February 6, 2012
Source: Discovery Series: SELF ESTEEM, WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
By: RBC Ministries
Why is self-esteem so important?
They sat next to each other in high-school biology. Yet they lived worlds apart. He seemed to have everything going for him. She had a lot to overcome.
He came from a family of good looks, grew up in an expensive neighborhood, and had many of the social privileges usually associated with wealth and success. She was plain in appearance, came from a working-class family, and had to work hard to make passing grades.
There was also another way they were different. He was full of self-doubt, didn't like the way he looked, and suspected that others paid attention to him only because of his family's money. She was amazingly happy, well-adjusted, and though aware of her limitations, was determined to go further in life than others thought she could.
They were two people with two different ways of looking at themselves. What he had in material advantage, she had in self-esteem and self-respect. What he had in appearance, she had in self-acceptance. Together they remind us that we all have a way of looking at ourselves that influences whether we feel adequate or inadequate, likeable or unlikeable, valuable or worthless.
What might seem hard to understand is that the way we feel about ourselves doesn't just depend on our appearance or abilities. Much more important, our opinion of ourselves depends largely on how we have learned to think about ourselves from the important people in our lives.If the "significant others" in our lives have helped us to feel important and loved, we will be inclined to have a healthy opinion of ourselves. If they have given us reason to feel inadequate and unneeded, we are apt to find ourselves thinking:
- "There's something wrong with me."
- "I don't belong here."
- "I don't like myself."
- "I don't have what it takes."
- "I don't compare well."
- "I want to hide."
Bad self-esteem is a curse. More and more people are realizing that if you feel as if you have nothing to offer, you'll act as if you have nothing to offer. If you think poorly of yourself, you will tend to act poorly. If you have a low image of yourself, you will be inclined to back away from relationships and challenges. If you are sure you're going to fail, then chances are you will. Low self-esteem is like self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you don't have what it takes to win at life, you are apt to confirm your own prediction.
By contrast, good self-esteem is a blessing. Those who believe they have something to offer are more likely to make a positive difference in other people's lives. People who have a healthy sense of self-respect are more likely to pursue relationships and challenges. Those who think well of themselves are more likely to fulfill their own expectations.
There is however a downside to self-esteem. Even as we acknowledge that healthy self-respect is an advantage, we need to acknowledge that there are dangers to the kind of positive thinking that is often encouraged in education, media, and even in religious circles. In an effort to help others shed feelings of self-contempt and self-rejection, many have promoted false hope.
Healthy self-esteem needs to be realistic. It's not a self-confidence that says:
- "I can be anything I want to be."
- "I deserve more."
- "I don't need anyone else's help."
- "I don't have any regrets."
- "I don't have any fears."
Instead, the right kind of self-respect rests on a fair assessment of our real strengths and weaknesses. A healthy self-esteem itself with a confidence that says:
- "My life has a purpose."
- "I belong here."
- "I can love and be loved."
- "I need others as they need me."
- "I will seek forgiveness for my wrongs."
- "I can be anything God enables me to be."
Thinking more of ourselves than we ought to think is just as self-defeating as a low self-image. Self-conceit can cause us to make unfair demands of others. It can lead us to believe we are entitled to what we don't have. It can prompt us to ignore our need of God and others.
(To be continued...)
December 28, 2011
Source: A FAITH THAT WORKS, Been Thinking About
By: Matt De Haan, RBC Ministries
Can faith and works exist apart from one another?
The authors of the New Testament seem to be so concerned about answering this question that they sometimes sound as if they are contradicting themselves.
In some texts, for instance, the apostle Paul takes pains to emphasize that salvation is by faith alone without any hint or trace of human effort (Titus 3:5). In his letter to the Romans, he writes, "But to him whop does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5 NKJV).
Yet, in other places, all of the New Testament writers, including Paul, also emphasize the need for action that shows our faith and gives evidence of a right relationship with God. The apostle James is well known for writing as if he disagrees with Paul. In his New Testament letter, James argues that faith without works is dead. He even goes so far as to say that "a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24 NKJV).
Over the years, much has been written to resolve this apparent contradiction. At the very minimum, the answers is that while no one is declared with with God on the basis of human merit, it is just as true that without actions that show our faith, our relationship with God remains immature and unconfirmed in the sight of others (James 2:18, 22).
Because we believe...
- Because we believe the Bible is a reliable revelation of God, we want our lives to reflect what the Scriptures teach us about who our Creator is, what He values, and what He wants to do in and through us.
- Because we believe in the Triunity of God, we want our relationships to reflect the unity of purpose and loving cooperation by which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit care for one another.
- Because we believe Jesus Christ is our Savior, Teacher, and Lord, we want the attitudes He shows toward His friends and enemies to be our attitudes as well.
- Because we believe Jesus died in our place and rose from the dead to live His life through anyone who will trust Him, we want to spend the rest of our lives letting others see that what He has done for us, He can do for them as well.
