Christian Living

“Are you a fisherman?” someone asked after I’d shared that my husband and I’d fished on our vacation.

“Yes! I love to fish.”

“So do you fly fish?” my friend questioned.

“I do,” I replied, noticing by his “hymph” that he was a little surprised. Then I decided I needed to clarify. “Well, I like to cast, and I like to catch fish, but I really don’t take the fish off the hook. And I need someone to tell me what bait to use.”

The more I thought about it, I wondered if I should even say I’m a fisherman. That caused me to realize that sometimes in the United States, we use the word “Christian” rather loosely, like I rather loosely said I’m a fisherman.

What does it mean to be a Christian? Well, certainly not just showing up at a church building a couple of times a year. Christ defined His followers as those who actually followed His teachings. If you’d like to know more about what it means to be a Christian, please click HERE.

Which are you? Tight-lipped or open-lipped? In other words, are you reluctant to speak and don’t reveal much about what’s going on inside of you? Or, are you more open-lipped and let what you’re thinking and feeling readily come forth?

James 1:19 tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak when we’re angry. But what about in relation to praising God? In this case, we are to be like the psalmist, who prayed in Psalm 51:15. “O LORD, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.”

Are we grateful? Are our hearts flooded with God’s goodness? I hope so. Even when there seems to be nothing for which we can praise Him, we can open our lips and praise Him for His presence with us, His provision for us, and His purposes He will bring forth.

Develop a mindset of gratefulness. Fill your heart with praise. Open your mouth and let your praise flow to God. Pray, “LORD, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.”

Lord who OPENS OUR LIPS, thank You for who You are and for all the incredible ways You have worked in my life, are working, and will work. You are worthy day and night of my praise. Open my lips so that I may declare Your praise. 

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Me. Me. Me. 

We probably wouldn’t want to admit it, but in our innermost being, we may be more self-centered than Christ-centered. Our day may not begin with, “Heavenly Father, how can I serve You?” Rather, our first thought may be what we want to get out of the day. 

Have you ever considered doing a 180: a turnaround based on Ephesians 5:2?  “Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

In other words, followers of Christ are told to follow His example. 

We’re to walk in love and offer our lives to God to serve His purposes. What happens when we do? We have the opportunity to be a fragrance of Christ to God and others.

Christ Jesus, You are the ultimate example of being an OFFERING and sacrifice to God. Help me follow Your example so my life is a fragrant offering to You. 

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Quick question: Have you ever been ungrateful? Have you ever needed a loan? Have you ever been wrongly judged? Have you ever crossed the line or done something really bad? 

That was more than one question, wasn’t it? But they all point to topics that Jesus addressed prior to His statement in Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” 

That’s something to think about, isn’t it? 

Our Heavenly Father is merciful to us. 

Now He says that we’re to show mercy to others. That’s a good reminder for me. Is it for you? Why not record a list of ways God has shown mercy to you? Then thank Him for each one and consider how you might show mercy to someone.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being MERCIFUL to me each and every day. Fill me with Your Spirit of mercy towards others.

Would you like an organized way to record you prayers and praises? Grab a copy of the Prayers of My Heart prayer journal.

Would you like to experience magnificence? If you said “yes,” you are in alignment with God’s will for you. He never intended our lives to be filled with anxiety and the consequences of sin. Rather, He created Adam and Eve in His image and placed them in the Garden of Eden to share life with Him and experience His magnificent glory. But now? We live in a sin-sick world. However, as believers, our hope is not lost. Rather, our hope is firm in Christ Jesus. We can once again experience God’s magnificence as 2 Peter 1:4 tells us—“[God] has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

God has granted to you His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become a partaker of the divine nature. Are you experiencing Christ through the divine nature He has given you?

Rather than allowing the world’s despair, anxiety, and hopelessness to infiltrate your soul, begin each day welcoming your Heavenly Father and Spirit’s presence, praying, “Heavenly Father, fill me with Your Holy divine nature and Spirit. Help me walk in Your magnificent divine promises.”

The Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and Bible are all magnificent. Immerse your mind in the Father’s ways. Walk by His magnificent divine nature/Spirit.

Lord, You and Your promises are MAGNIFICENT. Thank You for salvation by which I am a partaker of Your divine nature. Help me walk by Your promises so others see and believe in You. 

Learn more about becoming a partaker of Christ’s divine nature through Debbie’s 2 Peter Bible study, Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature. The study includes free accompanying videos and podcasts, which can be found HERE.

If you’re a parent or teacher, have you ever “laid down the law” to a child and said, “Look left and right before you cross the street”? Why do we say that? Because we don’t want them to get run over by cars. In like manner, our Heavenly Father lays down moral and ethical laws so we don’t get run over by the devil and our fleshly carnal nature. 

If we don’t obey Christ and His teachings, we hurt ourselves and those close to us. Flattened by sin, face in the gravel, groaning in pain (physical or emotional), our eyes are opened to the “why” of God’s commands that we perhaps ignored. Isaiah 33:22 explains why as citizens of God’s kingdom we are to live by His laws. “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; He will save us.”

Our Heavenly King gives us laws to save us from pain, guilt, untimely death, loss, regret, and so much more. In what way might you be running in the streets of sin chasing a ball of self- indulgence, pride, money, resentment, or an unhealthy friendship about which God has warned you to stop? 

God is our spiritual, physical, mental, financial, emotional, and relational lawgiver. We’re saved from pain and blessed beyond measure when we listen to Him and obey His commands. Are we?

Heavenly Father, I praise You as the LAWGIVER. I praise You for Your commands and teachings that protect me from getting run over by sin. 

God is not only our Lawgiver, He is also our Judge. In a world that often resists truth, are you prepared to stand before Him? Debbie’s Contend Earnestly for the Faith Jude Bible Study will equip you to recognize deception, stand firm in your faith, and be ready for the day of judgment. Click HERE to get your copy.