Good morning friends!  In my time in ministry, I have been blessed to travel extensively to churches throughout the world.  At many churches I meet fantastic men of God who, sadly, are largely underutilized.   Often, I speak with preachers who feel they are not allowed to make a difference in the lives of their congregation.  They are there to serve, but starving for opportunities to do so.

My friend, I can assure you all congregations have an overabundance of problems that could be benefited by pastoral involvement.  So why are there so many discouraged and underutilized preachers?

I believe the reason is because it’s often hard for adults to go to another adult for advice.  Often we are embarrassed, ashamed or perhaps just downright scared to confide in others, for we feel people may think less of us if we do.  Even more perplexing is that when we do share our burden with somebody, we tend to take our issues to peers rather than our God-ordained pastors!   This is mind-boggling considering peers will rarely provide real solutions!

Again I present the question, why do we shy away from God’s ordained system of management by leaving our preachers out of important decisions in our lives?  I believe this behavior can be attributed to our intensively competitive nature; an overly competitive nature is a manifestation of one thing-pride!  It’s just more “stinkin thinkin”, so to speak.  Although we are often unaware of it, many of us have an inherent desire to be “our preachers most esteemed layman.”  Therefore, we spare rather than share with them our “dirt”, thus effectively forfeiting the guidance they are ordained by God to provide to us.  Oh, how foolish we can be!

In I Timothy 5:17, Paul writes, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.”  Here Paul is clearly referring to the pastoral position of the local New Testament church.  He says, essentially, “take care of your preachers, hold them in high regard, and take heed to what they say!”  In order to meet this responsibility to our preachers, we must develop intimate relationships with our pastors.

Listen carefully:  A very large part of “taking care of our preachers” is allowing them to be woven within the fabric of our daily lives.  Just like Jesus Himself, our preachers feel honored when we rely upon them and confide in them.  God has called these special men to bear burdens and guide us spiritually; therefore, when we “pull down the blinds” on the windows of our lives it often causes them to feel they are failing to fulfill God’s purpose for their life.  Not only will our “seeking them out” go a long way toward giving our preachers the “double honor” that they so deserve, but it will place you in a much safer position in life as well.  Our preachers are a vital part of our “umbrella of protection”, and without them we fore go the protection and leadership that God has designed for them to provide us.

When I returned back to the church after a decade of serving the world, I immediately placed myself under my pastor, Dr. Paul Kingsbury.  When I did so, Pastor Kingsbury did not think less of me, but rather he thought more of me and even more so, he thought more often of me!  As he bore my burdens, he became a driving influence in my life that did nothing more valuable than bring us closer.  Today, we share a relationship of mutual love and respect on a professional and personal level.  Through good times and bad I have openly shared my life with this man, and I can say with confidence that I would not be where I am today if it were not for his leadership and guidance-that is to say the benefits of our relationship.

My friend, I encourage you to reach out to your pastor soon.  Why not share your burdens you’ve been feeling with him?  He wants to help you more than you could ever want his help!  Furthermore, God designed it this way.  After all, your preachers advice can only serve to move, sooth, improve, or behoove… both of your lives!  So if you desire to please your Master, honor your pastor!  It will keep you from disaster.

Have a great day IN the Lord!
Steven Curington

Good morning!  We have all heard the cliché, ”father knows best!”  This phrase is repeated incessantly in family sitcoms on a weekly basis.  I can just picture now a smiling father shaking his head in unknowing self-righteousness as he instills this maligned lesson upon his distraught child.  As the dramatic music plays in the background and the tears begin to flow, it appears that the child has just learned a life-changing truth.

Indeed, father often does know best, but not as much as we might think, or is commonly thought.  Actually, it’s more accurate to say, “Our Father knows best!”

That’s right; it’s our Father in Heaven Who knows best – for everything!  So why, my friends, do we so often insist on relying on our own thinking???  Don’t we know how deceptive our own intellects can be?

Solomon certainly did; look what he wrote in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” What he is saying is that if we pursue a course of life dictated by our own thinking, we will ultimately end up in certain spiritual death, and possibly a pre-mature physical death as well.

