Intoxicated?

 

Do you know how to feel joy, laugh, forget yourself?  Few things can take the joy out of a situation more quickly than starting to think “What will they think of me?”  There are those sports fans that Len Sweet writes about-  “the crazies, the over-the-top, the out-of-control behaviors that die-hard sports fans exhibit. Paint yourself blue and go bare-chested in the end zone in December? Sure! Wear floppy ears and bark like a dog? Why not! Stand in line and camp on the street for days to get those play-off tickets? You bet! Take a "sick day," buy an airplane ticket, lose pay and travel for hours just to see the big game? No problem!”  But when it comes to our faith … he wonders why we insist on a “low-profile, don't-rock-the-boat, show-up-on-Sunday” decorum.

The Word speaks of being intoxicated with the joy of the Lord! "Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit!" (Ephesians 5:18, NLT) Just as too much wine loosens inhibitions we can know a kind of fullness of the Spirit of God that overwhelms us.  Paul presses the metaphor as he continues - "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:19, NIV)  When guys have a few too many, they will drape their arms around each other’s shoulders, share their emotions, and even sing together.  When we drink of the Spirit He too can allow us to forget ourselves and release songs of praises, shouts of celebration; ecstatic utterances in the Spirit that express our 'fanatic' love for our Lord Jesus.

Such was the experience of Pentecost. In Acts 2, Luke tells us the story of the Spirit’s outpouring on those first believers. We call it “Pentecost” since it happened on the Jewish feast of '50 days' (Pentecost). In obedience to Jesus’ direction, the disciples waited in Jerusalem, prayerfully, expectantly. One morning, God's Spirit fell and His coming to them was an intoxicating experience.  There was a sound like the wind, ‘tongues of fire’ appeared over their heads, and then they spilled into the street talking loudly with ecstatic ‘tongues,’ words of worship and praise of their Risen Lord. Some of the bystanders laughed at them, declaring that they were drunk at only 9 in the morning!

Peter told those looking on: "I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence." (Acts 2:25-28, NLT) (a loose quote of Psalm 16) 

He said this was Jesus' rejoicing song at His Resurrection and it is OUR rejoicing song because of our ETERNAL LIFE. He was not ashamed of their uninhibited worship. Remember, it was more than a religious circus! The Spirit’s power was so evident that 3000 people were converted that day, convinced of the reality of Jesus’ resurrection by the Spirit-filled witness of those believers.

How I pray for a new Pentecost; not a ‘worked up’ emotionalism, but a fresh experience of the Spirit that fills me up. I want to be intoxicated, full of the joy of the Lord. I was raised in a little church with people that the rest of town called ‘holy rollers.’  There was a fervor in worship, responses to the Spirit that were over the top, and sometimes they embarrassed me. In retrospect, I realize that some of what I saw among us happened because unbalanced individuals felt ‘permission’ to be strange.  I saw some really ‘crazy’ stuff happen that was blamed on God, the Spirit.  But, there was a deep, undeniable reality of God’s Presence, beautiful, sweet, warm, and enduring that we felt, too.

If the focus becomes those who might get ‘out of order,’ if controlling their excesses of worship becomes our aim, we will likely suppress expressions of true worshippers as well. Paul says "I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind." (1 Corinthians 14:15, NIV)  We invite the Spirit to fill us and respond with both emotions and mind; weeping, laughing, shouting, remaining silent – fully present in the Lord.

As we celebrate Pentecost, lets’ pray together for the baptism of the Holy Spirit immerse us in the Presence of God. Let’s remember that worship is more than thinking right thoughts or grasping profound truth. It ought to be emotional, too! Let’s get intoxicated - on the Spirit, and pray that His life and love will move us to glorify God.

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Pentecostal Power

 Lord send the old time pow'r

The Pentecostal pow'r

Thy floodgates of blessing

On us throw open wide

Lord send the old time pow'r

The Pentecostal pow'r

That sinners be converted

And Thy name glorified

 

Lord as of old at Pentecost

Thou didst Thy pow'r display

With cleansing purifying flame

Descend on us today

 

For mighty works for Thee

Prepare and strengthen ev'ry heart

Come take possession of Thine own

And never more depart

 

All self consume all sin destroy

With earnest zeal endue

Each waiting heart to work for Thee

O Lord our faith renew

 

Speak Lord before Thy throne we wait

Thy promise we believe

And will not let Thee go

Until the blessing we receive

 

Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

© Words: Public Domain

 

The True YOU

 

“Who do you think you are?” The question may be asked of someone who has assumed a position of authority not rightfully theirs to claim.  It could be asked of a child who refuses to follow the directions of a parent.  And, it is an important consideration for all of us as we understand our IDENTITY.  I’m Jerry Scott, those two words rather meaningless, just a name. More to the point, I am a man, a follower of Christ, a father and grandfather, a pastor of a local church. Those words describe functions and relationships. But, who am I really?  Sinner, saint, bad, good, worthy, worthless, loved, rejected? I am “in Christ,” a child of God.

Identity is created out of our family heritage, our memories, by our experiences, by what we believe about God, and our values. Out of these things, and more, comes our sense of self.
So, “who do you think you are?”

