Recieved a blessing from I Thessalonians 2 today. Paul speaks to them, "For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:" Why was in not in vain? "But. . .we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God. . .For our exhortation was not of. . ." fleshly motives. Today's subject can be summed up into one question: Why? Why do I do what I do; why do I speak what I speak? Paul gives several negative characteristics with which they could have spoken, and many had, a couple of which stick out. V.5: "For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others." Paul, Sylvanus, and Timotheus did not carefully strategize their sentences to be inticing and elegant. Nor did they pretend to be passionate about their God (which is what I believe "covetousness" represents in this passage). They were real with the Thessalonians because, as the rest of the book explains, they loved God and they loved the Thessalonians. Elegance in speach seems to be of none affect in the mind of the speaker when he is overcome by love. They also obstained from wrong motives because they realized V.4: "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, whcih trieth our hearts." This Gospel is mine as a gracious gift. It is not initially mine. It is God's property as it speaks of His Son. Therefore, as God trieth the hearts, God is jealous of my motives, my works, and my fruits, for they are rightfully His. If He is not the center of the previously stated, He is displeased with us. If we do are not in love with God and those He has sent us to, we will end up speaking with wrong motives. It's inevitable. God, try and purge my heart, and receive complete usefulness from me.

Philippians 3 was a huge encouragement today. Learned again a basic principle of walking. "I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death." Paul states that he "suffered the loss of all things," most of which was because of imprisonment and other forms of persecution--against his will. But notice what he says next: "and do count them but dung." He didn't just lose everything physically, but he was purged of the desire to have those things that he was without, being content in whatsoever state he was in--part of learning how to be abased. He counts these things that he had and had done as loss that he may win Christ. Christ is not fully pleased with us when we still hold onto earthly ties; concerning a relationship attained thus far: "Not having mine own righteousness," "I count not myself having apprehended," etc. Concerning the tangible: "For many walk (look righteous),. . .and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things." What earthly things entice us? Ask for God's cleansing. Seek those things which are above. For Christ's sake, Paul learned how to abound and to be abased, that his heart might not be in want when that excellent knowlege of the Lord Jesus Christ was his, knowlege emphasizing familiarity with His person in a relationship. "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body. . .He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself."

Been far from God the last few days: I forgot Him. Could barely stand up this morning for longing of His presence: He sought me. The reason: 2 Timothy 2:4 - "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." I didn't just entagle myself, I forgot the war altogether. I became David instead of Uriah. Thank you Lord for showing me my folly before I shamed you before others. How did He show me? Ephesians 6:10-18 - "Put on the whole armour of God." We are in the midst of a hot battle right now; that is why we need the armour. "Of God" - it's His: we cannot stand without His grace and the "power of His might." "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Surely we wrestle with "spiritual wickedness in high places," but what are they when the Most High God is on our side to deliver us, to purify us? The high places of wickedness are truly higher than I, but cannot reign above my Deliverer. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. . .Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching. . ." We are called unto this battle; let us recognize it. Our enemy is detestable, for he detests God. Take heed, stand fast, lest ye fall.

"If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man. . .and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." - Ephesians 4:21-24
How do we glorify God? Truly, willingly, sincerely - how can we worship His Majesty? How can we be clothed in holiness and righteousness? "If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him." Some of the Ephesians could very well have heard Christ speak while He was yet on this earth. Most, however, probably did not, as the book was written 30 years after Christ's death and since Ephesus is over 500 miles away from anywhere Jesus preached. Thus, I am inclined to believe Paul is not speaking of audible teaching of Christ, but rather His illumination, that leads an unbeliever to salvation and a believer to "true holiness." Illumination, after salvation, is unfortunately foreign to many believers. It is, however, the avenue of grace that we become like Christ. I like to see it as the Spirit giving a man a greater, more complete picture of the Spirit Person of God, a vision from which a man can not come out of the same. Jim Berg states in Changed Into His Image, "No man can be proud of his level of spiritual maturity or theological understanding when he has been exposed to God's nature. . .Such are the impressions on the intellect of man when he sees God. He is at the same time taught, humbled, and made bold. How can it be otherwise--he has seen God!" Intellect is vain if it is not humble and dedicated. Dedication is not reserved to situations and objects, but to knowlege as well. When we dedicate our learning to Him, then greater is the Spirit's illumination in us, lest we be like the Gentiles in this passage: "Walk not as the Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, becauseof the blindness of their heart" through apathy toward the spiritual (VV. 17-19). These Gentiles of which Paul writes were most likely those involved in gnosticism and other mind-exalting beliefs. They were intelligent people. But they listened not to the Spirit; therefore they are "darkened," "ignorant," and "blind." The Spirit's illumination gives true understanding. It gives you a taste of the Lord's goodness, of His person. Knowlege is not ours. It is God's. Seek the Spirit's illumination instead of head knowlege and be truly holy, as one cannot be the same when he has seen God.

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." - Galatians 5:1
"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" - 3:3
The Galations were saved by grace through faith, as all born again believers are, but false teachers, probably Jews in the religious sense, brought them to ignore, even deny salvation by grace through faith, and to trust in the keeping of the law to bring them salvation. These Galations are true Christians: "the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ," "For ye are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (3:24,26). But, possibly in addition to their salvation, they have burdened themselves with the law that is dead to them, and they to it. "Are ye so foolish?" he replies. Are we so foolish? Why do fundamental Baptists have the reputation of being legalists? Sure we (in general) are more conservative by conviction, but sometimes we make up our own convictions, thereby burdening ourselves with a "yoke of bondage," and we then see ourselves as "spiritual." Oftentimes we forget the "unmerited favor" part of grace and try to be closer to God by intensifying our standards. "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." The best I understand "fallen from grace," it states that one has transferred his dependance from Christ onto his own works, transferred his avenue of strength to please God from Himself to himself. Since we cannot lose our salvation, this transfer robs God of sweet fellowship with His children and His glory is not seen by other people, or us. I could be wrong, but that's my observation. Who leads us in life? Why do our standards exist? Do we try to work out sanctification through vain standards that are not wrong, but lack a heart for God? "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Completely rely on God for sanctification, for we have no power over the spirit, to draw it unto God. "Grace upon Grace." Christ is our Standard, our shield from the enemy. Standards help in some instances, but to replace Christ with standards is to leave a well manned fort to hide behind a tree.

Heard a song yesterday which had a line that went, "Where are you, Father where are you? You have promised you would always be near." I find myself crying this out sometimes, and the absurdity of the statement is great. When one would consider the second clause, the first seems unspiritual and illogical. Usually when a man cries out the first portion, at first he emotionally feels God has left him, and in the same heart he states the latter. Who is God? What are His promises to us? They are life. They cannot fail. Therefore, I'm not so sure someone who cries these two clauses really understands at the moment what he is saying. The question "Where are you?" in the sense that God has left us is usually born in a heart that seeks God for peace's sake, not for His own. Selfishness. Also, because of God's promise to "always be near," He will not leave us because God is not a liar. Asking "where are you?" in relation to His promise questions His infalability. On the other hand, one can ask "where are you" because he knows he is lost; he has stepped out of the lighted path and cannot see his Leader. Therefore, while recognizing His promise rightly, one can ask "where are you" in a God-honoring fashion, seeing that it is not God Who has left, but rather himself, but one must, by the grace of God, have clear, unselfish understanding; by the grace of God, because selfishness and pride are what cause us to step out of that Light in the first place. He will always provide the grace to return. Receive it. I'm not so sure one can be right in putting the two clauses together, for it seems that each would have to come with a different mindset, seperately, in order to be right, but I could be wrong. Lord, give me understanding.