But our citizenship is in heaven. (NIV)
I recently had the opportunity to talk with a teenage boy about some rather serious matters. He is in the ROTC at his school and comes from a military family that has seen his older brother killed two years ago in Iraq. He wanted to talk with me about issues of war, and he began the conversation by saying he thought he knew where I stood politically. I replied that the more important thing for me than my political views is the fact that I am a Christian and that this, more than anything, shapes my views.
Examine your own beliefs, as evidenced by how you actually live your life. Among the various identities we have…Republican, Democrat, American, alum of a certain university, man, woman, older, younger, particular ethnicity, Christian…which one really shapes those beliefs and guides your life? It is easy to associate our Christian faith with other ideologies until we are convinced that thinking along those lines is to think as a Christian.
Paul puts it bluntly in his letter to the Philippians. We may pay taxes to the United States government and alumni dues to a particular university, but our true identity lies with Christ Jesus in heaven. This over all must direct everything we do, say, and think, from our most significant to our most momentous decisions.
Gracious Father, I am Yours by the blood of my Lord, Jesus Christ. May my status as Your redeemed servant direct all that I do, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
September 26 (Acts 19:26, Acts 2:13, Matthew 26:74)
You see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. (NIV)
Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” (NIV)
Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don't know the man!” (NIV)
There is much trouble and scandal among Christians today, just as there has always been. Some of it is based on the truth, and we would not change it if we could. Just as Paul was attacked for speaking the truth about the false gods of the ancient world, so many Christians today are persecuted for speaking the truth about Christianity over religions such as Islam. Sometimes the accusations are false, as when Peter corrected the crowd at Pentecost. Accusations against Christians are not true simply because the mainstream media makes them. Finally, there has been and always will be trouble among Christians because Christians have actually fallen. Peter himself denied Christ with an oath and a curse. It truly does not get worse than that for a Christian scandal.
Yet none of this…not the accusations, not the scandals…has one bit of bearing on Christ Jesus. He remains what He has been since before the foundation of the world, God. He is the Savior for all who would accept His grace. This includes those who have misunderstood the Christian faith, those who have falsely accused Christians, and those Christians who have themselves strayed from the straight and narrow path. Despite the vagaries of the world, which will continue as they always have until our Lord returns, God remains faithful.
Lord, help me not to be swayed by all the trouble inside and outside the Church. Help me to speak truth when others are swayed and begin to doubt or slander You. May I always cling fast to the cross of Christ, for in Him I live and move and have my being. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” (NIV)
Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don't know the man!” (NIV)
There is much trouble and scandal among Christians today, just as there has always been. Some of it is based on the truth, and we would not change it if we could. Just as Paul was attacked for speaking the truth about the false gods of the ancient world, so many Christians today are persecuted for speaking the truth about Christianity over religions such as Islam. Sometimes the accusations are false, as when Peter corrected the crowd at Pentecost. Accusations against Christians are not true simply because the mainstream media makes them. Finally, there has been and always will be trouble among Christians because Christians have actually fallen. Peter himself denied Christ with an oath and a curse. It truly does not get worse than that for a Christian scandal.
Yet none of this…not the accusations, not the scandals…has one bit of bearing on Christ Jesus. He remains what He has been since before the foundation of the world, God. He is the Savior for all who would accept His grace. This includes those who have misunderstood the Christian faith, those who have falsely accused Christians, and those Christians who have themselves strayed from the straight and narrow path. Despite the vagaries of the world, which will continue as they always have until our Lord returns, God remains faithful.
Lord, help me not to be swayed by all the trouble inside and outside the Church. Help me to speak truth when others are swayed and begin to doubt or slander You. May I always cling fast to the cross of Christ, for in Him I live and move and have my being. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, September 19, 2010
September 19 (2 Timothy 3:12)
…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (NIV)
It really does not get much more direct than this. If you follow Jesus, you will know the blessings of peace and comfort, strength to accomplish all that God sets before you, and the promise of eternal life with Him. Yet there will be areas and times of your life that will be worse than if you did not follow Him. To this day, people are arrested and murdered, have their homes and property destroyed, and lose their jobs and family members because they follow Jesus. For these people, none of this would have happened had they rejected Him.
