we should just continue to sin because we will be forgiven anyways? Absolutely not! We need to strive to live a God honoring life, but we have this little thing called a sin nature and we are bound to stumble.
Ok, so, we are probably going to mess up. Just remember next time you feel like you have stumbled in your pursuit to live your life as an offering to God. He’ll forgive you and you’ll be ready to continue serving Him.

Aaron

Irritate God? [3 John 3:11]

2008-05-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

3Jn 1:11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

Don’t you think mimes are the most annoying people on the planet? I remember last year I went to the Lancaster Festival here in Lancaster, Ohio. It is a festival that is dedicated to the arts and throughout the week various events are put on around town. The last night of each Lancaster Festival there is a concert that involves an orchestra and a famous singer. I had the opportunity to go to this concert last year and hear some decent music and enjoy fireworks when the night was over. There was one problem though: A mime. He was a gentleman dressed in the normal mime attire: Black pants, black and white striped shirt, red suspenders, painter’s hat, and face painted white. Well, I was walking around the pavilion when the mime spotted me. From across the sea of people, he made his way over to where I was. To do what? IMITATE ME! Ahh, that is the most irritating thing ever! He would move his hands like I did, make facial expressions like I did and even walk and make body moments exactly like I did! Want to hear something ironic though? Would you believe me if I said we could illustrate a great Bible lesson from what a mime does? No matter how irritating it is?
Let’s look at what John has to say. “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” (3 John 1:11). As Christians we are not to be imitators of the world around us. Well, what does that mean? If the world is doing things that we know are going against what the Bible teaches, we need to err on the side of the Bible. Be different when we need to. So, what are we to imitate then? We need to imitate what is good! What is good? Anything that is of God! So, let’s simplify this: We need to imitate Jesus Christ from what we know about Him from His Word. Plain and simple. Be like the mime was to me, irritate God by wanting to be so much like Him!

Aaron

What can I give? [Romans 12:1]

2008-05-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

Rom 12:1 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.

When I was getting dressed this morning, I heard a song that talked about presenting offerings to God. What was interesting about the song is the fact that nothing we can give to God is a worthy sacrifice. There is nothing that I can give that will compare to the sacrifice that He gave for me. So, as my morning progressed, I was thinking what would be an acceptable sacrifice to God? What is the ultimate sacrifice that I can give to Jesus for Him giving His life for me? God immediately helped me recall this verse. Presenting my body as a living sacrifice to God because this is pleasing to Him. The greatest offering I can give God is me. My time, my talents, my thoughts, my actions; anything about me I need to give to God. Jesus came to earth and sacrificed His life so, that mine could be saved. The least I can do is give my life to Him.

Slave of Christ [Galatians 1:10]

2008-05-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Gal 1:10 For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.

It was early morning on a Tuesday. About 3 o’clock in the morning. Myself and others were drudging through the woods in search of the house. The house they knew they were in. The Christians that is. Those followers of that “so-called” Jesus Son of God. What blasphemy. Through the mist of the morning, there it was. Old, rugged and barely standing. What was that noise? Singing? And Prayer? What do they see in this “Jesus”? Why can’t they just see He was a fake? We gathered around the house, 3 men at each side. 3-2-1… we rushed inside! Torches flying, swords drawn… we had them this time! We could see woman and children cower in the corners, weeping, fearing for their lives. But the men, oh those “Christian” men. They didn’t fight. No, they just held their heads in humility and let us take them away. You know what shocked me the most? What they said to their wives and children, “It’s ok, Jesus will take care of us.” Did they really believe that? Jesus would take care of us? And even though the women and children were still weeping, something in their eyes told me they believed it too. I have a duty though. It is my responsibility to get rid of all “Christians”. I can’t help, but wonder though, why did they believe what Jesus said? Why?
(Disclaimer- This is a fictional story written by me. It has not Biblical basis at all.)

