Is my business your business?

Howdy Gang, Hope you’re all having a great Monday. I had a couple of great responses to last weeks blog. If you don’t go to the actual blog site to read this I encourage you to so you can see the responses that came in to the question. “Do we put too much weight on the New Testament and not enough on the Old?” As for this week I believe it will be another quick post followed with a question. The theme for the week is “Community”

A favorite verse of mine for years has come from the book of John chap 17 Verses 20 – 23

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will^[a] believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

I’ve mentioned this verse one or twice before. It’s clear that this was an important theme to Christ and the reason is clear “May they be one so the world will KNOW you sent me” Unity in the body of Christ “THE CHURCH” is necessary for the world to come to salvation through Christ. While Christ was alive he continually told his disciples how to be one. What I heard him say most was “The first shall be last” he also gave a new command to “Love as he has loved” which is to love one another greater than we love ourselves. Then he dies, Pentecost happens and the church of Acts is born. We see Christ prayer in John 17 become fulfilled. Now we begin to see writings telling us how to maintain the “Body” and grow closer to Christ. James 5: 16 tells us to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed” Hebrews 3: 13 says that we should “Exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Paul is warning us to Exhort each other daily

Exhort: 1. To urge, advise, or caution earnestly; Admonish Urgently. 2. To give urgent advice, recommendations, or Warnings.

We are to Urge, advise, caution, recommend and warn each other daily. We are to get into each others business. Remember James said we are to Confess too and pray for each other as well. How can we exhort one another if we don’t confess to one another? This is just my assumption but I believe he said to do it “DAILY” so sin doesn’t have a chance to set in our hearts and get comfortable. We are to observe our friends and family as well so we can warn them if we see signs of a stumbling block. The thing that stands out to me is the word “DAILY” in the world we live in today I find daily to be a pretty hard if not seemingly impossible task. Yet if it were impossible Paul wouldn’t have said to do it. So here is my question for The Gang.

How do we get to a point that we can “EXHORT” one another daily? Or is it not an important part of a developing community?

You can either reply to me directly or go to www.liveupsidedown.blogspot.com to reply. I will post your response there if you chose to reply to me directly. But I do encourage you to go to the blog and check the feedback.

Thanks Gang have a great week and as always lets live it “UPSIDE DOWN!”

1 ? 4 U

Hey Gang, Guess what! This will be a quick one to read today. Actually I have no big revelation to share, no mini-sermon or any of that. (and the crowd erupts) Instead today I am going to give you two verses state a small observation then ask you a question. Please feel free to respond.

2 Timothy 3:14 – 17 ¹⁴ But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Galations 1:6- 10 ⁶ I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, ⁷ which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
¹⁰ For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

There ya have the verses. Now Paul is speaking in both instances. The first saying ALL SCRIPTURE. Obviously 2 Timothy is not scripture according to Paul because it is the letter he is currently writing. In Galations Paul says “If any Angel or Man preach any other Gospel” In which he is simply saying preach any other message than that of salvation through Christ. (Which they proved through the “Scriptures”) Whenever they talk about “Scripture” in the new testament they clearly are not talking about the “New Testament” because it is in the process of being written by them. They don’t consider their writing “Holy Writings” They simply consider them letters. With that in mind paying special attention to the 2 Timothy passage verses 16 & 17 here is my question.

Do we put too much weight on the New Testament and not enough in the Old? (Especially the part known as the Torah, Genesis through Deuteronomy)

Note: this has nothing to do with living according to the Law. It has everything to do with getting our understanding of Salvation and embracing the gift given to us.

Give me your thoughts and of course as always Have a great week and lets Live it “UPSIDE DOWN!

Catch and Release

Howdy howdy Gang, It’s a new week and therefore time for a new post. (One day late cause I had unexpected work yesterday. Yea God!) During my reading the last couple of weeks I have begun to notice a steady theme. This of course means God is wanting to show me something. Since he decided to show me, you my friends get to hear it as well. This is one you may read and go “I already knew that” but it’s good enough that it bears repeating. I can say I already knew it “But did I really” I don’t think so. It seems like common sense, but for me those are the things I tend to overlook. So here we go… Col 3:8-10, 12-14, Eph 4: 21-24, 1 Thess 5:8. I’ll let you look these up cause I’m lazy and don’t want to type it all out ;-.) There is also Eph 6:10-18 this is probably the most well known verse of the bunch talking about putting on the Armor of God. Go ahead take a minute to look up each of these verses I’ll wait for you…