It is easy for us who live in the lap of luxury to forget this or to romanticize it away, and make no mistake, if you are have four walls and a roof and food to eat, you are living in luxury compared with much of the world. When I think of what Paul suffered, which led to his advice to Timothy, I am embarrassed at how shallow some of my prayer concerns are.
The verse today should remind us of two things. We must live our lives passionately enough for Christ that it produces suffering for us. This is not to say we should become false martyrs, but if our faith is only a matter of convenience, then is it really the faith of our crucified Lord? Secondly, we must draw attention to, pray for, and assist however we can those brothers and sisters in Christ who live with the more violent persecutions. As Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40, NIV)
Father, whether it is the sacrifice of time, money, or friendships, whether it is the loss of respect or even my job, help me to live my life in bold faithfulness to Christ, for indeed there is no other kind. Amen.
http://www.persecution.com/public/newsroom.aspx?clickfrom=bWFpbl9tZW51
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
It really does not get much more direct than this. If you follow Jesus, you will know the blessings of peace and comfort, strength to accomplish all that God sets before you, and the promise of eternal life with Him. Yet there will be areas and times of your life that will be worse than if you did not follow Him. To this day, people are arrested and murdered, have their homes and property destroyed, and lose their jobs and family members because they follow Jesus. For these people, none of this would have happened had they rejected Him.
It is easy for us who live in the lap of luxury to forget this or to romanticize it away, and make no mistake, if you are have four walls and a roof and food to eat, you are living in luxury compared with much of the world. When I think of what Paul suffered, which led to his advice to Timothy, I am embarrassed at how shallow some of my prayer concerns are.
The verse today should remind us of two things. We must live our lives passionately enough for Christ that it produces suffering for us. This is not to say we should become false martyrs, but if our faith is only a matter of convenience, then is it really the faith of our crucified Lord? Secondly, we must draw attention to, pray for, and assist however we can those brothers and sisters in Christ who live with the more violent persecutions. As Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40, NIV)
Father, whether it is the sacrifice of time, money, or friendships, whether it is the loss of respect or even my job, help me to live my life in bold faithfulness to Christ, for indeed there is no other kind. Amen.
http://www.persecution.com/public/newsroom.aspx?clickfrom=bWFpbl9tZW51
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, September 12, 2010
September 12 (2 Chronicles 20:3)
And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. (NIV)
There is much to learn from this one verse about the life of King Jehoshaphat. A large enemy comprised of many tribes had come to attack, and the first thing we read is that the king was afraid. Of course he was afraid! Pretending that you are not afraid when the bills pile up, when sickness strikes, when one more thing goes wrong with the car is not courage, but self-deception. As Christians, we know that we are not supposed to lie, and this includes to ourselves.
So what did this king do? He turned to God. Talk of turning to God in times of trouble is so common among Christians that we end up ignoring it. Slow down for a moment and consider. This king did not first call his war council. He did not make plans for attack, review his troops, or charge blindly into war. The first thing he did when confronted by more than he could handle was to go to the Lord. We must do more than pay lip service to this. We are not going to the Lord when we throw out a quick prayer in the midst of doing what we had already determined to do, and this is where the fast comes in. By ordering a fast for all of Judah, King Jehoshaphat caused everyone to slow down and wait for the guidance of God.
What are you facing this week? However frightful or nerve-wracking you claim it is, is it frightful or nerve-wracking enough for you to be quiet…really quiet…and wait for the guidance and blessing of God?
Father, You know what awaits me more clearly than I do. Still my heart, my mind, and my hands. Lead me into humble quietness that I may hear Your plans for me. Grant me then the quickness to fulfill Your will. In the name of Lord Jesus, Who reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
There is much to learn from this one verse about the life of King Jehoshaphat. A large enemy comprised of many tribes had come to attack, and the first thing we read is that the king was afraid. Of course he was afraid! Pretending that you are not afraid when the bills pile up, when sickness strikes, when one more thing goes wrong with the car is not courage, but self-deception. As Christians, we know that we are not supposed to lie, and this includes to ourselves.