Paul was a murderer Christians. One day he met Jesus. On the Damascus Road, Jesus changed his heart and Paul became one of the most influential men that Christianity has ever seen. His life went from one that seeks to please men to won that was sold out for God. He became a slave of Christ.

We have a lot of opportunities to please men on a daily basis. We can choose to do what they want us to do with total disregard for God. Why? Guys, if we are saved, we are slaves of God. We should not strive to please men, but God! A slave only lives to please his master. Let’s live to please ours.

Aaron

77 years. That's all. [James 4:13-15]

2008-05-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Jas 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit."
Jas 4:14 You don't even know what tomorrow will bring--what your life will be! For you are a bit of smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.
Jas 4:15 Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

What is eternity? According to Dictionary.com, eternity is an infinite time; a period without beginning or end. What is life? Again, according to Dictionary. Com, life is our period of existence. In other words, our time alive on this earth. So, what is the average time a human gets to spend in “life” on earth. The latest numbers suggest about 77 years. 77 years of life on planet earth. How long did we say eternity was? 100 years? No. 1,000 years? No. 10,000 years?! Nope. Eternity can not be measured on a time scale. We can not even wrap our minds around the vastness of it. So, lets take a look at this verse in James:

We like to do, what we like to do, right? We make plans for next weekend, next month, next year and in some cases, even many years down the road. Next weekend I am going to King’s Island; next month I am going to buy a new car; next year I am going on vacation to Florida; and when I am old and grey, I am going to retire and live the dream. Sound somewhat familiar? We all do it. We make plans for what we can see in our “immediate” future. Wait a minute. I thought we were only around here for about 77 years? Right? Isn’t our eternity a little bit longer than that? Actually, a lot longer than that?

James tells us that we have no idea what tomorrow is going to bring or what we are going to do! It is up to God and God alone. We need to shift our focus from making this 77 (on average) year existence, not about the next big thing we can do. We need to focus on what God wants us to do. This life is just preparation for eternity. We can spend our time on earth trying to make it best for “me” or we can allow God to direct us and live for Him. When we choose option two we will be rewarded by God. Maybe not on earth, but definitely in eternity. I don’t know about you, but I would rather have and eternity of living for God and being blessed by Him, that living 77 years for myself and not pleasing God.

Think of if this way, as James says, our existence is comparable to a bit of smoke. It is there and then it is gone. So, what are we going to do?

Aaron

Please teach me Your ways [Exodus 33:12-13]

2008-05-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

Exo 33:12 Moses said to the LORD, "Look, You have told me, 'Lead this people up,' but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. You said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.'
Exo 33:13 Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor in Your sight. Now consider that this nation is Your people."

One of the most precious things in our world today is the relationship between a boy and his father. It is amazing to see a small boy looking at his father with awe and respect and wanting nothing more that to be like dad.
We should have that same relationship with God. Here we read that God wanted Moses to continue on his journey. In this passage we see the tender heart of Moses to know God a little bit better. God had told Moses that he had found favor in His sight. The Lord was pleased with what Moses had done for him in spite of opposition. Moses was lacking one thing: He didn’t fully understand God’s plan. He strongly desired for God to teach him His ways.
How many times do we make that request to God and mean it? Do we truly want to know God’s ways? When God does show us His plan and desire for our lives sometimes we don’t like what it has to offer. When we ask God to teach us His ways, we have to be willing to follow them, no questions asked.
Why not ask God today? “Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor in your sight.”

Aaron

Trust [Proverbs 3:5-6]

2008-05-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
Pro 3:6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

Over that past few weeks in my Senior High Sunday School class we have been studying what it takes to build healthy relationships between people. The first week we studied appreciation. We need to make sure that others we have relationships with know that we appreciate them. Not only that we appreciate them, but why we appreciate them. The next week we studied how we need to communicate as Christians. We communicate in our actions, our lifestyle and our speech. So, what are we to be communicating? What the Bible teaches should be our sole form of communication. Then we learned what the content of that communication should be: edifying, teaching, and warning against unholy living. This week we will embark on the study of trustworthiness. We are going to examine areas of the Bible that instruct us on trusting God and other areas where God gives examples of how we are supposed to respond when he trusts us with something.

