Sacrifice of Praise

Hebrews 13:15 (NIV) "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name."

Sacrifice: the act of giving up something that you want to keep; an act of killing a person or animal in a religious ceremony as an offering to please a god

Praise is a sacrifice because in order to offer it to God we have to crucify our flesh, our apathy, our pride, our fear. We must crucify anything that diminishes our worship of God. We have to turn our focus off of ourselves and onto the One who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. 

Getting past "self" is a requirement for worship. We cannot worship God while focusing on our problems, desires, needs, etc. 

When we come to God in worship we must lay aside every care and focus on the Savior. When we begin to worship the enemy will bring every distraction to hinder us. But if we resist he will flee. James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Praise should be ongoing in our lives. Psalm 34:1-3 "I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together."

We must offer our praise in every circumstance. In the good times as well as in the bad times. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  Praise is not based on how we feel or what is happening in our lives at the moment, it is based on Who Jesus is. 

As we offer praise to God, we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Looking at the cross we see a picture of ultimate love and sacrifice. Praising our Savior should come easy when we put our focus on who he is and what he has done for us. 

People cheer for sports teams or stars in the entertainment industry. What have they ever done for us?  Nothing!!  If we can stand up and scream at a football game or a concert, how much more should we praise the King of Kings?  

Let us offer up our praise to the only one deserving worship, our Savior and King. 

Fear Trap

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

In the book of Job when Satan came before God, God pointed out Job. Satan accused God of putting a hedge around Job to protect him. Satan then pointed out ways he could get Job to curse God. 

God allowed Satan to take everything Job possessed. Job 1:12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence. 

After he had lost everything, Job makes a powerful declaration, Job 3:25 "What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true."

When we allow fear to overtake our hearts we open the door to the devourer. God did not cause Job's suffering, Satan did. Job feared that he might one day loose all he had and that fear is what influence the enemy to suggest ways to test him. 

The enemy knows us well. He studies our lives looking for ways to destroy us. 1 Peter 5:8 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

The enemy will try to cause us to fear so he can then pounce on that fear and bring destruction. When we begin to fear we must speak to our spirit and remind ourself that fear comes from the enemy.   2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

The key to avoiding the fear trap is putting our trust and confidence in God.   Psalm 56:3 "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you."  We can take all our worries and fears to him. Psalm 34:4 "I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears."  

Remembering how much he loves us can help us avoid the fear trap as well. Nothing can separate us from that love!! Romans 8:38 "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love."  Psalm 23:4 "Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."

Fear is not from God and it draws our attention away from God and what he wants to do in our lives. We must take the fearful thoughts captive and make them submit to what we know about God. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV) "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."  

God is love and he cares for his own. He will never leave us to struggle alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

Let us place our faith and confidence in God and avoid the fear trap. 

Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:1 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."

Sacrifice: the act of giving up something that you want to keep 

Being a living sacrifice involves choosing daily to loose our lives for Christ.  Luke 9:24 "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." 

Loosing our lives involves daily choosing to die to our flesh. Choosing to following the leading of the Holy Spirit and not indulging our sin nature. When we come to Christ our flesh is crucified with him.  Galatians 2:20 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  

Our old man (our flesh) doesn't want to stay dead. It will raise its ugly head at every opportunity. It will try to convince us that it is alive and well. It is our job to daily surrender our lives again to Christ. To yield to his control and leading. If we make allowances (provision) for our flesh it will rise up and take control. 

Romans 13:14 (ESV) "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

We crucify the flesh through the strength of Christ. He did not allow himself to yield to his desires as he walked in this earth. He made it possible for us to do likewise. However, we need to remember that we can't fight alone. Often when we feel the flesh rise up we try to put it in its place in our our strength. The Word tells us, Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) "‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty."

When we put our total dependence in Christ and trust him to care for us, he gives us the strength to resist the enemy when he comes to call; the power to crucify our flesh and die daily. James 4:7 "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Humble here means: to destroy the power, independence, or prestige of. We choose to destroy our own independence in order to become totally dependent on Christ. Only then can we truly be free from our old man and become the living sacrifice God desires. 

I love this song. I pray it speaks to your spirit!!  

Crucified with Christ by Phillips,Craig, and Dean. 

http://youtu.be/PmB0u5BQ8BM

God is Greater

1 John 4:4b "the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world."

God is greater than the spiritual powers of this world. Ephesians 6:12 "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." John 16:33 "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 

God is greater than sickness and disease. Exodus 15:26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”  Matthew 14:14 "Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick."

God is greater than financial need.  Philippians 4:19 "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." 

God is greater than the leaders of our nation and the world. Romans 13:1 "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God."  Daniel 2:21 "He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars."

God is greater than our sorrows.      2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

God is greater than anything you are going through. He is able to provide, heal, direct, and comfort.   He never sleeps or slumbers. He is caring for us 24/7.  Psalm 121:1-8 "I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever."

