On December 17, 1903 in Kitty Hawk, NC, Wilbur and Orville Wright flew a powered aircraft. It went a 120 feet in 12 seconds, But it was a first for flight. Within 2 years of those first short flights, the Wright brothers had refined their 'flying machine' into a practical airplane. They had some idea of the tremendous value of their invention and became obsessed with reaping the financial rewards. In following years, others began to use innovations of the Wright brothers without paying them. They filed suit after suit in court against those who were infringing on their patents. They became so focused on the legal struggle, they lost sight of continuing development of their flying machines. Ten years after their first flight, others had stepped in and developed the technologies, eclipsing the valuable work of the Wright brothers.
I wonder what might have been if the Wright brothers had kept their brilliant minds focused on developing aerodynamic principles and refining the technologies they created. They had solved the problems with created a viable powered flying machine, what might they have developed in the next ten years? We will never know.
Disciple, we must remember that losing sight of the important to focus on the urgent will always rob us of the best in life! It is oh-so-easy to get sidetracked by secondary issues, isn't it?
When we take our eyes off of the goal and start to question:
"Am I getting respect from others?”
“Am I having all the fun I think I deserve?”
“Am I being compensated fairly?”
“Are others getting a better deal in life than I am?"
- we cannot effectively do God's work and we will not remain faithful servants of the Kingdom.
The wisest people are those who know how to choose the most important things and stick with them, come what may. In this age and culture, we are blessed to have multiple opportunities in life, but the grand buffet spread in front of us demands great wisdom. None of us is rich enough in time to have it all! We must choose.
What will you spend your time on today, friend? Will it be wasted, just ‘killing time?’ Or, will it be invested? Will it be invested in things that please the Lord or in things that have little lasting value? Will you obsess over money, success, pleasure, or reputation? Or, will you live courageously, selflessly, and with Heaven’s rewards in view?
Here is a word from the Word!
"Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.
When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed!" (Hebrews 12:1-4, The Message)
Like Christ, keep your eyes focused on the IMPORTANT. See how He lived. Trust that your Father in Heaven sees, knows, and will ultimately reward you.
STAY THE COURSE!
_________________
Keep me true, Lord Jesus,
keep me true!
Keep me true, Lord Jesus,
keep me true.
There's a race that I must run,
There's a victory to be won.
Every hour, by Thy power,
I'll be true.
- Unknown
Friday, July 09, 2010
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Kids and the Kingdom
It’s kid week, or so it seems! My grandsons, ages 8 and 5, are in the house. They good boys, full of questions and curiosity about life. Their optimism about each morning, the sense of ‘newness’ that they bring to the day, inspires! They are attending our outreach week at church with about 150 other children each morning. All these kids, with their boundless energy, their enthusiasm, and their readiness to be taught - turned my thoughts to Jesus’ words.
"Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting." (Matthew 18:2-7, NLT)
The Master urges us to become like little children before our Heavenly Father. Did you meet Him this morning with an expectation of discovery, with joy just because He is? Is your attitude like that a child who accepts each day as it is? Or, have you become so cool and sophisticated that you will not trust God for what this day holds? We are all tempted to turn from simply delight in Him, to seek the approval of people around us. Apart from delighting the Lord, that need can grow so strong that we are ready to do things we don’t enjoy and buy things we don’t like just to have the approval of those we give the power of influence over us.
The Lord also warns us about turning a person who is like a child before Him away from their faith by pressuring them with temptation! We can’t avoid living around temptation, but we surely can avoid pulling people away from their Father. If we are struggling with sin, we only deepen our despair if we choose to drag others down to our level. Instead, Jesus says that we should welcome those who trust Him with a simple faith, letting them lift us up.
One of the wonderful things about a little child is his readiness to live in this moment. The kids who are part of our Vacation Bible School are not staring at the clock, moving to push to the next thing. They are ‘in the moment!’ What delight they find as they explore the opportunities and possibilities that present themselves. Take Jesus’ words to heart today, disciple. When you find yourself fretting, complaining, or wishing you were someone else, or that life was something other than it is, or that you were somewhere far away; stop and give the Spirit the opportunity to renew your joy in the moment. Humbly accept the day and let joy find you!
____________________
Let me be a man
With a perfect heart,
Let me be a son
Who will please You, Father;
Let me be a child
Who reveals Your will
In all I do and say.
Fill me with Your Spirit,
Lord, I pray, that Jesus
Will be seen in all of my life;
Let me be a son
Who will please You, Father,
Let me be a man
With a perfect heart.
A Man With A Perfect Heart
Hayford, Jack
© 1995 Annamarie Music (Maranatha! Music [Admin. by The Copyright Company])
CCLI License No. 810055
"Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting." (Matthew 18:2-7, NLT)
The Master urges us to become like little children before our Heavenly Father. Did you meet Him this morning with an expectation of discovery, with joy just because He is? Is your attitude like that a child who accepts each day as it is? Or, have you become so cool and sophisticated that you will not trust God for what this day holds? We are all tempted to turn from simply delight in Him, to seek the approval of people around us. Apart from delighting the Lord, that need can grow so strong that we are ready to do things we don’t enjoy and buy things we don’t like just to have the approval of those we give the power of influence over us.
The Lord also warns us about turning a person who is like a child before Him away from their faith by pressuring them with temptation! We can’t avoid living around temptation, but we surely can avoid pulling people away from their Father. If we are struggling with sin, we only deepen our despair if we choose to drag others down to our level. Instead, Jesus says that we should welcome those who trust Him with a simple faith, letting them lift us up.
One of the wonderful things about a little child is his readiness to live in this moment. The kids who are part of our Vacation Bible School are not staring at the clock, moving to push to the next thing. They are ‘in the moment!’ What delight they find as they explore the opportunities and possibilities that present themselves. Take Jesus’ words to heart today, disciple. When you find yourself fretting, complaining, or wishing you were someone else, or that life was something other than it is, or that you were somewhere far away; stop and give the Spirit the opportunity to renew your joy in the moment. Humbly accept the day and let joy find you!
____________________
Let me be a man
With a perfect heart,
Let me be a son
Who will please You, Father;
Let me be a child
Who reveals Your will
In all I do and say.
Fill me with Your Spirit,
Lord, I pray, that Jesus
Will be seen in all of my life;
Let me be a son
Who will please You, Father,
Let me be a man
With a perfect heart.
A Man With A Perfect Heart
Hayford, Jack
© 1995 Annamarie Music (Maranatha! Music [Admin. by The Copyright Company])
CCLI License No. 810055
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
A moment of reflection
This CWTW is from the archives today …
Why do we celebrate birthdays anyway? After a time, it's just depressing, isn't it? I found this information which I thought interesting enough to pass along. Celebrating birthdays dates back to pre-Christian eras. It was a common belief that evil spirits were more dangerous to a person when he or she experienced a change in their daily life, such as turning a year older. As a result, birthdays were merry occasions celebrated with family and friends, who surrounded the person of honor with laughter and joy in order to protect them from evil. Instead of gifts, most guests brought positive thoughts and happy wishes for the upcoming year. However, if well-wishers did bring gifts, it was considered an especially good influence for the birthday person. In most ancient cultures, however, only birthdays of nobility were marked. The common people were too poor and/or unimportant to have a celebration!
I also learned that in many cultures birthdays are only celebrated until adulthood! Now there is a tradition I could learn to like!
A birthday is a good time for reflection, serious evaluation of how we are spending the precious time God gives to us. This prayer is one I often remember - "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, KJV) We can think about our mortality without being morbid. There is no need to obsess on death, but we are foolish not to allow ourselves to sense the irresistible ebb of time. No one lives forever on this earth.
I realize that someday, perhaps sooner, perhaps later; I will step through the doorway of eternity. I want to use this day to prepare for that appointment. Jesus spoke frequently of the importance of preparing for eternity. He said, "Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven..." (Matthew 6:19-20, CEV) Yet, most of the people I know are frantically acquiring temporal treasure. They work endlessly to buy those things that will not last so they can impress people they do not like! Lord, help us to be wiser than that! If we are not, we may end up hearing words similar to these found in a story Jesus told about a rich old fool- "God showed up and said, `Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?' That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God." (Luke 12:20-21, The Message)
The Word teaches us a better way to use our lives: "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:18-19, NIV)
So, today, I am 'taking hold of life that is truly life!' I am not afraid of being a year older because it means I'm just a little closer to my eternal home and the Presence of my loving Father.
I may not be all that I once was,
but I am surely not all that I will be!
Thank the Lord.
_________________
Why do we celebrate birthdays anyway? After a time, it's just depressing, isn't it? I found this information which I thought interesting enough to pass along. Celebrating birthdays dates back to pre-Christian eras. It was a common belief that evil spirits were more dangerous to a person when he or she experienced a change in their daily life, such as turning a year older. As a result, birthdays were merry occasions celebrated with family and friends, who surrounded the person of honor with laughter and joy in order to protect them from evil. Instead of gifts, most guests brought positive thoughts and happy wishes for the upcoming year. However, if well-wishers did bring gifts, it was considered an especially good influence for the birthday person. In most ancient cultures, however, only birthdays of nobility were marked. The common people were too poor and/or unimportant to have a celebration!
I also learned that in many cultures birthdays are only celebrated until adulthood! Now there is a tradition I could learn to like!
A birthday is a good time for reflection, serious evaluation of how we are spending the precious time God gives to us. This prayer is one I often remember - "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, KJV) We can think about our mortality without being morbid. There is no need to obsess on death, but we are foolish not to allow ourselves to sense the irresistible ebb of time. No one lives forever on this earth.
I realize that someday, perhaps sooner, perhaps later; I will step through the doorway of eternity. I want to use this day to prepare for that appointment. Jesus spoke frequently of the importance of preparing for eternity. He said, "Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven..." (Matthew 6:19-20, CEV) Yet, most of the people I know are frantically acquiring temporal treasure. They work endlessly to buy those things that will not last so they can impress people they do not like! Lord, help us to be wiser than that! If we are not, we may end up hearing words similar to these found in a story Jesus told about a rich old fool- "God showed up and said, `Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?' That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God." (Luke 12:20-21, The Message)
The Word teaches us a better way to use our lives: "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1 Timothy 6:18-19, NIV)
So, today, I am 'taking hold of life that is truly life!' I am not afraid of being a year older because it means I'm just a little closer to my eternal home and the Presence of my loving Father.
I may not be all that I once was,
but I am surely not all that I will be!
Thank the Lord.
_________________
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Turkeys or Eagles?