- Because we believe Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to be with us and in us, we want to lieve with a courage and confidence that is not in ourselves but in Him.
- Because we believe in one church, of which Jesus Christ is the head, we want to identify with, and show our love for, the family of God that crosses all lines of age, race, gender, and class distinction.
- Because we believe Christ makes His people ambassadors to all nations, we want to participate in a mission that rises above and reaches beyond all national, ethnic, and religious boundaries.
- Because we believe each of us will give account of ourselves to God, we want to be so aware of our own sins that when it becomes necessary to give attention to the wrongs of others, we will do so with care rather than conceit and with conviction rather than condemnation.
- Because we believe we are stewards of God's creation, we want to be faithful caretakers of the spiritual, material, and natural resources that have been entrusted to us, for the good of our neighbor and for the honor of God.
- Because we believe in the promised return of Christ, we want to live every day of our lives in a way that reflects hope rather than despair, love rather than hate, and gratefulness rather than greed.
Admittedly there are dangers in such a summary. We could be like those who make a list and consider the job done. Without ingoing honest reflection, we could lose sight of how often we fail to live up to our best intentions. Without remembering the need for both faith and action, we could also forget that spiritual maturity is not the automatic result of our salvation (2 Peter 1:1-15).
We can't afford to ever stop asking our God to give us the daily grace we need to show real ongoing evidence of a faith that works.
Father in Heaven, we are so quick to forget our need to consciously walk by faith and not by sight. We so easily assume that because we believe in Your Son, a good life will follow. Please give us again today the grace we need to show Your presence in a faith that works. Amen.
November 4, 2011
Source: THE BIBLE AND TRUTH, Been Thinking About
By: Mart De Haan, RBC Ministries
(Part III-Final)
Appropriate Tone of Communication
So that our words reflect the attitudes of the Person and Spirit of Christ.
- Our message needs to be marked by both urgency and patience; by conviction without condemnation; by care without compromise.
- We need to communicate with truth and grace.
-We need to speak to our spiritual family as brothers and sisters, and to our enemies as those for whom Christ dies.
- When we use others in illustrations, we need to treat them as we would want to be treated.
- When we speak or write, we need to be attentive to bruised and broken people.
- We need to attack ideas rather than people.
The point of this list is not to say that my RBC Ministries co-workers and I have been as successful as we want to be in bringing our materials and content in line with these values, but that is certainly our desire. The reason for the above summary is to let you know what we are trying to do while asking you to hold us accountable if you see us doing something else.
In the process, I hope you can affirm with us that when the Bible calls us to a life of truth, it's not just talking about learning to know the facts of life and death. Few things are more important to our spiritual journey than learning to see truth not only in words but also in attitudes that are true to the Son of God (2 Timothy 2:24-25, 3:10).
Father in heaven, thank You for giving us the honor of speaking to one another on Your behalf. Please enable us to do so with both words and attitudes that express Your heart. Amen.
October 17, 2011
Source: THE BIBLE AND TRUTH, Been Thinking About
By: Mart De Haan, RBC Ministries
(Part II)
Supremacy of Christ
So that our message points ultimately and consistently to the living revelation of God through Christ and to the centrality of His cross and resurrection.
- Everything in the Bible, in one way or another, points to the Triune God who revealed Himself to us through Christ who is our Creator, our Sustainer, our Savior, our King, our Advocate and Intercessor, our Judge, and our coming Deliverer and Friend.
- The hero of our stories is not us but the One who bore our sins in His own body.
- Our goal is not only to communicate knowledge but also the wisdom that finds fullness of meaning in Christ.
(To be continued...)
September 14, 2011
Source: THE BIBLE AND TRUTH, Been Thinking About
By: Mart De Haan, RBC Ministries
(Part I)
Foundation of the Bible
So that our thoughts rest not in human ideas, but in the revelation and wisdom of God.
- If we see the Bible as a handbook for solving our problems, rather than as a revelation of God and the story of our rescue, its moral principles will seem like a cut flower -- clipped from its stem and root.
- When speaking about difficult issues, we need to attach authority to no more and no less that what God has said.
- The Bible is not so much like a priceless picture on a wall but like a window through which we view all else.
- Right application of Scripture is as important as right interpretation.
(To be continued...)
August 31, 2011
Excerpts from: BLESS YOU, Receiving and Sharing The Blessings of the Lord
By: Warren W. Wiersbe
Our God Is Maturing Us
This firm foundation is a major theme of Peter's second letter in which he affirms the truth of the apostolic message and admonishes his readers to make their "calling and election sure" (1:10-21). He describes the false teachers who were denying the promise of the Lord's return (chapters 2 and 3) and then closes with a warning against listening to false doctrine lest they be "carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from [their] secure position" (2 Peter 3:17). The solution? "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
There is a difference between age and maturity. The fact that people have lived for fifty years is no guarantee they are mature in their thinking or their living. Growing old and "growing up" are two vastly different processes. When little children learn to walk, they think they can imitate their older siblings and run everywhere and do everything, but this often leads to bruises and broken bones. As children mature, they eventually develop their motor skills and graduate to bicycles, then roller blades, then to skateboards, and then to automobiles and motorcycles. But the ability to stand firmly is the basis for whatever they do with their feet.
