Sorting through the ‘facts’

 

These days I find myself confused by the flow of information that is often completely contradictory from one ‘expert’ to the next.  For some matters I can just ignore the noise. When it comes to my faith in Christ and my life as His disciple, the issues are of first-line importance. Revisionists tell me that what I once believed about my Christian faith and practice is no longer applicable or true.  Being “politically correct” often is more important than knowing the truth.  We live in an era when personal experience and affirmation of individuals is more important than what is right. The results for the work and life of the Church are catastrophic as they are for the world in which we live, one that seeks deeper into chaos each day.

 

When I am confronted by a pastor or teacher who claims some new light, in my discomfort I do look first at myself. "Jerry, are you just attached to a tradition? Does your discomfort come from that tradition being violated or does your disagreement arise out of a necessary defense of principle?"  It is not a simple question, nor is the answer always clear. While we err greatly in making our doctrine completely malleable to our culture, we also err if we become rigid and refuse to learn.  So I try to give myself to study, prayer, and reflection. I ask God to give me patience to listen to others while desiring to know the leading of the Spirit and His revelation of the truth above all else.  

I am quite aware that there will always be generational difference of understanding about ‘best practice’ in faith.  We will, given our perceptions and understandings, shift in our ways of worship. But, when the ways of the world and being accepted by others is allowed to be more important than fidelity to the revealed truth of the Word, a deadly drift starts to pull us away from the living God.

Life is full of ambiguity, with many choices I make every day involving many shades of gray. Though the Scripture gives me principles for life, there are many decisions that require the guidance of the Spirit.  I am so thankful for His promise to create the mind of Christ in me. When the confusion of competing voices makes me uncertain, I go to this word  - "But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets. No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world’s spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us." (1 Corinthians 2:10-12, NLT)

For an old man the safer choice, and often the most comfortable, is to hang onto the status quo.  There is so much appeal for me in these turbulent times to just say, “Not for me. I know what I know.”  If, however, we will not listen with a willingness to learn, we become people who are increasing isolated and ineffective for Christ Jesus. The world continues to spin, change continues today as it has since time’s beginning.  Let’s remember, too, that constant innovation that is not solidly grounded in truth will lead to disastrous consequences.

So, again, I circle around to ask, how do we choose?

Humility must be a part of the process that guides us. If we really want to know God's leading, we need to have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. He speaks to us through the Scripture, through the traditions of the church, and through dialogue with our brothers and sisters that can be intense. It's that last part that I find most difficult! But in Proverbs I am reminded, "As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend." (Proverbs 27:17, NLT) Wrestling with the truth helps us not only to discover it, but to own it. I am learning that a decision that does not allow for honest, open dialogue is usually not the best, nor wisest, one.

Prayerfulness, too, must always be part of a decision-making process. "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25, NIV) It is the Holy Spirit that gives us true wisdom. We find life when we find His way. We find His way by remaining in a place of intimate communion with Him. When prods our conscience, quickly we respond, "yes, Lord!" When He lifts His peace from us, we stop and wait and listen. When we grieve Him with willfulness, we repent quickly. This walk with the Spirit allows Him to 'guide us into all truth.' (John 16.13)

The worst choice has become all too common – apathy. God calls us to be people of passion for Him, for truth, for the salvation of our world.

Got a challenge today? Not sure what is the right course?

God promises to lead. Let Him.
Listen to counsel.
Meditate on the Scripture.
Pray!

The word from the Word tells us a great promise- "If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord." (James 1:5-7, NLT)

_____________

This I Believe (The Creed)

 

Our Father everlasting

The all creating One

God Almighty

Through Your Holy Spirit

Conceiving Christ the Son

Jesus our Savior

 

I believe in God our Father

I believe in Christ the Son

I believe in the Holy Spirit

Our God is three in One

I believe in the resurrection

That we will rise again

For I believe in the Name of Jesus

 

Our judge and our defender

Suffered and crucified

Forgiveness is in You

Descended into darkness

You rose in glorious life

Forever seated high

 

I believe in You

I believe You rose again

I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord

 

I believe in life eternal

I believe in the virgin birth

I believe in the saints' communion

And in Your holy Church

I believe in the resurrection

When Jesus comes again

For I believe in the Name of Jesus

 

Ben Fielding | Matt Crocker

© 2014 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

It never stops!

The world never stands still, does it?  How do you deal with the unceasing demands of living? The homes we live in must be maintained:  a screw tightened, a leak repaired, a roof replaced … Our relationships require tending, too. If we stop paying attention to others, we will drift apart. I have talked with people who admit that they have not spoken to their sibling for 25 years. Why? They shrug - “We just grew apart.”  Life keeps rolling. One day’s problems solved only to find new ones today.

Who has not convinced himself that life will certainly be less complicated when … we find a new job, move to a new town, retire.  But, each change, each new season brings some new demand for growth. If we are completely honest, I think most of us would admit that there are days when keeping up with it all is just exhausting.  And there are people who choose to drop out, hide out, or wipe out! Some just lay down and go with the current, swept away to irrelevance. Others bury themselves in meaningless diversions from real life. Still others make terribly self-destructive choices. 

