AuthorTerry R Baughman is Lead Pastor for LifeChurch in Gilbert, AZ. See his complete bio at trbaughman.com Archives
October 2024
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Grow in Grace3/31/2019  Grow in Grace
… a new beginning! Terry R. Baughman “Beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:17–18). Just as growth is a natural part of physical life, so progress and growth are necessary in spiritual development. Any life form that fails to develop and grow is either dying or in a degenerating process. Spiritual growth begins with a New Birth and continues to develop mature into perfection or completion. Paul related to this process, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:11–12). That which fails to grow ceases to be normal. Full development is never achieved and maturity is aborted. Peter wrote that the desire for milk is a positive attribute of those who are growing in God, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). Meanwhile, those who failed to develop rejected solid food and only wanted milk. Another writer said, “You have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, …” (Hebrews 5:12–14). We would not expect a baby to have an appetite for meat or the ability to derive nutritional protein from such a diet. However, it is quite natural for a mature person to adapt to a stronger diet and derive strength from it. Peter’s expectation was that believers would, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This implies that grace flourishes in a progressive unfolding in our lives and the knowledge of the Lord can increase. Actually, this is the purpose and plan of our Lord. Grace brought us to salvation, “by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). What He has begun in us, He is faithful to complete. (See Philippians 1:6.) As the songwriter said, It was “grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home” (Amazing Grace, by John Newton, 1779). Growth in grace is indicated by the acceptance of what He has done and illustrated by what He continues to provide. Failure to embrace His forgiveness and His loving acceptance shows a lack of spiritual maturity and reflects limitations in our development. The more we can understand His incredible love and absolute passion for us the greater His grace can be experienced. Grace is neither a license to sin nor intended to minimize the severity of judgment, but rather the experience of grace will lead us to comprehend how much salvation cost Him and how much He was willing to sacrifice for our redemption. The grace of God is instructive. Paul said it is, “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, … zealous for good works” (Titus 2:12, 14). God’s desire is that we would achieve our ultimate growth potential in Him; “We are complete in Him!” (Colossians 2:10). Scripture: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4 NIV).
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Receive God’s Gift3/24/2019  Receive God’s Gift
… a new beginning! Terry R. Baughman “You shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38–39). Have you ever had to be persuaded to receive a gift? If so, it is probably because the person giving the gift was not to be trusted. We are caused to be skeptical and a little cautious when such a person offers a gift that is out of character for them. Good gifts are to be received with joy, not with suspicion. When there is an absence of suspicious motivation, there is no reason to be reticent when offered a gift. God is a good God. His gifts are not frivolous nor intended to deceive us. As a matter of fact, James said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). When God promises good gifts we can rest assured that they are for our good. When God promised His Holy Spirit it was one of the greatest gifts he could ever offer. Jesus taught the principle that if our earthly fathers love to give good gifts, how much more would our heavenly Father. He said, “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:11–13). The gift of the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift we can receive. It is literally the Spirit of Christ that dwells with us and in us continually. Jesus said, “The Spirit of truth, … He dwells with you and will be in you.” Then He made it more personal, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:17–18). Before Jesus departed from this earth He promised the outpouring of His Holy Spirit upon His followers, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me … to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Those who waited in prayer in the Upper Room were among the first to receive this special gift. This was the fulfillment of the “Promise of the Father” (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4), and the object of Joel’s prophecy, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh” (Acts 2:17). Peter spoke to the curious crowd that came to investigate the shouts of jubilation and the ecstatic utterance of spiritual experience. He declared the good news of Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection, “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Among the crowd were some who had been responsible for the crucifixion or at least had consented to His death. With great consternation they cried out, “What should we do?” Peter’s response is still the answer to all who feel the load of guilt and the condemnation of sin, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.…” He concluded with the promise that continues beyond the initial crowd who heard his message, and its fulfillment is still being experienced, “You shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38–39). Receive His gift. It’s your promise! Scripture: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4 NIV).
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Surrender to Jesus Christ3/17/2019  Surrender to Jesus Christ
… a new beginning! Terry R. Baughman “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23–24). Surrender is not a word or an action that we readily embrace. To us surrender is a sign of weakness and submission is viewed as defeat. More often we seek to maintain an attitude of self-determination and self-promotion ruling our responses in any given situation. We rally behind the mantra, “Never give up, never give up, never give up!" The act of surrender runs contrary to our selfish interest. It means that we will yield our rights into the hand of another, giving them the authority to make decisions in our behalf but not necessarily with our best interest at heart. In the Scripture we are introduced to a new concept of surrender. It is the same action of yielding our rights to another, but it is different in that we also yield responsibility for our lives into the hands of one who knows much more about everything involved in our decisions. When we surrender to God there is confidence in knowing that He only will do what is best for us and He has our best interest in mind for every situation. The call to discipleship is an invitation to surrender our selfish-ambition, selfish-desires, and self-interest. This call is to a more fulfilled life of submission and surrender to God’s design and plan. Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:24). Only in Him can we truly find life and find it to be abundant and fulfilling. Through surrender we find success. Through submission we find accomplishment. As we surrender our rights to God, we find the joyous release of responsibility and the peaceful release of trusting in another. Much like children who rely on their parents to provide for their needs and assure their security, we find the same when we are at rest in Christ. Jesus appealed to His hearers, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). Our decision for discipleship is made daily. In our text, Luke inserts the crucial word daily. This singular word indicates our discipleship was not a solitary decision on a distant day, but rather a continuing resolution and a repeated submission, “Let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Every day we must take up the cross again. Every day a new decision is required to surrender in discipleship. Every day we deny ourselves and confirm His instruction as we pursue God’s purpose and plan in our lives. Learn the joy of surrender and the peace of submission at the feet of Jesus. Embrace the cross and follow His footprints to find the ultimate fulfillment. Join Paul’s pursuit, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10). Make the ultimate commitment. Surrender to Jesus Christ! Scripture: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4 NIV).
