Do You Like Me Now?

Brian Williams, the NBC news anchor, embellished the story of his experiences while covering the war in Iraq. He said the helicopter in which he rode came under rocket fire. The facts did not support his story.  Now his professional life is on the line, a relatively small lie undermines his integrity.  He is not the first or only person to lie. Little kids do it when they get caught. Teenagers do it to get their own way.  Adults do it for the same reasons and another – vanity!  Mr. Williams ‘puffed’ his story, adding drama, making it seem that it was in greater danger.  None other than Hillary Clinton did a few years ago, too. She, too, claimed to have come under fire in a war zone and later others pointed out her lie.

Lies complicate life, one requiring another, the snowball effect eventually overtaking the person who started with a little dishonesty. Integrity gives freedom!  A person who lives honestly, who is content to be who she is, no more, no less;  lives without fear of being found out, without fear of exposure.  We all know this, but when pressure comes, we too often forget it. The pithy wisdom of Proverbs reminds us that "Good people are guided by their honesty; treacherous people are destroyed by their dishonesty." (Proverbs 11:3, NLT)

The greater risk of dishonesty for most of us is born from the very human and all too common desire to please other people. Vanity tempts us all, Christian! Who does not like to be admired? Who does not wonder, at least some of the time, what others think?  “Do they like me?” we ask.  “Do they think I am a good parent?” we wonder. We walk past the mirror and catch a glimpse of our face and what do we think at that moment?  My guess it is something about how others see us!  When we have become mature emotionally and spiritually, we stop serving others and become honest to God, authentic, rock solid people.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus got to the heart of the matter.  He forbade making our relationship with God into a public performance! “Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1, NLT)   The Message amplifies the challenge - “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. “When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively." (Matthew 6:1-4, The Message)

Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher of the 19^th century, gave us the phrase, “an audience of One.”  The approval we desire should be sought only from Him, for only God knows the true motives of our heart. Only God can contextualize our choice today in the flow of His purposes and our opportunities.  If we want to be free from the sin of people-pleasing, if we desire real integrity, our eyes must be on Him alone.

Here’s the word from the Word, a prayer for integrity.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT)

Amen

__________

Search me, O God,

And know my heart today;

Try me, O Savior,

Know my thoughts, I pray.

See if there be

Some wicked way in me;

Cleanse me from every sin

And set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord,

For cleansing me from sin;

Fulfill Thy Word,

And make me pure within.

Fill me with fire

Where once I burned with shame;

Grant my desire

To magnify Thy Name.

Lord, take my life,

And make it wholly Thine;

Fill my poor heart

With Thy great love divine.

Take all my will,

My passion, self and pride;

I now surrender, Lord

In me abide.

O Holy Ghost,

Revival comes from Thee;

Send a revival,

Start the work in me.

Thy Word declares

Thou wilt supply our need;

For blessings now,

O Lord, I humbly plead.

-          Edwin Orr

God's Grace for Monday Morning

My barber, a man in his early 70’s and a cancer survivor, greeted me cheerfully last Monday morning as I walked into his empty shop on a cold, wintry morning.  “You’re joyous for a morning like this” I replied. He explained that since having cancer he is glad to be alive every day – cold, hot, winter, summer – glad to see the new sunrise. I love that attitude. Monday mornings have a terrible reputation, don’t they? For most, Monday is the 'back to work' day.  Let me suggest that instead of sighing, "O Lord, it's Monday," you say  "Praise God, it's Monday!" with a song.  As you look ahead to the work week, instead of dragging yourself toward Friday, try this:   live fully today!

God fed His people miraculously when they were making the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. The way He chose to do it provides a worthwhile lesson to those of us who try to live more than a day at a time. While the Israelites were in the desert, He fed them with 'manna.'   Each morning they awakened to find the white, flakey stuff lying on the ground in their camp. "It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey." (Exodus 16:31, NIV)  Moses, under God’s direction, instructed them not to hoard it. "Just gather enough for the day and tomorrow God will provide it again."  Some of them did not listen and tried to store it.   The next day they found it had gone bad and stunk!  Here's a curious detail.  On the day before Sabbath, they could gather provisions for two days and the manna did not spoil!   The lesson?  Let God be Lord of this day and leave tomorrow to His care.

