SOAP 12/17/2011; 2 Peter 1:5-11

Today's reading: 2 Peter 1,2,3; John 1

S) "⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."

2 Peter 1:5-11 (NASB)

O) The "reason" mentioned in verse 5 is what is detailed in vv.1-4, which basically says that it's by faith and through grace that we are made righteous through Jesus Christ and that righteousness allows us to be partakers of God's divine nature, which is holiness. So, moving on from there we get a breakdown of spiritual growth and the fruitfulness that will come through that. Reaching verse 10 we see that this is the character of a person suitable for ministry and through that character, through the growth and fruit that comes through that, entry to Heaven goes without saying. It's important to note, however, that just because a person is working in a ministry does not mean they're automatically living a holy lifestyle and, therefore, automatically going to make it into heaven. It's a matter of the character they've built and the fruit they've grown - that's the indication of spiritual health and the indication that they will go to heaven.

A) First, Heaven is the number one priority. In light of eternal consequences, I think this may be the one area where God is okay with selfishness. I cannot let any person, desire, or thing get in the way of me making it to Heaven. Having said that, there's a lot more that I'd like to do than simply making it in to the eternal kingdom. I want to minister to my family, first of all, and I want to minister to others. I want to bring as many people with me into Heaven as I can. In order to do that, I need to be sure that I'm building the type of character that can minister effectively. I need to be taking steps to grow in the areas listed. Some of that is a natural byproduct of reading the Word daily (like virtue or knowledge), some of it comes through accountability partnering, mentoring, counseling, which is an area I admittedly need to address (like self-control or perseverance or godliness), some of it comes simply by practice of doing (like brotherly kindness or love). The main point, though, is that I should be making efforts to grow in these things. Being aware of that need is the first step. Ultimately, ideally, I may eventually make some kind of a short term- long term goal. I imagine that as I look into furthering my education next fall a lot of this will accelerate in a manner I've never quite experienced; however, I certainly don't want to wait or tarry until then.

P) Father, help me grow in these areas, Lord. I genuinely want to be a tool in Your hand, used for Your plan, God. Holy Spirit, continue to shape me into the man I'm called to be. Like an athlete, help me train myself in discipline to grow and become stronger in all of these traits, Lord. Help me address them all, neglecting none of them, and guide me as I even make goals and a plan to develop my character into that of a faithful, useful minister. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 12/16/2011; 1 Peter 3:7

Today's reading: 1 Peter 1,2,3,4,5

S) "⁷ You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered."

1 Peter 3:7 (NASB)

Disclaimer: Okay, so I was debating whether or not to choose this verse because this is such a public medium. Even though my blog will probably never be anywhere near as popular as my favorite blog, http://www.stuffchristianslike.net/, this can still be a volatile topic. But, the fact that this concept is so misunderstood is the very reason I decided to write about it.

O) Please hear me out! As a Christian, we have to believe in order. We have to believe in hierarchy, too. God wants structure and, in order for any ministry or effort to function properly and succeed, some one has to be in charge. If everyone is embracing their place/role with honor, integrity, righteousness, humility, and honesty, everything runs smoothly. A family is no different. Physically and spiritually speaking, men are built to be stronger than women. Are there exceptions? Of course; however, across the board, this is by design.
In the exceptions, you find women who have worked hard to reach their maximum potential and you have men who have done literally nothing to strengthen themselves. This is true physically and spiritually. With equal effort, men come out stronger and there is a purpose behind that (more in a bit).
Now, the balance here, the safety plan to keep things in check, is the warning that ends this verse. "Show her honor as a fellow heir" means that a wife is, by no means, a second-class citizen. She is not a lesser person, for her comparative weakness. In fact, if any man treats his wife as if she is less of a citizen in the Kingdom of God, or essentially, less of a person, then he should, by no means, expect his prayers to be answered! In other words, God will not accept that kind of behavior!
Now, these two concepts work together for the purpose of this passage. God wants us to realize that wives need our strength spiritually every bit as much as they ever might need it physically.
In today's world, I think this need is missed. The first reason is that I'm not physically fighting to protect my wife and family. The most that my wife needs my physical strength is for opening jars and driving on long road trips. So it's easy to take the difference for granted. The second reason this point is missed is that the feminist movement swung so far, that it became taboo to admit any differences between men and women. Stronger does not mean better, but it's still true. Men are stronger than women, but not better, and it's okay to admit that even if it's not popular with certain, very vocal, groups of people. There are other factors that make it easy to forget that men are stronger physically, but the effect is that we forget we are stronger spiritually. Along that same line, we forget that, while our physically strength is not as needed in today's world, our spiritual strength has never been so important.

A) So, the key is relating to my wife. The easiest way for me to do this, I think, is to relate to how I feel with the people who have authority over me. So, how would I like my pastors to lead me, to deal with me, to protect me, etc. This is the equivalent of understanding my wife's position. I need to remind myself that she's relying on me and that's exactly how God designed us both. I need to find comfort in that design and remember that fulfilling that purpose will bring peace, prosperity, protection, life, joy, and every other blessing to me personally, to my marriage, and to my family. And obviously, I need to heed the warning in this verse. Thankfully, though, that hasn't been difficult.