So, I guess all those Disney movies and contemporary-pop songs are wrong then.  If we “follow our heart”, or “listen to our heart” we will not discern the best course of action for our lives, oh no my friend, but rather we will end up in a world of turmoil and frustration!

Surely we’ve all determined that it is not wise to listen to our own thinking when it comes to directing our lives.  And we also know that we ought to listen to our Heavenly Father for guidance.  But how exactly do we do this?  It’s not like He is going to verbally and audibly instruct us in our ways, so how, pray-tell, do we communicate with Him?!?

There are three ways actually–The Spirit, The Word, and God-ordained authority.
See John 14:26 “But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things…”  Jesus is telling us the Comforter will lead us as God the Father, Himself, would lead us.   So, if we simply yield to the inner persuasion of the Holy Spirit, we will essentially do as our Father knows best!  Remember, He said he will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go.  He will guide us with His eye (Psalm 32:8).

See Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  In this verse, Paul is telling us the Father has provided the Scriptures as a roadmap for determining the proper pathways of our myriad thoughts.  If we use the Scriptures, captivate proper thoughts, and cast down improper ones, we will find our answers to be the answers of our Father Who knows best.  Remember, the Word is a light and lamp for our pathway.  (Psalm 119)

Our final means of communication with the Father can be found in Romans 13:1, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.  For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Here, Paul is teaching us if we want to obey the Father, we should heed our leadership’s leadings. There are five basic “heads” to our God-ordained leadership: parents, preachers, teachers, employers, and the government.  God intends for us to use these avenues of guidance for directing the course of our lives, for He works through them to guide us. So once again, if we obey our God-given leadership, we are obeying the Father’s instruction, for only the Father knows best.

Rest assured, our Father in Heaven has nothing but the best in store for us. The prophet Jeremiah told us so, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Praise His Holy Name! When it comes to directing our lives there is no need to be pressed or stressed. Rather, be blessed as you engage with zest in your quest for rest by relying on the Father Who knows best!

Psalm 32:1, 2 promises us “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

Blessed means “happy”.  The key to happiness is to have our transgressions forgiven.  A transgression is a “violated rule or boundary”.  As Spirit inhabited believers we are given boundaries, as well as promptings from the Spirit to remain within them.  When we violate our boundaries, we lose freedom and inherit bondage.  This of course hinders happiness.  But forgiveness of our violated boundaries restores happiness; for it restores the relationship between our spirit and His.

David goes on to say that transgressions are forgiven through the covering of sins.  God’s design is to cover our sins that we may obtain restored fellowship.  In both the original language and in the English, the word “covered” means “concealed”.

Yet, we know that not all sins confessed to God are “concealed”.  Often, our sins are done in public.  Whether it is a secret sin that God exposes, or a public sin such as a lost temper or critical tongue that many may see , how do these “now public sins” become concealed?

The best way to understand the purpose of this supernatural restoration process is to recognize the gravest danger of our sin: condemnation!  The devil uses “condemnation of self” far more often than “public perception of others” to discourage or defeat us.

When we violate our God given boundaries, Satan has a heyday, not others.  Though others may critique and our testimonies may be tarnished, God has the ability to “restore such a one in a spirit of meekness”.  However, if Satan can reek havoc on the “meditations from our violations”, he can control a person indefinately.

We must remember the restorative power of confessed sin if we are going to enjoy the blessedness of transgressions forgiven.  David went on to say that when he remained quite (about his sin) he was miserable.

David could not have been referring to keeping his sin silent from His people.  For the whole nation knew of his sin.  It had been revealed publicly.  It was when He finally saw the damage his sin had done to him; he realized he had acquired a period of unnecessary silence between himself and God.  He confessed his sin and his “free spirit” was restored.

The devil cannot condemn a man who has had his sins covered.  For the coverage is not from man, but for us!  When I am protected in my meditations from condemnation, I can be happy despite my many mistakes in life.

It is true that when we reject the Spirit’s prompting we have officially violated a boundary and are in need of a transgression forgiven, our sin concealed.  When we confess it, God grants it and we are placed once again into a right relationship with the Spirit.  So what does that bring us?  Freedom from condemnation.  Silence!

