It seemed to me that my motives were in question. Anger welled up in me, surging almost uncontrollably, and as it did, reality receded! What I saw, what I heard, even my thought processes, became skewed by my need to assert myself in an effort to overcome the situation. For a moment, I forgot Who I serve and Who is my security! The issue became ‘me’ for a few moments instead of Him. Does that ever happen to you? Do you lose sight of what’s really going on because you’re feeling besieged, or alone, or unloved, or without support?
Later, as I prayed about my actions in that angry moment, I felt both regret and comfort. I regretted acting the part of a fool and hurting others in a moment of insecurity. I was comforted by the knowledge that in God’s strength, I can stand, and that I need not allow my feelings to rule over me. I searched the Scripture and read this passage in the book of Romans. "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. … For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. … So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:8-10, 12, NIV)
Do you see the core truth of those words? The ultimate commendation or criticism comes, not from a spouse, boss, or peer but from Christ Jesus. If our lives are lived to please Him, our need for the plaudits or approval of others is relegated to a secondary place. We must frequently remind ourselves that when we appear before the Lord to give account for our choices, that He will see each and every decision in the full context of our lives. What an amazingly comforting fact.
As human beings we judge the words and actions of others within a very limited time frame. We do not always know or understand the subconscious issues, the fatigue or frustration, the past experiences that are in play in the mind of another. We rise in indignation and wonder “How could he act like that?” “What’s the matter with him?” God knows! His insight is deep. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13, NIV)
So today, I am coming ‘round to ask myself the most important question: “Jerry, is your life focused on pleasing Christ?”
Disciple, would you ask it of yourself today? Others may criticize when we have done our best. Our work may be overlooked, even ignored. Our offer of love may be spurned. Our failures may be held up for all to see by those who hold us in contempt. Our successes may be corrupted by selfishness that we hope we have concealed. Yet, in each and every situation, it is the commendation or judgment of Christ that matters most; and His evaluation is always perfect because He sees the full context of it all!
Take this word from the Word with you today.
"So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:9-10, NIV)
"Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive—but just barely." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, The Message)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
As the World Turns
Values and ideas are ever changing. How humanity understands the world we live in is much different today than it was even 50 years ago, and radically different than it was 500 years ago. New issues arise that challenge us to adapt, that demand evaluation and then, acceptance or rejection. I am now of an age where change comes with much more effort, when the easiest choice for me is to defend the status quo. There was a time when I relished a good debate. Now, I find most of those kinds of arguments tiresome and I am prone to dismiss every new idea as just another fad that will soon pass. In fact, many radical notions have a short shelf life, but some will take root and unless I want the world to pass me by, I must keep thinking, choosing, growing.
Disciple, are you finding yourself troubled by change?
Is it hard to make sense of a world where technology is turning life upside down?
Are you feeling like a homeless person who drifts invisibly through a city unloved?
I do not want to encourage you to look back with rose tinted glasses to the ‘good old days.’ Yesterday’s gone. But, we must not be so enamored with relevance and being ‘cool,’ that we forget the unchanging truths which give us a home and a solid foundation for our lives. What keeps us steady in an ever changing world are the anchor points that do not change, that remain true across cultural lines and from generation to generation. Jeremiah, the prophet to a people who had thrown away their heritage, says "This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." (Jeremiah 6:16, NIV)
The Scripture is clear that God is immutable, not changing, not shifting His ways to meet our expectations. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17, NIV)
Jesus Christ is the Savior, "the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8, NIV)
Three standards for our behavior never go out of style. "These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV)
Here’s a word from the Word. It speaks majestically to the nature of our God. May it be an anchor point for your soul.
"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)
Disciple, are you finding yourself troubled by change?
Is it hard to make sense of a world where technology is turning life upside down?
Are you feeling like a homeless person who drifts invisibly through a city unloved?
I do not want to encourage you to look back with rose tinted glasses to the ‘good old days.’ Yesterday’s gone. But, we must not be so enamored with relevance and being ‘cool,’ that we forget the unchanging truths which give us a home and a solid foundation for our lives. What keeps us steady in an ever changing world are the anchor points that do not change, that remain true across cultural lines and from generation to generation. Jeremiah, the prophet to a people who had thrown away their heritage, says "This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." (Jeremiah 6:16, NIV)
The Scripture is clear that God is immutable, not changing, not shifting His ways to meet our expectations. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17, NIV)
Jesus Christ is the Savior, "the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8, NIV)
Three standards for our behavior never go out of style. "These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV)
Here’s a word from the Word. It speaks majestically to the nature of our God. May it be an anchor point for your soul.