P) Father, help me honor my wife. I want my marriage to glorify You and fulfill the purpose and design You authored in us. Holy Spirit, reveal to me where I have fallen short in this task. Strengthen me and give me courage and boldness to take the lead in my home. Remind me that my wife and kids are depending on me to be strong. Help me to exercise spiritually, so that, when my strength is needed it is proven to be more than sufficient. Any abilities, strengths, or skills are only by Your grace, God, so help me take what You've given me and help me build on that, with You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 12/15/2011; James 2:22

Today's reading: James 1,2,3,4,5

S) "²² You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;"

James 2:22 (NASB)

O) So, there are tons and tons of things that stood out to me, reading the entire book of James. It's chalked full of challenging Scripture, encouragement, wisdom, etc. So, I decided to go with this one, running along the theme of faith that has been in the last 2 days of journaling. This verse is the embodiment and reasoning behind the more famously quoted, "faith without works is dead" from v.17. The reason, is because faith only really becomes faith (instead of just belief), when it is tested, applied, and proven. When our beliefs go beyond our heart's voice, even beyond our voice's confession, then it's proven to be faith. If we're not acting on our beliefs, then it's not truly faith, and it's subject to change according to circumstance and it's not credited to us as righteousness (as shown through Hebrews, as noted on 12/13/2011 and 12/14/2011).

A) So, this isn't exactly new, as it was covered the last couple days, but it bears repeating. This verse really serves as further conviction and solidifying my desire to stretch my faith on purpose, by design, and deliberately. So, the application comes this way, I'll pray and ask God to lead me into a specifc testing, proving, of my faith. And, more specifically, I will commit now to obedience.

P) Father, I want to be Yours completely. I commit to obedience and ask that You would help me grow my faith. Holy Spirit, lead me to excercise my faith and reveal the will of the Father to me in this. Guide me as I make a focused effort in this, Lord. Embolden me to overcome any fear, and let me learn to trust Your voice. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 12/14/2011; Hebrews 12:1

Today's reading: Hebrews 12,13; Jude

S) "¹ Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us"

Hebrews 12:1 (NASB)

O) This is a very inspiring verse! We, having attained righteousness through faith (as discussed in Hebrews 11), are now in some pretty amazing company. It was indeed a great cloud of witnesses when this was written, and that list of amazing men and women of God has only grown larger in the last 2000 years. Since we are in such good company, we need to honor that position and the righteousness that has been gifted to us, by pressing on in our good works and protecting this righteousness by avoiding sin as we run this marathon of life.

A) One of the most frustrating things, as a parent, is when your kid plays dumb. It really galls me. It's a lame attempt to skirt responsibility and shift blame. Yet I do it all the time with God and my sins. In the middle of temptation, God will convict me and I'll play dumb like I don't know what's going to happen next under the two scenarios (fighting or conceding). Flirting with disaster, I'll act like I'm naive when I'm really being ignorant. There are some sins that might surprise me; fluke-type stuff that's not at all the norm. That's no less damaging or needing of repentance, but it's not the same as a sin that easily entangles. The solution is to be resolute ahead of time. Laying aside every encumberance means removing anything that will lead to temptation. If there are ropes lying accross a 100M track, they're likely to entangle me. I can either leave them there and do my best to avoid them with tricky footwork, or I can remove them. I need to remove that which encumbers me.

P) Father, give me wisdom, and Holy Spirit, open my eyes. Let me see every obstacle for what it is and remove all of them that can be removed. Help me be bold in my confessions and honest in my convictions. I cannot lie to You, Lord, so remind me of just that fact. Be severe with me, God, because I want to run your race with endurance and succeed in obtaining the prize. I want to be fitting in my place amoung that great cloud of witnesses and I want to be effective in ministry for You, to my family first and then to others. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 12/13/2011; Hebrews 11:1-2,39-40

Today's reading: Hebrews 9,10,11

S) "¹ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² For by it the men of old gained approval.
³⁹ And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect."

Hebrews 11:1-2, 39-40 (NASB)

O) This whole chapter is just so inspiring! First thing, the word "conviction" there is sometimes translated "evidence" because it's the type of proof that has real impact. So, consider it the type of evidence that would hold up in court, that would affect a conviction. The chapter moves through from the beginning of creation, showing how faith was valued by God, over and over. In the end, we're reminded that faith has a greater purpose, though. As much as it pleases God and produces blessings here on earth, those are not the promised reward of faith. The reward of faith is eternal life! If you want to see God bless your life, if you want to see God participating in your life, if you want to know just how real God is - step out in your faith. Faith is a leap beyond belief. The late Dr. Ed Cole said it well here.