To grow in the grace of Jesus Christ has to do with our character and conduct, a blessing that accompanies growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Peter was refuting the false teachers of that day by emphasizing the importance of true spiritual knowledge. To get to know Jesus Christ better day by day is to grow to be more like Him day by day (Ephesians 4:13-16). But I must issue a caution here: it is easier to grow in Bible knowledge and get a "big head" than it is to assimilate this truth and grow in grace. "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1). All of us have met Christians who know their Bibles well but don't practice what the Bible commands. Even Satan can quote the Bible (Matthew 4:5-7).
We are not to be cute little saplings but mature trees that bear fruit (Psalm 1:3). We may begin as lambs, but we must grow to become productive sheep. First John 2:12-14 suggests stages in spiritual growth, from little children to young people to fathers. Hebrews 5:11-14 describes believers who had been saved long enough to become teachers, but instead they were in a "second childhood" and had to learn the basics all over. The milk of the Word is the truth involved in what Jesus did on earth --His birth, life and ministry, death and resurrection. But the meat of the Word (the solid food, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3) is the truth about what He is doing for us today in heaven as our High Priest. The present heavenly ministry of Christ is one of the important themes of Hebrews.
Christians grow from the inside out. God's truth must penetrate our hearts, be "digested," and become a part of our inner being, or it will do us little good. Christians grow best in a family setting, and that's where the local church comes in. We need the encouragement of other believers as well as their prayers, warnings and counsel. "All the believers were together," Luke wrote of the first Christian congregation (Acts 2:44), agood example for us to follow today. They heard the Word together, prayed together, and ate together, and when they scattered, they shared the good news of Jesus Christ.
God's grace doesn't grow; we grow in our knowledge and understanding of His grace and in our appropriation of that grace as we have need. The more we learn about Jesus Christ, the more we realize the spiritual treasures God has made available through Christ. "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another" (John 1:16). The image in that verse is of ocean waves coming onto shore, one after the other in endless fullness. We are like little children on the beach, trying to capture the ocean in our little pails. "But he gives us more grace," says James 4:6. "That is why the Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee. ~Robert Robinson
August 12, 2011
Excerpts from: SELF-ESTEEM-What Does The Bible Say? (Discovery Series)
By: RBC Ministries
By What Values Do We See Ourselves?
At this point it should be apparent that our Father in heaven, like all loving parents, wants us to feel good about ourselves. But He wants it to be on His terms, not ours. That might sound like bad news. But it isn't. Heaven's values are so much richer and more meaningful than the short-lived values that tend to catch our eye.
Measured By Human Standards
Our natural inclination is to think that our well-being and ability to feel good about ourselves lies in values variously described as:
-beauty
-bucks
-appearance
-brains
-brawn
-aptitude
-affluence
-pleasure
-possessions
-ability
-prominence
-power
If these are our values, we are in trouble. Regardless of how they are described, they are superficial, short-lived, and misleading. Our net worth is not equal to the sum total of our appearance, our abilities, and our affluence.
It's a lousy lie that convinces us to feel bad about ourselves because we don't compare well with others when it comes to beauty, brains, bucks, or brawn. It's a lie of unbelievable proportions that causes us to think that real value is found in a handsome face, a well-dressed body, a quick mind, or a fat bank account.
Yet the children of the world are nurtured or neglected, pampered or put off, largely on the basis of the bone structure and fat deposits of their bodies, the alertness of their minds, or the social status of their parents. Children are raised to feel good or bad about themselves depending on how they fit into the selfish, ever-changing mold of the world around them.
Does this mean we should always despise these other values? No, they have their place. We need to cultivate and appreciate wealth, appearance, ability, and influence whenever higher values shows us that it is appropriate to do so. We need to do the best we can with what the Lord has given us. Being a well-groomed, color-coordinated person has its place. And in a limited sense, this can help us to feel better about ourselves.
But when it comes to the real basis of self-esteem, we need to build on the truth of what the Lord said to the prophet Samuel while showing him the next king of Israel. Of one "hot prospect" the Lord said: "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." -1 Samuel 16:7
After recording the importance of God's "inner view," however, the same chapter describes David, the Lord's anointed, as being "ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking." (1 Samuel 16:12). Apparently, the Lord Himself sees the practical significance of human considerations while making it plain that His eye is on the heart.