So, let’s take a moment and look at what the Bible says about us trusting God (for the other part you have to be here on Sunday!). We in Proverbs 3:5-6 that we are to trust God will all of our hearts. With all of our being we need to rely on God. This does not say only trust Him with what you feel like or just trust Him a little bit, we are to trust God with all of our hearts. The next part in trusting God is that part that every Christian struggles with and that is self. My ideas are the best; my way will work; my, my, my! Does that sound dumb to anyone else? God says we are to not rely on our own understanding! Guys, our ideas are dumb if they don’t line up with what God says. We all know that. It was our bright idea that brought sin into the word. It’s our bright ideas that cause us to constantly mess up. We can not rely on our understanding. So, what do we do? Our ideas are futile, they get us no where. We know that we need to trust God with all our hearts, we already read that. So, what’s next? We need to think about God in all of our ways. Everything we do and say need to involve God. We need to let Him steer the ship of our lives. What’s the result of that? He will guide us on right paths. When God is the captain and we trust Him, we can not go the wrong direction. That captain does not make mistakes. So, how should we trust God? With all our hearts.

Aaron

As far as the east is from the west [Psalm 103:12]

2008-05-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

I was driving in the car this morning, recording gas prices and I heard the song East to West by Casting Crowns. I know many times in my life, I have felt in a rut with God. I know that He is there, but yet He seems so far away. Read the lyrics of this song. God is always here.

Here I am, Lord, and I'm drowning in your sea of forgetfulness.

The chains of yesterday surround me

I yearn for peace and rest

I don't want to end up where You found me

And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight

I know You've cast my sin as far as the east is from the west

And I stand before You now as though I've never sinned

But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west

'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest

'cause You know just how far the east is from the west

From one scarred hand to the other

I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin

Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in

Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way

I know You've washed me white, turned my darkness into light

I need Your peace to get me through, to get me through this night

I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals

I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me

You're holding on to me

Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west

I don't have to see the man I've been come rising up in me again

In the arms of Your mercy I find rest

'cause You know just how far the east is from the west

From one scarred hand to the other
One scarred hand to the other

From one scarred hand to the other

No matter what I have done, Jesus has forgiven me. We read in Psalm 103 (which this song is based off of) that Jesus took those sins and threw them away, as far as the east is from the west. It’s forgotten. As you continue this week, remember that, but also remember the line in the song: “I don’t have to see the man I’ve been come rising up in me again.” We are forgiven. We can be soooo awesome for God!

Aaron

Plant or Water [1 Corinthians 3:6-9a]

2008-05-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

1Co 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
1Co 3:7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
1Co 3:8 Now the one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

1Co 3:9 For we are God's co-workers.

Evangelism can be a discouraging thing. At the same time, it can be the most rewarding experience of your life. What greater joy than leading another person into an eternity with Jesus. Paul uncovers what I could consider the “myth” of evangelism. The “if I don’t lead the person I am witnessing to to Christ, I am a failure” syndrome. So, what does Paul say about this? What is our role as evangelists for Christ?

First of all, Paul says he planted. Paul shared the gospel he was entrusted with (2 Timothy 1:12). Then, Apollos came along and watered that seed. Paul opened the door to Christ and Apollos led the person through.
What was next? Paul shared the gospel. Apollos led the person to Christ. God gave them growth! Paul and Apollos efforts were useless without God giving growth.
Is it good to share the gospel? Yes! Is it good to lead someone to Christ? Yes! What is the best though? The growth in a Christian’s that only God can give. God uses us to accomplish His final means.
We are God’s co- workers.
Paul didn’t water, but Apollos didn’t plant. Who was more obedient? Neither. We need to labor for God in everyway, whether we have the opportunity to plant or water. Our labor will not go unnoticed by God.
Aaron