How many times do you get discouraged or weary just thinking about the work of another day before you have finished this day's work?  I do it, too! Jesus wisely counsels us to pray like this - "Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11, NIV) In that same talk, he also said, "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:34, The Message)  Live today to the full. Accept God’s grace for Mondays!

Let’s make it God's week!  Instead of griping about things that are not to our liking, let’s pray our way through the day. Let’s practice thanksgiving, and quick to present our requests, with faith, to our loving Father. Seek His wisdom which He promises to give to those who ask.  Weep, if you need to, with Him; for He is a Friend that cares for you.   

When Friday arrives those who have walked with God through each day will be in a much better frame of mind. Yes, that is a guaranteed result.  He has manna for you, Christian, nourishing food for your soul, renewal for your heart and mind, hope that no one and nothing can take away.

Here is the word from the Word -
"This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Please, Lord, please save us.
Please, Lord, please give us success.

Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, shining upon us.
Bring forward the sacrifice and put it on the altar.
You are my God, and I will praise you!

You are my God, and I will exalt you!" (Psalm 118:24-28, NLT)

__________________

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not,

Thy compassions they fail not;

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above;

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Chisholm, Thomas O. / Runyan, William M.

© 1923. Renewed 1951 Hope Publishing Company

CCLI License No. 810055

When You Are Tired . . .

Yesterday I was tired;  The church’s budget is tight, people I care about are struggling, I had not slept well the night before, and yes;  it’s winter time. (When it is cold, icy, and skies are gray – every problem looks bigger to me.)  My fatigue led me to waste time in fantasy; “What if I were somewhere else, doing something else?” Yes, I admit it:  sometimes I slip into daydreams about an easier assignment in life. It is an escapist thing, and I don’t linger long in that fantasy land. It is a waste of time to do so!

Do you tire of the battle sometimes?  

Has some small problem come along  only to  become the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back?

Are you saying to yourself, “I’m fed up, done with this. I quit!”?

“I quit” is very tempting when we’re tired, when we have more problems than solutions, when too many things pile  up.  But, remember this – every quit must be followed by a ‘start’ and each time we start over, we have new mountains to climb. I suppose it is simplistic, but when I’m ready to throw in the towel I do a little self-talk and remind myself of two things:  problems are everywhere and it’s not heaven yet!

·         Marriages end sometimes because somebody get tired of dealing with all the little stuff.  It’s not some major failure like abuse or infidelity, it’s just battle fatigue that  breaks the covenant.  

·         People leave a promising career, not because their passion changes but because they find their supervisor intolerable, or they feel that they are not valued, or they get bored. “I quit,” sounds like a solution but on the other side of they find financial hardship or another situation with another set of challenges.  

·         Christian leave their church, not because there is heresy or major issues, but because they have a disagreement with a leader or their Pastor is going through a dry stretch and is boring to them.  They fail to think of the friendships they are leaving behind and the commitments to ministry they have made.

    

Perseverance is a quality of mature Christians. In my fatigue, the Spirit pointed me to this reminder- "Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:34-36, NIV)

The Bible speaks often about things such as patience, endurance, and longsuffering. Paul pushed through real hardship. Jesus got tired and so did His disciples. But, they did not quit. James says "Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail." (James 5:10-11, The Message)

The kingdom of God needs people who show up even when they don’t feel like it, who do what they’re called and equipped to do – faithfully and effectively - even when they’re bored or exhausted.  Christ needs steady men and women who are willing to say: “God called me. My feelings are secondary to my commitment. I’ll serve, I’ll stay, I’ll love – so help me God!” Those kind of disciples are key players, incredibly valuable, and the ones who get things done for God, often quietly and without accolades – but it matters little, for they serve for the joy of obedience, not for applause or even self-fulfillment.

Here’s some of the best encouragement you will ever get on the subject of commitment and endurance. "Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." (Hebrews 12:1-2, NLT)

Are you considering quitting-
your covenant with your spouse,
disciplining that teenage rebel who wears you down,

your ministry that seems to be fruitless right now,
a relationship that is hard,
your church?