The promise of Romans 8:1.  “There is therefore no condemnation to them that are IN Christ Jesus”.  Who are they?  He goes on to say it is they who “walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.”

If we are not walking after the Spirit we will fulfill the lust of the flesh.  When this is thus completed, His grieved Spirit will not strive with our spirit.  We are thus exposed for our sins and uncovered.  No one may know of our sin except our Spirit, ourselves and the enemy who designed our temptation, but condemnation begins.

It is not the exposing of that sin that will bring happiness.  It is the silencing of our sin that brings happiness.  That silence comes from God forgiving our sin and removing the guile in our spirit.  The word guile is the word artifice.  It’s where we get the word artificial.

When we are in silence with God over our sin, we are artificial.  Whether people know it or not, we are.  But when we communicate our transgression in contrite confession, He restores our spirit and we can experience “peace and tranquility between He and me”.

So, when we are vocal with God, he shushes us up!  That, my friend, is how we can enjoy the “silence of the lambs”.

Good morning! Freedom is found within boundaries.  Many young people reject the God given boundaries of their upbringing, thinking or feeling as if those restrictions are inhibiting their liberty.  But nothing could be further from the truth!

As a young person, I couldn’t wait to get out of my Christian home, Christian School and that baptist church!  When the day came, I would finally be free from my boundaries, or so I thought.  But we only exchange boundaries with bondage!

Secondly, Freedom is not only found in submission to boundaries, but freedom is also found in submission to authority.  So as we obey God’s boundaries and are guided by His authority we will find restrictions set in our lives by His delegates.  These delegates are people He allows to be in authority over us.  It is our parents, our preachers, our teachers, our EMPLOYERS, and even our government.

Yes, God has ordained and chosen His leadership by OUR placement.  He placed you in your home.  He placed you in your church.  He placed you in that job and He has placed you in the country in which you live.  This was intentional on His part.  You may wish for something different, but it is not the wish of our Lord, at least not at this time.  It is our rejection of His wishes that bring us into bondage.

With this said, God has designed a system of advancing our liberty through a routine of daily dieing on our part.  That is to say a willingness to give our selfish thoughts, wants and feelings over to the thoughts, wants and feelings of our Lord Jesus Christ as led by His Spirit-our Holy Spirit.

The majority of our deaths, that is to say, the sacrificing of our selfishness, will come at the request or behest of our God ordained leadership.  If we are unwilling to accept their role of “boundary placement and enforcement” in our lives, do we really think we will enjoy the liberty that comes from our personal death?

Liberty doesn’t come because we fight to the death.  Liberty comes because we submit to our death!  Today, let us give up on our fight to expand our liberties at home or at church or at work and accept our boundaries, embrace our restrictions, honor our leaders and revere our Savior.  Then we will find great liberty, for we have died that we may enjoy it!

Good Morning!  It is sad, but very true that submission to authority is no more prevalent in Christianity than it is in the secular world.  I know this for I have led and been led in both worlds.  Rebellion towards God’s umbrella of protection (our parents, preachers, teachers, employers and the government) seems to be just as commonplace in our churches as it is a world “that knows no better”.

Of course this is especially true when working with addicted people.  I have never met an addict that does not struggle with rebellion to authority.  Submission, however, is God’s primary prerequisite for advancement in any area of life.

For example, if I want to advance in my spiritual life, it requires only but one thing:  submission to the Holy Spirit.  I have learned through many mistakes that God blesses every single act of submission on our part both individually and collectively.  When we submit, we are blessed.  They go hand in hand.

But many times our submission, which must be internal in nature to gain God’s unmerited favor, gives way to stubborn rebellion when we feel as if our decision makers are actually decision mistakers!

Every leader makes mistakes, for every leader is human.  However, as followers we must realize that we do not need anyone whom God has situated between us and Him as leaders to fully cooperate with God in order for us to gain God’s blessing.  No!  In order to gain God’s blessing I submit to every ordinance of man for His name’s sake, that’s it!  That’s all! And God’s blessing is sure to follow.

Often times, we will meditate on the mistakes of our God ordained leadership and contemplate how our perception of their weaknesses will bring us harm or undue stress and use this contemplation as a justification for at least internal rebellion.