If you choose to hang out with turkeys, don’t be surprised when you end up in the roaster pan of life! If you choose to hang out with eagles, in time you’ll learn to soar to the heights. In the short-term, turkeys are the easier choice because they don’t make any demands of us. They don’t challenge us to do anything with excellence. They don’t lead us to push ourselves to learn new things, to exercise self-discipline to gain a long-term goal, or to deny our own selfish whims because we love God, family, and other people. Turkeys just like to sit around and swap stories of how it might be ‘if only they had better luck.’ They are content to scratch around on the ground until they become somebody’s supper. Eagles spread their wings and ride the winds, even the stormy ones, to higher heights.
The Bible teaches the same principle a lot more eloquently: "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." (Proverbs 13:20, NIV) I knew a boy of lesser innate ability who chose to associate himself with students with brains and discipline. He was challenged to rise above what most people thought he was capable of achieving. I have also known teens with all the ‘right stuff,’ who chose to hang with the crowd that is going nowhere but to parties. When they chased the good times, the laughter, and the acceptance of turkeys who were happy to welcome them to their unchallenged group, their bright promise faded to mediocrity, a fact they only realized when they were still telling the same stories with the same people two decades later!
Here’s the saddest story: it’s when a Christian disciple decides that pursuing the best things of God, a holy life, a disciplined life of devotion and service, is ‘too hard.’ He seldom actually says that to himself or anyone else. Instead, he says, “God is leading me in a different direction.” That is almost always out the door and away from friends who would challenge him to do his ‘utmost for God’s highest.' Instead, he finds a group where all that’s expected is that you ‘hang on’ at the fringe, where hard teaching is never heard. Instead, the emphasis is on glory stories, easy to believe miracle tales, and promises that you can ‘get all of God’ in a few minutes of emotional response to the Spirit. Turkeys misuse the grace of Christ, twisting it inside out, and making it and excuse to indulge whims. It’s a life without commitment, without sacrifice, and lived in sin, which he no longer calls by its real name!
The eagle determines to leave that behind. He finds those who will coach and encourage, whose lives of excellence show the way. "Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires." (Romans 13:13-14, NLT) Truthfully, if you want to soar on wings like eagles, enjoying the vistas from the heights of life, there are no miracle solutions or short-cuts. It’s a path of discipleship, led by the Holy Spirit, through times of trial and victory, weeping and celebrations.
In the book of Acts we read the story of the developing Church. One of the eagles is Paul. In Lystra, he preached the Gospel and a man was healed. The citizens were impressed and thought he was the god, Zeus, so they tried to worship him. Being fickle then, as people are now, in a couple of days later they turned against the preacher. They dragged him out the city where they stoned him and left him for dead! With classic understatment, Dr. Luke says when Paul recovered he went back to Lystra to teach the Believers he had left there. "Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." (Acts 14:21-22, NLT)
Don’t forget those last five words: enter the Kingdom of God! That’s the true home of those who live in Christ, who refuse the low standards of those going nowhere. Is it because they earn more favor with God? Heaven forbid that we think that. It is because their lives are lived in a way that maximizes God’s ability to work in them, through them, and to lead them to peace and perseverance.
Find a band of eagles. Let them teach you to soar higher than you thought you could. Let their commitment to authentic Christian living be a model for you. And, enter the Kingdom of God, which is the destiny God purposed for you before time began.
__________
I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith on Heaven’s table land.
A higher plane than I have found.
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground!”
I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Johnson Oatman – public domain
The Bible teaches the same principle a lot more eloquently: "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." (Proverbs 13:20, NIV) I knew a boy of lesser innate ability who chose to associate himself with students with brains and discipline. He was challenged to rise above what most people thought he was capable of achieving. I have also known teens with all the ‘right stuff,’ who chose to hang with the crowd that is going nowhere but to parties. When they chased the good times, the laughter, and the acceptance of turkeys who were happy to welcome them to their unchallenged group, their bright promise faded to mediocrity, a fact they only realized when they were still telling the same stories with the same people two decades later!
Here’s the saddest story: it’s when a Christian disciple decides that pursuing the best things of God, a holy life, a disciplined life of devotion and service, is ‘too hard.’ He seldom actually says that to himself or anyone else. Instead, he says, “God is leading me in a different direction.” That is almost always out the door and away from friends who would challenge him to do his ‘utmost for God’s highest.' Instead, he finds a group where all that’s expected is that you ‘hang on’ at the fringe, where hard teaching is never heard. Instead, the emphasis is on glory stories, easy to believe miracle tales, and promises that you can ‘get all of God’ in a few minutes of emotional response to the Spirit. Turkeys misuse the grace of Christ, twisting it inside out, and making it and excuse to indulge whims. It’s a life without commitment, without sacrifice, and lived in sin, which he no longer calls by its real name!
The eagle determines to leave that behind. He finds those who will coach and encourage, whose lives of excellence show the way. "Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires." (Romans 13:13-14, NLT) Truthfully, if you want to soar on wings like eagles, enjoying the vistas from the heights of life, there are no miracle solutions or short-cuts. It’s a path of discipleship, led by the Holy Spirit, through times of trial and victory, weeping and celebrations.
In the book of Acts we read the story of the developing Church. One of the eagles is Paul. In Lystra, he preached the Gospel and a man was healed. The citizens were impressed and thought he was the god, Zeus, so they tried to worship him. Being fickle then, as people are now, in a couple of days later they turned against the preacher. They dragged him out the city where they stoned him and left him for dead! With classic understatment, Dr. Luke says when Paul recovered he went back to Lystra to teach the Believers he had left there. "Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." (Acts 14:21-22, NLT)
Don’t forget those last five words: enter the Kingdom of God! That’s the true home of those who live in Christ, who refuse the low standards of those going nowhere. Is it because they earn more favor with God? Heaven forbid that we think that. It is because their lives are lived in a way that maximizes God’s ability to work in them, through them, and to lead them to peace and perseverance.
Find a band of eagles. Let them teach you to soar higher than you thought you could. Let their commitment to authentic Christian living be a model for you. And, enter the Kingdom of God, which is the destiny God purposed for you before time began.
__________
I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith on Heaven’s table land.
A higher plane than I have found.
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground!”
I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Johnson Oatman – public domain
Monday, July 05, 2010
It makes a difference
One of the important things for a free and strong society is fair, swift, and sure justice! The rule of law secures the people to carry on commerce and live in safety. It also restrains the rise of wrong-doing by keeping the promise of punishment in the mind of the person who thinks about harming another. In something as simple as the speed limit, enforcement works. None of us likes getting a speeding ticket, but writing a check for $100 gets our attention. The next time we drive down that road; it is amazing how attentive we are to that speedometer in our car! What burns us is when we find that there are two kinds of enforcement – one for us and one for a select group who are given a pass.
God is just! We can be comforted by that fact, or we may find ourselves resenting it. Some may conveniently forget it, because God’s judgment does not always arrive the day following sinful acts. Some choose to gamble with their life, thinking that the Lord’s judgment will come, only at the End of days or at least when their life here on earth comes to a close. So they decide to ‘eat, drink, and be merry,’ living without a reference to the will of the Lord.
This must never be forgotten: God’s justice is written into Creation! We see it in physical laws. If we slip off a ladder, we don’t fly up; we fall down. If we collide with a large object, destructive energy is released that brings harm and destruction. In the same way His law is written into other parts of life. If we refuse to forgive, we find ourselves unforgiven. If we live with love, love comes to us. If we are selfish, we never have enough; if we are generous, contentment is our inheritance. The Scripture says that God’s justice is like a seed planted. It takes time to grow and mature to harvest. In this passage, both a warning and promise, we learn that it is easy to forget about justice, but it is also a fools way.
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." (Galatians 6:7-8, NIV)
Are you finding it difficult to keep serving the Lord?
Have temptations gathered ‘round you, telling you that it’s time to live for yourself, to forget about the Father’s will?
Are circumstances and/or people making you feel like walking with the Lord is a ‘waste of time,’ because the wicked seem to prosper?
Here’s a word from the Word for your thoughts. May it convince you that what you do today really makes a difference in how you will live tomorrow!
"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”" (Isaiah 35:3-4, NIV) "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. … only the redeemed will walk there." (Isaiah 35:8-9, NIV)
_______________
God of justice, Savior to all.
Came to rescue the weak and the poor,
Chose to serve and not be served;
Jesus You have called us,
Freely we've received,
Now freely we will give!
We must go-
Live to feed the hungry,
Stand beside the broken,
We must go.
Stepping forward,
Keep us from just singing,
Move us into action
We must go!
To act justly every day,
Loving mercy in every way.
Walking humbly before You, God.
You have shown us what You require,
Freely we've received;
Now freely we will give.
Fill us up and send us out!
Fill us up and send us out!
Fill us up and send us out, Lord!
God of Justice
© 2004 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Tim Hughes
CCLI License No. 810055
God is just! We can be comforted by that fact, or we may find ourselves resenting it. Some may conveniently forget it, because God’s judgment does not always arrive the day following sinful acts. Some choose to gamble with their life, thinking that the Lord’s judgment will come, only at the End of days or at least when their life here on earth comes to a close. So they decide to ‘eat, drink, and be merry,’ living without a reference to the will of the Lord.
This must never be forgotten: God’s justice is written into Creation! We see it in physical laws. If we slip off a ladder, we don’t fly up; we fall down. If we collide with a large object, destructive energy is released that brings harm and destruction. In the same way His law is written into other parts of life. If we refuse to forgive, we find ourselves unforgiven. If we live with love, love comes to us. If we are selfish, we never have enough; if we are generous, contentment is our inheritance. The Scripture says that God’s justice is like a seed planted. It takes time to grow and mature to harvest. In this passage, both a warning and promise, we learn that it is easy to forget about justice, but it is also a fools way.
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." (Galatians 6:7-8, NIV)
Are you finding it difficult to keep serving the Lord?
Have temptations gathered ‘round you, telling you that it’s time to live for yourself, to forget about the Father’s will?
Are circumstances and/or people making you feel like walking with the Lord is a ‘waste of time,’ because the wicked seem to prosper?
Here’s a word from the Word for your thoughts. May it convince you that what you do today really makes a difference in how you will live tomorrow!
"Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”" (Isaiah 35:3-4, NIV) "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. … only the redeemed will walk there." (Isaiah 35:8-9, NIV)
_______________
God of justice, Savior to all.
Came to rescue the weak and the poor,
Chose to serve and not be served;
Jesus You have called us,
Freely we've received,
Now freely we will give!
We must go-
Live to feed the hungry,
Stand beside the broken,
We must go.
Stepping forward,
Keep us from just singing,
Move us into action
We must go!
To act justly every day,
Loving mercy in every way.
Walking humbly before You, God.
You have shown us what You require,
Freely we've received;
Now freely we will give.
Fill us up and send us out!
Fill us up and send us out!
Fill us up and send us out, Lord!
God of Justice
© 2004 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Tim Hughes
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, July 02, 2010
A Christian Nation?
Warning -- the following may cause controversy. Read on with caution! (smile!)
