God is depending on us! It is true! The King of the Universe relies on us to be living demonstrators of the power of the Spirit to transform a mere human being into a living saint! What a privilege and honor and what a responsibility. Believer, do your day to day decisions reveal an ongoing conversation with Christ and His Word in which you are applying His Kingdom truth and principles to your choices? Another way to ask it, do you show a life of faith, hope, and love that is built around the desire to know and please God? Have you settled for childish "bless me, Jesus" prayers, safe Christian friends that do not challenge your choices, and clichés about faith instead of fire-tested faith that wrestles with life's mysteries?
Jesus confronts us with a penetrating question that demolishes the vain hope of those who will not be truly transformed disciples. He said, "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes." (Luke 6:43-44, NLT) "So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say? I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins." (Luke 6:46-49, NLT)
In a great little book called, unChristian, David Kinnaman shares his research about the Christian spiritual experience in America. In studies that followed accepted research practices, he found that two-thirds of adults in America claim to have made some kind of commitment to Jesus Christ at some point in their lives which remains important to them. Of those in that group who are ages 18-41, a third say they are absolutely committed to the Christian faith, while in those over 42+ about half make the same claim. That means about 50-60 million adult Americans claim to be absolutely committed to Jesus Christ. That's the good news! And, those numbers make me ask some questions.
That many people can exercise considerable clout - economically, politically- and they could accomplish a lot with volunteer efforts, so why don't we see a spiritual renewal of unprecedented proportions happening in America?
Why aren't issues like poverty, divorce, and economic opportunity being solved by millions of creative Spirit-filled people working to apply the Gospel's message and values to society's ills?
Here's the bad news. When these same individuals were asked questions that measured the depth of their faith and how they applied what they claimed to believe to daily life, the statistics went down remarkably. Only about 3% of Believers between the ages of 18 and 41 and 9% of those ages 42+ possess a truly Biblical worldview. Why is this true? Kinnaman suggests that the evangelical church is largely set on a 'get saved' mentality where a person is urged to make a decision to accept Christ that is largely emotional. A better model, he says, is to aim for spiritual transformation, a process in which a person is taught to think about truth, presented with the challenge of changing his life completely to serve Christ, and makes a choice for change that leads to adopting a whole new worldview centered on Christ and the Scripture. He writes, "the core of the 'get saved' mentality is a one size fits all message that fails to connect with their unique sensibilities, personality, or intellectual capabilities. ... people desperately need to be taught to process the rich complexities of life, to probe and test and stretch their faith from the perspective of a Christ follower."
Obviously we cannot ignore the power or influence of the Holy Spirit in the process of heart transformation, but we also know that he does not just magically change us. He works through our minds to change our way of living. If we want to fulfill Christ's commission to 'be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the ends of the earth,' we must shift our focus from simply 'get saved and go to Heaven,' to spiritual transformation that shapes the character of Jesus in us; sinners becoming saints.
Here's a word from the Word. Let the Spirit use it to challenge you to greater devotion today. "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us." (Romans 12:2-3, NLT)
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Look in the right place!
The passage is familiar, "I will lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?" The Psalmist, whose identity is unknown to us, is reflecting on his search for comfort in time of trouble. As he gazes out on the mountains, for a moment he imagines that some relief might come from some hidden source there. When troubles pile up, we look for relief, too. Many things appear to be an answer. "If only I had more money, I could solve this problem," we may conclude. Can money really buy peace of mind? "If only I could get away for a few days," we muse as we dream of a mountainside cabin overlooking a sun-dappled valley. But we all know that the 'geographic cure,' is temporary, at best. Some who find life's difficulties pressing down on them, indulge the sinful nature seeking relief in 'answers' that only create more problems.
That Psalm continues with this line: "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:2, NIV) There was no deliverer that was about to ride down from the hills, but the writer knew that there is a Deliverer, a Help in time of trouble. He is the Creator; His Name - Yahweh. (Jehovah, to some) He is our Help! We cannot go wrong by searching for Him, by waiting for His answer to arrive in our time of distress.
"He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade." (Psalm 121:3-6, NLT)
Two truths comfort us.
The first is that God's care is available 'round the clock. When other friends weary of helping, when the dark hours of the middle of the night stretch on endlessly - He is not tired! He stands alongside of us when the demons that lurk in the darkness threaten!
The second is a truth that a person living in that arid desert appreciated more than most of us. "He is your protective shade!" In the heat of the day, a man could die in the desert from the scorching heat of the sun. A shady spot was a much needed place of safety at midday. God is always there for us - midnight and midday!
Have you grown weary in life? Do you need some help to cope, to stay on the road, to finish your task? Keep reminding yourself, "My help comes from the LORD!" Look for Help in the right place.
Here's a word from the Word for today; a declaration of commitment and hope.
"I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil." (Psalm 101:2-4, NIV)
"My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me." (Psalm 101:6, NIV)
_______________________
Open our eyes, Lord,
We want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him,
And say that we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord,
And help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord,
We want to see Jesus.
Open Our Eyes
Bob Cull© 1976 Maranatha! Music (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
That Psalm continues with this line: "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:2, NIV) There was no deliverer that was about to ride down from the hills, but the writer knew that there is a Deliverer, a Help in time of trouble. He is the Creator; His Name - Yahweh. (Jehovah, to some) He is our Help! We cannot go wrong by searching for Him, by waiting for His answer to arrive in our time of distress.
