Welcome to the Journey!

Greetings Fellow Journey-ers,

 

I want to give a special welcome to those who are brand new to the Journey!  I am so excited to share with you that we had 52 new people sign on to join the journey on Sunday – I think that is fantastic!  This brings our grand total to over 350 people who are now journeying together through the word at Living Springs. 

 

What is the Journey?  The journey is a 4 year walk through the Bible, reading one chapter a day, 6 days a week.  There are lots of good reading plans out there, but we have found this one particularly helpful.  There are a couple of reasons why we like this plan.  1)  It’s doable!   Some have tried read through the Bible in a year.  But, if you miss a few days, you have too much to make up, and many become discouraged and drop out – somewhere around Leviticus.  Most find reading one chapter a day is a good pace.   2)  It’s comprehensive.  Some plans just look at the NT or favorite texts, but in this plan you read the whole of God’s word.  3) It mixes things up a bit.  If you take a quick scan through the Journey brochure, you will notice that it mixes up the reading between the Newer Testament and older, gospels, psalms, and history books, letters etc.  That keeps things fresh and interesting. 

How to approach your reading each day?  First of all, I would encourage you not to read the Bible like a newspaper – just for information.  The Bible is not a Greek education book, but a Christian transformation book.  I would suggest approaching the reading each day with a sense of anticipation and expectation.   It is the Living word of God – it is quite literally God’s word to you, and as you read the pages of scripture, God actually will whisper his words to you through it. 

How does that work you ask?  Well, often when you read the Bible, a word or phrase or verse will “jump out at you.”  It might feel like it was written just for you, or it might cause you to ask a question, or cause you to pause.  This is often God’s way of speaking to you.  So I would encourage you, as you read the Bible each day, approach it with anticipation and an expectation of meeting God.  Listen for his still small voice to highlight things in his word that are just for you.  Before you read, pray – Come Holy Spirit, and speak to me a fresh word – teach, lead, convict, or encourage me today, just as you know I need it – something like that.  Enjoy his word. 

Then I would encourage you to read it slowly, prayerfully and carefully.  Don’t eat it like a hamburger, but savoring it like a delicious steak (if you are vegan – you will have to substitute a different food here!), listening for God’s voice as you read.  Now not every time you read the word, will you have a life-changing encounter with God, where you encounter angels, lights from heaven, and earth shattering revelation.  I often compare it to eating (because I like eating, and I love God’s word).  Not every day do you eat a delicious dinner at your favorite restaurant; sometimes you have a burger on the run or just a bowl of cereal.   In the same way sometimes what you read will really impact you, other times, not so much.  But, that’s ok.  I don’t always remember what I ate – even 4 days ago, but it fed and nourished me.  Same with God’s word, some days might not be so memorable, or life-changing, but each day when we come into God’s presence, and read his word with expectation – he does meet us, and he will feed our souls – really!  In the weeks to come I will share with you some more thoughts and ideas to really get the most out of your times with God.  

Where to Begin?  I would urge you just to start with Today’s reading.  Currently, the rest of the journeyers are in Year 4, and Today’s day is January 27, which makes the reading for today Esther Chapter 1.  Esther is the last chapter of Israel’s long and storied history, until the gospels (when Jesus arrives on the scene).   The year is somewhere around 400 B.C.  The briefest history of the Bible ever – God created human kind, they rebelled, God restored.   God led his people into the promised land, they massively sinned and fell away, God allowed them to be captured by the Babylonians – and then came under Persian control, but God in his mercy allowed them (under Ezra and Nehemiah) to go back to Jerusalem to reestablish the nation of Israel.  But not everyone was allowed to go back.  Some stayed.  Esther is an amazing story of how God once again saves his people from near calamity.  It is a very interesting and powerful story!  Enjoy the story, enjoy the journey, but most of all, enjoy his presence as you read!  God bless you!

Pastor Dave

The Keys to Success

Have you ever had someone, commenting on your success, say, “You’re so lucky!” I have. One response I have to that comes from a quote attributed to Thomas Edison: “Luck is the residue of hard work.” In other words, success isn’t a chance event, but comes as a result of informed, focused and persistent effort.