Then there was Jeremiah the prophet. He declared to his troubled, dying world: "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD." -Jeremiah 9:23-24
August 5, 2011
Excerpts from: BLESS YOU-Receiving and Sharing The Blessings of the Lord
By: Warren W. Wiersbe
Only From the Lord
The world offers medications and treatments for those who are troubled, and while we can buy a temporary fix for anxiety, we can't buy peace. And yet peace is what we desperately need, for without peace, we are vulnerable in this warring world. Just as health demands a proper balance in the mind and body, so the Christian's inner person must have the "balance" that comes from possessing the peace of God. Normal spiritual growth is difficult if not impossible when we lack this peace. Furthermore, how can we be witnesses in a nervous and frightened world if our own lives are anxious and upset? To be impulsive or stubborn is to imitate "the horse or the mule." -"Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.", and to lose the peace of God.
God's peace is not the absence of conflict but the satisfying presence of the Lord in the midst of our battles. We usually ask God to change our difficult circumstances, but our Father wants to use those circumstances to make us more like Jesus Christ; "Conformed to the likeness of His Son" is what Paul called it (Romans 8:29). "That's why Paul could boldly say that 'in all things God works for the good of those who love Him'" (Romans 8:28). In order to accomplish God's will, Jesus had to suffer and die, and if we want to become like Jesus, we must have our share of pain and challenges. But the Lord doesn't share His peace with us the way a physician gives us a pill or a shot of medicine in the arm. "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." (Isaiah 26:3). That means faith fixed on the Lord. You find a similar formula in Philippians 4:6-9: a heart devoted to prayer and gratitude and a mind devoted to the right kind of thinking. When the heart and mind are saturated with the Word and focused on Jesus Christ, then the Spirit helps us obey the Lord's command, "Do not let your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1, 27). The heart of the worry problem is the problem of the heart, and only God's peace can change the heart.
When some people find themselves disturbed and afraid, they might swallow a pill or turn on the TV and get distracted. Or they might phone a friend and talk about their worried. But when the medication wears off, the television program is over, and the telephone conversation ends, the anxiety is still in their heart, and their circumstances haven't improved. Peace that comes from temporary distraction only makes the problems worse. God's children can have a permanent peace within if they keep their eyes on the Lord, pray, and fill their hearts and minds with His promises.
"The Lord of peace" is also called "the God of peace" (Romans 15:33; 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 4:9; and 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Note that the entire Godhead is identified with peace: the Father (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Philippians 4:7, 9); the Son (Isaiah 9:6-7; John 14:27; 16:33; 20:19; 21, 26; Ephesians 2:14); and the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
August 2, 2011
Excerpts from: PORTRAITS OF ETERNITY-Exploring Life After Death
by: RBC Ministries
Trust God To Do Right
The woman was convinced that she was a sinner who needed God's forgiveness. She also believed the good news that Jesus died on the cross for her sins and destroyed the power of death through His resurrection. But she balked when I suggested that she receive Jesus as her Savior. She said she wasn't sure she wanted to go to heaven if her parents were in hell. They had been churchgoing, loving, honest people. But she didn't think they had ever heard the gospel clearly presented.
Sensing her resistance, I said, "Neither you nor I know for sure where your parents will spend eternity. It's possible they they believed Jesus died for their sins and trusted Him to save them. But we can be sure of one thing --God will do right by them. Trust Him and do what He says. Receive Jesus as your Savior." She did, and today she is a strong Christian woman.
We don't like the idea of eternal punishment. We may even find ourselves repulsed by the concept. But we need to be careful. God sees and understand infinitely more than we do.
He has proven His love in so many ways, especially providing salvation through Jesus Christ.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." -John 3:16
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8
He wants you to place your trust in His Son. Listen to Him, accept His salvation, and trust Him to do what is right to you and to all mankind. Accept His warning to escape "the fire that shall never be quenched --where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'" (Mark 9:44, 46, 48)
July 29, 2011
Source: Our Daily Bread
By: RBC Ministries
The Good Life
by: David Roper
"It is good for me to draw near to God." -Psalm 73:28
Philosophers ponder, "What is the good life and who has it?" I instantly think of my good friend Roy. Roy was a gentle man who sought no recognition, who left the care of his life to his heavenly Father, and who occupied himself solely with his Father's will. His was a heavenly perspective. As he often reminded me: "We are but sojourners here."
Roy passed away last fall. At his memorial service, friends reminisced over his influence on their lives. Many spoke of his kindness, selfless giving, humility, and gentle compassion. He was, for many, a visible expression of God's unconditional love.
After the service, Roy's son drove to the assisted-living facility where his father lived out his final days. He gathered up his dad's belongings: two pairs of shoes, a few shirts and pants, and a few odd and ends --the sum of Roy's earthly goods -- and delivered them to a local charity. Roy never had what some would consider the good life, but he was rich toward God in good deeds. George MacDonald wrote, "Which one is the possessor of heaven and earth: He who has a thousand houses, or he who, with no house to call his own, has ten at which his knock arouses instant jubilation?"
Roy's was the good life after all.
~Let us be Christ's true disciples
Looking to another's need;
Making stony pathways smoother
By a gentle word of deed.~ Thorson
http://odb.org
(Note: I don't own anything written on this particular page. These are all copyrighted books, writings and works by various authors and publishers. This is only for purposes of sharing devotional materials to my blog readers for their personal spiritual growth and for mine. No revenues or income are derived from these. Thank you.)
