Salt and Light Blog

Suffering comes with the territory of being a Christian. That’s how we ended yesterday. In today’s NTFV gospel (New Touchy-Feely Version), suffering is not high on the topics of finding your best life now. But hey, don’t get upset with me, your beef is with the Apostle Paul and the Holy Spirit.

“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.” (Philippians 1:29-30)

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Technorati Tags: faith, Satan, spiritual warfare

My pastor likes to you the term “stickability.” It’s a clever term for steadfastness. The Random House Dictionary defines steadfastness as “fixed in direction; steadily directed; firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment; unwavering; firmly established. If you say someone is steady it means that is a person on which you can be depend. When it comes to our faith being steady, it means we do not veer to the left or the right but we remain on the straight and narrow. Easier said than done!

So how do we remain steadfast? How do we attain “stickability”? Consider it a target and like any target you have to aim at it. Paul encouraged the Philippian church to aim for the target of steadfastness:

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Technorati Tags: atheism, faith, persecution

It is at times very tempting to give up and say, “Now Lord, come now.” But we are not given that option. We can long for heaven all the while preparing for it. And not only preparing for ourselves, but also and more importantly, reaping many souls for Jesus. This is the joy of the Christian life here on earth. That is what Paul is saying in today’s passage:

“For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.” (Philippians 1:23-26)

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Technorati Tags: grace, salvation, Truth

When we go through tough times, are there some things we can know for sure? Of course there are many things we cannot know in the midst of trials and tribulations. The Apostle Paul answers our question, “yes.”

“For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.” (Philippians 1:19-22)

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Technorati Tags: faith, holiness, hope

As Christians what should we do about the peddlers and shysters preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ? Well, what did the Apostle Paul do? He rejoiced…

“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:15-18)

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Technorati Tags: persecution, witnessing

Picking up where we last left off, we learned how to love like Paul. Now we are going to learn how to preach like Paul. Well Bro Dave I’m not so sure how this can apply to my life since I am not a preacher. Well hold that thought and let’s look at our passage from Paul’s letter to the Philippian Church:

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14)

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Technorati Tags: evangelism, witnessing

If we’re going to love like Paul, then we need the grace of God to do so. Look at the first two verses of Paul’s letter:

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Technorati Tags: grace, sanctification, sin

So what did your list entail? Were you able to discern the depth of Paul’s love and thankfulness? Let’s look at the passage once more:

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:3-11)

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Technorati Tags: joy, trust

What does it mean to love with agape love? The actual definition of agape means unconditional love and while we understand the term theologically, how does that manifest itself practically? Paul gives us a glimpse in his opening to the Philippian Church:

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:3-11)

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Technorati Tags: love

We are beginning a Sunday School study on the wonderful Book of Philippians, one of my favorites in the Bible. I encourage each of you to read that wonderful book this weekend because I feel the Lord leading me to share with you what He reveals to me.

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Technorati Tags: joy

Yesterday we talked about the blessed hope we have in Christ Jesus. However, that hope has to be anchored to something real, solid, and everlasting. It must be anchored to faith in Jesus Christ, not just a head belief; it takes a heart belief.

Believing in marriage doesn’t make you married; you must commit to your spouse and say “I do.”

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Technorati Tags: faith, hope, trust

I love the prologue by Charles Colson in the 1994 Steven Curtis Chapman song “Heaven in the Real World”:

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Technorati Tags: hope, revival, sin

As a reminder, here’s where we left off:

Ah yes Bro Dave, there’s that unequally yoked thing again. What does that actually mean? Does it mean we can’t be around unbelievers? Hold that thought.

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Technorati Tags: abortion, holiness, revival

You deserve a break today, so…

Have it your way, have…

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Technorati Tags: obedience

I want to revisit a verse from a passage we looked at in our last devotional.

“Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:21)

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Technorati Tags: holiness, revival, sanctification

How long ago did you leave the Lord? We become spiritual orphans when we leave the church and even for some of us that attend church. We come to the Lord’s house but we do not partake in the family affairs.

We do not serve.

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Technorati Tags: holiness, revival

How can we cleanse the temple, or more specifically, the American Church?

First, get rid of the moneychangers. That’s what Jesus did:

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If you here expectantly waiting step two because you think you’ve complete step one, I suggest you go back and read it again. I cannot see how anyone could in a 24 hour period identify all the idols in their life, much less destroy them. Nevertheless we’ll go forward learning so that when we’ve finally abandoned our many idols we will be ready to take part in the cleansing of the temple.

Young King Hezekiah, during his first year on the throne, opened the doors of Solomon’s Temple and discovered it had been defiled and needed cleansing. It had become a literal garbage pit. The king called the priests together and told them to cleanse themselves “and carry out the rubbish from the holy place” (2 Chronicles 29:5). Hezekiah was calling for national religious reform because of what his father and Judah’s forefathers had done. They had worshipped idols. So the priests…

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Technorati Tags: revival

Talk about presuming upon tomorrow! I had intended to write this yesterday, however the Lord had other plans for me. Perhaps one day I will learn! The best way I can learn is to stop presuming and start preparing myself spiritually for the future. These will not be the 10 easy steps to holiness or whatever your local Christian bookstore is selling. These are going to be four solid scriptural steps we can take beginning immediately. And as God always seems to have it, the most difficult step is first so we will rely upon His grace. Following the outline in my Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, let’s begin.

Step One: Abandonment of Idols

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Technorati Tags: revival

I began reading the Proverb of the day and got stuck on verse 1:

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1)

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Technorati Tags: boasting, humility