Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV)

There can be no misunderstanding God’s intent for us—as followers of Christ we are called to live  set-apart lives.

The Bible commands us to be holy as God is holy. It describes the person who, although living in  the world, is not of this world but is a citizen of heaven. We are referred to as “aliens,” traveling  through life as we know it here on this planet but never making our home here. We are continually  searching for a much better home, one that exists throughout eternity in the presence of the Father  in heaven.

Paul tells us that while we are saved through grace (which has nothing to do with our works—it is  the gift of God), we are nonetheless saved for the purpose of accomplishing the good works that  God prepared in advance for us to do.

Peter tells us that we are to add to our faith: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance,  godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Furthermore, he says these qualities must be increasing in  measure; in other words, we must be continually growing in our faith following salvation.

All of this adds up to a life-style that is decidedly different from that of our non-believing neigh- bors (see “We Are a Peculiar People”). How can we do this, how can we attain  this higher standard of character that God sets before the true believer?

We can start by examining our lives in light of how much of it is dedicated to our private and  public lives as opposed to our being immersed in the Word of God. How much time do we spend  daily in conversation with our Lord? To whom do we first turn for comfort and guidance? Who or  what occupies our thoughts most during our waking hours? Does my life look like everyone else’s?

Our answers to questions like these will show us just how close (or how far apart) are we in our  walk with Jesus. It begins with the Word and prayer. It begins with our seeking to be in the presence of God.

For it is written: “Be holy,  because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:16 (NIV)

For it is by grace you have  been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves,  it is the gift of God—not by  works, so that no one can  boast. For we are God’s  workmanship, created in  Christ Jesus to do good  works, which God prepared  in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)

For this very reason, make  every effort to add to your  faith goodness; and to good- ness, knowledge; and to  knowledge, self-control; and  to self-control, perseverance;  and to perseverance, godli- ness; and to godliness, broth- erly kindness; and to broth- erly kindness, love. For if  you possess these qualities in  increasing measure, they will  keep you from being ineffec- tive and unproductive in your  knowledge of our Lord Jesus  Christ. But if anyone does  not have them, he is near- sighted and blind, and has  forgotten that he has been  cleansed from his past sin.

For many, the words that come from our mouths are the most  incriminating part of us. Perhaps we’ve been successful in cleaning  up our act around our Christian friends, but hit our thumb with a  hammer and that’s a different story altogether.

Scripture has much to say about this.

Read Ephesians 4:29. What kind of talk does God not  want coming out of your mouth?

What kind of talk does He want from you?

What is the purpose for the kind of talk that God wants  you to have?

Read Proverbs 12:18. According to this verse, what kind  of impact do your reckless words have on those who hear you?

What impact do the words of the wise person have on others?

Read Proverbs 13:3. What impact does rash talk have on your own life?

Read James 1:19-20. What lesson can you learn from this passage that can be a huge aid in bridling the strong words that try to escape from your mouth at certain times?

Read Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45 (NIV). How can these verses be coupled with James 1:19-20 to help you along the road of success when it comes to controlling your tongue?

Choose a quiet place in your house or yard in which to meditate on the scripture you have read in this brief study. Can you think  of any area in which your speech needs to be improved? Can you  honestly say that everything that comes from your mouth is helpful  for building others up according to their needs?

If you need some help (and most of us do), read and meditate  on Hebrews 4:14-16 and Matthew 19:26. After letting your heart  feast on these words, pray this simple prayer from Psalm 19:14  (NLT).

May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my  heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

God has a way of using this information about our loved ones to bring comfort to us in their passing. We find that they touched more  lives than we could ever imagine. While there is really nothing “stellar” they have done, we find out that it was in a kind word they said, a  sweet spirit they displayed or something even as small as a “thank you” each time the person encountered them.

We also hear stories from others that observed their strong faith: how they shared conversations about the Bible and the hope they had  in Christ; how they accepted with joy the prayers of others but also returned the favor with offering prayers for them.

None of these actions may seem important at the time but they add up to a life well lived. They are consistent with the lifestyle that we  see in God’s Word lived out in a true saint’s life. Being kind, having a sweet spirit, being ready to talk about God’s Word and prayer. This is  what constitutes a live well lived. We don’t need to know who we impact while on this earth because we will know when our “faith becomes  sight” and we see Him. But isn’t it wonderful of God to let those left behind see the legacy of their loved one and the be challenged to continue it in their own lives.

March 10, 2011 Lois Carnagey passed from this world and entered into the throne room of God. She was 95 years old.

Lois is survived by her three children, Jimmy, Bob, Susan and their spouses, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She will be missed by all, but there is only joy in her passing. Lois loved the Lord and eagerly anticipated   spending the rest of eternity with him. May she rest in peace.