But Ezra’s life points out an even more important explanation for success.

“This Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the LORD his God was on him” (Ezra 7:6 NLT).

“He had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year, and he arrived at Jerusalem on August 4, for the gracious hand of his God was on him” (Ezra 7:9 NLT).

Ezra was successful in his efforts because of the “gracious hand of the Lord” on his life and work.

We see the same pattern in the life of Joseph.

The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished.

The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed. (Genesis 39:2-5, 23 NLT)

But to leave this explanation here at “God was with them,” still falls short of discovering the true keys to success. God does not bless us just because we are his children, but because we are His obedient children. Again, look at at what the Word says.

In spite of the intense pressure of temptation, Joseph is steadfast in his desire to do what’s right in God’s eyes: “No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God”(Genesis 39:9 NLT).

Joshua outlines to the congregation of Israel the keys for success when he says, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8 NLT).

We see the same pattern in the life of Ezra: “This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the LORD and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel” (Ezra 7:10 NLT).

What are the keys to success in life?

1. Know. Study the Word of God so you will know how life was meant to be lived. God doesn’t want us to fail, but to live abundantly (John 10:10). Not only done we need to know that truth, but also what He says we need to do to achieve it.

2. Grow. Knowing the Word must be followed by doing the Word of God. James tells us that knowing without doing is like looking in a mirror and ignoring what we see (James 1:22-25). Success comes when we grow in our willingness and faithfulness to apply God’s principles to every aspect of our lives.

3. Show. Our lives are meant to be a blessing and a witness to others as we demonstrate to them the goodness of God, His power to transform and the practicality of following Him. God expects us to give to others what he has given to us (Matt.28:19-20, 2 Tim. 2:2).

Regardless of your location or vocation, if you apply these these principles to your life, you will experience great  and true success.

Pastor Jason

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,000 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 17 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Are we unChristian?

Melanie Jongsma and I have had some interesting conversations about a weekly Bible study she has had for the past year with her Jehovah’s Witness neighbor. Melanie relates to me how this exchange 1) has turned into a relationship and 2) has given her new insights about evangelism – how we do it and how it is perceived. As she is being evangelized, it makes her realize how offensive it can come across to the person who is the object of our efforts. No one likes to be made to feel like a project or to have their viewpoints or convictions demeaned, diminished or dismissed.

In a conversation with Greg Saint Victor about outreach, I asked the question, “Do we engage or enrage the culture?” I shared with him a picture of a billboard erected by a church that invites the public to meet a God who is angry with them over the sin of homosexuality, abortion and being a Democrat.

Over dinner one night I quizzed Dr. Tim and Robin Basselin about the best approach to sharing our faith with followers of Islam. I shared that I thought that most Christians are wholly unprepared and unskilled at being able to communicate their faith in “non-Christian terms – ie, without “Christian-ese” or Biblical references or an invitation to come to church. They mentioned a book to me  – UnChristian – that shares the results of research conducted by the Barna group. The researchers conclude the following:

“Christianity has an image problem. Christians are supposed to represent Christ to the world. But according to the latest report card, something has gone terribly wrong. Using descriptions like “hypocritical,” “insensitive,” and “judgmental,” young Americans share an impression of Christians that’s nothing short of . . . unChristian. Groundbreaking research into the perceptions of sixteen- to twenty-nine-year-olds reveals that Christians have taken several giant steps backward in one of their most important assignments.”

Here is one example of their findings:

“We found the three most common perceptions of present-day Christianity are anti-homosexual (an image held by 91 percent of young outsiders), judgmental (87 percent), and hypocritical (85 percent). Out of the top 12 perceptions of Christianity, nine of the dozen views were negative. (Pg 27).”

As I read Colossians 4 this morning, verses 5 and 6 jumped out at me: “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”

Does this describe your conversation and relationship with non-believers? Are they engaged or enraged by your presence and interactions with them?

Paul exhorts us to “put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him” (3:10), reminding us that “since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful” (3:12-15).

