When I feel on top of my game, how easily I get in God’s way! The line between confidence and arrogance is a fine one, isn’t it? It is impossible to fulfill God’s purposes for our lives if we are curled up in a protective ball, hiding out from the challenges of daily living. The person who is in the grip of fear retreats behind walls of self-protection, reads situations wrongly, and is always reactionary. Those who are confident wade into life, dealing with the hard things, and letting the hits and criticism go because they have a greater mission than just being ‘safe.’ They are drawn on by a passionate desire to make a difference where they live! (Yes, I am!) But, with a few wins under our belts, we risk becoming deceived, thinking that our education, or our intelligence, or …. whatever – has made us indispensable to the local work of the Kingdom of God. Think again.
John, the Baptist, was given a high and holy calling – the forerunner of the Christ! God sent him to preach repentance, to prepare the hearts of the people to hear the Good News that the Kingdom of Heaven was now among them, that the long awaiting Anointed One had come to them. A lesser man might have fallen in love with the crowds, the attention; with being the center of attention. John did not! Look at how he explains the trajectory of his mission and let his words instruct you about humility.
“No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." (John 3:27-30, NLT)
By external measures, John failed. He started big and ended up, from a human point of view miscalculating his influence. By preaching against his immorality, John offended King Herod and lost his head, literally. He died alone and wondering about his life’s work, believe it or not. However, in God’s estimation, he succeeded wonderfully, doing exactly what he was called to do – prepare the way of the Lord. Of him Jesus said, "Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer." (Luke 7:28, The Message)
The familiar line about God looking for faithfulness, not success, is really true. With each of us, one thing must be true – there must be more of Thee, less of me. Over time, no matter how competent we may become, we can only complete God’s work if we are prepared to fade into the background allowing Him to shine through us, work in us, and demonstrate that "our competence comes from God." (2 Corinthians 3:5, NIV)
If we fail to hand off the vision, to raise up others to take our place, we miss the high mark. If we believe that no one can fill our shoes, we are deceived. The greatest disciple is the one who is able to empower and teach others to take up the calling.
Who is mentoring you? That’s not the only question. Who are you mentoring? To whom are you calling disciples – to yourself or to the Lord of Glory? Sobering questions, aren’t they?
Lord, I pray for more of Thee and less of me. Amen.
______________________________
Be Thou my vision,
O Lord of my heart;
All else be naught to me,
Save that Thou art.
Be my best thought
Both by day and by night,
Waking or sleeping,
Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my wisdom,
And be my true word,
I ever with Thee
And Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Savior,
Thine own may I be,
Thou in me dwelling,
And I one with Thee.
High King of heaven,
And heaven's bright Sun,
Grant me its joys
When my journey is done;
Heart of my heart, Lord,
Whatever befall,
Still be my vision,
O Ruler of all.
Be Thou My Vision
Landis, Keith / Byrne, Mary / Hull, Eleanor / Young, Carlton © 1964, 1994 Selah Publishing Company, Inc. / Abingdon Press
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
YOU... make me ... so ....
If someone says to me, "You make me so mad!" I am not inclined to ask why. Instead I feel threatened. Blame creates a barrier. However, if someone honestly says, "I am so angry!" I am more ready to try to help find an answer. We have all experienced that not so great moment when somebody sticks his index finger in our face and blames us for his misery, problems, or pain. "YOU...." they accuse.
That approach, whether it is our kid, our spouse, or our boss, creates instant defensiveness in us, doesn’t it? Our instinct for self-defense kicks in immediately.
Those of you who are as old as I am will remember the comedy sketch of Flip Wilson when he played 'Geraldine.' She would say some outrageous statement or spend too much money only to toss off the line that got a laugh every time- "The Devil made me do it." Why is that funny? Because we know it’s an excuse, mis-placed blame.
When we sin, many of us are quick to blame the Devil, our boss, our spouse, our parents rather than taking responsibility for our choices. Here’s the truth: as long as we are pointing to another to as the 'cause' of our pain or problems, we will be incapable of real constructive change. And, we will isolate ourselves from the people who could work with us to make the situation better.
King David romanced another man’s wife, got her pregnant, then arranged for the man to be killed so he could take Bathsheba as his own. He thought he had cleverly covered his tracks and hidden his sin, until Nathan the prophet exposed him. Oh, that we would respond like he did. Take a look. "Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. ...
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God." (Psalm 51:1-5, 17, NLT)
He owned his sin! "I have sinned, I have done evil!" And God, just as He promised, forgave him.
Disciple, if we want to know real holiness, real fellowship with God, we need to ‘man up’ to our failures without excuses or blaming others. Take this great passage with you today and live in the promise.
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 1:7-2:2, NIV)
_______________
In the presence of a holy God,
There's new meaning now to grace;
You took all my sins upon Yourself,
I can only stand amazed.
In the presence of Your infinite might,
I'm so small and frail and weak;
When I see Your pow'r and wisdom, Lord,
I have no words left to speak.
In the presence of Your glory,
All my crowns lie in the dust;
You are righteous in Your judgments, Lord,
You are faithful, true, and just.
And I cry holy, holy, holy God,
How awesome is Your name,
Holy, holy, holy God,
How majestic is Your reign;
And I am changed
In the presence of a holy God.
In The Presence
Altrogge, Mark
Integrity Music, Inc. / Integrity Music, Inc.
© 1989 Integrity's Praise! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) / PDI Praise (Admin. by Integrity's Praise! Music)
CCLI License No. 810055
That approach, whether it is our kid, our spouse, or our boss, creates instant defensiveness in us, doesn’t it? Our instinct for self-defense kicks in immediately.
Those of you who are as old as I am will remember the comedy sketch of Flip Wilson when he played 'Geraldine.' She would say some outrageous statement or spend too much money only to toss off the line that got a laugh every time- "The Devil made me do it." Why is that funny? Because we know it’s an excuse, mis-placed blame.
When we sin, many of us are quick to blame the Devil, our boss, our spouse, our parents rather than taking responsibility for our choices. Here’s the truth: as long as we are pointing to another to as the 'cause' of our pain or problems, we will be incapable of real constructive change. And, we will isolate ourselves from the people who could work with us to make the situation better.
King David romanced another man’s wife, got her pregnant, then arranged for the man to be killed so he could take Bathsheba as his own. He thought he had cleverly covered his tracks and hidden his sin, until Nathan the prophet exposed him. Oh, that we would respond like he did. Take a look. "Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. ...
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God." (Psalm 51:1-5, 17, NLT)
He owned his sin! "I have sinned, I have done evil!" And God, just as He promised, forgave him.
Disciple, if we want to know real holiness, real fellowship with God, we need to ‘man up’ to our failures without excuses or blaming others. Take this great passage with you today and live in the promise.
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 1:7-2:2, NIV)
_______________
In the presence of a holy God,
There's new meaning now to grace;
You took all my sins upon Yourself,
I can only stand amazed.
In the presence of Your infinite might,
I'm so small and frail and weak;
When I see Your pow'r and wisdom, Lord,
I have no words left to speak.
In the presence of Your glory,
All my crowns lie in the dust;
You are righteous in Your judgments, Lord,
You are faithful, true, and just.
And I cry holy, holy, holy God,
How awesome is Your name,
Holy, holy, holy God,
How majestic is Your reign;
And I am changed
In the presence of a holy God.
In The Presence
Altrogge, Mark
Integrity Music, Inc. / Integrity Music, Inc.
© 1989 Integrity's Praise! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) / PDI Praise (Admin. by Integrity's Praise! Music)
CCLI License No. 810055
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
One generation from now, what then?
Will my grandchildren walk with Jesus? That question haunts me! In Judges 2:10-11 I read this passage: "Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel. The People of Israel did evil in God's sight." (The Message) To set it in context, Israel had finally settled into the Promised Land and driven off the majority of her enemies. Joshua, the old general who led them, died. And, within one generation, they were ignorant of Who brought them into the land that flowed with milk and honey!
It's an old sociological fact called 'redeem, lift, abandon!'
Out of extreme need family or generation turns to God. They cry out to Him and He saves them from their sins, restores their heart, and gives spiritual life. What happens? They adopt a way of life that God promises will create stable homes, work ethic, and genuine community life. And, what emerges from that? Prosperity! Those once poor and enslaved by sins are free through the Spirit and live in God's blessings. Their kids know the story and continue the traditions of faith. But, their grandkids only know the 'good life,' nothing of the struggle, nothing of how God saved their grandparents' generation. The increased prosperity also loosens ties to church and commitment to spiritual disciplines. And, that third generation abandons the faith that brought them blessings! It's a cycle as old as Israel!
This passage makes me shudder: "They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God, to gods they had not known before, to new gods only recently arrived, to gods their ancestors had never feared. You neglected the Rock who had fathered you; you forgot the God who had given you birth. "The Lord saw this and drew back, provoked to anger by his own sons and daughters. He said, 'I will abandon them; then see what becomes of them. For they are a twisted generation, children without integrity." (Deuteronomy 32:17-20, NLT)
So, how do we keep faith alive?
"Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.
Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders." (Deuteronomy 6:4-8, NLT)
1. Love God and let it show!
2. Don't make religion just a lot of talk, really live it!
3. Keep telling the stories!
4. Make it real by putting in the context of today, not just yesterday!
5. And, pray for the Spirit's Living Water to flow from you to the next generation.
______________
Lord, I pray for the next generation.
Let them see a genuine faith, a real relationship, the love of God and life the Spirit in me!Lord, help me to be patient enough to learn their 'language' so I can contextualize the Gospel in a way they can comprehend.
Jesus Christ, call them. Amen!
It's an old sociological fact called 'redeem, lift, abandon!'
Out of extreme need family or generation turns to God. They cry out to Him and He saves them from their sins, restores their heart, and gives spiritual life. What happens? They adopt a way of life that God promises will create stable homes, work ethic, and genuine community life. And, what emerges from that? Prosperity! Those once poor and enslaved by sins are free through the Spirit and live in God's blessings. Their kids know the story and continue the traditions of faith. But, their grandkids only know the 'good life,' nothing of the struggle, nothing of how God saved their grandparents' generation. The increased prosperity also loosens ties to church and commitment to spiritual disciplines. And, that third generation abandons the faith that brought them blessings! It's a cycle as old as Israel!
This passage makes me shudder: "They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God, to gods they had not known before, to new gods only recently arrived, to gods their ancestors had never feared. You neglected the Rock who had fathered you; you forgot the God who had given you birth. "The Lord saw this and drew back, provoked to anger by his own sons and daughters. He said, 'I will abandon them; then see what becomes of them. For they are a twisted generation, children without integrity." (Deuteronomy 32:17-20, NLT)
So, how do we keep faith alive?
"Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.
Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders." (Deuteronomy 6:4-8, NLT)
1. Love God and let it show!
2. Don't make religion just a lot of talk, really live it!
3. Keep telling the stories!
4. Make it real by putting in the context of today, not just yesterday!
5. And, pray for the Spirit's Living Water to flow from you to the next generation.
______________
Lord, I pray for the next generation.
Let them see a genuine faith, a real relationship, the love of God and life the Spirit in me!Lord, help me to be patient enough to learn their 'language' so I can contextualize the Gospel in a way they can comprehend.
Jesus Christ, call them. Amen!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
God is in the house!
I am reading a book written by two pastors about their work ostensibly to encourage others to aspire to greatness. These men go into detail about the myriad ways they are changing their cities, about the hundreds of people who work in the enterprises run by their churches, and all the dollars they are bringing to their local economies. They are not liars! The churches they lead are amazing engines for good, but I wonder about all this trumpeting of their accomplishments. Pride is a terribly deceptive sin, creeping into our lives behind great efforts to do good things.
Sexual sins always get the headlines, but far more ministries have gone down in ruins because of pride than because of sexual misconduct! The second that a ministry becomes a way to feel valuable, to make a name for one’s self, or to create a place in this world – corruption enters. The focus shifts from the Lord and His glory to Self. In that situation, we may continue to mouth the words “all for God’s glory,” but the truth is that our reputation matters most to us. What to know when pride has found a foothold in ministry? Some signs include: craving praise, fishing for affirming words, and feelings of competition instead of cooperation.
John, the bishop of Ephesus, wrote these tragic words. "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God." (3 John 9-11, NKJV) Disciple, do you love ‘to have the preeminence?’ Another translation says, “He loves to be first!”
Jesus urges us to do our work without need of fanfare, to humbly serve those that God brings our way, doing our best for Him, with no need or desire for applause or recognition. The discipline of service helps to create humility. Choosing to do what needs to be done without waiting to be told to do it breaks our pride!
Think again today of these familiar words from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Ask the Spirit to show you anywhere that pride has replaced Christ as the motivation for ministry.
