1 John 2:4-6 NASB
The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Personal Challenge…
It is not enough to go through life saying that I am a Christian, because _______ (you fill in the blank). It is necessary for us to live our lives, every moment of them, being a lover of Him and those whom He has placed in our lives, obeying His commandments, and doing His work, not in order to earn His love but because of His love. Being a Christian is not a noun, it is an active verb.

James 1:5-6 NASB
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

Encouraging Words…
As I begin the trek through Proverbs I am reminded of how much that book talks about wisdom, Godly wisdom. Just as Solomon requested wisdom when he had the opportunity to ask for anything from God, we have the opportunity to ask God to give us wisdom. He will give it to us generously if we ask for it in faith and without any doubt. God is so good.

Romans 12:1-2 NIV
Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Personal Challenge…
We Christians in the modern world have gotten so used to having our God conform to our desires, our society, our way of being. However, we are told to offer ourselves to Him as living sacrifices, to do what is holy and pleasing to Him (which is always different than what is pleasing to me and those in this world), to not conform to the pattern of this world, but transformed by Him. This is all definitely a personal challenge for me, but the results are so worth it…the ability to test and approve God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will in and through my life.

Luke 18:27 NLT
He (Jesus) replied, “What is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God.”

Personal Challenge…
Once again I must be reminded that it is not up to me to do the impossible thing, whether it be raising support so that I can keep working in Haiti, or doing the work that I am called every day to do, or being loving to those whom God has put in my life, or being a good husband, father, grandparent, brother, friend, or neighbor. The sooner that I can embrace that all things are possible through God and that I must humble myself before Him and let Him do the impossible, the sooner I will see His hand in my life.

Proverbs 16:18 NIV
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Personal Challenge…
Isn’t this the one sin that seems to be the root of most other sins? Pride…making it all about me, hearing things in conversations through a filter that is all about me, expressing what I express from the perspective of me. This is one of my ongoing personal challenges…eliminating the focus on me and putting the focus on others, with Love.

Psalm 133 NASB
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing–life forever.

Personal Challenge…
I always love it when new verses jump out at me during my reading times.

Unity amongst the brethren…isn’t this what God wants for His children? So much so that Jesus prayed for it and Paul taught about it. Who are we in the church today that we believe we can generate disunity because we disagree with how our brothers worship the Lord or call upon His name. It is God who determines the condition of a person’s heart, not me. Come Lord Jesus, Come!!

Psalm 46:10 NASB
Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Personal Challenge…
Hmmm…Cease striving and know that I am God. I guess the psalmist is telling us that it is not about what I do, or what I know, but that God is who He is. He will be exalted and I have nothing to do with that exaltation. He wants me to stop trying to make it happen on my own accord and just rest in knowing that He is God and that He will be exalted.

‎1 Kings 8:22-24 NASB
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day.

Words of Encouragement…
Have you ever had someone ask you why in the world would you be a Christian? I have and this proclamation by Solomon so many years ago is still as good today as it was then. I am a Christian because I am in a relationship with a God that is alive and constant. He has always been there for mankind (since He created us) and He always will be. He has redeemed us from death through His Son and established His Bride, His Church of which I am a part. All that the world has to offer is temporary and fleeting. Why would I not be a Christian? That is the real question.

‎2 Peter 1:5-7 NIV
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Personal Challenge…
Have you ever had someone call you a wimp, or weak, because you are a Christian? Well to be truthful, Christianity is not for the weak. I know that our strength does not come from us, but from God, but to live a life based on goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and most importantly love is to live a most difficult and challenging life. Oh how often I fail in all of these areas, but by the grace of God He is there to pick me up and help me start all over again.

Hebrews 4:9-10 NLT
So there is a special rest {Or Sabbath rest.} still waiting for the people of God. For all who enter into God’s rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world.

Encouraging Words…
Talk about having something to hope for…how wonderful it will be when that day arrives for me as I enter into God’s rest. Thank goodness that we have a Sabbath rest, but it is only a shadow of an image of what it will be like when I finally enter into that permanent rest with Him.