"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)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Heart and Mouth Aligned
Ever hear of a guy named Ferdinand Waldo Demara? His life was a fraud. He 'borrowed' credentials, stealing many identities. In his life, he pretended to be, among other things, a deputy sheriff, a counselor, an engineer, and a ship's surgeon! He was a smart man, able to learn quickly, and wily enough to avoid detection in many of his jobs until his pride would get the best of him. Then, he would seek publicity, which inevitably led to his exposure as a fake.
Some people who would be Christian are like Demara! They want to be a loving, whole person; full of joy, generous, pure, and holy. However, they are unwilling to embrace Christ as Lord, so they just copy the actions of some Christian. They learn to act and talk like someone who impresses them. But, their hearts are not really transformed by the Spirit of God. Pious words are just a veneer that covers a heart still in the grip of the sinful nature.
When how we act and what we say don’t line up, it creates pain – in us and for those around us. Eventually, James tells us, a ‘double-minded man becomes unstable in all his ways!’ He no longer knows where pretense ends and reality begins for his whole life becomes a lie. There is another way, the way of wholeness. The Bible says, "It is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:10, NIV) In other words, a person right with God has heart and mouth aligned, belief and action unified. They will not be imposters, simply acting like a Christian, nor will they delude themselves with the lie that being a Christ-follower is just a matter of knowing a few right things about theology.
The Word teaches us that integrity is the key to becoming a whole person spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. When we believe God’s promises and act on them, we are ‘saved!’ We become Christians with a transformational experience that starts in the heart, that changes our most basic ways of thinking; and continues with our mouth, our external life, both words and actions brought under the Lord’s mastery. Jesus calls it being 'born again of the Spirit.' Paul calls it 'renewal.' "Jesus Christ," he writes, "saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5, NLT)
Are you attempting, by morality or discipline or even fakery, to be what and who only God, the Holy Spirit, can make you?
Are you putting on layer upon layer of morality and religion, in an attempt to be a Christian, a person who enjoys a relationship with God and who holds the promise of eternal life?
Are you filled with right beliefs that are not applied to your actions?
Are you able to do theology, but keep it disconnected from how you live?
Then, you're an imposter- perhaps a well-intentioned one, but a fake all the same. You are creating pain and problems for yourself and discrediting the Gospel of Christ.
If that describes you, do not stay there for another moment. Invite the Spirit to begin a truly transformational work and become authentic – no more than you are, no less than God purposes you to be. Your life will become a thing of true beauty. Your mind will be at peace. The world around you will be influenced by your real faith! “Believe and speak!”
Here is a word from the Word that points the way to wholeness. "Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” (Romans 10:9-10, The Message)
Praise God! Amen.
________________
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
Some people who would be Christian are like Demara! They want to be a loving, whole person; full of joy, generous, pure, and holy. However, they are unwilling to embrace Christ as Lord, so they just copy the actions of some Christian. They learn to act and talk like someone who impresses them. But, their hearts are not really transformed by the Spirit of God. Pious words are just a veneer that covers a heart still in the grip of the sinful nature.
When how we act and what we say don’t line up, it creates pain – in us and for those around us. Eventually, James tells us, a ‘double-minded man becomes unstable in all his ways!’ He no longer knows where pretense ends and reality begins for his whole life becomes a lie. There is another way, the way of wholeness. The Bible says, "It is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:10, NIV) In other words, a person right with God has heart and mouth aligned, belief and action unified. They will not be imposters, simply acting like a Christian, nor will they delude themselves with the lie that being a Christ-follower is just a matter of knowing a few right things about theology.
The Word teaches us that integrity is the key to becoming a whole person spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. When we believe God’s promises and act on them, we are ‘saved!’ We become Christians with a transformational experience that starts in the heart, that changes our most basic ways of thinking; and continues with our mouth, our external life, both words and actions brought under the Lord’s mastery. Jesus calls it being 'born again of the Spirit.' Paul calls it 'renewal.' "Jesus Christ," he writes, "saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5, NLT)
Are you attempting, by morality or discipline or even fakery, to be what and who only God, the Holy Spirit, can make you?
Are you putting on layer upon layer of morality and religion, in an attempt to be a Christian, a person who enjoys a relationship with God and who holds the promise of eternal life?
Are you filled with right beliefs that are not applied to your actions?
Are you able to do theology, but keep it disconnected from how you live?
Then, you're an imposter- perhaps a well-intentioned one, but a fake all the same. You are creating pain and problems for yourself and discrediting the Gospel of Christ.
If that describes you, do not stay there for another moment. Invite the Spirit to begin a truly transformational work and become authentic – no more than you are, no less than God purposes you to be. Your life will become a thing of true beauty. Your mind will be at peace. The world around you will be influenced by your real faith! “Believe and speak!”
Here is a word from the Word that points the way to wholeness. "Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” (Romans 10:9-10, The Message)
Praise God! Amen.
________________
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
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Falling over yourself?