Alright now that you’re done did you see the theme? “Put off” “Put on” I’m about to begin using the word “We” quite a bit know that whenever I’m using it I’m really saying “Me” or “I” but I feel better about myself when I’m not the only one so I’m hoping at least one of you can identify with me. We live in a “Fast Food society” we want everything right now and we want it to be easy (You’ve heard this before) With this mindset as we read scripture we tend to look for the things that sound like the Christian Life should be a piece of cake. “Dead to self” “Alive in Christ” these are the types of verses we tend to hold onto. If when I accepted Christ I died to self then I should instantly be a new creation. I should wake up and no longer struggle with the temptations of life. If Christ is “Living in me” then temptation should be a thing of the past. I’ve heard this preached time and time again. Every time I read this in the bible I struggle with it cause I know I still struggle with this thing called sin otherwise known as “SELFISHNESS” If we’re not careful we may begin to even question our salvation. I’m still struggling with sin did I truly invite Christ into my life? Thankfully there are also people like Paul that make statements such as “Why is it the things I want to do those I do not do and the things I don’t want those are the very things I do” I would like to suggest that we at some point take the time to truly dive into all these verses that seem to make it look like we instantly transform into a new being and see what they are really talking about because evidently we (or as I said earlier “I”) obviously aren’t reading them correctly. The rest of scripture is loaded with very active and continual statements. The verses I gave you earlier all talk about “Putting off the things of this world” and “Putting on the things of Christ” “ACTIVE STATEMENTS” We are to daily put off “Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language” SELFISHNESS. We are to daily put on “tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, and most of all LOVE, we are to bear with one another, forgiving one another. Col 3: 15-16 says we are to let the piece of God rule in us LET IT RULE IN US, Let the word of Christ dwell in us LET IT DWELL IN US. These are ACTIVE statements. 1 Thess 5:19 says “Do not Quench the sprit. DON’T DO IT we have a choice. Phil 4:8-10 tells us to MEDITATE on things that are noble, whatever is just, pure, lovely, what’s of good report, what’s of virtue, praiseworthy. 2 Tim 2:22 says to FLEE youthful lusts, and PURSUE righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart PURSUE and NOT ALONE, but with others that are pursuing also.

Friends, I’ve loaded you with verses today but these are just a few of the verses that talk about the ACTIVE LIFESTYLE of living with Christ. We are to daily throw off evil and to daily PURSUE the things of Christ. This wont be accomplished through simply wishing for it. It wont be accomplished by just reading the bible and hoping it takes hold. We are to pursue what it says. 2 cor 10: 5 tells us to “take every thought captive” The Christian is not called to be passive by any stretch of the imagination especially when it comes to living a pure life. We throw away evil thoughts and we meditate on Christ thoughts. I remember one day on this trip I was on my bike and a thought came to mind (I really can’t remember what it was) that was not of God and I got mad. I was tired of this temptation it kept hanging around. So this time I yelled at it. I said something along the lines of “The Holy Sprit lives in me you don’t belong here. GET OUT! And it disappeared. It was gone, I’m ashamed to admit I had never done this before so I had never experienced it. THE THOUGHT JUST DISAPPEARED. It was so strange I remember trying to recall what the thought was but I couldn’t. This was so foreign to me that it bothered me how I couldn’t remember it. Then I heard the spirit in me say “Larry you just told it to leave don’t invite it back. So I stopped trying to recall it. VICTORY! The living word of God is active sharper than any double edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12) We assume living word means it speaks to us in all situations. We can read a verse multiple times and get a new revelation every time. This is true, But maybe it also means when we put it into action IT WORKS. Have you ever noticed how we dwell on the bad and dismiss the good. A friend does something nice and we thank him/her and move on. If it’s a really really nice thing we may think about it off and on for few weeks. But when a friend wrongs us even in a small way we can’t get it out of our minds. We struggle with it for months. If it’s really bad we may not be able to let it go for years if ever. It’s time to reverse the trend. Take every thought captive. Rather than being a slave to pain, hurt, anger, lets take those thoughts captive bind them in the spirit and cast them out. When good is done lets take those thoughts captive bind them up and tie them onto our soul. It’s not a theory it’s an action. We don’t have to be slave to these things. Ever since my first experience I’ve tried to follow this model on the casting out. I can honestly say that every time I’ve recognized the thought right away with the help of the spirit living in me I’ve been able to cast it out. Sometimes I have to stay on it. I’ll tell it to leave and it will soften so I’ll have to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it until it’s gone but it does leave. If I don’t take it captive right away that’s when I really struggle. Think about Christ when he healed others. Sometimes they would get right up others he would have to pray the healing multiple times. They were slaves to their infirmity our sin is our infirmity lets stay on it till it’s gone. I wish I could also tell you I’ve practiced the holding onto good thoughts and been successful but I can’t. Honestly I hadn’t even thought of that side of it until just now as I’m writing this post. But I will practice it. I am going to each day from here on meditate on the good. What has God done for me? What have others done for me? What has God done for others? When I recognize a good my challenge to me and you is to grab it and meditate on it daily. Say “You are a good thought, you are from God. I have his spirit living in me and you belong here with it. In the name of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit living in me I command you to STAY!

How about it Gang? What do you say? Lets live each day taking each and every thought captive throwing out the bad and keeping the good. I know it sounds like a lot of work and it is. But after awhile it will become second nature. Learning to walk wasn’t easy either but we did that.