I know that here Paul is speaking of how Christians should relate to fellow believers, but should not this same gracious style of living also be reflected in how we relate to those who don’t believe as we do? Is it not the gracious nature of our lives that opens the door to speak the gracious words of the Good News? Is it not the Good News, rather than our angry arguments or vitrolent denouncements that empowers life transformation?

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace (1:6).

Is God pleased if unbelievers cannot be attracted by His love, because they are distracted by our anger? Didn’t Jesus say that the world will know that we are Christians by our love (as opposed to the law)?

One final word from the authors of UnChristian:

As Christians, we have to avoid being defensive about the culture’s push to remove Christianity’s power in society. This book never advocates that we try to become more popular. Our task is to be effective agents of spiritual transformation in people’s lives, whatever that may cost in time, comfort, or image. Yet we have to realize that if the enormous number of Christians in this country has not achieved the level of positive influence hoped for, it’s not the fault of a skeptical culture.

I think it’s time that we take a critical look at ourselves in the mirror to evaluate the effectiveness of our witness to the culture. We don’t need to water down the truth to make it attractive. But we do need to be careful to sweeten it with love and season it with salt to take away the bitter edge of doubt and skepticism.

You can read more about “unchristian”, including downloading excerpts and a summary of their findings at www.unchristian.com.

What do you think?

Pastor Jason

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

We have come to the end of two of the more depressing, heartbreaking books in all of scripture – Jeremiah and Lamentations. In these books, Jeremiah first looks ahead in speaking prophetic words of warning of God’s coming judgment, then looks back at the devastation that resulted. It is so sad, isn’t it?

But what is even more sad is that none of this had to be. God did not create His people in order to punish and destroy them. He created His people to love and prosper them. Their only responsibility in this covenant relationship was to worship and obey Him. But they refused to submit to His leadership, refused to respond in gratitude to His patience, refused to repent from their idolatry. The application of God’s wrath was not a flash flood that came without warning, but more like the breaking of a dam that could no longer hold back the pressure of accumulated disobedience.

And the walls came tumbling down.

I think this is mirrored in the current story dominating the news headlines – the Penn State abuse scandal. For at least 10 years, school officials were aware of a hidden evil that lurked in its midst. Instead of repenting, exposing, and cleansing, they chose to conceal, ignore and sanitize. The resulting destruction to children, officials, coaches, the devastation for university will be massive and far-reaching.

And the walls came tumbling down.

These two illustrations are a clarion call to consider the condition of our own personal state of affairs (not to mention that of our church and our nation). Galatians 6:7 warns us, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.”

How gracious is our God in His passionate commitment to our success that He is long suffering with our rebellion, with the slow-footedness of our turning away from sin and the swiftness of our returning to our idols in spite of his gentle and continual calls to come home. But beware, lest we take His patience for weakness or His silence for consent.

God loves to forgive, but that doesn’t mean that He will not punish.

Check your walls.

Pastor Jason

In Whom Do We Trust?

I know that we are nearing the end of Jeremiah in our Journey reading, but a conversation I had this week, just begged me to go back and revisit some thoughts I was having about our earlier reading in Jeremiah.

I was working out at the fitness center when an older gentleman whom I knew asked me if I’d heard about a movement to get the repeating of the Lord’s Prayer back in school. He was surprised when I told him that not only had I not heard of it, but also that it was not something to which I would give any energy. I explained my position that the only way that you can remove prayer from the schools is to remove Christians from the schools, because no one can stop a Christian teacher from praying over his/her students or a student from praying before a test or for their day. I don’t need anyone’s permission to talk to God.

I added that our culture has changed since the days when it was acceptable for us to be called a “Christian nation”. From a cultural and legal standpoint, for a person of authority to publicly and verbally say the Lord’s prayer in school is tantamount to endorsing, sanctioning, pushing (whatever word you want to use) the Christian faith. In doing so, you are opening the door for every other religion to demand the right and freedom to do the same thing. I shared that I was not willing to approach that slippery slope. It is my responsibility to teach my children to pray and to know God. If I want a distinctly Christian education for them, I should send them to a Christian school, but I can no longer expect the public school system to endorse or embrace my belief system. It would be great if they did, but I cannot expect it.