At the church’s Bible school last week, one of the regular parts of the general session was a time when we invited kids to share their ‘God-sightings.’ The goal was get them to be more aware of the Lord’s working and Presence in ordinary situations. We wanted them to understand that God does not live in the church building, but that He is with us everywhere and all of the time. You’re an adult and you ‘know’ that the church building is not actually “God’s house,” but are you looking for His Presence, attuned to the Spirit where you live and work?
In Romans 9, we read about the mystery of God’s will for His people. Paul wonders at the inclusion of Gentiles (non-Jews) in the family of God. Where once the children of Abraham (Jews) had enjoyed a unique and privileged status as ‘the people of the Lord,’ the new covenant of Jesus Christ brought the grace of God to all who respond to the Spirit’s invitation with faith. What becomes crystal clear in those words is that we cannot expect to earn a place of right standing with God because of our heritage, our goodness, or even our religiosity. "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”" (Romans 9:30-32, NIV)
It is possible that we can become so focused on ‘being good’ and living out some religious program that we miss out on God altogether! We can fall over ourselves, tripped up by good intentions. Last week I read of a once proud Christian college that was founded with the aim of producing men and women of holy character and faith who would do God’s work in the world with excellence. It has become a rigid, rules obsessed institution that is more intent on preserving a slice of culture than turning students to knowledge of the living God. Strict dress codes, obsessions with styles of clothing and skirt lengths, and elimination of all ‘worldly’ influence has taken the place of “God-sightings!” It is as if the Pharisees of old have returned to 21st century America! But, these people of such high aims are unable to see their folly, stumbling over their own religion, now blind to the Presence of the Living Christ.
It’s a sin as old as humanity. At the very beginning, after the Fall, the Scripture says that "instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols.” (Romans 1:23, NLT) Not all idols are made of stone or carved to look like demi-gods! We may turn from a life of faith to worship our own reputation, our strict self-discipline, the ‘ministry’ we do for our church, or even our study of the Bible.
Let’s re-read that passage I quoted a moment ago, this time from The Message. "How can we sum this up? All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling." (Romans 9:30-32, The Message)
Disciple, don’t fall over yourself! Stay aware of the Spirit, in step with Him, led by Him, filled with gentle faithful grace.
_____________________
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love
What Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure.
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine.
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.
Breathe On Me Breath Of God
Hatch, Edwin / Jackson, Robert
© Public Domain
In Romans 9, we read about the mystery of God’s will for His people. Paul wonders at the inclusion of Gentiles (non-Jews) in the family of God. Where once the children of Abraham (Jews) had enjoyed a unique and privileged status as ‘the people of the Lord,’ the new covenant of Jesus Christ brought the grace of God to all who respond to the Spirit’s invitation with faith. What becomes crystal clear in those words is that we cannot expect to earn a place of right standing with God because of our heritage, our goodness, or even our religiosity. "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”" (Romans 9:30-32, NIV)
It is possible that we can become so focused on ‘being good’ and living out some religious program that we miss out on God altogether! We can fall over ourselves, tripped up by good intentions. Last week I read of a once proud Christian college that was founded with the aim of producing men and women of holy character and faith who would do God’s work in the world with excellence. It has become a rigid, rules obsessed institution that is more intent on preserving a slice of culture than turning students to knowledge of the living God. Strict dress codes, obsessions with styles of clothing and skirt lengths, and elimination of all ‘worldly’ influence has taken the place of “God-sightings!” It is as if the Pharisees of old have returned to 21st century America! But, these people of such high aims are unable to see their folly, stumbling over their own religion, now blind to the Presence of the Living Christ.
It’s a sin as old as humanity. At the very beginning, after the Fall, the Scripture says that "instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols.” (Romans 1:23, NLT) Not all idols are made of stone or carved to look like demi-gods! We may turn from a life of faith to worship our own reputation, our strict self-discipline, the ‘ministry’ we do for our church, or even our study of the Bible.
Let’s re-read that passage I quoted a moment ago, this time from The Message. "How can we sum this up? All those people who didn’t seem interested in what God was doing actually embraced what God was doing as he straightened out their lives. And Israel, who seemed so interested in reading and talking about what God was doing, missed it. How could they miss it? Because instead of trusting God, they took over. They were absorbed in what they themselves were doing. They were so absorbed in their “God projects” that they didn’t notice God right in front of them, like a huge rock in the middle of the road. And so they stumbled into him and went sprawling." (Romans 9:30-32, The Message)
Disciple, don’t fall over yourself! Stay aware of the Spirit, in step with Him, led by Him, filled with gentle faithful grace.
_____________________
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love
What Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure.
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine.
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.
Breathe On Me Breath Of God
Hatch, Edwin / Jackson, Robert
© Public Domain
Monday, July 12, 2010
On my side!
