That's Just Wrong

John told me he believes there is no wrong or right- that life is what we make of it. Then I see how his arrogance hurts the people around him, how he hurts me. I know that is wrong.  I tried to talk to my mom about this, but she was just thinking about her new boyfriend. They had a big fight last night and she was still angry enough to yell at me and my little brother before school today. I yelled right back at her and then stormed out, not caring that the door slammed in her face as I left. I knew that both she and I were wrong. There is wrong and right. But where do I look to see what’s right?

               This question could be asked by anyone. We may have asked a question like this ourselves. We must look to Jesus Christ and to His Word, the Bible, to see the source of right. We see people choosing to act in ways that hurt themselves or others and our world is full of wrong because of these choices. In the Bible the list of wrong choices is long:

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They     
           are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God 
           haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey     
           their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Romans 1:29-31

               Sometimes it even seems that “there is no one who does good, not even one,” like Psalm 14:3 says.  If we see someone doing something that is wrong, we know in our hearts that there was a right way. If we turn our gaze to ourselves we see the ways that we also choose wrong instead of right. The idea of wrong and right is “written on our hearts” the Bible says in Romans 2:15. It sounds harsh, but even we can see that the result of wrong living is death. In the Bible it also says that each one is tempted by his own evil desire which leads to sin and eventually to death (James 1:15).  

When we try to do right we don’t succeed. We see in our own actions that we have a sinful nature- a tendency to do wrong. Romans 7:15 says “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” We can feel like we are running in circles, trying our best, but always failing to do what is right. It can feel like “nothing good lives in me...” like the things I want to do that are good never happen, like “evil is right there with me” Romans 7:18-19, 21. Even though we chose the wrong path again and again, God loved us so much that He sent Jesus Christ to rescue us from ourselves. Since death is the result of our sin, Christ chose to die instead of us, even though He had never sinned. He died so we could be seen by God to be righteous- not sin-filled. 

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 

Rom 3:22-24

Three days after He died, Jesus Christ miraculously rose from the dead! We can live for Him, knowing that our sins are forgiven.

You can talk to Jesus like you would to a friend. Jesus, Thank you for rescuing me from myself. I believe you died instead of me so that I could be righteous in God’s eyes. Please help me follow You.

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Renewed

Our attitude is so important as we remain in Christ, but it can be so easy to let things get us down.  We can be refreshed and renewed as we follow Jesus.

22 throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. 23 Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. 24 You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness -- righteous, holy, and true. Ephesians 4:22-24 New Living Translation

Another translation gives more insight.

Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude)Ephesians 4:23 Amplified

As we consistently turn away from our old ways and choose Christ, we can be renewed over and over again- constantly. I don't know about you, but some days I feel like I need renewal moment by moment. Sometimes I forget that I can turn to Jesus for refreshing.

Ways we can be renewed by the Spirit:

• Bible reading, even re-reading favorite passages
• Worship music- help turn thoughts toward how great God is
• Poetry, devotions, observations from other Christians
• Gratitude- take stock of the blessings I see around me
• Praying for others-
• Doing something nice, smiling at someone, giving someone a gift for no reason
• Being creative, make something for someone, even if it is just a simple thing
• Read an inspiring book, choose one that lifts your sights, not just gives you an escape

Photo by Kira Stevens

Hopes and Dreams

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

  

Faith is hoping with confidence. By planning ahead in what we hope for we are working toward what God has planned for us. But that doesn't mean we just wait around. We work to prepare our hearts and we work to make sure you have the skills you need to do the big things God has for you.

Write down your dreams, make some lists of what you need to get there. You may need to think about how you’re using your time now and if you are really doing all you can now to realize those dreams.

We keep ourselves ready for the work the God has for us by living a life of purity, by keeping away from evil things. If I keep myself from watching or listening to things that are not right, if I make sure that I am putting God first, if I remain rooted in the Word of God, then I will be pure and ready for God’s work, ready for the dream He is working out.

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Does living living intentionally sound boring?

Does it give you the image of somebody who has done the same thing everyday for fifty years? Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus says in John 10:10, in the last part of the verse, that He came to give us a full, abundant life. Jesus Christ has big dreams for your life. Do you dream of amazing things happening in your life?