Source: Discovery Series: SELF ESTEEM, WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
By: RBC Ministries
Why is self-esteem so important?
They sat next to each other in high-school biology. Yet they lived worlds apart. He seemed to have everything going for him. She had a lot to overcome.
He came from a family of good looks, grew up in an expensive neighborhood, and had many of the social privileges usually associated with wealth and success. She was plain in appearance, came from a working-class family, and had to work hard to make passing grades.
There was also another way they were different. He was full of self-doubt, didn't like the way he looked, and suspected that others paid attention to him only because of his family's money. She was amazingly happy, well-adjusted, and though aware of her limitations, was determined to go further in life than others thought she could.
They were two people with two different ways of looking at themselves. What he had in material advantage, she had in self-esteem and self-respect. What he had in appearance, she had in self-acceptance. Together they remind us that we all have a way of looking at ourselves that influences whether we feel adequate or inadequate, likeable or unlikeable, valuable or worthless.
What might seem hard to understand is that the way we feel about ourselves doesn't just depend on our appearance or abilities. Much more important, our opinion of ourselves depends largely on how we have learned to think about ourselves from the important people in our lives.If the "significant others" in our lives have helped us to feel important and loved, we will be inclined to have a healthy opinion of ourselves. If they have given us reason to feel inadequate and unneeded, we are apt to find ourselves thinking:
- "There's something wrong with me."
- "I don't belong here."
- "I don't like myself."
- "I don't have what it takes."
- "I don't compare well."
- "I want to hide."
Bad self-esteem is a curse. More and more people are realizing that if you feel as if you have nothing to offer, you'll act as if you have nothing to offer. If you think poorly of yourself, you will tend to act poorly. If you have a low image of yourself, you will be inclined to back away from relationships and challenges. If you are sure you're going to fail, then chances are you will. Low self-esteem is like self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you don't have what it takes to win at life, you are apt to confirm your own prediction.
By contrast, good self-esteem is a blessing. Those who believe they have something to offer are more likely to make a positive difference in other people's lives. People who have a healthy sense of self-respect are more likely to pursue relationships and challenges. Those who think well of themselves are more likely to fulfill their own expectations.
There is however a downside to self-esteem. Even as we acknowledge that healthy self-respect is an advantage, we need to acknowledge that there are dangers to the kind of positive thinking that is often encouraged in education, media, and even in religious circles. In an effort to help others shed feelings of self-contempt and self-rejection, many have promoted false hope.
Healthy self-esteem needs to be realistic. It's not a self-confidence that says:
- "I can be anything I want to be."
- "I deserve more."
- "I don't need anyone else's help."
- "I don't have any regrets."
- "I don't have any fears."
Instead, the right kind of self-respect rests on a fair assessment of our real strengths and weaknesses. A healthy self-esteem itself with a confidence that says:
- "My life has a purpose."
- "I belong here."
- "I can love and be loved."
- "I need others as they need me."
- "I will seek forgiveness for my wrongs."
- "I can be anything God enables me to be."
Thinking more of ourselves than we ought to think is just as self-defeating as a low self-image. Self-conceit can cause us to make unfair demands of others. It can lead us to believe we are entitled to what we don't have. It can prompt us to ignore our need of God and others.
(To be continued...)
December 28, 2011
Source: A FAITH THAT WORKS, Been Thinking About
By: Matt De Haan, RBC Ministries
Can faith and works exist apart from one another?
The authors of the New Testament seem to be so concerned about answering this question that they sometimes sound as if they are contradicting themselves.
In some texts, for instance, the apostle Paul takes pains to emphasize that salvation is by faith alone without any hint or trace of human effort (Titus 3:5). In his letter to the Romans, he writes, "But to him whop does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5 NKJV).
Yet, in other places, all of the New Testament writers, including Paul, also emphasize the need for action that shows our faith and gives evidence of a right relationship with God. The apostle James is well known for writing as if he disagrees with Paul. In his New Testament letter, James argues that faith without works is dead. He even goes so far as to say that "a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24 NKJV).
Over the years, much has been written to resolve this apparent contradiction. At the very minimum, the answers is that while no one is declared with with God on the basis of human merit, it is just as true that without actions that show our faith, our relationship with God remains immature and unconfirmed in the sight of others (James 2:18, 22).
Because we believe...
- Because we believe the Bible is a reliable revelation of God, we want our lives to reflect what the Scriptures teach us about who our Creator is, what He values, and what He wants to do in and through us.
- Because we believe in the Triunity of God, we want our relationships to reflect the unity of purpose and loving cooperation by which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit care for one another.
- Because we believe Jesus Christ is our Savior, Teacher, and Lord, we want the attitudes He shows toward His friends and enemies to be our attitudes as well.
- Because we believe Jesus died in our place and rose from the dead to live His life through anyone who will trust Him, we want to spend the rest of our lives letting others see that what He has done for us, He can do for them as well.
