Thought of the Day !!

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

This is a strong statement about love. Love is something that is hard to define, but much easier to show. So when we hate a brother or sister, we show the lack of it. And the ultimate love that God expects from us has no hate in it. This is proven by Jesus when he teaches us to love even our enemies. So love all, and hate none.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives. Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (NLT)

Surely you've heard people talk about accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Maybe you've even been asked if you've done this very thing. But what does it mean to say that Jesus is Lord? What does it mean to say he is Savior?

For the answer to the second question concerning Savior, I believe that it means that Jesus is the one who saves us from our sins. He's the one we place our trust in for salvation.

As for the first question, it means that he is the ruler of our lives. If we claim that Jesus is Lord, it means that we will obey Him. His commands to us are just that; commands. They are not suggestions. We can obey if we wish. Or we can choose not to obey. But the truth of the matter is that Jesus is only our Lord when we obey Him. And he commands us to love God, to love each other and to be holy.

Are we obeying Jesus today in being holy? Or are we living an immoral lifestyle? Are we placing God first in our hearts and lives? Or are we at the center of them? Do we show love of God by loving our neighbor? Or do we love ourselves more than others?

It's not that if we mess up, we will be tossed aside by God. It's that in choosing to live unholy lives we make the choice to reject God. Our lives will be lived out in a holy fashion, or they will be lived out in a way that is not pleasing to God. Which would you prefer?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

O God, we give glory to you all day long
and constantly praise your name.
Psalm 44:8 (NLT)

As I sit and think about this passage, I realize just how untrue it can be at times. I want to strive to give God glory all day long and to constantly praise His name. But is it glory that I give to Him when I get angry, act selfishly or neglect others' feelings?

How many of us think more about "us" in a day than we do about God (whom we're supposed to love more than anything) and others (whom we're supposed to love at least as well as ourselves)?

My God wants more from me. He loves me and just wants to see me succeed. And when I fail, He lifts me up. No matter how selfish I seem or even superficial I can feel, He is there waiting for me to bring glory to Him simply by coming to Him for help. He's the ultimate Parent that never leaves our side, who cheers us on like a dad at a kid's soccer game and a cares tenderly for us like a mom after we've scraped our knee. If anyone deserves my praise today, it's Him.

"Lord, I love you. Thank you." This is my prayer today. I hope it will be yours as well.

In the love of Christ,
greg

'Bishop Ward's ePistle for April 25, 2010'

'Bishop Ward's ePistle for April 25, 2010'

Thought of the Day !!

Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer to everyone.
Colossians 4:5-6 (NLT)

On the surface I see Paul trying to teach us to be different from non-Christians. We must use our time with them as opportunities to minister and evangelize. This doesn't necessarily mean that we ask them if they're saved or try and preach to them. Instead, we are to live and act like Christ would around them. We are to care for them and teach them about Christ whenever possible. We are to show love to them by what we do and what we say and how we say it. We are to lift them up, being gracious to them.

This is just as important in our daily walk with other Christians as with non-Christians. In today's world there is so much falling out in our churches and denominations. One person believes this and another believes that. One person does this and another doesn't like it. And when this happens, I wonder just how much of the conversation is "gracious and effective"?

Maybe it's not fighting over beliefs or actions. A lot of us may just be critical or rude or negative. Maybe this is you or me and we don't even realize it. Do you know how many times that you make someone think to themselves "I wonder what side of the bed he/she woke up on this morning?" Do you realize that you may be turning some people off by what you say to them? I've wonder that about myself at times. Maybe it would be a good idea if we all stop and really think about how we come off to others.

And then let's never forget that the original purpose of this passage was for our conversation to "be gracious and effective so that (we) will have the right answer for everyone." We want our answers to those who are non-Christian to be positive instead of negative. And our answers may not come after we've been asked questions. Many times we may answer their questions by how we speak to and show respect for each other as Christian brothers and sisters.

So today let's focus on how our conversations with each other (Christian and non-Christian alike) can be more gracious and effective.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Rethink Church

Thought of the Day !!

NOTE: There will be no devotions on Thursday or Friday. I will be out of town on a short spiritual retreat.

After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him.
Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said.
Once more he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep.
John 21:15-17 (NLT)

Three times Peter had denied knowing Jesus on that fateful night. Peter had to feel like an utter failure. He was the one who was supposed to be the "Rock". But all he had done was hit rock bottom.

There's a good thing Jesus doesn't have a three strikes and out policy. For Jesus offers Peter the same number of chances to reclaim his love for him as the number of times that Peter failed him. This is a great thing about our God. The number of times we fail is the exact number of times we are offered reconciliation.

