BELIEVE/follow

Here is an excerpt from the book, Not a Fan, by Kyle Idleman:

We tend to define belief as the acceptance of something as real or true. But biblical belief is more than just an intellectual acceptance or a heartfelt acknowledgement; it is a commitment to follow. Following by definition requires more than mental assent, it calls for movement. One of the reasons our churches can become fan factories is that we have separated the message of "believe" from the message of "follow." After separating the two messages, they get out of balance. (p.32)

This is what we have done with our approach to discipleship. In teaching people what it means to be a Christian, we spend much of our time and effort bringing them to a point of belief without clearly calling them to follow. We have taken "believe" and we have written that in capital letters with bold print: BELIEVE. But everything that has to do with following has been put in small print: follow.

Maybe that's your story. When you heard the gospel, someone talked at great length and passion about you making a decision to believe, but said little about the fact that this commitment would necessarily change the way you live. (p. 33)

The Things Which Are Not Seen

Enjoy this devotional by Charles Spurgeon:

2 Corinthians 4:18

In our Christian pilgrimage it is well, for the most part, to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown, and onward is the goal. Whether it be for hope, for joy, for consolation, or for the inspiring of our love, the future must, after all, be the grand object of the eye of faith. Looking into the future we see sin cast out, the body of sin and death destroyed, the soul made perfect, and fit to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Looking further yet, the believer's enlightened eye can see death's river passed, the gloomy stream forded, and the hills of light attained on which standeth the celestial city; he seeth himself enter within the pearly gates, hailed as more than conqueror, crowned by the hand of Christ, embraced in the arms of Jesus, glorified with him, and made to sit together with him on his throne, even as he has overcome and has sat down with the Father on his throne. The thought of this future may well relieve the darkness of the past and the gloom of the present. The joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth. Hush, hush, my doubts! death is but a narrow stream, and thou shalt soon have forded it. Time, how short--eternity, how long! Death, how brief--immortality, how endless! Methinks I even now eat of Eschol's clusters, and sip of the well which is within the gate. The road is so, so short! I shall soon be there.

"When the world my heart is rending,

With its heaviest storm of care,

My glad thoughts to heaven ascending,

Find a refuge from despair.

Faith's bright vision shall sustain me

Till life's pilgrimage is past;

Fears may vex and troubles pain me,

I shall reach my home at last."

Quick Praise (Ps. 70:4)

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified!" (Psalm 70:4) NKJV

Wouldn't you like to rejoice and be glad? Here's how:  Seek the Lord.

Quick Praise (Ps. 57:7)

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. (Psalm 57:7)(NKJV)

 We need to make up our minds, make a steadfast decision, that we will praise God no matter the circumstances.

Cell Phones

Some of you with smart phones have Bible apps where you can read the Word on your phone. If you use that app often, then the following email which has been making the rounds lately might not apply to you; but the overall thought is still good.

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we:

• carried it around in our purses or pockets?
• flipped through it several times a day?
• turned back to get it if we forgot it?
• used it to receive messages from the text?
• treated it like we couldn't live without it?
• gave it to kids as gifts?
• used it when we traveled?
• used it in case of emergency?

Oh, and one more thing--unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected, because Jesus already paid the bill.

And no dropped calls!

Makes you stop and think, "Where are my priorities?"

Quick Praise (2 Chron. 6:14)

He (Solomon) said: Lord God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth, keeping His gracious covenant with Your servants who walk before You with their whole heart. (2 Chronicles 6:14)(HCSB)

God keeps His promises like no one else on earth.

Divine Inspiration of the Bible

I like this quote by Charles Wesley about the divine inspiration of the Bible:

The Bible must be the invention of either good men or angels, bad men or devils, or of God.
1. It could not be the invention of good men or angels, for they neither would or could make a book, and tell lies all the time they were writing it, saying, "Thus saith the Lord", when it was their own invention.
2. It could not be the invention of bad men or devils, for they would not make a book which commands all duty, forbids all sin, and condemns their souls to hell for all eternity.
3. Therefore I draw this conclusion, that the Bible must be given by divine inspiration.

Quick Praise (Prov. 21:2)

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts. (Proverbs 21:2)(NKJV)

We may feel like we're doing all the right things, but why are we doing them? God evaluates our motives.

Jeremiah

I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)(NLT) 

As we begin a new year, let's not get caught up in legalism, ceremony, and ritual with our worship. Let's remember that God is not impressed or pleased with our Sunday routines, but with our sincere reverence. Our Lord doesn't like us to "go thru the motions" but to worship in spirit and in truth. Let's be sure we are going to church and worshiping Him for the right reasons with a genuine love and adoration, seeking to serve and obey Him alone.

The following worship profile is from the Praise and Worship Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers. It is a very informative study Bible, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about biblical worship.

Jeremiah was a prophet from Anathoth in Benjamin---a "political outsider." As such, he had a difficult task: to persuade the Jerusalem elite to repent of their sins and agree to the unpatriotic act of submitting to Babylon. It is no wonder Jeremiah begged off this task, saying, "I can't speak for you! I'm too young!" (Jer. 1:6).

Yet, this outsider from Anathoth carried out the risky business of calling king and priest alike to repent of the false trust they had placed in heartless ceremony and human alliances. Jeremiah persistently reminded God's people that covenant faithfulness entailed more than observing mere rituals. Worshipful response involved holy living on a daily basis. In the end, Jeremiah's message went unheeded, and Jerusalem was destroyed. But this was not the end of Jeremiah's ministry. He then began to speak of God's plan to restore his people.

Jeremiah the Worshiper

Jeremiah reminds us that true worship cannot thrive in an atmosphere of complacency. Christians today, like God's people in the past, need to be wary of placing their faith in religious rituals and customs. People who carelessly assume that God is honored by what they do rather than who they are deceive themselves and open the door to failure and disappointment. Jeremiah anticipated the life of New Testament worshipers, who would hear the Word and receive the Spirit. Today God's law is written on our heart through his Spirit. Jeremiah reminds us that worship should extend beyond a Sabbath ritual response and permeate the routine of our daily life.

Learning from Jeremiah

Legalism stifles true worship. It takes many forms: entering into worship out of mere habit; worshiping to please people rather than God; fulfilling duties to avoid guilty feelings; separating worship from obedience to God's Word. No matter what form it takes, legalism is not a second-best substitute; it is false worship. Yet God remains willing to forgive if we are willing to turn from sin. As Jeremiah remarks, "The Lord Almighty has not forsaken Israel and Judah. He is still their God, even though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel" (Jer. 51:5).

Following the Example

Jeremiah predicted calamity would come to Jerusalem if the people did not repent. And it happened as he said: Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. In Lamentations, Jeremiah's other writing, he mourns over the desolate city. Yet he speaks, too, of the Lord's compassion and mercy. The book affirms that God's anger has limits, but that his love and compassion are limitless. "Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day" (Lam. 3:23). Spend some devotional time reading the eloquent message of this small book.