Back in February this year, when I was dealing with some major health issues, I looked for people who would be on my side! There were prayer partners who came to stand with me and ask the Lord to heal me. Their earnest prayers still linger in my memory. There were health professionals, men and women who brought their training and skills to my aid. There was my beloved wife who encouraged me and held me close when I was afraid. In that season of weakness I came to know, more than ever before, the importance of the network in place. I am a fairly strong, resilient, and self-reliant man; but I know that only a foolish person would attempt to navigate life alone.
There is Another that is on my side all the time! Perhaps that sounds somewhat selfish to you, but if you’re walking with Christ, He’s on your side, too! In one of the most amazing, challenging, comforting passages in the Bible, we learn about God’s intervention for us, how He has set us right with Himself, how He is working in all the circumstances of our lives to accomplish what He has purposed. Then we read, "the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans." (Romans 8:26, The Message) "After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun. So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose?" (Romans 8:30-31, The Message)
God is on my side! He’s taken up my case! He’s an active Advocate for me! I know this and it steadies, encourages, and strengthens me. Only when I forget this rich resource, do I slide into the fear. When I look only at my own puny abilities stacked up against life, I can feel real panic. Sure, I have financial resources, a bright and active mind, and some training that help me deal with what is coming my life, but still; I am no match for temptation, aging, or even the pastoral work that is my life’s work. But, with God on my side, I am renewed in courage, infused with hope, and granted the Spirit’s wisdom. I cannot earn a place at His side; I am invited, by His grace to stand there! But, to stay there, I must give the Spirit to all that I am, be willing to submit to His correction, and live authentically, never taking credit for what is His work.
Disciple, God wants you to know that He’s on your side. You do not have to wrestle with the world’s systems, the sinful nature, or even the demons of darkness alone. You need not go through the stresses of this life – and there will be stress! – fearful and alone. In Christ, you are His beloved child. He’s your able Advocate, on your side. Thank Him for that. If He shows you attitudes or actions that are separating you from His holy love, leave them and turn to Him. Don’t walk alone!
From David’s songs, we find a passage that I want to leave with you. Read it with hope and faith.
"To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall." (Psalm 18:25-29, NIV)
It’s time to advance, not arrogantly nor in self-confidence; but in the sure word that “with God on our side like this, how can we lose?”
If you would like to read the whole song of David, here’s a link to Psalm 18.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2018&version=NIV
_______________________
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked come to Thee for dress,
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul I to the fountain fly,
Wash me Savior or I die.
Could my tears forever flow?
Could my zeal no languor know?
These for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
In my hand no price I bring;
Simply to thy cross I cling.
Rock Of Ages
Toplady, Augustus M. / Hastings, Thomas
© Public Domain
There is Another that is on my side all the time! Perhaps that sounds somewhat selfish to you, but if you’re walking with Christ, He’s on your side, too! In one of the most amazing, challenging, comforting passages in the Bible, we learn about God’s intervention for us, how He has set us right with Himself, how He is working in all the circumstances of our lives to accomplish what He has purposed. Then we read, "the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans." (Romans 8:26, The Message) "After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun. So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose?" (Romans 8:30-31, The Message)
God is on my side! He’s taken up my case! He’s an active Advocate for me! I know this and it steadies, encourages, and strengthens me. Only when I forget this rich resource, do I slide into the fear. When I look only at my own puny abilities stacked up against life, I can feel real panic. Sure, I have financial resources, a bright and active mind, and some training that help me deal with what is coming my life, but still; I am no match for temptation, aging, or even the pastoral work that is my life’s work. But, with God on my side, I am renewed in courage, infused with hope, and granted the Spirit’s wisdom. I cannot earn a place at His side; I am invited, by His grace to stand there! But, to stay there, I must give the Spirit to all that I am, be willing to submit to His correction, and live authentically, never taking credit for what is His work.
Disciple, God wants you to know that He’s on your side. You do not have to wrestle with the world’s systems, the sinful nature, or even the demons of darkness alone. You need not go through the stresses of this life – and there will be stress! – fearful and alone. In Christ, you are His beloved child. He’s your able Advocate, on your side. Thank Him for that. If He shows you attitudes or actions that are separating you from His holy love, leave them and turn to Him. Don’t walk alone!
From David’s songs, we find a passage that I want to leave with you. Read it with hope and faith.
"To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall." (Psalm 18:25-29, NIV)
It’s time to advance, not arrogantly nor in self-confidence; but in the sure word that “with God on our side like this, how can we lose?”
If you would like to read the whole song of David, here’s a link to Psalm 18.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2018&version=NIV
_______________________
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked come to Thee for dress,
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul I to the fountain fly,
Wash me Savior or I die.
Could my tears forever flow?
Could my zeal no languor know?
These for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
In my hand no price I bring;
Simply to thy cross I cling.
Rock Of Ages
Toplady, Augustus M. / Hastings, Thomas
© Public Domain
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