Is the United States a secular state? The answer is an unequivocal 'yes!' And... I am glad for that fact! The founders of this nation were very familiar with the problems created when the Church was sponsored by the State and took pains to clearly separate the two. The King of England is head of the Anglican church. This keeps that church from speaking as freely as it might to the sins of the Crown. Many Europeans are taxed by the government to support the Church. Imagine the distress that would result from the IRS collecting a tax from you on behalf of say-- the Roman Catholic Church-- if she were the state-sponsored church!
Just because our government is without ties to a state-sponsored Church (thus, secular) does not mean that our government should make and/or enforce laws created without reference to morality or the values of our religious heritage. It is perfectly acceptable that our leaders allow their spiritual beliefs and values to inform their governing processes. A devout Catholic law-maker should be clear that the teaching of his church about the sacredness of human life is helping to shape his votes on issues relating to abortion, the death penalty, and euthanasia. A devout Baptist legislator should allow his ideals about human dignity and the natural rights conferred on him by his Creator inform the way in which he writes law. The religious convictions (or lack thereof) of those who govern should be transparent as they are part of his thought processes.
On this Independence Day, I appeal to you to think carefully about the rhetoric used by some Believers about making America a "Christian" nation. Look for the meaning behind those words.
IF they mean that we desire that others will become Christian as they come to know and love Jesus Christ, that is wonderful! We should choose godly people to govern and those godly people should create public policy and/or law that reflects the high values of Jesus Christ, who govern as true ‘public servants.’ Proverbs 29:2 says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."
IF, by desiring a “Christian nation” they mean that our government endorses and supports churches based on a Christian creed, they are inviting trouble and division. What church, then, would we have the government endorse and/or support with public funds? The Catholic church? After all, it is the largest church in America. No? Well, then how about the Southern Baptists? They are the largest Protestant church in America. No? What about just making the government generically 'Christian?' OK, but what test does the government then apply to a church to see if it is truly 'Christian' before providing government funds to that body? Should your tax dollars be used to support the Church of the Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ (the Mormon church) since it claims to be 'Christian?'
Can you see the problems inherent with Church/State entanglement? Too frequently, Christians do not understand that many of the references they quote about being a godly nation are drawn from the Old Testament and reflect the fact that Israel was a theocracy, a people with a common faith in the LORD God, organized and governed by that shared faith. These United States are not like pre-Christian Israel. We are not a theocracy, nor do I believe that many thinking Christians would truly want this country to become one!
As we celebrate America’s birthday, I want to encourage you to several steps.
First, pray for those who are voted into office! Let us ask God to make them wise and just. Let us ask Him to bless them as they govern without partiality or self interest.
Second, OBEY the law for the sake of Christ! Romans 12 reminds us to 'obey the government for God is the one who put it there.'
Third, we pay our taxes! That same chapter says 'pay your taxes... for government workers need to be paid so they can do the work God intended them to do.'
Fourth, we give proper respect to those who hold office! A Believer may well express dissent from government policy. Indeed, when the policies of our government do not conform to God's standard of justice, mercy, and protection for the weak/poor persons in society-- we are obligated to raise our voice; but we do so while respecting the office and the people who hold that office.
Happy Independence Day!
My sincere prayer today is: God bless America that she may remain a great nation and may her greatness be used to create liberty and justice for ALL!
Is the United States a secular state? The answer is an unequivocal 'yes!' And... I am glad for that fact! The founders of this nation were very familiar with the problems created when the Church was sponsored by the State and took pains to clearly separate the two. The King of England is head of the Anglican church. This keeps that church from speaking as freely as it might to the sins of the Crown. Many Europeans are taxed by the government to support the Church. Imagine the distress that would result from the IRS collecting a tax from you on behalf of say-- the Roman Catholic Church-- if she were the state-sponsored church!
Just because our government is without ties to a state-sponsored Church (thus, secular) does not mean that our government should make and/or enforce laws created without reference to morality or the values of our religious heritage. It is perfectly acceptable that our leaders allow their spiritual beliefs and values to inform their governing processes. A devout Catholic law-maker should be clear that the teaching of his church about the sacredness of human life is helping to shape his votes on issues relating to abortion, the death penalty, and euthanasia. A devout Baptist legislator should allow his ideals about human dignity and the natural rights conferred on him by his Creator inform the way in which he writes law. The religious convictions (or lack thereof) of those who govern should be transparent as they are part of his thought processes.
On this Independence Day, I appeal to you to think carefully about the rhetoric used by some Believers about making America a "Christian" nation. Look for the meaning behind those words.
IF they mean that we desire that others will become Christian as they come to know and love Jesus Christ, that is wonderful! We should choose godly people to govern and those godly people should create public policy and/or law that reflects the high values of Jesus Christ, who govern as true ‘public servants.’ Proverbs 29:2 says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."
IF, by desiring a “Christian nation” they mean that our government endorses and supports churches based on a Christian creed, they are inviting trouble and division. What church, then, would we have the government endorse and/or support with public funds? The Catholic church? After all, it is the largest church in America. No? Well, then how about the Southern Baptists? They are the largest Protestant church in America. No? What about just making the government generically 'Christian?' OK, but what test does the government then apply to a church to see if it is truly 'Christian' before providing government funds to that body? Should your tax dollars be used to support the Church of the Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ (the Mormon church) since it claims to be 'Christian?'
Can you see the problems inherent with Church/State entanglement? Too frequently, Christians do not understand that many of the references they quote about being a godly nation are drawn from the Old Testament and reflect the fact that Israel was a theocracy, a people with a common faith in the LORD God, organized and governed by that shared faith. These United States are not like pre-Christian Israel. We are not a theocracy, nor do I believe that many thinking Christians would truly want this country to become one!
As we celebrate America’s birthday, I want to encourage you to several steps.
First, pray for those who are voted into office! Let us ask God to make them wise and just. Let us ask Him to bless them as they govern without partiality or self interest.
Second, OBEY the law for the sake of Christ! Romans 12 reminds us to 'obey the government for God is the one who put it there.'
Third, we pay our taxes! That same chapter says 'pay your taxes... for government workers need to be paid so they can do the work God intended them to do.'
Fourth, we give proper respect to those who hold office! A Believer may well express dissent from government policy. Indeed, when the policies of our government do not conform to God's standard of justice, mercy, and protection for the weak/poor persons in society-- we are obligated to raise our voice; but we do so while respecting the office and the people who hold that office.
Happy Independence Day!
My sincere prayer today is: God bless America that she may remain a great nation and may her greatness be used to create liberty and justice for ALL!
Thursday, July 01, 2010
The Organizing Principle
I am a Christian. My life is organized around that commitment to Jesus Christ. My desire to know Him and to live as He taught is the core from which the rest of my life is conducted. From Him comes my hope. I use my time and resources in ways that I believe honor Jesus. I live in love, with forgiveness, seeking purity in my relationships as He taught. Is my every thought, word, and deed perfectly aligned with His will? Oh that they were, but they are not- not just yet. Sometimes I fail because of ignorance; sometimes because of indolence, and sometimes because of self-will!
What is the organizing principle of your life?
We all have one, even if we are not aware of what it is or are unable to put it into words. Is it to be happy, to have fun? Is it to be admired by others? Is it to find pleasure? Is it to gain wealth? Is it to control your world, to be ‘in charge?’
Jesus visited the home of his friends in Bethany. Martha set the household in motion to prepare dinner. In the middle of her efforts, she noticed her sister, Mary, sitting near Jesus, listening intently to Him. She exploded in frustration. “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” (Luke 10:40, NLT) Jesus did not share her frustration or sense of urgency. In fact, He challenged Martha’s basic organizing principle by commending Mary! "There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42, NLT) Martha’s life was built around things that were appreciated by others, but not eternal or Godly!
Take some time to think about what you’re living for, friend. Go beyond awareness of what you do to think about why you do it! It is quite possible for us to do all the right things for all the wrong reasons. Jesus pointed to the prayers, service, and giving of the Pharisees, commending their diligence while telling His disciples that it was all worthless – because they were not focused on pleasing God, but gaining admiration. Their organizing principle was creating a reputation for holiness rather than living holy lives that allowed them to be intimate with a holy God. The core was flawed and therefore their entire structure was wrong!
Ponder these words from the Word today. They are both full of hope and deeply challenging. Ask yourself if pursuing Christ and His rule is ‘the one thing’ that organizes all the rest of your life.
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ, … I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. …
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3:8, 10, 12-14, NLT)
________________________
I belong to a mighty God,
I belong to Jesus;
I'm guided by His staff and rod,
I belong to a mighty God.
I belong to the Holy One,
I belong to Jesus;
His work in me has just begun,
I belong to the Holy One.
I belong to the Lord of All,
I belong to Jesus;
I'll stand in Him and will not fall,
I belong to the Lord of All.
I am justified
By the good gift of the Lord;
And I will testify
That I belong to a mighty God,
I belong to a mighty God.
I Belong To A Mighty God
DeShazo, Lynn
© 1993 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
What is the organizing principle of your life?
We all have one, even if we are not aware of what it is or are unable to put it into words. Is it to be happy, to have fun? Is it to be admired by others? Is it to find pleasure? Is it to gain wealth? Is it to control your world, to be ‘in charge?’
Jesus visited the home of his friends in Bethany. Martha set the household in motion to prepare dinner. In the middle of her efforts, she noticed her sister, Mary, sitting near Jesus, listening intently to Him. She exploded in frustration. “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” (Luke 10:40, NLT) Jesus did not share her frustration or sense of urgency. In fact, He challenged Martha’s basic organizing principle by commending Mary! "There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42, NLT) Martha’s life was built around things that were appreciated by others, but not eternal or Godly!
Take some time to think about what you’re living for, friend. Go beyond awareness of what you do to think about why you do it! It is quite possible for us to do all the right things for all the wrong reasons. Jesus pointed to the prayers, service, and giving of the Pharisees, commending their diligence while telling His disciples that it was all worthless – because they were not focused on pleasing God, but gaining admiration. Their organizing principle was creating a reputation for holiness rather than living holy lives that allowed them to be intimate with a holy God. The core was flawed and therefore their entire structure was wrong!
Ponder these words from the Word today. They are both full of hope and deeply challenging. Ask yourself if pursuing Christ and His rule is ‘the one thing’ that organizes all the rest of your life.
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ, … I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. …
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3:8, 10, 12-14, NLT)
________________________
I belong to a mighty God,
I belong to Jesus;
I'm guided by His staff and rod,
I belong to a mighty God.
I belong to the Holy One,
I belong to Jesus;
His work in me has just begun,
I belong to the Holy One.
I belong to the Lord of All,
I belong to Jesus;
I'll stand in Him and will not fall,
I belong to the Lord of All.
I am justified
By the good gift of the Lord;
And I will testify
That I belong to a mighty God,
I belong to a mighty God.