Our God by Chris Tomlinson. http://youtu.be/NJpt1hSYf2o

Temporary Residents

1 Peter 2:9, 11 "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Dear friends, I warn you as 'temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war 

against your very souls.'"

When our house was being built, my family and I lived with some dear friends. They did everything they could to make us feel welcome and "at home."  However, no matter how welcome they made us feel, we were not "at home."  We we guests in their home.

That is how Christians should view life here on earth. This world is Satan's home, we are temporary residents. As such, we have to guard against getting overly comfortable. When we come to Christ through salvation, we receive the mandate to be holy. 

Leviticus 20:26 "You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own."

1 Peter 1:14-16 "So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, 'You must be holy because I am holy.'"

Holiness is not optional for followers of Christ. It is required. God says, "You MUST be holy..."

What does being holy mean?

Galatians 2:20 "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  Colossians 3:3 "For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." Ephesians 2:6 "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus."

These scriptures along with many others show us the key to holiness.  In this quote from an article in "Christianity Today" (What does God mean when he asks us to be holy as he is holy?) by Joel Scandrett, we see why. "At bottom, God's call to be holy is a radical, all-encompassing claim on our lives, our loves, and our very identities. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ requires nothing less than death to our fallen, egocentric selves in order that we might live in and for him. "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it," says Jesus, "but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:35-36). To be holy means that all we are and all we have belongs to God, not ourselves, and that every aspect of our lives is to be shaped and directed toward God."

The questions we must ask ourselves today are:

1. Is there any area of my life I have not given the Holy Spirit access to?

2. Am I living like a temporary resident of this world or am I comfortably at home here?

3. Is every aspect of my life shaped and directed toward God?

Burden Bearers

1 Peter 5:8-9 "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are."

One of Satan's greatest lies is that we are alone in our struggles and no one will understand what we're going through or our struggle with our sin nature. If he can convince us to believe that lie, we will pull into ourselves and pull away from the very ones he has put in our lives to help us. 

Galatians 6:1-2 "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

This applies to any type of struggle not just sin issues. We are all part of one body. 

1 Corinthians 12:20, 26 "Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad."

When cancer develops in a person's body, the good cells from all over the body come to fight. The good cells in the leg don't say, "That is the breast's issue.  I'm staying right here where it is safe and cancer free."  In the same way, sometimes bearing each other's burdens can be messy too. We are commanded to bear the burdens of others, yet warned to be careful. 

If we only want to "help" those whose lives are mess free, we will never fulfill the command to "bear each other's burdens."  Life is messy and sometimes we need help with the messy stuff. The most amazing feeling and reward comes when we get down in the pit with a fellow believer and help them dig their way out. 

I know that it sounds more religious to say, "We can lower a ladder down and let them climb out." But in my life I've found that the greatest help comes from those who are not worried about getting dirty. Those who will get in the pit with me. This does not mean they participate in my sin or struggle (heed the warning in Galatians 6:1-2) but that they fight beside me as I fight my way out. 

The Christian walk is a daily battle field, as is evidenced by Paul's statement in Ephesians 6:12 "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

Bearing each other's burdens often involves sacrifice on our part. It may involve being available 24/7 for a friend, sacrificial giving to help with a need, or hours of intercession and spiritual warfare on behalf of another.  Whatever the cost to us, we need to remember two things: 

          1. One day we will be the one in need. Will there be someone to help bear our burden?  

          2. Jesus bore all our sin, guilt, and shame on his back when he died on the cross.  How could we refuse to partner with him to help someone in need?  

When we partner with Christ, to bear other's burdens, we become a force to reckon with. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Wether we are the one in need or the burden bearer, we can cling to the promise found in Psalm 18:2 "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety."

Let us never hold back from seeking others to help us bear our burdens or from "getting our hands dirty" bearing another's burden with them. This partnership is necessary to growth and freedom in the body of Christ and is crucial to our spiritual health as individuals within that body. 

How's Your Hearing?

Jesus told this parable about four types of hearers (soil).  

Mark 4:3-8 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.

Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. 

Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 

Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 

The seed that fell on the footpath are those whose hearts are hard and when they hear the Word it can't penetrate and Satan steals it away quickly. 

The seed that fell on shallow soil are those who are nominal believers. They prayed the prayer but are not living for God. They are hears of the Word only.  James 1:22-24 "But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like."

The third seed fell among the thorns. This represents believers who are more concerned with the cares of this life then in their walk with Christ. Their focus is on what they see and they don't grow in their relationship past the infant stage. They hear the Word but don't apply the it to their lives. 

The fourth seed fell on fertile soil. This represents believers who have yielded their lives to Christ and who are walking by faith not by sight. Those who seek the giver rather then the gift. When they hear the Word it takes deep root because they apply it to their life by allowing the Holy Spirit to dig deep and make the necessary changes he desires to make. 

What kind of hearer am I?  We must ask ourselves this question daily. Am I applying the Word I hear and read to my life or am I just going through the motions?