“End Times” speculation is not a favorite subject with me. I am not much into apocalyptic literature. But recent events have made me think anew about the promise of the return of the Lord! The world’s economic system is so fragile, yet interconnected, that an economic hiccup in Greece triggered a 1000 point drop on the DOW yesterday. A collapse of the system could trigger terrible and bloody social unrest across Europe and perhaps even here in the US. The ancient enmities of the Middle East show no sign of abating despite the efforts of every American President in my adult lifetime! Oil is spilling into the Gulf, with a solution perplexing the best engineers. Earthquakes have shook the globe repeatedly.
Are any of these things completely new or unique? Not at all. But they should be a reminder to all that we are not gods and they do remind me of the Lord’s promise that all of human history is subject to His reign, that He will someday close the book, declare that this era is over, and bring all things into judgment! The ancient prophets called it ‘the day of the LORD.’
"See, the day of the Lord is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger— to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. … I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless." (Isaiah 13:11, NIV)
Does all this make you fearful? It need not do so, disciple; if your hope is secured by, as it should be, the precious promises of our Lord Jesus Christ! He reminds us that a world in turmoil is reason for us to look up with anticipation! “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:25-28, NLT) I do not even pretend to understand all that He meant! I’m no prophet, nor do I even think that we should try to apply each and every word to the headlines in the newspaper. But, I understand clearly the overarching story of human history that He sums up.
God reminds us that when we humans get too arrogant, He is still LORD. When we start to think that life will go on forever, He says that we are mortal and that history has boundaries He has defined. The declaration of judgment for all is not a terror to me. It gives me even more reason to serve Him, not from fear, but because I know my efforts for His Kingdom will be vindicated in that Day. Perhaps all the current shaking and rattling in the world will settle and a decade from now, peace and prosperity will have found us again. Or it may be that God is writing the epilogue of the Earth, soon to be published. That I cannot say. But, I can say, that “I know Who holds tomorrow and I know He holds my hand!”
I leave Jesus’ words with you. Own them for yourself and find peace.
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:12-14, NIV)
"The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Revelation 22:17, NIV)
___________________
A parade began at Calvary,
And the saints of all the ages fill its ranks.
O'er the sands of time they're marching
To their King's great coronation.
And this could be the dawning of that day.
Nothing here holds their allegiance,
They're not bound by shackles forged of earthly gold.
Since that day they knelt at Calvary,
They've been pilgrims ever wandering
Just looking for a place to rest their souls.
O this could be the dawning
Of that grand and glorious day,
When the face of Jesus we behold.
Dreams and hopes of all the ages,
Are awaiting His returning.
And this could be the dawning of that day.
This Could Be The Dawning
Gaither, William J. / Gaither, Gloria
© 1971 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, May 07, 2010
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Who told you it was easy?
Few things cause me more grief (real sorrow!) than the legions of people who start strong with Jesus and fade from faith and practice a year or two later. As a shepherd of the Church, I feel some responsibility and yes, I take it personally. I should! After all, the Scripture says that I am "to watch over your souls, and (I am) accountable to God." (Hebrews 13:17, NLT) So, let me coach you with some strong words of advice about finishing this race well. I read the story of a middle- aged man who decided that he would run a marathon after seeing his daughter finish one. He was out of shape, had never run at all, much less done anything as rigorous as running a 26.2 mile race. But, inspired by his daughter's achievement, he wanted to match it. He began with a mile run. He felt like his chest was going to explode. Six months later, he finished a marathon! How did he do it?
Daily training- focus, conditioning, eating healthy foods, and getting rest. He was able to do what he intended to do because he trained his body in daily disciplined exercise.
The Christian life is a lived well only if a person is willing to make a sustained series of daily choices! No one will please God or become a mature saint with a hobby faith or a Sunday experience. We admire the great Believers whose lives are examples of faith, productive in terms of making a Kingdom difference in the world. Many of us say, "I wish I could do that" but our choice of priorities reveals a different desire. We don't do the daily disciplines, practice the habits that create the maturity of spirit and character, that lead to greatness. Said practically, if a person will not get to worship faithfully, contribute a portion of his income to God, practice forgiveness, participate in some kind of service that demands sacrifice and love, meditate and pray each day; is as incapable of doing great things for God as I am to run a marathon today!
