So, why are we here?  To simply pursue our own desires and lives based on what seems good to us?  Or are we going to pursue the Lord and His will — what pleases Him, what good deeds He would have us to be involved with, and to know Him and His ways in a genuine relationship where He truly is Lord and not some buddy down the street.  After all, in light of scripture, it is amazing how we think the Lord is so pleased with us when we so ignore what His word says.  I guess the question is, why?

On our money it says “In God we trust”, but is this truly the case?  Jesus said that we cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:24).  Mammon is often translated “money”, yet if you conduct a word study you will see that it also involves the idea of “that in which we trust”.  Mammon is something other than the Lord in which we have put our trust.  Is our trust in God?  And by that I mean the true God as He has revealed Himself in the Bible.  If our trust is not in Him, then it is in a false god.

Let us examine our hearts before Christ and see if we are trusting in anything else other than Jesus Himself.  He is the Shepherd, we can trust in Him!

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.”  (Jer. 17:7  ESV)

After finishing the front and side (happy to have achieved that much), I checked the tank and saw that there was hardly any gas left.  I was going to put the mower away, but my wife suggested that I do as much of the back as possible, and so I started on that.  Well, I was able to mow the entire back, finishing all of the yard; and when I checked the tank again, it still had some gas left.

This was nothing short of a miracle to me, and I am so encouraged in the Lord. He reminded me through this that He is indeed our provider.  And this follows on the heels of some other encouragement I had received yesterday.

Barnabas is introduced to us in Acts 4:36 where he is called the “son of exhortation” (ASV), or of encouragement, or consolation, as the word there can be translated.  Next in Acts 9 we see him bringing Saul (Paul) to the apostles to help him be accepted.  And in ch. 11 he encourages and exhorts the new believers at Antioch, then goes to Tarsus to find Saul (Paul) and bring him to Antioch to join in the work there.

Unfortunately there would be a split between Barnabas and Paul in Acts 15 over whether or not to take Mark with them on the next missionary journey, for Mark had left the work at one time (see Acts 13:13).  But Barnabas took Mark with him, not surprising for one who was an encourager and exhorter.

And this was important in the life of Mark of whom Paul would later say:  “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions— if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.”  (Col. 4:10-11 ESV)

Being an exhorter is really something that all of us as followers of Christ are to be toward one another (see Heb. 10:25).  It involves the process of keeping our eyes on Jesus, and then simultaneously seeing others and pointing them to the One on whom are eyes are set.  This can be done in practical ways as we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us wisdom how to pray and share the Scriptures, which bring comfort and encouragement and hope.

“When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose”  (Acts 11:23 ESV).

Some questions I have been thinking about:

Are we serious about God?

Are we serious about dealing with sin?

Do we deal ruthlessly with self?  With worldliness?

Do we resist the devil?

Do we draw near to God?

Do we seek His will, His word?

Do we obey?

Our life is now to be lived in obedience to His word; lived in response to His grace at work in us and through us.  It’s a life of worship, of walking in His ways, of doing His will.  But it begins with recognizing that the grace of God indeed calls us to this, and that we are dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit to enable us to live it.

When Barnabas came to Antioch, he encouraged the believers there to remain true to the Lord.  In the word we read that we’re to not forsake our assembling together, but are to encourage one another onto love and good deeds, and all the more as we see the day drawing near.  The scriptures are full of encouragement for this path that the Lord has called us to.  And there is practical instruction in the Bible for this.  In the word we see that we’re to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, to set our minds on the things above, to fix our eyes on Jesus, to long for the pure milk of the word, to run the race that is set before us, etc.  We’re to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness and cultivate a God-ward mind-set.

Life in this world is not conducive to living the call of God on our lives.  The cares and enticements of this world choke out the word and we become unfruitful.  We need the on-going encouragement of one another.  We need to be reminded of the call of God that we might press on to lay hold of that to which the Lord has called us.  Our desire is to be used as a place of reminder and encouragement in this.  Probably the one single passage that best sums up what we’re called to and what we need to be reminded of and encouraged in on an on-going basis is Titus 2:11-15:

^“11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹²training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

¹⁵Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”  (ESV)

We are no longer our own, and this world is no longer our home.  We are to be men and women of God in the midst of the world.  To have a passion for all of Christ in all of life.  All to His glory!

^“For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.”  (Ps. 55:12-13 ESV)

Such times can be extremely painful; and yet, in the midst of them, we must remember to:  “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  (Eph. 4:31-32 ESV)

This is not easy to do at times, and we must look to the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to do this.  But we must do it.  Jesus went to the cross for us to take upon Himself our sins that we may be forgiven.  Let’s seek His help that we may extend forgiveness to others too.

Is He preeminent in our life?  I encourage us to take some time with the Lord and study this letter, allowing Him speak to our hearts regarding whether or not Christ is truly our all.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  (1 Thess. 5:18 KJV)

With Thanksgiving Day coming up later this week, I thought it would be good to be reminded of a verse which deals with the subject; especially since life at times throws things our way which can lead to complaining and worrying and the like.  I’ve been through some stuff like that lately and I need the reminder!

Here is a passage I’m thinking about sharing at our dinner table this Thursday:

Psalm 100 (KJV)

^“1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

²Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

³Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

⁵For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

May the Lord bless you with His grace!