Life and godliness...
2 Peter 1:3-8
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I love what these 5 verses have to say to us… Through the power of God we have everything we need for life and godliness! We don’t have to manufacture anything, or try to figure it out on our own, it’s his to give, and he will give it!
Of course tied with that promise is our coming to “know him,” but that’s to our benefit even if it wasn’t tied to this particular promise – just check out John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
It’s pretty obvious that knowing God is definitely good for life – now and eternal.
There is so much more to this passage than that though…
Verse 4 tells me how to participate in the divine nature of God himself.
And verses 5 – 7 tell me the characteristics I need to allow God to develope in my life, and there is a promise that comes with these as well…
Verse 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Delivered from being Ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… wouldn’t it be great if we would allow Him to get us there??!!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Humility
In Guideposts, Ronald Pinkerton describes a near accident he had while hang gliding. He had launched his hang glider and been forcefully lifted 4200 feet into the air. As he was descending, he was suddenly hit by a powerful new blast that sent his hang glider plummeting toward the ground.
“I was falling at an alarming rate, Trapped in an airborne riptide. I was going to crash! Then I saw him – a red-tailed hawk. He was six feet off my right wingtip, fighting the same gust I was….
I looked down to the ground: 300 feet from the ground and still falling. The trees below seemed like menacing pikes.
I looked at the hawk again. Suddenly he banked and flew straight downwind. Downwind! If the right air is anywhere, it’s upwind! The hawk was committing suicide.
Two hundred feet. From nowhere the thought entered my mind: Follow the hawk. It went against everything I knew about flying. But now all my knowledge was useless. I was at the mercy of the wind. I followed the hawk.
One hundred feet. Suddenly the hawk gained altitude. For a split second I seemed to be suspended motionless in space. Then a warm surge of air started pushing the glider upward. I was stunned. Nothing I know as a pilot could explain the phenomenon. But it was true: I was rising.”
On occasion we all have similar “downdrafts” in our lives, reversals of fortunes, humiliating experiences. We want to lift ourselves up, but God’s word, like the red-tailed hawk, tells us to do just the opposite. God’s word tells us to DIVE – to humble ourselves under the hand of God. If we humble ourselves, God will send a thermal wind that will lift us up.
- taken from 750 Engaging Illustrations.
In Guideposts, Ronald Pinkerton describes a near accident he had while hang gliding. He had launched his hang glider and been forcefully lifted 4200 feet into the air. As he was descending, he was suddenly hit by a powerful new blast that sent his hang glider plummeting toward the ground.
“I was falling at an alarming rate, Trapped in an airborne riptide. I was going to crash! Then I saw him – a red-tailed hawk. He was six feet off my right wingtip, fighting the same gust I was….
I looked down to the ground: 300 feet from the ground and still falling. The trees below seemed like menacing pikes.
I looked at the hawk again. Suddenly he banked and flew straight downwind. Downwind! If the right air is anywhere, it’s upwind! The hawk was committing suicide.
Two hundred feet. From nowhere the thought entered my mind: Follow the hawk. It went against everything I knew about flying. But now all my knowledge was useless. I was at the mercy of the wind. I followed the hawk.
One hundred feet. Suddenly the hawk gained altitude. For a split second I seemed to be suspended motionless in space. Then a warm surge of air started pushing the glider upward. I was stunned. Nothing I know as a pilot could explain the phenomenon. But it was true: I was rising.”
On occasion we all have similar “downdrafts” in our lives, reversals of fortunes, humiliating experiences. We want to lift ourselves up, but God’s word, like the red-tailed hawk, tells us to do just the opposite. God’s word tells us to DIVE – to humble ourselves under the hand of God. If we humble ourselves, God will send a thermal wind that will lift us up.
- taken from 750 Engaging Illustrations.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
A dear friend and brother - Dewey Cordle - sent me an email with a link to this video. It is amazing and very powerful. If you take the time to watch it I'm sure you'll be blessed.
Special thanks to ScottyG of "ScottyGs Place" for his help in making this possible. Your efforts on our behalf haven't gone unnoticed. (Ok so it sounds a little over the top, but I really do appreciate your help Scott.)
Special thanks to ScottyG of "ScottyGs Place" for his help in making this possible. Your efforts on our behalf haven't gone unnoticed. (Ok so it sounds a little over the top, but I really do appreciate your help Scott.)
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
What Are You Thinking?
…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
Our thoughts are very powerful and have a big impact on our lives. If our thoughts are negative, hopeless and sinful, our lives will tend to be negative, hopeless and sinful.
On the other hand, if our thoughts are positive, hopeful and focused on God, then our lives will tend to be positive, hopeful, and focused on God.
This verse gives me comfort and hope that I can get past all the noise, junk and just plain messiness in my head that seems to dance around in there so often, and allow him to develop a heart in me that is truly focused on him.
…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
Our thoughts are very powerful and have a big impact on our lives. If our thoughts are negative, hopeless and sinful, our lives will tend to be negative, hopeless and sinful.
On the other hand, if our thoughts are positive, hopeful and focused on God, then our lives will tend to be positive, hopeful, and focused on God.
This verse gives me comfort and hope that I can get past all the noise, junk and just plain messiness in my head that seems to dance around in there so often, and allow him to develop a heart in me that is truly focused on him.
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