“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. … When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out." (Matthew 6:1-4, The Message)
______________
"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves." (Psalm 127:1-2, NIV)
Sexual sins always get the headlines, but far more ministries have gone down in ruins because of pride than because of sexual misconduct! The second that a ministry becomes a way to feel valuable, to make a name for one’s self, or to create a place in this world – corruption enters. The focus shifts from the Lord and His glory to Self. In that situation, we may continue to mouth the words “all for God’s glory,” but the truth is that our reputation matters most to us. What to know when pride has found a foothold in ministry? Some signs include: craving praise, fishing for affirming words, and feelings of competition instead of cooperation.
John, the bishop of Ephesus, wrote these tragic words. "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God." (3 John 9-11, NKJV) Disciple, do you love ‘to have the preeminence?’ Another translation says, “He loves to be first!”
Jesus urges us to do our work without need of fanfare, to humbly serve those that God brings our way, doing our best for Him, with no need or desire for applause or recognition. The discipline of service helps to create humility. Choosing to do what needs to be done without waiting to be told to do it breaks our pride!
Think again today of these familiar words from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Ask the Spirit to show you anywhere that pride has replaced Christ as the motivation for ministry.
“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. … When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out." (Matthew 6:1-4, The Message)
______________
"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves." (Psalm 127:1-2, NIV)
Monday, March 23, 2009
Jesus laughed, too!
There is an artist’s depiction of Jesus Christ that shows His head tipped back in laughter. It is such a contrast to the usual renditions of a somber Man. It makes me ask, did He really laugh? I believe He did! He was invited to eat with prostitutes and ‘sinners’ (those rejected by the good guys) and was accused by His critics of being a lush! Somehow, I don’t think a humorless man would find much friendship among that crowd. Then, too, He told jokes. We don’t get most of them, but His original audiences did! He poked fun at the Pharisees hypocrisy, used absurd illustrations “camel through the eye of a needle,” and made people laugh. And, then there is this: His first sign miracle was turning 30 gallons of water into fine wine for a wedding!
For some reason, joy is one of the least valued characteristics of the Spirit-filled life. However, in the catalog of the evidences of the life of the Spirit in us, joy is number two on the list, right after love. (Gal. 5:22) It is a different kind of joy than the laugh track humor found on TV sit-coms. It isn’t the kind of happiness that finds us on those days when people are nice, the sun is shining, and our endorphins are surging. Joy, of which the Bible speaks, is found in a right relationship with God and others. It is not a passing emotion. It is a state of being. That is why the Scripture can direct us to "be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, NLT) Again, let me emphasize that this is not a command to ‘look on the bright side!’ That would be a good choice, but this is something else. To experience the joy of the Lord, we must leave our sin with Him, take our life from Him, and refuse to let sin or selfishness reign over us.
I experienced the ‘joy of the Lord’ many times over the last year as I had the privilege of ministering to my Dad while he was living with cancer. In those long nights at his bedside, my body sometimes ached for sleep and my heart broke for his suffering, but as we listened to the same hymns again and again, or as I committed Dad and myself to the Lord in silent prayer, there was a curious peace and a sense of wholeness which allowed me to experience joy despite my tears. It was a joy that came from God. Yesterday, during worship, the joy of the Lord washed over me as the congregation sang, “Friend of sinners, Lord of Truth, I am falling in love with You… Jesus, I love Your Name, the Name by which we’re saved.” (Matt Redman, copyright 1994) I was full of joy knowing that the One who knows me best, loves me most.
If you’re not experiencing JOY, I want to encourage you to take a look at your heart.
Are you hanging onto some sin that keeps you from experiencing the refreshing flow of the Spirit’s fellowship? Are you holding tightly to a grudge against another, stroking your ego by rehearsing real and/or imagined slights?
Are you looking around and comparing your life with that of another, instead of looking up and giving thanks for His promise to be all that you need?
A disciple who is filled with the Spirit today will experience joy!
"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; 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 makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights." (Habakkuk 3:17-19, NLT)
________________
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before Thee,
Opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays;
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain,
Call us to rejoice in Thee.
Mortals join the mighty chorus,
Which the Morning Stars began.
Father love is reigning o'er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music lifts us sunward,
In the triumph song of life.
© Public Domain
For some reason, joy is one of the least valued characteristics of the Spirit-filled life. However, in the catalog of the evidences of the life of the Spirit in us, joy is number two on the list, right after love. (Gal. 5:22) It is a different kind of joy than the laugh track humor found on TV sit-coms. It isn’t the kind of happiness that finds us on those days when people are nice, the sun is shining, and our endorphins are surging. Joy, of which the Bible speaks, is found in a right relationship with God and others. It is not a passing emotion. It is a state of being. That is why the Scripture can direct us to "be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, NLT) Again, let me emphasize that this is not a command to ‘look on the bright side!’ That would be a good choice, but this is something else. To experience the joy of the Lord, we must leave our sin with Him, take our life from Him, and refuse to let sin or selfishness reign over us.
I experienced the ‘joy of the Lord’ many times over the last year as I had the privilege of ministering to my Dad while he was living with cancer. In those long nights at his bedside, my body sometimes ached for sleep and my heart broke for his suffering, but as we listened to the same hymns again and again, or as I committed Dad and myself to the Lord in silent prayer, there was a curious peace and a sense of wholeness which allowed me to experience joy despite my tears. It was a joy that came from God. Yesterday, during worship, the joy of the Lord washed over me as the congregation sang, “Friend of sinners, Lord of Truth, I am falling in love with You… Jesus, I love Your Name, the Name by which we’re saved.” (Matt Redman, copyright 1994) I was full of joy knowing that the One who knows me best, loves me most.
If you’re not experiencing JOY, I want to encourage you to take a look at your heart.
Are you hanging onto some sin that keeps you from experiencing the refreshing flow of the Spirit’s fellowship? Are you holding tightly to a grudge against another, stroking your ego by rehearsing real and/or imagined slights?
Are you looking around and comparing your life with that of another, instead of looking up and giving thanks for His promise to be all that you need?
A disciple who is filled with the Spirit today will experience joy!
"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; 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 makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights." (Habakkuk 3:17-19, NLT)
________________
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before Thee,
Opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays;
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain,
Call us to rejoice in Thee.
Mortals join the mighty chorus,
Which the Morning Stars began.
Father love is reigning o'er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music lifts us sunward,
In the triumph song of life.
© Public Domain
Friday, March 20, 2009
How do I feel about that?
Are you ruled by your emotions? Many people are! I hope you have matured to the point where you are working to use your feelings to enrich your life while never letting them be ‘in charge.’ I am facing a full day of responsibilities. At this moment, I feel like picking up a good book and staying home all day, but I won’t because I choose not to follow the impulse of my emotions. Some days I feel crazy in love with Bev, some days, not so much! I am equally married to her regardless of the emotion of the moment.
Too often faith is almost totally dependent on feelings. For many Believers a good worship experience means that their emotions were stirred. “God was with us today” means “I shed some tears and my heart was touched.” Please do not misunderstand my intent. It is wonderful to be stirred by the testimony of another, to be moved to tears or laughter by a song or a story, but this is not the heart of worship, nor is such a flimsy foundation sufficient for Christian faith! Eugene Peterson, one of my favorite authors, writes: “My feelings tell me next to nothing about God or my relationship to Him. My security comes from who God is, not from how I feel. Discipleship is a decision to live by what I know about God, not by what I feel about Him or myself or my neighbors.” (A Long Obedience)
Look at this declaration!
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Psalm 62:5-8, NIV) Rock, fortress, refuge! Those are strong words, expressing faith that is not here today and gone under the stress that comes tomorrow!
I am convinced that those who enjoy the best of Christ are those who choose daily to practice the disciplines that open both their heart and their mind to the Truth of God and the work of the Spirit.
They set God above all other parts of their lives – higher than family, higher than demands at work, higher than their desires, higher than diversions; and yes, higher than their emotions.
They faithfully open the Scripture to learn. They regularly offer prayer and listen in meditation.
They make gathering with other disciples a priority choice.
They serve others.
They give time and resources to the work of God first, not last.
“But, Jerry, that sounds like duty, even legalism.” It could be if the doing of such things was to earn the favor of God or man! But, if this choices and more, are made from a desire to honor God, done simply because they are right to do, then they are an expression of our worship, which pleases Him!
Interestingly, the person who makes the choice to do what God desires of him – regardless of his feelings – almost certainly will develop a deeper, richer intimacy with God over time! He learns what it means to ‘walk with God’ and knows that He is equally present in the dark valley and the mountaintop.
Disciple, exercise the God-given ability to choose! Don’t float with the current. You’ll drift away from God, never to Him. Don’t walk with the crowd. They will never lead you to the King of Glory! Take Joshua’s challenge – “Choose today whom you will serve!”
"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction." (Psalm 1, NLT)
_________________
He’s my Rock, my Sword, my Shield!
He’s my Wheel in the middle of the wheel!
He’s my Lily of the Valley,
He’s my Bright and Morning Star!
Makes no difference what you say,
I’m going on my knees and pray,
I’m gonna wait right here for Jesus ‘till He comes.
- Public domain
Too often faith is almost totally dependent on feelings. For many Believers a good worship experience means that their emotions were stirred. “God was with us today” means “I shed some tears and my heart was touched.” Please do not misunderstand my intent. It is wonderful to be stirred by the testimony of another, to be moved to tears or laughter by a song or a story, but this is not the heart of worship, nor is such a flimsy foundation sufficient for Christian faith! Eugene Peterson, one of my favorite authors, writes: “My feelings tell me next to nothing about God or my relationship to Him. My security comes from who God is, not from how I feel. Discipleship is a decision to live by what I know about God, not by what I feel about Him or myself or my neighbors.” (A Long Obedience)
Look at this declaration!
"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Psalm 62:5-8, NIV) Rock, fortress, refuge! Those are strong words, expressing faith that is not here today and gone under the stress that comes tomorrow!
I am convinced that those who enjoy the best of Christ are those who choose daily to practice the disciplines that open both their heart and their mind to the Truth of God and the work of the Spirit.
They set God above all other parts of their lives – higher than family, higher than demands at work, higher than their desires, higher than diversions; and yes, higher than their emotions.
They faithfully open the Scripture to learn. They regularly offer prayer and listen in meditation.
They make gathering with other disciples a priority choice.
They serve others.
They give time and resources to the work of God first, not last.
“But, Jerry, that sounds like duty, even legalism.” It could be if the doing of such things was to earn the favor of God or man! But, if this choices and more, are made from a desire to honor God, done simply because they are right to do, then they are an expression of our worship, which pleases Him!
Interestingly, the person who makes the choice to do what God desires of him – regardless of his feelings – almost certainly will develop a deeper, richer intimacy with God over time! He learns what it means to ‘walk with God’ and knows that He is equally present in the dark valley and the mountaintop.
Disciple, exercise the God-given ability to choose! Don’t float with the current. You’ll drift away from God, never to Him. Don’t walk with the crowd. They will never lead you to the King of Glory! Take Joshua’s challenge – “Choose today whom you will serve!”
"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction." (Psalm 1, NLT)
_________________
He’s my Rock, my Sword, my Shield!
He’s my Wheel in the middle of the wheel!
He’s my Lily of the Valley,
He’s my Bright and Morning Star!
Makes no difference what you say,
I’m going on my knees and pray,
I’m gonna wait right here for Jesus ‘till He comes.
- Public domain
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The whole Truth, nothing but the Truth
A conversation about the age of the earth became intense and the next query was, “don’t you believe in absolute truth?” Now that is a question that requires careful thought. Yes, I believe in absolute truth. Establishing that Truth is the tricky part. Remember Pilate’s question of Jesus? When the Lord told him that He was sent into the world to “testify to the truth,” the Roman governor cynically asked Him, “What is truth?” (John 18:37)
I grew up in a church that told me the world was a place of right and wrong, black and white, with no grey areas. As I matured I found that there was an additional category – “things we don’t talk about!” Many of the difficult issues got pushed into that category and, if a question was raised, you got a lecture about the importance of ‘just trusting God,’ which I later figured out was code for ‘we don’t know how to answer that and stick with our system of truth!’ I also learned that there were some things that were declared true that were simply preferences of the leaders or traditions of the church. It was all terribly confusing to a teenager trying to hang onto to his faith.
The temptation that came from all that was to discard faith, but God was there. He revealed (an important word in the discussion about Truth) Himself in the created world, through the love of wonderful Spirit-filled people, by the work of the Spirit, and in the Scripture. I learned that honesty in dealing with Truth did not require me to have an answer for all questions; that I could and should say, “I do not know,” and leave it at that. I also learned to live with mystery – with the fact that God and His Truth are just too big to fit entirely inside of my head. Some things He choose to let me comprehend, some He asks me to discover with careful study, and some remain in the ‘to be continued’ category.