I Belong To A Mighty God
DeShazo, Lynn
© 1993 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Death Be Not Proud
John Donne, the English poet, wrote of the core hope of our Christian faith. In language typical of the time (1600) he reminds us that death is a defeated foe. I borrow his words to comfort my heart and renew my mind in hope today.
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
The prose of the Word is clear that death will not triumph, though it roars in our faces.
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:20-26, NIV)
_______________
Come, Lord Jesus and make me strong today.
Give me eyes that can see over the edge of time into eternity.
Help me, with that full assurance, to defeat despair, to stand steady in faith,
to invest my life in those things that will be true treasures in your House.
Amen.
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
The prose of the Word is clear that death will not triumph, though it roars in our faces.
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:20-26, NIV)
_______________
Come, Lord Jesus and make me strong today.
Give me eyes that can see over the edge of time into eternity.
Help me, with that full assurance, to defeat despair, to stand steady in faith,
to invest my life in those things that will be true treasures in your House.
Amen.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Who is leading your leader?
Recent history is full of ‘spiritual’ leaders who were truly ‘the blind leading the blind!’ Some made tragic headlines. Remember the Rev. Jim Jones, the fiery orator and community activist from San Francisco who took his congregation to Guyana and led them to mass suicide? Vernon Howell, whom you probably remember as David Koresh, thought himself a prophet. He eventually found a home among a schismatic group called the Branch Davidians. His grandiosity (he came to believe he was Christ and above all human law) eventually caused the FBI to raid the Waco, Texas ranch he called home and we all remember the horror of the fiery raid that brought the death of 76 members including 17 children.
Most lost leaders don’t cause such sensational tragedies, but all leaderless leaders leave wrecked lives in their wake. Spiritual leaders who fail to stay submitted to Christ Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, and in a place of humble service to Body of Christ, will cause others to become disillusioned with the things of the Lord. They will ruin local churches by causing strife and will use natural strategies of power and intimidation to hold onto their position.
Jude wrote to the Church with this reminder. "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." (Jude 3-4, NIV) "These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage." (Jude 16, NIV)
Thousands of churches are led by good people, natural leaders with great skills, who are religious careerists, not called servants of Christ Jesus. They have great abilities that allow them to build remarkable organizations, but does their work produce disciples of Christ? It’s very difficult for the person in the pew, who wants to believe the best about the man who leads his church, to ask the hard questions about that man’s character and walk with God. But, you must. If you don’t, you risk being led by a leaderless leader! The pastor who is called by God and walking with Christ may find your scrutiny uncomfortable, but he will allow it, for he has nothing to hide.
Who is leading your pastor, disciple?
Does his life show evidence of a heart for God, that he is actively following Jesus Christ, allowing the Spirit to guide him from day to day?
Jude goes on to write, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit." (Jude 17-19, NIV)
Here’s a word from the Word. May it inspire you to build a strong church, led by those who are led by Christ!
"But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love." (Jude 20-21, NLT)
"Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen." (Jude 24-25, NLT)
__________________
The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the word.
From heav'n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
Elect from ev'ry nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses;
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.
The Church's One Foundation
Stone, Samuel J. / Wesley, Samuel S.
© Public Domain
Most lost leaders don’t cause such sensational tragedies, but all leaderless leaders leave wrecked lives in their wake. Spiritual leaders who fail to stay submitted to Christ Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, and in a place of humble service to Body of Christ, will cause others to become disillusioned with the things of the Lord. They will ruin local churches by causing strife and will use natural strategies of power and intimidation to hold onto their position.
Jude wrote to the Church with this reminder. "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." (Jude 3-4, NIV) "These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage." (Jude 16, NIV)
Thousands of churches are led by good people, natural leaders with great skills, who are religious careerists, not called servants of Christ Jesus. They have great abilities that allow them to build remarkable organizations, but does their work produce disciples of Christ? It’s very difficult for the person in the pew, who wants to believe the best about the man who leads his church, to ask the hard questions about that man’s character and walk with God. But, you must. If you don’t, you risk being led by a leaderless leader! The pastor who is called by God and walking with Christ may find your scrutiny uncomfortable, but he will allow it, for he has nothing to hide.
Who is leading your pastor, disciple?
Does his life show evidence of a heart for God, that he is actively following Jesus Christ, allowing the Spirit to guide him from day to day?
Jude goes on to write, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit." (Jude 17-19, NIV)
Here’s a word from the Word. May it inspire you to build a strong church, led by those who are led by Christ!
"But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love." (Jude 20-21, NLT)
"Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen." (Jude 24-25, NLT)
__________________
The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the word.
From heav'n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
Elect from ev'ry nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses;
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.
The Church's One Foundation
Stone, Samuel J. / Wesley, Samuel S.
© Public Domain
Monday, June 28, 2010
For the Love of God!
Some people just ‘go to work.’ Others anticipate doing what they do. Speaking with a young business owner this week, he talked about the long hours he puts into his enterprise, but not with complaint, not bemoaning the time. He said, “It’s my life.” He enjoys what he does and the people for whom he does it see his passion. If he didn’t love it, he would burn out, produce at an inferior level, and eventually lose his investment. A kind of love makes the difference.
Working with people who claim to love God every day of my life, I see some who are ‘doing their duty’ and some who just love God. Those who are just trying to stay respectable look for the minimal level of commitment. They are not eager for corporate worship, only showing up as often as they feel they must to keep the Lord happy and the pastor from calling them to inquire about their whereabouts. They do not invest in close relationships with other Christians or get involved in ministry, preferring to ‘do their own thing.’ Their Bible is dusty, their prayers stiffly formal, their concern for the spiritual health of friends and family non-existent.
There are those who have come to passionately love the Lord, for whom knowing Christ Jesus as Lord is ‘surpassing greatness’ so that all other things in life are ‘rubbish,’ in comparison! Jesus Christ is their first love, the One who gives their life purpose and meaning. Paul, who met the Lord and replaced his dutiful religious practices with a passionate love of God, said, "All the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself." (Philippians 3:6-10, The Message)
That kind of love is costly when observed from the outside by those who do not share it. If the devoted disciple is asked, “How can you do that? Isn’t it hard?” If he really loves the Lord his answer will be, “I don’t think of it in that way. It’s my life!”
So, Christian friend, from which motive do your Christian practices emerge– duty or delight?
Here’s a word from the Word. It is an appeal from the Lover of our souls.
“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance.
I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first." (Revelation 2:2-5, NLT)
________________
All I once held dear,
Built my life upon,
All this world reveres,
And wars to own,
All I once thought gain
I have counted loss;
Spent and worthless now,
Compared to this.
Now my heart's desire
Is to know You more,
To be found in You,
And known as Yours,
To possess by faith
What I could not earn;
All surpassing gift of righteousness.
Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings,
To become like You
In Your death, my Lord;
So with You to live, and never die.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.
Knowing You
Kendrick, Graham
© 1993 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 810055
Working with people who claim to love God every day of my life, I see some who are ‘doing their duty’ and some who just love God. Those who are just trying to stay respectable look for the minimal level of commitment. They are not eager for corporate worship, only showing up as often as they feel they must to keep the Lord happy and the pastor from calling them to inquire about their whereabouts. They do not invest in close relationships with other Christians or get involved in ministry, preferring to ‘do their own thing.’ Their Bible is dusty, their prayers stiffly formal, their concern for the spiritual health of friends and family non-existent.
There are those who have come to passionately love the Lord, for whom knowing Christ Jesus as Lord is ‘surpassing greatness’ so that all other things in life are ‘rubbish,’ in comparison! Jesus Christ is their first love, the One who gives their life purpose and meaning. Paul, who met the Lord and replaced his dutiful religious practices with a passionate love of God, said, "All the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself." (Philippians 3:6-10, The Message)
That kind of love is costly when observed from the outside by those who do not share it. If the devoted disciple is asked, “How can you do that? Isn’t it hard?” If he really loves the Lord his answer will be, “I don’t think of it in that way. It’s my life!”
So, Christian friend, from which motive do your Christian practices emerge– duty or delight?
Here’s a word from the Word. It is an appeal from the Lover of our souls.
“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance.
I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first." (Revelation 2:2-5, NLT)
________________
All I once held dear,
Built my life upon,
All this world reveres,
And wars to own,
All I once thought gain
I have counted loss;
Spent and worthless now,
Compared to this.
Now my heart's desire
Is to know You more,
To be found in You,
And known as Yours,
To possess by faith
What I could not earn;
All surpassing gift of righteousness.
Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings,
To become like You
In Your death, my Lord;
So with You to live, and never die.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.
Knowing You
Kendrick, Graham
© 1993 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, June 25, 2010
Will you choose to trust Me?
Monitors blinked the stats of life – heartrate, blood pressure, respiration rates. Tubes carried various medications into the still form of my friend, who was standing at the edge of this life and eternity. His family stood round him, some kneeling, some just touching, tears falling quietly. The semi-darkness of that Intensive Care room was very much the ‘shadow of the valley of death.’ Each of us in that room wrestled in our own way to come to grips with the reality of the approaching end of a life. Several asked me if it was right to question God, to wonder why. I affirmed my conviction that our Lord is never offended by an honest question. Yet, He asks us to trust Him, to realize that there are things we cannot know.
Disciple, the most important choice is obedience, even when our world goes awry.
Noah didn’t fully understand the coming flood, but he heard God’s voice and built the ark in faith anyway. Job didn’t grasp the cosmic battle swirling around him. His losses were staggering, his questions many; yet he remained faithful to his Lord.
Jesus questioned His Father if there was another way to accomplish the work of man’s redemption, but committed Himself to the plan saying, “not My will, but Your’s be done!”
Paul went through a terrible time of persecution that caused him to conclude that his death was imminent and he kept the faith! He summarized his response writing "as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead." (2 Corinthians 1:9, NLT)
The question that confronts you and me, in big and small ways, in hospital rooms and corporate offices, in our family room and the hidden corner of our hearts is this: will you choose to trust Me? The Word reminds us that ‘without faith it is impossible to please God.’
Here’s a word from the Word for this day.
"Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act." (Psalm 37:3-7, NLT)
______________
Day By Day - Berg, Carolina Sandell / Ahnfelt, Oscar / Skoog, Andrew
Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Give unto each day what He deems best;
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure,
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As your days, your strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then in ev'ry tribulation,
So to trust Your promises, O Lord;
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,
Offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a Father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
© Public Domain; CCLI License No. 810055
Disciple, the most important choice is obedience, even when our world goes awry.
Noah didn’t fully understand the coming flood, but he heard God’s voice and built the ark in faith anyway. Job didn’t grasp the cosmic battle swirling around him. His losses were staggering, his questions many; yet he remained faithful to his Lord.