He didn’t agree with a single thing I said. He insisted that it was our right to replace that which had been taken out of schools – prayer – and we need to fight for this. Eventually, I shook his hand and walked away agreeing to disagree. But our interchange took me back to Jeremiah 17: 5-6:

“This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
who rely on human strength
and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
in an uninhabited salty land.”

In Whom do we trust?

As I scan our Christian cultural landscape, it makes me question if we, the saints of God, have not lost sight of our source of strength. I wonder if we have shifted our trust from God to “mere humans”?

•    Are we more likely to look to politicians or prophets for solutions?
•    Are we more likely to stand for our American flag than we are for The Lord who is our Banner?
•    Are we voting rather than praying?
•    Are we more likely to organize a PAC (Political Action Committee) or a PG (Prayer Group)?
•    Are we more likely to be moved to fear by polls or faith by prayer?

God has not called the church to live in the cushy center of society, looking for acceptance and approval from the culture. He has called us to be the church on the edge of society, bringing about personal and community transformation through a radical trust in a politically incorrect God.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit” (17:7-8).

Only when we shift our trust back to God can we expect to emerge from the barren wilderness of spiritual infertility and impotence that current characterizes the church (as a whole) and begin to experience the fruit of changed lives and communities.

We must each have courageous conversations with God about the conditions of our hearts and and the focus of our trust. It is very easy to be deceived into believing that we are where we actually are not:

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts
and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve” (17:9-10).

In Whom do you trust?

I’d love to hear from you.

Pastor Jason

What Does God Owe You?

Jeremiah 45:4-5 – “Baruch, this is what the Lord says: ‘I will destroy this nation that I built. I will uproot what I planted. Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it! I will bring great disaster upon all these people; but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the Lord, have spoken!’

God was determined to destroy Judah because of its persistent, rebellious disobedience towards Him. While Baruch had been faithful in his service to God and the Jeremiah, he would still be caught in some of the fallout of God’s judgment. Baruch was disturbed by the prospect of this – ‘I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven’t I had enough pain already? And now the Lord has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest’ (45:3) – and found himself in the slough of despond and despair.

But God’s word to Baruch was one of both rebuke and comfort. The rebuke was for the ill-conceived belief that he should not suffer. Perhaps he felt entitles because of his privileged upbringing.

“It was wrong, therefore, for Baruch to expect a life of comfort and ease. Baruch was an educated man whose brother was a high official under King Zedekiah (51:59). His grandfather had been the governor of Jerusalem during Josiah’s reign (cf. 32:12; 2 Chron. 34:8). He may have entertained hopes of attaining a position of distinction in the nation, (Constable Notes – Netbible.org).

Perhaps he felt entitled because of his service. For whatever reason, he was now experiencing emotional depression and spiritual frustration because he felt that he was not getting what he deserved.

God’s comfort was that in spite of the destruction, Baruch’s was promised life.
There are several bullet point thoughts that come to mind in response to this:

• Faithfulness to the Lord does not exempt us from pain and suffering. Our work on behalf of the Kingdom, does not earn us a hall pass against difficulties.
• God is more concerned about our character than He is about our comfort.
• We must constantly be exposing our sinful,hearts to the holy examination of God to detect and reveal self-centered, self-promoting motives behind our actions and attitudes.
• We must not hold God hostage to our self-expectations, but rather submit to His perfect will.
• I find that when I am disturbed and stressed, it is not usually because I disagree with God’s plan, but because God has deviated from mine.
• “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own” (Luke 12:15).
• “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul” (Mark 8:36)?
• “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again my Savior and my God!…” (Psalm 42:5,6).

Pastor Jason

Signs of God’s Faithfulness

“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Take both this sealed deed and the unsealed copy, and put them into a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time.’ For this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields.’” (Jeremiah 32:14, 15 NLT)

Jeremiah 32 tells how God used a land deal to serve as a reminder of His faithfulness to His promises. This caused me to start thinking of other signs of God’s faithfulness; ways that he helps us remember what He’s done in the past and encouragement to trust Him with the future. Here are a few:

• Seasons and Days. “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22).
• The Rainbow. “Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.” (Genesis 9:12-17).
• Ebenezer stones. “Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!” (1 Sam. 7:12).
• Holy Spirit. “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him” (Ephesians 1:14).
• Communion. “On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.[f] Do this to remember me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.”  For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.” (I Cor. 11:23-26).