That’s my two cents worth for the week. A new assignment for the week will come out on Thursday remember to check it out on FB or Twitter. Have a great week and as always lets live it “UPISDE DOWN!!!

Why?

So, here I am sitting here thinking about what to write today. It’s Monday I said I would post every Monday. I’m going over all the conversations I’ve had this week, the revelations I’ve had and today nothing is sticking. To the most part the things I’ve seen and learned this week are for me. Nothing that God is saying “I want you to share.” As I ask him what he wants me to write the thing that keeps coming to mind is “Love” continue to share my love. Then I’m brought to my experience at lunch. Two lady’s sitting behind me were discussing their mother who is in the hospital on a respirator. They knew that very soon they would be getting a call from the hospital asking them to make a decision. In the midst of the conversation I began remembering when a friend of mine was the one laying in ICU and her family was asked to make that decision. I remembered how tough it was for everyone involved. I remember praying that God would heal her and realizing just how selfish of a prayer it was. She was about to meet her creator and move into a life of everlasting perfection leaving behind the pains of this world and we were asking him to stop that from happening. I began thinking about the different people I’ve known that’s been upset at God for taking a loved one. If we stop to think about it those leaving us behind are in a much better place than us so why are we so upset at their passing? Then I began to think about different people I’ve tried to help out over the last few years. The closer I got to them the more I knew they were hurting the more I knew they were hurting the more I began to hurt. The less I could do the more upset I grew. I found myself at times curled up in a corner bawling like a little freakin baby. I began yelling at God. But each time I began yelling at him in the middle of my temper tantrum he would insert a verse that simply said “I love you”. That made even more mad. Don’t tell me you love me when I’m yelling at you I can’t stay mad when you do that. I reached a point for a time where I was tired of helping people. I saw some taking advantage of my generosity and resented it. But even more so I grew tired of hurting and the more I invested in others the more I hurt. I asked God why? Part of me wanted to turn back I wanted to ask God to take away the pain I was feeling and return me to a time of ignorance of the struggles around me. Yet at the same time I didn’t want to be ignorant again I just didn’t want any more pain either. So I stepped back. I remember a friend after watching a certain movie suggested we experiment with saying yes to helping whenever a need was presented to us. Lets do it for a month she said. My instant reply was “You can if you want to but I’m not in. I can’t do it anymore. Some take joy in helping for me it’s become too draining.” Here I am at lunch thinking about all this and it hits me. If we struggle so much with death when we know we will see them again how much does God struggle with death when he knows he will never see them again. What we feel when a loved one dies is what God feels daily for those who die without accepting the life he has to offer. The times I’ve been so frustrated with God that I’ve yelled at him and he gave me a verse that said “I love you” Now I realize God created me in his image. Now I picture him as I’m yelling at him shaking his head and saying “Larry don’t you understand I’m allowing you to feel a very small sampling of what I go through everyday. You Larry reached a point that you couldn’t take it anymore and you backed off. I love you so much that I will NEVER back off. The image that God gave me a week or so ago was Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22: 39-46) Jesus was so distraught that God sent an Angel to strengthen him despite that he was still so distraught that he began sweating drops of blood begging his father “If it is possible take this cup from me.” Jesus is on his hands and knees begging his father please can we find another way. God says no this is what must be done. It’s the only way to bring life. Now how many of you can imagine your kid in the place of Christ? How many of you after a neighbor has shown no love for you are willing to send your kid out to shovel their sidewalk? God sent his to die and continued with the plan despite his kids sweating blood.

Guess what my friends. Nothing has changed in the kingdom of heaven. God still loves each and everyone of us so much that he was willing to send his son to die for us. If you have accepted that gift of salvation you are now A CHILD OF GOD! He is sending you out to the world to model his love. Thankfully he isn’t calling most of us to die but he is asking us to be willing to. “Love your neighbor as yourself” “Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you”

I can’t begin to comprehend just how much God truly loves me but I do know this. When I am struggling with the trials of a friend God is too. When I’m concerned about the salvation of a friend God is too. Maybe just maybe God is allowing me to feel the way I feel so I can begin to have a small understanding of what he must be going through. When I’m struggling for one God is struggling for one million. On the plus side when I’m rejoicing over one. God is rejoicing over one million (hopefully that many) So next time we get all bent out of joint and want to yell at God lets take a second to remembered he is going through the same thing. Then turn our anger toward the one that really deserves it. It’s about time Satan begins to get the lip service he deserves.

Just in case you were wondering. I did have a chance to pray with those women at lunch today and they will be seeing their mother again one day. Praise God!

(FYI: It’s time to begin showing Gods love once again so we are going to resume the weekly encouragement assignments. I am not going to use this blog for that because I want to respect your inbox. If you want to receive those assignments you can either follow the Upside Down Group via twitter or become a fan on Facebook. If you are already friends with me “Larry Rife” on face book that will work as well.)

Have a great week gang and as always lets live it “UPSIDE DOWN”