Know that no matter how far away you get or how many times you fail your Lord, He's still willing to take you back and forgive you. That is what's so truly amazing about God's grace.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)

This verse is a reminder of two things. First of all, Paul tells us that we are all given a spiritual gift. I believe that there could be more than one, but Paul reminds us that we all have at least one.

So often people will tell me that they don't have any spiritual gifts. They don't sing well, play a musical instrument or are not able to preach. In their minds, this obviously means that no spiritual gift is available to them. Some look to the scriptures that list a few of the spiritual gifts and say that this small list does not have anything that they are good at. And so, obviously, they have no spiritual gifts.

But Paul never mentions that his lists of gifts are exhaustive. He never says that spiritual gifts are few in number. The fact is that any gift given to you by God for the purpose of ministry is a spiritual gift. Some use their wonderful cooking as a spiritual gift to feed those in need. Some use the gift of being able to listen to people without interuption as a form of ministry. Some use the gifts of time or writing or giving for ministry. These all become spiritual gifts. Find out what you're good at and use it for ministry.

The second thing this passage reminds us it that spiritual gifts are not given to us to keep to ourselves. They are given to us to be used to show our love of neighbor. Again, I urge you to find out what you're good at and use it for ministry.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

When they arrived and found [Jesus], they asked, "Teacher, how did you get here?"

Jesus replied, "The truth is, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you saw the miraculous sign. But you shouldn't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Son of Man, can give you. For God the Father has sent me for that very purpose."
John 6:25-27 (NLT)

This passage comes on the heels of the story of the feeding of the five thousand in which these people were miraculously fed with five loaves and two small fish.

I'm saddened by what I see with these people. I see people who are thinking of nobody but themselves…who think about what Jesus can do for them without a thought of what they can do for him.

I'm saddened when I see these same kinds of people today. But I'm probably most saddened when I see myself in this picture; when I see myself wondering what God has done for me lately…when I place my own demands upon Jesus…when I think of temporary satisfaction instead of looking at the bigger picture. What about you? Can you see yourself as ever acting like this?

The people asked Jesus how he got there to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He didn't bother to answer that question…but as Jesus so often does…he gets right to the heart of the matter. He tells them that they're not looking for him because he produced a miracle, but instead for selfish reasons. They just want to see if they can find a free meal again.

His response is to tell them that they shouldn't be so concerned with temporary things that will be here today and gone tomorrow. Instead of seeking another meal of fish and bread, they should be searching for the greatest thing that Jesus can give them…eternal bread…eternal filling…eternal life.

May we all be seekers of things eternal today.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him.
Colossians 2:6 (NLT)

Yesterday I talked about what it meant to believe in Jesus. Today I want to look at what it means to say that He is our Lord and Savior. Lets look at Jesus as Lord first. Paul wrote that as we have accepted Christ Jesus as our Lord that we must continue to live in obedience to him. The key here is the word obedience.

The word lord is not used like it once was. Once upon a time you might hear about the lord of the manor or the lord of this or that piece of land. And the lord was the one who was in charge. He was the one whom you had to obey. So when we speak of Jesus as our Lord, we are saying that Jesus is the one who is in charge of our lives. His teachings are the ones that we are willing to obey. If you claim that Jesus is your Lord, but you are not living by his teachings, then you are lying to yourself and to others.

Then there is the word Savior. This is pretty simple. Jesus died on a cross. And when he did, we were given a way to be saved from our sins. I like to say that he did it so that we would know there was a way out of our sinful lives.

So when we believe in Him by putting our trust in Him, we are saved from our old sinful ways. Because He saves us from ourselves, He is our Savior.

So believe in Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you shall be saved from the penalty of your sin, which is death.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him.
Colossians 2:6 (NLT)

When we believe in Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior we are saved, born again, created anew or however else you want to say it. We begin a new life with Christ. So what does it mean to believe in Christ? Does it mean that we believe in an intellectual way with our minds, deducing that there must be a God and therefore must be a Christ? Or does it mean more? What does it mean to say we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior? Today I want to talk about what it means to believe in Jesus. Tomorrow we will look at the terms Lord and Savior.

John 3:16 is possibly the most well-known verse in the bible. And people throughout the ages have taken this verse to be the means of their salvation. God gave His Son so that if we would believe in him we would not perish but have everlasting life. So if we believe in Jesus we will be saved. A truer statement will never be made. But what does it mean exactly to believe? Well, throughout the Gospel of John when the word believe is used, it is used to mean more than an intellectual belief. It's more of an action verb. And the action is to place our lives, our fates if you will, into Jesus' hands, trusting in Him for their outcome.