I am not sure where the myth of the ‘easy Christian life’ developed, but it is just that – a myth! Real Christianity is a robust, demanding way of living that is not for wimps. That said, we need not be frightened of the rigors. God has given us daily disciplines to build endurance and maturity in us. They enable us to live mature and complete lives, full of the Spirit, that defeat the Evil One, that create loving spaces in a hate filled world, and that cause others to say, "God be praised!" Some people entirely miss the point of spiritual disciplines and worship them rather than the Lord. Daily prayer, regular service, continual Scripture intake are all means of opening up channels through which the Holy Spirit flows into our lives and begins His work of building real character. They are not, in themselves proof of spirituality or sainthood. Those who focus on the discipline instead of the Spirit they lead us to, are like those misguided ones who keep training, but never compete. Why train if you're not going to compete?
Ask God to give you a goal that's bigger than your present abilities, an 'impossible' vision. Then pray for the wisdom and courage to start small, to practice until you're matured, completed, enabled to do what that thing that you could only dream about before your training began. At the end of that race, there is a reward that is eternal, that does not tarnish, that no one can eclipse, or take away.
Have you focused your life around doing the will of God, on finishing well; or are you seeking to be comfortable today, to satisfy the demands and desires that arise in you right now?
God urges us to "leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God." (Hebrews 6:1, NIV) In short, “Grow up and get on with it!”
Here’s the wisdom of the Word about training. I pray it becomes your daily challenge.
"Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it." (1 Timothy 4:7-9, NLT)
_________________________
A suggested text for the how’s and why’s of spiritual disciplines
The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster (link will take you to Amazon)
Daily training- focus, conditioning, eating healthy foods, and getting rest. He was able to do what he intended to do because he trained his body in daily disciplined exercise.
The Christian life is a lived well only if a person is willing to make a sustained series of daily choices! No one will please God or become a mature saint with a hobby faith or a Sunday experience. We admire the great Believers whose lives are examples of faith, productive in terms of making a Kingdom difference in the world. Many of us say, "I wish I could do that" but our choice of priorities reveals a different desire. We don't do the daily disciplines, practice the habits that create the maturity of spirit and character, that lead to greatness. Said practically, if a person will not get to worship faithfully, contribute a portion of his income to God, practice forgiveness, participate in some kind of service that demands sacrifice and love, meditate and pray each day; is as incapable of doing great things for God as I am to run a marathon today!
I am not sure where the myth of the ‘easy Christian life’ developed, but it is just that – a myth! Real Christianity is a robust, demanding way of living that is not for wimps. That said, we need not be frightened of the rigors. God has given us daily disciplines to build endurance and maturity in us. They enable us to live mature and complete lives, full of the Spirit, that defeat the Evil One, that create loving spaces in a hate filled world, and that cause others to say, "God be praised!" Some people entirely miss the point of spiritual disciplines and worship them rather than the Lord. Daily prayer, regular service, continual Scripture intake are all means of opening up channels through which the Holy Spirit flows into our lives and begins His work of building real character. They are not, in themselves proof of spirituality or sainthood. Those who focus on the discipline instead of the Spirit they lead us to, are like those misguided ones who keep training, but never compete. Why train if you're not going to compete?
Ask God to give you a goal that's bigger than your present abilities, an 'impossible' vision. Then pray for the wisdom and courage to start small, to practice until you're matured, completed, enabled to do what that thing that you could only dream about before your training began. At the end of that race, there is a reward that is eternal, that does not tarnish, that no one can eclipse, or take away.
Have you focused your life around doing the will of God, on finishing well; or are you seeking to be comfortable today, to satisfy the demands and desires that arise in you right now?
God urges us to "leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God." (Hebrews 6:1, NIV) In short, “Grow up and get on with it!”
Here’s the wisdom of the Word about training. I pray it becomes your daily challenge.
"Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it." (1 Timothy 4:7-9, NLT)
_________________________
A suggested text for the how’s and why’s of spiritual disciplines
The Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster (link will take you to Amazon)
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
God's big handkerchief
When I pulled up my chair next to her hospital bed, I saw the track of tears down the sides of her face. Complications of cancer caused her to be confined to an extended care facility. "It’s a nice place, but it’s not home," she told me when I asked her how it was. When she tried to sit up, a grimace of pain creased her face, so she fell back onto her pillow. As we talked about her suffering, she told me about other hardships and the tears renewed their march down the side of her face. She told of a husband who walked out of her life when she had two preschoolers and a baby, saying, “Tell the kids I died.” With a forced smile, she tried to be brave, “But, it’s not all bad, is it?” As I reached out for her hand, tears were wetting my face, too!
