1. Saved people serve people. Who are you going to serve this year?
2. Found people find people. Who are you going to share the gospel with this year?
3. Free people free people. Who do you know in bondage? How can they be free in 2011?
4. Hurt people hurt people. Have you dealt with all the offense, bitterness, and hurt in your life?
5. Forgiven people forgive people. Who do you need to forgive?
6. Growing people help grow people. Are you growing in Christ? Who are you discipling?
7. Gifted people give to people. Who are you blessing? Who needs a blessing?
8. Thankful people thank people. Who has impacted your life for Christ? Have you thanked them?
9. Sticky people stick with people. If you stay close to Jesus, you won't give up on people.
10. On Fire People Fire Up People. Live out loud for the Lord in 2011 and watch others join you!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Believe
When I started looking up the word "believe" in Scripture, I found 115 New Testament scriptures about salvation and believing. There are 35 scriptures(that I found) that condition salvation on faith. To be saved, one must believe and have faith in Christ alone. Here are some of my favorites:
Luke 8:12—Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
John 1:12—But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
John 2:23—Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.
John 3:14-18—And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36—He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
John 6:35—And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes [by faith] to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
John 6:40—And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:47—Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
John 11:25-27—Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
John 20:31—But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Acts 8:37—Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 10:43—To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.
Acts 16:31, 34—So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” . . . Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God [confirmation of Christ’s deity) with all his household.
Romans 10:8-11—But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth [an expression confirming genuineness of action] the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart [reinforcing the fact that faith must be genuine] that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation [the natural outgrowth of an inward imputation of righteousness, which is solely by faith]. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
1 Corinthians 1:21—For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
Galatians 3:22—But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Ephesians 1:13—In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Ephesians 2:8, 9— For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
1 Timothy 1:16—However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
1 Timothy 4:10—For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
1 John 5:1, 5—Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. . . . Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:13—These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Luke 8:12—Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
John 1:12—But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
John 2:23—Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.
John 3:14-18—And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36—He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
John 6:35—And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes [by faith] to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
John 6:40—And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:47—Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
John 11:25-27—Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
John 20:31—But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
Acts 8:37—Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 10:43—To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.
Acts 16:31, 34—So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” . . . Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God [confirmation of Christ’s deity) with all his household.
Romans 10:8-11—But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth [an expression confirming genuineness of action] the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart [reinforcing the fact that faith must be genuine] that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation [the natural outgrowth of an inward imputation of righteousness, which is solely by faith]. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
1 Corinthians 1:21—For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
Galatians 3:22—But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Ephesians 1:13—In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Ephesians 2:8, 9— For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
1 Timothy 1:16—However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
1 Timothy 4:10—For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
1 John 5:1, 5—Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. . . . Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:13—These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Hope
We all quote the first part of Proverbs 13:12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." But quoting that just states the obvious. It is the last part, "a longing fulfilled is a tree of life" that brings hope. The only One that can fulfill the longings of life is Jesus. He alone can bring life abundantly. Jesus brings hope!
Jesus brings the hope that He desires relationship with us when all our other relationships may fall apart. Jesus' cross brings hope that our sins are forgiven and there is no condemnation in Him! Jesus' tomb brings hope that Jesus conquered sin, death, and the grave. In Him, we too can conquer whatever we face. Jesus' birth brings hope for the long awaited Messiah. People had waited for hundreds of years for the greatest gift of all (and my kids can hardly wait 2 days for Christmas presents).
Biblical hope is not wishing or guessing. It is not maybe or might. The English language, and probably our lack of faith, has done the Biblical meaning of hope much damage. Biblical hope is synonymous with the word "trust". It contains no uncertainty whatsoever! In the New Testament, the word elpis, the Greek word for hope (used 10 times), is also the word used many times (18) for "trust". One definition for hope is: To look forward to with confidence or expectation. Scripture brings hope when it says, "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (Psalms 27:13)
What is interesting is that the use of the word hope for "confident expectation" does not appear in the Gospels. Probably because of Jesus' constant, reassuring presence throughout them!
5 Things about Hope
1. Hope comes from God's Word
"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4)
"Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth." (Colossians 1:5-6)
2. Hope comes from God's Grace Towards Us
2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
3. Hope comes from a Spirit-filled life.
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13) (what a prayer!)
"Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13)
4. Hope gives us confidence "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD." (Psalm 31:24)
5. Hope in Christ's Saving Power
"For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." (Romans 8:24-25)
Christ is our blessed hope! - Titus 2:13, 3:7
Here is a short study on hope. Enjoy!
1. In God. Psalm 39:7 ; 1Peter 1:21
2. In Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:19 ; 1Timothy 1:1
3. In God's promises. Acts 26:6-7; Titus 1:2
4. In the mercy of God. Psalm 33:18
5. Is the work of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13; Galatians 5:5
6. Obtained through:
a. Grace. 2 Thessalonians 2:16
b. The word. Psalm 119:81
c. Patience and
comfort of the Scriptures. Romans 15:4
d. The gospel. Colossians 1:5, 23
e. Faith. Romans 5:1-2; Galatians 5:5
7. The result of experience. Romans 5:4
8. A better hope brought in by Christ. Hebrews 7:19
9. Described as
a. Good. 2 Thessalonians 2:16
b. Lively. 1 Peter 1:3
c. Sure and steadfast. Hebrews 6:19
d. Gladdening. Proverbs 10:28
e. Blessed. Titus 2:13
10. Makes not ashamed. Romans 5:5
11. Triumphs over difficulties. Romans 4:18
12. Is an encouragement to boldness in preaching. 2 Corinthians 3:12
13. Saints
a. Are called to. Ephesians 4:4
b. Rejoice in. Romans 5:2; 12:12
c. All have the same. Ephesians 4:4
d. Have it in death. Proverbs 14:32
e. Should abound in. Romans 15:13
f. Should look for the object of. Titus 2:13
g. Should not be ashamed of. Psalm 119:16
Jesus brings the hope that He desires relationship with us when all our other relationships may fall apart. Jesus' cross brings hope that our sins are forgiven and there is no condemnation in Him! Jesus' tomb brings hope that Jesus conquered sin, death, and the grave. In Him, we too can conquer whatever we face. Jesus' birth brings hope for the long awaited Messiah. People had waited for hundreds of years for the greatest gift of all (and my kids can hardly wait 2 days for Christmas presents).