I've always believed, and taught, that to believe is more than believing with our heads. It's also believing with our hearts, which will lead to believing through our actions. In other words, when we believe with our heads, we acknowledge the Truth. When we believe with our hearts, we place our love in the Truth. And when we do these two, our actions will follow suit. And the Truth that we believe in is Christ Jesus.

All this means is that if you say that you believe in Christ and are saved because of it, make sure you aren't just talking about agreeing with the fact that Jesus lived or even the things he taught. Come to know Christ in an intimate way, trusting in Him and placing your whole life in His hands.

Tomorrow we will talk about what it means to say that "Jesus is my Lord and Savior."

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives. Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (NLT)

Maybe we ought to ask ourselves from time to time which way we're leaning. Are we leaning towards a holy life or an impure one? None of us are perfect. But all of us can strive for perfection (or holiness). This is what God desires.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Each person should judge his own actions and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done.
Galatians 6:4 (NCV)

Ouch! Who doesn't need to hear this?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever...
Psalm 37:28 (NIV)

God does care about those who are just. He cares about those who put others first. He cares about those who practice love of God and love of neighbor. He cares about those who don't try to get ahead at others' expense. He cares about those who are faithful to live according to His Word. He cares about those who speak to Him on a regular basis. He cares about those who don't fill their prayers with their desires only. He cares about those who listen to the call of others in need. He cares about those who give up their time to help out. He cares about those who care about each other. God Cares and will Protect.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Romans 8:26 (NIV)

Are there times in your life when you just don't know what to ask God for or how to go about asking? Have you ever wanted to pray for somebody, but you didn't know their specific need? Have you ever been in a funk and didn't understand why and had no clue how to put it into words before God?

I know I have experienced all of these and figure you have too. Jesus tells us to take our burdens to him, but there have been times when I really didn't know how to explain what these burdens were. That can make it hard when trying to share our problems with others. But God already knows. He already knows what we're going through, what others are going through, what pains and hurts we are all feeling, what burdens we bear.

Begin by simply going to God in prayer. You may or may not be able to say what you desire. But God's Holy Spirit reaches down into the depths of your heart to get what the heart knows but the brain can't put into words. Pray that God would recognize the things you can't explain. The Bible says that He's capable of just that.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
Psalm 22:11 (NIV)

Trouble is never too far away. But then again, neither is God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

I have often times heard the last sentence of this passage (and even quoted it). "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" is used to help others see that with Christ all things are possible.

But how often have we read the verses that precede this statement? Paul is saying that because he has Christ, he can be happy whether he is on top of the world or in a ditch. If we ask and allow Him to, Christ will give us the strength we need to be wealthy and still give much away...to succeed and still be humble...to live with our heads just above water and still not constantly complain about what we don't have...to be laid off or replaced and still be able to love our neighbor...to be displaced by a natural disaster that has demolished everything we had and still love God.

If we ask, we shall receive. Ask for strength from Christ, no matter what your place in life, and He will share it with you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me around among the old, dry bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground. Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?"

"O Sovereign Lord," I replied, "you alone know the answer to that."

Then he said to me, "Speak to these bones and say, `Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to breathe into you and make you live again!
Ezekiel 37:1-5 (NLT)

Ezekiel is to prophesy to a people who have been taken from their homes and placed in exile in Babylonia. These are the Israelites who had turned their back on God and began worshiping other idols. But God shows them that even though they are being punished He is not going to abandon them.

The lifelessness of the bones in this vision given to Ezekiel represents hopelessness. And in bringing them back to life, God brings the hope of a new beginning. For the Israelites in captivity there is hope of one day returning to their homes. Ezekiel is also told to say that God "will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel."

For us today the hope lies not in dry bones from a valley floor being brought to life, but a Son who laid in a tomb who was brought to life after three days. The Israelites craved freedom, a place of their own, and new life. The same is offered to us through Jesus.

Our God is a God of new beginnings...of resurrection...of life. He chooses to take death and make life out of it for those who choose Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a stick so he could drink. But the rest said, "Leave him alone. Let's see whether Elijah will come and save him." Then Jesus shouted out again, and he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead after Jesus' resurrection. They left the cemetery, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, "Truly, this was the Son of God!"
Matthew 27:45-54 (NLT)

Matthew makes a very important observation here. He writes that Jesus gave up his own spirit. No one could do any of this to him unless he allowed it to happen. I believe He did this so that we would know that there was a way out. And that that way out is Jesus.

God wants us to know that we don't have to try to do it on our own. And He wants us to know how much He loves us. We see this in the sacrifice that He made.

There is no possibility for us to be perfect by the law. So God made it much simpler. All we have to do now is believe in Jesus and make him the Lord of our life. This means doing what he commanded us to do.

So why did he do it? Basically, He did it because He loves you and me.

In the love of Christ,
greg