God reveals Truth and requires us to discover it! An honest scientist and an honest theologian are in pursuit of the same thing (or One) – the Truth! And, the discovery of the truth – be it about physical laws of the universe or spiritual laws about pleasing God – brings great benefit to those who align themselves with it. As Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32, NIV)
Disciple, are you pursuing the Truth? Be a student of the Scripture and a person who loves God personally and intimately. Watch out for deception that comes from becoming intellectually lazy or spiritually tradition bound! Jesus’ most ardent enemies were men who thought of themselves as being pursuers of truth. But their ability to know the truth was corrupted by insistence on maintaining their accepted traditions, which led to their refusal to live in the Spirit, God’s Living Water. Jesus challenged them - "Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” (John 7:24, NLT)
Here’s Truth to live by today. Meditate on it and take the deep assurance offered by the Word with you into a world full of uncertainty.
"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. …
"Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart." (Psalm 125:1-2, 4, NIV)
__________________
Change my heart, oh God,
Make it ever true.
Change my heart, oh God,
May I be like You.
You are the potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me,
This is what I pray.
Change my Heart, Oh GodEddie Espinosa© 1982 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 810055
I grew up in a church that told me the world was a place of right and wrong, black and white, with no grey areas. As I matured I found that there was an additional category – “things we don’t talk about!” Many of the difficult issues got pushed into that category and, if a question was raised, you got a lecture about the importance of ‘just trusting God,’ which I later figured out was code for ‘we don’t know how to answer that and stick with our system of truth!’ I also learned that there were some things that were declared true that were simply preferences of the leaders or traditions of the church. It was all terribly confusing to a teenager trying to hang onto to his faith.
The temptation that came from all that was to discard faith, but God was there. He revealed (an important word in the discussion about Truth) Himself in the created world, through the love of wonderful Spirit-filled people, by the work of the Spirit, and in the Scripture. I learned that honesty in dealing with Truth did not require me to have an answer for all questions; that I could and should say, “I do not know,” and leave it at that. I also learned to live with mystery – with the fact that God and His Truth are just too big to fit entirely inside of my head. Some things He choose to let me comprehend, some He asks me to discover with careful study, and some remain in the ‘to be continued’ category.
God reveals Truth and requires us to discover it! An honest scientist and an honest theologian are in pursuit of the same thing (or One) – the Truth! And, the discovery of the truth – be it about physical laws of the universe or spiritual laws about pleasing God – brings great benefit to those who align themselves with it. As Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32, NIV)
Disciple, are you pursuing the Truth? Be a student of the Scripture and a person who loves God personally and intimately. Watch out for deception that comes from becoming intellectually lazy or spiritually tradition bound! Jesus’ most ardent enemies were men who thought of themselves as being pursuers of truth. But their ability to know the truth was corrupted by insistence on maintaining their accepted traditions, which led to their refusal to live in the Spirit, God’s Living Water. Jesus challenged them - "Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” (John 7:24, NLT)
Here’s Truth to live by today. Meditate on it and take the deep assurance offered by the Word with you into a world full of uncertainty.
"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. …
"Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart." (Psalm 125:1-2, 4, NIV)
__________________
Change my heart, oh God,
Make it ever true.
Change my heart, oh God,
May I be like You.
You are the potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me,
This is what I pray.
Change my Heart, Oh GodEddie Espinosa© 1982 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, March 13, 2009
On God’s shoulders
Bev and I have four children, all adults now. But, I remember their childhood like yesterday. When they were little and I was strong, I would swing them to my shoulders effortlessly, their little legs straddling my neck, their hands wrapped in my hair. They loved seeing the world from ‘up there.’ I carried them on my shoulders when we were walking through snow or mud, or when we were in a crowd. Perched there, they were safe, fully in the care of their loving Dad. Both of us were delighted!
Take a look at what our Heavenly Father says He will do for you and me! “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. “To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?” Isn’t that rich? Tears of joy pour down my face as I write these worlds… thinking of my Father reaching down to swing me to His shoulders, to carry me through the mud today! Oh, what a thought of Glory. Such love.
But, many people are like the fools which Isaiah describes in the next lines. “Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles. “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels." (Isaiah 46:3-8, NIV) The false gods, the idols of materialism, prestige, sensuality, empty religion – these oppress the worshipper. These idols weigh us down and, for what? They cannot save!
I can no longer hoist my kids to my shoulders! The thought makes me chuckle: Sean at 6 foot, 2 inches on my shoulders! Oh, yes, I still can pick them up emotionally, can pray with them, can listen to them, but gradually my ability to father them is eroding. Our Heavenly Father never loses His strength. He says that He was there when we were infants and He be there when our hair is gray, constantly carrying us on His shoulders.
What’s your burden today, disciple?
What fear weighs you down?
Is there a dreaded situation that makes you feel small, something that you cannot get through alone?
Let Him carry you. Kneel and ask, “Father, would you lift me up to Your shoulders?”
_______________
There is no problem so big,
God cannot solve it.
There is no mountain so tall,
He cannot move it.
There is no storm so dark,
God cannot calm it.
There is no sorrow so deep,
God cannot soothe it.
If He carried the weight of the world
Upon His shoulders,
I know my brother, that He will carry you.
If He carried the weight of the world
Upon His shoulder,
I know my brother, that He will carry you.
He Will Carry You
Scott Wesley Brown© 1982 Birdwing Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) / BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
______________
This thought was inspired by little four line ‘A-ha’ email sent my way this morning by a good friend, Pastor Tim Hoff. Thanks, Tim.
CWTW will be back late next week. I’ll be taking a few days to unstring the bow, to let the Father carry me. If you would ask Him to renew my mind, refresh my heart, restore my soul – I would be deeply grateful!
Take a look at what our Heavenly Father says He will do for you and me! “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. “To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?” Isn’t that rich? Tears of joy pour down my face as I write these worlds… thinking of my Father reaching down to swing me to His shoulders, to carry me through the mud today! Oh, what a thought of Glory. Such love.
But, many people are like the fools which Isaiah describes in the next lines. “Some pour out gold from their bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles. “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels." (Isaiah 46:3-8, NIV) The false gods, the idols of materialism, prestige, sensuality, empty religion – these oppress the worshipper. These idols weigh us down and, for what? They cannot save!
I can no longer hoist my kids to my shoulders! The thought makes me chuckle: Sean at 6 foot, 2 inches on my shoulders! Oh, yes, I still can pick them up emotionally, can pray with them, can listen to them, but gradually my ability to father them is eroding. Our Heavenly Father never loses His strength. He says that He was there when we were infants and He be there when our hair is gray, constantly carrying us on His shoulders.
What’s your burden today, disciple?
What fear weighs you down?
Is there a dreaded situation that makes you feel small, something that you cannot get through alone?
Let Him carry you. Kneel and ask, “Father, would you lift me up to Your shoulders?”
_______________
There is no problem so big,
God cannot solve it.
There is no mountain so tall,
He cannot move it.
There is no storm so dark,
God cannot calm it.
There is no sorrow so deep,
God cannot soothe it.
If He carried the weight of the world
Upon His shoulders,
I know my brother, that He will carry you.
If He carried the weight of the world
Upon His shoulder,
I know my brother, that He will carry you.
He Will Carry You
Scott Wesley Brown© 1982 Birdwing Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) / BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
______________
This thought was inspired by little four line ‘A-ha’ email sent my way this morning by a good friend, Pastor Tim Hoff. Thanks, Tim.
CWTW will be back late next week. I’ll be taking a few days to unstring the bow, to let the Father carry me. If you would ask Him to renew my mind, refresh my heart, restore my soul – I would be deeply grateful!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Bread King!
Sitting down to a well-prepared, savory meal is a joy, isn’t it? After a day when I’ve been active and not taken time to eat, I am ready for dinner! What must it be like to be desperately hungry, living on the edge day after day? If a person is that hungry, bread becomes awfully important! In John’s Gospel, we read of about dinner served at day’s end at Jesus’ direction. John tells us that several thousand people had gathered to hear Him speak and as the evening was settling, the Lord asked Philip where they could get bread to feed the crowd. His incredulous reply -“Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” (John 6:7, NLT) Jesus already had a plan. A boy’s lunch was found. He blessed it and miraculously feed 5000 men and others with it, then collected 12 baskets of leftovers!
The people were excited. No more struggle to find food, no more dealing with famines, no more wondering about bread! They were so enthused the Bible says, “they were ready to force him to be their king." (John 6:15, NLT) The Bread King! The first ever welfare state!
The next day when some of them found Jesus, He told them that He wasn’t around just to make them dinner. “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. … I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. … I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” (John 6:26,35,51, NLT)
Why are you a Christian?
Why do you follow Jesus?
Are you just looking for a Bread King?
Disciple, the ever-present temptation is to simply want a God who will make our life easier for us, here and now. What’s wrong with that? Well, His mission is is greater than filling our bellies and making us happy on this earth. Yes, of course, He cares about our needs, but He is really our Life! A careful meditation on the 6th chapter of John reveals that Jesus Christ will feed us in ways that have nothing to do with our stomachs and bread! He will satisfy our spirit hunger, feeding us with Himself. He, Himself, was fed in this way by the Presence of His Father. When His disciples brought Him lunch one day at Jacob’s well, He did not eat. He told them, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”… My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work." (John 4:32,34, NLT)
If we only love what Jesus does for us, but fail to love Jesus Christ Himself, we are just like those that He fed dinner. He wants us to love Him! Go deeper in spiritual things, friend. Go beyond having a religion that you hope will help life to work better for you. Seek a relationship with the Lord that is deep, intimate, and soul-satisfying; something that few who claim to be ‘Christian’ really understand.
And this is His promise: "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:57-58, NKJV)
____________________
Hungry, I come to You
For I know You satisfy.
I am empty,
But I know Your love
Does not run dry.
And so I wait for You,
So I wait for You.
I'm falling on my knees
Offering all of me.
Jesus, You're all
This heart is living for.
Hungry
Kathrun Scott© 1999 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire) (Admin. by Mercy / Vineyard Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
______________________
Jerry D. Scott - Sr. Pastor
WASHINGTON ASSEMBLY of GOD
33 Brass Castle Road - Washington, NJ 07882
908-689-7777
http://www.WashingtonAG.com
The people were excited. No more struggle to find food, no more dealing with famines, no more wondering about bread! They were so enthused the Bible says, “they were ready to force him to be their king." (John 6:15, NLT) The Bread King! The first ever welfare state!
The next day when some of them found Jesus, He told them that He wasn’t around just to make them dinner. “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. … I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. … I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” (John 6:26,35,51, NLT)
Why are you a Christian?
Why do you follow Jesus?
Are you just looking for a Bread King?
Disciple, the ever-present temptation is to simply want a God who will make our life easier for us, here and now. What’s wrong with that? Well, His mission is is greater than filling our bellies and making us happy on this earth. Yes, of course, He cares about our needs, but He is really our Life! A careful meditation on the 6th chapter of John reveals that Jesus Christ will feed us in ways that have nothing to do with our stomachs and bread! He will satisfy our spirit hunger, feeding us with Himself. He, Himself, was fed in this way by the Presence of His Father. When His disciples brought Him lunch one day at Jacob’s well, He did not eat. He told them, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”… My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work." (John 4:32,34, NLT)
If we only love what Jesus does for us, but fail to love Jesus Christ Himself, we are just like those that He fed dinner. He wants us to love Him! Go deeper in spiritual things, friend. Go beyond having a religion that you hope will help life to work better for you. Seek a relationship with the Lord that is deep, intimate, and soul-satisfying; something that few who claim to be ‘Christian’ really understand.
And this is His promise: "As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:57-58, NKJV)
____________________
Hungry, I come to You
For I know You satisfy.
I am empty,
But I know Your love
Does not run dry.
And so I wait for You,
So I wait for You.
I'm falling on my knees
Offering all of me.
Jesus, You're all
This heart is living for.
Hungry
Kathrun Scott© 1999 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire) (Admin. by Mercy / Vineyard Publishing)
CCLI License No. 810055
______________________
Jerry D. Scott - Sr. Pastor
WASHINGTON ASSEMBLY of GOD
33 Brass Castle Road - Washington, NJ 07882
908-689-7777
http://www.WashingtonAG.com
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Alone, in the dark?
Our church is a huge building with a high ceiling, 40 feet at the peak. It’s a wooden structure, beautiful during the day when the light plays through the trusses but spooky at night when the lights are turned off. After spending hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours in that room, I know every corner in it, yet... walking through the building in the dark of night still makes my heart pound! The rafters creak, the wind moans around the sharp corners of the roof, shadows dance on the walls and - in the dark - I simply cannot help feeling at least a little bit of fear. In the bright light of morning, the same set of circumstances, in that very same sanctuary, I feel no fear whatever. Just for the record, I'm not a alone in this reaction. Many people report experiencing that same kind of fear in big, dark buildings!
Are you walking in the dark today?
Is the Light of life dimmed by situations that leave you feeling afraid? Perhaps this is the plan of God for you right now.