- Because we believe Jesus sent His Holy Spirit to be with us and in us, we want to lieve with a courage and confidence that is not in ourselves but in Him.
- Because we believe in one church, of which Jesus Christ is the head, we want to identify with, and show our love for, the family of God that crosses all lines of age, race, gender, and class distinction.
- Because we believe Christ makes His people ambassadors to all nations, we want to participate in a mission that rises above and reaches beyond all national, ethnic, and religious boundaries.
- Because we believe each of us will give account of ourselves to God, we want to be so aware of our own sins that when it becomes necessary to give attention to the wrongs of others, we will do so with care rather than conceit and with conviction rather than condemnation.
- Because we believe we are stewards of God's creation, we want to be faithful caretakers of the spiritual, material, and natural resources that have been entrusted to us, for the good of our neighbor and for the honor of God.
- Because we believe in the promised return of Christ, we want to live every day of our lives in a way that reflects hope rather than despair, love rather than hate, and gratefulness rather than greed.
Admittedly there are dangers in such a summary. We could be like those who make a list and consider the job done. Without ingoing honest reflection, we could lose sight of how often we fail to live up to our best intentions. Without remembering the need for both faith and action, we could also forget that spiritual maturity is not the automatic result of our salvation (2 Peter 1:1-15).
We can't afford to ever stop asking our God to give us the daily grace we need to show real ongoing evidence of a faith that works.
Father in Heaven, we are so quick to forget our need to consciously walk by faith and not by sight. We so easily assume that because we believe in Your Son, a good life will follow. Please give us again today the grace we need to show Your presence in a faith that works. Amen.
November 4, 2011
Source: THE BIBLE AND TRUTH, Been Thinking About
By: Mart De Haan, RBC Ministries
(Part III-Final)
Appropriate Tone of Communication
So that our words reflect the attitudes of the Person and Spirit of Christ.
- Our message needs to be marked by both urgency and patience; by conviction without condemnation; by care without compromise.
- We need to communicate with truth and grace.
-We need to speak to our spiritual family as brothers and sisters, and to our enemies as those for whom Christ dies.
- When we use others in illustrations, we need to treat them as we would want to be treated.
- When we speak or write, we need to be attentive to bruised and broken people.
- We need to attack ideas rather than people.
The point of this list is not to say that my RBC Ministries co-workers and I have been as successful as we want to be in bringing our materials and content in line with these values, but that is certainly our desire. The reason for the above summary is to let you know what we are trying to do while asking you to hold us accountable if you see us doing something else.
In the process, I hope you can affirm with us that when the Bible calls us to a life of truth, it's not just talking about learning to know the facts of life and death. Few things are more important to our spiritual journey than learning to see truth not only in words but also in attitudes that are true to the Son of God (2 Timothy 2:24-25, 3:10).
Father in heaven, thank You for giving us the honor of speaking to one another on Your behalf. Please enable us to do so with both words and attitudes that express Your heart. Amen.
October 17, 2011
Source: THE BIBLE AND TRUTH, Been Thinking About
By: Mart De Haan, RBC Ministries
(Part II)
Supremacy of Christ
So that our message points ultimately and consistently to the living revelation of God through Christ and to the centrality of His cross and resurrection.
- Everything in the Bible, in one way or another, points to the Triune God who revealed Himself to us through Christ who is our Creator, our Sustainer, our Savior, our King, our Advocate and Intercessor, our Judge, and our coming Deliverer and Friend.
- The hero of our stories is not us but the One who bore our sins in His own body.
- Our goal is not only to communicate knowledge but also the wisdom that finds fullness of meaning in Christ.
(To be continued...)
September 14, 2011
Source: THE BIBLE AND TRUTH, Been Thinking About
By: Mart De Haan, RBC Ministries
(Part I)
Foundation of the Bible
So that our thoughts rest not in human ideas, but in the revelation and wisdom of God.
- If we see the Bible as a handbook for solving our problems, rather than as a revelation of God and the story of our rescue, its moral principles will seem like a cut flower -- clipped from its stem and root.
- When speaking about difficult issues, we need to attach authority to no more and no less that what God has said.
- The Bible is not so much like a priceless picture on a wall but like a window through which we view all else.
- Right application of Scripture is as important as right interpretation.
(To be continued...)
August 31, 2011
Excerpts from: BLESS YOU, Receiving and Sharing The Blessings of the Lord
By: Warren W. Wiersbe
Our God Is Maturing Us
This firm foundation is a major theme of Peter's second letter in which he affirms the truth of the apostolic message and admonishes his readers to make their "calling and election sure" (1:10-21). He describes the false teachers who were denying the promise of the Lord's return (chapters 2 and 3) and then closes with a warning against listening to false doctrine lest they be "carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from [their] secure position" (2 Peter 3:17). The solution? "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
There is a difference between age and maturity. The fact that people have lived for fifty years is no guarantee they are mature in their thinking or their living. Growing old and "growing up" are two vastly different processes. When little children learn to walk, they think they can imitate their older siblings and run everywhere and do everything, but this often leads to bruises and broken bones. As children mature, they eventually develop their motor skills and graduate to bicycles, then roller blades, then to skateboards, and then to automobiles and motorcycles. But the ability to stand firmly is the basis for whatever they do with their feet.
