From a Dark, Rebellious Life

Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine.
Titus 2:1 The Message

2-15 Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives.

But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane. Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around.

Guide slaves into being loyal workers, a bonus to their masters—no back talk, no petty thievery. Then their good character will shine through their actions, adding luster to the teaching of our Savior God.

God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

Tell them all this. Build up their courage, and discipline them if they get out of line. You’re in charge. Don’t let anyone put you down.

Prayer:

Father,
           We want to be people that You can be proud of, energetic in goodness. Correct us in Your love if we get out of line. We want to serve You in a good, pure life. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In the Dark

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NKJV

I hate getting up in the middle of the night without a light. I've whacked my foot against the furniture so many times, my little toe is in a permanent "tuck or duck" position! How about when the electricity goes off during a storm and we're groping around for a flashlight or candles? Why is it we always want light more so when we can't get it? Is it that we take it for granted until it's gone?

It is written in 1st John 1:6-7 NLT, So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.  

With that, why would anyone choose to continue to walk in darkness when they can have the Light of Life? Why would anyone choose an eternity where they will be cast into outer darkness - where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth? (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30). 

Do we think we have forever to make the choice to follow Jesus? Do we take for granted His mercy and grace and patience?  Peter wrote,  But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Prayer:

Father,
         We want to live in the light, as You are in the light. Your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Help us to help others see and understand that if we follow You, our steps will be sure. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Clean Inside and Out

Didn’t the One who made the outside also make the inside? Turn both your pockets and your hearts inside out and give generously to the poor; then your lives will be clean, not just your dishes and your hands.
Luke 11:40-41 The Message

Have you ever tried to clean a tight spot? A small place, no room to maneuver? You can't even get enough light in there to see to clean in the tiny, dark spaces. That's a good word picture of how our hearts can be when we close off to others. When we've been hurt and no longer want to let anyone close enough to hurt us again. We just build the wall higher and tighter. It just gets darker, and there's no room in there for anyone else. It's not a good place to be.

However, compassion leads to a larger capacity within our hearts. As we make room for others, light pours in and we have a better view of our behaviors. We are quicker to identify and clean up those thoughts that could lead us back into captivity. We are able to be proactive in cleaning out those areas that were hidden from our sight. As we pour out to those around us, even more areas of our hearts are lit up by God's love and grace working in us.

Yes, as we Turn both [y]our pockets and [y]our hearts inside out and give generously to the poor; then [y]our lives will be clean...

Prayer:

Father,
          Give us clean hands and pure hearts, according to Your Word. Give us a fresh anointing of compassion for our fellow man. Pour a new and living anointing into us for understanding Your Word, so that we may be washed clean by it - inside and out. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.