Knowing and doing... keys to intimacy

Remember the days of dating? For some of us, it was a long, long time ago. When I met that special 'someone,' [who really understands the mixture of elements that makes her that 'someone,'] I wanted to get to know Bev better. That meant raising my level of commitment to her. We quickly moved from just being acquainted to seeing each other frequently, not dating anyone else that Summer of '74. We were 'going steady!' What do that call it now? Then, in the Fall, we became engaged, pledged to marry. Impatient as I was (and am!) we moved quickly to marriage in January, 1975, when I made an irrevocable pledge of faithful, singular love made to her as a covenant before God. Sustaining our intimacy has required absolute fidelity through the years and a willingness to consider her needs at least, if not more, important than my own. The glory is -- each stage brought new depth of relationship, new intimacy.

When we come to Christ, and begin to love Him, there is a similar pattern of escalating commitment. That commitment isn't just about saying the right words, either. Our professions of devotion must be accompanied by appropriate actions that demonstrate the veracity of our words. James asks us - what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. (James 2:14, NLT) He is not implying that our good deeds are done for the purpose of earning merit badges for our holy sash to show everybody what a great Christian we are! His point is that IF we are deeply committed, in faith, to being a follower of Christ Jesus, there will be an observable effect on our lives that extends beyond songs and prayers on Sunday morning. In chapter one, he admonishes us to be sincere about our obedience. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! (James 1:22, The Message)

That kind of commitment allows us to grow deeper in Christ. Both what we believe and how we live are intertwined in this thing called Christianity. We err seriously if we elevate either over the other. Too much emphasis on belief, on sound doctrine, and we will end up with ideas, theoretical doctrine, that float unattached to the day to day world in which we live. Too much emphasis on actions and we will end up with a list of religious rules as long as our arm, captives of our guilty consciences, and driven to miserable shame. We believe the brilliant Word- that Christ loves and saves us- that what is done is totally effective on our behalf to make us again the sons and daughters of God. And then, gratefully, we grow in commitment, letting the evidence of the Spirit's life show as we live joyfully in obedience to Him.

Intimacy in a marriage relationship can get 'stuck' when one spouse comes to a point where he or she is unwilling to surrender autonomy. He thinks, "She cannot own my Saturday mornings, and resists all her efforts to be a part of his weekend." Or he holds back a portion of his money to spend exclusively for his own pleasure, or she continues to have friends that he is not allowed to know ... and until the conflict or difference in understanding is resolved, their intimacy cannot grow. What marriage partners fail to grasp in that moment is that in surrender, they surely lose something, but they gain something of greater value than what they release! What can compare to a deep, loving, and intimate relationship with a spouse who serves you with her whole heart? She is released from fear that she will be diminished or taken advantage of when she sees you love her in a way that is costly, but true!

Similarly, we can become stuck, unable to grow in our Christ love. The Holy Spirit will not allow us to hold onto some little part of our life, as though it had nothing to do with the Lordship of Jesus. Our disobedience breaks the close loving fellowship with Him. He asks us to love Him totally! That 'totally' grows over time. Frightening thought to you? Don't let it be. Yes, serving Him means that we lose ourselves -- but what we gain is of such worth that what we lose is inconsiderable!

Here's a word from the Word to take with you today... "you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:20, NIV)

Legacy

Standing on a ridge west of Gettysburg, PA last night, I looked thoughtfully across the valley that stretched out in front of me trying to imagine the thunder of cannon, the crack of rifles, the yells of colonels on horseback, the screams of the wounded and dying. All around me there were monuments (about 1,000!) to the men who had fought on these Pennsylvania fields - obelisks carved with names of military units, bronze bas relief scenes. The horror of the 3 day battle that raged here on the first three days of July, 1863 is simply beyond my imagination. When the battle ended, there were 51,000 casualties, 1/3 of those who were sent into the battles were killed or wounded! For the men who survived the carnage, what happened here never faded from memory all the rest of their days. They were determined that no one should forget, so they came back again and again in the four decades that closed the nineteenth century, building monuments to stand as silent sentinels so we would not forget the blood that spilled here.