On the outside, we may appear somewhat submissive, but it is obvious to those around us that we are at best divisive or at least disruptive toward our leadership’s leanings.

Whether you are a wife with a stubborn husband as your leader, a church member with a pastor who you feel is making wrong choices with your life, an employee with a hotheaded boss or even fearful of what is taking place with our political leadership of the land, we all have a responsibility to look to the Lord and simply trust and obey.

Recently, I counseled someone who had an upcoming court date for breaking the law.  She wanted help with their court situation but at the same time was asking advice on her marriage because she was upset with her husband for his stubborn refusal to change his leadership style to one that fit her preferences for the family.  After counseling with her for thirty minutes, I realized that she didn’t trust her pastor with her personal problems and was on a three day suspension from her job for punctuality problems.  Suffice it to say I spoke to her about her need to submit to these forms of authority and she became frustrated with me and of course did not take any of the advice that I gave her.

Here is one person, and I meet people like her nearly every single day that in one meeting revealed a rebellion toward the authority of government in breaking the law, her spouse in second guessing his leadership regularly, her pastor in mistrusting his God given role in her life, her employer in disrespecting the workplace rules of order and her teacher in that she heeded none of my counsel, not a word of it!

But to her, it was our fault her life was a mess! She is not going to gain God’s blessing unless it is granted out of sheer mercy from her Maker.  I have learned that true freedom comes from submission to authority.

As a matter of fact the Bible tells us that when our leadership is at its worst that is when our submission should be at it’s best!  For that is when we glorify God the most.
Notice this oft overlooked admonition from the hot headed, opportunistic and presumptuous follower, Peter.  Who after many embarrasing moments of impetuousness, later in life he concluded the following in 1 Peter 2:18:

“Servants (which in modern vernacular is referring to employees), be subject (or submissive) to your masters (which means leaders) with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.”

The word forward means perverted.  That’s not the word pervert, but the word perverted, which means “distorted”.

This is a leader who has a distorted view of his leadership or his followers.  This is a bad leader and Peter learned in life that he and we have an obligation to be submissive to them in a spirit of fear, which means respect.  So that means when we have bad leadership, we should respect them and submit to them.  Even when they are wrong and we are right!  That’s not only God’s plan, its God’s demand!

Peter goes on to point out that if we are good followers of bad leaders we are behaving “thankworthy” or, Christ-like.  But if we are “faulty followers” then we have not suffering in any way when we are treated poorly by our leaders for we probably deserve it!

Let’s look at how this is taught in verses 19-21:

“for this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. . .”

So we see that proper responses TO God ordained leadership is not predicated upon proper responses FROM God ordained leadership.  We need to be GOOD employees AND we need to respond right to BAD employers.  That’s a mighty tall law!  But it is God’s design for submissive mankind.

If we respond right to leadership that might be acting wrong then we will eventually see a blessing come out of a bad situation.  If we just stay put and committed.  Solomon, the wisest man to ever live said this:

“If the spirit (temperament) of the ruler (leader) rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offenses.” (Ecclesiastes)

What a truth!  If our leadership gets temperamental towards us (deservedly so or undeservedly so) then we just need to stay focused, submissive and Spirit led.  That is our “place” in the God’s chain of command.  If we will do this, it will pacify the the leader from his or our own unintentional offenses.  Even if it is deserved, we are told that the leader will eventually be pacified.  How?  By our proper responses to their improper perceptions, that’s how!

With that said, my life can be broken into three time periods since my salvation at age 8.  From 8-18 I ignored authority and never advanced in my life.  From 18-28 I rebelled against authority and regressed in every area of my life and then from 28 till now, as I have made every effort to remain submissive to authority, every single area of my life has excelled beyond my greatest of hopes and aspirations.

To God be the glory; submission brings great endings to every story!

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Steven Curington

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I have the privilege and opportunity in the ministry to be a teacher to many people that are not really “my sheep”.  I do not take this lightly, as I am accountable to God for what I teach, as well as my actions that are representations of my teachings.  This is a very difficult position in which to live and is not easy to do, absent of God’s powerful grace.  I have to rely upon the Holy Spirit to help me in the areas live in the way in which I teach.  As well, when I teach on a specific area in which the Lord is directing me, it seems the devil always shows up, testing me in that area.  The current subject God has allowed me to teach as well as be tested is in “loving others in an Agape way.” Sad to be regressing, but often, when I encounter a testing, I often find myself wresting, usually having to do engage in some confessing before I receive any blessing on what I’m addressing!