Jesus' disciples listened as He talked about going to Jerusalem to die. Peter objected that such awful things could not be God’s will. Jesus did not agree. He severely reprimanded his buddy: "Get behind me, Satan!" During the week prior to His death, Jesus told the disciples terrible things about the future of Jerusalem: "the Temple will be destroyed, terrible times will come when the residents of this city will run for their lives." Becoming much more personal, He warned His friends about their own failure of faith when He was betrayed and taken to die! Peter boldly barked: "Maybe those other guys, but NOT me!" Jesus told him that he would fail spectacularly, even openly denying Him- which he did! Judas deserted his brothers, joining with their enemies. Jesus was taken into custody for an illegal midnight trial of sorts. The disciples deserted Him scattering into the night in terror. That week ended with His crucifixion. John tells us that the disciples hid behind locked doors, deeply shaken and fearful. And you think you've had a bad week?
Sometimes God's people have to walk through dark times! The Psalmist reminds us, however, that (23:4 NLT) "Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid..." Why? "...for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."
God’s promise is true. Even when we cannot see Him - He is with us. When we are walking through the dark rooms of death, disappointment, or even demonic attack He is with us. Why doesn’t He take us out of such situations? I don’t know! That’s the faith part of the equation. Peter urges us to stay steady, even when we're in the dark. "Don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world." 1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT
Are you in the dark today? I love a story that I find in the 16th chapter of Acts. After doing much good in the city of Philippi, God’s men, Paul and Silas, were accused of disturbing the peace, beaten by the authorities, and chained to a wall in a filthy jail! Sounds like a good time to complain, doesn’t it? “What’s up with this, Lord? Here we are trying to do what you want us to do. And, then you let us end up here in the dark, hurting and bleeding.” That’s not what they did. The Bible says, "Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears." (Acts 16:25, The Message) You know the rest of the story… an earthquake shook open the doors; the jailer’s heart was opened by the sincere faith he saw in these two evangelists; and the light broke through!
So, if you’re in the dark, find a song to sing. Make it one that takes hold of the faithfulness of God. Sing like Paul and Silas sang at midnight! (Acts 16) And wait for the deliverance of the Lord to restore the Light to your life.
______________
Great is Thy faithfulness,
O God my Father,
There is no shadow
Of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not,
Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been
Thou forever wilt be.
Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence
To cheer and to guide;
Strength for today
And bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine,
With ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning
New mercies I see;
All I have needed
Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Lord, unto me.
Great is Thy Faithfulness© 1923. Renewed 1951 Hope Publishing Company
CCLI License No. 810055
Are you walking in the dark today?
Is the Light of life dimmed by situations that leave you feeling afraid? Perhaps this is the plan of God for you right now.
Jesus' disciples listened as He talked about going to Jerusalem to die. Peter objected that such awful things could not be God’s will. Jesus did not agree. He severely reprimanded his buddy: "Get behind me, Satan!" During the week prior to His death, Jesus told the disciples terrible things about the future of Jerusalem: "the Temple will be destroyed, terrible times will come when the residents of this city will run for their lives." Becoming much more personal, He warned His friends about their own failure of faith when He was betrayed and taken to die! Peter boldly barked: "Maybe those other guys, but NOT me!" Jesus told him that he would fail spectacularly, even openly denying Him- which he did! Judas deserted his brothers, joining with their enemies. Jesus was taken into custody for an illegal midnight trial of sorts. The disciples deserted Him scattering into the night in terror. That week ended with His crucifixion. John tells us that the disciples hid behind locked doors, deeply shaken and fearful. And you think you've had a bad week?
Sometimes God's people have to walk through dark times! The Psalmist reminds us, however, that (23:4 NLT) "Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid..." Why? "...for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."
God’s promise is true. Even when we cannot see Him - He is with us. When we are walking through the dark rooms of death, disappointment, or even demonic attack He is with us. Why doesn’t He take us out of such situations? I don’t know! That’s the faith part of the equation. Peter urges us to stay steady, even when we're in the dark. "Don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world." 1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT
Are you in the dark today? I love a story that I find in the 16th chapter of Acts. After doing much good in the city of Philippi, God’s men, Paul and Silas, were accused of disturbing the peace, beaten by the authorities, and chained to a wall in a filthy jail! Sounds like a good time to complain, doesn’t it? “What’s up with this, Lord? Here we are trying to do what you want us to do. And, then you let us end up here in the dark, hurting and bleeding.” That’s not what they did. The Bible says, "Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears." (Acts 16:25, The Message) You know the rest of the story… an earthquake shook open the doors; the jailer’s heart was opened by the sincere faith he saw in these two evangelists; and the light broke through!
So, if you’re in the dark, find a song to sing. Make it one that takes hold of the faithfulness of God. Sing like Paul and Silas sang at midnight! (Acts 16) And wait for the deliverance of the Lord to restore the Light to your life.
______________
Great is Thy faithfulness,
O God my Father,
There is no shadow
Of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not,
Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been
Thou forever wilt be.
Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence
To cheer and to guide;
Strength for today
And bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine,
With ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning
New mercies I see;
All I have needed
Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Lord, unto me.
Great is Thy Faithfulness© 1923. Renewed 1951 Hope Publishing Company
CCLI License No. 810055
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
It’s a life – and other inconvenient facts
From the moment of conception to the last breath, human life is an unbroken continuum. Some lives are more vulnerable than others, including the unborn, the less abled, and the elderly. As Christians, God requires us to stand alongside of those who cannot defend themselves, who are without strength. No more compelling support can be found for this fact than that in James where we read: "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (James 1:27, NLT) James’ reference to the plight of orphans and widows, is not simply an economic statement. Those without a father or husband in that era were at the mercy of many. The larger truth wrapped in his words is that disciples are given a mandate to stand with the weak!
Our President came down on the side of expedience yesterday, choosing to ignore the compelling facts about the sanctity of human life, with a stroke of his pen restoring government support and sanction for stem cell research from human embryos. I understand the collision of two ‘goods’ that complicate his choice. Watching the Michael J. Fox, the actor with Parkinson’s disease, twitch and jerk uncontrollably on camera moves my heart especially when I know that his illness will end his life prematurely. Seeing people with spinal cord injuries who hope that they could walk again, if only a cure were found, makes me feel compassion, too! Pointing to the ‘possibility’ of a cure for such afflictions that might arise from stem cell research, our President and his advisors say that any moral concerns about life of the unborn is trumped by need for scientific inquiry.
Ignoring a fundamental fact about humanity by adopting a utilitarian view of the value of life may lead to some gains in the short-term, but it will inevitably lead us to terrible choices not too far down the road. One only has to consider the shocking views of a man most Americans have never heard of, Dr. Peter Singer, a bioethicist from Princeton University. While his views are not currently mainstream, they are the logical outgrowth of the same line of thinking that justifies using human embryos for medical research. Singer advocates, among other things, allowing parents 28 days from birth to decide whether to let their baby live or die! He bases this claim on his assertion that newborn infants have limited consciousness and rationality, therefore they are not fully functioning human beings. Singer disavows the belief that all human life has equal dignity. He assigns value to individuals based on their contribution and usefulness to society at large.
If we become utilitarian in our ethical base, which is what Dr. Singer is in an extreme form, nobody’s life is safe! Watch out unborn children, people who are disabled, or those who are terminally ill, or even the aged! Singer’s radical views are rooted in his non-belief in God or Creation. In his view, human beings are simply an extension of evolved life, having no more right to exist than a pig or an ape! What we see in Dr. Singer is what we will see should we become a secular society.
Let’s be clear; I do not believe President Obama espouses Dr. Singer’s views! Very few Americans presently do. But, I firmly believe that taking a step towards taking a tiny life of a helpless human being to benefit another is immoral and ignores the biological facts concerning conception and life and leads us further along the way to a redefinition of our culture that will be ugly.
Disciple, our faith is not simple. The world in which we live it out, day by day, does not make it easy to hold to absolutes. Formation of those absolutes must be done with careful thought, prayer, and deep reverence for the discovery of Truth. However, Jesus says that “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32, NIV) One of the most basic Biblical concepts and a cornerstone of Christ’s teaching is that everyone matters, that all individual persons are precious and loved in the eyes of God, regardless of whether they are male, female, rich, poor, strong, or weak.
May God forgive us the choices made in our names in Washington, DC yesterday and help us to find our voices as well as the courage to stand with all those who are ignored, oppressed, or exploited. If we will not, then may the words of Ezekiel fall on us!
"Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, “This is what God, the Master, says …” when God hasn’t said so much as one word.
Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.’
“I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it. I couldn’t find anyone. Not one.
So I’ll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they’ve done. Decree of God, the Master.”
(Ezekiel 22:28-31, The Message)
Monday, March 09, 2009
The emotion the devil loves
It started as a quarrel. It quickly escalated into a war of words. How it might have ended is anybody's guess except that both of us reached out to a mutual friend who hit the reset button on our emotions, refocusing us on the love of Christ, our shared mission, and our esteem for each other! Quickly, the tense situation was defused.
Anger is dynamite! Explosives are a boon to humanity. A series of controlled explosions drives our engines. Dynamite allows us to build roads through mountains. A sustained explosion is what pushes rockets into space. Explosives are also a terrible blight, used in warfare to destroy cities and kill thousands. Terrorists have chosen bombs as the weapon of choice to destabilize societies and sow fear in the world.
Anger can move a man to change his world, to deal with injustice, to give his life to end a threat. A little too much anger can destroy a friendship, tear apart a marriage, turn a man into a murderer, or drive a nation to war! I love Bev (my wife of 34 years) more than any person on this planet, but when I am angry with her over some insignificant issue, I am capable of saying things to her that are very hurtful or allowing myself to think things about her that have no basis in fact. When the storm of anger passes, I wonder - "how did that happen?"
While I would never want to lose the capacity to become angry, I know it is critically important that I understand anger enough to keep it within safe channels. When anger builds in us a whole range of responses begin to occur. Blood pressure increases, heart rate goes up, and energy hormones like adrenaline pour into our body preparing us for a fight! If we are not accustomed to managing our emotions, anger will quickly cause us to move toward irrational thoughts that actually feed a rage. That is why I call anger the emotion the devil loves! The Scripture speaks of anger, not as sin, but with caution so that it does not cause us to sin. Jesus Christ, the Sinless Man, grew angry! Mark tells us that when some religious leaders resisted His work of healing because of the Sabbath traditions, "He looked around at them in anger, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts!" Then, too, there is that famed incident when an angry Jesus took up a whip and drove the money changers from the Temple grounds because their greed led them to exploit worshippers!
The Word cautions us to build strong walls around our anger, to limit how far we allow to reach into our lives and how long we allow ourselves to remain angry. "Don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil." (Ephesians 4:26-27, NLT) James adds this wisdom. "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:19-21, NKJV)
Disciple, learn to recognize the signs of anger. Be honest with yourself when you're starting to feel angry. If you are not, the emotion is so powerful it will find a way to seep into many others parts of your life like a corrosive acid that opens your mind to temptations around lust, rage, uncontrolled spending, or misuse of alcohol and/or drugs! It is true! Many people with life-controlling issues are really just angry children inside, looking for relief from the suppressed anger they feel over situations they think they cannot control.
So how can we keep anger holy?
1. Be quick to invite another to monitor your anger. Tell a trusted confidant, "I am feeling angry." As you talk about it, you will be much more likely to properly identify the source so you can find the right solution.
2. Pray about your anger! The last thing you may feel like doing when you're growing angry at someone is taking it to the Lord, but it is one of the first responses for those who are Christ's. Invite the Holy Spirit to calm you, to give you insight, to drain away the "Self" component in your anger.
3. Deal with it now! Don't stuff anger away under pious talk, or diversions that keep you from thinking about it. Instead, as the Bible teaches, "don't let the sun go down" while you're angry. In just a few hours, a minor irritation can turn into a major conflict if it is not promptly dealt with.
4. Learn to forgive. In God's lexicon, forgive doesn't mean 'just forget about it.' Forgiveness is a choice to turn some injustice over to Him, with the sure knowledge that He will, in His time and with His wisdom, bring about true justice - maybe not today or tomorrow, but He will. So you can take that person, that situation, that wound to Him and leave it with Him. "Lord, I have not been able to deal with this. I can't solve it, I can't control it, I can't work it out. I give it to You. I release it to You and ask You to let my heart leave it there." It is simply amazing the peace that can flow into our lives IF we will choose to forgive others in this manner!
5. Repent, if you have stepped over the line from anger to wrath! Own your emotions and responsibility for them. Nobody can cause us to sin. As much as we don't believe this it is true: nobody makes us angry. We choose that response! And where we choose to sin, the Bible calls us to confess and in confession to find the Lord's forgiveness and release from guilt.
America is full of ungodly anger today. May God, the Holy Spirit, so fill our hearts that we learn to be peacemakers who bring reconciliation. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9, NIV)
Anger is dynamite! Explosives are a boon to humanity. A series of controlled explosions drives our engines. Dynamite allows us to build roads through mountains. A sustained explosion is what pushes rockets into space. Explosives are also a terrible blight, used in warfare to destroy cities and kill thousands. Terrorists have chosen bombs as the weapon of choice to destabilize societies and sow fear in the world.