Jesus questioned His Father if there was another way to accomplish the work of man’s redemption, but committed Himself to the plan saying, “not My will, but Your’s be done!”
Paul went through a terrible time of persecution that caused him to conclude that his death was imminent and he kept the faith! He summarized his response writing "as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead." (2 Corinthians 1:9, NLT)
The question that confronts you and me, in big and small ways, in hospital rooms and corporate offices, in our family room and the hidden corner of our hearts is this: will you choose to trust Me? The Word reminds us that ‘without faith it is impossible to please God.’
Here’s a word from the Word for this day.
"Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act." (Psalm 37:3-7, NLT)
______________
Day By Day - Berg, Carolina Sandell / Ahnfelt, Oscar / Skoog, Andrew
Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Give unto each day what He deems best;
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure,
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As your days, your strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then in ev'ry tribulation,
So to trust Your promises, O Lord;
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,
Offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a Father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
© Public Domain; CCLI License No. 810055
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Who do you believe?
One incident, two reports, very different in the details. Who do you believe? In those ‘he said, she said’ situations; we look at the past credibility of the reporter, we ask about motives, we consider who has what to gain, and we try to make a judgment. Still, we are sometimes left with the nagging feeling that we could have missed the truth, in spite of our best efforts to discern it. Getting it right is important, because we act on what we believe is true.
Disciple, this is true in your spiritual life, too. What you believe to be true is revealed in your day to day actions.
If you believe that "This is the day the Lord has made;” then it will not be too difficult to “rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24, NIV) If you believe that this day happened randomly to you, that you are at the mercy of chance and circumstance, then you will live fearfully, perhaps even with deep anger over the things that are coming your way.
If you believe that Jesus Christ will return to bring humanity’s story to God’s conclusion, fitting your bit role into the grand play of history as He writes it, you will live with great hope and purpose. If you believe you are a speck of carbon, lost in a swirling universe that emerged by chance of chaos, you will fight desperately to find some kind of meaning in the moment. Love will become secondary to survival. Happiness, found in experience and expedience will become your primary goal, and rightly so, based on your belief!
I choose to live in faith, not blindly, but because it makes sense to me to do so. God’s credibility is strong! I look at the sweep of the history of His people, told in the Scripture, and say, “Yes, He is faithful!” I add to that the short history of my own family, stretching back to my grandparents whose lives were radically changed by the Gospel and the Spirit, and it confirms my trust. His motives are pure, born of love alone. He does not seek my destruction. He gave His Son to bring me life, offers me Heaven at His own expense. He is completely Self-sufficient, yet despite having nothing to gain, loves me. So, yes, I believe His report!
"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see." (Hebrews 11:1, The Message) "It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, The Message)
Honestly, faith is not always easy, nor is the way always clear. There are days when the immediate circumstances of life argue against the power, plan, and presence of God. Last week, when I stood at the side of two friends my own age who are fighting cancer, a voice in my head fought against my faith, screaming about the unfairness of it all, telling me I was a fool to believe that God cared for me! When temptation rises strong, offering short gain, and heaven seems far, far away, that voice comes again, making the appeal to serve myself. But, by God’s grace, I choose to live in faith!
Here’s a word from the Word. Make it your declaration today:
"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12, NIV)
___________________
I've believed the true report,
Hallelujah to the Lamb!
I have passed the outer court,
O glory be to God!
I am all on Jesus' side,
On the altar sanctified,
To the world and sin I've died,
Hallelujah to the Lamb!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
I have passed the riven veil,
Here the glories never fail,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
I am living in the presence of the King.
I'm a king and priest to God,
Hallelujah to the Lamb!
By the cleansing of the blood,
O glory be to God!
By the Spirit's pow'r and light,
I am living day and night,
In the holiest place so bright,
Hallelujah to the Lamb!
Charles Price Jones
Public Domain
Disciple, this is true in your spiritual life, too. What you believe to be true is revealed in your day to day actions.
If you believe that "This is the day the Lord has made;” then it will not be too difficult to “rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24, NIV) If you believe that this day happened randomly to you, that you are at the mercy of chance and circumstance, then you will live fearfully, perhaps even with deep anger over the things that are coming your way.
If you believe that Jesus Christ will return to bring humanity’s story to God’s conclusion, fitting your bit role into the grand play of history as He writes it, you will live with great hope and purpose. If you believe you are a speck of carbon, lost in a swirling universe that emerged by chance of chaos, you will fight desperately to find some kind of meaning in the moment. Love will become secondary to survival. Happiness, found in experience and expedience will become your primary goal, and rightly so, based on your belief!
I choose to live in faith, not blindly, but because it makes sense to me to do so. God’s credibility is strong! I look at the sweep of the history of His people, told in the Scripture, and say, “Yes, He is faithful!” I add to that the short history of my own family, stretching back to my grandparents whose lives were radically changed by the Gospel and the Spirit, and it confirms my trust. His motives are pure, born of love alone. He does not seek my destruction. He gave His Son to bring me life, offers me Heaven at His own expense. He is completely Self-sufficient, yet despite having nothing to gain, loves me. So, yes, I believe His report!
"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see." (Hebrews 11:1, The Message) "It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, The Message)
Honestly, faith is not always easy, nor is the way always clear. There are days when the immediate circumstances of life argue against the power, plan, and presence of God. Last week, when I stood at the side of two friends my own age who are fighting cancer, a voice in my head fought against my faith, screaming about the unfairness of it all, telling me I was a fool to believe that God cared for me! When temptation rises strong, offering short gain, and heaven seems far, far away, that voice comes again, making the appeal to serve myself. But, by God’s grace, I choose to live in faith!
Here’s a word from the Word. Make it your declaration today:
"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12, NIV)
___________________
I've believed the true report,
Hallelujah to the Lamb!
I have passed the outer court,
O glory be to God!
I am all on Jesus' side,
On the altar sanctified,
To the world and sin I've died,
Hallelujah to the Lamb!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
I have passed the riven veil,
Here the glories never fail,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
I am living in the presence of the King.
I'm a king and priest to God,
Hallelujah to the Lamb!
By the cleansing of the blood,
O glory be to God!
By the Spirit's pow'r and light,
I am living day and night,
In the holiest place so bright,
Hallelujah to the Lamb!
Charles Price Jones
Public Domain
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Get intoxicated!
Leonard Sweet writes, “Is yours a low-profile, don't-rock-the-boat, show-up-on-Sunday kind of faith? Or are you a "fan" for the Lord? We have no trouble at all dealing with the crazies, the over-the-top, the out-of-control behaviors that die-hard sports fans exhibit. Paint yourself blue and go bare-chested in the end zone in December? Sure!
Wear floppy ears and bark like a dog? Why not! Stand in line and camp on the street for days to get those play-off tickets? You bet!
Take a "sick day," buy an airplane ticket, lose pay and travel for hours just to see the big game? No problem!”
Now what if Christ needed you to do something even moderately off-center for him? Could you do it?
In Acts 2 the 'birthday' of the Church is recorded. We call it Pentecost since it happened on the Jewish feast of '50 days' (Pentecost). After days of waiting in prayer, God's Spirit filled those men and women powerfully. They apparently acted strangely, spilling into the streets talking loudly with words of praise for their Risen Lord. Their behavior caused some bystanders to marvel that they were drunk at only 9 in the morning! It doesn't seem from the story in that chapter that Peter's first thought was to keep the little band of Believers under control. He pointed to their overflow of ecstasy as an evidence of being 'intoxicated' with the Spirit of God.
Peter told those looking on: "I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence." (Acts 2:25-28, NLT) (a loose quote of Psalm 16) He said this was Jesus' rejoicing song at His Resurrection and it is OUR rejoicing song because of our ETERNAL LIFE. It a good thing to be an uninhibited fan of the Lord, because He has done such amazing things for us!
Disciple, we need to get intoxicated with the joy of the Lord! The Bible says, "Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit!" (Ephesians 5:18, NLT) The implied fact is that just like wine loosens inhibitions, but in a destructive way, the Spirit of God will take away our concerns and cares, too. He will allow us to forget ourselves and release songs of praises, shouts of celebration; ecstatic utterances in the Spirit that express our 'fanatic' love for our Lord Jesus. "God, give us a new Pentecost."
Let’s not just try to be strange! Weirdness for its own sake is just a way to grab attention for ourselves. It causes others to step away from us. There are those individuals who just express their own quirks and claim it is God acting in them. Their bizarre behaviors have nothing to do with the joy of the Holy Spirit. We must not those unbalanced individuals to become our focus. We should not be so concerned about controlling their excesses of worship that we rob ourselves of the joyful expressions of true worshippers. Joy that makes a person forget himself is infectious. It draws others in! We cannot help but laugh with the one who celebrates great blessings. We cannot help but be lifted up by the one who is full of God's Spirit.
Invite the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and mind - and when He does- let the laughter roll and the tears flow. Worship is more than thinking right thoughts or grasping profound truth. It is emotional! On Pentecost, the Believers were filled with the Spirit and were so ‘out of control’ that they were accused of being drunk. Let’s get intoxicated - on the Spirit, and pray that His life and love will move us to glorify God!
_________________
I want the joy of the Lord to come down;
want the joy of the Lord to fall now;
want the joy of the Lord in my life!
I want the joy of the Lord to lift me;
want the joy of the Lord to change me;
want the joy of the Lord in my life!
It’s time I started dancing over all these graves.
It’s time I gave you, O my God, the highest praise!
It’s time to lift my voice:
Oh, and beg for this blessing to fall!
Joy of the Lord
Rita Springer
©2002 Kindred Music
CCLI License No. 810055
Wear floppy ears and bark like a dog? Why not! Stand in line and camp on the street for days to get those play-off tickets? You bet!
Take a "sick day," buy an airplane ticket, lose pay and travel for hours just to see the big game? No problem!”
Now what if Christ needed you to do something even moderately off-center for him? Could you do it?
In Acts 2 the 'birthday' of the Church is recorded. We call it Pentecost since it happened on the Jewish feast of '50 days' (Pentecost). After days of waiting in prayer, God's Spirit filled those men and women powerfully. They apparently acted strangely, spilling into the streets talking loudly with words of praise for their Risen Lord. Their behavior caused some bystanders to marvel that they were drunk at only 9 in the morning! It doesn't seem from the story in that chapter that Peter's first thought was to keep the little band of Believers under control. He pointed to their overflow of ecstasy as an evidence of being 'intoxicated' with the Spirit of God.
Peter told those looking on: "I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence." (Acts 2:25-28, NLT) (a loose quote of Psalm 16) He said this was Jesus' rejoicing song at His Resurrection and it is OUR rejoicing song because of our ETERNAL LIFE. It a good thing to be an uninhibited fan of the Lord, because He has done such amazing things for us!