Allow me to use the Reformers Unanimous dissect and define method for explanation.  Luke 6:42 says, “Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote (the problem that is a hindrance to another’s life) that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not (take no heed to) the beam (the overwhelming problem that is a hindrance for your own clarity) that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite (actor), cast out first the beam (remove the hindrance) out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly (be able to discern) to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.”

Dissected and defined, it is saying, “How dare we tell someone who is following our example that there is a problem in their life that is hindering them when we have the same problem to a much greater degree that we need to remove first?  We are acting as if we are okay—that’s a performance!  Some teachers qualify for a weekly Academy Award! However, if we transparently reveal that we not only see our own hindrance, but that we are seeking to remove our beam in the same way we are teaching them to do likewise, we will be granted more liberty to help others.  I mean, c’mon!  Sheep may be stupid, but they’re not blind!  I know that Johnny Depp is NOT really Jack Sparrow, the notorious pirate of the Caribbean—he’s just acting like he is.  It is likely that many observers can sense, if not clearly see, when an impersonation is being perpetrated in a spirit of self righteous indignation.

It is imperative teachers be above reproach, or transparently honest (either or, preferably both); one who practices what he preaches; is a trainee of what he teaches.  However, this does not give the followers license to criticize, reject or rebuke their teachers in areas where they may sense personal struggle.  A follower should instead pray earnestly for God to work in their lives and in the lives of their leadership to bring about His resurrection perfection.

Hebrews 13:17-18 says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.  Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.”

The author of the book of Hebrews entreated his followers, “Pray for us.” Why?  Because they knew that all teachers and leaders have character flaws, weakness and propensity for sin and certain sins.  But flaws are not excuse for frauds, for Christ works through those who are living honestly before others.

My friend, if you knew me like I knew me, you wouldn’t even bother reading my blogs! But, at the same time, if I knew you like you knew you, I wouldn’t even bother sending them to you!  Though, I know in my personal followship of those in authority over me it is much easier to embrace their teachings if they exemplify it in their own lives.  I want those following me to know that God’s work in me is evident in lifestyle consistencies and my life’s transparency.  I want people to respect me not only for what I do obey, but what I am willing to confess is a struggle to obey—to live humbly with a clear conscience.

My friend, don’t be a stony phony full of baloney.  Who needs a Broadway Tony from his cronies?!  Instead, be a teacher whose main feature is a picture of a preacher chasing creatures.

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Steven Curington

“To live for Christ…” What exactly does this phrase mean?  To live for Christ means to continue to have life; remain alive; to last for Christ.  The moment we allow ourselves to have a problem or a worry in life, we have granted outselves the right to live our own life, apart from the life of Christ.  The longevity of our Christian service for the Lord depends on our willingness to live as Christ for Christ, for me to live IS Christ!  However, there is a Bible principle that reveals to us we cannot live the Christ life except we be willing to die.  This is shown to us in John 12:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” If that corn of wheat dies and then brings forth fruit, there can be no other option but to conclude that something must die before it can live.

God has a specific purpose for us to die before we can then live.  This purpose is at the root of God’s eternal plan.  It is a matter of death before life that we might bring Him glory above all else.  We see in 2 Corinthians 5:15 it says, “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Christ died for Christ, for His own ultimate glory!  He died that we might live for Him.

I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me.  God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him.  I should never say, “Lord, this causes me such heartache.”  To talk that way makes me a stumbling block.  When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance.  He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses.  He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness.  Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it, I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. Doing this creates for me my own cozy “world within the world,” and God will not be allowed to move me from it because of my fear of being “frost-bitten.”