To grow in the grace of Jesus Christ has to do with our character and conduct, a blessing that accompanies growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Peter was refuting the false teachers of that day by emphasizing the importance of true spiritual knowledge. To get to know Jesus Christ better day by day is to grow to be more like Him day by day (Ephesians 4:13-16). But I must issue a caution here: it is easier to grow in Bible knowledge and get a "big head" than it is to assimilate this truth and grow in grace. "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1). All of us have met Christians who know their Bibles well but don't practice what the Bible commands. Even Satan can quote the Bible (Matthew 4:5-7).
We are not to be cute little saplings but mature trees that bear fruit (Psalm 1:3). We may begin as lambs, but we must grow to become productive sheep. First John 2:12-14 suggests stages in spiritual growth, from little children to young people to fathers. Hebrews 5:11-14 describes believers who had been saved long enough to become teachers, but instead they were in a "second childhood" and had to learn the basics all over. The milk of the Word is the truth involved in what Jesus did on earth --His birth, life and ministry, death and resurrection. But the meat of the Word (the solid food, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3) is the truth about what He is doing for us today in heaven as our High Priest. The present heavenly ministry of Christ is one of the important themes of Hebrews.
Christians grow from the inside out. God's truth must penetrate our hearts, be "digested," and become a part of our inner being, or it will do us little good. Christians grow best in a family setting, and that's where the local church comes in. We need the encouragement of other believers as well as their prayers, warnings and counsel. "All the believers were together," Luke wrote of the first Christian congregation (Acts 2:44), agood example for us to follow today. They heard the Word together, prayed together, and ate together, and when they scattered, they shared the good news of Jesus Christ.
God's grace doesn't grow; we grow in our knowledge and understanding of His grace and in our appropriation of that grace as we have need. The more we learn about Jesus Christ, the more we realize the spiritual treasures God has made available through Christ. "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another" (John 1:16). The image in that verse is of ocean waves coming onto shore, one after the other in endless fullness. We are like little children on the beach, trying to capture the ocean in our little pails. "But he gives us more grace," says James 4:6. "That is why the Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee. ~Robert Robinson
August 12, 2011
Excerpts from: SELF-ESTEEM-What Does The Bible Say? (Discovery Series)
By: RBC Ministries
By What Values Do We See Ourselves?
At this point it should be apparent that our Father in heaven, like all loving parents, wants us to feel good about ourselves. But He wants it to be on His terms, not ours. That might sound like bad news. But it isn't. Heaven's values are so much richer and more meaningful than the short-lived values that tend to catch our eye.
Measured By Human Standards
Our natural inclination is to think that our well-being and ability to feel good about ourselves lies in values variously described as:
-beauty
-bucks
-appearance
-brains
-brawn
-aptitude
-affluence
-pleasure
-possessions
-ability
-prominence
-power
If these are our values, we are in trouble. Regardless of how they are described, they are superficial, short-lived, and misleading. Our net worth is not equal to the sum total of our appearance, our abilities, and our affluence.
It's a lousy lie that convinces us to feel bad about ourselves because we don't compare well with others when it comes to beauty, brains, bucks, or brawn. It's a lie of unbelievable proportions that causes us to think that real value is found in a handsome face, a well-dressed body, a quick mind, or a fat bank account.
Yet the children of the world are nurtured or neglected, pampered or put off, largely on the basis of the bone structure and fat deposits of their bodies, the alertness of their minds, or the social status of their parents. Children are raised to feel good or bad about themselves depending on how they fit into the selfish, ever-changing mold of the world around them.
Does this mean we should always despise these other values? No, they have their place. We need to cultivate and appreciate wealth, appearance, ability, and influence whenever higher values shows us that it is appropriate to do so. We need to do the best we can with what the Lord has given us. Being a well-groomed, color-coordinated person has its place. And in a limited sense, this can help us to feel better about ourselves.
But when it comes to the real basis of self-esteem, we need to build on the truth of what the Lord said to the prophet Samuel while showing him the next king of Israel. Of one "hot prospect" the Lord said: "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." -1 Samuel 16:7
After recording the importance of God's "inner view," however, the same chapter describes David, the Lord's anointed, as being "ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking." (1 Samuel 16:12). Apparently, the Lord Himself sees the practical significance of human considerations while making it plain that His eye is on the heart.
