HOW BURNED WOULD YOU BE?

2:8 For by grace you are saved ¹⁹ through faith, ²⁰ and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 2:9 it is not from ²¹ works, so that no one can boast. <sup>22
NET http://bible.org

This is the scripture used in the movie about the martyrdom of the Christian Jan Hus (John Huss). Hus was burned at the stake for heresy in part for teaching the word of God in everyday language so that it could be understood by the common man.

He was an educated man and served as rector of the University in Prague in the early 1400s. Part of what struck me about the story of Hus is that he thought he could reason with men who also claimed to be Christian, but soon learned that the truth had never been the issue. Certainly not the truth of the Bible or of the forgiveness of Christ.

All that Hus had to do to be released by the council was to denounce the things he had been teaching. Jan felt to do so would be to deny Christ's calling on his life, thereby denying Christ.

They took him out and burned him at the stake on July 6, 1415.

My question today to all of us is this. If you were told that today you were going to be burned at the stake for your beliefs in Christ, but you could save yourself by denouncing them, would you?</sup>

WALKING AWAY - CAN YOU?

Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, ⁹ quarrels, and fights about the law, ¹⁰ because they are useless and empty. 3:10 Reject a divisive person after one or two warnings. 3:11 You know ¹¹ that such a person is twisted by sin ¹² and is conscious of it himself. ¹³ NET http://bible.org

The most interesting part of this short quotation of scripture to me is the part about the divisive person knowing that they are being divisive and is twisted by sin. This is a revelation in that I have often thought that people did not know or understand that they were acting sinfully even after being instructed by the pastor or another close Christian friend. Personally, this makes it easier for me to walk away from that person (reject them), which is something I have always found hard in life. I am glad that God covers all of the bases for us. All we have to do is get into the word.

This is not to say that this person can't be redeemed, but they will have to turn in repentance from their sin and find reconciliation with Christ Jesus before he can be reconciled back to the fellowship of true Christian believers.

THE WAVES ROAR AND CRASH

Psalm 93 ¹

93:1 The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty,

the Lord is robed, he wears strength around his waist. ²

Indeed, the world is established, it cannot be moved.

93:2 Your throne has been secure from ancient times; you have always been king. ³

93:3 The waves ⁴ roar, O Lord, the waves roar, the waves roar and crash. ⁵

93:4 Above the sound of the surging water, ⁶ and the mighty waves of the sea, the Lord sits enthroned in majesty. ⁷

93:5 The rules you set down ⁸ are completely reliable. ⁹ Holiness ¹⁰ aptly adorns your house, O Lord, forever. ¹¹

NET http://bible.org

Isn't it the most peaceful thing in your life to know that God is sovereign. He is in control and no matter what comes up against you, you can depend on the fact that He set down the rules for all that exists or ever will exist; therefore despite all, His will is all there is. The world can lash out at the shores of all He did but He remains securely on His thrown.
As a Christian plant these words from the scripture in your heart and rejoice as you go through the trials of this world that indeed whatever happens the result is written down forever and is secure in Him. It let's us know that whatever we are going through God is using it.

FAMILY

Ephesians 4:1-6

4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, ¹ urge you to live ² worthily of the calling with which you have been called, ³ 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, ⁴ with patience, bearing with ⁵ one another in love, 4:3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. NET http://bible.org
It is very easy, if one is not careful, to offend even the closest of friends or family. A misstated word, a disgusted look, an unthinking action, listening or reading with judgment, ignoring, even timing can sometimes separate those that are suppose to love one another. Living worthy of our calling is not something we are even capable of doing alone but only with the guidance of The Holy Spirit of God. (Galations 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.) We forget too frequently that everyone else that has been called into the family have the same feelings, trials and hopes that we have.

This scripture in Ephesians reminds us that we are family and our Father wants us to act like it.

COMMENDED? OR NOT?

Hebrews 11:1-4

Context

People Commended for Their Faith

11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. 11:2 For by it the people of old ¹ received God’s commendation. ² 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds ³ were set in order at God’s command, ⁴ so that the visible has its origin in the invisible.

NET http://bible.org

Do you have faith in what God has told you He will do, or is your faith only based on what you think God is doing? It is easy to fall into a trap of only praising God for the things we see and not for those we don't see. According to this verse and those that follow in chapter 11 of Hebrews that really isn't faith.

The people of old, the scripture goes on to tell us, acted on what God told them to do believing Him for the outcome. We look to those heroes in the Bible as an example of how we should respond on a daily basis, but how many times do we crumble in fear when it looks like things might not turn out quite the way we had planned. The key words being .... we planned.

As people of faith we have to understand that whatever comes, God is in control! There is such a peace that comes over us when we come to a point in our walk with the Lord that we receive the peace of that faith.

I encourage you to read the entire 11th chapter today! So many of us especially need to be reminded of what faith really is, I know I often do!

CONTINUED RESPONSIBILITY

Colossians 1:3-8

Context

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church

1:3 We always ¹ give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 1:4 since ² we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. 1:5 Your faith and love have arisen ³ from the hope laid up ⁴ for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel ⁵ 1:6 that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel ⁶ is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing ⁷ among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. 1:7 You learned the gospel ⁸ from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave ⁹ – a ¹⁰ faithful minister of Christ on our ¹¹ behalf – 1:8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit. NET http://bible.org

Do we fall short in our thinking of our responsibility to those around us? It has been the effort of the church for sometime now to report on the number of baptisms and in some denominations there are even acknowledgments in the form of certificates given for the most baptisms in a year! All well and good, as supposedly those that are baptized are then raised up (discipled) into their walk and the teachings of Christ. I am not saying at this point if in my opinion that is true or not, but asking the question..... 'Do we continue in prayer for those who have come into the faith, or do we get them baptized and move on to the next guy?'

This entire chapter, as well as multiple others, implies that we should hold up in prayer those who have come to know the Lord Jesus through the gospel that was brought to them that they might GROW in their faith, being able to receive the meat of the gospel and not just the milk that they have received already.

Just a thought, are you praying today for a new Christian?

EVALUATE THE MOTIVE

Proverbs 21:2-3
21:2 All of a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion,
but the Lord evaluates the motives.
21:3 To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. NET http://bible.org


What person doesn't justify what he(or she) has done? Not only to others but to ourselves as well. Have you ever had a situation that caused you to lie to yourself about why you did something, said something or even thought something. Not to be harsh but if you said no, you are probably lying right now.
In a dispute, don't you always think you are right. If you didn't there would be no dispute.
The motives of our hearts may be hidden to others, and sometimes we can fool ourselves, but God knows our true motives. Doesn't just the knowledge of that make you want to cry out for forgiveness? Doesn't it break your heart to know that while you may fool others, the God that loves you and gave you everything knows the very heart of you?