But it is not stone and bronze that is their greatest memorial. President Lincoln's 2 minute long speech, the amazing 'Gettysburg Address,' points to the true legacy of the men who battled here: "we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." That these United States of America still continue to offer freedom and prosperity to millions as the world's greatest democracy is the most enduring monument!

What will be the legacy of the battles you fight?
What monuments will give testament to your life 50 years from this day?

For those who live only for creature comforts, to accumulate possessions, or to create a fiefdom over which they can be a petty lord- the only monument will likely be a stone in a cemetery! But for those who live with passion, who love deeply, who pray and serve - there will be changed lives that are 'living stones.' By way of illustration, let me mention my grandfather now long gone from this earth. The money he made was spent years ago, the land he owned has all been divided and sold. But Walter Scott's lasting legacy are the lives of men and women who are now lived in the shadow of the Throne of God. His conversion to Christ and his leadership of his family in a way that pointed to Eternity has an effect that continues to exercise influence decades after his death.

Live in faith! Pray that God will give you a powerful vision for your life that will draw you on to greater exploits, but not for self aggrandizement, but for His honor.

Here's a word from the Word for this day: "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent. And so did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise.
Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
It was by faith that Sarah together with Abraham was able to have a child, even though they were too old and Sarah was barren. Abraham believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man, Abraham, who was too old to have any children—a nation with so many people that, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them." (Hebrews 11:8-12, NLT)

Let's keep the legacy in mind!
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Find Us Faithful

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road,
And those who've gone before us
Line the way.
Cheering on the faithful,
Encouraging the weary,
Their lives a stirring testament
To God's sustaining grace.

O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion
Light their way.
May the footprints that we leave,
Lead them to believe,
And the lives we live
Inspire them to obey.
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful.

Surrounded by so great
A cloud of witnesses,
Let us run the race
Not only for the prize,
But as those who've gone before us.
Let us leave to those behind us,
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on thru godly lives.

After all our hopes and dreams
Have come and gone,
And our children sift thru all
We've left behind,
May the clues that they discover,
And the mem'ries they uncover,
Become the light that leads them,
To the road we each must find.

© 1987 Jonathan Mark Music ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management / Birdwing Music (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055

Wrestling...

The team that directs our Christian school sat around a table last night and wrestled with the budget numbers for the coming fiscal year; working to reconcile the vision with the available resources! It is not a simple task to discern what is mission critical and what is not, to know what God would have us trust Him to provide and yet to be responsible as stewards of a vital ministry. I was made glad by the efforts of the group, who dealt with tough issues in a godly, faithful, and ultimately hopeful way - as Christians should. This ministry will be stronger because several people are willing to wrestle with these things to clarify the purpose and methods.

We all have to wrestle with tough issues, with difficult decisions- don't we? Life is often an uphill climb for those who want to be better, build bigger, grow deeper!
Close-knit families don't just happen, they are created and maintained with hard work.
Good character is developed as we fight our way through the thicket of self-indulgence and resist the seductions of the 'broad way that leads to destruction.'
Skills and spiritual gifts are honed for maximum effectiveness through prolonged study and/or practice.
Fit bodies are made by sustained discipline of exercise and careful choices in our diet.

Don't be discouraged by the struggles of life! Don't think you're doing something wrong because you're in a wrestling match with sin, self, or Satan! It may be the very means that God is using to develop you into a champion for His purposes. Jacob, whose story we read in Genesis, spent a night wrestling with the Lord. It is a story with cryptic details, yet the larger message comes through clearly-- Only as we are willing to wrestle with those situations that God allows to come our way can we develop into the person God wants us to be!

