Today's Daily Wisdom

“Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Phl 1:6

We’ve heard the saying, if it was easy everyone would do it.  There’s truth in such a statement even when it comes to our walk in Christ.  The truth is the easiest thing one can ever do is come to an understanding and knowledge of salvation through Christ, but the hardest thing one will ever endure is a willingness to live for Christ.  The majority of Christians, 9 out of 10 is very accurate (Lk 17:11-19), will accept their salvation and journey on their own from there never seeing the desired completion God has for their lives.  The reason is most Christians are unwilling to be shaped by God’s will.  When Joseph was seventeen he had a dream prophesying that he would rule over his brothers.  But, the fact was he wasn’t ready to rule in that capacity as of yet.  He needed to go through some character-shaping and maturity to do God’s will.  Even though Joseph was forgotten by many during that process, he was never forgotten by God. In his adversity, God shaped and molded his character to great strength, and the ability to lead.  Like Joseph, keep in mind that often times God has to break us before he can shape us in His image.  Like in life when we break a bone or damage a joint, once repaired it is often stronger than it was before the break.  What God begins, with our salvation, He completes’ through our willingness to broken and reshaped in the image of Christ for His good works.  

Don’t fear being broken; like the egg, it’s true worth lies within.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”  Jn 3:30

Some situations in life cause us to step back and reevaluate our position in order to move forward and accomplish our goal.  Maybe it’s laying a tile floor, we may have to step back and see if our direction is straight, if not we may have to pull up a few tiles.  We John says “He (Christ) must increase” there is a requirement associated with it, we “must decrease.”  This is the struggle for many; they don’t relinquish their role in the process.  It’s like trying to lose weight while maintain your normal eating habits.  To accomplish such a spiritual goal we must look beyond ourselves and focus on the goal, Christ, in two ways: what He has done in our life and what He wants from our life.  This is achieved by looking through God’s word as a mirror reflecting our spirit (2 Cor 3:18), not to see us, but to Christ working in us!  God’s word works as a mirror to reflect the image of Christ and His glory (outward manifestation) in our lives. Too many cannot see past their own reflection, thus concentrating on their brokenness, sinfulness and self-seeking inclinations.  To increase something one must focus on the interest and purpose of that subject.  We must see Christ interest and purpose in our lives and not our own; then God’s word will begin to reflect Christ’s goodness thus increasing within us and manifesting itself towards others.

Something’s wrong when the reflection of our life makes sense to unbelievers!

HSAY…Todd  

Daily Wisdom

“…be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man: And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statues, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimony, as it is written…” 1 Kg 2-3

These are the words King David charged his son Solomon with from his death bed.  Consider the steps Solomon was to follow in, David was a legend from his early teen life when he defeated a bear and a lion, which only prepared him for his defeat of Goliath.  In addition David played his defense against Saul’s attempts to kill him while serving him.  Yet, his father David, did not challenged him to raise the bar to greater accomplishments, but to simply show thyself a man and walk in God’s ways.  To show thyself a man was David’s wisdom of courage; knowing courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to do right in the face of fear. Obedience requires great courage to stand on truth, not what’s popular or convenient.  Second, David charged him to walk in the ways of God, to live his life as a man of God who relies on God’s word and direction.  And what’s most interesting is the realization Solomon came to after ignoring his father’s charge and instead choosing his own path’s in life, he closes his life by quoting his father in a sense, “Let’s us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecc 12:13)  Maybe David knew what he was talking about…are we listening?

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy…” 2 Cor 1:24

Such a simple statement is extracted from (vs 24) that can bear great weight on one’s spiritual health.  Paul’s letter to Corinth was for the purpose to build up and not for tearing down, “Therefore I write these things…the Lord hath given me to edification and not to destruction” (13:10).  So the question presents itself, are you a “Help or a Hindrance” to the ministry of the Gospel and one’s faith?  We have no ability or power to command faith, nor can we add to another’s faith, we do not have dominion over doctrine, but only to share what is contained in the scriptures.  We see Paul refer to “joy” (26) times in his epistles, and (5) times in 2 Corinthians particularly.  Joy is the grace which is wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God, of which Christ is the object; it is the by-product of faith, and as one’s faith grows, so does one’s joy.  Yet it is often interrupted by the corruptions of the heart and temptations of this world, leaving the soul feeling unloved, discouraged and hopeless.  Such state of the soul drove Paul’s purpose, as should it ours, to edify and build-up one’s spirit in Christ. Making ourselves instruments and means by which the Spirit of God can be manifested in other’s hearts in a way that through faith other’s see the joy of the Lord. Helping should not be seen as a choice, but rather a purpose of joy to others. Again, are you a “Helper or a Hindrance” to the Joy of the Lord?