Integrity [1 Samuel 12:1-5]

2008-05-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

1Sa 12:1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, "I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you.
1Sa 12:2 But now, you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I'm old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until today.
1Sa 12:3 Here I am. Bring charges against me before the LORD and His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged or mistreated? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you."
1Sa 12:4 "You haven't wronged us, you haven't mistreated us, and you haven't taken anything from anyone's hand," they responded.
1Sa 12:5 He said to them, "The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today that you haven't found anything in my hand." "He is a witness," they said.

In the upcoming elections, there are 3 candidates in the spotlight. Senators Hilary Clinton, Barak Obama, and John McCain. Attention is all on them and some Americans sit and wait for them to slip up in their actions or speech. Why? Some people enjoy ruining the reputation of others. What did they say wrong? Or what scandal were they involved in years ago? Anything to trip them up.

Samuel was different. In his old age, Israel began to demand for a king. We read in chapter 8 of 1 Samuel that he considered their demand sinful and did not want to take part in it. He took the situation to the Lord and God told him in verse 7, “But the LORD told him, "Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected Me as their king.” Samuel listen to what the Lord commanded and in verse 15 of chapter 11 we read, “So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the LORD's presence they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings in the LORD's presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel greatly rejoiced.” Saul was made the first king over Israel.

After Saul was appointed king, Samuel made sure Israel could not taint his reputation. He asked the entire nation what charges they could bring against him, if any? What had he done wrong? The only response was nothing. He had a clean slate. They knew his feelings on a king and his hands were clean of the aftermath of their decision.

Our presidential hopefuls, have a fine tooth comb running through their pasts. Many charges are coming up against them. Eventually, some things could be brought up to ruin them.

What about us? We all have things in our past we regret. Honestly, you are lying if you say you don’t. We can start from here though. We can live that life of integrity that was modeled by Samuel. We can live from here on out in such a way that our slate is clean. So, are we going to?

Aaron

It's Just My Duty... [Luke 17:7-10]

2008-05-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

7 "Which one of you having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? 8 Instead, will he not tell him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink' 9 Does he thank that slave because he did what was commanded? 10 In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, 'We are good-for-nothing slaves; we've only done our duty.'" [Luke 17:7-10]

September 11, 2001 was one of the most tragic days in the history of the United States. That morning our country came under attack by so called "religious martyrs" from the group Al- Queda. Two airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center towers, one was flown into the Pentagon and one was crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. America wept at the lose of thousands of lives. In the darkness that was that day, a ray of hope shone out. Firefighters, police, paramedics and countless other heroes stepped up to the plate and went to action. Men and women were running into the burning towers, which could fall to the ground at any moment, just to save one more life. To them the life of a stranger was worth more than their own. Many of these heroes never came back out of the building; they paid the ultimate sacrifice, their lives. For those that did the burning question in the heart of every American was “Why?” Why were these men and woman willing to risk their lives for strangers they may never see again? Do you know what the response was? “Oh, we’re not heroes… we are only doing our duty…” The commander said “Go!” and they went.

We read in this passage of Luke a parable that was told by Jesus. A parable of a slave who worked in the fields and then came in and made a meal for his master. Jesus says that slave did not expect a thank you or a pat on the back; he was doing his duty. Are we expecting a pat on the back when we do good for God? I hope not. Next time you start to feel pride well up in your heart because of your service to God just remember what the 9/11 heroes said and what Jesus said in Luke 17:10, “It’s just my duty…”

Appreciation [Phil. 4:15-20]

2008-04-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

15 And you, Philippians, know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent [gifts] The bracketed text has been added for clarity. for my need several times. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that is increasing to your account. 18 But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided—a fragrant offering, a welcome sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. [Phil. 4:15-20]

What is appreciation? Appreciation is thankful recognition for what someone has done for you. Appreciation is a necessary part of any relationship we engage in. Our relationships with a person or persons can be strengthened by a little appreciation. So, lets read and explain Paul’s letter of appreciation to the Philippian church:

15 And you, Philippians, know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.

When Paul had left the area of Macedonia (Acts 16:40), the Philippian church was the only group to support his needs.