So what did this king do? He turned to God. Talk of turning to God in times of trouble is so common among Christians that we end up ignoring it. Slow down for a moment and consider. This king did not first call his war council. He did not make plans for attack, review his troops, or charge blindly into war. The first thing he did when confronted by more than he could handle was to go to the Lord. We must do more than pay lip service to this. We are not going to the Lord when we throw out a quick prayer in the midst of doing what we had already determined to do, and this is where the fast comes in. By ordering a fast for all of Judah, King Jehoshaphat caused everyone to slow down and wait for the guidance of God.
What are you facing this week? However frightful or nerve-wracking you claim it is, is it frightful or nerve-wracking enough for you to be quiet…really quiet…and wait for the guidance and blessing of God?
Father, You know what awaits me more clearly than I do. Still my heart, my mind, and my hands. Lead me into humble quietness that I may hear Your plans for me. Grant me then the quickness to fulfill Your will. In the name of Lord Jesus, Who reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, September 5, 2010
September 5 (Exodus 33:19-20)
And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. … But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (NIV)
Thanks to the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we can call God “Father.” We have the gift of eternal life with Him and are counted as brothers and sisters of Jesus Himself, Who calls us His friends. What extraordinarily intimate gifts! Yet we must never for one moment forget that God remains awesome and terrible.
On Mt. Sinai, Moses asked to see the glory of the Lord. God responded by saying that Moses could see His goodness and hear the divine name, but He warned him as well that there were parts of His nature that must remained hidden. How do we relate to a God Who calls us His friends and children and yet remains One before Whom we must live in reverent fear? (See 1 Peter 1:17)
We must be intimate with our Father, while never forgetting He is our Lord. We must go to Him in the moment of our needs, yet never address Him casually or with disrespect. We must approach our God with confidence in His faithfulness, yet humbly in acknowledgment of our weakness and His surpassing glory.
Almighty and glorious heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of being able to approach You any time, day or night, in any circumstance, through the intercession of Jesus Christ. Thank You, too, for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, Who intercedes when we lack even the words to speak. May my life be one of ongoing worship of Your majesty and grace. Truly, You are my Lord and my God. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Thanks to the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we can call God “Father.” We have the gift of eternal life with Him and are counted as brothers and sisters of Jesus Himself, Who calls us His friends. What extraordinarily intimate gifts! Yet we must never for one moment forget that God remains awesome and terrible.
On Mt. Sinai, Moses asked to see the glory of the Lord. God responded by saying that Moses could see His goodness and hear the divine name, but He warned him as well that there were parts of His nature that must remained hidden. How do we relate to a God Who calls us His friends and children and yet remains One before Whom we must live in reverent fear? (See 1 Peter 1:17)
We must be intimate with our Father, while never forgetting He is our Lord. We must go to Him in the moment of our needs, yet never address Him casually or with disrespect. We must approach our God with confidence in His faithfulness, yet humbly in acknowledgment of our weakness and His surpassing glory.
Almighty and glorious heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of being able to approach You any time, day or night, in any circumstance, through the intercession of Jesus Christ. Thank You, too, for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, Who intercedes when we lack even the words to speak. May my life be one of ongoing worship of Your majesty and grace. Truly, You are my Lord and my God. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, August 29, 2010
August 29 (Ephesians 2:8)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (NIV)
The mere fact that you believe in God, believing and accepting the saving grace of our Lord Jesus, is a gift from God. Think about that for a moment. You may have studied and read much about the Christian faith. You may have analyzed the arguments for and against its truths. Yet the ability to believe at all is a gift.