Then there was Jeremiah the prophet. He declared to his troubled, dying world: "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD." -Jeremiah 9:23-24
August 5, 2011
Excerpts from: BLESS YOU-Receiving and Sharing The Blessings of the Lord
By: Warren W. Wiersbe
Only From the Lord
The world offers medications and treatments for those who are troubled, and while we can buy a temporary fix for anxiety, we can't buy peace. And yet peace is what we desperately need, for without peace, we are vulnerable in this warring world. Just as health demands a proper balance in the mind and body, so the Christian's inner person must have the "balance" that comes from possessing the peace of God. Normal spiritual growth is difficult if not impossible when we lack this peace. Furthermore, how can we be witnesses in a nervous and frightened world if our own lives are anxious and upset? To be impulsive or stubborn is to imitate "the horse or the mule." -"Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.", and to lose the peace of God.
God's peace is not the absence of conflict but the satisfying presence of the Lord in the midst of our battles. We usually ask God to change our difficult circumstances, but our Father wants to use those circumstances to make us more like Jesus Christ; "Conformed to the likeness of His Son" is what Paul called it (Romans 8:29). "That's why Paul could boldly say that 'in all things God works for the good of those who love Him'" (Romans 8:28). In order to accomplish God's will, Jesus had to suffer and die, and if we want to become like Jesus, we must have our share of pain and challenges. But the Lord doesn't share His peace with us the way a physician gives us a pill or a shot of medicine in the arm. "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." (Isaiah 26:3). That means faith fixed on the Lord. You find a similar formula in Philippians 4:6-9: a heart devoted to prayer and gratitude and a mind devoted to the right kind of thinking. When the heart and mind are saturated with the Word and focused on Jesus Christ, then the Spirit helps us obey the Lord's command, "Do not let your hearts be troubled" (John 14:1, 27). The heart of the worry problem is the problem of the heart, and only God's peace can change the heart.
When some people find themselves disturbed and afraid, they might swallow a pill or turn on the TV and get distracted. Or they might phone a friend and talk about their worried. But when the medication wears off, the television program is over, and the telephone conversation ends, the anxiety is still in their heart, and their circumstances haven't improved. Peace that comes from temporary distraction only makes the problems worse. God's children can have a permanent peace within if they keep their eyes on the Lord, pray, and fill their hearts and minds with His promises.
"The Lord of peace" is also called "the God of peace" (Romans 15:33; 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 4:9; and 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Note that the entire Godhead is identified with peace: the Father (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Philippians 4:7, 9); the Son (Isaiah 9:6-7; John 14:27; 16:33; 20:19; 21, 26; Ephesians 2:14); and the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
August 2, 2011
Excerpts from: PORTRAITS OF ETERNITY-Exploring Life After Death
by: RBC Ministries
Trust God To Do Right
The woman was convinced that she was a sinner who needed God's forgiveness. She also believed the good news that Jesus died on the cross for her sins and destroyed the power of death through His resurrection. But she balked when I suggested that she receive Jesus as her Savior. She said she wasn't sure she wanted to go to heaven if her parents were in hell. They had been churchgoing, loving, honest people. But she didn't think they had ever heard the gospel clearly presented.
Sensing her resistance, I said, "Neither you nor I know for sure where your parents will spend eternity. It's possible they they believed Jesus died for their sins and trusted Him to save them. But we can be sure of one thing --God will do right by them. Trust Him and do what He says. Receive Jesus as your Savior." She did, and today she is a strong Christian woman.
We don't like the idea of eternal punishment. We may even find ourselves repulsed by the concept. But we need to be careful. God sees and understand infinitely more than we do.
He has proven His love in so many ways, especially providing salvation through Jesus Christ.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." -John 3:16
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8
He wants you to place your trust in His Son. Listen to Him, accept His salvation, and trust Him to do what is right to you and to all mankind. Accept His warning to escape "the fire that shall never be quenched --where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'" (Mark 9:44, 46, 48)
July 29, 2011
Source: Our Daily Bread
By: RBC Ministries
The Good Life
by: David Roper
"It is good for me to draw near to God." -Psalm 73:28
Philosophers ponder, "What is the good life and who has it?" I instantly think of my good friend Roy. Roy was a gentle man who sought no recognition, who left the care of his life to his heavenly Father, and who occupied himself solely with his Father's will. His was a heavenly perspective. As he often reminded me: "We are but sojourners here."
Roy passed away last fall. At his memorial service, friends reminisced over his influence on their lives. Many spoke of his kindness, selfless giving, humility, and gentle compassion. He was, for many, a visible expression of God's unconditional love.
After the service, Roy's son drove to the assisted-living facility where his father lived out his final days. He gathered up his dad's belongings: two pairs of shoes, a few shirts and pants, and a few odd and ends --the sum of Roy's earthly goods -- and delivered them to a local charity. Roy never had what some would consider the good life, but he was rich toward God in good deeds. George MacDonald wrote, "Which one is the possessor of heaven and earth: He who has a thousand houses, or he who, with no house to call his own, has ten at which his knock arouses instant jubilation?"
Roy's was the good life after all.
~Let us be Christ's true disciples
Looking to another's need;
Making stony pathways smoother
By a gentle word of deed.~ Thorson
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