–Oswald Chambers

So, what does it mean to “die for Christ”?   To die is to become dead to any cause and any circumstances, or to relinquish the soul life of self.  If I chose death, I chose to disallow any circumstance God places in my path to affect me with a negative perspective in my reflective!  My friend, this even includes accepting the action or reactions of “the self-righteous works of the flesh” that brethren in duress may express:  Self-love, Frustration, Worry, Quick-tempered, Harshness, Meanness, Doubt, Discord, or Selfish Control

It does not matter what you do to a physically dead man, it has absolutely no affect on him.  Christ is drawing the same analogy for our spiritual life.  It should not matter what men do to us spiritually, it should have absolutely no affect on us if we have truly died for Christ. Hebrews 13:6 tells us, “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

The second part of dying for Christ is to relinquish life.  This deals not with our relationship with others, but in our ability to give up our rights (the only rights we have are those He gives us to give back to Him anyway) allowing Christ complete control, direction, and ownership of our lives.

My life, Lord, is yours to control,

I give you my heart and my soul.

I’ll seek Your will, never mine,

Rich treasure to find.

Give wisdom two choices I make,

Along every path that I take.

So, when I complete life’s race,

“Well done” You will say.

I know this does not look appealing to the natural man nor does it make sense to those who are carnally minded; but to those who want, wish or have the mind of Christ, nothing could be sweeter to the reader.  How important it is for us today to relinquish our rights, diminish our desires, replenish our lives and finish our course with force as His white horse!  Prepare for the battle that IS the Lords.
Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Steven Curington

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“There is nothing more attractive to a lost person than someone who LOVES unconditionally, enJOYs life’s adversities, and exhibits PEACE in the face of opposition.”

Today and every day, I am challenged to live the “way of Agape.” This has become my motto for 2010.  What does living the “agape way” mean? The Greek word agape is often translated “love” in the New Testament.  The essence of agape love is a self-sacrifice without expectation of reciprocation.  Agape love is uniquely distinguished by its supernatural nature and its character.

Agape is a love which is of and from God, Whose very nature is Love. The Apostle John declares this in 1 John 4:8, “God is love.” God does not merely love; He is Love.  People argue that our God is also a God of judement and wrath and truth.  And all that is truth.  But God is NOT any of that.  He is a God OF those things, but He IS (present tense indicative) LOVE!  Even when He is exercising wrath, judgment or chastening He is doing it IN love, because He is Love.  God loves because that is His nature and the expression of His being. He loves the unlovable and the unlovely—us! He does not bestow his love on us because we deserve to be loved, but because it is His nature to do so, and He must be true to His nature and character. God’s love is displayed most clearly at the cross, when He showed His love for us even though we were yet sinners.  We are undeserving, but He freely gave His love (His Son).   He paid the ultimate sacrifice for the lost.  He did not love with conditions placed on His love.  It was freely given for all.

This type of love does not come naturally to mankind. Because of our fallen nature, we are incapable of producing such a love. If we are to love as God loves, that love—that agape—can only come from its true Source. This is the “the love of God [which] is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (). It is clear, only God can generate within us the kind of self-sacrificing love proving that we are His children. Because of God’s love toward us, we are now able to love one another; and that love will be a draw for the lost that will then stand in awe of Him.

Today and every day, I am challenged with the diversities of adversities. Adversity comes in the form of affliction intended to drive us toward a deeper walk with Christ and a more conformed image to Christ as weaknesses are revealed.  Life has many adversities, but each is individually crafted by God for our good and His ultimate glory.  Why not rejoice or have repeatable joy in the midst of something that is for our good and God’s glory? Second Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

I can truly say that affliction today is something I look far more forward to because I know the potential results if I respond right to that affliction.  I want more often to have a joy in adversity.  This, too, is something as well that does not come naturally to humans, thus it requires the supernatural work of the Holy Ghost.  In a trial, He can be praised, and the lost will stand amazed.

Today and every day, I am challenged to exercise love, exhibit joy in difficult and finally, to express peace when experiencing blows from those who oppose. This is no troubling matter.  We are exhorted in 2 Timothy 2:2-4, “For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” A clear opportunity to witness for Christ arises when we are able to live quiet and peaceably among the brethren.

