From Preaching to Meddling…
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire…..James 5:1+
WoW… those are hard hitting words from James and Pete’s talk to FORGE Men this week was just as strong! One of the guys commented…You went from preaching to meddling, then he smiled and said…and it was really good. Only men Energized by Grace could hear and consider these Truths about the dangers of materialism and leave both challenged and encouraged!
If you weren’t able to be there, go to ForgeTruth.com and give it a listen. While James was warning those in his day regarding the vanity of building your life on the treasures of food, clothing, and gold, it was also a warning to us to examine our lives more closely. The conversation around the tables was lively and thought-provoking.
Later in the week as a part of my DAWG, the Holy Spirit fueled my thinking on this even deeper as I read Peter’s words and Scotty Smith’s prayer…God has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them we may participate in the divine nature, to become like Jesus and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires…..2 Peter 1:4.
Heavenly Father, what a centering gift this passage is to us.
Thank You for giving us Your “great and precious promises.” You are both the original promise maker and promise keeper. You never over promised, and you’ll never under-deliver.
Thank You for clarifying why You have given us so many promises in the Bible. By Your promises, we don’t program You; You transform us. To “share in Your divine nature” is to become like Jesus, not become “little gods” exercising micro-sovereignty, over anything or anybody.
Your promises are way more about our holiness than our happiness, “escaping corruption,” not accumulating possessions. In this sense, your promises claim us; we don’t claim them. Hallelujah, the pressure is off. You began a work in us that you will finish.
It’s freeing to remember all Your promises direct our gaze away from ourselves, to Jesus; for Jesus is the ultimate “Yes!” For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him…..2 Corinthians 1:20.
So, may everything You’ve planned for us in Jesus by Jesus…
shape our dreams!
be our joy!
fuel our hope!
The next day God was still driving it home as I read…For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you…..Titus 2:11-15
God is so good to give us hard Truths which sometimes expose things about our heart, like…the corruption in the world caused by evil desires, and then show His faithfulness to His sons…For the grace of God has appeared, so that even as we continue to become aware of the fruit of our sin nature, we are reminded even more of God’s ALL Sufficiency in this REDEEMED life He has given us!
Living the realities of life with my Forge brothers…Kelley