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Submit to Authority3/10/2019  Submit to Authority
… a new beginning! Terry R. Baughman “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it’” (Matthew 8:8–9). An understanding of authority will bring blessing into a life. There is an order to our relationships and balance in the tension of social interaction when we have an acknowledged submission to authority. From government to corporate, from associations to acquaintances, all connections are designed to follow a hierarchical system of authority whether it is intentional or developed organically. The family structure is strengthened when each member is submitted to one another, and all are submitted to God. When we had small children it was important to them to know who was their boss. They would say, “When daddy’s at home he’s the boss and when he is gone mommy’s the boss!” From a young age they grasped the idea of authority and structure in our home. In reality, it is not a matter of, “who is the boss,” rather it is a matter of responsibility. Those who are vested with authority must also bear the weight of the consequences of their decisions. Those in authority must consider the needs of those under their leadership. Decisions must reflect the wellbeing of the family, the association, or the society. The most difficult decisions are those where the benefits have cross purposes; what is good for one group seems unfair to another. In the kingdom of God authority extends into the spiritual realm. There is a divine order in creation and throughout the heavenly sphere. Jesus stated, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus upholds, “all things by the word of His power,” and holds the ultimate position of authority. It was stated that He, “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). Mark recorded Jesus’ prediction, “You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). Jesus holds the place of authority and possesses the name of authority over all others. Paul acknowledged His authority was, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21). The Centurion in the text above came to Jesus on behalf of one of his servants who had become critically ill. It is interesting to note that a man of great leadership came to Jesus seeking help for a servant. This detail was not lost on Jesus when He offered to come to the Centurion’s home. That’s when the Centurion made the observation about his authority and his recognition of the authority of Christ. He said, “Just speak the word and it will be done!” When we learn to submit to authority we also find the secret power that comes through submission. All of God’s resources are available to us as we submit to Him and to others “under authority.” Scripture: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4 NIV).
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Make more Healthy Choices3/3/2019  Make more Healthy Choices
… a new beginning! Terry R. Baughman “I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2). The biblical view, especially among the Hebrew people, was that humans are seen holistically. While the Greeks divided humanity into three part beings (body, soul, and spirit), there was a different view within the Jewish culture. This holistic idea is seen in the text above. Physical health is closely connected to spiritual well-being. Where one may express their desire to be physically fit while ignoring the spiritual condition, both are interconnected. John’s desire was that we might prosper in all things (financial well-being and vocational success), enjoy health in your physical being, and abounding in our spiritual pursuits as well. As Christians we may place higher priority on spiritual pursuits and the exercise of biblical disciplines. While the Scripture does say, “Bodily exercise profits a little,” we should also understand that there are benefits to exercise, proper diet and health (1 Timothy 4:8). Elsewhere Paul stated, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God,” so we should show respect to our temple and treat it as the residence of God and a gift from Him (1 Corinthians 6:19). Bad habits, drugs and alcohol, and harmful food choices should be avoided to enhance the wellbeing of the body that God has given us. Eating healthy is a choice that often challenges us. It seems that some people more naturally embrace a healthy diet while others are constantly tempted to indulge in unhealthy choices or behaviors. Regardless, the options are always before us. Perhaps some of the adventure we experience is that that we have a variety of alternatives available to us in so many areas of life. While we may profess to love our couch potato persona and shun physical activities, we actually know that we would be more healthy and feel better if increased activity was integrated into our schedules. As we launch a new beginning in our life take a few moments to analyze your intake of food, your daily activities, and assess what improvements could be made that would enhance your life in a positive direction. Purpose to eat more healthy choices. Determine to park further from the door and walk a little more. Take the stairs instead of an elevator if possible. Go for a walk here enrolling an exercise class with a friend. Make some choices today to live better in the future. As we begin to take positive steps toward better health decisions we may also find ourselves better equipped to make spiritual decisions and develop the disciplines to live a clean and holy lifestyle. The opposite affect may also be experienced. We may make some spiritual decisions and then find ourselves also examining our choices for improved health in our lifestyle. That is the holistic interconnection we will experience as we begin making crucial changes in our lives with God’s help. Make it a goal today. Start fresh each morning and ask God for His wisdom in making more healthy life choices. Scripture: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4 NIV). |
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