Never look down on someone else unless you’re helping them up.   

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.” Jn 18:37b

This was Pilate’s struggle as he questioned Jesus before his crucifixion, as well as society today, “what is truth” (vs 38).  In order to answer such a question one must utilize the definition of truth itself to do so.  By definition truth is the “conformity to fact or actuality; a statement proven to be or accepted as true.”  The world today is claiming there is not true reality, only perceptions and opinions; universal truth that everyone is right according to their own feelings and beliefs.  Yet by the very definition of truth, two opposing views cannot be right; there can only be one truth not versions of it.  How is it that society, and even religions, have embraced universalism: the idea that every religion is equally valid and all men can get to God and heaven in their own way?   Consider what Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” (Jn 14:6)  There can only be one truth, Jesus or man.  If man says he has contrary choices based on his own feelings and beliefs, then Jesus is wrong in His factual statement!  To know Jesus and to hear His voice, one must be truthful with himself; Jesus is the truth and the life for all men.  There can only be “one” truth, God or man.

Many find truth hard to swallow, because they are choking on their pride.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.” Joel 1:2-3

Consider your worth?  We’ve heard the stories of great inherited wealth and trust funds causing one to think personally of their own estates and what it has to offer their own family.  By worldly standards the value of one’s estate is measured in riches of money not the richness of depth and strength.  One of the greatest gifts you can give your children is your life's story to help them repeat your successes and avoid your mistakes. God urged parents to pass their history down to their children, telling over and over the important lessons they learned.  “Tell ye your children of it” – concerning God’s goodness, generation was to declare to generation the wonders of His love. “He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children, that the generation to come might know them, the children which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children that they might ... not forget the works of God” (Psa 78:5-7).  This tradition of thankfulness to God, reinforced the law; “Take heed to thyself, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, but teach them thy sons and thy sons’ sons” (Deu 4:9). Do your children know your testimony in Christ; do they know the goodness God has worked through you and in you by His righteousness? Teach a son or daughter to work and earn is needful, but it only allows them to eat for a day; teach them the love and goodness of God through Christ and they will learn of wealth the world has not to offer. 

Do your children see the image of the world or the image of Christ in your life?

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” Phl 3:10

Ever notice how often we think of ourselves? I suppose it makes sense, because the person we spend the most time with is ourselves. Question then, do you really like yourself?  Would you rather be someone else? Are you honest about your strengths and weaknesses?  Socrates stated, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Knowing ourselves is key to our daily life.  But, let’s go even further. Since God is your creator and He knows you better than anyone, even yourself, why don’t you get to know God personally and then you’ll get to know yourself – the real you – better than you ever could on your own.  The Father gives us that opportunity through Jesus and His word.  Cultivating a guanine deep personal relationship with Jesus will bring into clarity God’s vision of you.  Then you’ll begin to see what God sees and the beauty within you.  This will put you on a road to a meaningful and purposeful life in Christ.

Life is not about finding yourself; it’s about finding Christ and creating meaning for your life.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.” Pro 25:16

Gluttony, the permeating sin within the church; no I’m talking about an excess weight or binge-full meals at Sunday lunches.  Gluttony is not merely an addiction to food, if you look at the original definition and context, gluttony lands closer to home/church than we prefer.  Simply stated, gluttony is consumption of excess, occurring when desire overrules need. In America there has always been a desire to upgrade, yet over the last 10-20 yrs. it appears consumption is the driving force in society. The problem is desire for excess stems from a lack of satisfaction. Not content with my portion in life – be it the diner plate, marriage bed or bank accounts. And because every portion is only a finite of the whole, it’s constantly chasing an unquenchable thirst. Picture the Grand Canyon as your soul, if you try filling it with houses, cars, money, relationships, trips, etc. good luck.  In Genesis 3 we see the onset of excess in the Garden of Eden.  What was provided and offered was not enough.  God provided beauty, health, relationship and the absence of shame, guilt and sin, and it was not enough.  So they break their relationship, charge their health and encounter shame, guilt and sin, nice trade. The desire for more is not inherently bad, it’s just misdirected today.  We are losing our desire for a ravenous, relentless appetite for the Divine. Our souls (Grand Canyon) only chance is found in the goodness and presence of an all-glorious God.  There is a great and powerful effect that takes place when we taste and consume the goodness of God, the more we consume the more we acquire the desire for it.  Psa 34: 8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good…”  Unfortunately too many Christians today are more interested in quenching their thirst at a church coffee bar rather than a church pew.  God has ordained that His goodness can be tasted and seen; meaning every finite satisfaction and pleasure should point us to the infinite satisfaction and joy of God.