Anger can move a man to change his world, to deal with injustice, to give his life to end a threat. A little too much anger can destroy a friendship, tear apart a marriage, turn a man into a murderer, or drive a nation to war! I love Bev (my wife of 34 years) more than any person on this planet, but when I am angry with her over some insignificant issue, I am capable of saying things to her that are very hurtful or allowing myself to think things about her that have no basis in fact. When the storm of anger passes, I wonder - "how did that happen?"
While I would never want to lose the capacity to become angry, I know it is critically important that I understand anger enough to keep it within safe channels. When anger builds in us a whole range of responses begin to occur. Blood pressure increases, heart rate goes up, and energy hormones like adrenaline pour into our body preparing us for a fight! If we are not accustomed to managing our emotions, anger will quickly cause us to move toward irrational thoughts that actually feed a rage. That is why I call anger the emotion the devil loves! The Scripture speaks of anger, not as sin, but with caution so that it does not cause us to sin. Jesus Christ, the Sinless Man, grew angry! Mark tells us that when some religious leaders resisted His work of healing because of the Sabbath traditions, "He looked around at them in anger, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts!" Then, too, there is that famed incident when an angry Jesus took up a whip and drove the money changers from the Temple grounds because their greed led them to exploit worshippers!
The Word cautions us to build strong walls around our anger, to limit how far we allow to reach into our lives and how long we allow ourselves to remain angry. "Don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil." (Ephesians 4:26-27, NLT) James adds this wisdom. "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:19-21, NKJV)
Disciple, learn to recognize the signs of anger. Be honest with yourself when you're starting to feel angry. If you are not, the emotion is so powerful it will find a way to seep into many others parts of your life like a corrosive acid that opens your mind to temptations around lust, rage, uncontrolled spending, or misuse of alcohol and/or drugs! It is true! Many people with life-controlling issues are really just angry children inside, looking for relief from the suppressed anger they feel over situations they think they cannot control.
So how can we keep anger holy?
1. Be quick to invite another to monitor your anger. Tell a trusted confidant, "I am feeling angry." As you talk about it, you will be much more likely to properly identify the source so you can find the right solution.
2. Pray about your anger! The last thing you may feel like doing when you're growing angry at someone is taking it to the Lord, but it is one of the first responses for those who are Christ's. Invite the Holy Spirit to calm you, to give you insight, to drain away the "Self" component in your anger.
3. Deal with it now! Don't stuff anger away under pious talk, or diversions that keep you from thinking about it. Instead, as the Bible teaches, "don't let the sun go down" while you're angry. In just a few hours, a minor irritation can turn into a major conflict if it is not promptly dealt with.
4. Learn to forgive. In God's lexicon, forgive doesn't mean 'just forget about it.' Forgiveness is a choice to turn some injustice over to Him, with the sure knowledge that He will, in His time and with His wisdom, bring about true justice - maybe not today or tomorrow, but He will. So you can take that person, that situation, that wound to Him and leave it with Him. "Lord, I have not been able to deal with this. I can't solve it, I can't control it, I can't work it out. I give it to You. I release it to You and ask You to let my heart leave it there." It is simply amazing the peace that can flow into our lives IF we will choose to forgive others in this manner!
5. Repent, if you have stepped over the line from anger to wrath! Own your emotions and responsibility for them. Nobody can cause us to sin. As much as we don't believe this it is true: nobody makes us angry. We choose that response! And where we choose to sin, the Bible calls us to confess and in confession to find the Lord's forgiveness and release from guilt.
America is full of ungodly anger today. May God, the Holy Spirit, so fill our hearts that we learn to be peacemakers who bring reconciliation. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9, NIV)
Friday, March 06, 2009
Spring Training - Doing the Basics, all over again!
Disciple, are you 'in shape,' in peak playing form?
No, I'm not inquiring about your athletic prowess. Are you spiritually in shape, making maximum contribution to this world with the spiritual gifts God has invested in you?
Major League Baseball's spring training is well underway. At small baseball parks in Florida and Arizona the pro's are working at getting their bats and gloves back into top form. These men, many of whom have spent years in the game, are being coached, working on their baseball skills- just like they did when they were rookies on an AA team. They are going through the aches and pains that are the result of coaxing their bodies into playing form again. They play games with deadly seriousness, even though the season has not started yet.
Just like these baseball players, disciples need training, need to be equipped for serving the Lord, need to hone skill to use the gifts and talents He's invested in us! Have you thought about what you might do to become a better Christian, a skilled member of God's team? There are the basics --daily intake of Scripture,-regular times of meditation when we listen for God's voice,-prayers for the needs of ourselves and others,-the choice to serve faithfully, and-regular worship with other Believers. When we do those things we are working out in a way that is similar to the routines that all the players do to get in top physical shape before their season begins. No matter if they are an outfielder or pitcher, all the players do the sit-ups, the crunches, the running that tones up their bodies. Likewise, Believers need to do the basics, no matter their calling or ministry.
I've been a Believer for 40+ years and I still do the basics! Every day I open the Bible to renew my mind with His wisdom. I spend time listening to Him, quieting my mind before Him. I pray and make the choice to get to church and to prayer group- even when I don't feel like it or when I'm 'on vacation.' Do I think doing those things 'earn' me extra points in Heaven, or help me to get my prayers answered more quickly? Of course not! Those are the fundamental exercises of the Christian life that help me 'stay in shape' so I am able to live as He desires and able to consistently do what He wants me to do.
Beyond the basics, the baseball pros have specialized training too. Each one is coached for the position he will occupy on the field. We all, regardless of what we do in God's service, need to be the best we can be for God! American Christians are blessed with abundant resources for which we should thank God! No matter what you do in His name, it seems there are books, magazines, and conferences where you can take advantage of shared wisdom that will help to sharpen your skills and the way that you exercise your gifts.
My hope is that you take what you do for God so seriously that you earnestly desire to be the BEST at it, for Christ's sake! I regularly read books and journeals that help me evaluate how I am leading the congregation He's entrusted to my care, that help me deepen my understanding of the Scripture, and that coach me on the way I communicate with the people He's called me to teach. I attend conferences, from time to time, to gain new skills and sharpen old ones. Do you train yourself for service for His glory? Who coaches you in your Christian walk? I hope and pray that you have those that you trust and to whom you have given permission to speak both the positive and the negative so that you can become ALL that God has called you to be. I've surrounded myself with people that I trust and I seek their feedback. I love it when they take note of the home run, but cringe when one of my trusted coaches points out an area of sloppiness or poor service! All of it helps me be the best I can be for the Master!
Read this passage slowly and let it sink in- and then, commit yourself to continual training in the Master's service. Envision yourself playing on a championship team, at peak performance, doing what you do with excellence - Soli Deo Gloria! (Glory to God alone!)
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body (discipline my body like an athlete- NLT ) and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
1 Corinthians 9:24-28 NIV
No, I'm not inquiring about your athletic prowess. Are you spiritually in shape, making maximum contribution to this world with the spiritual gifts God has invested in you?
Major League Baseball's spring training is well underway. At small baseball parks in Florida and Arizona the pro's are working at getting their bats and gloves back into top form. These men, many of whom have spent years in the game, are being coached, working on their baseball skills- just like they did when they were rookies on an AA team. They are going through the aches and pains that are the result of coaxing their bodies into playing form again. They play games with deadly seriousness, even though the season has not started yet.
Just like these baseball players, disciples need training, need to be equipped for serving the Lord, need to hone skill to use the gifts and talents He's invested in us! Have you thought about what you might do to become a better Christian, a skilled member of God's team? There are the basics --daily intake of Scripture,-regular times of meditation when we listen for God's voice,-prayers for the needs of ourselves and others,-the choice to serve faithfully, and-regular worship with other Believers. When we do those things we are working out in a way that is similar to the routines that all the players do to get in top physical shape before their season begins. No matter if they are an outfielder or pitcher, all the players do the sit-ups, the crunches, the running that tones up their bodies. Likewise, Believers need to do the basics, no matter their calling or ministry.
I've been a Believer for 40+ years and I still do the basics! Every day I open the Bible to renew my mind with His wisdom. I spend time listening to Him, quieting my mind before Him. I pray and make the choice to get to church and to prayer group- even when I don't feel like it or when I'm 'on vacation.' Do I think doing those things 'earn' me extra points in Heaven, or help me to get my prayers answered more quickly? Of course not! Those are the fundamental exercises of the Christian life that help me 'stay in shape' so I am able to live as He desires and able to consistently do what He wants me to do.
Beyond the basics, the baseball pros have specialized training too. Each one is coached for the position he will occupy on the field. We all, regardless of what we do in God's service, need to be the best we can be for God! American Christians are blessed with abundant resources for which we should thank God! No matter what you do in His name, it seems there are books, magazines, and conferences where you can take advantage of shared wisdom that will help to sharpen your skills and the way that you exercise your gifts.
My hope is that you take what you do for God so seriously that you earnestly desire to be the BEST at it, for Christ's sake! I regularly read books and journeals that help me evaluate how I am leading the congregation He's entrusted to my care, that help me deepen my understanding of the Scripture, and that coach me on the way I communicate with the people He's called me to teach. I attend conferences, from time to time, to gain new skills and sharpen old ones. Do you train yourself for service for His glory? Who coaches you in your Christian walk? I hope and pray that you have those that you trust and to whom you have given permission to speak both the positive and the negative so that you can become ALL that God has called you to be. I've surrounded myself with people that I trust and I seek their feedback. I love it when they take note of the home run, but cringe when one of my trusted coaches points out an area of sloppiness or poor service! All of it helps me be the best I can be for the Master!
Read this passage slowly and let it sink in- and then, commit yourself to continual training in the Master's service. Envision yourself playing on a championship team, at peak performance, doing what you do with excellence - Soli Deo Gloria! (Glory to God alone!)
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body (discipline my body like an athlete- NLT ) and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
1 Corinthians 9:24-28 NIV
Thursday, March 05, 2009
The Pharisee in me
I must deal with spiritual pride, not all the time, but occasionally it creeps up on me! If I look at the choices made for good, the acts of self-denial, the discipline of living a moral life – Ego sees to it that the temptation to congratulate myself arises. Yes, friend, I hate that Pharisee that lives in me, the guy who finds himself thinking, “Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.” (Luke 18:11-12, The Message) I know exactly when that impulse finds a place in my heart: when I take my focus from Christ and His cross as my righteousness! When it is allowed to rise, the corruption of pride is a stench that overwhelms the fragrance of Jesus Christ in my life. His beauty is obscured by an ugly religious spirit.
Pride is a temptation that visits all those who seek to live a holy life. It is rather like the man who humbles himself and then takes note of his humility; losing it in that moment. We cannot defeat this kind of pride with self-abnegation. “Don’t look at me,” can really mean, “Please take note of me, but don’t say anything to me. Just quietly admire all my spiritual accomplishments!” There is but one way to put Self and pride to death – deep, heart-felt worship of the One who saves us. So-called ‘worm theology’ won’t do it. That phrase is borrowed from the Isaac Watts hymn, “At the Cross,” that includes this line, “would He devote that Sacred Head, for such a worm as I?” It is possible to be a very proud worm!
We must kneel (literally, I believe, for that posture is a way to pray with our body) and confess that Jesus is Lord, Master, and Savior. Contemplating His majesty, waiting silently before Him, giving thanks from a worshipful heart brings us to the realization that His grace is amazing. Such contemplative prayer often leads me to tears that are a reflection of the gratitude in my heart. And, too, we must meditate on the truth of the Scripture to bring to light the deception of ego. Pride cannot live under the brilliant light of a Word like this: "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV) That passage speaks to the intrinsic worth that God gives to me, a wonderful fact that must never be forgotten. And it also reminds me that I can take no pride in who I am, or what I do, an equally important fact.
Some mistakenly think that the way to defeat pride is to sin with abandon. How foolish, but it is an ancient response to grace. Paul addressed it in his letter to the Romans. "So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? … Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our new grace-sovereign country. Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call!" (Romans 6:1, 5-6, The Message)
Disciple, are you gazing at yourself, admiring your goodness? Is the Pharisee in thee alive and well? Go to Jesus! Begin to worship, anew, at His Cross. Pride stinks, grace is sweetly fragrant. May grace fill your heart, your words, your life – today.
_________
That God should love a sinner such as I,
Should yearn to change my sorrow into bliss,
Nor rest till He had planned to bring me nigh,
How wonderful is love like this!
That Christ should join so freely in the scheme,
Although it meant His death on Calvary.
Did ever human tongue find nobler theme
Than love divine that ransomed me?
And now He takes me to His heart, a son;
He asks me not to fill a servant's place.
The "far off country" wand'rings all are done;
Wide open are His arms of grace.
Such love, such wondrous love!
Such love, such wondrous love!
That God should love a sinner such as I,
How wonderful is love like this!