“…we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”

—2 Corinthians 5:8

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)

It has been said of God’s people, “If you were on trial today for being a Christian, would there be enough  evidence to convict you?” That’s a tired ole saying, but is it ever loaded with truth!

In the King James Version, God refers to believers as a “peculiar” people (1 Peter 2:9). Somehow or other that word peculiar has a negative connotation for many today, like something strange, weird, and so far  from the norm that it sticks out like a sore thumb. Webster’s Collegiate uses more palatable words to describe peculiar: distinctive, special, varying from the norm, eccentric; characteristic of only one group. That’s  us, through and through.

The NIV Bible puts the term “a peculiar people” in a different light: “a people belonging to God,” it says. And indeed we are! But we want to be careful not to lose the idea that Christians are different, that they  were never intended to blend in with the rest of the crowd. We have been called to obey the commands of  Jesus and that fact alone makes us totally different from those around us.

We are to love our enemies and pray for them; we are to consider it more blessed to give than to re- ceive; we are to put God first in everything we do, say or feel. Humbleness and meekness are required in  our behavior—in all our dealings with others. We are to strive to become more Christ-like every day of  our lives, and that is a very high standard to strive for.

In a world filled with money-hungry, fame-grabbing, materialistic souls, the one who strives to respond as  Jesus would will certainly appear peculiar to others . These believers are the light that shines before men.  And when people witness their good deeds, they, too, will praise the Father in heaven.

“I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10b (KJV)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
John 14:6 (KJV)

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
John 20:31 (NIV)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 (NIV)

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12 (NIV)

Yet to all who received  Him, to those who believe  in His name, He gave the  right to become children  of God.

John 1:12 (NIV)

Ever since first sin reared its ugly head in the third chapter of Genesis, it has been handed down through the generations. What a thought! Even though God makes it absurdly plain that we will never be judged by the sins of our fathers, the truth remains that we will suffer the consequences of their sins along with our own.

We are victims of the effects of sin all the days of our lives.

Only the Father knows the shameful secrets of our past. He’s also aware of the continued agony these past sins cause long after we’re forgiven of them. When it comes to the consequences of sin, there’s no getting off Scot-free. Our sins rear their ugly heads over and over as long as we walk on this earth. We will never be free of their effects until that day when we finally stand in the presence of Christ in the throne room of God.

God uses our past sins to build our faith. Sometimes our forgiven sins help us relate to others with similar pasts and makes our witness more viable to them. Other times, He uses these sins to remind us of where we came from. The list goes on and on. God uses our sins in many ways.

Frequently, the reminders of our past sins come through those who were affected by them. These are the most painful reminders of all. How we wish we could erase the bad choices we made and the hurt these caused our loved ones! We know we deserve the consequences for ourselves, but we want those affected by our sins to be set free. How can we realize the relief God’s forgiveness brings when we’re watching our loved ones suffer for what we’ve done. At times like these, we may feel as if we have NOT yet been forgiven.

As in all situations in the believer’s life, there is light at the end of the tunnel. God is sovereign and He uses all the bad, the hurt, the pain and sin for His glory. He is able to do—and does do—some pretty amazing things to bring about salvation when hope is lost. The effects of sin may continue to be passed down through the generations, but faith in God will deliver from that sin and heal the pain.

In the midst of the pain, we grow closer to God and realize that someday, sin will be no more.

You would think that as believers we would be more cognizant of the tactics of Satan. Unfortunately, this is not the way it works. We are so hung up on the “rights” we believe are ours as believers that we’re more comfortable blaming someone human than acknowledging the reality of the “powers and principalities and dark forces in the spiritual realm” [Ephesians 6:12]. This presents a potentially dangerous situation.

In verses 13-18 of Ephesians Chapter 6, we are plainly warned of the need to prepare ourselves against Satan’s attacks. We’re given ample instructions as to how we’re to cope with these attacks. Unfortunately, by casting blame on someone human—or anything in the natural realm— but we’re not taking Satan seriously and lay ourselves open to his onslaughts.
We know that God is sovereign and has authority over Satan and that He’s well aware of the attacks we face. We know that even though He could stop the attacks, in His sovereignty He may choose not to. But we also know that He promises to equip us with what we need to stand up under the onslaught whenever it comes.

God’s Word is filled with reminders that the world is an evil place and until Jesus comes again He is allowing Satan to be the “prince of the power of the air.” If we are going to survive until then, it is essential we study His Word and keep our attention focused on God.