Is desire for excess sinful? It depends if the soul is addicted to a finite excess or an infinite excess!

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.”  1 Tim 4:1-2

 If you've caught the mass media over the past few weeks, you would've heard an economist from the U.S. Department of Labor state that defenders of religious freedom are “Nazis”; consider that statement for a moment and let it sink in.  Sample that with the hate which has been spewed at the State of Indiana over the past month, as Christians have been attacked and labeled as “bigots” and “haters.”  History has taught us that mass vilification towards doctrinal truth has often reared its ugly head.  The Jacobins in the 1790’s slaughtered Christians by the hundreds of thousands, The Turks, The Bolsheviks’ with their “anti-God” starvation camps and firing squads of the 1920’s.  Chicago’s cardinal, Francis George, made a startling and yet accurate statement; “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”  Joining him would be many Christians who affirm the integrity of the Gospel.  Consider this quote while acknowledging the watered down, neutered gospel being preached today; denominations are blessing same-sex marriages, denominational university like Marquette, who fired a professor for defending the scriptures on this subject.  It’s stunning how quickly the demands went from libertarian (don’t arrest me for my actions), to totalitarian (take part in our wedding or we will ruin you).  If Indiana caves and guts its “Religious Freedom Law”, it will be just one of many examples proving the triumph of those who have departed from the faith and its doctrinal truths, and in doing so contribute to the persecution of Christian beliefs.  The church (Christians) has become silent, a co-pastor described it perfectly, “last week we observed an empty tomb, and today we observe an empty pew.” Departure is a by-product from lack of devotion, if one is unwilling to devote themselves to truth; it’s only a matter of time until they depart it.  Tolerance of sin does not define love by faith; would a doctor who refused to tell you of your diagnosis and cancer, and instead encourage you to continue your life style, be more loving and caring than a doctor who was honest with you and warned you your situation and offered an answer?  The water is boiling; it’s time for the frog to jump. There is nothing new under the sun; the early Christians faced death in the Colosseum of Rome forcing families to flee from Rome, but not truth.  Even in China today, as they try to levy persecution upon the Christian church, they cannot stop the explosion taking place.  While it was stated earlier, some may die a martyr for truth, but if someone will pick up the truth and continue to be a voice in the wilderness of a ruined society, as the church has done in history, we will win the good fight.

“If we stand for eternity, truth and history are on our side.”

HSAY…Todd     

Daily Wisdom

“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29

The preeminent concern of a Christian is to live in the righteousness of Christ by way of our obedience to Him.  We are often faced with such decisions on a regular basis, and yet we have accountability to both; society’s laws and God’s law. But, in spite of man’s desire for equality and establishing moral standards with such law, it does not trump God’s law.  This was the disciple’s stance to the counsel of Gamaliel, they were told not to teach in the name Jesus, but Peter claimed they are called to be witnesses to such truth, as are we.  This is our dilemma today, the definition of moral truth.  Man desires for law to declare equality through tolerance based on personal conviction, not righteousness of Christ.  This institutional persecution is at our very door today and the goal is to diminish the number of those who claim identity with Christ.  This works on a people who have never experienced persecution, and whose belief system is bendable and compromising as “play-doe.”  And sadly a little leavening, leavens the whole loaf (1 Cor 5:6).   This type of imagery of Christianity is being written by a mindset of tolerance and lustful desires using selective scripture to shame believers into silence and compromise of sin. The success is achieved through biblical illiteracy and has ensnared the church in agreeing with the redefinition of sin using tolerance, and all the while redefining God in the process.  Believers are swallowing the heresies of the media, academia and entertainment that what was evil is now good and what was good is now evil (Isa 5:20).  Acceptance, compromise and tolerance is quickly becoming the litmus test for modern Christianity, and are the only measures in which an evil society will tolerate. Sadly a great number of believers have already swallowed societies standards and many more are quickly becoming silent; this is devastating to the church and is purging the fishers of man.  Alarms are sounding and truth is being challenged by governments, society and individuals looking to establish a “new” doctrine predicated on tolerance and acceptance of personal, not Godly, desires. The persecution is arriving, attacks are surrounding the church and in some cases are happening within the church, are we, are you prepared to stand as the disciples and answer…”We ought to obey God rather than men?”  This is not about hate-mongering, it’s exactly the opposite, it’s about the love of Christ towards all men; are we willing to share it!

