CLC Blogs

I Timothy 2:1-4 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

It is easy to look around the world today and see all of the chaos and craziness and to feel helpless. Sometimes when we have the opportunity to make a change in this country by voting or making our voice known by calling a congressman to share your opinion about the way he/she voted we don’t do anything. All to often we keep our mouths shut and don’t think that we have the power to do anything.

I want to remind you that you have more than the power to do something, you have the authority of God to make a change. This passage reminds us that we have the option and responsibility to lift up our leaders in prayer and intercessions  to God for them. I don’t care if you like them or not, or if they are not to your political persuasion. God commands us to pray for them so that we can live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. If you won’t pray for them, then their actions will negatively affect your life. Remember that we have the most powerful weapon available to us. Next time you spend 5 minutes complaining about your elected leaders, take the time to pray for them and lift them up to God.

Confession: Lord, I take the time right now  to lift up all those who are in authority in my city state and country and ask for you to lead them and give them Godly wisdom.

Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

• WHO YOU ARE WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING.

•  WHO YOU ARE IF WE WERE TO PEEK INTO YOUR CLOSED CURTAINS OF YOUR HOME AND WITNESS HOW YOU ACT WHEN YOU ARE IN YOUR OWN ENVIRONMENT.

• IF YOU KNEW YOU COULD __________ AND NO ONE WOULD FIND OUT ABOUT IT, WOULD YOU STILL DO IT?

• GODLY CHARACTER COMES AND ASKS FOR FORGIVENESS NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE CAUGHT AND HAVE TO BUT BECAUSE YOU WERE WRONG AND WANT TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT AND YOU APOLOGIZE WHETER YOU ARE FOUND OUT OR NOT.(you tell on yourself)

• GODLY CHARACTER WITNESSES EXTERNALLY ALL THAT WE ARE INTERNALLY.  AND FOR THAT REASON, GODLY CHARACTER BEGINS WITH OUR INNER LIFE IN GOD.

Luke 6:43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  44 “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

 46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?

• YOU CAN’T REGULATE MORALITY.  NO AMOUNT OF LAWS OR MILITARY RULE ENFORCEING THOSE LAWS CAN FORCE PEOPLE TO HAVE MORALITY AND GODLY CHARACTER

• YOU HAVE TO ALLOW GOD TO TRANSFORM THE INNER MAN OF WHO YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU DO. ONLY THEN WILL THERE BE A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT YOU DO. (AS THE HOLY SPIRIT CHANGES YOUR HEART TO THE HEART OF JESUS)

Confession: Lord, give me the grace today to be who you created me to be. Help me to be sensitive to the consciousness of the Holy Spirit in me to make the right decisions no matter who is looking. Thank you for transforming my thinking to Godly understanding

Pssssttt? I HAVE A SECRET

Colossians 1:26-27 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

It seems that everyone likes a good secret. Recently we have seen movie after movie about treasure hunters and ancient secrets being revealed. There have been books written about secret historical documents that hold the secrets for life and happiness. So everyone is looking to uncover the secret.  Like the romantic notion of the prince coming to the tower to save the princess from the dragon, we all have this deep longing to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Something that will be uncovered in our lifetime that will have a lasting impact.

As Christians we have already been a part of the greatest secret in human history. You see in the beginning man sinned against God in the garden of Eden and introduced humanity to the consequences of sin. At that moment God made a promise to bring about a redemption and escape for the sin of man. When God makes a promise, you can be assured that it will come to pass. The only thing about this promise was that there was no time line. No guarantee of when the fulfillment would be. A great mystery and secret.

For many years to come, God spoke through His prophets and dropped hints and reminded His people of this promise and its coming to pass.  People looked expectantly for this promise to be fulfilled.  Then it happened. It happened so unexpectantly that many people missed it all together.

Paul tells us in our text here that the mystery that was kept hidden and secret for ages and generations was finally revealed to the world. The great secret out of the bag. “CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY” What a great secret revealed.

What is this saying. Well, Christ is the anointed one(not Jesus last name). In you means that you can have confidence of the anointed one in you. Hope is defined as a confident expectation and glory is the revealed/manifest presence of God. Put it all together reads like this: Christ, the Anointed one in me, gives me a confident expectation for the manifest/revealed presence of God.  That is incredible. That truly is a great secret revealed. No longer can you make excuses as to why you cant do whatever. Christ is in  you to give you the strength, courage, ability and faith to do anything.

Confession: Lord, thank you for revealing your mystery of Christ to me. Help me to recognize the enormous magnitude of this encounter with you. I declare today that because Christ is in me, I can do all things through Him because He gives me strength!