Such Love
Bishop, C. / Harkness, Robert© 1929. Renewed 1957 Lillenas Publishing Company (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
Pride is a temptation that visits all those who seek to live a holy life. It is rather like the man who humbles himself and then takes note of his humility; losing it in that moment. We cannot defeat this kind of pride with self-abnegation. “Don’t look at me,” can really mean, “Please take note of me, but don’t say anything to me. Just quietly admire all my spiritual accomplishments!” There is but one way to put Self and pride to death – deep, heart-felt worship of the One who saves us. So-called ‘worm theology’ won’t do it. That phrase is borrowed from the Isaac Watts hymn, “At the Cross,” that includes this line, “would He devote that Sacred Head, for such a worm as I?” It is possible to be a very proud worm!
We must kneel (literally, I believe, for that posture is a way to pray with our body) and confess that Jesus is Lord, Master, and Savior. Contemplating His majesty, waiting silently before Him, giving thanks from a worshipful heart brings us to the realization that His grace is amazing. Such contemplative prayer often leads me to tears that are a reflection of the gratitude in my heart. And, too, we must meditate on the truth of the Scripture to bring to light the deception of ego. Pride cannot live under the brilliant light of a Word like this: "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV) That passage speaks to the intrinsic worth that God gives to me, a wonderful fact that must never be forgotten. And it also reminds me that I can take no pride in who I am, or what I do, an equally important fact.
Some mistakenly think that the way to defeat pride is to sin with abandon. How foolish, but it is an ancient response to grace. Paul addressed it in his letter to the Romans. "So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? … Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our new grace-sovereign country. Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call!" (Romans 6:1, 5-6, The Message)
Disciple, are you gazing at yourself, admiring your goodness? Is the Pharisee in thee alive and well? Go to Jesus! Begin to worship, anew, at His Cross. Pride stinks, grace is sweetly fragrant. May grace fill your heart, your words, your life – today.
_________
That God should love a sinner such as I,
Should yearn to change my sorrow into bliss,
Nor rest till He had planned to bring me nigh,
How wonderful is love like this!
That Christ should join so freely in the scheme,
Although it meant His death on Calvary.
Did ever human tongue find nobler theme
Than love divine that ransomed me?
And now He takes me to His heart, a son;
He asks me not to fill a servant's place.
The "far off country" wand'rings all are done;
Wide open are His arms of grace.
Such love, such wondrous love!
Such love, such wondrous love!
That God should love a sinner such as I,
How wonderful is love like this!
Such Love
Bishop, C. / Harkness, Robert© 1929. Renewed 1957 Lillenas Publishing Company (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Life in the Throne Room
Seconds after the words left my mouth, I sensed the Holy Spirit’s correction. “Jerry, you did not honor Me; you were polishing your own pride!” The thought stung, hurt even. The overarching goal of my life is to honor my Lord – in thought, in word, in action. There is only one way that happens. I must live before the Throne of God. When I stay in that place, His Presence captivates me, holds my attention, so that other things do not intrude. When my eyes are on His Majesty; temptation’s attraction lessens, fears lose their grip on me, I am drawn to holiness.
Let me illustrate using a scene from a recent mini-series, John Adams. Mr. Adams is sent by the Continental Congress to be the ambassador to England. Raised in New England with egalitarian ideals and a disdain for pomp and titles, Mr. Adams had to be schooled in the protocols required at an audience with the King of England, then one of the world’s most powerful men. Adams mocks the ceremonial bows, resisting what he felt was a foolish nod to a mere man. He is told that he must have appropriate clothing prepared, not the simply waistcoat that he wore everywhere else. This, too, was resisted by the American. But, days later, when he was shown to the door of the throne room, the powerful authority of the role held by the man hit him. He was left nearly speechless. When entering the throne room, he could not address the King, nor could he approach the throne until he was invited to do so. When the meeting was over, he could not turn and walk away. Instead, he backed away, facing the king until the door opened behind him.
Dear disciple, we make a serious error when we diminish our God, stealing His majesty! Yes, He loves us and invites us to His Throne Room, but not casually. We come, by invitation, and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Without that, we must die! But, when we are properly clothed and the door to His Presence opens, we are captivated by His power, His love, and His glory! When I live before the throne, His goodness fills up my life. This is why a disciple who would be holy, who would know the true love of God, must be a constant worshipper. In acts of worship, in regular devotion – we consciously stand in the Presence.
Proverbs warns that the "fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." (Proverbs 29:25, NIV) In other words, if my desire is to please others and/or gain their approval, I will be tripped up by sin.
Take these amazing encouragements as your challenge and your guide.
"We keep our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up." (Hebrews 12:2-3, NLT)
"We come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven.
You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!" (Hebrews 12:22-25, NLT)
_______________
Worship along with the singers on this You-Tube presentation.
Click on this link.– Before the Throne
Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in heaven He stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there,
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me,
To look on Him and pardon me.
Behold Him there the Risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I Am,
The King of glory and of grace,
One with Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
One with Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
Before The Throne Of God Above
Cook, Vikki / Bancroft, Charitie Lees
© 1997 PDI Worship (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
______________________
Let me illustrate using a scene from a recent mini-series, John Adams. Mr. Adams is sent by the Continental Congress to be the ambassador to England. Raised in New England with egalitarian ideals and a disdain for pomp and titles, Mr. Adams had to be schooled in the protocols required at an audience with the King of England, then one of the world’s most powerful men. Adams mocks the ceremonial bows, resisting what he felt was a foolish nod to a mere man. He is told that he must have appropriate clothing prepared, not the simply waistcoat that he wore everywhere else. This, too, was resisted by the American. But, days later, when he was shown to the door of the throne room, the powerful authority of the role held by the man hit him. He was left nearly speechless. When entering the throne room, he could not address the King, nor could he approach the throne until he was invited to do so. When the meeting was over, he could not turn and walk away. Instead, he backed away, facing the king until the door opened behind him.
Dear disciple, we make a serious error when we diminish our God, stealing His majesty! Yes, He loves us and invites us to His Throne Room, but not casually. We come, by invitation, and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Without that, we must die! But, when we are properly clothed and the door to His Presence opens, we are captivated by His power, His love, and His glory! When I live before the throne, His goodness fills up my life. This is why a disciple who would be holy, who would know the true love of God, must be a constant worshipper. In acts of worship, in regular devotion – we consciously stand in the Presence.
Proverbs warns that the "fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." (Proverbs 29:25, NIV) In other words, if my desire is to please others and/or gain their approval, I will be tripped up by sin.
Take these amazing encouragements as your challenge and your guide.
"We keep our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up." (Hebrews 12:2-3, NLT)
"We come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven.
You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!" (Hebrews 12:22-25, NLT)
_______________
Worship along with the singers on this You-Tube presentation.
Click on this link.– Before the Throne
Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in heaven He stands,
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there,
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me,
To look on Him and pardon me.
Behold Him there the Risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I Am,
The King of glory and of grace,
One with Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
One with Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God,
With Christ my Savior and my God.
Before The Throne Of God Above
Cook, Vikki / Bancroft, Charitie Lees
© 1997 PDI Worship (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
______________________
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
The DOW- Oh, Wow!
6700 – to many the number is meaningless, just something they hear on the news. As in indicator it is frightening, announcing the freefall of the American economy. As we watched the news last night and the story was about the looming possibility of the bankruptcy of the state of California, my wife said, “I’m finished with this. Just turn it off.” Seems that even the so-called “Golden State,” with an economy that is larger than most nations in the world, has no money left. I’ve noticed a requiring graphic that accompanies these stories, printing presses full of American currency, not a reassuring picture! Are we becoming a third-rate financial system that attempts to solve monetary issues by just printing more money?
Never one to pretend, I won’t start now. A part of me tenses up when I think about a decade long financial nightmare of unemployment, food lines, and bankruptcies. I wonder what repercussions will land in my house despite our refusal to pile up consumer debt and our faithful stewardship of our small store of resources. But, another part of me feels a tingle of anticipation, something akin to joy. Strange reaction, isn’t it? Here’s why. We have all been in love with our stuff for far too long! American wealth has allowed us to indulge ourselves in rich food and every kind of entertainment. We’re fat – literally and figuratively. The Hummer (that mammoth SUV) was a metaphor of all that was whacky with America, a symbol of over-the-top consumption and excess. I sincerely believe this is a time of correction, that God is allowing us to reap the consequences of our idolatry. And yes, just as in ancient Israel, when the harvest of sin arrives, all in the nation suffer – the righteous along with the sinful.
Here’s what God says: (Don’t rush through it. Deeply contemplate His wisdom!) "Man of God; run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you,… Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life." (1 Timothy 6: 11-12, 17-19, NLT)
We American disciples of Jesus have ignored materialism for far too long. While we fixated on the porn culture, the sensuality of our entertainment, and the worship of the flesh; we were totally blind to an equally destructive force that sat in our churches and lived in our hearts – “love of our stuff.” Strangely, (or should I say, tragically?) some among us even built theological systems that said that being filthy rich (an intentional play on words there!) is the sign of righteousness and God’s favor. If God cries, I’m sure He has been sobbing over that one! The so-called ‘prophets’ to this nation filled hours of TV time declaring to us that we could enjoy our best life now, if only we had enough faith to claim our heritage as children of God, ‘king’s kids.’ "Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance." (Psalm 73:9-10, NIV)
Jesus hit the lie of wealth as a sign of righteousness squarely between the eyes when He said, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus." (Luke 16:13-14, NIV) He also warned that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Luke 18:25-27, NLT)
So, though the DOW is plummeting and the shape of my future is now completely uncertain, I am eager to see what God will do for me, for us, as we learn to love Him in new and deeper ways. And disciple, this I know, the Lord will care for us if we trust Him completely. “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." (Matthew 6:31-33, NLT)
________________
When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way,
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way,
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
-public domain
Never one to pretend, I won’t start now. A part of me tenses up when I think about a decade long financial nightmare of unemployment, food lines, and bankruptcies. I wonder what repercussions will land in my house despite our refusal to pile up consumer debt and our faithful stewardship of our small store of resources. But, another part of me feels a tingle of anticipation, something akin to joy. Strange reaction, isn’t it? Here’s why. We have all been in love with our stuff for far too long! American wealth has allowed us to indulge ourselves in rich food and every kind of entertainment. We’re fat – literally and figuratively. The Hummer (that mammoth SUV) was a metaphor of all that was whacky with America, a symbol of over-the-top consumption and excess. I sincerely believe this is a time of correction, that God is allowing us to reap the consequences of our idolatry. And yes, just as in ancient Israel, when the harvest of sin arrives, all in the nation suffer – the righteous along with the sinful.
Here’s what God says: (Don’t rush through it. Deeply contemplate His wisdom!) "Man of God; run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you,… Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life." (1 Timothy 6: 11-12, 17-19, NLT)
We American disciples of Jesus have ignored materialism for far too long. While we fixated on the porn culture, the sensuality of our entertainment, and the worship of the flesh; we were totally blind to an equally destructive force that sat in our churches and lived in our hearts – “love of our stuff.” Strangely, (or should I say, tragically?) some among us even built theological systems that said that being filthy rich (an intentional play on words there!) is the sign of righteousness and God’s favor. If God cries, I’m sure He has been sobbing over that one! The so-called ‘prophets’ to this nation filled hours of TV time declaring to us that we could enjoy our best life now, if only we had enough faith to claim our heritage as children of God, ‘king’s kids.’ "Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance." (Psalm 73:9-10, NIV)
Jesus hit the lie of wealth as a sign of righteousness squarely between the eyes when He said, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus." (Luke 16:13-14, NIV) He also warned that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Luke 18:25-27, NLT)
So, though the DOW is plummeting and the shape of my future is now completely uncertain, I am eager to see what God will do for me, for us, as we learn to love Him in new and deeper ways. And disciple, this I know, the Lord will care for us if we trust Him completely. “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." (Matthew 6:31-33, NLT)
________________
When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way,
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way,
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
-public domain
Monday, March 02, 2009
When Dreams Die
Bob died yesterday. A week ago, to all appearances, he was a healthy middle-aged man. On Sunday, his heart quit! What is God doing and why did Bob die? Honestly, I do not know! It is faith-walkin' time for me.
Sometimes God can be infuriatingly unpredictable. God, why is one dream realized and another shattered? There are not enough answers this side of Heaven to satisfy every question. However, there are enough testimonies of grace to help us to trust Him even when we cannot understand His ways.
Naomi, whose story is told in the book of Ruth, moved to Moab with her husband and two sons to escape a famine. It looked like finally they were getting life together, then Elimelech died. Naomi, picked up the pieces of her life and went on. Her two sons married Moabite women and for 10 years, life was good, then... both sons died! Naomi's life was tragic, her dreams shattered.
Where was God in all that happened to her? Right there with her. Now that might just seem to the 'right' answer, but it is the true answer.
Dear disciple, consider that sometimes our dreams must be shattered so we can find God's dreams for us. When God doesn't automatically make OUR dreams come true, we are faced with a huge choice.
Will we trust Him and wait for a new dream to replace the shattered one OR
will we descend into bitterness and unbelief?