There is nothing that will turn a lost person off to Christ quicker than seeing the brethren at ought one with another.  Paul exhorts us in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” Now, to what do you believe “as much as lieth in you” refers?  It could be none other than the Holy Ghost who lives within the believer.  He is able to give us the power to live in His love, with joy and peaceably with all men!  Amen!

Why am I challenged daily in these three areas? It is because I see the importance of being proactive when given the chance to be interactive in making Christ attractive.

I heard it said, “You can always tell a fool,”
but you can’t tell him much!

I have observed many a fool over the years.  A fool is one who knows right, but chooses wrong. It is difficult to counsel a fool in light of their obvious rejection to right.  It is in our best interests if we are all regularly challenged in view of Scripture this morning that each of us has the capability of becoming a fool.

Paul writes, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” The phrase knew God means to have intimacy with God. Knowing God, in this context, does not refer to knowing information about Him, but instead having an intimate relationship with Him.  This verse tells us that these people did not glorify God; they did not make God look good, nor were they thankful for God.  They were ungrateful and self absorbed backsliders.  Some would say, but wait, Romans 1 is written about unbelievers!  Is it?  Are we so sure?!

Can I ask you a question?  If these people were unsaved, why would they have anything to be thankful to God for?  The fact that Paul notes that the Romans here were unthankful is a clear indication to me that these were saved but sad Christians; for we know that only God’s people, who have received the generosity of the Lord Jesus Christ, have something for which they ought to be thankful.

Our passage indicates that these Romans became fools.  The word became means to pass from one state to another. Now, it is important to recognize that one cannot pass from the state of being simple to the state of being a fool.  One must be wise to begin with if he is to regress to the state of a fool.  Knowing this, these Christians must have followed this progression: they went from being simple minded unbelievers to wise persons upon conversion, and then from wise believers to foolish believers in their backsliding.

Again, a fool is “somebody who knows right but chooses wrong.” We see that these people professed themselves to be spirit-led and wise. But they passed from this state to being fools; they knew right but nonetheless chose wrong.  Why do you suspect this occurred?  It is because their hearts had ceased to receive illumination from God, so, instead they dwelt on the imaginations of their own mind.

As a result, their imaginations (stored images) became even more wicked and devoid due to the regular recall of detrimental images.  These stored images yielded vanity in thought and deed, leaving them apathetically unthankful and focused upon their own glory.  Ha!  It cost them their intimacy with God. The Bible then tells us these types of rebellious “believers” went from this apathetic self-righteousness to the listed abominable unrighteousness in no time at all! Romans one’s debauchery is NOT unrighteous apostasy, my friends, it is the end result of self righteous hypocrisy!

Let’s look at some additional observations this morning about these once-wise people who became foolish.

“And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.   Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

My friends, what a sad state we find ourselves in when we refuse to “conquer through the casting down” our stored images.  Romans chapter 1 is a warning to those who get saved, slide into self righteousness and then become comfortable without the stimulations of the comforter.  They will then fall away into self righteousness.  Our men’s and Women’s Residential Schools of Discipleship are inundated with Christian School and Bible College kids who have been expelled for all kinds of immoral behavior we once would never name among our college kids—up to and often including tendency’s to homosexual and lesbian tendencies.  Whether this occurs unknowingly due to a lack of discipleship, or whether it is a conscious choice made of rebellion, it matters not.   The damage is done and it is permanent upon the mind.  Only a habitual casting down under the power of the Spirit will restore and keep that wayward fool from returning to the vomit of his folly.

Judging from the behavior I am seeing in believers, I can see no other meaning behind Paul’s assertions about these people.  They are clearly indicative of a group who was saved and then fell grossly away from the Lord or the unrighteous unsaved or both.  We know that once we are saved, we are always saved. So, of course, these people did not lose their salvation, but they rejected the benefits of their sanctification.

Of course, this regression of our position would be accompanied by tribulation, frustration, dire situations and other saturations of chastening from our Lord that we might repent.  But absent of repentance, we will continue to dishonor ourselves till we make the cause of Christ to appear to be a lie as we do not the truth.

Oh Christian, do not think it COOL to regress into a mess and be labeled a FOOL.  Let your position remain your constant condition through a spirit of contrition and a mind that rejects migration into any unholy situation.