Sin and Satan visit terrible suffering and continual pain on this planet that Adam sub-let to them with his disobedience. Yes, too, our choices bring unforeseen and/or unintended consequences that increase that pain. To be sure, it’s not all darkness. There is joy in knowing love, sweetness found in worship, the reward of creating something out of the chaos. And there is a wonderful, wonderful promise that waits for all those who know the Savior. When the struggle’s over, God will draw us close, pull out his big handkerchief, and dry our tears!
Well, maybe not exactly like that, but that is the mental picture that forms in my mind when I read this passage: "I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:3-5, NIV)
There are days, disciple, when it simply hurts to be alive too deeply for words. At those times, we need to pray for protection from cynicism that turns us into ugly, mean people. We must trust in Somebody bigger than you or I to keep our faith intact. We can hope for that time when all the tears are wiped away. Gordon Jensen wrote a song with this memorable line, “God weeps along with man and takes him by the hand, tears are a language God understands.” Are the tears ready to fall today? Has the disappointment, the pain, the unrelenting struggle with the curse of sin nearly broken you in two?
Go ahead and cry. Find a place alone with Him and let the tears that fall become a wordless prayer for renewal of hope, for healing, for forgiveness. Then, give thanks for the grace to stand and the hope that He will, like the wonderful and loving Father He is, someday wipe every tear, and even the memory of those things which make you cry, from your eyes forever.
_______________
There is coming a day
When no heartaches shall come,
No more clouds in the sky,
No more tears to dim the eye.
All is peace forevermore
On that happy, golden shore.
What a day, glorious day that will be.
What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see,
When I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace.
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.
There'll be no sorrow there,
No more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no pain,
No more parting over there.
And forever I will be
With the One who died for me.
What a day, glorious day that will be.
What A Day That Will Be
Hill, Jim
© 1955. Renewed 1983 Ben Speer Music (Admin. by Integrated Copyright Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
Sin and Satan visit terrible suffering and continual pain on this planet that Adam sub-let to them with his disobedience. Yes, too, our choices bring unforeseen and/or unintended consequences that increase that pain. To be sure, it’s not all darkness. There is joy in knowing love, sweetness found in worship, the reward of creating something out of the chaos. And there is a wonderful, wonderful promise that waits for all those who know the Savior. When the struggle’s over, God will draw us close, pull out his big handkerchief, and dry our tears!
Well, maybe not exactly like that, but that is the mental picture that forms in my mind when I read this passage: "I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:3-5, NIV)
There are days, disciple, when it simply hurts to be alive too deeply for words. At those times, we need to pray for protection from cynicism that turns us into ugly, mean people. We must trust in Somebody bigger than you or I to keep our faith intact. We can hope for that time when all the tears are wiped away. Gordon Jensen wrote a song with this memorable line, “God weeps along with man and takes him by the hand, tears are a language God understands.” Are the tears ready to fall today? Has the disappointment, the pain, the unrelenting struggle with the curse of sin nearly broken you in two?
Go ahead and cry. Find a place alone with Him and let the tears that fall become a wordless prayer for renewal of hope, for healing, for forgiveness. Then, give thanks for the grace to stand and the hope that He will, like the wonderful and loving Father He is, someday wipe every tear, and even the memory of those things which make you cry, from your eyes forever.
_______________
There is coming a day
When no heartaches shall come,
No more clouds in the sky,
No more tears to dim the eye.
All is peace forevermore
On that happy, golden shore.
What a day, glorious day that will be.
What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see,
When I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace.
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.
There'll be no sorrow there,
No more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no pain,
No more parting over there.
And forever I will be
With the One who died for me.
What a day, glorious day that will be.
What A Day That Will Be
Hill, Jim
© 1955. Renewed 1983 Ben Speer Music (Admin. by Integrated Copyright Group, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
So, help me, God!
There is nothing we do as Christians that is more important than prayer; yet few of us pray well. We ALL pray, but often only in times of sheer desperation or out of a feeling of duty. Craig Groeschel, in a book with a title that grabs attention, The Christian Atheist, (Zondervan, 2010) writes that “sometimes prayer simply bores us. Our minds wander. In the middle of a conversation with the creator of the universe, I sometimes remember that I haven’t shaved the back of my neck in over a week or that we’re running low on toilet paper. Once I’m bored and distracted, I feel so guilty I don’t want to keep praying. Admittedly, when prayer becomes an empty, meaningless ritual, it is boring.” Most of us, if we are completely transparent, would probably have to say that we can identify!