A) I like to try acrobatic maneuvers just to see if I can do them. I'm very confident in my agility. I have a lot of faith in my body control, explosiveness, and balance. My wife does not always have that faith. I can do a front handspring, a tight cartwheel, a diving somersault. I can jump over my couch and hold a handstand for a few minutes solid. One thing I have not yet tried? A standing backflip. I'm sure I can do it, but Kristin reigns in my gusto. I've done it countless times off the edge of a pool and I always clear the water's surface easily... I daydream about it all of the time, almost as much as I daydream about jumping over desks at work... Anyway, everytime I read this chapter I think of this Lecrae song and it gets me pumped about faith! Taking chances with God is what will really bring fruit to my life. I need to show my kids how to trust in God, believe in Him with everything I have. It's how I can inspire and lead my wife from being church-goers to world-changers. I get inspired to make big changes when I dwell on faith. I know that a lot of them are probably unrealistic for me from right here, right now. But, keeping a vision of dramatic, drastic, dangerous faith will continue to push me to stretch my faith and make it grow. My baby steps may have grown to adult strides, but I want true leaps! I want to do a backflip!

P) Father, may I never lose eternal perspective! I want to continue to grow in my belief, taking it my faith into every area of my life. Holy Spirit, continue to lead me into faith-stretching situations, because I know it's the most impactful way to be used by You, Lord. I want to be intrepid in my obedience, God. Give me more faith, to not only believe You for greater things, but for me to act toward that end! I want to bring about Your will wherever possible. Thank You for this gift of faith You've given me, Lord. Help me glorify Your Name by honoring this gift. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 12/12/2011; Hebrews 8:1-2,6

Today's reading: Hebrews 5,6,7,8

S) "¹ Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. ... ⁶ But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises."

Hebrews 8:1-2, 6 (NASB)

O) One thing that's important to remember when reading the book of Hebrews, is that it's written to a people who had a long-standing, historical covenant with God. But, these three verses almost completely sum up what is the main theme of the book of Hebrews. Jesus was the Son of God, a perfect sacrifice, a risen king who became our new high priest, serving in the heavenly sanctuary, and all of this was to seal the better covenant, replacing the old, giving us new, better promises. Whew! That was quite the little run-on sentence.

A) So, I sometimes find it a little hard to apply certain sections of Hebrews, because I had no former relationship with God at all. But, this is one of those passages that is really only applied by realization, acceptance, and memory. It's important to remember that Jesus ministers as The High Priest forever and ever, which means that there is no additional sacrifice necessary, or even appropriate. So, I cannot try to redeem myself, or pay for my own mistakes by way of some sacrifice or good deeds. Furthermore, the promises that were established under the old covenant pale in comparison to the new promises. Keeping this in mind, I should be increasingly encouraged when I read about God's grace, mercy, protection, provision, and all other blessings in the Old Testimony.

P) Father, thank You first of all, for the grace that is found in the Gospel to the gentiles. I had no way to benefit from Your promises, blessings, ... any of it. But by the miracle that was Jesus' sacrifice for all mankind, You provided a way to redeem a people who was not a people - me. Holy Spirit, remind me of the principles of this passage. If and/or when I sin, remind me to let it go after repentance, realizing that I can do nothing to fix the error, and that through the blood of Jesus, my High Priest, the sin is forgiven and I am no longer liable. Help me do a good job of ministering this this precious grace to others. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 12/11/2011; Philemon [1:] 6

Today's reading: Philemon; Hebrews 1,2,3,4

S) " ⁶ and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake."

Philemon [1:] 6 (NASB)
Philemon only has 1 chapter

O) Simply hearing the gospel is seldom enough. The most effective thing is to show people the gospel. Fellowship is not like the "Lord of the Rings" movie. Fellowship is sharing your life with people, inviting them into your home, letting them see you in a more vulnerable, intimate place. From there, if people see goodness in you, they will be able to glorify God. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. So, if revealing who you "really are" still points toward Christ, that's going to be effective ministry. If people can see how you are behind closed doors, they will see how much love, fear, and respect you truly have for God and His command over you.

A) The first thing is making sure that I am walking in integrity. I need to ensure that every part of my life is above reproach. If (or when) I do make mistakes, then I need to be walking in repentance and taking immediate action to end my lethal behavior, attain God's forgiveness through Christ, and resume my walk in righteousness. Taking that a step further, though, I need to be sure that my life is without sin and has good works. I need to be building something, working toward something, doing something. I can't just be teaching my kids not to sin, I need to be teaching them that I love them. I can't just tell them to obey me, I need to tell them to play with me. I can't just give my tithe to the church I need to give my offering to the man on the corner with the sign.
Now, all of that comes through everything else in the Bible. This verse is applied when I pray that any and all goodness in me is not only visible to others through our fellowship, but also points to Christ and His grace in me. Anything honorable, righteous, worthwhile, noble, commendable, praiseworthy, or otherwise good, should be a reflection of how God took me, a wretched, arrogant, selfish, lustful, deceitful, and otherwise bad man, and redeemed me. He made me new. I want people to see that for Truth.

P) Father, I pray that the fellowship of my faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in me for Christ’s sake. Holy Spirit, continue to shape me, mold me, purge me, purify me, and help me represent You in glorious fashion, glorifying Your goodness, power, and love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.