Disciple, we need to get intoxicated with the joy of the Lord! The Bible says, "Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit!" (Ephesians 5:18, NLT) The implied fact is that just like wine loosens inhibitions, but in a destructive way, the Spirit of God will take away our concerns and cares, too. He will allow us to forget ourselves and release songs of praises, shouts of celebration; ecstatic utterances in the Spirit that express our 'fanatic' love for our Lord Jesus. "God, give us a new Pentecost."
Let’s not just try to be strange! Weirdness for its own sake is just a way to grab attention for ourselves. It causes others to step away from us. There are those individuals who just express their own quirks and claim it is God acting in them. Their bizarre behaviors have nothing to do with the joy of the Holy Spirit. We must not those unbalanced individuals to become our focus. We should not be so concerned about controlling their excesses of worship that we rob ourselves of the joyful expressions of true worshippers. Joy that makes a person forget himself is infectious. It draws others in! We cannot help but laugh with the one who celebrates great blessings. We cannot help but be lifted up by the one who is full of God's Spirit.
Invite the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and mind - and when He does- let the laughter roll and the tears flow. Worship is more than thinking right thoughts or grasping profound truth. It is emotional! On Pentecost, the Believers were filled with the Spirit and were so ‘out of control’ that they were accused of being drunk. Let’s get intoxicated - on the Spirit, and pray that His life and love will move us to glorify God!
_________________
I want the joy of the Lord to come down;
want the joy of the Lord to fall now;
want the joy of the Lord in my life!
I want the joy of the Lord to lift me;
want the joy of the Lord to change me;
want the joy of the Lord in my life!
It’s time I started dancing over all these graves.
It’s time I gave you, O my God, the highest praise!
It’s time to lift my voice:
Oh, and beg for this blessing to fall!
Joy of the Lord
Rita Springer
©2002 Kindred Music
CCLI License No. 810055
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Are you ready to die well?
Nobody (at least, nobody I know!) is eager to die! When a person gives up on life and sets about seeking a way to end his life, we know their state is abnormal, a illness of mind and/or spirit that demands an emergency intervention until they find a reason to live again. But, Christians, while loving life, cannot deny their mortality. Preparing to die does not make one faithless or suicidal nor does it necessarily mean we must be morbid or mournful! Why? Because we are not "like the rest of men, who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13, NIV)
Being confronted on a regular basis with our mortality will cause us to live well which prepares to die well. Robb Moll argues a compelling case in an article appearing in Christianity Today, (6/2010). He says, “The church is a community that teaches people how to live well by teaching them how to measure their days. Put another way, when the Church incarnates a culture of resurrection – one that recognizes the inevitability of death but not its triumph – it teaches people how to die well.” He challenges the prevailing church model that separates people by age, keeping the ‘old people’ who are nearer death segregated from the younger.
Funerals can be very instructive! The vapidity of the life of that person who passed his time on earth superficially, selfishly, or without godly purpose comes into sharp focus at his funeral when mourners struggle to find a meaningful tribute. More positively, as we stand and stare at grandfather’s corpse, there remembering his patience, prayers, or perseverance, which grew from his faith in Christ Jesus; it should stir a desire to prepare for that moment when others will gaze into our coffin.
The Bible tells us that Death is a defeated enemy for us when are lives are hidden in Christ. At the close of a chapter in which he earnestly makes a case for the Resurrection of Christ and our own hope of Resurrection, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15 rise to a crescendo of triumph. "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:54-58, NIV)
That is not a text about ‘pie in the sky, by and by!’ It is not ethereal musing without practical application. Paul says that the promise of Resurrection is a powerful incentive right now to choose the best life. We will be holy, faithful lives servants of the Lord and others if we know that this day could be our last opportunity before we sleep in death. Resurrection connects ‘now’ to ‘forever.’ On this earth, our achievements will be eclipsed by those of another, probably even before we die. We all have experienced the disappointment of having our best efforts unnoticed by busy people who take us for granted. But, if we live with the promise of the Resurrection, assured that we are already immortal, simply awaiting the moment of our transformation, we also know that what is done now, is not lost nor forgotten by the One who hands out the rewards that matter most. What a reason to remain faithful to the highest calling.
If we live in a culture that is formed from the hope of our Resurrection, we will be able to face death with the same sense of expectation that Paul wrote of as he was just days from his own execution in Rome. From the Mamertine Prison, where he was held for execution, considered a traitor to Rome because of his unwavering allegiance to Jesus Christ; he wrote to Timothy, these words which I hope will be read over my own still body someday. Take this word from the Word and ponder it today: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NIV)
______________
I then shall live as one who's been forgiven.
I'll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father.
I am His child and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardoned I'll forgive my brother.
The law of love I gladly will obey.
I then shall live as one who's learned compassion.
I've been so loved that I'll risk loving, too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges.
I dare to see another's point of view.
And when relationships demand commitment,
Then I'll be there to care and follow through.
Your kingdom come around and through and in me.
Your pow'r and glory, let them shine through me.
Your Hallowed Name, O may I bear with honor,
And may Your living kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.
Amen.
I Then Shall Live
Gaither, Gloria / Sibelius, Jean
© 1981 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management
CCLI License No. 810055
Being confronted on a regular basis with our mortality will cause us to live well which prepares to die well. Robb Moll argues a compelling case in an article appearing in Christianity Today, (6/2010). He says, “The church is a community that teaches people how to live well by teaching them how to measure their days. Put another way, when the Church incarnates a culture of resurrection – one that recognizes the inevitability of death but not its triumph – it teaches people how to die well.” He challenges the prevailing church model that separates people by age, keeping the ‘old people’ who are nearer death segregated from the younger.
Funerals can be very instructive! The vapidity of the life of that person who passed his time on earth superficially, selfishly, or without godly purpose comes into sharp focus at his funeral when mourners struggle to find a meaningful tribute. More positively, as we stand and stare at grandfather’s corpse, there remembering his patience, prayers, or perseverance, which grew from his faith in Christ Jesus; it should stir a desire to prepare for that moment when others will gaze into our coffin.
The Bible tells us that Death is a defeated enemy for us when are lives are hidden in Christ. At the close of a chapter in which he earnestly makes a case for the Resurrection of Christ and our own hope of Resurrection, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15 rise to a crescendo of triumph. "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:54-58, NIV)
That is not a text about ‘pie in the sky, by and by!’ It is not ethereal musing without practical application. Paul says that the promise of Resurrection is a powerful incentive right now to choose the best life. We will be holy, faithful lives servants of the Lord and others if we know that this day could be our last opportunity before we sleep in death. Resurrection connects ‘now’ to ‘forever.’ On this earth, our achievements will be eclipsed by those of another, probably even before we die. We all have experienced the disappointment of having our best efforts unnoticed by busy people who take us for granted. But, if we live with the promise of the Resurrection, assured that we are already immortal, simply awaiting the moment of our transformation, we also know that what is done now, is not lost nor forgotten by the One who hands out the rewards that matter most. What a reason to remain faithful to the highest calling.
If we live in a culture that is formed from the hope of our Resurrection, we will be able to face death with the same sense of expectation that Paul wrote of as he was just days from his own execution in Rome. From the Mamertine Prison, where he was held for execution, considered a traitor to Rome because of his unwavering allegiance to Jesus Christ; he wrote to Timothy, these words which I hope will be read over my own still body someday. Take this word from the Word and ponder it today: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NIV)
______________
I then shall live as one who's been forgiven.
I'll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father.
I am His child and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardoned I'll forgive my brother.
The law of love I gladly will obey.
I then shall live as one who's learned compassion.
I've been so loved that I'll risk loving, too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges.
I dare to see another's point of view.
And when relationships demand commitment,
Then I'll be there to care and follow through.
Your kingdom come around and through and in me.
Your pow'r and glory, let them shine through me.
Your Hallowed Name, O may I bear with honor,
And may Your living kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.
Amen.
I Then Shall Live
Gaither, Gloria / Sibelius, Jean
© 1981 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management
CCLI License No. 810055
Monday, June 21, 2010
Hope and Horror
The classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, takes a turn when Toto, Dorothy’s little dog pulls back a curtain and reveals that the Great Oz is a fraud, just a man pulling levers on a machine. There’s no magic, at all! I wonder if we have largely lost our capability for wonder in life because we have come to believe that all things are common, able to be explained if only we can find a way to tear open the curtain? I am thankful for the scientific discoveries that help us to live healthier, longer lives. I am grateful that we have inquiries that keep those in power in check, that help us to understand that those who lead us are but mere mortals.
But, there is a downside to our loss of wonder, too. We have reduced God to bite-size, too. Tamed, explained, trivialized, robbed of His majesty; He cannot guide nor guard. He is a Friend, but no longer a King. I watched a TV preacher speak to thousands yesterday of a God that commanded no respect, a god (small ‘g’ intentional) that was the blessing buddy. People applauded as this man rhapsodized about a deity that was unlike the One of Whom I read in the Holy Scripture this morning.
In the words of the prophets of the Old Testament, we find God is capable of inspiring great hope and equally terrible horror! He deeply loves His people, but He also holds them responsible for their choices and unapologetically demands their holy service. Habakkuk wonders at the foolishness of idol-making. “Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”
We do not carve wooden figures to receive our worship, but we do create our own gods. We reject the part of Him capable of wrath for the sinful, and hold onto the promise of Father love. Thus, God becomes, to us, a misshapen and twisted caricature, something we keep around for times of trouble. “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” (Habakkuk 2:18-20, NIV)
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the majesty of God.
Let Him be Who He is; amazing, infinite, holy, beautiful, omnipotent, worthy of honor.
"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36, NIV)
Are you reverent? That sense of awe, of profound respect, is the heart of worship.
______________
You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom,
Who can fathom the depth of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty enthroned above.
And I stand, I stand in awe of You.
I stand, I stand in awe of You.
Holy God, to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of You.
I Stand In Awe
Altrogge, Mark
PDI Ministries © 1987 People Of Destiny International (Admin. by PDI Ministries)
CCLI License No. 810055
But, there is a downside to our loss of wonder, too. We have reduced God to bite-size, too. Tamed, explained, trivialized, robbed of His majesty; He cannot guide nor guard. He is a Friend, but no longer a King. I watched a TV preacher speak to thousands yesterday of a God that commanded no respect, a god (small ‘g’ intentional) that was the blessing buddy. People applauded as this man rhapsodized about a deity that was unlike the One of Whom I read in the Holy Scripture this morning.
In the words of the prophets of the Old Testament, we find God is capable of inspiring great hope and equally terrible horror! He deeply loves His people, but He also holds them responsible for their choices and unapologetically demands their holy service. Habakkuk wonders at the foolishness of idol-making. “Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”
We do not carve wooden figures to receive our worship, but we do create our own gods. We reject the part of Him capable of wrath for the sinful, and hold onto the promise of Father love. Thus, God becomes, to us, a misshapen and twisted caricature, something we keep around for times of trouble. “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” (Habakkuk 2:18-20, NIV)
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the majesty of God.