We say, “Prayer changes things,” because it sounds right and feels good, but we wonder why many of our prayers are so ineffectual. Here’s the answer! We pray poorly because we do not pray ‘in the Spirit.’ The deepest, truest form of prayer is actually a work of the Holy Spirit working IN US. The Word teaches that we must " pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:18, NIV) If you think that instruction only applies to charismatic or Pentecostal Christians, you have misinterpreted the instruction. It is not about ‘speaking in tongues’ or using a prayer language that bypasses our intellect.
Prayer in the Spirit is about entering into a place where God, the Holy Spirit, engages us and leads us to agree with Him and speak His will into this world.
Do your prayers rise primarily out of your mind, much like a conversation with your spouse, your child, or another person? When you pray, are you searching for words, like you would when making an argument? That’s how we most often pray. And it is one reason prayer is frustrating, for we - as Paul says - often ‘don’t know what we ought to pray for!’ He follows up on that by reminding us that when we pray in the Spirit, "But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will." (Romans 8:26-27, NLT)
Prayer in the Spirit is an agreement with the wisdom of God! Prayer in the Spirit is ‘seconding the motion’ that the Lord God has made!
When we go to prayer, we need to keep this truth present: The Spirit delights in helping us to pray! Jesus taught that the Spirit is our Helper, our Counselor (John 14, 16) Who is with us, in prayer, to give us assistance.
Our prayers are sometimes hindered by sin hidden away in our lives. He reveals it!
Our prayers are sometimes hindered by ignorance of the full situation. He knows it!
Our prayers are sometimes hindered by our physical body - sick or tired. He strengthens us!
Praying in the Spirit keeps us from focusing on the wrong things in prayer, too, for we are guided by the Mind of God. If we simply pray from our intellect, our prayers will have what I call ‘the aspirin effect.’ Aspirin is not healing. It deals only with symptoms, not with the issue causing us pain. If we only pray for what we can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and discern with our own mind - we will be praying about symptoms in this world. If we ‘pray in the Spirit’ we will bring the power of God and His omniscience to bear on this temporal world.
I hope it is becoming clear as you think about this that such praying cannot be done ‘on the fly’ as we are doing a hundred other things, that it cannot be accomplished in 2 minutes as we are already getting our minds in gear for the day, that it cannot be achieved in the sleepy moments just before bedtime. It is both good and right to pray all the time! But, the deep, intimate, life-changing, world effecting prayer that is ‘in the Spirit’ will demand that we learn to wait in silence, that we work (yes, that is the word) with God to focus and discipline ourselves, and that we make seeking after Him a first priority of life.
Here’s His promise - "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13, NIV) So, help me God and let us pray!
_________________
Be still, my soul;
The Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross
Of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God
To order and provide.
In ev'ry change
He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul;
Thy best, Thy heavenly Friend
Thro' thorny ways
Leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul;
Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future
As He has the past.
Thy hope, Thy confidence
Let nothing shake;
All now mysterious
Shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul;
The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them
While He dwelt below.
Be Still My Soul
Von Schlegal, Katharina / Borthwick, Jane L. / Sibelius, Jean
© Public Domain
We say, “Prayer changes things,” because it sounds right and feels good, but we wonder why many of our prayers are so ineffectual. Here’s the answer! We pray poorly because we do not pray ‘in the Spirit.’ The deepest, truest form of prayer is actually a work of the Holy Spirit working IN US. The Word teaches that we must " pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:18, NIV) If you think that instruction only applies to charismatic or Pentecostal Christians, you have misinterpreted the instruction. It is not about ‘speaking in tongues’ or using a prayer language that bypasses our intellect.
Prayer in the Spirit is about entering into a place where God, the Holy Spirit, engages us and leads us to agree with Him and speak His will into this world.
Do your prayers rise primarily out of your mind, much like a conversation with your spouse, your child, or another person? When you pray, are you searching for words, like you would when making an argument? That’s how we most often pray. And it is one reason prayer is frustrating, for we - as Paul says - often ‘don’t know what we ought to pray for!’ He follows up on that by reminding us that when we pray in the Spirit, "But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will." (Romans 8:26-27, NLT)
Prayer in the Spirit is an agreement with the wisdom of God! Prayer in the Spirit is ‘seconding the motion’ that the Lord God has made!
When we go to prayer, we need to keep this truth present: The Spirit delights in helping us to pray! Jesus taught that the Spirit is our Helper, our Counselor (John 14, 16) Who is with us, in prayer, to give us assistance.
Our prayers are sometimes hindered by sin hidden away in our lives. He reveals it!