“Prayer is a form of dreaming. Nothing will adventurize your life like prayer. If you cultivate the prayer routine, it will keep your life from becoming routine. Prayer is where I cultivate a sense of destiny.” Mark Batterson

The work God has for you to do may be to study diligently for a class that you don’t really enjoy, to do mounds of laundry, or to work compliantly with coworkers and bosses that really get on your nerves. The work you are doing, although it can seem so common, can be God’s work. If your attention is diverted to meaningless drudgery with no thought for what God’s purposes are for you, that is not God’s plan for you, not the full life Christ has given. If your attitude about daily life is one of “just getting thru the day,” then you’ll have wasted all the time when you could’ve been worshiping, working and serving. If your attitude is good then you’ll be completing daily work while being transformed to be more and more like Christ.

When we choose to follow Christ we sometimes go through times of trials- difficult times when we feel alone, or attacked. These can be times when we are being opposed by the enemy of Christ- Satan. The first part of John 10:10 is about Christ’s enemy, satan. It says that satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. Satan wants to halt your growth in Christ, he wants to do anything he can to come between you and the full life that Jesus Christ has for you. He wants to steal your purpose and get you off track. 


Day to day drudgery can blind us to true meaning and purpose. The things that we have to do everyday must be done; food to eat, clothes to wear, work to be done. Are these common, daily things consuming your time and attention? Pray today and ask God to give you big dreams for your life, dreams that can include the everyday, while keeping in mind the higher things that God has planned for you. Share with us by clicking the contact tab on the FireEscape website or commenting on our Facebook page. Tell us the great things you’re dreaming about with God.

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Remaining in Christ

 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.

Even if you don’t make New Year’s resolutions, a new start can be a welcome thing. 

 Anytime can be a chance to leave behind past mistakes and have a renewed purpose. We are already a few weeks into the new year. Are you already beating yourself up over some New Year’s resolution you’re having trouble keeping? 

I’ve found that if I give my best effort I can usually keep up with a goal for about 2 weeks. After that everything seems to fall apart. I’m learning that the key to new things is so simple. I need to remain in Christ, like it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Our relationship with Jesus Christ is not about a list of dos and don’ts. It is a relationship that must be cultivated over time. A relationship takes intentional activity to make it more that it was at first. Your relationship with your best friend is different today than the first day you met. If you’re making a marriage work, then you are putting effort into it and it is not the same relationship as the day you said, “I do.”

But our relationship with Christ is also not about throwing out all rules and regulations and doing things our own way. The Bible is God’s word-  and in the Bible we have been told how to remain in Christ. We have to read the Word to know how to follow Christ better!

Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a book of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him. Malachi 3:16

If you are walking with Christ then you should be talking to others who are following Him. Thinking about Jesus more is easier when you have people around you who are talking about Him, people who love to think about Him. This verse in Malachi says that the Lord listens to that conversation among believers and writes it down. I want to be living the kind of life that the Lord wants to write down and remember what I say. That is an amazing thought!

Here’s another perspective on who we should be hanging out with:

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.

Proverbs 13:20

Have you been walking with wise people? Do the friends you are always around love to think and talk about the Lord?



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An Intentional Life

On Moments of Grace our focus for the last week in January is “An Intentional Life.” We’ll be sharing some ways to be deliberate about everyday life while lifting our focus to things above the daily drudgery.  Whatever your place in life right now, you can be a part of Moments of Grace at FireEscape.net and on KFEX Monday through Thursday from 12-4. We’ll be talking about living an intentional life. We will be encouraging each other to find out how to remain in Christ so the new things He is doing in us will last much longer than our own efforts. Join me Monday throughThursday for Moments of Grace on KFEX












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Coming Soon!

Day to day drudgery can blind us to life's true meaning and purpose. Moments of grace, from our Heavenly Father, can lift our sights and bring real clarity to our clouded vision. This will be a place we can come together to lift each other to the Lord, to encourage each other and share in moments of grace. I'll be sharing with anyone who wants to listen, starting mid-January, Moments of Grace on KFEX. You can listen locally (Chanute, Erie, Thayer and surrounding areas) at 93.1 FM. KFEX is also streaming at www.fireescape.net

Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to getting to know the moments of grace you're experiencing in your walk with God.