16 For even in Thessalonica you sent [gifts] The bracketed text has been added for clarity. for my need several times.

When Paul was in the area of Thessalonica preaching (Acts 17:1-14), the Philippian church still supported his needs. Not only one time, but they sent gifts several times.

17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that is increasing to your account.

Paul says he is not seeking the support of the Philippians, but he wants to see them showing their fruit as Christians. As they were giving of themselves to Paul, they were also storing up treasures for themselves in heaven (Luke 6:38).

18 But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided—a fragrant offering, a welcome sacrifice, pleasing to God.

He had received all that they had sent to him with Epaphroditus. Not only did Paul have what he needed, but he had an abundant supply. Their sacrificial gift to Paul was pleasing to God.

19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

By sending sacrificial gifts to Paul, the Philippians had probably depleted some of their resources. Paul tells them that God will continue to supply for their needs.

So, what does this have to do with appreciation? First of all, the Philippian church appreciated Paul. They obviously believed in him and his ministry or they would not be willing to sacrifice to support him. Second of all, Paul showed appreciation to the Philippians by basically writing them a thank you note. He made sure they knew how much he appreciated their support, not only him, but God as well.

Appreciation is thankful recognition for what someone has done for you. Paul expressed his appreciation in a thank you note. How are we expressing our appreciation to others? Or are we?

Aaron

Refined by fire [1 Peter 1:6-7]

2008-04-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

1Pe 1:6 You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials
1Pe 1:7 so that the genuineness of your faith--more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Refined by fire. This statement reminds me of a story I heard a few years ago about some women who took a trip to a silver smith (where silver is refined). Here is what happened:

A group of ladies had a bible study group that met every week on Thursday nights. Each week they would study the Bible and encourage each other in the upcoming weeks. Recently, they had been going through the book of 1 Peter and came across the verse that talks about gold being refined by fire. Well, the ladies did know of a silver smith in the next town over and decided to take a trip that following week to see what refining of these precious metals was all about. So, that next week they met at the church early in the morning and headed to the silver smiths. When they got there they were introduced to the owner and he took them on a tour. About 10 minutes into the tour one of the ladies asked, “Sir, can you show us how you refine the precious metals?” The owner then took to the refining area and began to refine some silver. He took the block of silver and put it in a small metal cup with a handle and held it over the fire. He then held it over the blue area of the flame. A lady asked, “Why do you hold it over the blue part of the flame and not the red?” “Ma’am”, he replied, “The blue portion of the flame is the hottest part. It is only in the hottest part of the flame that all the impurities can be purged out.” The silver smith never looked away from the silver or the fire. He was focused. So, after a few minutes of heating the silver and scraping of the impurities another lady asked, “How do you know when the silver is completely pure?” He replied with a grin, “Oh that’s easy! I know it’s done when I can see my reflection in it…”

Refined by fire. Is God holding you over the blue part of the flame? As with this story we know that He will never look away. God has His eyes on us and will always take care of us. It is when He sees His Son in us that we are pure.

Is God refining you?