Let Him be Who He is; amazing, infinite, holy, beautiful, omnipotent, worthy of honor.
"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36, NIV)
Are you reverent? That sense of awe, of profound respect, is the heart of worship.
______________
You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom,
Who can fathom the depth of Your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty enthroned above.
And I stand, I stand in awe of You.
I stand, I stand in awe of You.
Holy God, to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of You.
I Stand In Awe
Altrogge, Mark
PDI Ministries © 1987 People Of Destiny International (Admin. by PDI Ministries)
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Family Tree
When I researched my family lineage, family lore took on specific names and I was able to trace, through my paternal grandmother, a line all the way back to the Cornelius Van Wyck of 17th century New Amsterdam (now called New York City). I found another man in the same line, Cornelius Wiltse, who was a Revolutionary War patriot. It was all quite interesting. It stirred my curiosity and I will most likely spend more time researching!
The part of my heritage that I value most, however, is not one that leads to colonial America or patriots. I am a son of God! Quite the boast, you say? Not at all. "[Jesus] came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God." (John 1:10-13, NLT) My ultimate connection, the best rights and inheritance, come from my Father in Heaven!
The Word promises me a rich inheritance. "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance-an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay." (1 Peter 1:3-4, NLT)
You can share in that inheritance, too. It's not limited by DNA. The Holy Spirit will write His life and character into the heart and soul of everyone who receives the promise by faith. Have you accepted Christ Jesus as Lord? Have you acknowledged your need of adoption into the family of God? I have and I'm so glad, so secure, at rest in the Father's provision. The sin of one father, Adam, caused us great loss. We became orphans, without heritage or name. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ... raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ...For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-" (Ephesians 2:4,6, 8, NIV)
Now that's something to hold precious in my family tree!
Receive the gift today, won't you?
_______________
I was once a sinner, but I came
Pardon to receive from my Lord.
This was freely given, and I found
That He always kept His word.
I was humbly kneeling at the Cross,
Fearing naught but God's angry frown,
When the heavens opened and I saw
That my name was written down.
In the Book 'tis written
"Saved by grace."
O the joy that came to my soul!
Now I am forgiven and I know,
By the blood I am made whole.
There's a new name
Written down in glory,
And it's mine.
O yes, it's mine!
And the white-robed
Angels sing the story,
"A sinner has come home."
For there's a new name
Written down in glory,
And it's mine,
O yes it's mine.
With my sins forgiven
I am bound for heaven,
Nevermore to roam.
A New Name In Glory
Miles C. Austin
© Public Domain
The part of my heritage that I value most, however, is not one that leads to colonial America or patriots. I am a son of God! Quite the boast, you say? Not at all. "[Jesus] came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God." (John 1:10-13, NLT) My ultimate connection, the best rights and inheritance, come from my Father in Heaven!
The Word promises me a rich inheritance. "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance-an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay." (1 Peter 1:3-4, NLT)
You can share in that inheritance, too. It's not limited by DNA. The Holy Spirit will write His life and character into the heart and soul of everyone who receives the promise by faith. Have you accepted Christ Jesus as Lord? Have you acknowledged your need of adoption into the family of God? I have and I'm so glad, so secure, at rest in the Father's provision. The sin of one father, Adam, caused us great loss. We became orphans, without heritage or name. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ... raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ...For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-" (Ephesians 2:4,6, 8, NIV)
Now that's something to hold precious in my family tree!
Receive the gift today, won't you?
_______________
I was once a sinner, but I came
Pardon to receive from my Lord.
This was freely given, and I found
That He always kept His word.
I was humbly kneeling at the Cross,
Fearing naught but God's angry frown,
When the heavens opened and I saw
That my name was written down.
In the Book 'tis written
"Saved by grace."
O the joy that came to my soul!
Now I am forgiven and I know,
By the blood I am made whole.
There's a new name
Written down in glory,
And it's mine.
O yes, it's mine!
And the white-robed
Angels sing the story,
"A sinner has come home."
For there's a new name
Written down in glory,
And it's mine,
O yes it's mine.
With my sins forgiven
I am bound for heaven,
Nevermore to roam.
A New Name In Glory
Miles C. Austin
© Public Domain
Thursday, June 17, 2010
So, what’s up?
Sunday night church gatherings often include something called ‘testimony time.’ In the churches of my childhood, there were always two or three people who could be counted on to stand up and tell the same stories. When I was 12 years of age, and full of myself, I would mouth the words, familiar as they were, silently along with the speaker. Going to church on Sunday night and especially ‘testimonies’ were not my idea of fun! But, every now and then, somebody would break the routine and stand up to tell a story that was brand new, that was charged with emotion – sometimes sorrow, sometimes laughter. Those moments were great and strengthened my faith!
Disciple, we need to get together with other who are lovers of God and talk about what’s going on in our lives, our needs, our fears, our joys, and our successes. One weeps, another rejoices; all are made stronger! The Psalmist writes, "Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies." (Psalm 107:2, NLT)
God made us with the desire to be connected. Our TV cannot replace real friends. Facebook and email, as convenient as they might be, cannot take the place of in person connection. When we do get together, let’s be authentic. What made ‘testimony time’ boring in my childhood was the clichéd expressions that found their way into the words. When someone was too new to the group to adjust their story to accepted norms, it was arresting.
So, we need to just speak up, share our lives, tell our stories, and let God listen in. It’s what the godly men in Malachi’s time did. After they were challenged by the prophet to get back to living in a way that pleased the Lord, the Scripture says they had a testimony time! "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name." (Malachi 3:16, NIV)
Are you connected?
Are you creating regular time to be with those who can help you carry your burdens, those who can laugh along with you in your joy, taking an interest in knowing what the Spirit is doing in the lives of other disciples?
Let me encourage you to start by showing up at church early and staying late. Sit down next to someone and just say, “So, what’s up?” Listen and learn! God’s in on the conversation, too.
Disciple, we need to get together with other who are lovers of God and talk about what’s going on in our lives, our needs, our fears, our joys, and our successes. One weeps, another rejoices; all are made stronger! The Psalmist writes, "Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies." (Psalm 107:2, NLT)
God made us with the desire to be connected. Our TV cannot replace real friends. Facebook and email, as convenient as they might be, cannot take the place of in person connection. When we do get together, let’s be authentic. What made ‘testimony time’ boring in my childhood was the clichéd expressions that found their way into the words. When someone was too new to the group to adjust their story to accepted norms, it was arresting.
So, we need to just speak up, share our lives, tell our stories, and let God listen in. It’s what the godly men in Malachi’s time did. After they were challenged by the prophet to get back to living in a way that pleased the Lord, the Scripture says they had a testimony time! "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name." (Malachi 3:16, NIV)
Are you connected?
Are you creating regular time to be with those who can help you carry your burdens, those who can laugh along with you in your joy, taking an interest in knowing what the Spirit is doing in the lives of other disciples?
Let me encourage you to start by showing up at church early and staying late. Sit down next to someone and just say, “So, what’s up?” Listen and learn! God’s in on the conversation, too.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Go ahead, put Me to the test!
When I am making a major purchase, I check on the consumer report. Does the product work as advertised? Does it have a good service quality? Various agencies create rigorous testing standards that allow consumers to compare one manufacturers product against another. I have paid more for a product that has a significantly higher rating, believing that the quality is worth the expense.
Generally, we are discouraged from trying to test the Lord! He does not subject Himself to our proofs and standards, except in one instance. There is a situation where HE invites you and me to put Him to the test. Here’s what He says: "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." (Malachi 3:10-11, NLT)
The prophet Malachi, speaking for the Lord, urged the people of God to put Him first; in their worship, in their personal lives, and in their practice of tithing. Do you know what that last one is? It is the practice of taking the first 10% of income and setting it aside for God’s work in this world. His promise is that if we will faithfully put Him first, He will care for us. And, He invites us to take note of His performance. I realize that writing this invites abuse. I know that there are preachers who turn this into a prosperity scheme. “You give God a hundred dollars and He’ll give you back a thousand!” they loudly proclaim, as they enrich themselves by playing to people’s greed!
That is not what that passage means, at all. The Lord calls us to be a people who get our lives in proper order; putting Him first in all things. If we do, He says that He will see to it that we are cared for, that He will make a clear distinction of blessing in our lives. The tithe is just one way, among many, that we show our devotion.
Let me offer this personal testimony. Bev and I have always tithed our income. When we made very little, God got the first 10%. When we had more, we rejoiced that we could give more. Writing those checks over the years has been our joy. When we support ministries and missions with regular, faithful, and sometimes sacrificial giving we feel that we are a part of the work. I have no idea the actual amount we have invested in the Lord’s work over 35 year’s time, but I am sure it is over $150,000, perhaps more. (That’s not a boast! I know many who give many times over that amount!) Did we give our tithe expecting to get rich? Not for a moment. We give because we love Jesus Christ and want to see His work accomplished in this world. We have experienced His faithfulness, time and time again. He provides what we need, when we need it. He has turned little into much, kept us steady in stormy times. Yes, I can say that He has passed the test.
We don’t just tithe to gain a kind of divine insurance. Our practice of tithing is part of a lifestyle of commitment to Him. Disciple, is He first in your life? Does your commitment show in your use of time, in your daily choices, and in your checkbook? God says, "Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams." (Malachi 3:10, The Message)
Actually, that is not an isolated text in the Scripture. Malachi most succinctly summarizes a principle that is woven throughout the Word. We are urged to “love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” The result is that we live in Him, not exempt from the trials of life, but guided and sustained by Him through them. In our devotion, we find grace that teaches us the disciplines that allow us to enjoy abundant lives marked by the fruit of the Spirit which includes all the best qualities – "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance." (Galatians 5:22-23, KJV)
Remember, disciple; spiritual fruit is not produced in a day, or by single choice. It develops to maturity over time, when we consistently and faithfully do His will, accept His grace, and obey His commands. Prove Him! My report is: “He is faithful!”
_____________________
Lord, You have shown
Yourself to be,
Never changing,
Always faithful.
Lord, You have shown
Your heart for me,
The loving touch
Of a caring Father.
In every day that passes
And all the world's distractions;
Through seasons
And life's changes,
You always remain
Faithful to me –
With Your...
Perfect love, perfect love
casts out all fear and shows me that
Every Word and promise to me
Will be fulfilled - will be fulfilled
Faithful, You are faithful
Faithful, faithful, faithful!