Our battle is not with our loved ones, our brothers and sisters in Christ or our co-workers. God instructs us to love all people, even our enemies and to not let the sun go down in our anger. We are to esteem others more highly than ourselves. We can do all these things because Christ is in us and enables us to stand against the enemy. If ever wounded and rendered useless, we have no one to blame but ourselves, because God has given us all we need to defeat the enemy and complete the work He has given us to do.

The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews is commonly referred to as the “faith chapter,” and rightly so. Some of us may wonder how many of those named in the chapter qualify as “faithful” when they appear to have very little faith—if any at all.

Yet God has commended each for his faith. And that remains a mystery for many today. Undoubtedly, most of us are familiar with the acts of great faith Noah, Abraham and Moses committed in their day, but even these heroes of faith had their issues. Noah got drunk on the wine he made from the grapes of the vineyard he planted after the flood. To save his own skin, Abraham lied more than once about Sarah being his wife. And, Moses…well, Moses struck the rock in anger. In spite of these chinks in their armor, though, Noah, Abraham and Moses demonstrated great faith in God. These are witnessed by their inspiring stories recorded elsewhere in scripture.

Some of the smaller names in Hebrews’ “faith chapter,” however, provide more reason for doubt. Gideon started out well but ended up making an ephod that the people worshiped at Ophrah. Samson seems anything but faithful. This man was a womanizer whose gift from God was eventually taken away because of that weakness.

And then there’s Barak, the military leader who would only go into battle against the Canaanites if Judge Deborah accompanied him. We might call this more cowardly than faithful if we wrote his story today. None of their stories sound much like what we think having faith should entail. The simple truth of the matter is that without God’s mercy we would all be in trouble. Fortunately, our God sees so much more in us than we do in ourselves. Or in others.

God doesn’t dwell on the sinful things we do—He forgives. He looks at the times when we obey and trust Him, and knows the condition of our hearts. When we fall on our knees to worship, He sees the love we have for Him. These “faithful” moments in our lives are precious to our Lord, far more important than the momentary failures we experience from time to time. Ours is not a god of condemnation. He is the Lord of grace. He sees us for who we are, rather than what we do. He is our loving Father who loves without condition.

If you’ve ever doubted the goodness of God or questioned why He would allow some of the dreadful things we see happening in the world today, you can certainly relate to the prophet Habak-kuk.

We often have the notion that it’s a fatal mistake to question God or to be frustrated with what He’s doing in our lives. The important issue is not how we feel but how we handle our feelings when we get to that point where we surmise God is not listening or that He simply doesn’t care. Do we become cynical and harden our hearts against Him? Do we turn to other forms of relief? Or can we be honest and take our doubts and misgivings directly to the Lord and lay it all out on the table before Him?

The prophet Habakkuk certainly was no stranger to questions. And the questions he asked of God are the same as many well-meaning Christians ask today. “Where are you, God, when the 14-year old shoots and kills the 13-year old in a gang disagreement?” “Why aren’t you protecting this little girl from her father’s abusive actions?” “How could you allow the pervert to do such cruel and awful things to that sweet little old lady who loves you so much?”

In the study of the book of Habakkuk, we’ll examine the prophet’s hard-hitting questions and God’s response. We’ll see how in the end all this is just more reason for Habakkuk to worship his Lord.

There is much to be learned from this three-chapter conversation between God and the prophet Habakkuk. Observing Habakkuk’s open and honest relationship with God serves as a model for our relationship with Him. Listening to God’s answers to Habakkuk’s profound questions helps us to grow in our faith and our trust of Him in the worst of situations.

Sign up now for the Winter class starting January 25th. Call 918-492-0945.

• Read Matthew 28:19-20, paying particlar attention to all the verbs (in any form) used in these two verse. List these verbs below.
• Now examine the verbs you listed above and determine which ones are an actual command from Jesus and which ones describe what you are to be doing as you obey the commands. List the “command” verbs here.
• Now we need to determine the verbs (participles) that tell us what we should be doing as we “go” and “make disciples.” List those verbs (participles) here.

The Greek word translated by the English “nations” is ethnos and refers to tribes, pagans, and specifically foreign people. You’ll need to use your imagination here. Jesus is dealing with a primarily Jewish audience. Who would the pagans and foreign people be to the Jews?

So then, in our world today, who would the pagans and foreign people be as far as you are concerned?

List names of specific people you know who would fit this description.

• Re-read v.19. What is the first word in this verse (NIV)?  What is the “therefore” there for? [HINT: v.18]
• Read Matthew 11:27 and John 3:35. How would you describe the authority that Jesus has?

So! In what kind of authority does Jesus send you out to witness to others about Him?

• What kind of confidence does this instill in you as you spread the Good News about His life and purpose?
• What is His promise to you as you go and make disciples?