The Scripture makes this statement about Christians. "You were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14, NIV)  That comes at the end of a passage that tells us that God chose us, we did not choose Him; that God knew us before we existed, calling us into His family. But, the core truth in those words for me are the words “in Christ.” This is a key piece of my identity.

God invites us to become one with Him, to know His love, to be restored to a relationship with Him, in Christ! What a tragedy that some turn God’s invitation to a ‘new identity’ into a religion, a rigid set of laws, a reason to judge and divide people. Truth is, when we know that we are ‘in Christ’ that identity liberates us, frees us from shame and guilt, and opens us to an experience of love unequaled in this world. Through Christ Jesus we are made alive in the Spirit, filled with God, thus empowered to live and love richly, as we are loved! Moreover, we are secured by the ‘seal of the Spirit’ so that even death itself does not terrorize us.

The discovery of our identity in Christ starts when the Holy Spirit brings us to the realization that we are ‘dead’ to God, that we are desperately trying to find what only He can give, as we build our little castles, find small and momentary joys, and accumulate trinkets.  In life, often through pain, God, in His grace, moves to bring us to a moment of surrender.  It is not easy to admit to our hate, lust, greed, judgments, and addictions.

We have known a broken identity for so long that we find it hard to let go of it, even though we hope for something better. That is why I trust in the power of the Spirit to do in me what I could never do for myself.  "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Ephesians 1:7-8, NIV)

Because of Christ and the Spirit, our sinfulness and selfishness, as an identity, can be past tense. The Scripture says that "It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. ... It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. ... He picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. ... Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. 

It's God's gift from start to finish! ... No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." (Ephesians 2:1-10, The Message)

What is your identity?  Who will you believe?  Will you adopt the lie that tells you that you are a random speck of carbon atoms in a meaningless universe? Will you believe the deceived who insist that Self must rule, every whim indulged? Or will you believe the word of your Creator? "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance." (Ephesians 1:18, NLT)  Yes, you are chosen, forgiven, received, beloved, and secure in His grace.

 Here's a word from the Word.  By faith live ‘in Christ,’ and be God’s own saint! That is who you are. 
Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil (that which obscures His truth) is taken away.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory,
are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:16-18, NIV) 

_____________

No Longer Slaves

I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

You unravel me with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance from my enemies
Till all my fears are gone

From my Mother's womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I've been born again into Your family
Your blood flows through my veins

You split the sea so I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me so I could stand and sing
I am a child of God

Brian Johnson | Joel Case | Jonathan David Helser

© 2014 Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

Beyond the Price Tag

In the late 1960’s my Dad supported the family breeding and selling Arabian and Morgan horses. He was an evangelist for children, but that calling did not produce income, so we had a stable. Dad, a born Mid-westerner of practical values, priced the horses fairly but found it hard to sell them until a friend from New York told him, “You need to raise the prices of your horses. People think they’re no good because the price is too low.”  I remember Dad’s laughter as he told me that story. He raised his prices significantly and sold more horses!  

How do you form your ideas about what is of ‘value?’  
It is a worthy question that requires insight, the gift of discernment.

I love the story of Samuel’s search for Israel’s king for the humanity that is wrapped up in it. Seeking a replacement for Saul, the failed king of Israel, Samuel was directed by the Spirit to the home of Jesse outside of Bethlehem.  There he met the ‘obvious choice’ for the throne,  Eliab. He was the oldest son and carried himself like a leader.  It helped that he looked the part, too. "Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.” (1 Samuel 16:6-7, NLT) 

He met each of the man’s sons and sensed no confirmation of the call to leadership in any of them. "Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for him. He was ruddy and handsome, with pleasant eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” (1 Samuel 16:11-12, NLT)  David was the youngest, the son with the least esteem in his family. His father did not even consider his own son ‘king’ material so he left him out tending the sheep even when the great man of God came calling!

Christians are given a gift of God, a work of the Spirit called discernment. Paul prayed for the Believers to "be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:9-11, NIV)  We need not be taken in by oratory or carried away by emotional appeals. We should be able to value others for more than their pretty face or their facility with words or their sense of fashion. But, do we? 

Discerning people will be full of the wisdom of the Spirit and able to sort through the many ideas that come their way, choosing those of value and discarding those that merely ‘look good’ to us.

Paul’s prayer invites us to understand the importance of both the heart and the mind. Those who cultivate discernment will become people whose thoughts, words, and actions are aligned God’s will, who avoid the trap of superficiality so very common in American Christianity in 2021. That demands reflection, interaction, and willingness to let the Spirit speak to things we cherish.  The result is that we discern what is best. We are no longer ruled by our emotions.  The Spirit makes our mind alive and able to accept Truth.  In this we become people of depth in Christ Jesus.

Do you desire to know the Truth? Do you pray for discernment in your choice of spiritual teachers, in your convictions about what is valuable?  If we will pray to learn and discern, there is this result.  "Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church." (Ephesians 4:14-15, NLT)  There is beauty in maturity – the ability to sustain the right choices, so that we do what we are called to do, regardless of whether we feel like it or not.