"He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade." (Psalm 121:3-6, NLT)
Two truths comfort us.
The first is that God's care is available 'round the clock. When other friends weary of helping, when the dark hours of the middle of the night stretch on endlessly - He is not tired! He stands alongside of us when the demons that lurk in the darkness threaten!
The second is a truth that a person living in that arid desert appreciated more than most of us. "He is your protective shade!" In the heat of the day, a man could die in the desert from the scorching heat of the sun. A shady spot was a much needed place of safety at midday. God is always there for us - midnight and midday!
Have you grown weary in life? Do you need some help to cope, to stay on the road, to finish your task? Keep reminding yourself, "My help comes from the LORD!" Look for Help in the right place.
Here's a word from the Word for today; a declaration of commitment and hope.
"I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil." (Psalm 101:2-4, NIV)
"My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me." (Psalm 101:6, NIV)
_______________________
Open our eyes, Lord,
We want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him,
And say that we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord,
And help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord,
We want to see Jesus.
Open Our Eyes
Bob Cull© 1976 Maranatha! Music (Admin. by The Copyright Company)
CCLI License No. 810055
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Big smile, great speech - Pick me!
The article's title grabbed my attention, "How to pick a President." It is the cover piece in the most recent issue of Christianity Today. (June, '08) I wish every American would read it and discuss the thoughts of the authors before casting their votes for our next President. The central idea of the article is that "virtue trumps policies and ideology" as a qualifier for leadership! I want to shout - "Amen!"
The lengthy, grueling (some might say torturous) path to the Presidency means that anyone seeking the office must have an incredible self-confidence and inner motivation, what some call 'fire in the belly.' Nobody could survive the constant attention, the unrelenting attacks and minute analysis of each and every twitch and syllable, if he wasn't possessed by the idea that he just had to be the President of the United States. But from where does that desire spring? If it is pure lust for power, then we're in for trouble. Such a President will personalize his policies and be unable to realize the difference between personal success and the good of the nation. He will likely pursue his policies, even when they are failing, because of his need to 'win.' We must have a leader who is convinced that he can lead or he will be weak and incapable of rallying us to his cause. We also need a person who is equally convinced of his own inadequacy in the face of the challenges of being the most powerful person in the world. Such a person will use advice wisely and hopefully seek the wisdom of God on a daily basis.
The article to which I refer in the opening lines includes this paragraph. "The greatest temptation for a well-meaning leader is to use power corruptly in order to accomplish seemingly benevolent ends. The best insurance against corrupt power is to choose leaders with the combination of virtues necessary to use power well." In an age of image and 30 second news stories on 24/7 cable TV networks, the person with the big smile and easy turn of phrase has a great advantage. May God help us to see behind the smile and to listen to the heart, not just the speechwriter's craft. I write that intentionally, since it will nearly be an act of God to discern the 'real' person that exists behind the smoke and mirrors of highly paid image consultants that sell us our Presidents.
Virtue - goodness of heart - the qualities of faith, hope, and love, are important in every leader, not just the President of the US. Whether we're electing a local councilman, a pastor for our church, or a committee chair at the local PTA, we should seek those gifted to lead well from a solid character.
Does all this sound a bit naive? Perhaps. But still I hope! How about you?
Here's a word from the Word for us all...
"Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: '...If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.'
Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD."
(Proverbs 1:20-29, NIV)
The lengthy, grueling (some might say torturous) path to the Presidency means that anyone seeking the office must have an incredible self-confidence and inner motivation, what some call 'fire in the belly.' Nobody could survive the constant attention, the unrelenting attacks and minute analysis of each and every twitch and syllable, if he wasn't possessed by the idea that he just had to be the President of the United States. But from where does that desire spring? If it is pure lust for power, then we're in for trouble. Such a President will personalize his policies and be unable to realize the difference between personal success and the good of the nation. He will likely pursue his policies, even when they are failing, because of his need to 'win.' We must have a leader who is convinced that he can lead or he will be weak and incapable of rallying us to his cause. We also need a person who is equally convinced of his own inadequacy in the face of the challenges of being the most powerful person in the world. Such a person will use advice wisely and hopefully seek the wisdom of God on a daily basis.
The article to which I refer in the opening lines includes this paragraph. "The greatest temptation for a well-meaning leader is to use power corruptly in order to accomplish seemingly benevolent ends. The best insurance against corrupt power is to choose leaders with the combination of virtues necessary to use power well." In an age of image and 30 second news stories on 24/7 cable TV networks, the person with the big smile and easy turn of phrase has a great advantage. May God help us to see behind the smile and to listen to the heart, not just the speechwriter's craft. I write that intentionally, since it will nearly be an act of God to discern the 'real' person that exists behind the smoke and mirrors of highly paid image consultants that sell us our Presidents.
Virtue - goodness of heart - the qualities of faith, hope, and love, are important in every leader, not just the President of the US. Whether we're electing a local councilman, a pastor for our church, or a committee chair at the local PTA, we should seek those gifted to lead well from a solid character.
Does all this sound a bit naive? Perhaps. But still I hope! How about you?
Here's a word from the Word for us all...
"Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: '...If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you— when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.'
Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD."
(Proverbs 1:20-29, NIV)
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