Daily Wisdom..."Selfishness vs Godliness"

“…it is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!”  Lk 17:1

“Self-Justification and judging others go together, as justification by grace and serving others go together…Selfishness vs Godliness. In Lk 17 the Lord shows the disciples their need for deep humility in serving others. Those who are matured in Christ are called to invest in the “little ones” new converts. Faith in God’s pardoning mercy will enable us to overcome the greatest of difficulties; thus allowing us to forgive others. Indifference towards the discipleship and treatment, causing them to stumble or fall away, of new Christians can leave them vulnerable to false doctrine and bring about harsh judgment from Christ.  The one indispensable requirement for rising up Godly mature Christians is, Godly mature Christians who are patient and long-suffering as Christ and others were with them.

HSAY…Todd 

Daily Wisdom...Suffering

“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our sufferings also aboundeth in Christ.” 2 Cor 1:5

One will never find great strength in Christ until they no longer can or are unwilling to depend on their own strength. Don’t find yourself bewildered as to your suffering being strange, but instead understand that just as Christ suffered we as followers are to become partakers of Christ’s sufferings, and likewise when His glory shall be revealed we too can be glad with exceeding joy (1 Pt 4:12-13). The sufferings of life are the spiritual drawing cards to bring one closer to Christ, allowing them grow in faith.  Paul notes in Romans that suffering produces patience for persevering, which in turn produce Christian character to build hope (Rom 5:3-4). By longing to avoid suffering and persecution you are stunting your spiritual growth in and through Christ.  Know the highlights of partaking in Christ like suffering allows you a greater wisdom and strength to encourage others in their suffering.

It is only a crushed grape that can produce wine

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."A Godly Game-Plan"

“And that knowing the times, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than we believed.”  Rom 13:11

In Rom 13 verses 11-14 Paul list four clear points we must take to heart:

1) “knowing the time”… acknowledging the perils of spiritual and moral decay around us.

2) “awake out of sleep”…We must awake now; from carnal security of the flesh and spiritual slumber and negligence towards God with our salvation nearer than believed (vs 11b).

3) “cast off the clothes of darkness”…contrasting night from day employing us to put behind us our sinful ignorant ways of the darkness of old and look anew towards the light of tomorrow our eternal future with the promise of hope through Christ and walk honestly avoiding strife, envying, drunkenness.  

4) “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”…an appeal to clothe ourselves in the righteousness of Christ and exemplifying the qualities and characteristics of Christ with love, humility, truth and servitude (Eph 4:24-32). Thus slamming the door; making no provision for the temptations that pose to offer gratifying sinful lust.

Everyone has a plan until they are hit with life then it turns into a wish; wishes can become promised hope when they are planned in Christ.

HSAY…Todd   

Daily Wisdom..."Desperation"

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1 Cor 15:33

The seduction of sin will soon surface for those who stay.  For Lot’s daughters their desperation leads to the justification of their sin of incest; not an act of lust, but of desperation thinking they would find no husband (Gen 19:30-38). Lot’s tendency to compromise and refusal to act had finally reached its peak and offers a sequel to the pitiful story of Sodom.  His daughters’ actions are by-products to Lot’s unwillingness to stand against the temptations of sin.  By Lot exposing his children to such life choices offered by Sodom only helped to justify their actions now. Even with God allowing his family to escape such destruction, Lot himself still falls into drunkenness which supported the perils that followed. By one falling to the allurement of sin, it often leads them to a state of desperation when facing the outcome of their choices and works as a fuel, intensifying the situation.  Lot’s destruction began with a choice between the future Promised Land and the fertile plain and the joys of life offered in Sodom.  Show caution towards what appears to be a fertile or fruitful decision; all which is green is not profitable. Have you placed areas of your life next to “Sodom”? Even though you may be strong enough to resist its temptations, those around you may not!

Often the grass is only greener where you stand because it’s located over a septic tank!  

HSAY…Todd   

Daily Wisdom..."Give me a mountain"

“Now therefore give me this mountain, wherefore the Lord spake that day…” Joshua 14:12

A “45” year old promise!  That’s what Caleb had to hold onto, of which “38” years were spent in the wilderness with the spoken promise unseen and “7” years in Canaan which allowed him only to see it afar.   For Caleb his faith and strength in the Lord was as strong as when he received his promise forty-five years earlier. And, yet he still had to drive out the inhabitants in order to possess his promise.   Two characteristics allowed Caleb to see the goodness and favor of God and receiving his spoken promise: Patience and Perseverance.  As Christians the promise we claim by way of God’s spoken word offer no time table for fruition.   Yet, we cannot allow such an obstacle hinder us from receiving the fullness of it. Patience and Perseverance are the actions of our faith that work as a vehicle that deliver the promises of God.   Forty-five years; is your faith and strength in God as strong as the day you received your eternal promise?