Our prayers are sometimes hindered by ignorance of the full situation. He knows it!
Our prayers are sometimes hindered by our physical body - sick or tired. He strengthens us!
Praying in the Spirit keeps us from focusing on the wrong things in prayer, too, for we are guided by the Mind of God. If we simply pray from our intellect, our prayers will have what I call ‘the aspirin effect.’ Aspirin is not healing. It deals only with symptoms, not with the issue causing us pain. If we only pray for what we can see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and discern with our own mind - we will be praying about symptoms in this world. If we ‘pray in the Spirit’ we will bring the power of God and His omniscience to bear on this temporal world.
I hope it is becoming clear as you think about this that such praying cannot be done ‘on the fly’ as we are doing a hundred other things, that it cannot be accomplished in 2 minutes as we are already getting our minds in gear for the day, that it cannot be achieved in the sleepy moments just before bedtime. It is both good and right to pray all the time! But, the deep, intimate, life-changing, world effecting prayer that is ‘in the Spirit’ will demand that we learn to wait in silence, that we work (yes, that is the word) with God to focus and discipline ourselves, and that we make seeking after Him a first priority of life.
Here’s His promise - "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13, NIV) So, help me God and let us pray!
_________________
Be still, my soul;
The Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross
Of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God
To order and provide.
In ev'ry change
He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul;
Thy best, Thy heavenly Friend
Thro' thorny ways
Leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul;
Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future
As He has the past.
Thy hope, Thy confidence
Let nothing shake;
All now mysterious
Shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul;
The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them
While He dwelt below.
Be Still My Soul
Von Schlegal, Katharina / Borthwick, Jane L. / Sibelius, Jean
© Public Domain
Monday, May 03, 2010
Wanna-be
A long time ago, just for fun, I bought a gaudy gold ring that was inset with diamonds. I paid just $19 for it. No, it wasn't 'hot.' (stolen) It wasn't real gold! The ‘diamonds’ chips of glass! But hey -- from 6 or 8 feet away, who could tell? It looks like the real thing, from a distance. Up close, the fact that it is a fake is obvious even to the untrained eye. There are plenty of imitations in our world. You can buy a pint of imitation vanillin flavor for the same price as a couple of ounces of real vanilla extract- but there is no comparing the flavor difference. You can buy an imitation Rolex watch on the streets of New York City for a few dollars, but a real one will cost several thousands.
I love real people. OK, perhaps you're scratching your head wondering, "What other kind are there? Fake people?" Yes, the world is filled with people who are just shells, images without substance, pretenders who work at hiding their true selves behind titles and tales; suits and surgeries. My heart breaks for these sad souls who have to work so hard to be somebody they are not, in vain attempts to gain the approval of people they don't even like.
Real people have integrity. They have worked at accepting themselves for who they are and are 'at home' in their own skin. They don't need to prove anything, play a role, or have rhinoplasty. (Look it up!) Real people know that they are not defined by the kind of car they drive or their job title. Real people can be difficult because they are so resistant to the games that people play. You can't manipulate a real person because she is not responsive to peer pressure. Then, too, real people live and tell the truth which makes some of us very uncomfortable. They won't pretend to see the Emperor's new clothes, they just acknowledge that he's naked!
(If you don't know that story you can read it at http://hca.gilead.org.il/emperor.html)
Being authentic is important for Christ’s followers! To be inauthentic is to be a hypocrite. That sin was the one which Jesus condemned more harshly than any other! When He interacted with the Pharisees, were experts in looking good while doing bad, He did not spare their feelings. Take a look at Jesus' outrage at these pious frauds.
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things." (Matthew 23:23-4, NLT)
"You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity." (Matthew 23:26-27, NLT)
Can you feel the indignation? We need to make that personal, asking ourselves if we have allowed ourselves to be ‘wanna-be’ Christians, better at pretending than being! Just reading those words makes me shudder!
Maybe you’re thinking- 'but if people really know me, they won't like me.' Mostly that is true if we do not like ourselves! If we believe that we are too fat, too thin, too dumb, too ugly, too shy, too tall, too short, too poor, too damaged – we will react to even imagined criticism with a defense, pushing people away, or demanding our own way too loudly! It’s great to be around a person at home in his own skin.