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord! Steven Curington

Have you ever expected your pains to be replaced with great gains, only to have them replaced with deeper pain?
It is called “the fellowship of His suffering”.

My friend, things of value need to be surrendered to Christ’s control.  Paul told us in Philippians 3 that all the things he counted once valuable, he determined to be detrimental.  He subsequently made them negligible that He could win Christ; know Christ, experience Christ’s power and enjoy the “fellowship of His suffering”.  You see, as we enter into the fellowship of His death, we must be willing to experience great pain to our things that were our former gains.

So many people are surprised when they do right, but things go wrong. But Peter said, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some thing happened unto you:” (I Peter 4:12). In other words, you should never find it strange when we experience trials, but rather come to expect it.  Why? Because stranger things have happened! This concept was not new to Peter, neither was it new to Paul.  Paul had seen many great things—including visions from God! But, he also suffered greatly because of it.  You remember the story:
In II Corinthians 12:7-10, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Pay careful attention to what Paul is saying in this passage. His suffering was a painful “thorn in the flesh.”  But this messenger of Satan was given to him by God! It was for his good.

When Paul realized that God’s grace was sufficient, he stopped fighting this suffering situation. Instead he said, “I take pleasure” in those things that hindered me! Paul was willing to trade his natural strength for God’s – the” supernatural strength that comes through suffering” in order that he might enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. I believe a lot of us spend much of our time in prayer asking God to take away the painful things in our life that He has especially given TO us! We expect our patient pains to be replaced with great gain. Instead, we find it replaced with more pain. That is “the fellowship of His suffering”. Jesus had to humble Himself to become a man, but He also had to humble Himself a second time to become obedient to the cross. Double humility seems unfair. It is not unfair; it is familiar!

Jesus earnestly prayed in the Garden for a way out. In fact, the Bible says His sweat was as great drops of blood. He asked His Father for the cup to pass from Him. It did not, for it was God’s will—His purpose and His plan—that Jesus suffer. What Jesus experienced was God-ordained adversity. I have some news for you today. God has some adversity planned for you. That adversity is not intended to drive you back into the world. Instead, it is meant to drive us deeper into our relationship with Jesus. Through suffering arrives an intimate familiarity with Jesus, and we can then learn to rely on Him more than ever before.

I learned quickly after starting Reformers Unanimous it seemed like some of those we helped the most, sacrificed for the most, and invested in the most, were the most ungrateful, troublesome, and rebellious students we had. I had to run to Jesus just like Paul did. Again Paul said, “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of YOUR (not his but their) faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all” (Philippians 2:17). Instead of becoming weary and depressed by the pain caused by a sacrifice for the benefit of another’s faith, he became more joyful. In a holy way, suffering produces joy. If we yield to becoming a self-sacrificing, suffering saint, joy becomes a continuing, reinforcing cycle that repeats itself over and over again. Sound fun? If not, then it is not familiar! Some say, “Try it; you’ll like it!” Paul says, “Die over it; you will like it.” This joy is possible because it does not come from us; it comes from Him! Paul said, “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy OF the Holy Ghost” (I Thessalonians 1:6).

Paul called his thorn in the flesh a “messenger of Satan.” I learned from my Pastor Kingsbury in his great sermon “Such Were Some of You”, in every case the word messenger appears in the Bible, it is referring to a person. The Bible does not tell us what his messenger of Satan was, but it seems likely it was “a who”. Paul had one person who was a constant source of irritation and struggle in his life. He repeatedly prayed for God to take that person of pain away, but God refused. Paul needed the thorn to keep him from being “exalted above measure.” Paul, writing through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, repeated that exact phrase twice. Why—because Paul was prone to pride.

God knows we will suffer, and that we will need His help. That is why Jesus sent the Comforter—He knew we were going to need the Holy Spirit to give us comfort in the midst of trials, not so that we could be comfortable, but so that we could comfort those whereby we HAVE BEEN comforted.  When God comforts us, He becomes familiar and it is that familiarity that can be shared with others less familiar with the ways of our great God.

Don’t give up in the midst of a trial, on Him and to Him you must dial.  Friend, for when He shows up their will be no denial from the rank and file, God is in charge of every mile.