Aaron

You did that for me? Wow. [1 Peter 1:3-5]

2008-04-28T10:40:00.001-07:00

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. [1 Peter 1:3-5]

I think we can all list the names of some “religious leaders” that people still follow to this day. Some names that come to mind are Joseph Smith, Mohammad, Buddha, that elephant guy with the eight arms. It’s crazy to think that people are willing to follow these people isn’t it? In reality what did they actually do? Well, most of them claim to be a prophet from “God” (I use that term loosely) and He gave them a special message for mankind. Others have claimed to have reached a new level of spiritual enlightenment and when others reach this enlightenment they to can be “gods”. What? Are you kidding me? How about we listen to THE religious leader! THE God of the universe! This religious leader had so much love for His creation that He came in the form of a human being. He left the perfection and glory of heaven and stepped down to earth to dwell among us. He showed us mercy and grace by being hit, beat, bruised, spat upon, facial hair ripped out, crown of thorns force onto His brow, nails in each hand, a nail through His feet, mocked, cursed, and humiliated. Why? Why would the God give up all His glory to go through that? Well, in the verse above we have to very good reasons as to why He did this. The first is He rose from the dead! He separated Himself from the pack. No other religious leader has ever came back from the dead! What about Mohammad? Still dead. Joseph Smith. Still dead. Buddha. You guessed it, still dead. And what about Jesus? Resurrected. Three days in the tomb and He conquered death. So, what is the second reason? Again, why did God give up His glory for us? He has an inheritance in heaven for those who believe in Him! Some of you reading this may have received or may someday receive and inheritance from the death of a relative or friend, but not like this one. Our inheritance in heaven doesn’t perish, it is untainted with sin, and it is forever. We read in John 1: 14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus showed us mercy and grace and gave us His inheritance. What are we doing to thank Him?
-Aaron

Lead By Example [1 Timothy 4:11-12]

2008-04-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

11 Command and teach these things. 12 No one should despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:11-12

In the previous day, we talked about how we should train not only our bodies, but also our spirit. We learned that training the body only has limited benefit because our bodies are only alive as long as we are here on earth. Paul then told us that training in godliness is beneficial for us not only for as long as we are live, but in eternity as well. Now we move on and Paul is giving Timothy direct orders concerning his ministry. He tells him first off that he needs to command and teach everything that Paul has already written to him about. Now when you make a command to someone it is not really an option whether or not they follow the order. The word is most commonly referred to when describing a military general giving orders to a soldier. Timothy was told to command all these teachings Paul gave to his church. Not only command, but he was also to teach. When teaching something, the main idea is not only to present information, but to explain it as well as to gain understanding. As we are in ministry, we need to not be afraid to stand up and command God’s truth, but we need to also explain why it must be done God’s way. So, at this point Paul is foreseeing Timothy’s reaction of “I’m young and they will never listen to what I have to say!” Paul responds with “let no one despise your youth”. Timothy was not to let his age get in his way, but to be an example to the believers he was leading by his actions. He was to be an example in his speech, his conduct, his love for others, his faith in God, and by living a pure life. So, even though the people of his church may hesitate to listen to Timothy’s commands at first, it is when he leads by example that they will get on board.

How are you training? [1 Timothy 4:7-8]

2008-04-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

In the verses before these, Paul is instructing Timothy not only to study the words of faith, but to act on them. He was commending Timothy for taking in the Scriptures and following what they say. Now he moves on to his next point. He tells Timothy not to have anything to do with teaching that is contrary to the Word of God. These are of no good to the Christian. Paul tells him that instead of getting caught up in those useless myths to train his body in godliness. He wants Timothy to get caught up in the Word of God. “The training of the body has a limited benefit”, he is not saying training your body has no benefit, but that it is all temporary. That training will only last as long as we are alive. He continues by saying that godliness is beneficial in everyway. Godliness does not have limited benefit, but benefit for now and eternity. It is interesting how a majority of people try to stay in physically fit shape. Now, I’m not saying that we all want o be athletic super stars, but everyone has some sense of wanting to be healthy. It is important to us. What about our spiritual health? Do we daily train our bodies in godliness? Are we spending time in the Word to train ourselves to be more like Christ? We can train our bodies and become physically fit, but that should not be our main focus. We need to train to be like Jesus because not only will it benefit us here on earth, but when we get to Heaven. And I don’t know about you, but I think I want to please my spiritual trainer, afterall He is God :)