In such moments, borrow the prayer of a desperate father who brought his son for healing to Jesus and cried out when the Lord asked him to believe: "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!" (Mark 9.24)IF we will trust Him, He can give us a new dream, a new life that recovers JOY! Four chapters later in the book of Ruth, we read the end of Naomi's story... "Boaz married Ruth. She became his wife. Boaz slept with her. By God's gracious gift she conceived and had a son. The town women said to Naomi, "Blessed be God! He didn't leave you without family to carry on your life. May this baby grow up to be famous in Israel! He'll make you young again! He'll take care of you in old age. And this daughter-in-law who has brought him into the world and loves you so much, why, she's worth more to you than seven sons!" Naomi took the baby and held him in her arms, cuddling him, cooing over him, waiting on him hand and foot. " (Ruth 4:13-16, The Message)
That baby became the grandfather of Israel's great king, David! An alien woman, Ruth, was brought to Israel and included in the line of David and the line of the Messiah, Jesus.
You might read that and say, "So, does that make the pain Naomi had to endure all right?" I cannot answer that, nor can you! Life is not about us living in a perfectly balanced scale where the pain is always offset by the blessings, where the hard times are offset by the good times. Life is about living in full faith, trusting that He is able to keep us secure in His love through the shattered dreams!
Are your dreams for life shattered today? Reach out to people who will love you, weep with you, and hold you up until your faith is strong enough to touch the heart of God again. Reject the easy answers, the psycho-babble, the half- truths..... but do not reject God. Ask Him for courage to weep yet keep hope and faith intact as you pray --- "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!"
________________
O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee.
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow,
May richer fuller be.
O light that foll'west all my way,
I yield my flick'ring torch to Thee.
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine's blaze it's day,
May brighter fairer be.
O joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee.
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
George Matteson © Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
Sometimes God can be infuriatingly unpredictable. God, why is one dream realized and another shattered? There are not enough answers this side of Heaven to satisfy every question. However, there are enough testimonies of grace to help us to trust Him even when we cannot understand His ways.
Naomi, whose story is told in the book of Ruth, moved to Moab with her husband and two sons to escape a famine. It looked like finally they were getting life together, then Elimelech died. Naomi, picked up the pieces of her life and went on. Her two sons married Moabite women and for 10 years, life was good, then... both sons died! Naomi's life was tragic, her dreams shattered.
Where was God in all that happened to her? Right there with her. Now that might just seem to the 'right' answer, but it is the true answer.
Dear disciple, consider that sometimes our dreams must be shattered so we can find God's dreams for us. When God doesn't automatically make OUR dreams come true, we are faced with a huge choice.
Will we trust Him and wait for a new dream to replace the shattered one OR
will we descend into bitterness and unbelief?
In such moments, borrow the prayer of a desperate father who brought his son for healing to Jesus and cried out when the Lord asked him to believe: "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!" (Mark 9.24)IF we will trust Him, He can give us a new dream, a new life that recovers JOY! Four chapters later in the book of Ruth, we read the end of Naomi's story... "Boaz married Ruth. She became his wife. Boaz slept with her. By God's gracious gift she conceived and had a son. The town women said to Naomi, "Blessed be God! He didn't leave you without family to carry on your life. May this baby grow up to be famous in Israel! He'll make you young again! He'll take care of you in old age. And this daughter-in-law who has brought him into the world and loves you so much, why, she's worth more to you than seven sons!" Naomi took the baby and held him in her arms, cuddling him, cooing over him, waiting on him hand and foot. " (Ruth 4:13-16, The Message)
That baby became the grandfather of Israel's great king, David! An alien woman, Ruth, was brought to Israel and included in the line of David and the line of the Messiah, Jesus.
You might read that and say, "So, does that make the pain Naomi had to endure all right?" I cannot answer that, nor can you! Life is not about us living in a perfectly balanced scale where the pain is always offset by the blessings, where the hard times are offset by the good times. Life is about living in full faith, trusting that He is able to keep us secure in His love through the shattered dreams!
Are your dreams for life shattered today? Reach out to people who will love you, weep with you, and hold you up until your faith is strong enough to touch the heart of God again. Reject the easy answers, the psycho-babble, the half- truths..... but do not reject God. Ask Him for courage to weep yet keep hope and faith intact as you pray --- "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!"
________________
O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee.
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow,
May richer fuller be.
O light that foll'west all my way,
I yield my flick'ring torch to Thee.
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine's blaze it's day,
May brighter fairer be.
O joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee.
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
George Matteson © Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, February 27, 2009
Together, not alone!
As I knelt in prayer, I felt two hands press on my shoulders and heard voices lifted to the Father on my behalf. It was a rich gift! Yes, that was yesterday in our Pastor’s Prayer Fellowship. In the days following the formal rites marking my Dad’s death, a mild depression has thrown itself over me. I know the signs – broken sleep patterns, irritability, lack of focus at work, a sense of futility. Meaningful prayer is difficult right now for me. So having these two brothers in Christ pray for me was like a medicine. Where my faith is weakened by life’s trials, Chris and Tim stepped in to hold me up!
How thankful I am for the Christian community. We must do all we can to form friendships that allow for the kind of support I received yesterday. We simply cannot allow ourselves to be just a weekly gathering for a seminar or a sing-a-long! We are family. Perhaps we oughta sing the Barney song (from the preschooler’s TV show featuring a big purple creature by that name) at every service. Just in case you don’t know the words, the song says, “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you, won’t you say you love me, too?” Seriously, we have to find ways to turn our words about the love of Jesus and being the Body of Christ into genuine connection and affection for one another.
Jesus reminds us that what will distinguish His people in this world is not doctrinal purity, though it important. It is not sacred rituals, though we find those comforting. It is love. “By this will all men know you are my disciples, if you love one another!” John 13:35 He isn’t just talking about some sloppy sentiment that gets stirred up when the mood is right! He’s talking about caring for those who are hard to love, including the dysfunctional in our circle of friends. Jesus urges us to love everybody. Take a look. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” (Luke 14:12-15, NLT)
Right now, life is hard for many, many people. Uncertainty over the future is an epidemic. Let’s draw together, refusing to be alone! Forget the “Lone Ranger” ideal. It’s idiotic, anyway; a sure way to ultimately fail, to die alone after a miserable existence. Love extravagantly. Take time to listen, to care, to empathize, to share what you have – as little as that might be. Others will see Jesus in you!
Wes Stafford tells about a visit to Haiti and his interaction with Jean Pierre, a little street kid. The lad sought him out and sincerelyl asked, “Mister, are you Jesus?” Wes tried to figure out where the question came from, what prompted it. Then he remembered seeing the boy shadowing him through the afternoon. Wes bought a bag of roasted peanuts from a street vendor and walked off leaving the change with her. On the next block he gave the peanuts to a beggar. Four or five times through the day, he had his shoes shined, as an excuse to engage in conversations with the invisible street people. He had his car ‘washed’ with filthy street water several time by children. He then admired their industry and offered profuse thanks and a generous tip. Jean Pierre watched it all and concluded that anyone who lived like that must be Jesus! - Hope Lives, Group Publishing, 2008
Go and love somebody today – in the name of Jesus!
_________________
Sometimes it's hard for me to understand
Why we pull away from each other so easily,
Even though we're all walking the same road.
Yet we build dividing walls
Between our brothers and ourselves.
The day will come when we will be as one,
And with a mighty voice together,
We'll all proclaim
That Jesus, Jesus Christ is King.
It will echo through the earth;
It will shake the nations,
And the world will see,
See that you're my brother, you're my sister,
So take me by the hand.
Together we will work until He comes.
There's no foe that can defeat us
When we're walking side by side.
As long as there is love,
We will stand.
We Will Stand
Taff, Russ / Taff, Tori / Hollihan, James
© 1983 Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
How thankful I am for the Christian community. We must do all we can to form friendships that allow for the kind of support I received yesterday. We simply cannot allow ourselves to be just a weekly gathering for a seminar or a sing-a-long! We are family. Perhaps we oughta sing the Barney song (from the preschooler’s TV show featuring a big purple creature by that name) at every service. Just in case you don’t know the words, the song says, “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you, won’t you say you love me, too?” Seriously, we have to find ways to turn our words about the love of Jesus and being the Body of Christ into genuine connection and affection for one another.
Jesus reminds us that what will distinguish His people in this world is not doctrinal purity, though it important. It is not sacred rituals, though we find those comforting. It is love. “By this will all men know you are my disciples, if you love one another!” John 13:35 He isn’t just talking about some sloppy sentiment that gets stirred up when the mood is right! He’s talking about caring for those who are hard to love, including the dysfunctional in our circle of friends. Jesus urges us to love everybody. Take a look. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” (Luke 14:12-15, NLT)
Right now, life is hard for many, many people. Uncertainty over the future is an epidemic. Let’s draw together, refusing to be alone! Forget the “Lone Ranger” ideal. It’s idiotic, anyway; a sure way to ultimately fail, to die alone after a miserable existence. Love extravagantly. Take time to listen, to care, to empathize, to share what you have – as little as that might be. Others will see Jesus in you!
Wes Stafford tells about a visit to Haiti and his interaction with Jean Pierre, a little street kid. The lad sought him out and sincerelyl asked, “Mister, are you Jesus?” Wes tried to figure out where the question came from, what prompted it. Then he remembered seeing the boy shadowing him through the afternoon. Wes bought a bag of roasted peanuts from a street vendor and walked off leaving the change with her. On the next block he gave the peanuts to a beggar. Four or five times through the day, he had his shoes shined, as an excuse to engage in conversations with the invisible street people. He had his car ‘washed’ with filthy street water several time by children. He then admired their industry and offered profuse thanks and a generous tip. Jean Pierre watched it all and concluded that anyone who lived like that must be Jesus! - Hope Lives, Group Publishing, 2008
Go and love somebody today – in the name of Jesus!
_________________
Sometimes it's hard for me to understand
Why we pull away from each other so easily,
Even though we're all walking the same road.
Yet we build dividing walls
Between our brothers and ourselves.
The day will come when we will be as one,
And with a mighty voice together,
We'll all proclaim
That Jesus, Jesus Christ is King.
It will echo through the earth;
It will shake the nations,
And the world will see,
See that you're my brother, you're my sister,
So take me by the hand.
Together we will work until He comes.
There's no foe that can defeat us
When we're walking side by side.
As long as there is love,
We will stand.
We Will Stand
Taff, Russ / Taff, Tori / Hollihan, James
© 1983 Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Take Jesus at His Word!
The topic at the School of the Bible last night was trusting God, taking Him at His Word. We read a story from John’s Gospel in which a man came to Jesus to ask Him to heal His son who was in a village miles away. "The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed." (John 4:49-50, NIV)
Taking Jesus at His word is a noble aspiration, but it is not always an easy thing to do. Several complications arise.
What, exactly, is He saying to me?
Am I hearing Him clearly?
Am I projecting my wishes and desires in a way that is causing me to ‘hear’ what I want to hear?
Am I rejecting the whole of His words, picking and choosing only what I want?
The promise of divine healing is one of those areas where a Christian can and should exercise great faith coupled with wisdom! In Exodus 15 where there is the revelation of God where His Name is given as - "Yahweh Rapha"- the Lord, our Healer. Too often we understand that only in terms of miracles of divine healing, but God wants us to take Him at His word in an even deeper way. God made a great promise to His people saying, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”
Do you see the interaction of God and His people? God is the Healer, but His people have a responsibility to live in a way that facilitates health. We enjoy God’s healing, in part anyway, as a result of our obedience to His Word. He understands how we are made and teaches us how to live so that we can enjoy a better quality of life. So we find that healing is not just about a ‘miraculous intervention,’ but also, perhaps even primarily, about living the Word!
I belong to a national group of Christians that provides an alternative to standard health insurance. In Christian Medi-Share, about 35,000 Christian families join together to share medical bills. We pledge to observe a healthy lifestyle. To qualify for membership a person cannot use tobacco products, must avoid alcohol abuse, and must sexually active only within marriage. In addition, we are encouraged by those who direct the group to healthier diets and regular exercise programs, the goal being to conquer obesity, America’s number one health issue. Because we choose to live in ways that promote better overall health, instead of paying $800/$1000 month for health care coverage, Bev and I pay about $400, even at our age! This is a very practical illustration of the Scripture’s principle: living a holy life helps promote a healthy body.
Part of taking the Lord at His Word includes this unpleasant fact. God can and does allow some to suffer and/or to grow ill if they choose to live sinfully. In John 5, Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda, and then gave the man this stern warning. “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14, NIV) Have you listened to the text that is so often read at the celebration of the Lord's Supper? "For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died." (1 Cor. 11:29-30, NLT) Even a superficial reading clearly reminds us that when we take the Bread and Cup as God's people, we accept a responsibility to live God-honoring lives. If we don't, we invite God to discipline us with sickness and even to take our lives! Are you willing to take the Lord at His Word when it is so hard?