Perhaps you believe that you have be ‘just like _____________’ (you fill the name of some admired Christian) in order to be valuable to God, so you’re trying hard to become that person. The Bible is clear that you are a person God made to fill a specific place in this world. Nobody can be you and you cannot successfully become somebody else! Yes, extracting the pure gold from the ore can be a task. It requires supernatural work of the Spirit of God to be rid of the junk that obscures the ‘real me.’ However, if we refuse to let Him work on us, and choose inside to pretend, to fake it; we sin against Him. When we deal with the hurt, pain, failure, and disobedience not by covering it up, but rather by owning it and taking it to the Cross, the Christ who forgives also restores hope, and gives healing. There is no greater source of security than knowing we are God’s beloved, with a divine purpose to fulfill right where we are!
Are you a fake?
Let God love you to reality. He knows the ‘real’ you so why not admit who you are to Him, and then to yourself?
Real is a beautiful thing – truly!
________________
Heavenly Father, I need You to help me
to be content with my place, my work, my personality.
I feel pressure to be someone else, to look better than I actually am.
That pressure comes from those around me and
the little voice of insecurity inside of me.
Speak Your affirming love to me.
Help not to settle into my dysfunction, nor to love my sin.
Lead me to be a real disciple,
at peace with You through Christ Jesus,
honest to God, honest to Man!
Make me all that You have designed me to be,
in the garden where You have planted me.
For Your honor and glory, I pray,
In Jesus’ holy Name. Amen.
I love real people. OK, perhaps you're scratching your head wondering, "What other kind are there? Fake people?" Yes, the world is filled with people who are just shells, images without substance, pretenders who work at hiding their true selves behind titles and tales; suits and surgeries. My heart breaks for these sad souls who have to work so hard to be somebody they are not, in vain attempts to gain the approval of people they don't even like.
Real people have integrity. They have worked at accepting themselves for who they are and are 'at home' in their own skin. They don't need to prove anything, play a role, or have rhinoplasty. (Look it up!) Real people know that they are not defined by the kind of car they drive or their job title. Real people can be difficult because they are so resistant to the games that people play. You can't manipulate a real person because she is not responsive to peer pressure. Then, too, real people live and tell the truth which makes some of us very uncomfortable. They won't pretend to see the Emperor's new clothes, they just acknowledge that he's naked!
(If you don't know that story you can read it at http://hca.gilead.org.il/emperor.html)
Being authentic is important for Christ’s followers! To be inauthentic is to be a hypocrite. That sin was the one which Jesus condemned more harshly than any other! When He interacted with the Pharisees, were experts in looking good while doing bad, He did not spare their feelings. Take a look at Jesus' outrage at these pious frauds.
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things." (Matthew 23:23-4, NLT)
"You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity." (Matthew 23:26-27, NLT)
Can you feel the indignation? We need to make that personal, asking ourselves if we have allowed ourselves to be ‘wanna-be’ Christians, better at pretending than being! Just reading those words makes me shudder!
Maybe you’re thinking- 'but if people really know me, they won't like me.' Mostly that is true if we do not like ourselves! If we believe that we are too fat, too thin, too dumb, too ugly, too shy, too tall, too short, too poor, too damaged – we will react to even imagined criticism with a defense, pushing people away, or demanding our own way too loudly! It’s great to be around a person at home in his own skin.
Perhaps you believe that you have be ‘just like _____________’ (you fill the name of some admired Christian) in order to be valuable to God, so you’re trying hard to become that person. The Bible is clear that you are a person God made to fill a specific place in this world. Nobody can be you and you cannot successfully become somebody else! Yes, extracting the pure gold from the ore can be a task. It requires supernatural work of the Spirit of God to be rid of the junk that obscures the ‘real me.’ However, if we refuse to let Him work on us, and choose inside to pretend, to fake it; we sin against Him. When we deal with the hurt, pain, failure, and disobedience not by covering it up, but rather by owning it and taking it to the Cross, the Christ who forgives also restores hope, and gives healing. There is no greater source of security than knowing we are God’s beloved, with a divine purpose to fulfill right where we are!
Are you a fake?
Let God love you to reality. He knows the ‘real’ you so why not admit who you are to Him, and then to yourself?
Real is a beautiful thing – truly!
________________
Heavenly Father, I need You to help me
to be content with my place, my work, my personality.
I feel pressure to be someone else, to look better than I actually am.
That pressure comes from those around me and
the little voice of insecurity inside of me.
Speak Your affirming love to me.
Help not to settle into my dysfunction, nor to love my sin.
Lead me to be a real disciple,
at peace with You through Christ Jesus,
honest to God, honest to Man!
Make me all that You have designed me to be,
in the garden where You have planted me.
For Your honor and glory, I pray,
In Jesus’ holy Name. Amen.
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