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay: he frankly forgave them both, tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?”  Luke 7:41-42

Too many Christians evaluate their relationship with Jesus as they do their personal finances.  As if a manageable debt factor and a good credit rating offers them the same advantages with Jesus as they do in the world!  The fourth parable spoken her by Jesus is not for us to assume we can obtain a greater privilege with the Saviour compared to those who appear to owe a greater amount of debt and/or questionable credit worthiness.  Such debt in one’s life is the burden of sin we carry as debt upon our souls and less sin does not equate or allow God to smile upon you greater.  Yes while some carry a greater debt factor, but whether our debt more or less, it’s more than we are able to pay in spite of one’s perceived worthiness. For Jesus who “frankly forgave” is defined in the Greek… (do with favor), based on His goodness not our worth.   Let’s keep far from the proud spirit of the Pharisee and be humble in knowing our debt in any amount is greater than we can pay!

The debt of sin is often begot with great pleasure, but forth in pain.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Fullness of Joy"

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full.”  Jn 15:11

“These things”…are the discourse from chapter 14 and the start of chapter 15, designed as comfort by the promise of the Holy Spirit that the joy of Christ may remain in us.  Denoting that the same joy that Christ found in and with the Heavenly Father is ours to obtain as well, as to avoid the despondency the world brings our way. When things are going well, we feel elated; when hardship comes we are prone to fall into depression. But, true joy transcends the rolling waves of worldly circumstances, when our lives are intertwined with Christ. The joy that comes from a consistent relationship guides us through adversity without debilitating lows and balances prosperity without deceptive emotional highs.  Some are prone to maintain their dependence on Christ as they do the gas level in their vehicle.  When full they can traverse for days without need or attention to a passing gas station. Yet, once their tanks become empty, often on fumes, they are desperately in need of spiritual fuel.  The sustaining joy Christ is promising is obtained in our desire to “abide in the vine” (vs 4) in doing so His “words will abide in us” (vs 7) and our joy, like Christ, will be full.

Maintain His word; maintain your spiritual fuel, if not you’ll be running on fumes.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Acknowledging Truth"

“Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth.”  2 Tim 3:7

The bewildering questions of mankind…Why do we get bored with childhood, rush to grow up and then long to be children again? Why do we lose our health to make money…and then lose our money to restore our health? We think anxiously about the future, and forget the present; such we live in neither the present nor the future. We live as if we will never die, and to only die as though we had never lived. We fail to understand we cannot make people love us, we can only allow ourselves to be loved. How do we find it good to compare ourselves to others?  Fail to realize it only takes a brief second to open profound wounds in those we love, taking years for them to heal. Thinking that a rich person is the one who has the most; truly it’s the one who needs the least. Why two people can look at the same thing and not be allowed to see it differently. Why we can forgive others, but never learn to forgive ourselves.

And not understand the truth that Christ loves us and is always there!

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Obstinate Faith"

“And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?”  Mk 8:21

Obstinate unbelief will have something to say.  The disciples response to Jesus statement warning them to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod” (vs 17) was the fact they had only retained one loaf of bread in the boat from the four-thousand being feed in chapter eight.  Jesus challenges them; “why reason ye, because ye have no bread?” (vs 17). Not only did the disciples witness Jesus feed the four-thousand with seven loafs of bread, just prior to this miracle, Jesus had feed five-thousand with five loafs in chapter six, and now the disciples were doubtful Jesus could overcome their plight of just twelve disciples and one loaf?  The warning Jesus put forth was the leaven of the Pharisees that rises up and hardens the heart of a believer towards God’s promises.  Don’t allow yourself to destroy your faith with obstinacy towards the goodness of God, by allowing doubt to harden your heart. Two miracles totaling nine-thousand being feed and now the disciples are doubtful Jesus can help the twelve. Joining the “Hard-Hearts” requires one to only be obstinate towards the Word of God!

“How is it you do not understand”…the promises of God?

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Beauty of Life"

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Rom 15:13

Each day is a new canvas to paint upon.  Make sure your picture shows bold and vivid strokes full of hope and faith, and at the end of the day you don’t look at it and wish you had painted something different.  Live each day knowing everything you see, Christ sees it as well and find the beauty in it; be thankful in the little things, breath in your lungs, light in your eyes, beat of your heart and the path right before you.  Don’t become overwhelmed by the vastness of life, but do labor in the will of God and invest in the life of others knowing such opportunities and daily bread are the joy and fullness in life.  Happiness is the result of simply getting what you don’t have; joy is the realization and appreciation of what you already do have.

“One will never learn to be strong in their faith if only good things happen.”

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom..."Are Ye Able"

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” 2 Cor 9:8

There is a hymn that sings…”Are ye able,” said the Master, “to be crucified with me? Thinking of the lyrics stirred me to reflect on such a question from our Saviour. “Are Ye Able” calls us to publicly declare our willingness to encounter personal sacrifice and even persecution because of our faith.  The reality, though, is that we've experienced little or no physical persecution in this country because of our faith.  Certainly not to the extent faced by believers in many countries around the world and clearly not to the extent suffered by Paul.  What kind of physical abuse would you tolerate without forsaking Christ?  Or even financial or social abuse?  It’s a sobering question we each need to ponder.  We must continue growing in our wisdom and faith as to be prepared for the battle whenever it confronts us.  Paul serves as an example of commitment to be imitated, no matter what level of persecution we face: “…for I am ready not only to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 21:13.  Are you a voice for Christ are you standing on truth?

HSAY…Todd