Daily Butter10/21: Confidence

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (10/21/11):

Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

(Philemon 21 HCSB)

Reading these words from Paul to Philemon reminded me of this co-worker’s confidence in me to not only do my assigned task, but do it with excellence. I got a compliment last night from a coworker who, though she’s worked at the store less than a year in comparison to my nearly three years, was working in the position that oversees customer service staff and has to assign cleaning tasks. She stated that I am one of very few who she can trust will do the task assigned with excellence without question and without repeated reminders. I am not really vocal about my faith “on the clock,” but it is nice to know that my choosing to let my light shine is noticed. I am certain I will have opportunity to explain the reason I’m so different (1 Peter 3:14-15).

Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.

(Philippians 2:14-15 HCSB)

- Andy Jentes

Daily Butter 10/20: Faithful

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (10/20/11):

    I have been young and now I am old,

    yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned

    or his children begging bread.

    (Psalm 37:25 HCSB)

While the first part of this verse jumped out at me because the digits of my age change today, it is the reminder of His provision that has stuck from my youth to now. My mother would often quote this reminder growing up when finances were tight in the house. God has remained faithful and has not allowed me or my family (parents and sibling or wife and child) to ever go hungry. Though I get frustrated that I rely on the government WIC program and find myself wishing and wondering how I can better provide for my family, I am thankful to have the jobs that allow me to keep my promise to allow Sharon to be a stay-at-home-mom. Though I really do enjoy the jobs that I have, I do get edgy when I am drained from the number of hours I put in each week. That leads to regrets that I would love to avoid when my rein on my tongue weakens and I unnecessarily and undeservedly lash out at my family. I wish I could avoid the fatigue and unnecessary pain to my family, but I am so grateful He has provided a way for me to continue to be a man of my word to my wife.

- Andy Jentes

Daily Butter 10/16: Not Judged

With new software being introduced at work and "vacation" being my first as a homeowner and therefore full of do-it-yourself projects I've not been faithful to post thoughts here. Today's springboard for thought came not from Our Daily Bread, but a mention from the morning message at First Baptist Church Gallatin (10/16/2011):

Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
(Romans 8:1-2 HCSB)

Pastor Larry mentioned this verse with the reminder that a lack of "condemnation" is not a lack of "conviction." Since I enjoy playing words, my mind went chasing the rabbit down the trail of what makes these words different. Both have to deal with rules or laws and the violation of them. But as I tried to wrap my mind around the difference, I envisioned myself standing in a courtroom before grand jury.

While both the "conviction" and the "condemnation" come at the end of the proceedings, they came in two totally different pronouncements. Conviction takes place when the jury foreman proclaims, "We find the defendant guilty of ____." Conviction is proof of guilt, but it is not condemnation. Condemnation follows when the presiding judge passes sentence and the consequences for the violation are pronounced. HERE lies the difference.

Why is there conviction without condemnation for the Christian? Romans 8:2 tells us that it is because the law of sin and death has been replaced by the law of life in Christ. That was done through Christ taking the consequences on our behalf. There can be no condemnation for the price has already been paid.

Conviction will remain so long as there is a transgression of which one is guilty. As a child I remember that knowing my actions caused pain and heartache to my mother or father was enough to make me feel guilty and change my actions. As a child of God, it should be no different. I pray that I never stop being convicted when I grieve my Lord.

- Andy

Daily Butter 10/10: Grace

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (10/10/11):

 

     He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve

    or repaid us according to our offenses.

 

     For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

    so great is His faithful love

    toward those who fear Him.

   (Psalm 114:10-11 HCSB)

 

With the reminders of counting blessing from today’s ODB, these two verses stuck out to me as the biggest blessing: God’s mercy that spares us from the penalty actually due for our sins and His grace to lavish us with faithful love in spite of our unfaithfulness.

 

- Andy Jentes

Daily Butter 10/6: This Little Light of Mine

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (10/6/11):

 

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…

(Philippians 2:14-16a NIV[1984])

 

The reminder in today’s ODB to “let my light shine” reminded me of this verse I have aspired to for years and the process we just went through in our search, purchase, and move-in for our new home. I may never know how many people noticed, but some have mentioned that they would not have handled it with as much patience as I showed. My role is to live the life He has called me to point to Him as my hope. In the darkest darkness, even the smallest spark is brilliant. Some may shield their eyes from it; some will be drawn toward it; and most will be confused by it, so I must be prepared to introduce them to my Lord and my Hope.

 

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

(1 Peter 3:15 NLT)

 

- Andy Jentes

Daily Butter 10/5: Not Home Yet

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (10/5/11):

 

May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints' inheritance in the light. (Colossians 1:11-12 HCSB)

 

I ended yesterday with some new Steven Curtis Chapman, so I thought borrowing a song title of his for my title today seemed appropriate also. Joe Stowell was so right in today’s ODB about the importance of understanding our true position in Him from verse 13. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 NASB) Verse 11 captures the need for strength and power and might and endurance and patience that it takes to walk (as Joe Stowell put so well in his real estate illustration) “through the greatly devalued territory of our world.”  Of course Paul did not write the church in Colossae verse by verse, but rather in his characteristic long sentences. So you cannot have the strength and endurance of verse 11 without the understanding of verse 12 that it is the Father who made it possible to share in the inheritance. I am eternally thankful that it is not by my strength or my endurance or my patience but “according to His glorious might” that I will see the inheritance of the saints.

- Andy Jentes

Daily Butter10/4: Unseen

First, my apologies for not being faithful to log entries the past few days/nights. The closing and moving into our house was much more traumatic than I had anticipated and while in my spirit I know that I needed my grounding in the Word in the midst of the process as much as ever, the weariness of my flesh won out and I did not remain consistent. I have no excuses, but as I told my wife, that was September and this is October. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentation 3:21-23), so I too start afresh.

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (10/4/11):

Go to the ant, you slacker!

  Observe its ways and become wise.

Without leader, administrator, or ruler,

 it prepares its provisions in summer;

    it gathers its food during harvest.

(Proverbs 6:6-8 HCSB)

Authority that is not visible is not a lack of authority nor does the failure to recognize an unseen authority negate that authority. The ants the wise teacher observed may not have had a noticeable leadership structure, but they understood the Creator made them for a purpose and faithfully continued to do the tasks they need to accomplish. As Dave Branon’s account in today’s ODB spotlighted, this view is by no means the universal in American society today. And this is not really a recent development. It has been one of my confusions for years: People driving at whatever breakneck speed they can and only slow down if they see a patrol car or their trusty radar detector goes off. With the obvious exception of changing lanes and/or slowing when they are doing their job on the shoulder of the road, the traffic laws are the same whether there is a visible enforcer of those laws or not. This especially baffles me when it is fellow Christians who are disrespectful of that authority. They should understand about unseen authority if anyone would! Trust that I am not blameless as I do catch myself getting “lead-footed” and at times give in to the crowd when I find it unsafe to go only the posted speed limits due to the speed of the traffic surrounding me. I understand though this is a personal conviction that some do not share. Apparently I am just “old fashioned,” but I’ll wear that title and continue to mind the authorities and especially The Authority.
- Andy Jentes

Whatever you do it all matters
So do what you do and don't ever forget to do

Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace as you do

From "Do Everything" - Steven Curtis Chapman