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall obtain mercy.” Mt 5:8

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges us to be pure of heart.  To a great extent, having a pure heart is wrecked by man’s immorality, causing us to live spiritually impotent lives blocking our vision and understanding to the will of God.  Such depravity provides many with no inkling or understanding of ever seeing the love of Christ. But, Jesus encourages us with the Beatitudes; which offers eternal blissfulness and can be understood in at least three ways: (1) They are a code of moral/ethics for all believers. (2) They contrast Kingdom values (eternal) with worldly values (temporal). (3) They contrast the superficial "faith" of the Pharisees with the real faith that Christ demands.  The beatitudes illustrate the blessing by God. They don't promise laughter, pleasure, or earthly prosperity; being "blessed" by God means the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances.  Blessing of a pure heart – are those, whose minds, motives, and principles are pure in desire; who seek not only to have their external actions correct, but who desire to be holy in heart, by desiring what is right. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart (1 Sam 16:7).

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find none occasion or fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.” Daniel 6:4

Such quality of character, as found in Daniel, grows in direct proportion to the time we spend in God’s presence and in His word.  Daniel longed for his time alone with God while others spent their time trying to find his faults. His outward life was a direct reflection to his investment in God.  It is impossible to spend quality time with God and not be changed within. Jesus exemplified this for us as well, continually spending time with the Father alone. Accordingly, if we desire to live the life Christ has for us then we too must do the same.  By continuing to invest time in God’s word and prayer, we cultivate the very moral character of Christ.  Jesus said, “Abide in me, and my words abide in you…you shall bear much fruit” (Jn 15:7-8).  Any desire to grow progressively in the likeness of Jesus requires two ingredients, His word and His presence. The greater the influence, greater the character!

Character is like tea, its real strength appears when things get hot.

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“…and he (Christ) shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth…” Isa 11:3-4

Our Lord is not persuaded by what He sees or what He hears.  Man’s intention can be misleading and destructive in its course; shaped and motivated by desire, lust and greed.  Often the motives are disguised as though the right intention is seen or is heard as being sincere in nature, yet administered with alterative motives.  God will judge with righteousness with moral clarity of the heart. How we long for fair treatment from others, but do we give it? We hate those who base their judgments on appearance, false evidence, or hearsay, but are we quick to judge others using those standards? Only Christ can be the perfectly fair judge. Only as he governs our hearts can we learn to be as fair in our treatment of others as we expect others to be toward us.  We must desire what is right when it comes to others, be it in our favour or not.  Don’t let your desire for righteousness be marred by what is convenient, profitable or desiring, but simply what is morally right before God.

“The moral law of God is the tune we are to play; our actions are simply the keys.”

HSAY…Todd

Daily Wisdom

“Cease not mention of you in my prayers. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” Eph 1:16-17

Paul revels for us, by way of prayer, his desire for our eternal glory.  That by the exceeding greatness of God’s power to those who believe in Christ and His eternal resurrection may receive our promised glory through Christ.  Paul illustrates three areas in which he bequest God’s favor upon us.

1.) Eyes of Enlightenment (vs 18)… By the Spirit of God we may see the exceeding sinfulness of sin; the insufficiency of our own righteousness; the excellency of truth and the usefulness of the gospel for knowing Christ as our savior. 

2.) Hope of His Calling (vs 18)… Not merely a call to the external ministry of the word, but an internal heavenly calling upon all His children; unto the eternal glory in Christ that encourages us knowing that who God calls He justifies and glorifies.

3.) Glory and Riches of His Inheritance (vs 18)… Our heavenly inheritance and it’s of the Lord’s, it’s of His preparing and gifted unto us. And not merely signified by mansions, in-habitations or a simply a city, but the Kingdom of God and the riches of his grace are the foundation of it.  The full richness of His Kingdom is unknown in this life, an inheritance unmatched and unimaginable by man.

HSAY…Todd