Faithful - Eoghan Heaslip
CCLI License No. 810055
Generally, we are discouraged from trying to test the Lord! He does not subject Himself to our proofs and standards, except in one instance. There is a situation where HE invites you and me to put Him to the test. Here’s what He says: "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." (Malachi 3:10-11, NLT)
The prophet Malachi, speaking for the Lord, urged the people of God to put Him first; in their worship, in their personal lives, and in their practice of tithing. Do you know what that last one is? It is the practice of taking the first 10% of income and setting it aside for God’s work in this world. His promise is that if we will faithfully put Him first, He will care for us. And, He invites us to take note of His performance. I realize that writing this invites abuse. I know that there are preachers who turn this into a prosperity scheme. “You give God a hundred dollars and He’ll give you back a thousand!” they loudly proclaim, as they enrich themselves by playing to people’s greed!
That is not what that passage means, at all. The Lord calls us to be a people who get our lives in proper order; putting Him first in all things. If we do, He says that He will see to it that we are cared for, that He will make a clear distinction of blessing in our lives. The tithe is just one way, among many, that we show our devotion.
Let me offer this personal testimony. Bev and I have always tithed our income. When we made very little, God got the first 10%. When we had more, we rejoiced that we could give more. Writing those checks over the years has been our joy. When we support ministries and missions with regular, faithful, and sometimes sacrificial giving we feel that we are a part of the work. I have no idea the actual amount we have invested in the Lord’s work over 35 year’s time, but I am sure it is over $150,000, perhaps more. (That’s not a boast! I know many who give many times over that amount!) Did we give our tithe expecting to get rich? Not for a moment. We give because we love Jesus Christ and want to see His work accomplished in this world. We have experienced His faithfulness, time and time again. He provides what we need, when we need it. He has turned little into much, kept us steady in stormy times. Yes, I can say that He has passed the test.
We don’t just tithe to gain a kind of divine insurance. Our practice of tithing is part of a lifestyle of commitment to Him. Disciple, is He first in your life? Does your commitment show in your use of time, in your daily choices, and in your checkbook? God says, "Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams." (Malachi 3:10, The Message)
Actually, that is not an isolated text in the Scripture. Malachi most succinctly summarizes a principle that is woven throughout the Word. We are urged to “love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” The result is that we live in Him, not exempt from the trials of life, but guided and sustained by Him through them. In our devotion, we find grace that teaches us the disciplines that allow us to enjoy abundant lives marked by the fruit of the Spirit which includes all the best qualities – "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance." (Galatians 5:22-23, KJV)
Remember, disciple; spiritual fruit is not produced in a day, or by single choice. It develops to maturity over time, when we consistently and faithfully do His will, accept His grace, and obey His commands. Prove Him! My report is: “He is faithful!”
_____________________
Lord, You have shown
Yourself to be,
Never changing,
Always faithful.
Lord, You have shown
Your heart for me,
The loving touch
Of a caring Father.
In every day that passes
And all the world's distractions;
Through seasons
And life's changes,
You always remain
Faithful to me –
With Your...
Perfect love, perfect love
casts out all fear and shows me that
Every Word and promise to me
Will be fulfilled - will be fulfilled
Faithful, You are faithful
Faithful, faithful, faithful!
Faithful - Eoghan Heaslip
CCLI License No. 810055
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
I'll make a man out of you.
Dad had a stable and each Spring time a new group of colts arrived that needed to be trained, the goal being having a saddle-broke mount ready by the Fall! My summer work, along with my Dad’s help, was breaking in 6 or 8 horses. To a boy standing 5 feet tall and weighing 100 lbs., a horse is a BIG animal and sometimes a particularly rambunctious one would make me afraid. But, if I tried to retreat, I would hear my Dad urging me to stick with it. He would tell me that I had to make that animal, which stood taller and outweighed me by 10 to 12 times, understand who was in charge. When fear made me tremble, he would take me aside and remind me that life would be hard, and that he was making a man out of me! I never heard those words as unsympathetic, because in the context of his love, I knew they were meant for my best! I am glad that Dad made me face my fears and not back down. Those long ago life lessons in perseverance were never forgotten.
In the writing of Malachi, there is a passage about God’s work in bringing the best from us. We can read them as fearful, harsh words OR we can read them with hope, thanking God that He cares enough to lead us to spiritual maturity. Take a look.
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness ... acceptable to the Lord." (Malachi 3:1-4, NIV)
The difficulties of life can be so hard as to seem overwhelming. There are situations that look like they will destroy us. There are people who work to sabotage us. There is a spiritual adversary who dispatches his demons to try to ruin us. None of this happens without God's permission and He uses it for His purposes. Our Father, by His Spirit, is near and urges us onward, reminding us that He’s refining us, purifying us so that we will become mature, serving Him in a way that enjoys His favor! “So I will come near to you for judgment. ... but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty." (Malachi 3:5, NIV)
Here is a word from the Word. Hold onto it when you’re trembling in the tough times! "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?" (Hebrews 12:7, NIV) "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." (Hebrews 12:10, NIV) Keep your focus on that goal. Thank Him, stay steady, remember He is always close, never allowing us to be faced with a trial that is greater than we can endure. He’s making a man out of you. (And yes, dear sisters, making a mature woman out of you!)
____________
Purify my heart,
Let me be as gold
And precious silver.
Purify my heart,
Let me be as gold,
Pure gold.
Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy.
Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from my sin,
Deep within.
Refiner's fire,
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy,
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be holy,
Set apart for You, my Master,
Ready to do Your will.
Refiner's Fire
Doerksen, Brian
© 1990 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 81005
In the writing of Malachi, there is a passage about God’s work in bringing the best from us. We can read them as fearful, harsh words OR we can read them with hope, thanking God that He cares enough to lead us to spiritual maturity. Take a look.
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness ... acceptable to the Lord." (Malachi 3:1-4, NIV)
The difficulties of life can be so hard as to seem overwhelming. There are situations that look like they will destroy us. There are people who work to sabotage us. There is a spiritual adversary who dispatches his demons to try to ruin us. None of this happens without God's permission and He uses it for His purposes. Our Father, by His Spirit, is near and urges us onward, reminding us that He’s refining us, purifying us so that we will become mature, serving Him in a way that enjoys His favor! “So I will come near to you for judgment. ... but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty." (Malachi 3:5, NIV)
Here is a word from the Word. Hold onto it when you’re trembling in the tough times! "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?" (Hebrews 12:7, NIV) "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." (Hebrews 12:10, NIV) Keep your focus on that goal. Thank Him, stay steady, remember He is always close, never allowing us to be faced with a trial that is greater than we can endure. He’s making a man out of you. (And yes, dear sisters, making a mature woman out of you!)
____________
Purify my heart,
Let me be as gold
And precious silver.
Purify my heart,
Let me be as gold,
Pure gold.
Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy.
Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from my sin,
Deep within.
Refiner's fire,
My heart's one desire
Is to be holy,
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be holy,
Set apart for You, my Master,
Ready to do Your will.
Refiner's Fire
Doerksen, Brian
© 1990 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 81005
Monday, June 14, 2010
Inferior worship?
It’s not hard to tell the difference between just doing what needs to be done and engaging with real passion! My son, Sean, loves coffee and it shows. I just make a cup of coffee. He creates a drink to savor! He takes pride in the freshness of the beans and getting the grind just right. Most mornings, I just want a caffeine delivery system! My neighbor loves his yard, carefully trimming, raking, mowing, spraying; and it shows in a lawn that looks like a golf course. I just mow mine and trim where necessary. He wants a beautiful lawn; I’m content with an acceptably mowed one. When I prepare to speak, I never just ‘get up and talk off the top of my head.’ I think, pray, plan, write and re-write, with the goal of moving my audience to take action. Why? I am passionate about communication!
Here’s a pointed question for us today:
how do we serve God, with leftover time, just to meet minimal expectations,
or as a first-line priority because of our passion for Him?
God saw that the people were just going through the motions of worship and challenged them through the words of the prophet Malachi. Take a look at excerpts from that passage:
"The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’" (Malachi 1:6, NLT)
"When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." (Malachi 1:8, NLT)
“How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings." (Malachi 1:10, NLT)
“Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord. “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!" (Malachi 1:13-14, NLT)
Direct application of that passage is impossible since we no longer bring sacrificial animals to a temple! But, the principle is not hard to discern, is it? Do we give God the best part of our life or the leftovers? Does He get our attention in prayer or just sleepy words? Do we do ministry in prime time or just ‘fit it in’ as conveniently as possible? “Shut the Temple doors!” He says. “If you won’t give the best, then don’t go through the motions!”
Jesus challenges us on the same principle. “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" (Revelation 3:15-16, NLT)
If we want a God-blessed life, if we want to enjoy His favor and know the fullness of joy that Jesus promises, we cannot do what we think is the minimum; we must give Him the first, the best, ‘our utmost for His highest.’ (Oswald Chambers)
Here’s a thought to ponder -
Would you want God to love you in the same way that you love Him?
______________________
Give me one pure and holy passion,
Give me one magnificent obsession.
Jesus give me one glorious ambition for my life.
To know and follow hard after You
To know and follow hard after You,
To grow as Your disciple in the truth.
This world is empty, pale, and poor,
Compared to knowing You my Lord.
Lead me on and I will run after You.
One Pure And Holy Passion
Altrogge, Mark
© 1988 PDI Praise (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Dayspring Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
Here’s a pointed question for us today:
how do we serve God, with leftover time, just to meet minimal expectations,
or as a first-line priority because of our passion for Him?
God saw that the people were just going through the motions of worship and challenged them through the words of the prophet Malachi. Take a look at excerpts from that passage:
"The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’" (Malachi 1:6, NLT)
"When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies." (Malachi 1:8, NLT)
“How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings." (Malachi 1:10, NLT)
“Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord. “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!" (Malachi 1:13-14, NLT)
Direct application of that passage is impossible since we no longer bring sacrificial animals to a temple! But, the principle is not hard to discern, is it? Do we give God the best part of our life or the leftovers? Does He get our attention in prayer or just sleepy words? Do we do ministry in prime time or just ‘fit it in’ as conveniently as possible? “Shut the Temple doors!” He says. “If you won’t give the best, then don’t go through the motions!”
Jesus challenges us on the same principle. “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" (Revelation 3:15-16, NLT)
If we want a God-blessed life, if we want to enjoy His favor and know the fullness of joy that Jesus promises, we cannot do what we think is the minimum; we must give Him the first, the best, ‘our utmost for His highest.’ (Oswald Chambers)
Here’s a thought to ponder -
Would you want God to love you in the same way that you love Him?
______________________
Give me one pure and holy passion,
Give me one magnificent obsession.
Jesus give me one glorious ambition for my life.
To know and follow hard after You
To know and follow hard after You,
To grow as Your disciple in the truth.
This world is empty, pale, and poor,
Compared to knowing You my Lord.
Lead me on and I will run after You.
One Pure And Holy Passion
Altrogge, Mark
© 1988 PDI Praise (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Dayspring Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
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