One of those parts of life where there is a constant demand for growth is our walk with God, our life in the Spirit. Yesterday’s victories are celebrated. Its failures are forgiven. Now we must lean into this day, making the most of the opportunities that are ours in this moment.

Christian, God invites us to persevere. It’s a word rich in meaning in the Bible, coming from a NT Greek word that literally means ‘to stand up under the weight.’  

Listen to God’s encouragement for the ongoing demands of life.  "Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved." (Hebrews 10:35-39, NLT)

How do keep on meeting the challenges?

First, we choose faith, our hope set fully on Christ's life in us!  
Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, we meet with disappointment. In Ecclesiastes we are told that "The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor satisfaction to the wise, nor riches to the smart, nor grace to the learned." (Ecclesiastes 9:11, The Message) Christians need the long view that takes in Eternity. Without it, we risk becoming disillusioned, perhaps bitter, and may become a casualty of the battles of life.

Second, we do God's will, not ours!
James teaches us about the importance of taking the Way of the Spirit. "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." (James 4:13-15, NIV)  Paul urges us to ‘keep step with the Spirit!’ (Gal. 5) When we are in tune with His will today we can be confident to walk into tomorrow.

Third, by faith we hold onto the Hope of all things set right, when the King returns! 

Peter answered Jesus’ invitation to discipleship with an objection, at first. “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”  (Mark 10:28-30, NIV)  God never forgets what is done in His Name. On this side of Heaven we may not see our efforts rewarded, but in His Eternity, there is a sure reward.  He will set things right, bring justice (both a comforting and fearful thought), and give us a home where time does not exist, where we will live in perfection!

Meditate on this word from the Word today. Unpack God’s truth for encouragement that will keep you fully alive in the Spirit, meeting the challenges of the day.

“Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:19-25, NIV)

"Winners never quit and quitters never win." -Vince Lombardi

______________

True-Hearted, Whole-Hearted
(A Scots hymn)

True-hearted whole-hearted faithful and loyal
King of our lives by Your grace we'll stay true
Under Your standard exalted and royal
Strong in Your strength we will battle for You

Peal out the watchword and silence it never
Song of our spirits rejoicing and free
True-hearted whole-hearted now and for ever
King of our lives by Your grace we will be

True-hearted whole-hearted fullest allegiance
Yielding each day to our glorious King
Valiant endeavor and loving obedience
Freely and joyously now would we bring

True-hearted Savior You know all our story
Weak are the hearts that we lay at Your feet
Sinful and treacherous yet for Your glory
Heal them and cleanse them from sin and deceit

True-hearted whole-hearted Savior all glorious
Take Your great power and You reign alone
Over our wills and affections victorious
Freely surrendered and wholly Your own

Frances Ridley Havergal – Public Domain

 

Do you live with JOY?

 

I’m loving Springtime. The green lawn, the warmer days, the expectation of Summer trips, these things bring me a lot of happiness.  And, I am choosing JOY.  Thirty years ago, while I sat in my darkened office, in a real depression, a good friend, who was a mental health professional, stopped by. He opened the curtains while telling me: “Bro, you gotta let the sun shine in!”  Tom was so right. His words were both literal – about getting out of the gloomy dark, and figurative, about the importance of choosing joy.

Are you inviting the Light to shine in your life?
Are you living in ways that invite the Holy Spirit to be welcomed in your life?
Are you exercising faith, practicing real acceptance, learning to lean on the Lord?

Living with joy does not require a vacation to some exotic locale. A walk in the park can boost our spirits. Satisfaction of hunger does not demand a feast! A hamburger shared with friends can delight us.  So it is with joy. We can find joy where we are. We can be miserable or we can be joyful. Oh yes, I am well acquainted with sorrow and disappointment.  Choosing joy is not the same thing as creating a fantasy that lets us escape from reality. Joy is a gift of God to those who will receive it. Pastor James says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." (James 1:2-3, NIV)  His counsel is that we ‘take charge’ of our thoughts, that we redirect them from dark places to hopeful faith.

Few things will sabotage joy more completely than trying to assume control of everything in life. Situations arise that defy explanation. God, Himself, allows us to go through experiences that leave us grasping at ‘why,’ wondering about His love and goodness. People we trust will disappoint us. That’s not being negative. It is just the reality of the world in which we live.

But, we can bend with the wind, bowing our heads to the Sovereign God to receive His grace. Acceptance must not be confuses with resignation. Resigned people just give up but usually with resentment which causes bitterness.  Acceptance is fed by faith that renews the soul and lets us live with joy.

As Christians we live purposely, not drifting. We ‘keep our eyes on Jesus!’ Pray often – “Lord, shape my life, lead me, keep me centered in You.”  If we misuse the gift of freedom we will rob ourselves of the joy of Jesus.  When we pursue Him with faith, we find rest and joy. When we are willful, when we choose our own way, ignoring the Spirit’s leading, we walk out of the sweet fellowship, the comfort of the Spirit, which is a lonely and vulnerable place to be.