Be careful about jumping to a judgment of those who suffer! Is sickness always the sign of God's displeasure or a lack of self-discipline? No! It is easy to reach a snap conclusion based on the 'facts,' in the process getting it all wrong. Jesus' disciples did exactly that. One day they saw something fairly common in their time- a blind man. They asked Jesus, (John 9:2) “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?” Their smug assumption of moral failure is one that is all too commonly shared even today. Christians who have chronic illnesses not only have to deal with the suffering of their disease, but they must cope with other Believers who too readily conclude they ‘must have done something to be punished.”
Jesus' reply to His disciples requires tremendous faith to accept! “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins, he was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.” John 9:3 Sometimes suffering serves to bring about the purposes of God, to redirect attention to Himself! Can you take God at His word in that situation? Oh, we all want the promises, what what if He asks us to walk a road of suffering or pain? God can use suffering to shape and mold us into the likeness of Christ. He uses these things to call the whole and healthy to compassion and self-forgetful service. And, He even uses these things for a display of His healing power.
Disciple, let me encourage you to ‘take Jesus at His Word!’ Eagerly embrace His promise and His commands. Through obedience that is childlike, discover the joy of living near to His heart, comforted by His Presence. It will allow you to live for the glory of God with grace in times of prosperity and in times of want; through sickness and health, in tests and in blessings. Here’s a promise about eternity that I love! It speaks of that wonderful place where God’s Word is clear, where His provisions for us are fully realized, and where sorrow is banished. Oh, what a glorious experience. Take hold of these words and believe them, won’t you?
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night.
They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.” -- Revelation 22:1-5 NIV
__________________
“When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be.
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory.”
Taking Jesus at His word is a noble aspiration, but it is not always an easy thing to do. Several complications arise.
What, exactly, is He saying to me?
Am I hearing Him clearly?
Am I projecting my wishes and desires in a way that is causing me to ‘hear’ what I want to hear?
Am I rejecting the whole of His words, picking and choosing only what I want?
The promise of divine healing is one of those areas where a Christian can and should exercise great faith coupled with wisdom! In Exodus 15 where there is the revelation of God where His Name is given as - "Yahweh Rapha"- the Lord, our Healer. Too often we understand that only in terms of miracles of divine healing, but God wants us to take Him at His word in an even deeper way. God made a great promise to His people saying, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”
Do you see the interaction of God and His people? God is the Healer, but His people have a responsibility to live in a way that facilitates health. We enjoy God’s healing, in part anyway, as a result of our obedience to His Word. He understands how we are made and teaches us how to live so that we can enjoy a better quality of life. So we find that healing is not just about a ‘miraculous intervention,’ but also, perhaps even primarily, about living the Word!
I belong to a national group of Christians that provides an alternative to standard health insurance. In Christian Medi-Share, about 35,000 Christian families join together to share medical bills. We pledge to observe a healthy lifestyle. To qualify for membership a person cannot use tobacco products, must avoid alcohol abuse, and must sexually active only within marriage. In addition, we are encouraged by those who direct the group to healthier diets and regular exercise programs, the goal being to conquer obesity, America’s number one health issue. Because we choose to live in ways that promote better overall health, instead of paying $800/$1000 month for health care coverage, Bev and I pay about $400, even at our age! This is a very practical illustration of the Scripture’s principle: living a holy life helps promote a healthy body.
Part of taking the Lord at His Word includes this unpleasant fact. God can and does allow some to suffer and/or to grow ill if they choose to live sinfully. In John 5, Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda, and then gave the man this stern warning. “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14, NIV) Have you listened to the text that is so often read at the celebration of the Lord's Supper? "For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died." (1 Cor. 11:29-30, NLT) Even a superficial reading clearly reminds us that when we take the Bread and Cup as God's people, we accept a responsibility to live God-honoring lives. If we don't, we invite God to discipline us with sickness and even to take our lives! Are you willing to take the Lord at His Word when it is so hard?
Be careful about jumping to a judgment of those who suffer! Is sickness always the sign of God's displeasure or a lack of self-discipline? No! It is easy to reach a snap conclusion based on the 'facts,' in the process getting it all wrong. Jesus' disciples did exactly that. One day they saw something fairly common in their time- a blind man. They asked Jesus, (John 9:2) “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?” Their smug assumption of moral failure is one that is all too commonly shared even today. Christians who have chronic illnesses not only have to deal with the suffering of their disease, but they must cope with other Believers who too readily conclude they ‘must have done something to be punished.”
Jesus' reply to His disciples requires tremendous faith to accept! “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins, he was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.” John 9:3 Sometimes suffering serves to bring about the purposes of God, to redirect attention to Himself! Can you take God at His word in that situation? Oh, we all want the promises, what what if He asks us to walk a road of suffering or pain? God can use suffering to shape and mold us into the likeness of Christ. He uses these things to call the whole and healthy to compassion and self-forgetful service. And, He even uses these things for a display of His healing power.
Disciple, let me encourage you to ‘take Jesus at His Word!’ Eagerly embrace His promise and His commands. Through obedience that is childlike, discover the joy of living near to His heart, comforted by His Presence. It will allow you to live for the glory of God with grace in times of prosperity and in times of want; through sickness and health, in tests and in blessings. Here’s a promise about eternity that I love! It speaks of that wonderful place where God’s Word is clear, where His provisions for us are fully realized, and where sorrow is banished. Oh, what a glorious experience. Take hold of these words and believe them, won’t you?
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night.
They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.” -- Revelation 22:1-5 NIV
__________________
“When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be.
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory.”
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
It’s got to get to your heart!
One of the more puzzling things about Christianity is how the same set of beliefs effects those who profess to believe so differently. One person receives Christ Jesus by faith and is totally changed becoming loving, hopeful; a genuinely delightful whole person. Another also comes to faith but remains a bitter, self-centered, critical soul that nobody wants to be around. These two persons sit in the same church, hear the same sermons, say the same prayers- so how can this be?
In a wonderful little book titled, Faith and Doubt, (Zondervan, 2008) John Ortberg suggests that we ‘believe’ on three levels and that the depth of belief has a lot to do with how much our lives are changed, our character transformed.
First, we all have public convictions, things “that I want other people to think I believe, even though I may not really believe them.” In our world of politics this is called ‘spin.’ The public’s perception of what the politician thinks is more important even than what is true. By way of example of public conviction, consider that Christians universally claim to believe in life after death. It’s a basic part of the faith, but the evidence of the way we live shows that for many of us, words about having a home in Heaven are just that- words. We want others to think that we accept this doctrine so we say it.
Second, we have private convictions, things that “I sincerely think I believe,” but that prove to be more illusory in real life. Peter, on the night of the Last Supper, heard Jesus speak of the coming defection of his friends. “You will all fall away,” He told. Peter thought he knew his convictions and replied, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” (Mark 14:29, NIV) He really believed that he was going to stick by the One he loved. But, Jesus knew otherwise. “Peter,” He said, “before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will have denied knowing me three times!” Jesus knew Peter better than he knew himself.
We may go years believing that we believe something, only to run head-long into some huge thing like a health crisis or a financial disaster, only to discover that the songs we’ve sung, the words we’ve said, are without an anchor deep inside of us. Such moments are great revealers of the true content of our mind and heart.
The third kind of conviction, the kind that produces life-changing spirituality is core conviction. Ortberg illustrates this by pointing to gravity! Nobody has to convince a rational person that gravity is real. We simply do not jump off cliffs or out of windows because we know that severe injury or death will result. We believe it to our core. When a person believes what the Bible says about God’s love and forgiveness, about judgment and salvation, about Christ and the Cross, about the life of the Spirit – and those beliefs work their way to the core of their being – their lives will inevitably change.
Our beliefs can change and, thank God, they do. How?
First – immersion in the Scripture! The Bible shows us who God is, how the world works, and what is true. Constant exposure to the stories, doctrines, and promises of the Word changes our core convictions.
Second – confession of sin and repentance! If we keep on living in ways we know are wrong, we slide into self-deception. We learn to rationalize and justify actions we once knew were wrong. As self-deception deepens, we are less conscious of hypocrisy. That is why we must own our failures and do what is necessary to turn from disobedience.
Third – intimacy with the Holy Spirit! Ortberg makes a funny statement but one that makes a lot of sense. “If your Mom was in the room, watching you all of the time, you would avoid all kinds of negative behavior.” How true! Don’t we believe that God, the Holy Spirit, is always in the room with us? Don’t we believe that He sees what we’re looking at on the TV, knows what we’re writing in our email, knows when we’re lying, etc.? Apparently, for many, that is not a core conviction, because they sin quite readily when no human is looking! However, when we invite the Spirit to live in us, when we cultivate a consciousness of His Presence through worship and prayerfulness, we are changed because He here now.
So, here’s the question: Disciple, what is your true creed?
The answer is not necessarily what you learned in Sunday School! The only way to really know what your core convictions are is to observe your life over the long term. The words you say at church, even the songs you sing to comfort yourself, are not always accurate revealers of what you really believe. What you do shows what you think! Jesus said that, not me. “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:43-45, NLT)
Walk with the King today, and be blessed!
___________
Search me, O God,
And know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior,
Know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be
Some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin
And set me free.
I praise Thee, Lord,
For cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word,
And make me pure within.
Fill me with fire
Where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire
To magnify Thy name.
Lord, take my life,
And make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart
With Thy great love divine.
Take all my will,
My passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord
In me abide.
Cleanse Me
Orr, J. Edwin© Public Domain
In a wonderful little book titled, Faith and Doubt, (Zondervan, 2008) John Ortberg suggests that we ‘believe’ on three levels and that the depth of belief has a lot to do with how much our lives are changed, our character transformed.
First, we all have public convictions, things “that I want other people to think I believe, even though I may not really believe them.” In our world of politics this is called ‘spin.’ The public’s perception of what the politician thinks is more important even than what is true. By way of example of public conviction, consider that Christians universally claim to believe in life after death. It’s a basic part of the faith, but the evidence of the way we live shows that for many of us, words about having a home in Heaven are just that- words. We want others to think that we accept this doctrine so we say it.
Second, we have private convictions, things that “I sincerely think I believe,” but that prove to be more illusory in real life. Peter, on the night of the Last Supper, heard Jesus speak of the coming defection of his friends. “You will all fall away,” He told. Peter thought he knew his convictions and replied, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” (Mark 14:29, NIV) He really believed that he was going to stick by the One he loved. But, Jesus knew otherwise. “Peter,” He said, “before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will have denied knowing me three times!” Jesus knew Peter better than he knew himself.
We may go years believing that we believe something, only to run head-long into some huge thing like a health crisis or a financial disaster, only to discover that the songs we’ve sung, the words we’ve said, are without an anchor deep inside of us. Such moments are great revealers of the true content of our mind and heart.
The third kind of conviction, the kind that produces life-changing spirituality is core conviction. Ortberg illustrates this by pointing to gravity! Nobody has to convince a rational person that gravity is real. We simply do not jump off cliffs or out of windows because we know that severe injury or death will result. We believe it to our core. When a person believes what the Bible says about God’s love and forgiveness, about judgment and salvation, about Christ and the Cross, about the life of the Spirit – and those beliefs work their way to the core of their being – their lives will inevitably change.
Our beliefs can change and, thank God, they do. How?
First – immersion in the Scripture! The Bible shows us who God is, how the world works, and what is true. Constant exposure to the stories, doctrines, and promises of the Word changes our core convictions.
Second – confession of sin and repentance! If we keep on living in ways we know are wrong, we slide into self-deception. We learn to rationalize and justify actions we once knew were wrong. As self-deception deepens, we are less conscious of hypocrisy. That is why we must own our failures and do what is necessary to turn from disobedience.
Third – intimacy with the Holy Spirit! Ortberg makes a funny statement but one that makes a lot of sense. “If your Mom was in the room, watching you all of the time, you would avoid all kinds of negative behavior.” How true! Don’t we believe that God, the Holy Spirit, is always in the room with us? Don’t we believe that He sees what we’re looking at on the TV, knows what we’re writing in our email, knows when we’re lying, etc.? Apparently, for many, that is not a core conviction, because they sin quite readily when no human is looking! However, when we invite the Spirit to live in us, when we cultivate a consciousness of His Presence through worship and prayerfulness, we are changed because He here now.
So, here’s the question: Disciple, what is your true creed?
The answer is not necessarily what you learned in Sunday School! The only way to really know what your core convictions are is to observe your life over the long term. The words you say at church, even the songs you sing to comfort yourself, are not always accurate revealers of what you really believe. What you do shows what you think! Jesus said that, not me. “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:43-45, NLT)
Walk with the King today, and be blessed!
___________
Search me, O God,
And know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior,
Know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be
Some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin
And set me free.
I praise Thee, Lord,
For cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy Word,
And make me pure within.
Fill me with fire
Where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire
To magnify Thy name.
Lord, take my life,
And make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart
With Thy great love divine.
Take all my will,
My passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord
In me abide.
Cleanse Me
Orr, J. Edwin© Public Domain
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