Can you think of other symbols God uses to illustrate His faithfulness to His people?
Pastor Jason

Set Free to Serve

As you read through the book of Jeremiah, it can be easy to be overwhelmed by the dark, punitive nature of his message to the children of Israel. The people who heard the message became so weary of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the coming wrath of God that they turned his words on him, giving him the nickname of “The Man Who Lives in Terror” (Jer. 20:10). But in order to appreciate his message, you must pull the lens back for a wider view historical view of God’s work in and plans for his people. As I read Jeremiah 31 this morning, I am struck by how succinctly verses 11-12 summarizes this:

For the Lord has redeemed Israel
from those too strong for them.
They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem.
They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts—
the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil,
and the healthy flocks and herds.
Their life will be like a watered garden,
and all their sorrows will be gone.

This reminds me of Deuteronomy 6:20-25:
“In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’ “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors. And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us.’”

We were enslaved by the enemy, but God breaks a yoke that was far too strong for us. Through no power or initiative of our own, God brings salvation and sets us free (“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Galatians 2:8-9 ). Why did He do this?

We have been set free to serve. God has brought us out of slavery, not to run around and do what we want to do, but so that we can do what He intended from the beginning of time, but have been prevented from doing because of sin – worship His greatness and live in obedience to His word. God has set us free from the law – a law which brings guilt and condemnation because it only points out our inability to keep it. God has instituted a new covenant in which He has not put His word upon us, but in us: “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jer. 31:33).

Consider the words of Paul to the Galatian Church:

• So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law (5:1) .
• So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves (5:16).
• 5:24,25 – Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

God has delivered us from the slavery to sin (Egypt) to live in the freedom of salvation (Promised Land). But the fruitfulness does not come simply because we are the children of God, but because we are the obedient children of God. We must actively participate in driving the enemies of God out of our lives by yielding to the Spirit’s cleansing power. We must actively resist the appealing, yet corrupting influence of the world that surrounds us.

When we experience the corrective hand of God, we must remember that the promised land is not our private playground for our personal pleasure. We must remember that we have been set free to serve God and one another. We must know that God will always be faithful to remind us of that fact.

Pastor Jason

Are we Practicing Cheap Grace?

Today, I will get straight to the point without an fanfare. Much of the teaching we are hearing today from our pulpits teaches a message of “cheap grace.” It is a message that emphasizes the love of God, but sacrifices the message of accountability; a message of grace that sacrifices responsibility, of blessing without obedience.
God characterizes such teachers as “false prophets.”
“…I will give their wives to others
and their farms to strangers.
From the least to the greatest,
their lives are ruled by greed.
Yes, even my prophets and priests are like that.
They are all frauds. They offer superficial treatments
for my people’s mortal wound.
They give assurances of peace
when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 8:10, 11 NLT).

Yes, God dispenses love, grace, blessing, but to ignore other aspects of his character  such as holiness and justice, is to teach and promote a “cheap grace” that weakens and endangers god’s people.
“And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would. Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right’” (Jeremiah 18:9-11 NLT).

We cannot expect to experience the full compliment of God’s goodness, if our lives – personal or corporate – is full of sin and rebellion.
“I will personally fight against the people in Jerusalem, that mighty fortress—the people who boast, “No one can touch us here. No one can break in here.” And I myself will punish you for your sinfulness, says the LORD. I will light a fire in your forests that will burn up everything around you’” (Jeremiah 21:13, 14 NLT).
Peter echoed that warning to the church:

“…For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)–[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5 AMP).

What does this mean for you and me?

• Rest in and rely upon the trace of God.
• Ruthlessly root out sin in your life.
• Do not settle for being spoon fed sunshine when storm clouds are on the horizon.

What do you think about this post?

Pastor Jason