Pray about it and tell the Lord how you feel. Your emotions are real, so don’t deny them. Then, listen carefully for the Spirit’s counsel. “Run with endurance!”

The word from the Word is an amazing promise for the weary, the battered, the bruised who remain faithful to the Lord: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:14-17, NIV)

____________

Am I a soldier of the cross,

A follower of the Lamb.

And shall I fear to own His cause,

Or blush to speak His name?

Sure I must fight if I would reign,

Increase my courage, Lord:

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,

Supported by Thy Word.

And when the battle's over
We shall wear a crown!

Yes, we shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown.

And when the battle's over,
We shall wear a crown

In the new Jerusalem.

When The Battle's Over

Watts, Isaac / Waters, Harriette / Lind, A.E.© Public Domain

When you pray for others

Back in 2010, when I was facing my first ever major surgery, several colleagues got together and came to pray for me.  I still ‘hear’ their voices raised in petition on my behalf and the memory  is a blessing. When my Mom was alive, I know she prayed for me everyday, too. Her prayer was not just a simple “Lord, bless Jerry today.”  She asked wisdom, favor, protection, and the Power of the Spirit for me. I miss her prayers. 

Daniel prayed for the restoration of his people and the city of his birth. In chapter 9 of the book that bears his name, the old man has opened the scroll of Jeremiah, reading the words God inspired, that the exile of the Jews would end after 70 years.  The promise stirred him. He realized, as we all should, that that promises of God wait for our faith.  We are partners with the Lord in bringing Heaven’s declarations to earth. We own and express His will in this world. Jesus, in the disciple’s prayer, taught us to pray – “May your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”   His comes Kingdom in us and through us.

So, Daniel cries out to God with a heart that is passionate and broken: "O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” (Daniel 9:19, NIV)  The prayer is a beautiful lesson for every intercessor. There are two parts of his prayer worth noting. 

First is that his expectation is based on the faithfulness and justice of the Lord. “Lord, you are righteous … The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving … Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill.”   Do your prayers argue with God, accusing Him of failing to do what you think He should have done?  From our perspective, limited as it is, we can sometimes slip into a feeling that He is cruel, or that He ignores us, or that He simply failed to act.  God never fails. We pray best for others when we believe He is a good God, a faithful God.

Second, Daniel identified with those for whom he prayed.  Repeatedly, he includes himself in confession.  “We have rebelled… we have not obeyed … our sins have made us an object of scorn.”   True Intercessors stand between Heaven and Earth.  A man defined intercession as ‘having one hand on God’s shoulder and the other on your friend’s shoulder, making the connection.’  That’s a great image, isn’t it?  We will not pray well for those from whom we stand to one side pointing the finger of judgment!  “Get’em God,” is not the best intercession, is it?  Jesus saved us, not from some distant place, but by becoming fully Man, tasting every experience, and ultimately becoming sin for us that we might receive the righteousness of God through Him.  When you pray for others do your prayers judge or do you stand with those in need?

Our world needs intercessors! What if those trapped by sin, living in rebellion heard us praying for them with earnest tears instead of condemnation? Might that open their heart to God’s love?  Surely God loves this world.  Surely His desire is not to condemn but to save, not to destroy but to restore. Will we take hold of His promise and pray it into this world?

Christians, we are called to be a holy priesthood. Peter describes us as "a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9, NLT)  The primary function of a priest is to mediate the things of God to the people of his ministry.  Joel describes the ministry of intercession this way.  "The priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, will stand between the people and the altar, weeping. Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord! They belong to you, so don’t let them become an object of mockery. Don’t let their name become a proverb of unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Where is the God of Israel? He must be helpless!’ ” Then the Lord will pity his people and be indignant for the honor of his land!" (Joel 2:17-18, NLT)  

Let’s pray for others, our faith founded on God’s love and our hearts touched by the plight of those who are in desperate need. There is no greater work we can do for others than to pray fervently and faithfully for them.

Here’s the word from the Word, taken from Daniel’s prayer.  "We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—… The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. … The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath … “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name." (Daniel 9:5-19, NIV)

____________________

What we must avoid in intercession is praying for someone to be simply “patched up.” We must pray that person completely through into contact with the very life of God.

- Oswald Chambers