If you are in a storm, a first step to joy is to remind yourself that nothing happening in your life surprises God.  Our successes, our failures, are all known to Him.  I confess this truth, praying for faith to live it. Will you?  "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest.

Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to know!" (Psalm 139:1-6, NLT)    As faith grows, joy grows.

Here’s a word from the Word. The preacher, Habbakuk, knew that terrible times were coming to the people of God because of their sins. What did he do?  "Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19, NLT)

Rejoice in the Lord today.

_________________

Knowing You

 

All I once held dear, built my life upon,

All this world reveres and wars to own;

All I once thought gain, I have counted loss,

Spent and worthless now compared to this…

 

Now my heart's desire is to know You more,

To be found in You and known as Yours;

To possess by faith what I could not earn,

All surpassing gift of righteousness…

 

Oh to know the pow'r of Your risen life,

And to know You in Your sufferings;

To become like You in Your death, my Lord,

So with You to live and never die.

 

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You;

There is no greater thing!

You're my all, You're the best,

You're my joy, my righteousness,

And I love You, Lord, love You, Lord!

 

Graham Kendrick

© 1993 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

Fully Alive!

This Easter was, for me, one of the more meaningful in memory. Most of us like the flowers, the joyful songs, the positive sermons that come with the day, don’t we?   The mess that is COVID, a year’s worth of bad news, suffering, sorrow, and loss, made us desperately need the message of hope that comes with the celebration of the Resurrection. 

After leading worship on Sunday, I made my way to the cemetery where I stood at the graves of my wife and parents, in the sunshine, holding flowers, but most thankful that I could say, as I did, “I left your bodies here in the ‘sure and certain hope of the Resurrection.’”  It is a brave statement to make in a place of such grim finality, but it is my hope. 

Resurrection faith is not just for cemeteries and Heaven, however. It is for now.
Christ’s death and Resurrection provides us with hope of Heaven and 
makes us fully alive in this present temporal world.

Consider the inspired words of Scripture.  "Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." (Colossians 2:20-23, NIV)

Religion, alone, is based on cause and consequence, like the rest of life.  From the earliest days of our lives we learn that there are choices to be made that help things to go better for us. Apply yourself in school and you will get better grades.  Follow your parent’s guidelines and you will enjoy greater freedom.  We naturally tend to bring that idea to our Christianity, somehow convinced that we can find acceptance with God and eliminate guilt by keeping the rules - “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”  

And, we slip into ‘legalism,’ writing evermore rules for ourselves and others, gradually squeezing whatever joy we might have found in Christ out of our lives. Some of the saddest people I know are Christians who working so hard to save themselves, attempting to be morally and spiritually impeccable by their own determination.

The Gospel of Christ is the wonderful truth that God meets us at the point of our worst failure to save us from our sins, not because we are good enough, but because He is perfectly loving.  What a liberating truth!

We enter into the life of Christ, by faith, and because of His Spirit, we come to know an entirely different way of life. We are fully alive to God even now.  The Word says "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4, NIV)  Yes, Christian, we delight in the fact that we are ‘raised with Christ!’   God’s Spirit fills us up and makes us people of confident faith, with vision that is able to see beyond the edge of time and into eternity.  

Oh yes, we are very much in this world for faith does not exempt us from aging, dying, or even disappointment.  But…  look at what being ‘raised with Christ’ makes possible.  We "know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.  … Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:14-18, NIV)  

Our lives are held in His hand, our eternal assurance wrapped in the truth of the Resurrection so that we are able to access the Presence of God, to know renewal, to experience joy, to love beyond the limits of human affection.  I love Charles Wesley’s eloquent words. They are from a Christmas carol but reflect Easter hope.

Come, Desire of nations come,

Fix in us Thy humble home.

Rise the woman's conqu’ring seed,

Bruise in us the serpent's head!

Adam’s likeness now efface,

Stamp Thine image in its place.

Second Adam from above,

Reinstate us in Thy love.

Today, I encourage you to move beyond the religion of rules and to embrace, by faith, the resurrection life of Christ. Thank Him that because He lives, you are fully alive now, even as you anticipate the glory to come.

The word from the Word  comforts us and challenges us to go and tell what we have found! "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19, NLT)  

 Are YOU fully alive by faith in the Resurrected Christ?

_____________

Graves Into Gardens

 

I searched the world but it couldn't fill me

Man's empty praise and treasures that fade

Are never enough

Then You came along and put me back together

And every desire is now satisfied here in Your love

 

Oh there's nothing better than You

There's nothing better than You

Lord there's nothing

Nothing is better than You

 

I'm not afraid to show You my weakness

My failures and flaws

Lord You've seen them all

And You still call me friend

 

'Cause the God of the mountain

Is the God of the valley

And there's not a place

Your mercy and grace won't find me again

 

You turn mourning to dancing

You give beauty for ashes

You turn shame into glory

You're the only one who can

 

You turn graves into gardens

You turn bones into armies

You turn seas into highways

You're the only one who can

 

Brandon Lake | Chris Brown | Steven Furtick | Tiffany Hudson

© 2019 Music by Elevation Worship Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)

Maverick City Publishing Worldwide (Admin. by Heritage Worship Publishing)

Bethel Music Publishing