We do not know fully why God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. We do not know why some have the gift of faith and yet choose to reject it. For those who have it, however, and have chosen to use it, there can be only one response. It is sheer, absolute, overwhelming, humble gratitude. There is no room for spiritual pride among the followers of Christ. When we come to terms with the fact that our lives in all their full richness, both now and in the world to come, are the result of pure grace, our hearts burst with the desire to praise and thank the Giver of this grace.
We should be grateful for all the blessings of our lives. When was the last time you thanked God for your faith itself?
Father, I do not know why you have granted me the ability to believe, but I thank You from the bottom of my heart. Thank You, too, for all those You have put in my path to teach and lead me ever closer to You. May I serve likewise in the lives of those around me. In the name of Christ Jesus, my Lord, amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
The mere fact that you believe in God, believing and accepting the saving grace of our Lord Jesus, is a gift from God. Think about that for a moment. You may have studied and read much about the Christian faith. You may have analyzed the arguments for and against its truths. Yet the ability to believe at all is a gift.
We do not know fully why God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. We do not know why some have the gift of faith and yet choose to reject it. For those who have it, however, and have chosen to use it, there can be only one response. It is sheer, absolute, overwhelming, humble gratitude. There is no room for spiritual pride among the followers of Christ. When we come to terms with the fact that our lives in all their full richness, both now and in the world to come, are the result of pure grace, our hearts burst with the desire to praise and thank the Giver of this grace.
We should be grateful for all the blessings of our lives. When was the last time you thanked God for your faith itself?
Father, I do not know why you have granted me the ability to believe, but I thank You from the bottom of my heart. Thank You, too, for all those You have put in my path to teach and lead me ever closer to You. May I serve likewise in the lives of those around me. In the name of Christ Jesus, my Lord, amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
Sunday, August 22, 2010
August 22 (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. (NIV)
“It is my body, so I can do what I want with it. “It is my life, so let me do what I want to do.” Sound familiar? We hear these statements all the time from the halls of our schools to the corridors of government, from the nightly news to the so-called news of the entertainment world. The Christian response to any such statement is, “No, it is not.”
It is not your body and it is not your life. Life is a gift wrapped in a loaner package. Every breath we draw and the tiniest hair on our heads belong to God, whether or not we follow Christ. For those who do claim to follow Him, there is the addition of the Holy Spirit, Who transforms the gift and life we have from God into His very temple on earth.
So what are you doing with the temple of God that you actually are? Has it become a billboard to flaunt your sexuality in the way that you dress? Has it become the local dump where you toss fat- and calorie-laden junk made of high fructose corn syrup? Is it a place from which flows the love and grace of Christ? Is it a source of truth and love among those in its neighborhood?
Father, I am grateful indeed for the gift of life and the gift of the body that I have. Forgive me for the many times when I used these gifts for nothing more than my own pleasure and at times even for the intentional pain of others. May Your Holy Spirit flow from me in all that I do, say, and think. In the name of Christ Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
“It is my body, so I can do what I want with it. “It is my life, so let me do what I want to do.” Sound familiar? We hear these statements all the time from the halls of our schools to the corridors of government, from the nightly news to the so-called news of the entertainment world. The Christian response to any such statement is, “No, it is not.”
It is not your body and it is not your life. Life is a gift wrapped in a loaner package. Every breath we draw and the tiniest hair on our heads belong to God, whether or not we follow Christ. For those who do claim to follow Him, there is the addition of the Holy Spirit, Who transforms the gift and life we have from God into His very temple on earth.
So what are you doing with the temple of God that you actually are? Has it become a billboard to flaunt your sexuality in the way that you dress? Has it become the local dump where you toss fat- and calorie-laden junk made of high fructose corn syrup? Is it a place from which flows the love and grace of Christ? Is it a source of truth and love among those in its neighborhood?
Father, I am grateful indeed for the gift of life and the gift of the body that I have. Forgive me for the many times when I used these gifts for nothing more than my own pleasure and at times even for the intentional pain of others. May Your Holy Spirit flow from me in all that I do, say, and think. In the name of Christ Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
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