Biblical hope is not wishing or guessing. It is not maybe or might. The English language, and probably our lack of faith, has done the Biblical meaning of hope much damage. Biblical hope is synonymous with the word "trust". It contains no uncertainty whatsoever! In the New Testament, the word elpis, the Greek word for hope (used 10 times), is also the word used many times (18) for "trust". One definition for hope is: To look forward to with confidence or expectation. Scripture brings hope when it says, "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (Psalms 27:13)
What is interesting is that the use of the word hope for "confident expectation" does not appear in the Gospels. Probably because of Jesus' constant, reassuring presence throughout them!
5 Things about Hope
1. Hope comes from God's Word
"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4)
"Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth." (Colossians 1:5-6)
2. Hope comes from God's Grace Towards Us
2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
3. Hope comes from a Spirit-filled life.
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13) (what a prayer!)
"Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13)
4. Hope gives us confidence "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD." (Psalm 31:24)
5. Hope in Christ's Saving Power
"For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." (Romans 8:24-25)
Christ is our blessed hope! - Titus 2:13, 3:7
Here is a short study on hope. Enjoy!
1. In God. Psalm 39:7 ; 1Peter 1:21
2. In Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:19 ; 1Timothy 1:1
3. In God's promises. Acts 26:6-7; Titus 1:2
4. In the mercy of God. Psalm 33:18
5. Is the work of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13; Galatians 5:5
6. Obtained through:
a. Grace. 2 Thessalonians 2:16
b. The word. Psalm 119:81
c. Patience and
comfort of the Scriptures. Romans 15:4
d. The gospel. Colossians 1:5, 23
e. Faith. Romans 5:1-2; Galatians 5:5
7. The result of experience. Romans 5:4
8. A better hope brought in by Christ. Hebrews 7:19
9. Described as
a. Good. 2 Thessalonians 2:16
b. Lively. 1 Peter 1:3
c. Sure and steadfast. Hebrews 6:19
d. Gladdening. Proverbs 10:28
e. Blessed. Titus 2:13
10. Makes not ashamed. Romans 5:5
11. Triumphs over difficulties. Romans 4:18
12. Is an encouragement to boldness in preaching. 2 Corinthians 3:12
13. Saints
a. Are called to. Ephesians 4:4
b. Rejoice in. Romans 5:2; 12:12
c. All have the same. Ephesians 4:4
d. Have it in death. Proverbs 14:32
e. Should abound in. Romans 15:13
f. Should look for the object of. Titus 2:13
g. Should not be ashamed of. Psalm 119:16
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Peace, Hope, Believe - Merry Christmas
As I am sitting at the computer, I am looking at our Christmas tree in our living room. It is beautiful. My wife always does a great job decorating it. There are five word-decorations on our tree - Peace, Hope, Believe, and Merry Christmas. These words communicate a lot more than a pretty tree. So, I've decided to write the next four days on these topics. I'll start with peace. Here are some thoughts about the peace that Christ alone brings at all year round, not just at Christmas time.
1. We will experience peace in our personal lives when we stop trying to do so many things ourselves and simply rely on God alone to save, heal, strengthen, protect, provide, and deliver.
2. Ephesians 2:14 - "He Himself is our peace." Let Him break down the walls of hostility in your life.
3. Peace is NOT the absence of crisis but the presence of Christ!
4. When you do not have peace you do anything to get it - including faking it and chasing false peace.
5. You cannot bring peace on the inside by merely addressing what is on the outside - clothing, makeup, surgery, etc.
6. We do not lack peace because we don’t have enough stuff. We lack peace because our relationship with God and those around us lack (or you could say stinks).
7. Focusing on fear brings failure. Focusing on the Father brings faith.
8. Peace is not something we work for – it is a gift given to us.
9. John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
10. The world attempts to have peace through war. Jesus offered with a word.
11. The world offers peace at a huge cost to you. Jesus gives it freely.
12. Jesus' peace is for the sons of peace only (believers). The world's peace (oxymoron) for everyone.
13. John 16:33 paraphrased - "My words bring you peace. This world brings you trouble. My peace trumps this world's trouble."
14. Speak this over your household - let it be your household theme in 2011: "Peace be to this house!" (Luke 10:5)
15. We have peace from Christ but we are to share His peace with others. "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." (John 20:21)
What relationships in your life need peace? What part of your world is divided and in turmoil? What have you been doing to achieve peace that has only led you to frustration and unfulfillment? Let Christ's peace, which transcends all understanding and comprehension, fill you. I pray Philippians 4:6-7 happens to you. Here it is in the Message Bible:
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
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