“The key to such discernment lies in knowing God and His desires. Our focus ought to move beyond the “big” things we so readily see as matters concerning the will of God—choice of spouse, career, or where to live. Rather, we must catch hold of the fact that God’s concern for our lives centers on who we are in the seemingly inconsequential matters of daily living. … Jesus’ example (during His temptation in the wilderness) indicates that discernment means seeing through the falsehoods and rationalizations that could beguile us. The world’s system seems to promote good ends, but it does so out of ungodly motivations or through questionable means. Being discerning means hearing warning bells whenever we find ourselves thinking: “Everybody’s doing it”; “Just once won’t hurt”; or “I can do this and still be a good Christian.” – Stanley Grenz, Discipleship Journal: Issue 72.

The word from the Word today invites us to think, to develop the gift of discernment, and to walk in the beauty of a mature faith. "Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior.  .. God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.” (2 Timothy 2:15-19, NLT)

___________

 

Open My Eyes That I May See

Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free

Silently now I wait for Thee
Ready my God Thy will to see
Open my eyes illumine me
Spirit divine

Open my ears that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear
And while the wave notes fall on my ear
Everything false will disappear

Open my mouth and let me bear
Gladly the warm truth everywhere
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share

Clara H. Fiske Scott

©Public Domain

 

 

Enough?

My eyes spotted a pickup truck sitting a neighbor’s driveway and thought, “I want that.” I heard about another person’s prosperity and my response was “I want more.”  The Spirit of God challenged my musings. I knew His voice asking, “Jerry, what is enough for you?”  Ouch! Truth is, I am amply blessed, in need of nothing of this world to enjoy a comfortable life and at peace with God through Christ. And yet, from time to time, I find myself slipping into discontentment.  This is a common human temptation because we tend to measure our worth by comparison to others – their wealth, their success, their position. 

Let’s take the next step in dealing with those feelings and call them what they are - sin. Though common, discontentment is a destructive choice that keeps us from pleasing God and the joy He provides. In the ancient code the 10^th Commandment tells us “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17, NIV)  The New Testament turns it into a positive - "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (1 Timothy 6:6-8, NIV)

Christian we can find and live in true contentment, only when our soul is at rest in God, when we know the inner transformation of the Spirit. Think on this inspired text. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, NIV)  Simply said He has provided everything we need to be all that He desires us to be. And, that is the real meaning and essence of a full life.  

When we want ‘more things’ it is generally a revelation of something amiss deeper in us. We may be struggling with feelings of inferiority that drive us to want to build an image of success.  We could be wrestling with uncertainty about the future and our anxiety becomes fertile soil in which the desire for more things grow.  It might be a loss of a job or even the death of someone close that causing us to crave the perceived satisfaction of owning something new. I can tell you that new things cannot fill a hole in your heart any more successfully than water can fill a bucket with a hole in the bottom!

Discontentment cannot be dealt with by logic or reason alone. Christian, it is a spiritual need that only can be met with change from the inside out. The wisdom of the Word tells us that Christ Jesus IS sufficient for us, that He is more than Enough IF we are willing to radically put our trust and hope in Him. 

We realistically assess where we are in life, what we feel about our situation, and we turn to Him. "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him (Jesus Christ) who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:12-13, NIV)

There is plenty of evidence of the consequence of unchecked discontentment in the story of the Exodus. God’s people were led out of slavery, promised a home, and fed with daily provisions. They still pined for ‘new’ and ‘different.’  Their craving for things apart from God eventually led to their rejection of God’s will – a choice that caused Him to let them wander in the wilderness until an entire generation died off.  Their discontent led to faithlessness which led to rebellion which led to being themselves off from His Presence. What a sobering lesson!

James says that in the middle of our trials we should ask God for what we need. "You do not have, because you do not ask God." (James 4:2, NIV) We do not have to beg.  We come, open hands and open hearts, and place ourselves before Him, allowing Him to change us from the inside out so that the ‘desires of our heart’ are reshaped to align with the will of God.  If we selfishly want things of this world, we have no assurance that God will give them to us just because we request them of Him. IF we hunger for Him, He promises that we will be satisfied. What will you choose?

In submission we find the grace to rest, to live with confident faith in His love and care, and we are liberated from discontentment and greed. Remember the picture of the 23rd Psalm?  "God, my Shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction." (Psalm 23:1-3, The Message)  Sheep surrender to the leadership of the shepherd and he provides pasture. Will we trust the Good Shepherd?

The word from the Word is a simple proverb. It goes straight to the truth.
"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." (Proverbs 14:30, NIV)

May He teach us to rest in Him.

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Build My Life

Worthy of ev’ry song we could ever sing

Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

 

Jesus the name above ev’ry other name

Jesus the only one who could ever save

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

We live for You

 

Holy there is no one like You

There is none besides You

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are

And fill me with Your heart

And lead me in Your love to those around me

 

I will build my life upon Your love

It is a firm foundation

I will put my trust in You alone

And I will not be shaken

 

Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Elizabeth Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett

© 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew (Admin. by Arkyard Music Services Limited)

Kaple Music (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing)

Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055