Here's how it's told: "...during the night Jacob got up and sent his two wives, two concubines, and eleven sons across the Jabbok River. After they were on the other side, he sent over all his possessions. This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until dawn. When the man saw that he couldn’t win the match, he struck Jacob’s hip and knocked it out of joint at the socket.
Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is dawn.” But Jacob panted, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won.”
“What is your name?” Jacob asked him. “Why do you ask?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there. Jacob named the place Peniel—“face of God”—for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” (Genesis 32:22-30, NLT)

A new name signified a new man! Jacob, the Liar (as his name meant) became Israel, the man who wrestled with God!

Those struggles that are making you wrestle with faith, that cause you to question God's plans and purposes, that make you groan in prayer, that drive you to seek out the wisdom of the Word are not a bad thing. God can use them to mold you into a person worthy of His high calling IF you'll wrestle and not quit!

Here's a word to take with you today:
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. (Ephesians 6:13, The Message)

Living a Transcendent Life

One of the more amazing technologies available to us today is GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System. Using signals from satellites, handheld devices enable a person to locate his place almost anywhere on the planet within a 6 ' square. Directional systems that combine GPS signals with computer programming can create driving directions as a person is on the move at 70 mph! Pilots of airplanes and watercraft not only can track their course with GPS, they can also determine actual ground speed with complete accuracy. In this morning's newspaper I read that a new hobby, a kind of high tech treasure hunt, is based around GPS. Small boxes are placed in parks or along hiking trails. Inexpensive items are put in the boxes and the location of the boxes are published on the Internet. Hobbyists, using their GPS devices, find the boxes, take an item, and leave something for the next trekker! Fun, eh?

Let me ask you some pointed questions today.

• Where are the reference points from which you gain direction and purpose for life?
  How do you determine where you are spiritually, if you're growing in character, and what your ultimate destination is?

In a course that Bev and I are teaching about developing Boundaries with Kids, Dr. Henry Cloud writes about the importance of parenting for character development. Children, he asserts, need to be 'oriented to transcendence,' meaning that we teach our children (hopefully from our own experience!) to seek their guidance, purpose, and meaning in life from a transcendent God, rather than from the material and temporal world. If we learn to tune our spiritual receivers to the beacon of the Holy Spirit, we gain, in Dr. Cloud's words, "the ability to transcend life, problems, our own limitations and mistakes, and even other people's sins against us. People who transcend self go beyond their own existence to the reality of God and live by virtues they hold more important than their own immediate happiness." That's heavy stuff, and a foreign concept for most minds, especially in our culture which is so powerfully captivated by materialism and sensuality.

We have only to read the headlines to see where our loss of reference to God and His will is taking us. From what roots did the Enron and WorldCom scandals come? From a philosophy that said that the ultimate good in the corporate world was producing profits, regardless of the methods used. Executives felt that they could justify any decisions, as long as they made the money flow increase. Their lack of integrity and greed combined to rot away the foundations of their companies which collapsed with terrible consequences for thousands of employees and share-holders.

It seems to be that sex crimes are on the increase. Some say that is only because more are being reported, but I think differently. I believe in time what is now just an intuitive guess will be confirmed. What is that guess? That our our reduction of the human race to the status of highly evolved animals rather than precious creations of a loving God has released many among us to express their basest predatory impulses. Where once even our sexuality was expressed within boundaries given us by God, now we are taught that sex is just an appetite to be satisfied. Without transcendent values, all kinds of sexual practices are made legitimate; including homosexual practice, rampant promiscuity, and prostitution. We are reaping the consequences of our worldview!

The Word teaches us that God has given us an internal spiritual GPS, a way of fixing our reference point for guidance outside of ourselves. Take a look...

"The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you. So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live." (Romans 8:11-13, NLT)

We need to invite Christ to 'turn on' the receiver that God built into our being so that we are able to tune into the Spirit's leading. Invite Jesus to make you fully alive! That will allow you to 'hear what the Spirit is saying,' to live a transcendent life. In this you will find a noble life, and more importantly, a life that ends here on earth with an arrival at the gate of Heaven, where a rich reward awaits the faithful!

Here's a word from the Word to take with you today....
"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:18-21, NIV)